ot?"

"Peter must not--"

"Answer!" and now Tom had the lad by the ear.

"Yes--yes--I saw them."

"Did anybody else see them?"

"Peter must not--"

"Peter, do you want to be drowned in the river?"

"No, no!"

"Then tell me all you know about the boys."

"Sack Todd will kill me! Peter must not tell--"

"Did Sack Todd see the boys?"

"Yes; he caught them--he and Andy Jimson--at the window! Peter must
not tell--"

"Caught!" gasped Tom. "Were they made prisoners?"

The boy nodded, and then crowed like a rooster once more.

"Where were the prisoners put?"

"Down, down, down--in the deep hole where the water flows--down where
they want to put Peter if he tells all he knows. But I shan't tell
anything--not a thing!" and his eyes blazed fiercely. "Not a thing!"

"Poor Dick and Sam have been captured and are prisoners in some vile
place," groaned Tom. "What will become of them?"

CHAPTER XX

AN OFFER FROM THE ENEMY

"This is a cheerful outlook, I must say. I wonder how long it is
going to last?"

The question came from Sam, after an hour had been spent in the damp
and lonely cell under Red Rock ranch.

"That is a riddle to me, Sam," answered Dick. "I don't think they
will let us go in a hurry. We have learned too much."

"Do you imagine they will find Tom and the others?"

"I hope not. If they do, we'll be in a pickle, for I guess it will
be Tom and the others who will have to get us out of this hole."

"I wish we had a light."

"I am afraid it would do us small good. This seems to have been built
for a regular prison, and I suppose the only way out is through the
door, and that is securely fastened."

The two Rovers were in no cheerful frame of mind. They realized that
Sack Todd was much exercised over the fact that they had discovered
the secret of the ranch, and what he would do to them in consequence
there was no telling.

"Perhaps we'll never get away from here alive!" cried Sam after
another talk.

"Oh, I don't think he'll dare to go as far as that, Sam. He knows we
have friends and that they will do all in their power to rescue us
or find out what has become of us."

Another hour went by, so slowly that it seemed three. Then, of a
sudden, Dick uttered an exclamation.

"I've struck a prize, Sam!"

"What is it?"

"A bit of candle."

"Humph! What good will that do, if you haven't any match?"

"But I have several matches," answered the eldest Rover, and a second
later came