"I hope my birds haven"t flown!" he exclaimed, and the thought gave him such uneasiness that he put it from him. Pushing his heavy machine ahead of him until he came to a good road, he mounted it, and was soon at the charcoal-burner"s shack. There came no answer to his knock, and Tom pushed open the door. The old man was not in. Tom could not send him for help.
"My luck seems to be against me!" he murmured. "But I can get something to eat here, anyhow. I"m almost starved!"
He found the kitchen utensils, and made some coffee, also frying some bacon and eggs. Then, feeling much refreshed, and having left on the table some money to pay for the inroad he had made on the victuals, he started to go outside.
As our hero stepped to the door he was greeted by a savage growl that made him start in alarm.
"A dog!" he mused. "I didn"t know there was one around."
He looked outside and there, to his dismay, saw a big, savage-appearing bulldog standing close to where he had left his motor-cycle. The animal had been sniffing suspiciously at the machine.
"Good dog!" called Tom. "Come here!"
But the bulldog did not come. Instead the beast stood still, showed his teeth to Tom and growled in a low tone.
"Wonder if the owner can be near?" mused the young inventor. "That dog won"t let me get my machine, I am afraid."
Tom spoke to the animal again and again the dog growled and showed his teeth. He next made a move as if to leap into the house, and Tom quickly stepped back and banged shut the door.
"Well, if this isn"t the worst yet!" cried the youth to himself.
"Here, just at the time I want to be off, I must be held up by such a brute as that outside. Wonder how long he"ll keep me a prisoner?"
Tom went to a window and peered out. No person had appeared and the lad rightly surmised that the bulldog had come to the cottage alone.
The beast appeared to be hungry, and this gave Tom a sudden idea.
"Maybe if I feed him, he"ll forget that I am around and give me a chance to get away," he reasoned. "Guess I had better try that dodge on him."
Tom looked around the cottage and at last found the remains of a chicken dinner the owner had left behind. He picked up some of the bones and called the bulldog. The animal came up rather suspiciously. Tom threw him one bone, which he proceeded to crunch up vigorously.
"He"s hungry right enough," mused Tom. "I guess he"d like to sample my leg. But he"s not going to do it--not if I can help it."
At the back of the cottage was a little shed, the door to which stood open. Tom threw a bone near to the door of this shed and then managed to throw another bone inside the place. The bulldog found the first bone and then disappeared after the second.
"Now is my time, I guess," the young inventor told himself, and watching his chance, he ran from the cottage toward his motor-cycle.
He made no noise and quickly shoved the machine into the roadway.
Just as he turned on the power the bulldog came out of the shed, barking furiously.
"You"ve missed it!" said Tom grimly as the machine started, and quickly the cottage and the bulldog were left behind. The road was rough for a short distance and he had to pay strict attention to what he was doing.
"I"ve got to ride to the nearest village," he said. "It"s a long distance, and, in the meanwhile, the men may escape. But I can"t do anything else. I dare not tackle them alone, and there is no telling when the charcoal-burner may come back. I"ve got to make speed, that"s all."
Out on the main road the lad sent his machine ahead at a fast pace.
He was fairly humming along when, suddenly, from around a curve in the highway he heard the "honk-honk" of an automobile horn. For an instant his heart failed him.
"I wonder if those are the thieves? Maybe they have left the house, and are in their auto!" he whispered as he slowed down his machine.
The automobile appeared to have halted. As Tom came nearer the turn he heard voices. At the sound of one he started. The voice exclaimed:
"Bless my spectacles! What"s wrong now? I thought that when I got this automobile I would enjoy life, but it"s as bad as my motor-cycle was for going wrong! Bless my very existence, but has anything happened?"
"Mr. Damon!" exclaimed Tom, for he recognized the eccentric individual of whom he had obtained the motor-cycle.
The next moment Tom was in sight of a big touring car, containing, not only Mr. Damon, whom Tom recognized at once, but three other gentlemen.
"Oh, Mr. Damon," cried Tom, "will you help me capture a gang of thieves? They are in a deserted mansion in the woods, and they have one of my father"s patent models! Will you help me, Mr. Damon?"
"Why, bless my top-knots," exclaimed the odd gentleman. "If it isn"t Tom Swift, the young inventor! Bless my very happiness! There"s my motor-cycle, too! Help you? Why, of course we will. Bless my shoe-leather! Of course we"ll help you!"
CHAPTER XXV.
THE CAPTURE--GOOD-BY
Tom"s story was soon told, and Mr. Damon quickly explained to his friends in the automobile how he had first made the acquaintance of the young inventor.
"But how does it happen that you are trusting yourself in a car like this?" asked Tom. "I thought you were done with gasolene machines, Mr. Damon."
"I thought so, too, Tom, but, bless my batteries, my doctor insisted that I must get out in the open air. I"m too stout to walk, and I can"t run. The only solution was in an automobile, for I never would dream of a motor-cycle. I wonder that one of mine hasn"t run away with you and killed you. But there! My automobile is nearly as bad.
We went along very nicely yesterday, and now, just when I have a party of friends out, something goes wrong. Bless my liver! I do seem to have the worst luck!"
Tom lost no time in looking for the trouble. He found it in the ignition, and soon had it fixed. Then a sort of council of war was held.
"Do you think those scoundrels are there yet?" asked Mr. Damon.
"I hope so," answered Tom.
"So do I," went on the odd character. "Bless my soul, but I want a chance to pummel them. Come, gentlemen, let"s be moving. Will you ride with us, Tom Swift, or on that dangerous motor-cycle?"
"I think I"ll stick to my machine, Mr. Damon. I can easily keep up with you."
"Very well. Then we"ll get along. We"ll proceed until we get close to the old mansion, and then some of us will go down to the lake sh.o.r.e, and the rest of us will surround the house. We"ll catch the villains red-handed, and I hope we bag that tramp among them."
"I hardly think he is there," said Tom.
In a short time the auto and the motor-cycle had carried the respective riders to the road through the woods. There the machines were left, and the party proceeded on foot. Tom had a revolver with him, and one member of Mr. Damon"s party also had a small one, more to scare dogs than for any other purpose. Tom gave his weapon to one of the men, and cut a stout stick for himself, an example followed by those who had no firearms.
"A club for mine!" exclaimed Mr. Damon. "The less I have to do with machinery the better I like it. Now, Tom Swift is just the other way around," he explained to his friends.
Cautiously they approached the house, and when within seeing distance of it they paused for a consultation. There seemed to be no one stirring about the old mansion, and Tom was fearful lest the men had left. But this could not be determined until they came closer.
Two of Mr. Damon"s friends elected to go down to the sh.o.r.e of the lake and prevent any escape in that direction, while the others, including Tom, were to approach from the wood side. When the two who were to form the water attacking party were ready, one of them was to fire his revolver as a signal. Then Tom, Mr. Damon and the others would rush in.
The young inventor, Mr. Damon, and his friend, whom he addressed as Mr. Benson, went as close to the house as they considered prudent.
Then, screening themselves in the bushes, they waited. They conversed in whispers, Tom giving more details of his experience with the patent thieves.
Suddenly the silence of the woods was broken by some one advancing through the underbrush.