"Remember that this Arnold Baxter is a desperate criminal." "We are not afraid of him," answered Tom.
"We'll show him that he can't come here and attack father," added Sam.
Leaving their father in the care of their Aunt Martha, the three Rover boys armed themselves and sallied forth, accompanied by their uncle and Alexander Pop, the latter carrying a horse-pistol of the old-fashioned variety.
"Dat dar Baxter am a rascal of de fust water," was Aleck's comment.

"He deserbes to be shot full ob holes, an' I am de boy to do dat same, if only I gets de chance." Jack Ness was closely questioned, and he described the spot where he had last seen the unwelcome midnight visitor.
"He had a bag of something over his shoulder," he declared.
"Most likely the stuff taken from the house," declared Dick.
The party crossed the garden patch and then took to the path which ran down toward the river.
Here all was intensely dark, although it had stopped raining, and the wind was trying its best to scatter the heavy clouds that obscured the stars.
"Not a thing to see," observed Randolph Rover.

"We may as well go back." "Let us scatter and make a search," came from Dick, and his idea was carried out.

But though they tramped the locality for a good half hour the pursuit of Arnold Baxter proved useless.
"He is probably making good use of his time," was Tom's comment.

"He knew we would be after him hot-footed, just as soon as we heard of his being here." "I'm going to drive over to the railroad station," said Dick.