“A vessel is due from New York,” said Tom.  “I heard them talking about it at the hotel.”

“Let us see if there is anybody on board we know,” answered his brother.

They walked to the spot where the people were to come in, and there learned that the steamer had sent its passengers ashore an hour before.  A few were at the dock, taking care of some baggage which had been detained by the custom house officials.

“Well, I never!” exclaimed Tom.  “If there isn’t Peter Slade!  What can he be doing here?”

Peter Slade had once been a pupil at Putnam Hall.  He had been something of a bully, although not as bad as Tad Sobber.  The boys had often played tricks on him and once Peter had gotten so angry he had left the school and never come back.

“Let us go and speak to him,” said Sam.

“Maybe he won’t speak, Sam.  He was awful angry at us when he left the Hall.”

“If he doesn’t want to speak he can do the other thing,” said the youngest Rover.  “Perhaps he’ll be glad to meet somebody in this out of the way place.”

They walked over to where Peter Slade stood and both spoke at once.  The other lad was startled at first and then he scowled.

“Humph! you down here?” he said, shortly.

“Yes,” answered Tom, pleasantly enough.  “Did you just get in on the steamer?”

“I don’t know as that is any of your business, Tom Rover!”

“It isn’t, and if you don’t want to speak civilly, Slade, you haven’t got to speak at all,” said Tom, and started to move away, followed by his brother.

“Say, did you meet Tad Sobber and his un—­” And then Peter Slade stopped short in some confusion.

“Did we meet who?” demanded Tom, wheeling around in some astonishment.

“Never mind,” growled Peter Slade.

“Were they on the steamer?” asked Sam.

“I’m not saying anything about it.”

“Look here, Slade, if they were on the steamer we want to know it,” came from Tom.

“Really?” and the former bully of the Hall put as much of a sneer as possible into the word.

“We do, and you have got to tell us.”

“I don’t see why.”

“You will if you are honest,” said Sam.  “You know as well as I do that Tad Sobber’s uncle is a rascal and ought to be in prison.”

“Tad says it isn’t so—­that his uncle didn’t take those bonds—­ that they were placed in his care to be sold at a profit, if possible.”

“When did Tad tell you that?”

“Only a couple of days ago—­I mean he told me, and that’s enough.”

“Then he told you while you were on the steamer,” put in Tom.

“Yes, if you must know.”  Peter Slade’s face took on a cunning look.  “I guess Mr. Merrick and Tad will trim you good and proper soon.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Oh, I know a thing or two.”

“Did they tell you what had brought them down here?”