"Well," thought Bob, "they don't intend to starve me at any rate."
"Here's your breakfast, kid," announced Reed.
The thought came into Bob's mind that he might overpower the man and make a sudden dash for liberty, but just then he heard King below, and realizing that he would be but a child in the hands of so powerful a man, he quickly gave up the idea. Laying the tray on the table, Reed at once left the room, locking the door behind him. Bob lost no time in falling to, for he was very hungry, and soon every crumb had vanished. In a little more than half an hour, he heard steps on the stairs, and both men came in, locking the door after them.
"Now, kid," said King. "I'm going to tell you what we want with you. We've got you here a good ways from nowhere and you can't get away, and what's more, no one can find you here either. There isn't a road or a house anywhere near, so you can yell all you blamed please for all the good it will do you. Probably you can guess what we want. We happen to know that you have got on to a new kind of a storage battery and we mean to have it. Now, you tell us how it is made and as soon as we can send word to Boston, to our laboratory, and find out that you are telling the truth, we'll let you go. On the other hand, if you are stubborn, and refuse, you'll stay here and get all that's coming to you. We're desperate men and we're going to have it, so you might as well give in at once."
While he had been talking, Bob had been thinking rapidly. That they meant to do as they said, he had not the least doubt, but he didn't intend to give in unless he found it necessary to save his life. "Let me have a few hours to think it over, will you?"
"I'll give you till three o'clock, but don't think you can escape, for you can't. Even if you did get out, we have two of the ugliest dogs you ever saw watching below, and they'd tear you to pieces in a jiffy. Come on, Bill, we'll leave him awhile, but say, sonny," he added, turning to Bob once more, "we don't want to hurt you and you'd better give in and save trouble."
"I'll think it over," was Bob's reply as they went out.
CHAPTER VIII.
BOB ESCAPES—ALMOST
About noon Reed came up bringing Bob's dinner, consisting of potatoes, trout, evidently caught nearby, and a glass of milk. "You better make the best of this," he said, "I'll tell you now that you won't get another bite to eat till you tell us what we want to know."
Bob gave a sudden start. "So, that's your game, is it?" he asked.