Dan Baxter stopped short, as a cracking sound broke upon their ears.
Dick had stepped on a rotten board, and it went down. His foot was caught and held at the ankle, and before he could extricate himself Arnold Baxter and Buddy Girk had him in their grasp.
"Dick Rover again!" ejaculated Arnold Baxter. "Where did you come from?"
"Your son can tell you that," answered Dick. "Let go of me!"
"To be sure I will!" returned the elder Baxter sarcastically. "Are you alone?"
"You can look for yourself."
"I don't see nobuddy here," announced Girk, as he held up the candle. "Maybe somebody is downstairs."
"I'll go down and see," put in Dan Baxter.
Fearful that Sam might be caught, Dick did his best to break away.
"Sam! Sam! look out for yourself!" he yelled. "Don't let them catch you! Call Tom and Harris, and the police, quick!"
"Hang the luck!" muttered Arnold Baxter. "We must cut for it, and be lively about it, too."
"Take de swag," said Girk, referring to a tin box hidden under the flooring of the factory. In
