He felt more like himself, now that he had mapped out another plan.

“The first thing to do is to locate the lake,” reasoned Tom.  “Let’s see; I ran in a straight line away from the house—­that is, as nearly straight as I could.  Now if I turn around and go straight back, bearing off a little to the left, I ought to come to the water.  I’ll do it.”

But it was not so easy as Tom imagined, and several times he found himself in the midst of almost impenetrable bushes.  He kept on, however, and soon had the satisfaction of emerging from the woods out on the shore of the lake.  Then, having gotten his bearings as well as he could in the darkness, he moved down until he was near the deserted house.  The light was still showing from the window, and Tom judged by this that the men had not taken fright and fled.

“I suppose I could sneak down and set the motor-boat adrift,” he argued.  “That would prevent them leaving by way of the lake, anyhow.  That’s what I’ll do!  I’ll cut off one means of escape.  I’ll set the boat adrift!”

Very cautiously he advanced toward where he had seen the small craft put out.  He was on his guard, for he feared the men would be on the watch, but he reached the dock in safety, and was loosening the rope that tied the boat to the little wharf when another thought came to him.

“Why set this boat adrift?” he reasoned.  “It is too good a boat to treat that way, and, besides, it will make a good place for me to spend the rest of the night.  I’ve got to stay around here until morning, and then I’ll see if I can’t get help.  I’ll just appropriate this boat for my own use.  They have dad’s model, and I’ll take their boat.”

Softly he got into the craft, and with an oar which was kept in it to propel it in case the engine gave out, he poled it along the shore of the lake until he was some distance away from the dock.

That afternoon he had seen a secluded place along the shore, a spot where overhanging bushes made a good hiding place, and for this he headed the craft.  A little later it was completely out of sight, and Tom stretched out on the cushioned seats, pulling a tarpaulin over him.  There he prepared to spend the rest of the night.

“They can’t get away except through the woods now, which I don’t believe they’ll do,” he thought, “and this is better for me than staying out under a tree.  I’m glad I thought of it.”

The youth, naturally, did not pass a very comfortable night, though his bed was not a half bad one.  He fell into uneasy dozes, only to arouse, thinking the men in the old mansion were trying to escape.  Then he would sit up and listen, but he could hear nothing.  It seemed as if morning would never come, but at length the stars began to fade, and the sky seemed overcast with a filmy, white veil.  Tom sat up, rubbed his smarting eyes, and stretched his cramped limbs.

“Oh, for a hot cup of coffee!” he exclaimed.  “But not for mine, until I land these chaps where they belong.  Now the question is, how can I get help to capture them?”