"Still in the neighborhood," he muttered, as he sat by the window and looked out on the calm Autumn night. "I wish he would leave it. I am not safe as long as he remains. At any rate, I shall do my duty as I have always done it, no matter what happens."

An hour later Jack went to bed, and no one who saw him at that time would have imagined that anything was on his mind, his face was so calm and tranquil.

CHAPTER XXI

A PUZZLING AFFAIR

The mysterious stranger with the white mustache and dark hair who had caused so much speculation among the Hilltop boys had not been seen since the second attempt to rob the Riverton bank and none of those most interested knew where he was.

His confederate, badly wounded at the time, was in jail and likely to remain there for some time, but of his princ.i.p.al nothing was known.

He had made his escape and had probably left the region for good and all, being satisfied that a third attempt to get at the money of the bank would be fatal.

The Hilltop boys were anxious to know what relation he bore to Jack Sheldon, who, it will be remembered, had been visibly agitated when he was first mentioned but as the boy did not seem inclined to enlighten them they did not ask him any more questions.

Herring avoided Jack after the stirring scene in the barn but neglected no opportunity to speak ill or slightingly of the boy to his cronies and to Jack's friends when he dared.

There were not many of these occasions, however, for the first time that he spoke slurringly of Jack to Billy Manners, that fun-loving young gentleman said hotly:

"Look here, Herring, I'll pickle you if I hear you talk that way of Jack Sheldon again. A word to the wise is sufficient."

Billy was not as big nor as strong as Jack but there was a determination in his look which Herring did not care to see there nor to provoke and he laughed carelessly and retorted:

"Oh, well, you don't need to get mad about it. I was only joking about it."

"I don't see anything funny in any such jokes," returned Billy, "and I would advise you to take them to a market where they are better appreciated than they are here."

"Ah, you think Sheldon is a lot," sneered Herring, "but he isn't any better than any one else."

"Maybe not. It depends who the any one else is," laughed Billy.

From the words that the bully dropped to his a.s.sociates, however, it was clear that he meant mischief to Jack and would pay off his supposed debts as soon as opportunity offered and there was the least chance of detection.

There were examinations coming on and Jack was getting ready for them, devoting all of his spare time to studying so that he would be able to pa.s.s with the greatest credit to himself and his instructors.

The next number of the Hilltop _Gazette_ would give the results of the examination but there was other matter to be prepared for it, the standings being the last matter to go in.

On the afternoon before the examinations were to begin Jack borrowed Percival's runabout and set out for Riverton with the copy for the school paper and something he had written for the weekly _News_, furnishing something now every week.

It was rather late when he started, as he had been busy up to the last moment and when he left the office after seeing Mr. Brooke and looking over the matter already set up it was growing dark, the sun being already behind the hills.

He would be back in time for supper, however, and as he had his lights in good order he had no fear of being out after dark.

He had left the town and was about to put on speed so as to carry him easily up a hill just ahead of him when he saw a man suddenly come around a turn just ahead of him.

He slacked up in an instant and then heard a sharp whistle behind him and at the next moment heard rapid footsteps, the man in front suddenly running toward him.

Before he was aware some one had sprung over the back of the car and had thrown a pair of strong arms around him.

Then the man in front ran up, jumped in and took the steering wheel, quickly backing the car and turning into a narrow lane a few rods behind.

Jack, meanwhile, had been blindfolded and gagged by the man who had seized him from behind and had no idea where he was going.

He was held tight as well and could not move, his captor being evidently a very powerful man.

"I'd like to know what this means, so close to town," he thought. "If it were two or three miles out I should not wonder and yet I have never been molested as long as I have been driving the car, or was I when I carried fruit and returned with money in my pocket."

By this time it was dark but if it had not been it would have made little difference to Jack with a heavy bandage over his eyes which shut out all light.

They were running on the level, as he knew by the motion but at length they began to ascend a considerable rise, the speed being increased and the car being higher in front.

The boy was utterly in the dark as to the ident.i.ty of his captors or their intentions and could not hazard a guess on either point.

If robbery were intended why had they not searched him at the start and if they only wanted the car why had they taken him along with them instead of getting rid of him at once?

All these things set him to thinking and he had plenty of time for it as the car seemed to have no intention of stopping but kept right on, now up, now down, but all the time at a rapid gait.

It must have been fully an hour from the time he had been seized when the car began to slow down and then stopped but where he was Jack could not, of course, have any idea.

"I wonder if this is a hazing joke of some of the fellows?" he asked himself. "Billy Manners would be up to just such a trick. Perhaps we are at the Academy now and they are ready to have a great laugh at my expense. I don't see what else it could be."

There was no sound to be heard, however, as there would be if they were near the Academy and Jack was as much puzzled as ever when he was lifted out of the car and taken somewhere, where he could not tell.

He was placed upon a bench but whether it were out of doors or in he had no notion.

He knew no more when the bandage was taken off his eyes and the gag removed, for all was as dark as pitch, the car either having been taken away or the lights put out, for he could see nothing.

"You set quiet," some one said to him. "We ain't going to hurt you but you're goin' to stay with us for a spell."

"Who are you and where am I and what are you going to do?" Jack asked, being unable to see any one.

"Never mind askin' questions," returned the other. "We ain't goin' to hurt you, that's all, an' you needn't be afraid o' nothing."

"Yes, but why have I been brought here and where am I anyhow?"

There was no answer and Jack suddenly became aware that he was alone.

He had not been bound and now he arose, felt in his pockets and presently produced matches, not having carried his pocket flashlight with him.

He struck a match and looked around him, finding that he was in a roughly finished room like a shop or a workman's shack, with two barred windows on one side and a closed door opposite, there being a straight ladder reaching to some place above, probably the sleeping quarters of the men who worked here.

This much he saw before the match burned out, seeing no one and hearing not a sound.

He tried the door and found it locked, the shutters of the windows being fastened on the outside for he could not open them.