“You say that they were hanging about Mortlake’s place?” asked Mr. Bell, in an interested tone.

“Yes, I’m sure of it,” repeated Peggy; “I’m certain of it now.”

“We’ll soon find out,” said Mr. Bell in his old determined manner.  He approached the car in which the two bound captives were still huddled.

“Now, you fellows,” he said in stern voice, “you know better than I do, most likely, what the penalty for attempted highway robbery is in the State of Virginia.”

“Oh, guv’ner, don’t turn us over to the police,” wailed one of the men, none other, in fact, than our old acquaintance, Joey Eccles.  His companion, the angular and lanky Slim, remained silent.

“I want you to answer my questions truthfully,” snapped out the Westerner, “after that I’ll see what I’ll do with you.  Now then—­do you know a man named Mortlake?”

“Y-y-y-yus, guv’ner,” stammered the redoubtable Joey.

“Good.  You came here with him?”

“Well, what if we did?” growled the hitherto silent Slim.  Paying no attention to him Mr. Bell went on, while his young companions pressed eagerly about him.

“What did you come for?”

Joey seemed about to speak but Slim growled something in a low tone to him, and he was silent.

“Come, are you going to answer?” demanded Mr. Bell.

No reply.

“Very well, I’ll drive into Hampton and see if the Chief of Police can’t get more out of you.”

The mining magnate made a step toward the car as if he were about to carry out his threat.  This was too much for Joey’s composure.

“We came here with Mortlake to do a little job fer him guv’ner,” he sputtered out.

“Oh, you did, eh?  Well, what was the nature of that employment?”

“To disable one of them flying machines.”

“Which one?”

“One that belonged to the Prescott kids.  Mortlake said he’d make it worth our while—­and—­no, you can’t stop me, Slim—­and then when we couldn’t find the machine we was to bust up he turned us loose without a cent of the money he promised us.  We was broke, and——­”

“And so you thought you’d replenish your pockets by holding up some automobilist or traveller, eh?  Humph, you’re a nice pair.”

“You ain’t goin’ ter give us up guv’ner?  I told you the honest truth, guv’ner.  Didn’t I, Slim?”

“Yep,” was the grunted reply; “and now Mister What’s-Yer-Name, what are you going ter do with us?”

“I’m going to take you on a trip,” was the astonishing reply.

“On a trip, guv’ner,” stammered Joey, all his fears lively once more.

“Yes, on a trip.”

The younger members of this strange roadside party stepped forward.  As they advanced into the glare of the detached headlight, Joey and his companions saw them.  Both men turned away and seemed much embarrassed.

“What are you going to do, Mr. Bell?” asked Peggy, eagerly.  The mining man’s manner had become almost mysterious.