“Come on! We’ve no time to lose,” admonished Rook, rushing through the doorway, still holding Ralph in an iron grip.
But the boy hung back, pleading piteously. His eyes were on Jack’s unconscious form, which lay just as it had been flung across the cot.
“But, Jack—you’ve left Jack!” he cried. “Surely you don’t mean to leave him behind!”
“You shut up and come on, or I’ll take steps to make you,” was the gruff reply, and the next moment Radcliff closed the door of the room, and dragging Ralph after them the two ruffians effected their escape from the burning house.
CHAPTER XIV—THE DRIVERLESS CAR
“And you could find no trace of him?”
It was the next morning in Mr. Bowler’s office, and that man of the law was seated at his desk with Tom Jesson beside him. Tom had just finished telling of the events of the preceding night. The lad was pale and his eyes were red from lack of sleep, but there was a ring of determination in his voice as he replied to Mr. Bowler’s query.
“I’ve told you all there is to tell, sir; but if Jack Chadwick’s on top of the earth I’m not going to give up the search till he is found.”
“That’s the right spirit, my lad,” commented Mr. Bowler, “but at the same time we appear to be up against a stone wall. The last you saw of him was when he vanished into that house. There is no question in my mind but that the men who have harassed you seized him to save themselves from the police. But the question is, what have they done with him?”
“That’s just it,” said Tom despairingly, “there isn’t a single clue to go upon. As you say, we’ve run into a stone wall. But knowing Jack as I do, I’m sure that we’ll get track of him again somehow.”