t a time. No tricks---for, remember,
you are covered by my men out here. We don't want to shoot the
whole lot of you up unless we have to, but we won't stand for
any fooling. Reade, you come through first. Any man who offers
to hinder Mr. Reade will be sorry he took the trouble---that's
all!"

His heart bounding with joy, Tom stepped through the thicket,
going straight toward the sound of Fulsbee's voice.

"I've got a knife in my left hand," announced Fulsbee, as Tom
neared him in the dark. "Turn around so that I can cut the cords
at your wrists."

In a moment this was done.

"You might stay here and help me," whispered Dave. Tom nodded.

"Now, Black, you can be the first," called Dave in a brisk, business-like
tone. "Step up here and drop your weapons on the ground."

Wincing under a bitter sense of defeat, 'Gene Black stepped forward.
He was not really a coward, but he valued his life, little as
it was actually worth. So he dropped a revolver to the ground.

"What I have to say to you, Black, applies to the others," Dave
continued from outside the thicket. "If any man among you doesn't
drop all his weapons, we'll make it lively for him when we get
him out here."

A look of malignant hate crossed his face, then 'Gene Black dropped
also a knife to the ground.

"Come on out, Black," directed Dave Fulsbee. "Mr. Reade, will
you oblige me by running your hands over the fellow's clothing
to see if he, has any more weapons."

Tom promptly complied. A hasty search revealed no other weapons.

"Now, step right along over there, Black, where you'll find two
of my men," nodded Dave Fulsbee.

Again Black obeyed. He saw, dimly, two men some yards further
away in the darkness and joined them.

Click-click! Then the scoundrel cried out in the bitterness of
his rage, for the two railway detectives had handcuffed him.

"You, with the black hair, next," summoned Fulsbee, his vision
aided by the lantern in the centre of the thicket. "You come
here, but first stop and drop your weapons on the pile---all the
trouble-makers you happen to have."

Thus they came, one at a time, the operator being the last of
all. The crowd of prisoners under guard of the two railway detectives
grew steadily, and each was handcuffed as he reached the detectives
after having been searched by Tom Reade.

"Good job," nodded Dave coolly, as he am approached the captives.
"Now, we have you all under lock and key. My, but you're