Let's have some more
of that concentrated porterhouse steak of yours, Ned. It is
good, and it fills out my stomach, which was getting more
intimate with my backbone than I liked to feel."
More of the really good confection and another drink of
refreshing water made Tom feel better, and he was soon able
to walk along without staggering from weakness.
"And now let's get out of here," advised Ned, "unless
you've left something back in that vault you want, Tom," and
he motioned to his chum's late prison.
"Nothing there but bad memories," was the reply, with a
rueful smile. "I'm as ready to go as you are, Ned. It was
good of you and Mr. Damon to come for me, and you"--and he
looked questioningly at Mr. Kimball.
"If it hadn't been for Mr. Kimball and his boy, we
wouldn't have found you--at least so soon," said Ned, and he
told of the finding of the note and what had followed.
"That's the only way I could think of for getting help,"
said Tom. "They took every scrap of paper from me, but I
found some in the lining of my hat--some I'd stuffed in
after I had a hair cut and my hat was too large.
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