ough he was, Hallo outweighed Dick still as much as
ever, and he was strong as well. Dick fought well, but the surprise had
been complete. As he reached for the pistol, Hallo seized his arm and
in a moment was twisting it around behind his back in a cruel hammer
lock hold--that deadliest of wrestling grips, that means a broken arm
for the victim unless he yields. The struggle was over in a moment, and
the positions were now completely reversed.

Hallo had the pistol, and he was in as absolute command as Dick had been
while he still held it.

"Ah!" said Hallo. "I said your time would come, Dick, my lad! And it
has! You're in my power now! I could kill you, do you know that?"

Dick did not answer; he was thinking too hard. And there was nothing for
him to say, anyhow. He had been neatly tricked, and, though he was badly
frightened and ready to admit it to himself, it was impossible not to
admire Hallo, so adroit had he been in seizing his one chance of escape.

"Yes, I could kill you easily enough," Hallo repeated. "And no one would
blame me. I have proof that you are a spy, and it is a praiseworthy
thing to kill a spy. But I shall not. I shall be generous to you, Dick,
even if you did not remember our old friendship. I shall take you back
with me, and turn you over to the soldiers, and they will try you
fairly, and let the American consul defend you, and then they will shoot
you."

A perfect frenzy of revenge seemed to seize the Hungarian as Dick
maintained his silence.

"Oh, they will know how to make you talk!" he cried. "Keep still, then,
if you like! I don't care! You would come here after me? You would try
to make me pay back the money you say I took? Well, then, I did take it!
And why not? I could use it better than your foolish family! Ah, Dick,
it does not pay to monkey with the buzz-saw, as your father used to say!
Does it? I am a buzz-saw--yes, that is what I am! Now, then, march! But
turn the other way!"

"I'm not afraid of you," said Dick, breaking his silence at last and
speaking in a contemptuous voice. "I think you're pretty brave, though,
Mike. I didn't think so a little while ago. I thought you were a great
coward. But if you have the courage to go to the army authorities after
the destruction of the arsenal, you are a brave man, and I respect you
for that, even if you are a thief!"

Hallo stared at him stupidly for a moment.

"Eh? What is that?" he said. "No matter! March! You are trying to bl