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DICK'S MIDNIGHT ADVENTURE
241

agely and caught him by the arm. "Are you alone?"

"Yes," answered Dick, before he had stopped to think twice.

"Good enough. Come in," and Arnold Baxter continued to hold him.

"He may be fooling us, dad," put in Dan Baxter. "The officers of the law may be with him."

"Take a look around and see, Dan. I'll keep him here."

"Let me go!" cried Dick, trying to break away.

"Not much, Rover. You'll stay right where you are for the present," answered the older Baxter grimly.

Dan had slipped out and he made a thorough search before returning to the cottage. In the meantime Dick was forced to sit down on a bench in a corner, while Arnold Baxter stood over him with a stout club.

"This is getting interesting, to say the least," thought Dick. "I wish I hadn't come anywhere near the cottage."

"Nobody around," announced Dan Baxter, as he came in and closed and locked the door.

"Good," answered his father. He turned again to Dick. "Now, how comes it that you are wandering around here, Rover?" he went on.