Chapter 13

QUICK WORK

"I must have to report to you the utter spoil of your shop and your work; also my own complete!" Such was the breath-taking remark of Tony Sabaste, as he stuck his head into the room of Bill and Gus and regarded the boys at their studies soon after daylight.

With no more than a word of surprise or doubt the young mechanics followed their Italian friend into the basement and were not long in finding his words true.

The crown plate of the drill had been broken in two with a hammer and probably the same means had been used to crack the lathe pulley and smash some of the tools. Materials were not harmed, but the work just begun on two new radio sets of the better value, along with Tony's efforts, was reduced to splinters.

The door of the shop had never been locked; the miscreant had entered in the night and engaged in the work of destruction.

"Well, who----?" began Bill.

"Ah, say not that question," said Tony. "Do not you know? Is there a doubt; even one? I have no enemy in the school but one, and who else----"

"Oh, sure, anyone but friendly, innocent Bill would know. Malatesta, of course."

Gus was ready with short cuts to names as well as to problems, his genius for detection having been proved in a like instance, before this. He went over and picked up a hammer, holding it by the head and scanning the handle.

"Here, I suppose, are some thumb prints," he said; "it only remains for us to get hold of----"

Gus was interrupted by the sudden entrance of a member of the senior class, Jim Lambert, who had but a few days before completed a crystal radio set in the shop. He gazed about him.

"About as I thought. This is rotten, fellows, and if I know anything, it is going to be paid for."

"Who will--?" began Bill.

"Let me tell you. I room right above here, as you know. Late last night, very late, probably toward morning, I was wakened by a noise. I listened and heard the sound of a blow that was surely down here. Then I heard some more noises, muffled, though,--the floor, you know, is fire-proofed and thick. I didn't wake Smith, but I got up and went to the door and looked out. I hadn't been there two minutes before I was aware that someone came up out of the basement and was standing in the hall. I think he must have suspected something, for he came along toward my door and I got inside and closed it, with my hand on the knob so as not to click the latch. Then I felt a pressure on the door--the fellow had the nerve to try it. He wanted to see if it was open, probably thinking it was left ajar and he may have seen the light from the window, pulled it open then and there he was--pretty much through the door before I closed it. Well, I just surprised, I guess."

"Who, who?" from Bill.

"Why, Malatesta, of course," said Gus, with positive finality.

"Say, young fellow, you've got it. Good guesser. He must have some grudge against----"

"What said he? How explain?" demanded Tony, visibly excited, his dark eyes glittering with wrath.

"Not a word. Just grinned and turned away as cool as a glacier and mosied off. Said I: 'Well, what are you after?' But he made no reply and beat it."

"If this isn't the limit!" Bill exclaimed.

"It'll be his limit! Come on! The Doctor is an early riser and we'll see him at once," Lambert urged.

"But we aren't going to squeal on a--" Bill's loyalty to school practices was extreme.

"Oh, yes you are in this case! This is no prank. It's a crime, and it would be another to keep it to myself. Loyalty to the school demands that we squeal. To be sure we have only circumstantial evidence----"

"No, actual," said Gus, holding up the hammer. "Let's get the man and we'll do the rest with some ink, a piece of paper and a magnifying glass."

"Glory! That's the cheese! I never thought of that," Lambert said, leading the way out of the building and to the office, discussing the case further on the way. The boys met the Doctor returning from an early morning walk, which was a habit with him, and within the office he heard Lambert's report calmly.

"We cannot call in any of the teachers, or the janitor, as hardly anyone is up yet. We shall have to handle the case without gloves and depend on you boys. You will understand my position, so I will ask you, Lambert, to bring Malatesta here at once, saying I wish to see him. Wake him, if need be."

"But if he refuses at this hour?" asked the senior.

"But will he, if it is at my request?"

"Very likely. I know him. Rage, scare, ugly, even knife; no telling!" Tony declared.

"Then we had better wait for the janitor. Go call him."

"No, Doctor, please," urged Gus. "I'll go with Lambert and we'll fetch him here. And he won't hurt anybody."

"But can you be sure of this? We always try to avoid publicity in matters of this kind. It would be best to have Malatesta here this early, before most of the boys are up and about, but there must be no trouble."

"You may be sure there will be no trouble," Gus insisted. "Bill can tell you why. It's really quite simple."

"Well, at least call on Malatesta and tell him. I will call the janitor."

Gus and Lambert hastened away. Bill, also eager to have the Sicilian apprehended at once, and knowing Gus would put it over, sought to detain the Doctor. Tony, like-minded, aided in this. In a few minutes Lambert was knocking on Malatesta's door, Gus having gone to his own room.

