wing the man, they saw Job Haskers enter the hotel and walk
in the direction of the reading-room. Roger stopped the car and turned
to the others.

"Well, what's the next move?" he asked. "Want to go in?"

"What's the use?" asked Phil. "We'd only have a lot of words with him.
He's got a right to stay here if he wants to."

"Let's go in anyway," said Dave. "You must know somebody here," he
continued, turning to Bert.

"Oh, yes, I know several young fellows and girls," answered the lad who
was spending the summer at the lake.

"Then we can pretend to be calling on them," put in Roger.

Leaving the touring-car standing in the road, the four youths entered
the hotel. They glanced into the reading-room, and noted that over a
dozen persons were present. Then Dave gave a low cry.

"Look, boys! What do you think of that?"

He pointed to one corner of the reading-room, where two persons sat on a
leather couch, one with a newspaper in his hand.

"Why, it's Link Merwell!" gasped Phil. "Merwell as sure as you're born!"

"How did that rascal get here?" murmured Roger.

"Who is it?" asked Bert, curiously.

"That fellow who is on the couch with Haskers," whispered Dave. "He used
to go to school with us at Oak Hall, and then he had to leave, and after
that he and a fellow named Jasniff robbed Mr. Wadsworth's jewelry
works."

"Oh, yes, Roger told me about that. You fellows followed the rascals to
Cave Island, didn't you?"

"Yes, and we caught Jasniff, but Merwell got away."

"Then why not have him locked up right now?" demanded Bert.

"It's what we ought to do," declared Phil.

"Haskers and Merwell must be in with each other," was Dave's comment.
"Maybe Merwell is trying to sell some of that Sunset Company stock,
too."

"Wonder if we can't hear what they are saying?" said Roger. "It might
help us to make out a case against them."

"We can go around to that side window and listen," suggested Phil, and
pointed to the window in question.

This was quickly agreed upon, and the four boys left the hotel and
walked out on a gravel path close to the window. As the day was warm,
the window was wide open.

"No, it was a frost!" they heard Job Haskers say, in harsh tones.

"He wouldn't buy the stock?" queried Link Merwell.

"Worse than that, Merwell. I was trapped, and I had all I could do to
get away."

"What do you mean?"

"Do you know who was there, with that old man, when I went to see him?"

"I have no idea."