“You keep away from me!” he screamed.  “Get away!  Clear out!  I don’t want to hurt you.  I wouldn’t harm a fly.  But I’m not going to allow any one near me!”

Dick ventured too near.  Garwood swung his uninjured arm so unexpectedly that Prescott had no chance to get out of the way.  He fell flat on the ground.  Warned by the light in the eye of the world’s master, Dick believed it prudent to roll several yards before be tried to get up.

“Say,” blazed Darrin indignantly.  “Are you going to stand for that?”

“Don’t excite him,” murmured Prescott in an undertone.  “The poor fellow isn’t responsible for what he’s doing.  And I’d fight, too, if I thought any one was trying to seize me.”

“I’m sorry if I had to hurt you,” said Amos Garwood in a milder tone.  “But I allow no one to come near me.  I have too many enemies —–­so many who are jealous of me that I can trust no one.”

“He isn’t really dangerous, poor fellow,” whispered Prescott to his companions.

“No, though he has a habit of blowing up suddenly,” muttered Reade.  “He did the same thing once before, you’ll remember, at the old water-works cottage.”

“Are we going to try to catch the fellow this time?” Darrin whispered.

“Yes,” nodded Dick.  “We ought to, both for his father’s sake and his own.”

“What do you say, then, if we all three rush him?” pressed Darrin.

“It would be mean,” Dick retorted in an undertone.  “The poor fellow might be tempted to use his injured hand.  And you can see how it’s burned.  I don’t wonder.  You saw how the flame of the explosion leaped all over that arm.  It’s a wonder it didn’t set him afire.”

“Are you boys going to leave me,” inquired Garwood, “or are you going to remain and thus show me that you are truly of my enemies?”

“You slip back into the woods, Tom,” whispered Dick.  “See if you can find Greg and the other fellows.  If you can, bring them up quickly.”

Dave and I’ll stay here, unless Garwood moves away.  If he does, Darry and I will follow him.  If you hear any war whoops, come running in that direction, you and the other fellows.  You’ll know that the whoop means that we need you.”

“I hate to leave you two with him,” muttered Reade reluctantly.  “If this world-boss gets violent you two won’t be enough for him.”

“We can get out of the way, if we have to,” Dick rejoined.  “But hurry, Tom.  We need a lot of the fellows, for we ought to seize this poor fellow and get him into town, even if only that be may have proper attention for his burned hand and arm.  Hustle.  You’ll help me more in that way than in any other.”

Thus urged, Tom turned and vanished into the forest behind the others.

“Why do you stay here?” demanded Amos Garwood fretfully.  “I don’t want to injure you, boys; but if you belong to my enemies, then I shall be forced to hurt you.  Run away before I lose my temper.  I am always sorry afterwards when I have lost my temper.”