The noise was followed by
several exclamations, and the sound of hasty feet upon a stairway.
"Hey, you, vat you do here?" cried a voice; and Richard felt his arm
grasped by a tall and savage looking German workman.
CHAPTER XIII.
RICHARD CALLS ON MR. JOYCE.
As the hand of the German workman grasped Richard's arm the boy realized
that he was in an awkward fix. Appearances were all against him, and
as the man glared at him Richard knew not what to say.
"Come now, vat vas you doing here, hey?" demanded the German.
"I--I was after a boy who stole something from me," stammered Richard.
"After a poy?"
"Yes. He ran down here, and I came after him."
"Ton't believe it. Vere ist der poy now?"
"He jumped up there and got through that hole," replied Richard,
pointing to the place.
The German uttered an exclamation.
"Dat's nonsense!"
"It's true. He stole two dollars and some letters, and I chased him
in here."
The man eyed Richard suspiciously.
"Maype dot vas only a make-believe sthory; I don't know," he declared.
"Come, ve go upstairs und see."
But, as Richard surmised, the boy had, by some means, already made his
escape. But the marks of his muddy feet, as he had crawled from the
hatchway, were still to be seen, and these Richard pointed out.
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