bummers,
too lazy to work.

"Hullo!"

Dick uttered the exclamation so abruptly that Sam and Tom were
startled.

"What do you see?" queried both.

"Look there!"

They gazed in the direction Dick pointed out and on a distant bench
saw a youth of about Tom's age, but heavier set, talking to a man who
wore a rusty suit of brown and a peculiarly shaped slouch hat.

"Why, that's Tad Sobber!" cried Tom.

"So it is," added Sam. "Who is that fellow with him?"

"I don't know, although his figure looks somewhat familiar to me,"
answered Dick.

"What can Tad be doing in New York?" questioned Tom. "Do you suppose
he is down here with Sid Merrick?"

"Perhaps."

"Let's go over and see what he has to say for himself," suggested Sam.
"Maybe he'll run away when he sees us."

All of the boys were curious to know what the former bully of Putnam
Hall might have to say for himself and they strode over to the bench
upon which Sobber and the man in brown were sitting. They came up
behind the pair.

"I can't give you any money, Cuffer," they heard Tad Sobber say.
"You'll have to wait till my Uncle Sid gets here."

"When will he get to New York?"

"To morrow."

"That fellow is Cuffer, the man who ran away from us at the old mill!"
cried Dick.

"Let us catch him and hand him over to the police," returned Tom.

In his excitement he talked rather loudly and this attracted the
attention of Cuffer and Tad Sobber.

"The Rovers!" cried Sobber, leaping to his feet in consternation. "How
did they get down to New York?"

"Who did you say?" questioned Cuffer, and then looking at the three
youths his face blanched. "We must get away from here, and be quick
about it!"

He started to run and Dick and Sam went after him. The chase led to
the lower end of the little park, and then Cuffer crossed Fourteenth
street, and amid the crowd bound homeward for the day, pushed his way
in the direction of the Third Avenue elevated railroad station.

In the meantime Tad Sobber started to run in another direction. But
before he had taken a dozen steps Tom was on him and had him by the
arm.

"Stop, Sobber," he said shortly.

"I won't! You let me go, Tom Rover."

"I'll not let you go," answered Tom, firmly. "And if you don't stand
still I'll call a policeman and have you arrested."

CHAPTER IX

A CHASE ON THE BOWERY

Tom's threat to have Tad Sobber arrested caused the former bully of
the school to pause and turn pale.

"You