The two officers, thinking it was their quarry, no doubt, ran in that direction. The hand upon Dean Mercer’s shoulder relaxed its hold, and in the excitement Dean slipped away. It is surprising how quickly a crowd will collect. Inside of a minute, as it seemed to the main actors, a hundred persons had appeared upon the scene. Wild questions were asked, one after another, and wilder answers were given. The appeals for help had stopped, but some one declared he had seen an individual fleeing along a cross street. Thither the officers sped in hot haste. Dean had not gone more than a square, when he heard Marcus say: “This way--quick!” Dean followed his friend, and the two sped across the town in the direction taken by the crowd, but soon running at right angles. “There is a boat at the lower landing,” panted Marcus, “and we can get it by running fast.” A launch, somewhat similar to the one they had come on from Millville, was just about to clear the pier. “We are barely in time,” said Marcus, as he and Dean motioned for the boat to wait for them. The confusion attending the scene in the other part of the town had not reached here, and the captain simply thinking the boys had been sprinting to catch his launch, willingly waited for them to come aboard. “Another minute, boys, and you would have missed us,” he greeted, cheerily. “Want to go to Springfield?” “Yes, sir,” replied Marcus. A few minutes later, when he felt that they were safe from pursuit by their enemies, Marcus said aside to his friend: “A close call.” “It was,” replied Dean, “and I must confess I do not understand now just what took place. The officers were about to arrest me, though for what I do not know, when that alarm came and in the excitement I managed to get away.” “I created the outcry,” declared Marcus proudly. “I did it to give you a chance to get away in the confusion. You see Colonel Darringford had telephoned down here for the officers to be in readiness to arrest you as an escaped inmate of the reform school.” “I did not think of that. I see his scheme. Do you suppose they will telephone ahead to Springfield?” “No doubt; but forewarned is forearmed, you know. We’ll give them the slip there.” The confidence of his companion gave Dean courage, and they continued their trip to the city with good courage. “By the way,” said Marcus a little later, “I am awfully sorry for getting mad with you last night when you would not escape from that old lockup as I wanted you to do. I can see now that you were wiser than I.” “It is all forgiven, Marcus, if there was really anything to forgive. But have you any plan of action when we get to Springfield?” “No, but I think I have something here that will help us to lay our plans. I have found out who your worst enemy is.” “Who?” “Tim Downey. Here is proof of it in a letter that Daley dropped on his way to Millville and I picked up. It is postmarked Portsmouth.” “That’s south of here.”