e think."

"Is there a rear door?" asked Mr. Terrill in a whisper.

Tom answered in the negative, and then all three, in fan shape, crept
up to the front portal. It was open, and silently reaching a place
where they could make an observation, Tom and his companions looked in.

What they saw filled them with wild and righteous rage, and brought to
an end the mystery of the disappearance of Mr. Nestor. For there he
sat, bound in a chair, and at a table in front of him were two
forbidding-looking men.

"What do you intend to do now?" asked Mr. Nestor in a faint voice. "I
cannot stand this captivity much longer. You admit that you don't want
me--that you never wanted me--so why do you keep me a prisoner? It
cannot do the least good."

"There's no use going over that again!" exclaimed the harsh voice of
one of the men. "We told you that if you will promise to keep still
about what happened to you, and not to give the police any information
about us, we'll let you go gladly. We don't want you. It was all a
mistake, capturing you. You were the wrong man. But we're not going to
let you go and have you set the police on us as soon as you get a
chance. Give us your promise to say nothing, and we'll let you join
your friends. If you don't--"

"Make no promises, Mr. Nestor!" cried Tom Swift in a ringing voice, as
he leaped from his hiding place, followed by his companions. "Your
friends are here, and you can tell them everything!"

"Up with 'em!" called Mr. Terrill to the two conspirators as he
confronted them with his automatic pistol ready for firing. He had no
need to mention hands--they knew what he meant and took the
characteristic attitude.

"Tom! Tom Swift!" cried Mr. Nestor, struggling ineffectually at his
bonds. "Is it really you?"

"Well, I hope it isn't any imitation," was the grim answer. "We'll
tell you all about it later. Jove, but I'm glad we found you! If it
hadn't been for Silent Sam we might never have been able to."

"Well, I don't know who Silent Sam is," said Mr. Nestor faintly. "But
I'm sure I'm much obliged to him and your other friends. It has been
very hard. Tell me, are my wife and Mary all right?"

"In good health, yes, but, of course, worrying," said Tom. "We saw them
in the garden a little while ago. Now don't talk until I set you free."

And as Tom cut the ropes from Mr. Nestor, Mr. Damon used them to bind
the two conspirators, while Mr. Terrill stood guard over them. And when
they wer