eemed at least two miles they proceeded. Then appeared a small
clearing, and with a quickening of the pulse Jack felt the wagon slow up
and turn in. They were at their destination.

A forbiddingly suitable place for its purpose it was. Standing out darkly
on the crest of a rise two hundred yards back, was a low shanty-like
house, in which appeared a single gleam of light. Between, to the road,
stretched a desolate moonlit prospect of stumps, decaying logs and
brush-piles. On either side the woods formed a towering wall of
blackness.

Rocking and pitching, the wagon made its way up a rutty, corkscrew lane.
They reached the house, and the door opened, and a tall, unpleasant-looking
woman appeared and greeted the men.

"Good luck, eh?" she remarked briefly.

"Sure. Don't we always have good luck?" responded Watts. "Is supper
ready?"

"Yes. You-uns better come in before you opens them boxes," said the
woman.

"All right."

Passing on, the wagon came at last to a halt before a good-sized barn.
The two men leaped to the ground, and while one of them opened the large
side doors the other proceeded to back the wagon to it.

As the two freight thieves then unhooked, and led their horses to the
stable, there came to Jack's ears a welcome tapping. "Are you all right,
lad?" whispered the detective.

"Yes, O K, sir, though a bit nervous," Jack acknowledged.

"Keep cool and we'll soon have them where we want them. As they are going
in to supper first we'll not leave the boxes till then. That'll give us
just the opportunity we want to look around and arrange things nicely.

"Sh! Here they come!"

"Catch hold," said Watts. Jack heard the detective's box slide out, an
"Up!" from Watts, the staggering steps of the men across the barn floor,
and a thud as the box was dropped.

At what then immediately followed Jack for a moment doubted his senses.
It was the voice of Watts saying quietly and coldly, "Now my clever
friend in the box, kindly come out!"

They _had_ heard Boyle's exclamation when the box had fallen!

Scarcely breathing, Jack listened. Would the detective give himself up
without a--

There was a muffled report, instantly a second, louder, then silence.

"Will you come out now?" demanded Watts.

To Jack's horror there was no response. Watts repeated the order, then
called on his companion for an axe, and there followed the sound of blows
and splintering wood.

"Now haul him out."

Terror-stricken, Jac