"What do you want to do with him?"
"Prevent him from doing mischief."
"There"s no need. He can be trusted."
"You can trust him, for you"ll be a long way off. He might blow on us any time."
d.i.c.k shrugged his shoulders.
"Oh, well, do as you please, but you"re over careful. Don"t hurt him."
"He"ll be all right as long as he behaves himself. It"s your deal."
The game was over at last, and d.i.c.k arose to go. Jasper was sleeping soundly, and was wholly unconscious of his departure.
"Give me a hand, Bill, and we"ll take the boy up stairs," said the younger man.
"What"s your plan, Jack?"
"To make him one of us. He"ll come to it in time."
There was a windowless room on the second floor, in the centre of the house, wholly dark, except when lighted by gas. It was to this room that our hero was conveyed, and laid upon some bedding in the corner of the room. There was a slide in the part.i.tion to admit air, and with it a few faint rays of light. Jasper stirred a little while he was being moved, but the sleeping potion had too much potency to allow him to wake.
"There," said Jack, in a tone of satisfaction, "he"s safe now."
"He"ll make a fuss when he gets up."
"Let him. He can"t get out."
As they went down stairs, Jack called aside Nathan Gibson, the old man who had charge of the house.
"Nathan," said he, "did you see the boy that was with us just now?"
"Yes."
"We"ve put him in the prison" (for this was the name by which the small dark room was known). "He"s not to be let out."
"Good! I understand."
"You may take him some supper at five or six o"clock. Look in before that time to see if he"s awake."
"All right!" said the old man, grinning. "What"s your game?"
"It"s your game as well as mine. The boy ought never to have come here.
He may blow on us."
The mean-faced little man looked by turns frightened and fierce.
"I"d slit his throat if he did!" he said.
"No need of that. We"ll make him join us."
"That would be the best way; but can you?"
"We can try. Don"t forget what I told you."
Nathan nodded.
Still Jasper slept, little suspecting into what a trap he had walked.
CHAPTER XXV.
JASPER FINDS HIMSELF A PRISONER.
It was after five o"clock when Jasper opened his eyes. As soon as consciousness returned he looked around him with astonishment and wonder.
"Where am I?"
A few rays of light entered at the sliding-door above, and to this his eyes were naturally drawn.
Here was another puzzle. He explored his memory, and could recall no such place as this. He had never before been in such a room.
At last he recalled the circ.u.mstances under which he fell asleep, and he jumped to the conclusion that he was in the same house still.
"They must have put me to bed," he said to himself. "They were very kind; but this is a queer room."
Thus far no thought that he was a prisoner had entered his mind.
He arose and began to feel his way around by the walls. He judged that he was in a room not more than ten feet square. He could form no idea what was the time. It might be the middle of the night, so far as he knew.
"This is awkward," he thought. "I don"t fancy being shut up like this.
Where"s the door? There must be one somewhere."
He found it at last, and tried the lock, but it did not yield to his efforts.
Then came the startling thought:
"Am I a prisoner?"
He stopped short and thought over the situation. He recalled all he could of the men in whose company he had been at the time he went to sleep. The longer he thought the more it seemed probable that it was as he suspected.
Though a little startled at this view of the situation, Jasper was by no means disposed to be despondent. His courage arose with the difficulties of his position.
"I"ll find out how matters stand," he said to himself. "I"ll pound till somebody comes."