As he stood there a familiar face attracted his attention.
"Is that you, Tom?" he called out.
"Nothin' shorter," replied a stout, undersized boy, nodding a round bullet head, surmounted by an old gray cap.
"Wher' 's Pete?" demanded Ned, for this was Pete's brother.
"I s'posed he wuz along of you. I seen ye together after dark a-makin' off."
"Naw,—he hain't been with me sence." Ned hesitated.
A look of blank surprise was on Tom's face. "I made sure he wuz with you," he said. "Pete hain't been home this night."
CHAPTER IV
When Master Peter Bateman ran away after seeing his friend into the theatre and past the dragon he did not run far.