"If you refuse your life shall pay the forfeit," answered Arnold
Baxter. "Come now, which do you choose?"
CHAPTER XXVII
DASH FOR LIBERTY
For the minute after Arnold Baxter spoke Tom had nothing to say. The man had offered terms, and if he did not accept them his very life would be in danger.
Now, had Tom been the hero of some dime novel he would have shouted at once, "I refuse your offer—do your worse, base villain that you are!" But being an everyday American boy, with a proper regard for his own life, he revolved the situation in his mind with great care.
"Well, what do you say?" demanded Arnold Baxter impatiently.
"You had better accept dad's offer," broke in Dan.
"I don't know what to say," was the slow answer. "This, you must remember, is brand new to me."
"My offer is a very fair one, Rover. You have gotten yourself in a bad fix, and you can consider yourself lucky if you get out of it with a whole skin."
"If I write the letter, how are you going to deliver it to my two brothers and Jack Wumble?"