"Yes, if you will," assented Mr. Bacon, glancing off toward the house.
Mr. Jones, the watchman of the mills, was a stout, honest fellow, who lived all alone in a cabin half way up one of the hillsides. It was a singular circumstance, if he was not at the house, that a light should be there, and for this reason Mr. Bacon had thought it best that the boy should go.
The youngster darted away toward the cabin, but ten minutes later came back with big, staring eyes, declaring that Mr. Jones was there, but was bound to his bed, and couldn't move hand or foot, or speak a single word.
At this startling information, Mr. Bacon, Mr. Carleton, Edward Lawton, Ray, and two policemen, hurried off toward the house. On arriving there they found the man bound hand and foot, a wooden gag in his mouth, and utterly unconscious. While the men released the unfortunate watchman, Ray and Edward started up town for a doctor. They went to Dr. Gasque's office first, but the servant girl who answered the bell said that the doctor had just been summoned to Mr. Lawton's, who was seriously ill. Edward, at these sad tidings, hastened home, while Ray continued his search for a physician. He finally found one, and accompanied him back to Mr. Jones' house. The doctor administered restoratives, and after a half hour the man regained consciousness, and a little later could tell his story.
While doing his chores, preparatory to his departure for the mill, he had been suddenly seized from behind and dragged down to the ground. He was then bound and gagged, as he had been found, and carried into the house and laid upon his bed. He had not recognized any of his assailants, and soon sank into the state of unconsciousness from which he had just been aroused.
Mr. Bacon and Ray left the house together. Finding on their arrival at the Forge that the fire was under complete control, they continued their way up town. As they went along toward the village, Mr. Bacon remarked:
"The watchman's condition, and your finding the wire of the alarm box severed, Ray, shows that there was an organized plan to burn the mills. Of course, we know the strikers are at the bottom of the disaster, but we must, if possible, ascertain who the real perpetrators were that they may be punished. The Black Forge Mills corporation is ruined beyond recovery. When the strike occurred in July, more than half the insurance companies canceled their policies; quite a number of the other policies have expired since then, and the companies would not renew them under the existing circumstances. I believe, as an actual fact, only two policies of five thousand each were still in force, and we may have trouble to collect even them. So, you see, the fire to-night gives no possible hope of the mills being rebuilt by the present company. Some of our stockholders will by this fire lose every dollar they possessed."
They had now reached the corner of Prospect Avenue, and Mr. Bacon turned to go up to his home. Just then a man came rapidly toward him.
"Mr. Bacon," he said, "Mr. Lawton is dead, and the family would like to have you come to the house at once."
"Mr. Lawton dead!" exclaimed Mr. Bacon and Ray together.