"
Stakes were driven and the horses picketed.
"Bring along our guests," suggested Jim Duff, with a touch of humor
that the occasion rendered grisly.
Thereupon Tom and Harry were once more jerked to their feet.
"Ye can walk, I reckon, and don't have be toted," observed one of the
scoundrels.
"We're wholly at your service, sir," rejoined Tom mockingly.
"And equally at your pleasure," Harry suggested dryly.
Two hundred yards further on the halted close to a pair of stunted trees
of about the same size.
"Gentlemen, you may as well remove your masks on this hot evening,"
suggested Jim Duff. The face coverings came off. Reade and Hazelton
surveyed their captors as the chance offered, being careful not to
betray too great curiosity.
"I see one gentleman here whom I had expected to find," remarked Tom
quietly.
"Me?" hinted Duff.
"Well, yes; you, for one, but I refer to that excellent host, Mr. Ashby,
of the Mansion House."
With a start George Ashby turned on Reade, coming closer and grinning
ferociously into the face of the young chief engineer.
Pages:
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227