being pleased, the man's flattery and ingratiating manner had
ruffled Jack, and briefly he answered, "No, sir."

"No. I knew that already. I was one of them myself."

At this startling statement Jack stared. "I beg your pardon, sir?" he
exclaimed.

"I was a member of that gang myself," repeated Jack's strange caller,
again smiling broadly. "Don't you think I look the part?" So saying, he
pushed his hat back from his face.

Jack had no doubt of it. The small dark eyes were repellent with low
cunning and greed. Instinctively he half turned to cast a glance toward
the door. At once the smile disappeared, and the self-confessed
law-breaker threw open his coat and significantly tapped the butt of a
revolver. "No. You just sit still and listen," he ordered sharply; but
immediately again smiling, added, "though there needn't be anything of
this kind between two who are going to be good friends.

"Listen. What I called for was this: We want another man in the gang in
place of Joe Corry--that is the man you caught.

"And we decided to invite you."

Jack fairly caught his breath. "Why, you must be joking, or--"

"Or crazy, eh? Not quite. I was never more serious in my life. Listen!"
The speaker leaned forward earnestly. "After your spoiling our little
'ghost' game here the railroad people would never look for us starting in
again at the same place. Never in the world--would they? And likewise,
after your causing the capture of Corry, they would never in the world
suspect you of working with us. Do you see the point?

"And all you would have to do would be to keep your ears closed, and not
hear any noises out in the freight-room at night."

"And for doing that," concluded the law-breaker, "we will give you a
regular salary of $25 a month. We'll send it by mail, or bank it for you
at any bank you name, and no one will know where it comes from.

"What do you say?"

Jack drew back indignantly. "Most certainly not," he began. Then suddenly
he hesitated.

As the freight-robber had said, the authorities had been unable to obtain
a single clue to the whereabouts or identity of the remainder of the
freight-stealing gang. Should he accept the man's offer, came the
thought, undoubtedly, sooner or later, he would be able to bring about
the capture of every one of them.

Immediately following, however, there recurred to Jack one of his
mother's warnings--"that even the appearance of evil is dangerous,
always, as well as wrong