I.

PARKS," said Randolph Mason, "has Leslie Wilder a country place on the

Hudson?"

"Yes, sir," replied the bald little clerk. "It is at Cliphmore, I think,

sir."

"Well," said Mason, "here is his message, Parks, asking that I come to

him immediately. It seems urgent and probably means a will. Find out

what time a train leaves the city and have a carriage."

The clerk took the telegram, put on his coat, and went down on the

street. It was cold and snowing heavily. The wind blew up from the

river, driving the snow in great, blinding sheets. The melancholy Parks

pulled his hat down over his face, walked slowly round the square, and

came back to the entrance of the office building. Instead of taking the

elevator he went slowly up the steps into the outer office. Here he took

off his coat and went over to the window, and stood for some minutes

looking out at the white city.

"At any rate he will not suspect me," he muttered, "and we must get

every dollar possible while we can. He won't last always."

At this moment a carriage drove up and stopped by the curb. Parks turned

round quickly and went into Mason's private office. "Sir," he said,

"your train leaves at six ten, and the carriage is waiting."

When Randolph Mason stepped from the train at the little Cliphmore

station, it was pitch dark, and the snow was sweeping past in great

waves. He groped his way to the little station-house and pounded on the

door. There was no response. As he turned round a man stepped up on the

platform, pulled off his cap, and said, "Excuse me, sir, the carriage is

over here, sir." Mason followed the man across the platform, and up what

seemed to be a gravel road for perhaps twenty yards. Here they found

a closed carriage. The man threw open the door, helped Mason in, and

closed it, forcing the handle carefully. Then he climbed up in front,

struck the horses, and drove away.

For perhaps half an hour the carriage rattled along the gravel road, and

Mason sat motionless. Suddenly he leaned over, turned the handle of the

carriage door, and jerked it sharply. The door did not open. He tucked

the robes around him and leaned back in the seat, like a man who had

convinced himself of the truth of something that he suspected. Presently

the carriage began to wobble and jolt as though upon an unkept country

road. The driver pulled up his horses and allowed them to walk. The snow

drifted up around him and he seemed to have great difficulty in

keeping to the road Presently he stopped, climbed down from the box

and attempted to open the door. He apparently had some difficulty, but

finally threw it back and said: "Dis is de place, sir."

Randolph Mason got out and looked around him. "This may be the place,"

he said to the man, "but this is not Wilder's."'

"I said dis here is de place," answered the man, doggedly.

"Beyond a doubt," said Mason, "and since you are such a cunning liar I

will go in."

The driver left the horses standing and led the way across what seemed

to be an unkept lawn, Mason following. A house loomed up in the dark

before them. The driver stopped and rapped on the door. There was no

light visible and no indication of any inhabitant. The driver rapped

again without getting any response. Then he began to curse, and to kick

the door violently.

"Will you be quiet?" said a voice from the inside, and the door opened.

The hall-way was dark, and the men on the outside could not see the

speaker.

"Here is de man, sir," said the driver.

"That is good," replied the voice; "come in."

The two men stepped into the house. The man who had bid them enter

closed the door and bolted it. Then he took a lantern from under his

coat and led them back through the hall to the rear of the building.

The house was dilapidated and old, and had the appearance of having been

deserted for many years.

The man with the lantern turned down a side hall, opened a door, and

ushered Mason into a big room, where there was a monster log fire

blazing.

This room was dirty and bare. The windows were carefully covered from

the inside, so as to prevent the light from being seen. There was no

furniture except a broken table and a few old chairs. At the table

sat an old man smoking a pipe. He had on a cap and overcoat, and was

studying a newspaper spread out before him. He seemed to be spelling

out the words with great difficulty, and did not look up. Randolph

Mason took off his great-coat, threw it over a chair, and seated himself

before the fire. The man with the lantern placed it on the mantel-shelf,

took up a short pipe, and seating himself on a box by the hearth corner,

began to smoke. He was a powerful man, perhaps forty years old, clean

and decently dressed. His forehead was broad. His eyes were unusually

big and blue. He seemed to be of considerable intelligence, and his

expression, taken all in all, was innocent and kindly.

