The key to the conservatory door was hanging on a nearby nail, and taking it down they unlocked the door, and the two boys passed into the darkness of the night outside.
"Please take care of yourselves!" cried Dora after them, and then turned to quiet her mother, who had come downstairs in a state of excitement bordering on hysteria, for, as old readers know, Mrs. Stanhope's constitution was a delicate one.
Running into the garden, Dick made out a dim form in the distance, on the path leading to the lake.
"There he is!" he cried. "Come, Tom, we must catch him, if we can!"
"I am with you," answered Tom. "But take care what you do. He may be in a desperate frame of mind."
"He is desperate. But I am not afraid of him," returned the elder
Rover, with determination.
Josiah Crabtree was running with all the speed of his long legs, and the two lads soon found that they had all they could do to keep him in sight.
"Stop!" yelled Tom, at the top of his voice, but to this command the former, teacher paid no attention. If anything, he ran the faster.
"He is bound for the lake," said Dick. "He must have a boat."
But Dick was mistaken, for just before the water came into view
Josiah Crabtree branched off onto the road leading into Cedarville.
Then of a sudden the shadows of a patch of woods hid him from view.