ade a single bound at the front wheel, from which
he mounted to the driver's seat.

"None of that!" yelled the driver, getting upon his feet and moving
forward. At the same moment another man came to the door of the drug
store.

That man was--must have been--Abner Dexter. He wore the same clothes
that Dick remembered, but over his head and face were drawn a wig and
beard that made him look some one else.

Whish! Dick's left hand clutched at the reins, but his right hand
grasped the whip. That useful implement described an arc downward and
caught the driver roundly, judging by the yell that the fellow let out.

"Gid-dap!" yelled young Prescott, completing the swing of the whip by
bringing it down across the horses' backs.

The startled animals leaped forward, the lurch almost throwing Dick from
the box; in fact, it nearly overturned the cab.

But the vehicle soon righted itself, and Dick, somewhat scared, yet
steady, pulled the horses down to a steady trot and reined them in
closer together.

The disguised man who had come out of the drug store succeeded in
resting one hand for an instant on the body of the cab. But the
springing horses carried it away from him. For a few rods the man
pursued, the smarting driver bringing up the rear.

Then both pursuers halted, panting, cursing, at the same time, as only
foul-mouthed ruffians can.

Inside, Myra was shrieking with fright.

"We're your mother's friends, Myra, and are taking you back to her,"
explained Dave, holding the small child on his knee and trying to quiet
her.

Greg Holmes, in the meantime, was more concerned with looking out of the
window.

"Why, say," muttered Greg. "Dick ain't driving to Mrs. Dexter's, not by
a long shot. He seems to be heading straight into the business part of
the town."

"You leave Dick Prescott alone to know what he's doing," advised Dave
Darrin calmly.

"Yes; I guess that's right," assented Greg.

"Dick is the longest-headed fellow in our school."

"Except me," grinned Greg modestly.

"You? Huh! I'm glad you're not outside on the box."

"I reckon it's the first time Dick ever drove cab horses."

"He'll do it right, anyway."

"But I wonder why he isn't going to the Dexter house," pursued young
Holmes.

Then Myra took fright again.

"Take me home!" she cried. "I want to see my mamma!"

From that she passed into wild sobbing, taxing all Dave Darrin's powers
to ease her mind.

[Illustration: The Whip Caught the