Part 14 (1/2)

”He shan't catch me,” he muttered to himself, and ran to the rear of the building, amid piles of bricks and concrete blocks. A number of workmen were present, but n.o.body noticed him.

Reaching the building Tom peered inside, but saw nothing of the bully.

He was about to go in when a warning cry reached him from overhead.

”Get back there, unless you want to be hurt!”

Tom looked up and saw a workman in the act of throwing down a ma.s.s of rubbish, broken bricks, sticks and old mortar. He leaped back and the stuff descended in front of him and raised a cloud of dust.

”What do you want here, young man?” demanded the superintendent of the building as he came forward.

”I am after a boy who just ran in here.”

”n.o.body here that I saw.”

”He just came in.”

”We don't allow skylarking around here. You make yourself scarce,” and the superintendent waved Tom away.

”I want to have that fellow arrested--that is why he ran away from me.”

”Oh, that's a different thing. Go find him, if you can.”

The superintendent stepped aside and Tom entered the building. But the delay had cost him dear, for in the meanwhile Tad Sobber had made good his escape by running back to the next street. Tom looked around for over quarter of an hour and then gave up the chase.

”It's too bad, but it can't be helped,” he mused. ”I may as well go back to the park and wait for d.i.c.k and Sam. I hope they caught that Cuffer.”

While Tom was talking to Sobber the other Rover boys had followed Cuffer to the elevated railroad station. A train was just coming in and Cuffer bounded up the steps two at a time, with the boys not far behind.

”Stop that man!” cried d.i.c.k, to the crowd coming from the train. But before anybody would or could act, Cuffer had slipped past the man at the ticket box and was trying to board one of the cars. d.i.c.k essayed to follow, but the ticket box guard stopped him.

”Not to fast, young fellow. Where's your ticket?”

”I must catch that man--he is wanted by the police,” answered d.i.c.k.

”That's an old dodge, but it don't work with me, see? You go back and get a ticket,” said the gateman, firmly.

”But he'll get away from me,” pleaded the eldest Rover.

”If he does, it's not my fault. You can't pa.s.s here without a ticket.”

By this time the train was almost ready to start. But Sam had procured tickets and he rushed up.

”There are two tickets!” he cried. ”Come on, d.i.c.k!” and he sprinted for the train.

The guard was closing the platform gate, but they managed to squeeze through. The train was crowded with people going home from their day's work and in the jam they could see nothing of Cuffer.

”But he is on board,” said d.i.c.k.

”I know it,” returned his brother, ”and we must find him. Quick, you go to the front and I'll go to the rear. If you locate him, tell the trainman you want him arrested at the next station.”