take the model and papers with
them, I'll have an awful job to locate them again, and probably I
won't be able to. That's the worst of it. Here I have everything
right under my hands, and I can't do a thing. If I only had some one
to help me; some one to leave on guard while I went for the police.
I'm one against three--no, four, for the man in the boat is back.
Let's see what can I do?"

Then a sudden plan came to him.

"The lake shore!" he exclaimed, half aloud. "I'll go down there and
keep watch. If they escape they'll probably go in the boat, for they
wouldn't venture through the woods at night. That's it. I'll watch
on shore, and if they do leave in the boat--" He paused again,
undecided. "Why, if they do," he finished, "I'll sing out, and make
such a row that they'll think the whole countryside is after them.
That may drive them back, or they may drop the box containing the
papers and model, and cut for it. If they do I'll be all right. I
don't care about capturing them, if I can get dad's model back."

He felt more like himself, now that he had mapped out another plan.

"The first thing to do is to locate the lake," reasoned Tom. "Let's
see; I ran in a straight line away from the house--that is, as
nearly straight as I could. Now if I turn around and go straight
back, bearing off a little to the left, I ought to come to the
water. I'll do it."

But it was not so easy as Tom imagined, and several times he found
himself in the midst of almost impenetrable bushes. He kept on,
however, and soon had the satisfaction of emerging from the woods
out on the shore of the lake. Then, having gotten his bearings as
well as he could in the darkness, he moved down until he was near
the deserted house. The light was still showing from the window, and
Tom judged by this that the men had not taken fright and fled.

"I suppose I could sneak down and set the motor-boat adrift," he
argued. "That would prevent them leaving by way of the lake, anyhow.
That's what I'll do! I'll cut off one means of escape. I'll set the
boat adrift!"

Very cautiously he advanced toward where he had seen the small craft
put out. He was on his guard, for he feared the men would be on the
watch, but he reached the dock in safety, and was loosening the rope
that tied the boat to the little wharf when another thought came to
him.

"Why set this boat adrift?" he reasoned. "It is too good a boat to
treat that way, and, besides, it will make a good p