he left Dick and the Stanhopes, a

gayly, for he thought t

bration," he murmured. "And after my

left behind, and he struck the

feet along this road when, on looking ahead, h

l could be, and thinking of

halted, and then of a sudden slipped

e youth. "Evidently he doesn't wan

e hesitancy about advancing

r to escape, and so casting around he

he called, as he ran forward an

y this time he was directly opposite the spot w

might as well come out and give

now what to do. Under the trees it was so dark t

a weapon of offense or defense, as the case might prove. But

to return to the cottage or c

concluded. "Neither Dick nor I can

Crabtree would follow him, and never dreaming that the person

joined by Crabtree, for the pair of evil-doers had

, on hearing the boy's voice. "I

in a dozen feet of him. Then When Tom went out on the road

ment. In the camp were three hoboes, as they are sometimes called r

lly, and he gave them a dollar, f

ramps, and as he did so an

Tom Rover," he muttered

men dozing before a tiny fire, with an empty liquor bottle betw

, catching first one and the

manded the leader of the party, who

d Dan Baxter, feeling that there was no use in mincing

peated the second t

gba

e road yonder. If you will help me thrash him and m

in' big," said

u are not above doing such wo

boy a

es

hip him and den ma

es

' ter do wid

't kno

is de

he military acad

atched his head

rap fer askin' yer fer dat dol

I want to get square with him. We can easily catch

give us five

a watch, and must have some money in

elry and money the tr

de truth, dis is all

arose and str

easily prove it for yourselves. Onl

n they agreed to follow Baxter, and do whatever he desired of them, pr

the stone in his hand. He wished he had a club, but the s

ght in the dim distance when the boy h

d see nobody, and at that

g me," he thought. "C

ted be

men and a boy, each with a bit of cloth tied over

?" asked on

in a strangely unnatura

y carried sticks, and

over the should

axter in the arm with the stone, inflicting

d Tom, recognizing the voice

d the bully. "Don't let

while one caught Tom by the arm, the sec

out right and left, inflicting not a little injury, in the end he

p," he gasped. "Do

it worse," growled Nuggs.

Tom was rolled over and his hands were bound behind him. His legs wer

red Dan Baxter, wi

that the two men with Baxter were tramps, and he came to

Baxter, taking To

? Wher

nd out fas

se I r

m Rover. You know I'm n

om boldly. "You were always a bully,

r?" asked asked Stu

hat it is," g

feller named Baxter," went on the tra

other Dick's watch. He is this boy's father's tool, a

astonishment. He turn

n we have struck a

. "But say, we didn't go throu

off the road," inte

me along and mak

Stumpy Nuggs. "Don't let'

ong. Once he resisted, and received a punch in the side that took nearly all of the wind out of him. He started t

the party now directed their steps. In the dark their course was uncertain, and they made slow