Chapter 20

A RECOGNITION

Jet did not spend much time trying to induce the prisoners to take advantage of the constable's offer.

It suited his plans best to have them refuse, and, after giving the information, he walked back to the hotel, as if the one desire of his life was to get a good supper.

When the meal was finished the night had fully come, and he would have set out at once to loiter around the constable's house but for the fact that as yet he did not know where that gentleman lived.

While standing in the office trying to make up his mind whom he could approach, in order to get this information, the manager joined him, as he asked:

"What did the boys say when you told them what was to be done?"

"I didn't wait to hear very much; but it struck me that they were not particularly well pleased."

"Why not?"

"They think it is foolish to work for the money when it may be possible to tire the squire out by holding on a while and letting the town support them."

"Is it possible they can be such fools? Come with me, and we'll see if it isn't possible to beat some sense into their stupid heads."

Jet did not want to waste the time; but since he could make no good excuse, there was nothing for it but to comply, and the two started at once.

On arriving at the jail, the turnkey informed them that it was against orders to admit any one after dark; but he intimated that the matter might be arranged with any one of the constables who had brought the prisoners there.

"Then it won't take us long to fix it," the manager said, as he beckoned Jet to follow him, and when they were in the open air again, he added: "Barker will see that we get in."

"Who is he?"

"Why, Jabe Barker, the constable who wants to take the company on the road."

Jet made no reply, but congratulated himself on thus having the house pointed out to him without any questions on his part.

A walk of ten minutes brought them to quite a large residence on the outskirts of the village, and the manager said:

"That's where he lives, and I'm told he owns the entire property, so you see we'll have a capitalist to back us."

"I guess I'd better not go any farther with you," Jet said, half-apologetically, as he halted.

"Why not?"

"You and he may want to talk business, and, perhaps, it wouldn't look well for me to be where I could listen."

"You are right, my boy. Go back to the hotel, and I'll meet you there in a short time."

Jet turned as if to obey, and walked slowly toward the center of the village, until he saw that the manager had been admitted to the building, when he clambered over a fence, ran across a piece of plowed land, and stood at the rear of the out-buildings when Mr. Barker and the manager emerged.

Not until they were lost to view in the gloom did he dare to make a move, and then he crept softly around in search of a place of vantage from which the house could be watched.

He finally found it immediately behind the woodshed, where, by climbing on the sloping roof, it was possible to look in at the uncurtained windows of the first and second story.

During fully an hour he lay at full length upon the hard boards without seeing that for which he sought.

Now and then a female form would pass one of the lighted windows, but nothing more, and he was beginning to think he had struck the wrong trail, when Barker returned.

He was whistling merrily while coming up the lane which led to the house, and, as if this was a signal, a man came from the building with a pipe in his mouth. Jet's heart beat fast and loud.

Although it was impossible, in the gloom, to distinguish any object clearly, he felt certain that this man was the one whom Harvey was so eager to find. The stature, form, and general appearance was Bob's, and Jet believed his search had come to an end.

It was evident that the two had some business to discuss which they did not care to speak of in the house, where the other members of the family could hear them, for they walked directly toward the shed on which the boy was lying, and, fortunately for his purpose, sat down on a log almost directly beneath him.

"It is all arranged," Barker was saying. "The fool actors kicked at first about working for nothing, as they called it; but we soon brought them to terms."

"When are you going to start?"

"Day after to-morrow."

"Why do you wait?"

"I think we had better find out first what the officers did after we left, and a few hours can't make much difference, for I'll get rid of plenty of the queer to keep us going before we've been out a day."

"I'm not certain that it is best for you to do this thing, Jabe. A minstrel show can be tracked a dozen times where one man could give the officers the slip without trouble."

"I'm not intending to shove so much that there'll be any fuss. Just enough to put us in funds so we can skip if things begin to look black. We wouldn't be in this shape if my advice had been taken; I always insisted that there was no reason why Joe should carry all the cash."

"He's a slick one, Joe is, and could get out of a tight place where you or I would be pulled."

"Well, with all his smartness he's cornered this time."

"That remains to be proven. He may have had to skin out while we were watching the house. If he was arrested we should have heard it before this."

