e woods. You
have to know your way about to do that, especially if you're in a hurry
to get anywhere."

"Sh--listen!" said Dolly, holding up her finger.

"Well, you understand, then?" said Holmes, in the road below. "Take this
road until you come to the trolley line, and wait there for the girls to
come along. If Bessie comes, grab her, and don't let her get away from
you. I'll go to the railroad station where they'll have to change for
the train to Deer Crossing, in case they manage to reach it in some
other fashion, and old Weeks will stay on guard in Jericho. Now, don't
make any mistakes. Remember, I know some things about you that you don't
want others to find out, young man, and I've got a habit of punishing
people who fail when they are working for me."

"I ain't noticed that you reward them much when they do things,"
grumbled Jake. "It's a poor rule that don't work both ways, mister. You
say you'll punish me if I don't make good; how about payin' me if I do?"

"We'll talk about that when you've accomplished something, my young
friend," said Holmes, with an ugly laugh. "It seems to me that you ought
to be pretty grateful to me for not having split on you before this,
though. If I told all I know about you, I guess you'd be in the state
reformatory now--and I'm not sure that it wouldn't be a good place for
you. Eh?"

"Stow that, you!" snarled Jake. "I could tell a few things about you if
I wanted to. This stunt you pulled off this morning is pretty nigh to
bein' kidnappin'--know that?"

Bessie touched Dolly on the arm.

"Oh, I do hope they keep on quarreling," she whispered. "That is our
very best chance to escape from them, Dolly. If they get to fighting
between themselves, it's going to be much harder for them to do anything
to us. They'll distrust one another, and we may be able to fool them."

But Holmes evidently saw that, too. When he spoke again, his voice was
good-natured, and he had resumed his chaffing, easy tone.

"Don't go up in the air that way, Jake," he said. "I was only trying to
string you a little, trying to make you mad. I wouldn't give you away;
never fear that. You'll do your best, I know. And you'll find that
you'll get your reward, all right, too, if you make a good job of this.
We've got one of them. Now we want the other, and I'll feel safe. So go
ahead now and don't waste any more time. Take your bicycle and make the
best time you can to that trolley station."

"I got a right t