"That will take but a few minutes," declared Reade energetically. "Come up to the house, and I'll find something that Nicolas has worn."
Corbett remained behind to take care of the bombs. Tom led the officers and the youth with the hound on a brisk walk up to the house.
"Wait out here," murmured Tom, "and I'll bring something out. If we all go into the house we'll wake my partner, Hazelton, and he has enough work to do in the daytime, without being kept up at night."
While the others remained outside Tom stole into the house. There was a room in the rear, off the kitchen, where Nicolas slept. Into that room Reade stepped noiselessly.
It was not necessary to strike a match, for, in the very faint light there, Tom espied an object on the foot of the bed that he recognized—-one of the Mexican's white canvas shoes.
Tom snatched it up quickly. Then, despite his steady nerves, he staggered back.
CHAPTER XVII
TOM MAKES AN UNEXPECTED CAPTURE
For an unearthly scream pierced the air. There was a wrench, a bounding figure—-and then Tom Reade felt a jolt near his solar plexus that made him gasp.
"Stop that!" gasped the young chief engineer.