"Of course," replied Bob, "I thought you knew something about this kind of work."
King muttered something about wanting to make sure, and leaving the laboratory they went up to supper.
That night about ten o'clock, as Bob was lying on his bed trying, as usual, to think of some way to escape, he heard the key turn in the lock and the hunchback entered.
"Mr. King sent me up to tell you to go to sleep good and early for he's going to call you at five o'clock."
"Oh, he did, did he?" returned Bob. "Well, you just tell him that I'll go to sleep when I get good and ready and not a minute before. Do you get that?"
While speaking, he had got off the bed and gradually approached the hunchback. As he finished, he suddenly grabbed him round the neck, and before the dwarf had time to defend himself, he was hurled to the far side of the room. Bob made a quick dash for the door and in an instant had it closed and locked behind him. Quickly, he turned and darted down the stairs, but before he reached the next floor, he heard the man shouting and pounding on the door. "I must hurry," he thought, taking the next flight three steps at a time. He had reached the lower floor and was unlocking the front door, when a door at his left flew open and both King and Reed rushed out.
"What's all this?" demanded King; then as he saw who it was, he sprang forward and grabbed Bob by the shoulders and roughly yanked him back. "So you thought you'd give us the slip, did you? How'd you get out of that room?"
Poor Bob's heart sank as he realized that his attempt was a failure, and he made no reply.
"We'll soon find out," said King. "Come on now," and he made Bob precede him up the stairs.
"You miserable runt," he shouted, as he unlocked the door and saw the dwarf. "What does this mean?"