", I never!"
It was Dick Rover who uttered the remark, as he leaped from the chair in which he had been sitting, newspaper in hand.
"Never what, Dick?" drawled Tom lazily, looking up from a kite he was mending.
"Never saw anything to equal those Baxters. What do you think? Arnold Baxter has escaped from prison."
"What!" ejaculated Tom, and on the instant the kite was forgotten, and Tom smashed it directly through the middle with his foot as he came to his brother's side.
"Yes, he has escaped, and in the slickest manner I ever heard of. I tell you, Tom, he is a prize criminal, if ever there was one."
"But how did he get out?"
"How? Why, just shook hands with his jailers, thanked them for their kindness, and then left."
"Oh, pshaw, Dick, is this a joke? Because if it is, I want to remind you that we had the first of April last week."
"It's no joke, although Baxter ought to have played his trick on the first, true enough."
"Well, what is the trick? You said he shook hands with his jailers and walked off. Of course, he couldn't do that, unless his time was up."
"But it wasn't up—not by several years."
"Then how did he do it?"
"By a trick, Tom—the neatest, cleverest, slickest ever performed in this State."
"Oh, stow your long-winded speeches, Dick," cried the younger brother half angrily. "Boil it down and serve the extract in short order."
"Very well, I will. Firstly, Arnold Baxter is in jail. Secondly, he states his friends are going to ask the governor for a pardon. Thirdly, a friend in disguise comes to the jail with the supposed pardon. Fourthly, great joy of Baxter. Fifthly, he thanks his jailers and bids them good-by, as I said before. Sixthly, after he and his friend are gone the jailers inspect the so-called pardon. Seventhly, the jailers telephone to the governor. Eighthly, the pardon is pronounced a forgery, signatures, seal, and all. Ninthly, all the powers that be are as mad as hornets, but they can do nothing, for Baxter the elder has gone and has left no trace behind him."
"Phew!" Tom emitted a long, low whistle.
"Say, but that runs like the half-dime novels I used to stuff myself with in my green days, doesn't it?"
"That's right, Tom, excepting that this is strictly true, while the half-dime novels used to be as far from the truth as a howling dog is from the moon. But seriously, I don't like this," went on the elder Rover earnestly.
"Neither do I like it."
"Baxter at liberty may mean trouble for father and for us."
"I begin to see now what Dan Baxter meant," ejaculated Tom suddenly. "I'll wager he knew all along what his father and the friend were up to."
"I wonder who the stranger was? He must have been a very skillful forger to forge the governor's signature and the other signatures too."
"He must be some old pal to Baxter. Don't you remember father said Baxter was thick with several fellows in the West before he came out here?"
"Let us write to father about this at once."
This was agreed to, and Dick began to pen the letter without delay. While he was at work Sam came in and was acquainted with the news.
"It's just like the Baxters," said the youngest Rover. "After this, I'll be prepared to expect anything of them. I'd like to know where he has gone? Perhaps out West."
"Out West?" cried Dick and Tom simultaneously.
"Certainly. Didn't he swear to get the best of us regarding that mine matter?"
"By gum!" murmured Tom. "Dick, we can't send that letter any too quick. Perhaps we had better telegraph."
"Oh, father may have the news already." Dick glanced at the newspaper again. "Hullo, I missed this," he cried.
"Missed what?" came from both of the others.
"The paper says Baxter's escape occurred several days ago. The prison' officials kept it to themselves at first, hoping the detectives would re-capture the criminal."
"And that paper was printed yesterday morning. At any rate, Baxter has had his liberty for at least five days. I must say I don't like this at all. We'll telegraph to father without delay."
Looking out of the window Dick saw Captain Putnam walking on the parade ground. He ran down to interview the master of the Hall.
"Why, yes, you can go to Cedarville at once, if you deem it important," said the captain. "Peleg Snuggers can drive you down."
"Thank you, captain," said Dick, and ran to the stables. He found the utility man at work cleaning out a stall, and soon had Snuggers hitching up. Inside of ten minutes Dick was on the way to town. As he bowled along, little did he dream of how long it would be before he should see dear old Putnam Hall again.