CHAPTER XIX.--MR. JOHNSON IS ASTONISHED.

The Sea Witch was luffed up into the wind as Budd came alongside, and in another moment he had leaped on board of her, and was shaking hands with his chum and with the constable. A single glance through the open door of the cabin now revealed to him the prisoners, and too full of happiness at the sudden revelation to speak, he turned toward Judd an inquiring look.

"Yes," he said proudly, at once interpreting his partner's look, and understanding something of his feelings, "we have got the burglars, their booty, and all their traps."

"Tell me about it," Budd managed to say.

"No, your story comes first," remonstrated Judd.

So Budd began with his meeting of Mr. Wilson at the village the afternoon before, and told all he had passed through until he had run in with the sloop. When he had done, Judd and Mr. Avery together gave him a full account of the chase and capture of the burglars from the moment that Judd had discovered them running away with the Sea Witch.

Then Judd said:

"We were on our way up to Patience Island to release you, after which we were going into Hope Island to notify Mr. Johnson of the burglars' capture. Mr. Avery thinks much of the camping stuff they have was taken from his house, and that he may wish to bring action against them simultaneously with Clapp & St. John. Now that we have met you, however, we are saved the trip up to Patience, and we will go directly over to Hope Island."

"Run over to Prudence and let me return this boat first," said Budd. "I don't need it now, and it will save a trip over here on purpose to bring it."

"So it will," assented Judd; and the sloop was headed in that direction.

The farmer was surprised to have his boat returned within a half-hour of the time it had been taken, but opened his eyes in wider astonishment when Mr. Avery, who was acquainted with him, gave him a full account of Budd's experiences and showed him the prisoners.

The run across to Hope Island was made in less than another half-hour, and Budd, at the request of his companions, who knew he had special reasons for seeing Mr. Johnson, landed and went up toward that gentleman's residence.

As he approached the building he could not help noticing the changes that had taken place since he was there scarcely a week before. The shutters were off of the house, windows were open, lawns were mown, chairs and settees were out on the veranda, and everywhere there were signs of occupancy.

Walking boldly up to the front door, Budd rang the bell. A servant answered his ring, and the lad politely asked her if Mr. Johnson was at home.

"Yes, sir," she replied; and then, evidently thinking from the boy's appearance he was looking for work, she added, "but he has all the help he desires."

Budd smiled a little.

"I do not wish work, but desire to see Mr. Johnson on important business," he replied, with a marked emphasis on the next to the last word.

"Who shall I tell him wishes to see him?" the girl asked, doubtfully.

"A gentleman," answered Budd, fearing to give his own name, and thus be refused an interview with the man he sought.

The girl hesitatingly showed Budd into the reception-room and went off to call her master.

With some doubts as to the reception he should receive, but elated at the revelations he had to make, the lad arose to meet Mr. Johnson as he entered. Before he could speak a word, however, he was recognized, and the gentleman exclaimed, angrily:

"Budd Boyd! How dare you enter my house, sir?"

"I have business with you, Mr. Johnson," Budd replied gravely, and with dignity.

Something in his quiet tones and self-possessed manner soothed Mr. Johnson's anger, and he asked, shortly:

"What is it?"

"May I sit down, sir? I have several most astonishing revelations to make," said Budd, noticing the impression he had made.

Mr. Johnson without a word motioned the boy to a chair, and taking one near by, waited for him to speak.

"Do you remember the conversation I had with you about Thomas H. Bagsley, when in your office last March?" Budd now asked.

"I do," said the gentleman addressed, briefly and haughtily.

"You may remember that as I left your office he entered, making it evident that he had been listening to our conversation," continued the lad.

"What makes you think so?" asked Mr. Johnson with a start, and for the first time beginning to show an interest in the conversation.

"Because of his own words and threats to me the next morning," responded Budd; and he rapidly described the altercation that then occurred.

"I immediately left the city," he went on, "and did not see Bagsley again until a week ago last Saturday evening. But meanwhile he left your employ."

"Yes," assented Mr. Johnson, "he was thoroughly incompetent for his duties; and, then"--he hesitated a moment, but eventually finished his sentence--"and, then, I felt I could not trust him."

"Your fears were well grounded," said Budd, with a little secret exultation over Mr. Johnson's admission.

Then he described the visit of Bagsley and his two companions to Fox Island, and the statements and declarations he and his partner had overheard.

"It was this visit to our island, Mr. Johnson, that sent me over to your island last Wednesday, when I was so unfortunate as to place myself in your hands and be arrested as the party who had robbed your house," he added.

"That does nicely for a story," replied Mr. Johnson, incredulously; "but if true, why didn't you at once tell me, or make it known at least at your trial? It looks altogether like an ingenious attempt on your and your partner's part to get me to withdraw my charge against you."

Budd laughed.

