d in shifting gears, and the
blow aimed for Phil's head fell glancingly along his shoulder. Even then
the force was temporarily paralyzing.

The boy shrunk still further forward under the blow, the movement
causing him to press his foot on the brake. Hence they began to slow
towards a stop. With his faculties still shaken, he mechanically threw
on the halting gear, thus bringing the car to a gradual stop.

Meanwhile Billy, seeing at once how he had been duped, raised up so
forcibly that he bumped against the prisoner, who was trying to throw
himself from the tonneau to the ground, his legs now being practically
loose.

"Ha, you will, eh?" gasped Worth. "I'll show you!"

Reaching forth he grabbed a leg of the leaping fugitive, holding on for
dear life, so that instead of alighting on his feet, the fellow actually
fell forward over the tonneau with his head and arms dragging along with
the car. Reaching the earth, the man managed to wrench free from Billy's
clutch and finally kick himself loose, though with his arms still bound.

Meantime Phil, having recovered, was already climbing from the car, and
as the man scrambled to his feet he started in pursuit.

"After him, Phil!" shouted Worth, bursting through the tonneau door. "He
fooled me! Don't give up! I'm behind you!"

From then on it became a sharp though short race. First the fugitive,
his hands tied behind, bareheaded, straining every nerve. Just in his
rear came Phil, with every muscle doing double duty, reaching forward to
grab him who fled. A yard or two behind was Billy, doing a stunt in
rapid running that might have surprised him a few minutes before.

The man was agile enough, though doubtless tired. Besides this his arms,
inconveniently bound behind his back, doubtless interfered with his
running. One result was that after several futile grasps, Phil was at
last able to fasten his grip on the man's tied arms. From that to
passing an arm round his neck and hanging grimly on was but momentary.

Then in came Billy, fairly frothing over the manner in which he had been
tricked by the captive just when he was trying to make the stranger less
uncomfortable. Between them they soon had him down on the ground where
he writhed, kicked and twisted about in a climax of sheer desperation.

Doubly exasperated, Billy managed to get hold of a stout, short bit of a
club from amid the fallen litter of the woods, and brought it down
smartly on the man's head. It raised