"Now we'll have to bail out and pick up that other oar," said Tom. "It was foolish to throw it away, Dick."
"I don't know about that. It deprived Baxter of his pistol. Paddle over, and I'll pick it up." Tom did so, and the blade was speedily recovered.
But Dan Baxter had made good use of the precious moments lost by the Rover boys, and hardly were the latter into shape for rowing once more than they saw the bully beach his craft and leap out on the shore. "Good-by to you!" he cried mockingly. "I told you that you couldn't catch me. The next time we meet I'll make you sorry that you ever followed me," and he started to run off with all possible speed.
Tom and Dick were too chagrined to answer him, and pulled forward to the shore in silence. They ran the craft into some bushes and tied up, and then started after Baxter, who was now making for the woods south of the village of Nelson.
When the highway skirting this portion of Cayuga Lake was gained Dan Baxter was a good five hundred feet ahead of them. A turn in the road soon hid him from view. Gaining the bend they discovered that he had disappeared from view altogether.
"He has taken to the woods," sighed Dick.
"If that is so we may as well give the hunt up," answered his brother. "It would be worse than looking for a pin in a haystack, for we wouldn't know what direction he had taken."
"I wish I had a bloodhound with which to trail him. He ought to be run down, Tom."
"Well, let us notify some of the people living near and see what can be done."
They ran on to the spot where they supposed Baxter had left the highway. On both sides were dense thickets of cedars with heavy underbrush. All in all, the locality formed an ideal hiding place.
Night was coming on by the time they gained the nearest farmhouse. Here they found three men, to whom they explained the situation. All of the men smiled grimly.
"If he went into the woods it would be a hard job to trail him," was the comment from Farmer Mason. "If he ain't careful he'll lose himself so completely he'll never git out, b'gosh!"
"Well, I don't know but what that would suit me," responded Tom dryly.
The search was begun, and several others joined in. It lasted until night was fairly upon the party and was then given up in disgust.
"It's no use," said Dick. "He has slipped us!"
"But we ought to notify the authorities," said Tom. "They will probably put a detective on his track."
"Yes; but a detective can't do any more than we can, up in this wild locality."
"He won't remain in the woods forever. He'll starve to death."
"Well, we can send the police a telegram from Cedarville."
This was done, and the Rover boys returned to Putnam Hall by way of the side road leaving past the homes of the Stanhopes and the Lanings. They found Sam and the girls very anxious concerning their welfare.
"We were afraid you had been shot," said Dora. "I am thankful that you escaped."
"So am I," put in Sam. "But it's too bad that Baxter got away. I wonder where he will turn up next."
They all wondered, but could not even venture an answer. Soon the boys left the girls and hurried to the academy, where their story, had to be told over again. Captain Putnam looked exceedingly grave over the narrative.
"You must be careful in the future, lads," he said. "Remember, you are in my care here. I do not know what your uncle would say if anything should happen to you."
"We will be on our guard in the future," answered Dick. "But I am awfully sorry we didn't catch him."
"So am I. But perhaps the authorities will have better luck," and there the talk came to an end, and the boys retired for the night.
CHAPTER V
FUN AND AN EXPLOSION
Several days slipped by, and the boys waited anxiously for some news from the authorities. But none came, and they rightfully surmised that, for the time being, Dan Baxter had made good his escape.
On account of the disastrous ending to the kite-flying match, many had supposed that the feast in Dormitory No. 6 was not to come off, but Sam, Tom, Frank, and several others got their heads together and prepared for a "layout" for the following Wednesday, which would be Dick's birthday.
"We'll give him a surprise," said Sam, and so it was agreed. Passing around the hat netted exactly three dollars and a quarter, and Tom, Sam, and Fred Garrison were delegated to purchase the candies, cake, and ice cream which were to constitute the spread.
"We'll do the thing up brown," said Sam.
"We must strike higher than that feast we had, last year."
"Right you are!" came from Tom, "Oh dear, do you remember how we served Mumps that night!" and he set up a roar over the remembrance of the scene.
Hans Mueller had become one of the occupants of the dormitory, and he was as much, interested as anybody in the preparations for the spread. "Dot vill pe fine!" he said. "I like to have von feast twist a veek, ha I ha!
"He's a jolly dog," said Tom to Frank.
"But, say, I've been thinking of having some fun with him before this spread comes off."
"Let me in on the ground floor," pleaded Frank, who always wok a great interest in Tom's jokes.
"I will, on one condition, Frank."
"And what is that?"
"That you loan me that masquerade suit you have in your trunk. The one you used at that New Year's dance at home."
"You mean that Indian rig?"
"Yes."
"Hullo, I reckon I smell a mouse!" laughed the senator's son. "I heard you giving Hans that yarn about us training to fight Indians."'
"Did you indeed."
"I did indeed; and I heard Hans say that he wanted nothing to do with the Indians."
"Well, he's going to have something to do with at least one Indian," grinned Tom. "What do you say I get the suit?"
"Yes; if you'll fix it so that I can see the sport."
"All of the crowd can see it, if they don't leak about it," returned the fun-loving Rover.
Tom soon had the masquerade suit in his possession and also, some face paints which Frank had saved from the New Year's dance mentioned. Shortly afterward Tom joined the crowd in the gymnasium, where Hans Mueller was trying to do some vaulting over the bars.
"I dink I could chump dem sticks of I vos taller," the German youth was saying.
"Or the sticks were lower," replied Tom, with a wink at the crowd. "That's right, Hans, you had better learn how to jump now, and to run, too."
"The Indians have come," put in Frank.
"Indians?" repeated Hans Mueller. "Vere is da?"
"They say a band of them are in the woods around here," answered Tom. "If you go out you want to be careful or they may scalp you."
"Cracious, Rofer, ton't say dot!" cried Mueller in alarm. "Vot is dem Indians doing here annavay?"
"They came in East to hunt up some buffalo that got away. They had something like half a million in a corral, and about two thousand got away from them."
This preposterous announcement was taken by Hans Mueller in all seriousness, and he asked Tom all sorts of ridiculous questions about the savage red men, whom he supposed as wild and wily as those of generations ago.
"No,