"Were you over to the Stanhopes' place?" "Perhaps I was and perhaps I wasn't." "Don't get mulish. Remember that you are absolutely in my power." "And what if I was at the Stanhopes' place? Haven't I a perfect right to go there?" "Did you meet anybody there?" "Yes, I did. I met your particular friend, Josiah Crabtree." Baxter's face fell. "And what--that is what did you have to say to each other?" "Crabtree tried to rob the widow--and I believe you were outside waiting for him," Tom continued suddenly. "Nonsense." At this moment Stumpy Nuggs came in. "There's a man comin' dis way!" he said excitedly, "Wot shall we do?" "A man!" ejaculated Baxter, in alarm. "I'll go out and see if I know him." He left the building with the tramp. The newcomer was approaching along the gully path. As he drew closer Baxter recognized Josiah Crabtree. "Baxter!" exclaimed the former teacher, as, he carne up. "This is fortunate; I was afraid you had been captured." "And I was afraid you were in the same box," rejoined Baxter. "I had a hard time of it to get away. I got lost in the woods and had to remain out in the cold all night." "Then you didn't succeed in getting what you wanted, or in seeing Mrs. Stanhope?" "No. Those confounded Rover boys turned up, and I had to--ahem--leave in a hurry. But who are these two men?" and Josiah Crabtree looked apprehensively at the tramps. "They are all right, Crabtree. They helped me do a slick thing last night." "Ah, and what was that?" "I met Tom Rover on the road and they helped me to capture him." "Indeed, and where is the--ah--young rascal now?" "A prisoner in the old house yonder." At this information Josiah Crabtree was much astonished, and begged for the particulars of the affair, which were speedily forthcoming. "And now you have him a prisoner, what do you propose to do?" asked the former teacher. "I'll soon show you," growled Baxter. "I'm going to do him up brown--or rather, black. See here." He led the way back to the gully and pointed to a pot of tar and a brush which rested by it. "It is tar!" cried Crabtree. "Exactly." "And you are--ahem--going to give him a coat of that?" "Yes. Doesn't he deserve it?" "To be sure he does. I will assist you," answered the former teacher readily, with a malicious gleam in his fishy eyes. "I wish you had all three boys here, to tar them with the same brush." "One at a time, Crabtree. We'll fix the others some time later." A fire was started and the pot of tar was hung from a chain caught up between two uprights. Some of the softening stuff was smeared on the wood which was burning, and this made the blaze more fierce than ever. Soon the tar was near to the boiling point. The two tramps had thrown themselves down to watch the proceedings. "Yer ought ter have some fedders," suggested Longback. "I have. There was an old musty feather bed in the house. I'm going to use that."