“Not likely; when I told you to follow me from the factory and help in this little job I knew I’d have to pay you to keep your mouths shut.”
“Oh, all right! All right!” hailed back Blinky. “We know you’re all right, boss.”
A few minutes later Jack heard Tom’s unconscious form being dragged up. Then he himself was laid hold of by Duggan, while Duke aided Blinky with Tom.
The lightning was now flashing incessantly and the angry growling of the thunder was getting momentarily closer.
“They ought to thank us for getting them out of the wet,” remarked Duke with grim humor as he aided Blinky to drag Tom across the road toward the barn. As for Duggan, he easily handled Jack, tied as the lad was.
As Duggan raised him to hurl him into the barn a bright flash showed Jack that the place was a gaunt, rat-haunted old structure, half filled with hay near the door.
“I’ve slept in lots worse places,” remarked Blinky as he saw the accommodations.
“Jail, for instance,” thought Jack, “and nobody ever deserved it better.”
But he kept his thoughts to himself.