"I admit it, sir," he said; "but if you remember, I did beg you to hear my story, and had you consented I should have told you all this at that time. In the court I did not wish to tell it, for I had another purpose in mind;" and he rapidly explained to Mr. Johnson what he hoped to achieve from Bagsley's arrest, and that he was fearful, if he had disclosed what he did know about his enemy and his gang at the time of his own trial, it would have been premature and would have thwarted his purpose.

Mr. Johnson listened respectfully, but at the close of Budd's lengthy explanation declared he was not yet convinced of the truth of the lad's statements.

"I am not through," said Budd with another laugh, for he knew the proofs of the truth of all his declarations were not many rods away. "You have heard of the extensive robbery of Clapp & St. John's store over at the village?" he now asked.

"Yes, I heard of it last evening," Mr. Johnson admitted.

"That robbery was committed by Bagsley and his gang, and they robbed your house here," said Budd, quietly.

"How do you know? Where are the proofs of your statement?" cried Mr. Johnson, springing excitedly to his feet. "Prove that to me, and I will withdraw my case against you before sunset!" and he walked up and down the room like a man about to receive some unpleasant revelation.

"And try with me to secure Bagsley's confession of the crime he committed, and for which my father is now in prison?" asked Budd, with scarcely a less show of excitement.

Mr. Johnson paused in front of the lad and looked at him sharply for a minute; but the lad did not flinch under his gaze.

"Yes," he then said, firmly; "I promise that, also. Prove to me those two things--that the robbery here and the one in the village were alike committed by a gang of burglars of which Bagsley is one, and I shall believe he was capable--yes, guilty--of the crime your father stands charged with to-day; for, mark, I now admit that there are reasons to believe that he did, at the time that act was committed, know the combination to my safe, and thus had free access to my money and my check-book.

"I now confess to you that I let my copy of the combination-number lie overnight on my private office desk, and though it was lying there undisturbed the next morning, Bagsley may have seen it. This is why I have distrusted him.

"It has also been a secret that has accused me every time I thought of your father and of you. I could not bear to think I had sent an innocent person to prison, and a part of my severity to you has grown out of the fact that if you were proved to be of a thievish disposition it would seem to substantiate, in a measure at least, your father's guilt. It was at least quieting to my conscience to have it prove so, and for this I doubtless have too strongly worked against you.

"So I say, only prove your statements, and instead of your enemy I am your friend, and I pledge you that I will try to undo all the wrong I have done your father and yourself," and there was an earnestness and sincerity in his tones that convinced Budd that he meant just what he said.

"Mr. Johnson," he exclaimed, "get your hat and come with me."

"Where?" he asked.

"Down to your dock. My sloop, the Sea Witch, is there, and on board are the five burglars, their booty from the store and from your house, guarded by Mr. Avery, the constable, and my partner, Judd Floyd."

Mr. Johnson looked at the lad for an instant as though he doubted his sanity; then he led the way into the hall, took his hat and a stout cane from the rack, and replied:

"I'm ready."

As they walked down to the wharf, Budd rapidly related the principal events connected with the finding and capture of the burglars, and exhibited his own lacerated wrists as proof of the part he had borne in the affair.

"I'm just astonished! I'm just astonished!" was Mr. Johnson's ejaculation during this recital.

They reached the sloop, and Mr. Johnson looked with his own eyes upon Bagsley and his confederates. He even overhauled and identified much among their traps as having been taken from his house.

He then had Mr. Avery and the lads recount to him again the whole story of the robbers' capture. He also listened respectfully to Mr. Avery's suggestion that he should come over to the village, and identifying there his property, swear out a warrant against the men, that a double charge might be sustained against them.

"I will do it," he replied. "I will come over immediately."

He spoke to Bagsley, expressing regret at having found him such a criminal, but received only curses in return.

At length he seemed to be satisfied with his own investigations, and with the story he had heard.

Laying his hand on Budd's head he said, solemnly:

"I never meant to wrong you at all, my dear lad. I never meant to send your innocent father, for I feel instinctively now he is innocent, to prison. I never meant to hasten your invalid mother's death. Tell me you forgive me, lad, for unless you do I can never forgive myself."

Tears streamed down Budd's cheeks, and with them went much of the anger he had cherished toward the speaker.

"I believe you," he said; "only, leave no stone unturned to set my father free and to put him right in the eyes of the world, and I freely forgive you all the suffering and unhappiness you have unintentionally caused me."

"I solemnly promise it; and believe me there is yet happiness for both father and son," said Mr. Johnson fervently; and wiping his own eyes, he went ashore, to complete his arrangements for visiting the village.

And Budd, with a joy he could not tell, assisted his chum in getting the sloop ready for the passage over to the main land, where their arrival with their prisoners was to create a profound sensation, and win for himself and partner not only the offered reward, but friends and fame.