Chapter 15

ASSISTANCE

During the first hour Jet thought it would be impossible for him to hold out to reach the town; but the knowledge of what the result would be, not only to himself, but to those whom he had left behind, enabled him to battle against the fatigue which threatened to overpower him.

Not a word had been spoken since Joe made the proposition to purchase his liberty, until fully an hour passed, and then he said in a meek tone:

"Don't you think it is about time to take a rest? I'm pretty nigh played out."

Jet was only too willing to do so, and said:

"Sit down at the foot of that tree; I'll stay in the rear as Mr. Harvey advised."

"What damage do you think I could do with my arms handcuffed behind me?"

"That is exactly what I don't know, and shall take good care you haven't a chance to show me."

"I don't deny that I would run a good many risks rather than be taken to jail; but at the same time I'm not such a fool as to kick when there isn't the least show of getting the upper hands."

"You are wasting your breath talking to me in that manner, for I intend to follow Mr. Harvey's advice to the letter."

Joe's face was contorted with a grimace of rage as Jet thus showed that it would be impossible to wheedle him into carelessness, and, suddenly changing his tone, he said, angrily:

"You don't have any idea of the trap you're running into. There's more belonging to our gang than that fool detective fancies, and the minute we show up in town you'll be marked."

"That won't hurt I reckon."

"It will be enough to cause your death."

"Then I'm to be murdered, eh?"

"That is exactly what will happen when any of our crowd get the chance, and you may make sure they won't lay down till you're out of the way."

"Well?"

"That's all, unless you're willing to make a trade with me. There'll be more in it than by sticking to Harvey, who'll throw you over as soon as this job is finished."

"Get up and make another start," Jet said, abruptly. "If you have rested enough to talk, I reckon you can push ahead."

"You'll regret not having listened to me while there is a chance."

"Get up!"

The man obeyed with a very bad grace, and once more the two were traveling at a fair rate of speed toward the village.

Twice again during the journey did Joe attempt to bribe or frighten his captor, and desisted from his efforts only when they were within sight of the town.

This walking through a settlement behind a man at whose head a cocked revolver is held, naturally created considerable excitement, and Jet found himself surrounded by a curious throng before he had reached the main street.

The thought occurred to him that among these people might be friends of his prisoner, and his anxiety became even greater than while they were in the woods.

He was overwhelmed with questions; but refused to make any explanations, asking simply that some one would show him the nearest magistrate's office, and his silence served to anger the crowd.

"Are we going to let a boy walk through this town with his revolver at a man's head?" one of the party shouted, angrily, and Joe's face lighted up wonderfully.

"I'm an innocent man whom a party of villains are trying to down," he cried. "If there are any here who like fair play, take me along decently, rather than in this style. I can explain who and what I am."

"Shove that boy out of the way!" another member of the crowd shouted, and Jet believed his prisoner was about to be rescued.

Drawing his second revolver, he held it in his left hand, as he said firmly:

"This fellow has nearly killed a detective who was sent to arrest him, and I have the proof of that in my pocket, which I will show to the magistrate. My orders were to deliver him up to justice, and make sure he didn't give me the slip. If any one interferes, I shall fire first at the prisoner, and then at him who dares try to help him."

Just for an instant the crowd fell back, and then the man who had first spoken, cried angrily:

"Hasn't somebody got the nerve to knock that cub down? I'll see to it that the prisoner is taken before the magistrate in a proper manner."

"That's a fair offer," Joe said, eagerly. "I'm willing to go along peaceably; but I don't want to walk with a revolver at my head, as if I was too dangerous to be in a town with my hands behind my back."

"Knock the boy down!"

"Shoot him!"

"Don't let such an outrage be committed in our town!"

"Will you let a cub like that play the part of desperado in a quiet village?"

These and similar shouts were heard as the throng drew nearer Jet, who now understood that Joe's friends must be making the row for the purpose of releasing the prisoner, and he looked around in vain for a friendly face.

"Will no one help me do my duty?" he cried.

