“Now is my chance!” said Bob to himself, and he set swiftly to work to free himself.
As Grogan was to watch the prisoner, Barker had been rather careless in tying Bob up. The bonds were soon slipped off, and then raising one of the windows Bob leaped out.
Just as he did so, Grogan started up. Seeing the youth disappear through the opening, he gave a loud cry, which soon brought the others to the scene.
“Where is he, Mike?”
“After him, boys!”
“Yes; he must not get away this time!”
Meanwhile Bob was running away as fast as his feet could move. When about a hundred yards from the cottage, he looked back and saw that all four men were in pursuit.
On he dashed until striking a stone with his toe he went down flat on the ground.
He arose as quickly as possible, but the time lost had enabled his pursuers almost to close the distance between them.
Bob was now but fifty feet from the railroad tracks, which were situated on a small embankment. As he ran up toward the tracks, he saw a slow freight approaching.