the humiliating ordeal.

He managed to get one hand comparatively free, so that he could move it
about, but then he struck several hard knots, and could make no further
progress. The conference seemed on the point of breaking up.

"One of you go for a big kettle to boil the tar in," ordered the
leader, "and the rest of you dig up some feathers."

"I must get loose!" thought Tom desperately. "If they try to tar and
feather me it will be a risky business. I've got to get loose! They may
burn me severely!"

But, though he tried with all his strength, the ropes would not loosen
another bit. He had one hand free, and that was all. The crowd was
moving back toward him.

"My knife!" thought the captive quickly. "If I can reach that in my
pocket I can cut the ropes! Once I get loose I'll fight the whole
crowd!"

He managed to get his free hand into his pocket. His fingers touched
something. It was not his knife, and, for a moment he felt a pang of
disappointment. Then, as he realized what it was that he had grasped, a
new idea came to him.

"This will be better than the knife!" he thought exultantly. The crowd
of lads was now surrounding him, some distance from the fire, which
burned in front of the captive.

"Sentence has been passed upon you," remarked the leader. "Prepare to
meet thy doom! Get the materials, brothers!"

"One moment!" called Tom, for he wanted the crowd all present to
witness what he was about to do. "I'll give you one chance to let me go
peaceably. If you don't--"

"Well, what will you do?" demanded Andy sneeringly, as he pulled his
mask further over his face. "I guess you won't do anything, Tom Swift."

"I'll give you one chance to let me go, and I'll agree to say nothing
about this joke," went on Tom. "If you don't I'll blow this place up!"

For a moment there was a silence.

"Ha! Ha! Ho! Ho!" laughed Sam Snedecker. "Listen to him! He'll blow the
place up! I'd like to see you do it! You can't get loose in the first
place, and you haven't anything to blow it up with in the second. I'd
like to see you do it; hey, fellers?"

"Sure," came the answering chorus.

"Would you?" asked Tom quickly. "Then watch. Stand back if you don't
want to get hurt, and remember that I gave you a chance to let me go!"

Tom made a rapid motion with the hand he had gotten loose. He threw
something to ward the blazing fire, which was now burning well.
Something white sailed through the air, and fell amid the h