"He ought to be squeezed a little," said Ferris, reflectively. "He makes a small fortune alongside of what we get out of it."
"Yes, but der trouble is, yer can't corner him," responded Macklin. "If yer try, yer git yerself in trouble. But before long——" he did not finish in words, but bobbed his head vigorously.
"Where's your wife?" asked Ferris, glancing around.
"Der old woman's gone to der market."
"Ain't any one else here, is there?"
Ferris glanced around suspiciously. "No."
"Then supposing we come to an understanding?" went on Ferris, in a low tone. "We both do work for Hardwick, and we ought to get more money for it."
"Well?"
"Unless we get together we can't do anything. But when he finds we are both of a mind he may listen to us, and both of us will make by it."
Hal listened to every word of this conversation with deep interest. From it he discovered that Macklin was a tool of Hardwick as well as Ferris and both were in the habit of doing underhand work for the ex-book-keeper.