“Maybe if I feed him, he’ll forget that I am around and give me a chance to get away,” he reasoned.  “Guess I had better try that dodge on him.”

Tom looked around the cottage and at last found the remains of a chicken dinner the owner had left behind.  He picked up some of the bones and called the bulldog.  The animal came up rather suspiciously.  Tom threw him one bone, which he proceeded to crunch up vigorously.

“He’s hungry right enough,” mused Tom.  “I guess he’d like to sample my leg.  But he’s not going to do it—­not if I can help it.”

At the back of the cottage was a little shed, the door to which stood open.  Tom threw a bone near to the door of this shed and then managed to throw another bone inside the place.  The bulldog found the first bone and then disappeared after the second.

“Now is my time, I guess,” the young inventor told himself, and watching his chance, he ran from the cottage toward his motor-cycle.  He made no noise and quickly shoved the machine into the roadway.  Just as he turned on the power the bulldog came out of the shed, barking furiously.

“You’ve missed it!” said Tom grimly as the machine started, and quickly the cottage and the bulldog were left behind.  The road was rough for a short distance and he had to pay strict attention to what he was doing.

“I’ve got to ride to the nearest village,” he said.  “It’s a long distance, and, in the meanwhile, the men may escape.  But I can’t do anything else.  I dare not tackle them alone, and there is no telling when the charcoal-burner may come back.  I’ve got to make speed, that’s all.”

Out on the main road the lad sent his machine ahead at a fast pace.  He was fairly humming along when, suddenly, from around a curve in the highway he heard the “honk-honk” of an automobile horn.  For an instant his heart failed him.

“I wonder if those are the thieves?  Maybe they have left the house, and are in their auto!” he whispered as he slowed down his machine.

The automobile appeared to have halted.  As Tom came nearer the turn he heard voices.  At the sound of one he started.  The voice exclaimed: 

“Bless my spectacles!  What’s wrong now?  I thought that when I got this automobile I would enjoy life, but it’s as bad as my motor-cycle was for going wrong!  Bless my very existence, but has anything happened?”

“Mr. Damon!” exclaimed Tom, for he recognized the eccentric individual of whom he had obtained the motor-cycle.

The next moment Tom was in sight of a big touring car, containing, not only Mr. Damon, whom Tom recognized at once, but three other gentlemen.

“Oh, Mr. Damon,” cried Tom, “will you help me capture a gang of thieves?  They are in a deserted mansion in the woods, and they have one of my father’s patent models!  Will you help me, Mr. Damon?”

“Why, bless my top-knots,” exclaimed the odd gentleman.  “If it isn’t Tom Swift, the young inventor!  Bless my very happiness!  There’s my motor-cycle, too!  Help you?  Why, of course we will.  Bless my shoe-leather!  Of course we’ll help you!”