By this time they were in the village, and they separated, Darius going to his office, while his son sought “the gang.”
So it happened that one night as Frank was returning home from the village, he was tripped by a rope stretched across the road about a foot from the ground. Before he could recover, he was pounced upon by a gang of masked ruffians.
Frank made a savage fight, but he was overpowered by superior numbers, and his hands were tied behind his back, while a gag was forced into his mouth. In order to compel him to take the gag between his teeth, he was choked till he was nearly dead.
After this treatment, Frank was too weak to walk. The ruffians did not dare remain in the road longer than absolutely necessary, so the captive was picked up and carried across fields, over fences and into a dark strip of woods.
In the woods the gang rested.
“Well, he made a hard fight fer it,” said one.
“Come mighty near gettin’ away oncet,” observed another.
“Get out!” exclaimed a third. “He made us hustle, that’s all. I expected it. He’s an athlete.”
“Where we goin’ to take him?”
“To the old house.”