“What do you say?”
Jack drew back indignantly. “Most certainly not,” he began. Then suddenly he hesitated.
As the freight-robber had said, the authorities had been unable to obtain a single clue to the whereabouts or identity of the remainder of the freight-stealing gang. Should he accept the man’s offer, came the thought, undoubtedly, sooner or later, he would be able to bring about the capture of every one of them.
Immediately following, however, there recurred to Jack one of his mother’s warnings—“that even the appearance of evil is dangerous, always, as well as wrong.”
But this would be quite different, Jack argued to himself—to cause the capture of criminals. And what possible danger could there be in it? No one would believe for an instant that I would go into such a thing seriously, he told himself.
“All right, Mr. Watts,” he said aloud. “I’ll do it.”
“Good! It’s a go!” The freight-stealer spoke with satisfaction, and rising, grasped Jack’s hand. “I told you I knew a clever boy when I saw one—and that means a wise one.
“Well, that’s all there is to it, excepting the money matter. Where will we send that? Here?”
Jack responded with an effort. “Yes, you may as well send it to me here.”
“All right. Look for it at the end of the month,” said Watts, proceeding to the door.