CHAPTER XXIX

AN UNEXPECTED MEETING

It took considerable explanation to set things straight but it was finally accomplished. The boys told as much of their story as they thought proper, from the time they went up in the balloon until they saw the crowd after them.

In turn they were informed that during the night two prisoners had escaped from the jail at Blissville, the next town to Pentkirk, which was the village they were then in.

"Lucky you mentioned balloon," spoke Mr. Weldon, the farmer who had come to the chum's aid.

"Did you hear of it?" asked Ned.

"Well, I guess! Circulars describin' ye have been sent to every postoffice around here."

"Then Captain Needham hasn't telephoned word to our folks!" cried Bart. "We must do it at once. Is there a wire in town?" he asked.

"Yep, an' ye can use it all ye want to," said Mr. Weldon. "There's a hundred dollars reward for news of each of ye, an' maybe ye wouldn't mind lettin' some of th' boys earn it by telephonin' t' th' Darewell police?"

"Of course not," replied Bart, "so long as our folks are told, at once, that's all we care."

"We'd like some breakfast and--and--some decent clothes too," put in Fenn.

"We'll see to that," replied Mr. Weldon. "Come along with me."

He took the boys to his house, first sending a messenger to telephone to Darewell that the boys were safe and would shortly be home. The chums were soon eating a hearty meal, and then were fitted out in garments, which, if they did not fit them well, being collected from several houses that contained lads about of their age, were a welcome relief from the overalls and jumpers.

"I never knew how much depended on shoes before," said Fenn, as he gazed at those loaned him.

"I can feel those thistles yet," observed Frank.

"Now I s'pose you boys'll want t' git home," observed Mr. Weldon when breakfast was finished. "I'll be glad t' advance ye th' money for your tickets."

"We'll be much obliged if you will," spoke Bart. "If you want references you can telephone to any one in Darewell."

"Them circulars is reference enough," was the answer, as he waved one containing a description of the boys. Their relatives had sent them broadcast after the balloon had broken loose and no word had been received from the chums by the following morning.

It was not long before the four were on a train, speeding home. They were so full of talk over their recent experiences that it was hard to say where one began and the other left off.

"One thing we've got to do the minute we get back," said Bart.

"What?" asked Fenn.

"We've got to make a trip to that place where we saw the men acting so queerly, where Sandy was on guard, and where that log cabin was, and see what it all means. We'll have those men arrested."

"And Captain Needham, too."

"Yes, he's in the plot."

The boys arrived home about noon. That they were welcomed by their parents, relatives and friends is putting it mildly. There was a big crowd at the depot, as the train got in, and there was a regular procession up the main street, with the boys in the center. Such shouting, laughing and cheering was seldom heard in Darewell before, and the next issue of the town paper was hardly large enough to give even a partial account of what happened.

As soon as the boys were released by their friends, which took considerable time, there was a consultation at Mr. Wilding's house.

It was attended by the four boys, Frank's uncle, Mr. Keene and Mr. Masterson. The lads told their story from the start, beginning with their first encounter with the King of Paprica.

"There are just two ways about it," said Mr. Wilding. "Those men are either crazy or they are criminals, up to some game. In either case they ought to be driven from the community."

The others agreed with him. Then they discussed a plan. It was decided that the boys, accompanied by Mr. Wilding, the chief of police and an officer, should go to the clearing at the foot of Bender's hill, and see if any of the men were still there. If they were they were to be arrested, and held until they made a satisfactory explanation.

The little posse started about three o'clock that afternoon, the matter being kept quiet. The two police officers were armed. The boys wanted to take their rifles, but were not allowed to, as their parents did not want them to run any chances.

The chief of police and his officer led the way through the woods and across the fields to the location described by the boys. They went cautiously, keeping a lookout for any signs of the strangely-acting men.

As they advanced through a little glade, close to where the clearing was located, the chief, who was in advance, called out:

"There's some one sitting on the ground just ahead."

Bart pressed forward. He saw a lad leaning against a big stake driven into the earth.

"Why it's Jimmie Nelson!" Bart exclaimed.

"The laziest boy in town," murmured the chief.

"I'll go up and speak to him," Bart went on. "You can hang back here until I see what he's doing."

"Doing? He never does anything," said Fenn.

"Hello, Jimmie," called Bart, as he started to cross the clearing. "What you doing here?"

"Got a job."

"You call that a job; sitting there?"

"Sure, it's a nice easy job. Sandy got it for me. He's working for the same firm."

Bart gave a sudden start. The plot, it seemed, was thickening.

"What are your duties?" Bart went on.

"Oh I just sit here to watch that this stake don't move, and if I see any one coming I'm to pull this string."

"Have you pulled it?"

"Not yet, ain't seen any one."

"What do you call me?"

"That's so. I almost forgot. Say, pull it, will you; you're nearer to it than I am."

The string was about two inches from Jim's hand, and within one inch of Bart's foot.

"What happens if I pull it?"

"Don't know. That ain't part of my job," and Jim blinked his eyes lazily.

"Then I guess I'll not pull it," replied Bart, putting his foot on the cord to prevent Jim from doing it.

"All right, maybe I'll lose my job now, but I don't care. There's too much work. Have to stay awake too much."

Bart turned and beckoned to his companions who had remained in the woods. They came on in a hurry.

"You're not supposed to come here," Jim objected in a lazy tone. "I ought to pull that string. Pull it, Bart, you're closer than I am."

"Forward!" exclaimed the chief. "We'll see where this cord leads!"

He started to trace the white string that stretched along the ground and into the woods beyond the clearing. The boys followed, and the party broke into a run. Bart carried the end of the cord with him to prevent Jim from pulling it, but he need not have taken the trouble as Jim had gone to sleep.

Just as the posse was at the further edge of the clearing there emerged from the woods four men. One was the white-bearded individual, whose strange language and actions had first aroused the boys' suspicions, one the tramp, whom the chums had encountered three times; the third was the man who had taken Sandy's gun that day, while at the sight of the fourth Frank exclaimed: "The King of Paprica!"

The men stopped abruptly on seeing the boys and their companions. There was a moment's silence and then a noise sounded off to the left. They all turned to behold Captain Needham approaching on the run.

"The boys got away!" he cried, addressing the King of Paprica.