and it was beyond his
reach.

He knew at that moment that he was in the clutch of the ruffians who had
murdered the man from Boston, and he had no doubt but a like fate was
meant for him. Still he was powerless to save himself, for he was given
no show. Things turned black and began to whirl around him, bombs seemed
bursting in his head, bells were ringing in his ears, and
then--nothingness!

When Frank recovered consciousness he felt as if his windpipe had been
crushed, and he seemed numb and helpless in every limb. He realized
immediately that he was being roughly handled, and he heard a harsh
voice say:

"That's all right. He can't git erway. We can't waste any more time."

He opened his eyes and looked up into the face of the speaker--the
cock-eyed man!

Put Wiley, the hunchback, was there, too.

"Hello!" growled the man with the crooked eye. "He's come round. I'm
glad on it, fer I want him ter know jest what his nosin' foolishness has
done fer him."

Frank tried to speak, but he could not utter more than a wheezing
whisper. The hunchback raised a foot, as if to bring it down on the face
of the helpless lad, for Frank was bound hands and feet, but the other
man thrust him aside, growling:

"Whut's the use! He'll be dead in five minutes. Don't kick ther poor
fool."

Then Frank realized that he was bound across the track of the old
railroad that ran from the sheds to the quarry. The look that came to
the face of the helpless lad seemed to tell the cock-eyed man that he
understood the situation.

"You've made a fool of yerself," declared the man, unpityingly. "You was
too nosy. Inquisitive critters alwus git inter trouble. The Boston man
was too fresh, and he's planted. You saw his grave."

Strangely enough, at that moment the helpless boy asked a queer
question:

"Where were you when you made that ghostly whisper?" he managed to
huskily inquire.

"I dunno what good it'll do to ye ter know," was the answer. "You'll be
dead right away. Mebbe one of us was hid in a holler tree near ye."

"What do you mean to do with me?"

"Waal, we've tied ye here acrost ther rails. Up there in the quarry is a
car loaded with granite. It won't take much ter send it scootin' down
the track, and it will cut you clean in two. You'll have time enough to
think whut a fool ye was and say yer prayers while we are startin' ther
car, but you'd better begin now. Good-by."

Then the two murderous wretches hurried up the trac