“Let me loose, Paul; quick, twist this rope around the tree!” shrilled Ted, who saw a chance to escape the punishment that had been hovering over his head.

Paul caught the end of the rope.  Four times did he dash around that tree, in about as many seconds; then Ted, finding his bonds loose, squirmed free.

But Brad was now on hand, filled with astonishment and fury.  Whichever way he turned the rays of his car lamp he seemed to discover fresh moving figures.  The woods seemed to be full of enemies.  They must be hiding behind each and every tree, ready to pounce upon him.

Already he could see that his partner was writhing on the ground, held down by an unknown number of strangers.  In his eyes it might be these advancing figures each and every one must be a deputy sheriff, eager to have a hand in his arrest.  So terror makes cowards of the best of men; and Brad turned to flee.

“Surrender!” shouted a voice behind him.

It was Paul calling out, but just then the alarmed culprit could not tell the voice of a boy from that of a hyena.  Some one had called upon him to surrender, and the dread word conjured up all sorts of terrible conditions.

Into the darkness of the woods he would have plunged, regardless of the shock that must follow a collision with an unseen tree.  But he did not go far.  A figure arose straight in his path, and opened a pair of arms, into the embrace of which the fleeing rascal ran.

Before the lamp fell to the ground and went out Paul had one glimpse of a face.

“It’s Mr. Pender, fellows!  Brad’s nabbed!” he could not help shouting.

Jack, realizing the need of more light, instantly flew over to where the car was standing, and detached the second lamp.  With this he hastened back.  Wash was still struggling; but the two boys had him on his face, where his superior strength was of little avail; and were sitting on him to keep him quiet.

When they rushed over to where Mr. Pender had been seen struggling with the taller of the ruffians, they found that he had subdued Brad; for the other was glaring down at a pair of steel bracelets which outshone those he had so pleasantly snapped on the wrists of poor Ted.

There was no more fight in him.

When the other man had been treated to a similar present, they were allowed to sit upon the ground and exchange words of doleful regret, while Mr. Pender went the rounds, and gravely shook hands with each one of the Boy Scouts.

“You’ve done me a good turn, boys, a mighty good turn.  I was just on my way to the mill pond to arrest these chaps when I saw a light ahead, and creeping up, witnessed this interesting sight.  When I’ve found that bag now, I imagine I’ll have the case against these two worthies clean cut,” he said.

Upon which Paul quietly stepped over into the bushes and fished out the article in question, which he delivered to the officer.