get out of sight. Probably he went out through
a rear door and has been following us ever since."

"But why----" began Joe.

"Why?" repeated Jim. "Why does a crazy man do crazy things? Just because
he is crazy. He doesn't have to have a reason. If he thinks you've injured
him he's just as bitter as though you really had. Hughson's tip was a good
one, Joe. The fellow's deadly dangerous. It's only luck that he isn't a
murderer this minute."

"It's good for him I didn't lay my hands on him," replied Joe. "I wouldn't
have hit him, because I don't think he's responsible for what he does. But
I'd have had him put where he couldn't do any more mischief for a while."

"It gives me the creeps to think of what a close call that was," said Jim,
as they walked along.

"Don't say anything about it to the boys," cautioned Joe. "The thing would
get out, and before we knew it the folks at home would have heard of it.
And they wouldn't have an easy minute for all the rest of the trip."

They made quick time to the hotel, and as most of their luggage had
remained on the train, they had only to gather a few things together in a
small hand bag and start out for the station.

Their special train had been standing on a side track a few hundred yards
east of the main platform. They were picking their way toward it across a
network of tracks, when, just as they rounded the corner of a freight car,
they came face to face with Hartley.

They almost dropped their handbags at the unexpectedness of the meeting.
But if they were startled, Bugs was frightened and turned on his heel to
run. In an instant Joe had him by the collar in a grip of iron, while Jim
stood on the alert to stop him should he break away.

"Let me go!" cried Hartley in stifled tones, for Joe's grip was almost
choking him.

"Not until you tell me why you tried to murder me to-night," said Joe,
grimly.

"I don't know what you're talking about," snarled Bugs, trying to wrench
himself loose from Joe's hold on his collar.

"You know well enough," replied his captor. "Own up."

"You might as well, Bugs," put in Jim. "We've got the goods on you."

"You fellows are crazy," replied Bugs. "I've never laid eyes on you since
I saw you in Chicago. And you can't prove that I did either."

"You're the only enemy I have in the world," declared Joe. "And the man
who threw that rock at me to-night was a practiced thrower. Besides,
you're all in a sweat--that's from running away wh