He had advanced a distance of several hundred feet along this road when, on looking ahead, he observed some person coming slowly toward him. Wondering who the individual could be, and thinking of Crabtree, he stopped short. At the same time the other person also halted, and then of a sudden slipped out of sight behind the nearest trees. "Hullo, that's queer," murmured the youth. "Evidently he doesn't want to be seen. Can it be Crabtree?" He was unarmed, and had some hesitancy about advancing, not knowing what to expect. But he did not wish the former teacher to escape, and so casting around he espied a sharp stone and picked it up. "Hi, there, come out of that!" he called, as he ran forward and held the stone ready for use. No reply was vouchsafed, and he called again. By this time he was directly opposite the spot where the mysterious individual had disappeared. "Look here, Josiah Crabtree, you might as well come out and give yourself up," he called sharply. Still there was no answer, and now Tom did not know what to do. Under the trees it was so dark that he could scarcely see a yard in front of him. Yet he advanced several paces, still holding the stone up as a weapon of offense or defense, as the case might prove. But nobody appeared in sight, and at last he returned to the road. He was in a quandary whether to return to the cottage or continue on his way to the Hall. "I suppose I may as well go on," he concluded. "Neither Dick nor I can do much in the woods in the dark." So he went on, but this time more slowly, wondering if Josiah Crabtree would follow him, and never dreaming that the person who had slipped him was not the former teacher, but Dan Baxter. For Baxter it was, who had been waiting around to be joined by Crabtree, for the pair of evil-doers had come to the vicinity of the Stanhope cottage together. "It's Tom Rover," muttered Baxter, on hearing the boy's voice. "I was lucky to get out of the way." He remained as motionless as a statue while Tom passed within a dozen feet of him. Then When Tom went out on the road again Baxter ran forth, too, but in the opposite direction. Down on a side road Baxter had that day run across a tramps' encampment. In the camp were three hoboes, as they are sometimes called rascals who were willing to do almost anything but work for a living. They had demanded money of the bully, and he gave them a dollar, fearing violence if he refused them. Baxter now thought of the tramps, and as he did so an evil look crossed his face. "If only I can pay off Tom Rover," he muttered. "I'll do it if I can." Soon the tramps' encampment was reached, and he found two of the men dozing before a tiny fire, with an empty liquor bottle between then the third tramp had gone to Cedarville for more liquor. "Wake up here," cried Baxter, catching first one and then the other by the shoulder.