As he turned to go, Joe heard Wessel say:
"There won't be no rough work; will there?"
"Oh, no! Not too rough!" replied Shalleg with a nasty laugh.
Deciding that discretion was the better part of valor, Joe was hastening away when he accidentally knocked over a box in the hall. Instantly the door to the rear room was thrown wide open, giving the young pitcher, as he turned, a glimpse of Shalleg, Wessel and several other men seated about a table, playing cards.
"Who's there?" cried Shalleg. Then, as he saw Joe hurrying away, he added: "Hold on, Matson. I sent for you. I want to see you!"
"But I don't want to see you!" Joe called back over his shoulder.
"Say, this is straight goods!" cried Shalleg, pushing back his chair from the table, the legs scraping over the bare boards of the floor. "It's all right. I've got a chance to do your friend Rad Chase a good turn, and you can help in it. Wait a minute!"
But Joe fled, unheeding. Then Shalleg, seeing that his plans were about to miscarry, yelled:
"Stop him, somebody!"
Joe was running along the dim hallway. As he reached the outside steps the youth who had first accosted him turned, and made a grab for him.