"We'll take the man to the magistrate decently," some one replied.

"That simply means that a few of you are determined on a rescue."

He would have said more; but Joe's pals, fearing the influence his words might have upon the crowd, drowned his voice by angry shouts.

Jet realized that the crisis was at hand.

He and his prisoner had just turned down the main street, and the plot must be carried out at once.

Half a dozen men had crowded so near that they could easily have thrown him to the ground before he would have an opportunity to use his weapons.

It was high time to carry his threat into execution; but he knew that the instant he fired for the purpose of keeping the nearest back, his prisoner would be torn from him.

"I have failed at the moment when I thought the work was done," he said to himself, despairingly, and at that instant two men ranged themselves either side of him.

"Have you been sent here by Harvey?" one of them asked, and Jet could have shouted for very joy, for he understood these must be the officers who had come from Albany.

"Yes, and this is one of the men he was so anxious to arrest."

"Where is he now?"

"Hiding in the woods, wounded so badly that he can't walk."

"And the others?"

"Penned up in the building with a prisoner."

During this short conversation the crowd had grown more unruly, and were now clustered around Joe so closely as to impede his progress.

The officer who had been speaking to Jet motioned to his companion, and the two sprang in front of the prisoner, as the former shouted:

"Make way, or I shall do more than the boy promised," and he drew a revolver.

"Who are you?"

"Officers from Albany who have come to assist in the arrest of this man. The first who interferes shall be taken in custody, and I warn you that it is a serious matter to try to rescue a prisoner."

This short speech had a decidedly good effect upon the majority of the crowd, who fell back at once; but Joe's friends had not yet despaired of success.

They faced the officers boldly, trying to force their way between the prisoner and Jet, and in a twinkling two of them were seized by the strangers, who clasped bracelets on their wrists without delay.

"If there are any more who want to try the same, we've got plenty of time to attend to them, for all we ask is a chance to pick out this fellow's pals."

The street was now cleared, each member of the throng endeavoring to be the first to escape suspicion, and the officers called to Jet:

"Start your man along lively. We'll lead you to a magistrate, and then come back for a few of those who were shouting the loudest."

Ten minutes later Jet's work was accomplished. The prisoners were confined in the village lock-up, and a message sent to the inspector, detailing what had been done.

Before Jet had finished the meal he was so much in need of, an answer came.

It read as follows:

"Have sent for the tall man by train which is just leaving. Report the result of Harvey's injuries as soon as possible."

"That will be when we come back from the woods," one of the officers said, as he read the telegram which Jet handed him. "You had better lie down an hour or so, and then we'll start."

"I'd rather go now. If we can hire a horse with which to bring Mr. Harvey here, I'll be able to ride part of the way."

One of the officers went out to attend to this portion of the work, and when he returned it was with the information that he had secured just the kind of an animal they required.

"He's too old to be afraid of anything, and there's no danger of his running away after Harvey mounts."

Both the men insisted that Jet should ride the entire distance, and when he objected they reminded him that by so doing it would be possible to arrive at the desired place just so much sooner.

The strain of caring for his prisoner had fatigued him quite as much as the tramp, and it is doubtful if he could have covered the distance again in less than three or four hours.

The officers walked on either side of the horse, and during the journey he had ample opportunity to explain why he had not met them at the arrival of the train.

"We knew from the station agent that a boy had sent the telegram, and intended to wait for us, therefore it was only natural to suppose some of the crowd had got the best of you. When we heard the row both of us hurried from the depot, thinking you were in some way the cause of it."

"I was afraid you might leave when I failed to show up."

"Not much. On such a job as this we'd have stayed here more than one day before jumping back."

During the last portion of the journey, Jet dozed as he rode along, forcing himself to open his eyes now and then to make certain he was on the right course, and it was while he was thus in a semi-conscious condition that a shout from a clump of bushes told the tramp was nearly at an end.

"That is Mr. Harvey," Jet cried, gleefully, all desire for slumber gone from his eyelids now.