, Brad!" exclaimed the shorter of the pair, as though
disappointed over something.

"Hey, what'd you do with it, son?" demanded the taller traveler, looking
furiously at Ted, though pretending to speak gently.

"With what, boss? I ain't got nothin' that belongs to you, sure I ain't!"
whimpered the boy; and Paul came near to chuckling at the way Ted put on
the agony.

"We lost a leather bag out of the car. I saw it after we turned into this
here twisting side road just back a piece. We've looked over every foot
between here and the mill pond, and ain't seen it. I'm going to ask you
again, son, what did you do with it?"

The man did not threaten, as yet, but there was something deep down in
his voice that seemed to tell of all sorts of terrible things that might
happen to the boy unless he came to time, and confessed.

But at any rate Ted was game. His covetous nature had been aroused by
something he had glimpsed inside of that same bag; and he did not mean to
give it up unless pushed to the last resort.

"Ain't seen no bag, mister, 'deed an' I ain't," he whimpered; "I got a
lantern here, an' I was ahuntin' a little boy that was lost from home.
Lots of other fellers in the woods adoin' that same. But my light give
out. Then I struck this here road. I'm clean tired out, mister, and I'd
like to get a ride home, if so be you're goin' my way. A bag, mister?
Sure I ain't knowin' nawthin' about no bag. Cross my heart if I do. Gimme
a ride to Stanhope, mister, please!"

CHAPTER XXVIII

FORCED TO TELL

The two men looked at each other.

Apparently they hardly knew whether to believe Ted or not. Paul saw them
put their heads close together, as though exchanging confidences. Then
the tall fellow once more whirled on Ted, who had been standing on one
leg, with a most forlorn look upon his face.

"We both think that you lie, son," said the man who was minus one of his
optics, as he thrust his face close down to that of Ted, as though he
would look straight into his heart; but this was something that no one
else had ever succeeded in doing, and the attempt did not prove very
successful.

"Tell him who we are, Brad," growled the shorter of the twain, who looked
angry enough to devour the unfortunate Ted.

So the one called Brad took something out of his coat pocket that made
a peculiar jingling noise, and held it up before the boy.

"D'ye see them, son? We call 'em bracelets, and they're meant to go on
the wri