Steadily the rain came down, the wind driving it under the sheduntil Tom was hard put to find a place where the drops would notreach him. He withdrew into a far corner, taking his motor-cycle withhim, and then, sitting on a block of wood, under the rough mangerswhere the horses were fed while the farmers attended church, the ladthought over the situation. He could make little of it, and the morehe tried the worse it seemed to become. He looked out across the wetlandscape.
"I wonder if this is ever going to stop?" he mused. "It looks as ifit was in for an all-day pour, yet we ought only to have a summershower by rights."
"But then I guess what I think about it won't influence the weatherman a bit. I might as well make myself comfortable, for I can't doanything. Let's see. If I get to Fordham by six o'clock I ought tobe able to make Albany by nine, as it's only forty miles. I'll getsupper in Fordham, and push on. That is, I will if the rain stops."
That was the most necessary matter to have happen first, and Tomarising from his seat strolled over to the front of the shed to lookout.
"I believe it is getting lighter in the west," he told himself."Yes, the clouds are lifting. It's going to clear. It's only asummer shower, after all."
But just as he said that there came a sudden squall of wind andrain, fiercer than any which had preceded. Tom was driven back tohis seat on the log. It was quite chilly now, and he noticed thatnear where he sat there was a big opening in the rear of the shed,where a couple of boards were off.
"This must be a draughty place in winter," he observed. "If I couldfind a drier spot I'd sit there, but this seems to be the best," andhe remained there, musing on many things. Suddenly in the midst ofhis thoughts he imagined he heard the sound of an automobileapproaching. "I wonder if those men are coming back here?" heexclaimed. "If they are--"
The youth again arose, and went to the front of the shed. He couldsee nothing, and came back to escape the rain. There was no doubtbut that the shower would soon be over, and looking at his watch,Tom began to calculate when he might arrive in Albany.
He was busy trying to figure out the best plan to pursue, and washardly conscious of his surroundings. Seated on the log, with hisback to the opening in the shed, the young inventor could not see afigure stealthily creeping up through the wet grass. Nor could hesee an automobile, which had come to a stop back of the horseshelter--an automobile containing two rain-soaked men, who wereanxiously watching the one stealing through the grass.
Tom put his watch back into his pocket and looked out into thestorm. It was almost over. The sun was trying to shine through theclouds, and only a few drops were falling. The youth stretched witha yawn, for he was tired of sitting still. At the moment when heraised his arms to relieve his muscles something was thrust throughthe opening behind him. It was a long club, and an instant later itdescended on the lad's head. He went down in a heap, limp andmotionless.
Through the opening leaped a man. He bent over Tom, looked anxiouslyat him, and then, stepping to the place where the boards were offthe shed, he motioned to the men in the automobile.
They hurried from the machine, and were soon beside their companion.
"I knocked him out, all right," observed the man who had reachedthrough and dealt Tom the blow with the club.
"Knocked him out! I should say you did, Featherton!" exclaimed onewho appeared better dressed than the others. "Have you killed him?"
"No; but I wish you wouldn't mention my name, Mr. Appleson. I--Idon't like--"
"Nonsense, Featherton. No one can hear us. But I'm afraid you'vedone for the chap. I didn't want him harmed."
"Oh, I guess Featherton knows how to do it, Appleson," commented thethird man. "He's had experience that way, eh, Featherton?"
"Yes, ............