“Where is he?” gasped Tom.

“Which way did he go?” breathed Dan.

Though they listened, neither sight nor sound now aided them.

“Of all the sneaks and trouble-makers!” cried Dave Darrin indignantly.  “Hi Martin ought to be tied to a tree and switched until he can’t see!  He’s a regular babbling butt-in.”

“What good did it do him to meddle in that fashion?” burst from Reade.  “The mean, worthless fellow!  And we had plenty of reason to feel grateful to Colonel Garwood, Amos’s father, after the handsome uniforms that were given us.”

“It must have been Hi’s reason for spoiling our plan,” muttered Hazelton.  “He didn’t want us to be able really to earn the uniforms.”

“Come on,” urged Dave.  “We mustn’t lose a bit of time.  If we spread out and keep on we may sight Garwood again.”

“Huh!” muttered Reade.  “If Garwood has gone right ahead at the speed with which be started, then he’s in the next county by this time.  We won’t see him again to-day.”

After a few minutes of searching the other boys came to the same conclusion.

“Out into the road, then,” ordered Dave, who naturally took command when Prescott was absent.  “We want to head off any men Dick may have found and tell ’em what has happened.”

They turned, making rapidly for the road.  As it happened, they came out near where Ted Teall stood guarding Hi’s clothing.

“Have you seen Dick?” was Darrin’s hail.  “Yes; he and Holmesy have run down the road to get some men.  Here they come now with the men,” Ted answered, pointing.

Dick had had the good fortune to find help before going far.  With such a reward as had been offered for the capture of Amos Garwood, it was not difficult to find men who could be interested in taking part in such a capture.

“What are you all doing here?” Dick yelled up the road.

“Garwood got away from us,” Dave shouted back.  “Hi Martin spoiled the game for us, and we simply couldn’t hold Garwood.”

Then Dick, Greg and the three men hurried up.  Dave and Tom told the story.

“What a miserable hound Martin is!” burst from indignant Dick.

“So that boy spoiled us from getting a good slice of a fat reward, did he?” growled one of the three men.  “Where is he?”

“Up in the woods,” muttered Dick, “waiting until some one takes him his clothes.  Ted Teall, you’ve simply got to return the booby’s outfit to him.”

“Won’t do it,” retorted Teall.

“But you took them away from him,” Dick insisted.

“Suppose I did?”

“It may prove a serious matter, to steal any one’s clothing,” Prescott retorted.  “And Hi Martin’s father is a hot-tempered man.  Ted, if I were in your place I don’t believe I’d run the risk of being arrested.  A joke is one thing, but keeping any one’s clothes, after you’ve taken ’em, is proof of intention to steal.  I don’t believe I’d take the risk, if I were you.”