"Not a sound, if you value your life," hissed one of them, and then a gag was thrust into his mouth and he was rudely turned over on his stomach.
"Quick, Bill, hand me those ropes," whispered one of the men, and in another minute his hands were securely bound behind his back.
"Now let's get him out to the road as soon as we can," said the man who had done all the talking, and whose voice Bob recognized as belonging to the man he knew as King.
He was roughly pulled to his feet, and with King clinging to his right and the other, whom Bob supposed to be Reed, hanging tightly to his left arm, they started for the road, about a half mile distant. The path was very rough, and as they flashed their light but seldom, it was some time before they reached the road. As they climbed the last fence, Bob could see dimly a large car standing by the roadside. Taking a large handkerchief from his pocket, King bound it tightly over Bob's eyes and ordered him to get into the back seat of the car. Poor Bob had to do as he was ordered, and was quickly followed by King, while the other man took the wheel.
"Now, hit her up, Bill," whispered King, and the car bounded ahead.
"It seems to me that Bob's an awful long time getting that pail of water," said Edna, getting out of the hammock. "I wish he'd hurry up, I'm nearly choked for a drink."
"Same here," declared Jack. "He's been gone long enough to get a dozen pails. Guess I'll go meet him and hustle him up a bit."
So saying, he got his electric torch from the house, and started off along the path. He was somewhat surprised not to meet Bob, or to hear his merry whistle, but was not alarmed till he reached the spring and, flashing his light around, spied the pail, lying on its side a few feet away. "Well, that's funny," he thought, and putting two fingers in his mouth, he gave two long shrill whistles, their signal to each other. Receiving no reply, he made a hurried search of the bushes nearby, but beyond noticing evidence of a struggle, he found no trace of the missing boy.
"Something has happened to Bob," he thought, now thoroughly alarmed. "There's been a fight here and I'll bet a fish hook that he's been kidnapped." In spite of the darkness, Jack nearly flew back to the cottage.
"Dad, dad," he shouted, as he bounded on to the porch, "they've got Bob."