"And Gus Montrose and the others in the gang?"
Carl Schaum saw that his bluff had failed. Then he looked more closely at the brothers. He turned pale.
"The Hardy boys!" he exclaimed.
"At your service," returned Joe, with a bow.
"You see, we know what we're talking about. Get up, Schaum."
"What are you going to do with me?"
"Get up!" repeated Frank. "We're going to take you out to the road and see that you're turned over to the authorities."
"Don't do that," whined Schaum. "Honest, I never had anything to do with stealing them cars. Let me go."
"You were in the gang, and if they've been punished, it isn't fair that you should get off," insisted Frank. "You escaped from the jail and if you are innocent you had nothing to fear. You'd better get up and come with us."
He prodded the prisoner firmly with the toe of his heavy tramping shoe, and Schaum struggled to his feet. He made many whining pleas for mercy, but the Hardy boys were determined that he should be sent back to Bayport to answer for his participation in the Shore Road automobile thefts.