For a time there was nothing said. The driver went out to look after

his horses. The old man at the table labored on at his newspaper, and

Randolph Mason sat looking into the fire. Suddenly he turned to the man

at his left. "Sir," said he "to what difficulty am I indebted for this

honor?"

"Well," said the man, putting his pipe into his pocket, "the combination

is too high for us this time; we can't crack it. We knew about you and

sent for you."

"Your plan for getting me here does little credit to your wits," said

Mason; "the trick is infantile and trite."

"But it got you here anyhow," replied the man.

"Yes," said Mason, "when the dupe is willing to be one. But suppose I

had rather concluded to break with your driver at the station? It is

likewise dangerous to drive a man locked in a carriage when he may

easily kill you through the window."

"Trow on de light, Barker," said the old man at the table; "what is de

use of gropin'?"

"Well," said the younger man, "the fact is simply this: The Boss and

Leary and a 'supe' were cracking a safe out in the States. They were

tunnelling up early in the morning, when the 'supe' forced a jimmy

through the floor. The bank janitor saw it, and they were all caught and

sent up for ten years. We have tried every way to get the boys out,

but have been unable to do anything at all, until a few days ago we

discovered that one of the guards could be bribed to pass in a kit, and

to hit the 'supe' if there should be any shooting, if we could put up

enough stuff. He was to be discharged at the end of his month anyway,

and he did not care. But he would not move a finger under four thousand

dollars. We have been two weeks trying to raise the money, and have

now only twelve hundred. The guard has only a week longer, and another

opportunity will not occur perhaps in a lifetime. We have tried

everything, and cannot raise another hundred, and it is our only chance

to save the Boss and Leary."

"Dat is right," put in the old man; "it don't go at all wid us, we is

gittin' trowed on it, and dat is sure unless dis gent knows a good ting

to push, and dat is what he is here fur, to name de good ting to push.

Dat is right, dat 's what we 's got to have, and we 's got to have it

now. We don't keer no hell-room fur de 'supe,' it's de Boss and Leary we

wants."

Randolph Mason got up and stood with his back to the fire. The lines of

his face grew deep and hard. Presently he thrust out his jaw, and began

to walk backward and forward across the room.

"Barker," muttered the old man, looking up for the first time, "de guy

has jimmy iron in him."

The blue-eyed man nodded and continued to watch Mason curiously.

Suddenly, as he passed the old man at the table, Mason stopped short

and put his finger down on the newspaper. The younger man leaped up

noiselessly, and looking over Mason's shoulder read the head-lines under

his finger. "Kidnapped," it ran. "The youngest son of Cornelius Rockham

stolen from the millionaire's carriage. Large rewards offered. No clew."

"Do you know anything about this?" said Mason, shortly.

"Dat 's de hell," replied the old man, "we does n't."

Mason straightened up and swung round on his heel. "Sir," he said to

the man Barker, "are you wanted in New York?"

"No," he replied, "I am just over; they don't know me."

"Good," said Mason, "it is as plain as a blue print. Come over here."

The two crossed to the far corner of the room. There Mason grasped the

man by the shoulder and began to talk to him rapidly, but in a voice too

low to be heard by the old man at the table. "Smoove guy, dis," muttered

the old man. "He may be fly in de nut, but he takes no chances on de

large audejence."

For perhaps twenty minutes Randolph Mason talked to the man at the wall.

At first the fellow did not seem to understand, but after a time his

face lighted up with wonder and eagerness, and his assurance seemed to

convince the speaker, for presently they came back together to the fire.

"You," said Mason to the old man, "what is your name?"

"It cuts no ice about de label," replied the old man, pulling at his

pipe. "Fur de purposes of dis seeyance I am de Jook of Marlbone."

"Well," said Mason, putting on his coat, "Mr. Barker will tell your

lordship what you are to do."

The big blue-eyed man went out and presently returned with the carriage

driver. "Mr. Mason," he said, "Bill will drive you to the train and you

will be in New York by twelve."

"Remember," said Mason, savagely, turning around at the door, "it must

be exactly as I have told you, word for word."