"Oh, Rudolph, tell me who I am," Tony said, imploringly. "Help me to the fortune which you say I am entitled to, and I will take care that you are rewarded."
Rudolph surveyed the boy, whom he still held in his firm grasp, and watched his excitement with malicious satisfaction.
"There is one objection to my doing that, boy," he said.
"I'll tell you," he hissed, as his grasp grew tighter, and his dark face grew darker yet with passion, "_I hate you!_"
This he uttered with such intensity that Tony, brave as he was, was startled and dismayed.
"That you might know what you are going to lose--that you might repent betraying me," answered Rudolph, rapidly. "You ask me what I am going to do with you? I am going to throw you down that well, and leave you there--to die!"
Then commenced a struggle between the man and boy. Tony knew what he had to expect, and he fought for dear life. Rudolph found that he had undertaken no light task, but he, too, was desperate. He succeeded at last in dragging Tony to the well-curb, and, raising him in his sinewy arms, he let him fall.
Then, without waiting to look down, he hurried out of the wood with all speed. He reached the hotel, settled his bill, and paid to have himself carried over to the nearest railroad station.
Not until he was fairly seated in the cars, and was rushing through the country at the rate of thirty miles an hour, did he pause to congratulate himself.
"Now for an easy life!" he ejaculated. "My fortune is made! I shall never have to work any more."
On reaching New York, Rudolph made his way at once to the shop from which he had obtained his Quaker dress.
"Has thee come back?" asked the old man, in a jocular tone.
"I've had enough of it. I want you to take them back. You promised to return me twenty-five dollars."
"Let me look at them," said the old man, cautiously.
"They've seen hard usage," he said. "Look at that rip, and that spot."
"Humbug!" answered Rudolph. "There's nothing but what you can set straight in half an hour, and five dollars is handsome pay for that."
But the old man stood out for seven, and finally the tramp, though grumbling much, was obliged to come to his terms.
"Where have you been?" asked the old man, whose curiosity was aroused as to what prompted Rudolph to obtain the disguise.