He threw himself to earth, and Sam followed. In another moment Baxter and his toady came into plain view, although still some distance away. "I'll come," came from Mumps. "But I didn't expect to meet your father here." "I did. He's been here for several days. That's the reason why I had Goss bring the _Flyaway_ over. I'm going to kill two birds with one stone." "What do you mean?" "I'm going to carry Dora Stanhope off, just as old Crabtree wanted, and I'm going to give my father a lift." "You mean that you are going to help him to escape from the authorities?" "I didn't put it that way. He wants to keep out of sight." "It amounts to the same thing, Dan." "As you will. Will you come, or do you want to go back to the yacht?" "I--er--I guess I'll come," faltered the toady. "But we must be careful." "To be sure. I reckon I have as much at stake as you." The two passed out of hearing, and Dick touched his brother on the arm. "Did you hear that, Sam?" he asked excitedly. "I did. What can it mean?" "Mean? It means that Dan Baxter's father is in the neighborhood and Dan is going to call on his parent." "I know that, but--" "You are surprised that father and son are equally bad? I'm not; I thought it all along." "What will you do?" "Follow them." "Will you whistle for Tom and Martin Harris?" "No; that might arouse suspicion. Let us follow them alone. When they return to their yacht we can tell the others," concluded Dick. CHAPTER XXII THE BAXTERS MAKE A NEW MOVE As silently as possible Dick and Sam came after Baxter and his toady John Fenwick. The pair of evildoers left the stretch of meadow as fast as they could, and hurried up a narrow path leading to a half-tumbled-down brick factory. At the corner of the dilapidated building they paused, and Dan Baxter emitted a long, low whistle. A silence of several seconds followed, and then a man appeared out of the darkness. "Who's dat?" came the question. "It's me, Girk--Dan Baxter," replied the former bully of Putnam Hall with small regard for the grammar that had been taught to him. "Who's dat with you?" "Mumps. He's all right." "I don't know about dat. Yer father t'ought yer would come alone," growled the tramp thief. "I've got a new movement on, Buddy. Take us to my father without delay." "Is dat fellow to be trusted?" "Yes, you can trust me," replied Mumps with considerable nervousness. His steps in the direction of wrong were beginning to frighten him. At the start he had thought of nothing but to aid Josiah Crabtree in his suit with Mrs. Stanhope, and had calculated that after the marriage the running off with Dora would be overlooked. But here he was taking the girl miles from her home and associated with two men who had robbed a firm of bankers of many thousands of dollars. The outlook, consequently, worried him very much. "All right, den," muttered Buddy Girk. "Follow me."