"That isn't certain; none of the gang have showed up yet, and---- Hello! Who is this?"

Jet looked toward the road and there saw the form of a man coming cautiously up the lane as if trying to avoid observation from those in the house.

Bob and Barker were on their feet in an instant both acting ill at ease, until a low, peculiar whistle was heard, which the latter answered in the same manner, and then said to his companion in a tone of relief:

"Now we shall hear the whole story."

"Who is it?"

"Sam, I reckon; yes it is," and Jabe advanced to seize the new-comer by the hand.

"Well?" Bob asked, as if impatient to hear the news.

"We're cornered, or at least poor Joe is. We did all we could, and the result is that I've left the other fellows in jail on the charge of resisting an officer."

Then Sam went on to tell of Jet's appearing in town with his prisoner, and the remainder of the story which is already known.

Bob was silent for several moments after the new-comer ceased speaking, and then said savagely:

"But for me that cub would have been put out of the way before he'd done anything except tell a certain story in New York. Now all I ask is a chance to get hold of him again, and I'll swear to it that he won't do any more mischief."

"What is the New York racket?" Barker asked curiously. "I've noticed that you and Joe had a secret which bothered you more'n this matter did."

"If I don't tell you there'll be no danger of your splittin' on us," was the gruff reply. "What I want to know is whether there's any show of our being tracked to this place?"

"Of course, no man can say that to a dead certainty; but unless the fellows who are jugged give the snap away, we're safe here, providing Jabe can take care of us," Sam replied.

Mr. Barker did not venture any advice, possibly because he feared it might not be safe to have too many guests at his house for the villagers to gossip about.

"What about the house in the woods?" Bob finally asked.

"Two fellows from Albany stayed there a couple of days, and then got tired of waiting. They took the train home last night."

"Did they find anything?"

"No; I went up to the big oak this morning, and there were no signs the ground had been disturbed since we left."

Again Bob was silent, and when he finally spoke Jet was considerably surprised.

"This part of the country is getting too hot for me, and I'm goin' to make a jump."

"Where?"

"Almost any place is better than layin' around so near. What do you say to a hunting trip in the Adirondacks, Sam?"

"It would suit me. How much cash have you got?"

"Enough to see us through."

"Then I'm ready any time."

"When can we leave here, Jabe?"

"I don't reckon you want to go through Albany?"

"Of course not, you fool."

"Then at five to-morrow morning you'll get a train from here to Schenectady, and there are plenty out of there to take you into the mountains."

"I don't fancy running around those big towns," Sam said, hesitatingly.

"Very well, stay behind if you choose; I'm going," and Bob terminated the interview by walking toward the house.

"It's something besides shoving the queer that's crawling on him now," Jabe said, as the short man passed out of hearing.

"I reckon so; but at the same time I'm bound to be with him, for if there is a man in this country who can steer clear of trouble he is the one, and I don't care to be pulled on a charge of counterfeiting."

Jabe made no reply, and a few seconds later the two followed their friend into the house, leaving Jet to ponder upon the magnitude of the task he felt bound to undertake.

Not until everything was quiet did the boy venture to come down from his hiding-place, and then his plans were formed.

"Between now and to-morrow morning I can walk fifteen miles," he said to himself when he had gained the highway once more, "and then I should be mighty near the junction. There I shall be able to telegraph at any hour, and have everything ready to board this five o'clock train when it comes along. But if we should reach the Adirondacks, and those fellows ever got hold of me there, it would be all up with Jet Lewis."

It was, indeed, a desperate undertaking for him to follow these men into the wilderness where he could not call upon his friend for assistance; but never for a moment did he think of shirking the responsibility.

His first move was to see the manager, and represent that he was going down the road a short distance, in order to prevent anything being said to the constable before the two men should leave.

"I'll most likely meet you at the next town," he said, cheerily, as he went up stairs apparently to retire, and half an hour later he had slipped out of the house without being recognized by any one he knew.

At this late hour the village was in a state of repose, and he hurried to the railroad, saying to himself as he started down the track on the ties:

"Now we'll see how many miles I can cover between this and sunrise."