"If I can only reach his wind once, and topple him over!" thought Reade.
A blow aimed at his jaw he failed to block. The impact sent the young
engineer half staggering. Another blow, and Tom dropped, knocked out.
At that very instant a street door near by opened noiselessly.
"I've got him," leered the bully, bending over the senseless form of Tom
Reade.
"Bring him in!" ordered a voice behind the open doorway.
CHAPTER XIII
TOM HEARS THE PROGRAM
Throwing his arms around Tom, the bully lifted him and bore him inside,
dropping him on the floor in the dark.
"He's some tough fighter," muttered Tom's assailant. "I didn't know but
he'd get me."
"No; he couldn't," replied the other voice. "I was just opening the
door so I could slip out and give him a clip in the dark."
"He's coming to," muttered the bully. "Ye'll have to tell me what you
want done with him."
The speaker had knelt by Tom, with a hand roughly laid against the young
engineer's pulse. Neither plotter could see the boy, for no light had
been struck in the room.
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