There was no response at first; then, a sleepy grunt. The time was yet an hour or more before the first rising bell, so this early summons might properly be resented. But when Lambert called in a low voice: "I have a message from Doctor Field," the Italian's roommate, Johnston, a morose, dull-witted chap whose whole mind was bent on keeping up with his classes, made reply:

"Who do you want?"

"Both of you," said Lambert, which was true, for he knew he could not enter without seeing Johnston also.

At that Johnston got up, opened the door and Lambert entered, in his hand a paper which he made a pretense of consulting, as though it were a memorandum of his errand, his real purpose being to hold off until Gus appeared. Somehow the senior had faith in this quiet, smiling, precise freshman.

Then Gus came swiftly along the hall and through the room door, advancing near the bed still occupied by the Italian. Lambert, rather inclined to dodge trouble, stepped back a little. Said Gus:

"Malatesta, Doctor Field wants to see you at once. He wants no fuss, Johnston, he said, so please let on to know nothing about it. Come on!"--this to the Sicilian.

"What to see me about?" demanded the Italian, angrily. "Well, I will presently see him--go tell him that! It is not yet the time for school. I am yet wishing to sleep a little. Good day to you."

"You get up and into your duds! This is no joke." Gus advanced a step.

"And who are you to so order of me? Get out of this room!"

"Come on, you! If you don't slide out of there in about three shakes we'll drag you out and take you up as you are."

Malatesta got out, but not in the spirit of obedience demanded of him. He tossed the bed clothes aside and, to the astonishment of all three beholders, proved to be fully dressed, excepting his coat and shoes. With his feet on the floor, he quickly reached behind him and drew forth a long-bladed clasp-knife, flinging it open with the dexterity of long practice. But Gus was quicker. In two seconds the fellow was staring into the muzzle of a revolver.

"Put it up if you don't want to look like a sieve. Now, then, shoes. Coat. And put down that knife. That's right. Now move!"

Malatesta was not equal to any further braggadocio. Intuition goes far at such times, and there seemed to be something about this holder of the more powerful weapon that demanded respect. The fellow hardly gave a second glance at the gun, but stepped into his shoes. Without stopping to lace them, he grabbed his coat and got into it as he headed for the door. The march to the school office, single file, Luigi, Gus and Lambert in the order named, was as silent as it was hasty, Gus thrusting the pistol, a real one this time and loaded, into his pocket as they went. Nor did he need to draw it again.

"Luigi Malatesta, I am sorry to have been compelled to bring you here at this hour," said the president, "but you are suspected of----"

"Oh, I know! But me it was not! Yet I know who, though to tell I shall never do."

"How do you know? Were you present, then, when the injury was done?"

"No, not present, but I know."

"You must tell us----"

"Never!"

"Why not?"

"It is not the way of the school to blow----"

"Pardon me, please, Doctor, but we won't get anywhere this way," interposed Bill when Gus nudged him. "If I may suggest----"

The president had come to regard this boy as possessing ideas and he hesitated. Bill turned to Gus who stood with the hammer and a magnifying glass held behind him.

"Please have this man," said Bill, indicating the Italian, "make a print of his thumb--this way." Bill smeared some ink on a blotter and took up a bit of white paper. Malatesta frowned, then smirked, then laughed.

"And why not may I?" he questioned. "This will make of these villains fools!"

The animal-like snarl that the Sicilian put into this last sentence did not gain him any sympathy, but there was only confidence in his quick motions and ready compliance. He stepped to the desk, pressed his thumb on the wet ink spot, then on the white paper, fell back a few steps and glared defiantly. Gus brought forth the hammer and the expression on Malatesta's face changed somewhat.

Silence followed as the Doctor took up the hammer handle and went over it with the magnifying-glass, paused at a spot where the handle would be most commonly held and examined the surface long and carefully. He turned to the thumb-print on the paper, then back again to the handle, comparing the two impressions. Presently he glanced at Bill and then at Gus, nodding; he turned to Malatesta.

"We do not wish to let such an unfortunate circumstance as this become hurtful to the school by making it public. The janitor will be here in a moment. He will accompany you to your room and you will obtain your property and leave at once. When you return this way I shall give you the sum paid us for your tuition. The school will make good the damage you caused. Ah, here is Royce now." The president proceeded to instruct the janitor.

Lambert, followed by Bill and Gus, returned at once to the dormitory, after a word of caution from Doctor Field, and, aside from the fact that Malatesta left before the school was fully awake, the students knew nothing.

The injury to the shop was kept as secret as possible. In a few days the work went on as before, only one other fellow besides Lambert knowing there had been a smash-up. So that incident was closed, but out of it, or as a part of it, more serious circumstances showed that Malatesta, wherever he may have gone, had by no means forgotten the feud that now included Bill and Gus as well as Tony.

Gus was never questioned as to his possession of a revolver which made his wild west method of intimidating Malatesta possible. Probably the Doctor believed the cigar case had been used again.