Part 28 (1/2)

”It'll bring you up quicker than anything else, except a cup of hot tea, and we'll get that as soon as you can get away from here,” went on the young bank clerk.

”What is it?” Tom asked, and his voice was very weary.

”It's a mixture of chocolate and nuts,” replied Ned. ”It's a new form of emergency ration issued to soldiers before they go over the top. Our Y.M.C.A. is sending a lot to the boys from around here who are in France. I was helping pack the boxes ready for s.h.i.+pment, and I kept out some to show you. Lucky I had it with me. Eat it, and you'll feel a lot better in a few minutes. You haven't had much to eat, have you?”

”Very little,” answered Tom, as he nibbled half-heartedly at the confection Ned gave him, while Mr. Damon went out to the automobile and came back with a thermos bottle filled with cool water. He always provided himself with this on taking an automobile trip.

Tom managed to eat some of the chocolate, and then took a drink of the cool water. In a little while he declared that he felt better.

”Then come out of here!” exclaimed Ned. ”You can tell us how it all happened and what they did to you. But I can see that last--they treated you like a dog, didn't they?”

”Pretty nearly,” answered Tom; ”but they didn't have things all their own way. I think I made one or two of them remember me,” and he glanced at his swollen and bruised hands. Indeed, he bore the marks of having been in a fierce fight.

”Are you sure the tank's all right?” he asked Ned again. ”That has been worrying me more than my own condition. I could think of only one reason why they got me here and held me prisoner, and that was to get me out of the way while they captured my tank. Then they haven't got her?” he asked eagerly.

”Not a look at her,” Ned answered. ”She was safe in the shop when we set out this morning.”

”And now it's late afternoon,” murmured Tom. ”Well, I hope nothing has happened since,” and there was vague alarm in his voice, an alarm at which Ned and Mr. Damon wondered.

”Couldn't you stop at some farmhouse and get fixed up a little?” asked Mr. Kimball, the farmer who had brought the note to Ned and Mr. Damon.

”I need to get fixed up somewhere,” replied Tom, with a rueful look at himself--his hands, his torn clothes, and his general dilapidated appearance. ”But I don't want to lose any time. I'm afraid something has happened at home, Ned.”

”Nonsense! How could there, with Koka on guard, to say nothing of Eradicate!”

”Well, maybe you're right,” agreed Tom; ”but I'll feel better when I see my tank in her shed. Let's have some more of that concentrated porterhouse steak of yours, Ned. It is good, and it fills out my stomach, which was getting more intimate with my backbone than I liked to feel.”

More of the really good confection and another drink of refres.h.i.+ng water made Tom feel better, and he was soon able to walk along without staggering from weakness.

”And now let's get out of here,” advised Ned, ”unless you've left something back in that vault you want, Tom,” and he motioned to his chum's late prison.

”Nothing there but bad memories,” was the reply, with a rueful smile.

”I'm as ready to go as you are, Ned. It was good of you and Mr. Damon to come for me, and you”--and he looked questioningly at Mr. Kimball.

”If it hadn't been for Mr. Kimball and his boy, we wouldn't have found you--at least so soon,” said Ned, and he told of the finding of the note and what had followed.

”That's the only way I could think of for getting help,” said Tom.

”They took every sc.r.a.p of paper from me, but I found some in the lining of my hat--some I'd stuffed in after I had a hair cut and my hat was too large. For a pencil I used burnt matches. Oh, but I'm glad to be out!” and he breathed deep of the fresh air.

”How did you get in there?” asked Ned wonderingly.

”Those fellows--of course. The German plotters, I'm going to call them, for I believe that Blakeson and his gang--though I didn't see him--are really working in the interests of Germany to get the secret of my tank.”

”Well, they haven't got her yet,” said Ned, ”and they're not likely to now. Go on, Tom, if you feel able tell us in a few words what happened.

We've been trying to think, but can't.”

”Well, it all happened because I didn't think enough,” said Tom, who was rapidly recovering his strength and nerve. ”When I got that message that seemed to come from you, Ned, I should have known better than to take a chance. But it seemed genuine, and as I had no reason to suspect a trap, I started off at once. I thought maybe Kanker had repented and was going to make amends for all the trouble he caused.

”Anyhow, I started off in my machine, and I hadn't got more than to the crossroads when I saw a fellow out tinkering with his auto. Of course I stopped to ask if I could help, for I can't bear to see any machinery out of order, and as I was stooping over the engine to see what was wrong I was pounced on from behind, bound and tied, and before I could do a thing I was bundled into the car--a big limousine, and taken away.