"Well, things do not happen in real life as they do in story books,"
said the parent. "It is likely you will never hear of Dan Baxter
again. But we may hear from his father."

"His father!" exclaimed the three youths in concert.

"Why, Arnold Baxter is in prison," added Sam.

"He was, up to five days ago, when they took him to the hospital to
undergo some sort of an operation. At the hospital the operation was
postponed for a day, and during the night he slipped away from the
institution and disappeared."

"Well, I never!" burst out Dick. "Isn't he the slick one, though!
Just when you think you've got him hard and fast, you haven't at all."

"Haven't they any trace of him?" asked Sam.

"None, so far as I have heard. There was a report that he had gone to
New York and taken passage on a ship bound for Liverpool, but at
present the ship is on the Atlantic, so the authorities can do nothing."

"I hope they catch him."

"We all hope that, Sam."

For a few days the three boys did nothing but take it easy. It was
pleasant weather, and they roamed around the farm in company with their
father and their uncle, or with Alexander Pop, the colored man of work.