tell me," went on Tom bluntly.
The random shaft struck home, and the old doctor started back in dismay.
"Why — er — surely you do not — er — suspect me of — ahem — of anything wrong?" he stammered.
"I want to get at the truth. Which way did they go when they drove off?"
"Directly for town."
"And when was this?"
"Inside of half an hour after they got here."
"Did they give any names?"
"No. It was not necessary, since I could not take them in."
"Your place doesn't seem to be very crowded."
At this the physician glared angrily at Tom.
"Boy, it seems to me that you are growing impudent!" he cried. "I am not accustomed to being addressed in this fashion. I think I had better bid you good-night."
The two were standing in the hallway, and now the doctor opened the door to signify that the interview was over.
"All right, I'll go," muttered Tom. "But I am going to get to the bottom of this affair, don't you forget that." And then he hurried out and rejoined Sam and Peterson at the coach.
"He may be telling the truth," said the coach driver, on hearing what Tom had to say. "But, all the same, I was driving around these streets for a good hour after I left here, and I saw no other rig with those men and your brother in it."
"I am inclined to think the doctor is humbugging us," answered Tom. "But the thing is to prove it."
"Perhaps you had better watch the place for a while," suggested the lumberman.
"Do you know anything of this doctor — what sort of a reputation he has?" asked Sam of the driver.
"His reputation is none of the best," was the answer. "He has been in court twice because of the people he treats."
"Then he wouldn't be above helping Arnold Baxter — if he was paid for it," said Tom.
All entered the coach and drove off around the nearest corner.
Then Tom and Sam got out and walked away, intending to come up at the rear of the sanitarium.
Presently a carriage appeared in view, driven by a man who, in the gloom, appeared strangely familiar, despite his false beard.
"Arnold Baxter!" cried Sam. "Hi, there, whoa!"
He ran toward the carriage and caught the horse by the bridle. Tom followed, and the man, who was just returning from taking Dick to the Peacock, was brought to bay.
CHAPTER VII
THE ESCAPE OF ARNOLD BAXTER
"Arnold Baxter, where is my brother Dick?" demanded Tom, as he reached the carriage and caught the evildoer by the arm.
To say that Arnold Baxter was astonished would be to put it altogether too mildly. He was completely dumfounded.
"You!" he said slowly, hardly knowing how to speak after he had caught his breath.
"Yes, you rascal. Where is Dick."
"Dick?"
"Yes, Dick."
"I know nothing of your brother. This is a — a complete surprise. I didn't know you were in Cleveland."
"Perhaps not. But let me tell you that we know your game, and we are going to hand you over to the law."
"Never!" Arnold Baxter fairly hissed out the words. "Let go of that horse" the latter words to Sam.
"Don't you do it!" cried Tom, and then he caught Arnold Baxter by the leg. "Come out of the carriage."
A fierce struggle ensued, and, afraid that Tom would get the worst of it, Sam set up a loud shout for help.
"You whelp! I'll fix you!" ejaculated Arnold Baxter, and catching up the whip, he struck at Tom with the butt end. He caught the youth directly over the head, and Tom went down as if shot.
"Let Tom alone," screamed Sam. "Help! help!"
"Who is it?" came from a distance, and Luke Peterson hove into sight. "Hullo! the man we are after."
He made a dive for Arnold Baxter, but the latter was too quick for him, and leaped from the opposite side of the carriage to the ground. The horse now became frightened and set off on a run, directly for a lane behind Dr. Karley's institution.
"Tom, are you badly hurt?" questioned Sam, but, even as he spoke, Tom tried to stagger to his feet. Seeing this, Sam began a chase after Baxter, with the lumberman beside him.
Arnold Baxter was fleet of foot, and realizing what capture meant — a return to prison with his sentence to be served once more from the beginning — he ran as never before, straight for the dock where the Peacock lay.
His first thought was to board the schooner and set sail out into the lake, but a second thought convinced him that this would be unwise.
"They will follow me on a tug or steamer, and the jig will be up in no time," he said to himself. "I must find some hiding place."
Many of the docks were inclosed by high board fences, and coming to one of these, he leaped over and made his way to a huge pile of merchandise. Here he crouched down and kept as quiet as a mouse.
Sam and Peterson, followed by Tom, traced him to the fence, but once on the opposite side, lost all track of the rascal.
"He's gone," said Tom, after running hither and thither on the dock. "He has given us the slip nicely."
"He can't be far off," returned Sam.
"I believe he was bound for that doctor's sanitarium when we spotted him."
"So do I, and I wouldn't wonder if poor Dick is at the place, a prisoner."
The matter was talked over for several minutes, and the two brothers decided to return to Dr. Karley's sanitarium. The lumberman said he would remain around the docks on the lookout for Arnold Baxter.
"If you catch him I'll give you fifty dollars," said Tom. "My father, I know, will pay the amount willingly."
"I'll do my best," answered Peterson. He was by no means rich and glad enough of a chance to make such a sum. Besides this, the ways of the Rover boys appeared to please him.
When Sam and Tom returned to the doctor's place they
