Before Tom could jump down from the wagon, however, a low whistle from Johnny Harding told him that something was wrong in that quarter also. This was followed by a commotion in the house, the door opened, and ’Squire Thompson, with a lantern in one hand and a huge cane in the other, sprang down the steps, shouting:
“Here they are! Take ’em dogs, take ’em!”
All this happened in less time than it takes to write it, but the angry ’squire had scarcely made his appearance when the nimble Night-hawks, who had held themselves in readiness for this emergency, closed the gate and took to their heels, leaving the grand commander to fight his enemies, or to escape if he could. Tom saw, at a glance, that he had got himself into trouble, and that his chances for flight were very slim indeed. But he could not surrender without making an attempt to save himself; so he sprang down from the wagon and started for the gate; but a loud, fierce bark, accompanied by an encouraging yell from the ’squire, told him that his pursuers were not far behind, and that his escape in that direction was cut off. Even if he succeeded in opening the gate before the dogs arrived, they would follow him down the road, and overtake him before he had gone twenty yards. Tom gave himself up for lost, and his only desire was to get out of reach of the dogs. He feared them more than the ’squire. There was a cherry-tree close at hand, and the grand commander sprang into its branches with the agility of a cat; but scarcely had he climbed out of reach, when the dogs arrived. To Tom’s surprise and delight, they did not stop under the tree, but ran straight to the gate, where they stood, and kept up a furious barking, until the ’squire appeared on the scene.
“Catch ’em, dogs—catch the young scoundrels,” he exclaimed, opening the gate.
The dogs bounded out into the road, and disappeared in the direction taken by the Night-hawks. But the latter had made good use of their time, and presently the dogs returned without having overtaken any of them. They were all safe except the grand commander, who sat in his tree and awaited the issue of events in a most unpleasant frame of mind. He had assured his friends that he would like to be in a position to “hear what the ’squire had to say about it;” and he seemed in a fair way to have his wish gratified.
“The young scoundrels!” exclaimed the ’squire, as he closed the gate. “Those boys ought all to be taken care of. I wonder what they were prowling about here for? Hallo, what’s this?”
Tom Captured by the Squire.—Page 205.
He had, for the first time, discovered that his horse and wagon had been used; and when he walked up and examined the contents of the wagon, his rage knew no bounds.