Part 4 (1/2)

”Hi, Baxter. Come over here; we want to talk to you!” yelled Tom.

”Not much!” growled the former bully of Putnam Hall.

”You had better come,” said Sam. ”If you don't come we'll bring you.”

”Hush, Sam, or you'll make a mess of things!” cried d.i.c.k softly, but the warning came too late.

”Will you bring me back?” roared the bully. ”Just try it on and see how I'll fix you.”

”Come on for the boat,” said Tom. ”We'll show him he can't scare us.”

He started off and d.i.c.k came after him. Sam was also about to follow, when his elder brother stopped him.

”You can't do much with that sore wrist, Sam,” he said. ”Better stay with the girls until we come back. You can watch events from the sh.o.r.e, and run for a.s.sistance, if it's necessary.”

Sam demurred at first, but soon saw the wisdom of d.i.c.k's reasoning and consented to remain behind.

By this time Tom had shoved out the rowboat d.i.c.k had mentioned--a neat craft belonging to a farmer living near. A pair of oars lay in a locker on the lake bank; and, securing these, Tom leaped on board of the craft, and soon d.i.c.k came after.

Dan Baxter had watched their movement with interest, which speedily gave way to arm when he saw the other boat come out, and beheld d.i.c.k and Tom each take up an oar and begin to pull for all they could.

”I was a clam to come up here, when there is no real need for it,” he muttered. ”Two to one, eh? Well, I reckon I can put up a pretty stiff fight if it comes to the worst.” Then he caught up his oars once more, and began to row down Cayuga Lake with all possible speed.

CHAPTER IV

THE CHASE ON THE LAKE

”He means to give us as much of a chase as possible,” remarked Tom, as he glanced over his shoulder. ”If I remember rightly, Baxter was always a pretty fair oarsman.”

”Yes, that was the one thing he could do well,” returned d.i.c.k.

”But we ought to be able to catch him, Tom.”

”We could if we had two pairs of oars. One pair can do just about so much and no more.”

”Nonsense! Now, both together, and put all your muscle into it,”

and d.i.c.k set a stiff stroke that his brother followed with difficulty.

Baxter had been rowing down the lake, but as soon as he saw that he was being pursued he changed his course for the east sh.o.r.e. He was settled to his work, and for several minutes it was hard to tell whether he was holding his own or losing.

”Hurrah! we are catching up!” cried d.i.c.k, after pulling for five minutes. ”Keep at it, Tom, and we'll have him before he is half over.”

”Gosh, but it's hot work!” came with a pant from Tom Rover. ”He must be almost exhausted to row like that.”

”He knows what he has at stake. He sees the prison cell staring him in the face again. You'd do your best, too, if you were in his place.”

”I'm doing my best now, d.i.c.k. On we go!” and Tom renewed his exertions. d.i.c.k set a faster stroke than ever, having caught his second wind, and the rowboat flew over the calm surface of the lake like a thing of life.

”Keep off!” The cry came from Baxter, while he was still a hundred yards from the eastern sh.o.r.e. ”Keep off, or it will be the worse for you!”