"Good evening, young man!"
With a start Jack turned toward the quietly opened door of the
telegraph-room to discover a short, dark, heavily-bearded man, over whose
eyes was pulled a soft gray hat.
"I suppose you don't have many visitors at the station at this time of
night?" said the stranger, entering.
"No; but you are quite welcome. Have a chair," responded Jack
courteously.
To the young operator's surprise, the stranger drew the chair immediately
before him, and seating himself, leaned forward secretively. "My name is
Watts," he began, in a low voice, "and I've come on business. For you are
the lad who worked out that 'ghost' mystery here, and caused the capture
of the freight robber, aren't you?"
"Yes," confirmed Jack, in further wonder.
"I thought so. I thought as much. I know a clever lad when I see one. And
that was one of the cleverest bits of detective work I ever heard of,"
declared Mr. Watts, with a winning smile. "If the railroad detectives had
done their work as well, the whole freight-stealing gang would have been
landed. As it was none of the rest were caught, were they?"
[Illustration: THE STRANGER DREW THE CHAIR IMMEDIATELY BEFORE HIM,
AND SEATING HIMSELF, LEANED FORWARD SECRETIVELY.]
Instead of being pleased, the man's flattery and ingratiating manner had
ruffled Jack, and briefly he answered, "No, sir."
"No. I knew that already. I was one of them myself."
At this startling statement Jack stared. "I beg your pardon, sir?" he
exclaimed.
"I was a member of that gang myself," repeated Jack's strange caller,
again smiling broadly. "Don't you think I look the part?" So saying, he
pushed his hat back from his face.
Jack had no doubt of it. The small dark eyes were repellent with low
cunning and greed. Instinctively he half turned to cast a glance toward
the door. At once the smile disappeared, and the self-confessed
law-breaker threw open his coat and significantly tapped the butt of a
revolver. "No. You just sit still and listen," he ordered sharply; but
immediately again smiling, added, "though there needn't be anything of
this kind between two who are going to be good friends.
"Listen. What I called for was this: We want another man in the gang in
place of Joe Corry--that is the man you caught.
"And we decided to invite you."