"Otherwise he might accuse us of having robbed him," said the young inventor.
There were no papers to disclose the fellow's identity or throw any light on who his companion or the mysterious "boss" was. And Gorro might as well be the captive's name as any other.
"Sit down!" said Tom, giving the fellow a sudden push to a folding seat on one wall. "I want to talk to you."
The action took the man by surprise, and Tom counted on this and also on the fact that a person standing naturally dominates the one sitting down. Police chiefs have found this out in questioning criminals.
But if Tom Swift thought to intimidate this man he was mistaken. Though Tom and Ned took turns firing questions at him, under the threat of the revolver, all Gorro would say was that he had seen the stalled car there and had entered it to get shelter from the storm.
"You're not telling the truth and you know it!" said Tom sternly. "You and that other man picked up this car near the old deserted house when we two were inside. You drove it here, branching off from the main road, and then you and your pal got out to find out where you were and how near to the place the boss said he'd meet you. Then you two came back, your pal went off to find the boss to arrange about going on to the castle and you came in here. You see I know all about you."
The man's eyes opened wide at this evidence on Tom's part that he had overheard some of the talk. Still he refused to answer any questions as to his own further identity or that of the man who had gone to speak to the "boss."
"No use asking me, I won't talk," snarled Gorro, and he relapsed into sullen silence out of which nothing seemed to stir him. Tom and Ned were a bit disappointed, but they were rejoiced to recover the House on Wheels and to have one captive as a result of their work.
"Though what we're going to do with him is more than I know," confessed Tom to Ned in a whisper, as they withdrew to the far end of the compartment and eyed the hangdog prisoner.
"Tie him up and leave him at the nearest police station," suggested Ned.