A carriage was approaching, containing three men.  As it drew closer Dick saw that one of the men wore a shining badge on his coat and carried a policeman’s club.

“Want me here?” he cried, on catching sight of the youth.

“Are you a policeman?”

“I am.”

“Then come right in.”

The policeman and the other two men followed Dick into the house.  The youth took them first to where Josiah Crabtree lay.

“There is a man who escaped from the jail at Plankville.  He tried to get out of a garret window and had a fall.  I guess his leg is broken.”

“If that’s the case, he won’t need much watching from me,” replied the policeman, grimly.

“The other two rascals who were with him got away, after hitting my brother with a footstool and hurting him quite badly.  Here he is.  Can I get a doctor anywhere around here?”

“Doctor Martin lives up the road about half a mile,” said the man who had driven the carriage.

“Will you get him for me, just as soon as you can?”

“I will,” said the man, and went off at once after the physician.

While he was gone Dick told his story to the policeman and the other man, who was a local constable.  Both listened with interest, and said they would make a hunt for Pelter and Japson.

“They may go back to New York,” said Dick.  “If they do, telephone down there to have them arrested.”  And he gave the address of the brokers’ offices.

It was about half an hour later when Doctor Martin, and elderly physician, arrived.  Dick escorted him at once to where Tom lay, still in a semi-conscious state.

“A bad case, I am afraid,” said the doctor, after a brief examination.  “His skull may be fractured.  We had better get him to the hospital at once!”

CHAPTER XXVI

 Dick takes the Reins

It was long after dark before an ambulance could be brought to the old house.  Tom was still unconscious, in fact he had not even opened his eyes for the past half hour.  Dick’s heart was filled with fear.  Was it possible that his brother, so full of fun and high spirits, was so badly hurt that he was going to die?

“No! no!  Not that!” groaned poor Dick, and sent up an earnest prayer to heaven that Tom might be spared.

The doctor had said that Josiah Crabtree’s leg was broken in two places, above and below the knee.  The physician had done what he could for the sufferer, and Crabtree was to be removed to the hospital after Tom was taken there.

Neither the policeman nor the constable had come back to the house, so Dick did not know whether or not the brokers had been captured.  To tell the truth, he hardly thought of the men, so anxious was he concerning Tom’s condition.

“Can I go to the hospital with you?” he asked, when they were about to take Tom away.