"An" you will give us five dollars each?"
"Yes--and perhaps more. The boy carries a watch, and must have some money in his pocket. He also wears a gold ring."
At the mention of jewelry and money the tramps" eyes glistened.
"If you are tellin" de truth, dis is all right," cried Stumpy Nuggs, as he arose and stretched himself.
"I am telling the truth, and you can easily prove it for yourselves. Only hurry up, or it will be too late."
The two tramps consulted together, and asked a few more questions.
Then they agreed to follow Baxter, and do whatever he desired of them, providing they were allowed their fair share of plunder, if there was any.
In the meantime Tom went on in deep thought. He still held the stone in his hand. He wished he had a club, but the stick he had formerly picked up had been left at the cottage.
The hall grounds had just come into sight in the dim distance when the boy heard the patter of footsteps behind him.
He turned around, but could see n.o.body, and at that instant the sounds ceased.
"Somebody is following me," he thought. "Can it be the same party I spotted before?"
An instant later he found himself confronted by two men and a boy, each with a bit of cloth tied over his face, into which two holes had been cut for eyes.
"Is dat him?" asked one of the men.
"Yes," answered the boy, in a strangely unnatural voice. "Give it to him."
All three of the party carried sticks, and they at once fell upon Tom, hitting him over the shoulders and the head.
He did his best to defend himself, and hit Baxter in the arm with the stone, inflicting a wound that made the bully shriek with pain.
"So it is you, Baxter!" cried Tom, recognizing the voice. "What do you mean by this?"
"Knock him down," yelled the bully. "Don"t let him get away from you!"
Thus urged, the two tramps closed in, and while one caught Tom by the arm, the second tried to pull his feet from under him.
It was a fierce, but unequal struggle, and though the boy struck out right and left, inflicting not a little injury, in the end he found himself on his back, with Stumpy Nuggs sitting on his chest.
"You rascals, let up," he gasped. "Do you mean to kill me?"
"Lay still, or you"ll catch it worse," growled Nuggs. "Where"s dat rope, Longback?"
A rope had been brought along, and it was quickly produced, and then Tom was rolled over and his hands were bound behind him. His legs were also bound together in such a fashion that he might walk but not run.
"Now get up," ordered Dan Baxter, with a wicked scowl.
Not caring to remain on the ground, Tom did so. He noted that the two men with Baxter were tramps, and he came to the conclusion that he had a hard crowd with whom to deal.
"March!" went on Baxter, taking Tom by the shoulder.
"March? Where to?"
"You"ll find out fast enough."
"Suppose I refuse."
"You had better not, Tom Rover. You know I"m not to be trifled with."
"I am not afraid of you," answered Tom boldly. "You were always a bully, Dan Baxter, and a bully is a coward."
"Is your name Baxter?" asked asked Stumpy Nuggs, curiously.
"Never mind what it is," growled Baxter.
"I used ter have a friend wot knowed a feller named Baxter," went on the tramp. "Me friend"s name was Buddy Girk."
"I know your friend," cried Tom. "He once stole my brother d.i.c.k"s watch. He is this boy"s father"s tool, and both of them are now in jail in Albany for robbery."
"Wot!" cried Nuggs, in astonishment. He turned to the other tramp.
"Longback, I reckon we have struck an odd crowd, hey?"
"Dat"s wot," answered Longback. "But say, we didn"t go through de young gent"s pockets yet."
"Wait until we are off the road," interrupted Dan Baxter.
"Somebody may come along and make trouble for us."
"Right ye are," answered Stumpy Nuggs. "Don"t let"s stay here anudder minit."
With Baxter on one side of him, Nuggs on the other, and Longback bringing up the rear, Tom was forced to march along. Once he resisted, and received a punch in the side that took nearly all of the wind out of him. He started to cry for help, but his captors threatened if he did this that they would place a gag of dirty cloth in his mouth.
In days gone by Baxter had often visited a deserted dwelling on the lake sh.o.r.e, and to this spot the party now directed their steps. In the dark their course was uncertain, and they made slow progress, so it was after three o"clock in the morning when the dilapidated building was reached.
CHAPTER IX
A DOSE OF TAR AND FEATHERS
"Make some kind of a light--I can"t see a thing," said Dan Baxter, as the little party came to a halt in front of a half tumbled down building.
Stumpy Nuggs carried matches, and quickly lit a bit of candle which he produced from one of the pockets of his ragged attire.
They entered the dwelling, forcing Tom to accompany them. This done they tied the young cadet fast to an iron ring set in the huge old fashion fireplace.
"Now we"ll turn out his pockets," said Longback, and this was quickly done. To the tramps" chagrin Tom carried no watch, but had with him two dollars in money.