"Well, I don't know that I'm much better off.I gave those fellows a good scare, but I'm not loose.But I can work to better advantage now."Once more he resumed the effort to free himself, but in spite of the crude manner in which the knots had been made, the lad could not get loose.The more he pulled and tugged the tighter they seemed to become.
"This is getting serious," Tom mused."If I could only reach my knife Icould cut them, but it's in my pocket on the other side, and that bond's fast.Guess I'll have to stay here all night.Maybe I'd better call for help, but--"His words, spoken half aloud, were suddenly interrupted by a crash in the underbrush.Somebody was approaching.At first Tom thought it was Andy and his cronies coming back, but a voice that called a moment later proved that this was not so.
"Is any one here?" shouted a man."Any one hurt? What was that fire and explosion?""I'm here," replied Tom."I'm not hurt exactly, but I'm tied to a tree.I'll be much obliged if you'll loosen me.""Who are you?"
"Tom Swift.Is that you, Mr.Mason?"
"Yes.By jinks! I never expected to find you here, Tom.Over this way, men," he added calling aloud."I've found him; it's Tom Swift."There was the flicker of several lanterns amid the trees, and soon a number of men had joined Mr.Mason, and surrounded Tom.They were farmers living in the neighborhood.
"What in the name o' Tunket happened?" asked one."Did you get hit by a meteor or a comet? Who tied you up; highwaymen?""Cut him loose first, and ask questions afterward," suggested Mr.Mason.
"Yes," added Tom, with a laugh, "I wish you would.I'm beginning to feel cramped."With their knives, the farmers quickly cut the ropes, and some of them rubbed the arms of the lad to restore the circulation.
"What was it--highwaymen?" asked a man, unable to longer restrain his curiosity."Did they rob you?""No, it wasn't highwaymen," replied the youth."It was a trick of some boys I know," and to Tom's credit be it said that he did not mention their names."They did it for a joke," he added.
"Boys' trick? Joke?" queried Mr.Mason."Pretty queer sort of a joke, I think.They ought to be arrested.""Oh, I fancy I gave them what was coming to them," went on the young inventor.
"Did they try to blow ye up, too?" asked Mr.Hertford."What in th' name of Tunket was that blue light, and that explosion? I heard it an' saw it way over to my house.""So did I," remarked Mr.Mason, and several others said the same thing."We thought a meteor had fallen," he continued, "and we got together to make an investigation.""It's a good thing for me you did," admitted Tom, "or I might have had to stay here all night.""But was it a meteor?" insisted Mr.Hertford."No," replied the lad, "I did it.""You?"
"Yes.You see after they tied me I found I could get one hand free.I reached in my pocket for my knife, but instead of it I managed to get hold of a package of powder I had.""Gunpowder?" asked Mr.Mason.
"No, a chemical powder I use in an electrical battery.The powder explodes in fire, and makes quite a blue flash, and a lot of smoke, but it isn't very dangerous, otherwise I wouldn't have used it.When the boys were some distance away from the fire, I threw the powder in the blaze.It went off in a moment, and--""I guess they run some; didn't they?" asked Mr.Mason with a laugh."They certainly did," agreed Tom.
