when the prisoner was turned over to the officers of the law
impelled him to think better of it. When the flat was shoved off,
he jumped in and picked up one of the oars.

CHAPTER XXXII.

We have said that Tom Hallet was so anxious to help his unlucky friend
Bob in some way that he joined the very first squad that went out in
search of him.

The man who had the name of being the leader of it was the sheriff's
deputy; but the two stalwart young farmers who belonged to his party
were longer of limb than he was, and they pushed ahead at such a rate
that the deputy speedily fell to the rear, and stayed there during the
most of the day.

"Me and Cyrus have come out to win that there reward," said one of the
young men, when Tom remonstrated with them for leaving the officer so
far behind, "and we can't do it by loafing along like that sheriff does.
We've got a mortgage to pay off on the farm, and we don't know any
easier way to raise the money for it than to capture one of them
rogues."

But this sanguine young fellow was not the only one who was destined to
have his trouble for his pains; and what made his disappointment and his
brother's harder to bear was the reflection that if they had left Tom's
cabin half an hour earlier than they did, they might have succeeded in
earning a portion of the money of which they stood so much in need.

They were not more than a quarter of a mile away when Brierly's signal
guns announced that one of the robbers had been captured. They ran
forward at the top of their speed, hoping to reach the scene of action
before the arrest was fairly consummated, but in this they were also
disappointed.

When they came within sight of the successful party, they found the
robber securely bound, and Brierly wearing the belt that contained his
weapons.

"Too late, boys!" exclaimed the guide, who was highly elated over his
good fortune. "You can't lay claim to any of our money, if that's what
brung you up here in such haste."

"We don't care for the money," panted Tom. "Where's Bob?"

"That's so," said Brierly, who had not bestowed a single thought upon
the prisoner during the whole forenoon. "Where is he? Say, feller, what
have you done with him?"

"I have not seen him for two hours," replied the prisoner. "As soon as
we found out that the hills were full of men, we set him at liberty, and
I suppose he made the best of his way home. We didn't want to keep him
with us for fear that he would s