ling for him.

Philip breathed a sigh of relief.

"I've got a messenger at last," he said. "Now my friends will know what
has become of me when I don't come home to supper."

He was a little curious to learn what they were going to do with him,
but he was not long kept in suspense.

CHAPTER X. BAD TIDINGS.

Leaving Philip for a short time in the hands of his captor, we will
follow Zeke on his errand. He didn't have to go as far as Mr. Dunbar's
house, for he met Frank Dunbar about a quarter of a mile this side of
it.

Now, between Frank Dunbar and Zeke Tucker there was no love lost. There
had been a difficulty between them, originating at school, which need
not be particularly referred to. Enough that it led to Zeke's cordially
disliking Frank, while the latter, who was a frank, straightforward boy,
could not see anything in Mr. Tucker's promising son to enlist either
his respect or his liking.

There was a small river running through Norton, which crossed the main
thoroughfare, and had to be bridged over. Frank Dunbar, fishing-line
in hand, was leaning over the parapet, engaged in luring the fish from
their river home. He looked up, when he saw Zeke approaching him.
Not having any particular desire to hold a conversation with him, he
withdrew his eyes, and again watched his line. Zeke, however, approached
him with a grin of anticipated enjoyment, and hailed him in the usual
style:

"Hello, Frank!"

"Oh, it's you, is it?" said Frank Dunbar indifferently.

"Yes it's me. I suppose you thought it was somebody else," chuckled
Zeke, though Frank could see no cause for merriment.

"Well, I see who it is now," he responded.

"Where is Phil Gray?" inquired Zeke, chuckling again.

"Do you want to see him?" asked Frank, rather surprised.

"Oh, no! I shall see him soon enough."

And again Zeke chuckled.

Frank looked up.

He was expecting Philip to join him, and was, in fact, waiting for
him now. Zeke's mysterious merriment suggested that he might have met
Philip--possibly bore some message from him.

"Do you know anything about Phil?" asked Frank, looking fixedly at his
visitor.

"I reckon I do. I know all about him," said Zeke, with evident
enjoyment.

"Well. If you have any message from him, let me hear it."

"You can't guess where he is," blurted out Zeke.

"He isn't in any trouble, is he?" asked Frank quickly.

"No; he's safe enough. But you needn't expect to see him tonight."

"Why not