The Rover Boys in the Jungle | Page 9

pistol
and it went over the side of his craft and sank immediately to the
bottom of the lake.
"My, but that was a close shave!" muttered Tom, as he gazed at the
hole through the seat. "A little closer and I would have got it in the
stomach."
A yell now came from Sam, and a shriek from the girls, all of whom
had heard the pistol shots. They were too far away to see the result of
the shooting and feared both Tom and Dick had been killed or
wounded.

As quickly as he could recover from the blow of the oar, Dan Baxter
picked up his own blades, and without paying attention to the blood
which was flowing from his nose, began once again to pull for the
shore.
"Come on, his pistol is gone!" shouted Dick, and then his face fell.
"Confound it, I've thrown away my oar! There it goes!" And he pointed
some distance to their left.
"That isn't the worst of it!" groaned Tom. "Look at that hole in the
bottom, made by that pistol shot. The water is coming in just as fast as
it can."
There was small need to call attention to it, for the water in the bottom
of the boat was already an inch deep. Dick started in perplexity, then,
struck by a sudden idea, drew a lead pencil from his pocket and
rammed it into the opening. It fitted very well, and the water ceased, to
come in.
"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,"