ated Kit upon it with
a forcible push, and the two men ranged themselves one on each side of
him.

"What time did you leave the cabin, boy?"

"I don't know what time it was. It must have been two hours
since--perhaps more."

"Did any one let you out?"

"Yes."

"Who was it?"

"I don't know the person's name."

"Was it a man?"

Kit began to feel that he must be cautious. He knew that she was the
daughter of the man who was questioning him, and that she would be in
danger of rough treatment if her father should find out that she had
thwarted him.

"I cannot tell you," he answered, though he well knew that the answer
was likely to get him into trouble.

"You can't tell? Why not? Don't you know whether it was a man or not?"

"Yes, I know."

"You mean that you won't tell me, then?" said Hayden, in a menacing
tone.

"I mean that I don't care to do it. I might get the person into
trouble."

"You would that, you may bet your life. I can tackle any man round here,
and I'd get even with that man if I swung for it."

"That is why I don't care to tell you," said Kit. "How can you tell that
the man knew you put me there?"

"Didn't you tell him?"

"No."

"It was a man, then!" said Hayden, turning to Stubbs. "Look here, young
feller, if you tell me who it was, you may get off better yourself."

"I would rather not!" answered Kit, pale but firm.

"Suit yourself, kid, but you may as well know that you'll be half killed
before we get through with you. Get up!"

As he spoke, Hayden jerked Kit to his feet, and began to drag him toward
the rail fence.

"Take down the rails, Stubbs!" he said.

"What's your game, Dick?"

"I'm going to give the kid a drubbing that he won't be likely to forget,
but I can't do it in the road, for some one may come along."

"I'm with you, Dick."

At the lower end of the field which they had now entered was a strip of
woods, which promised seclusion and freedom from interruption. Poor Kit,
as he was dragged forward by his relentless captor, found his spirits
sinking to zero.

"Will no one deliver me from this brutal man?" he exclaimed inwardly.

He felt that his life was in peril.

CHAPTER XXXII.

KIT'S DANGER.

The men reached the edge of the woods and halted.

"I'd like to hang him!" growled Dick Hayden with a malignant look.

"It wouldn't do, Dick," said Stubbs. "We'd get into trouble."

"If we were found out."

"Murder will 'most always come out," said