Down the Slope

by James Otis

  CHAPTER XXV

  JOE'S INTERVIEW

  Joe Brace had a very good idea of why the superintendent wished to seehim, and he entered the office prepared to speak his mind plainly.

  "I understand that you have not been working for the past day or two,"Mr. Wright began.

  "That's correct."

  "Have you left our employ?"

  "It amounts to pretty much that."

  "Has Thomas quit also?"

  "When a man knows that he's to be arrested, he ain't likely to hang'round so's the warrant can be served without much trouble to theconstable. But jest now Bill isn't in a condition to work for anybody."

  "What's the matter?"

  "He broke his leg, an' a lot of the boys have brought him to the WidderByram's house."

  "I hadn't heard of that."

  "It'll come kinder rough on the constable."

  "I understand to what you refer, Brace, and am not pleased to hear youspeak in such a manner."

  "It can't be helped, sir. When a feller sees them as risked everythingto do the company a good turn while Billings had full sway, run down an'chucked into jail for nothin', it makes him feel sore."

  "There was good reason for the arrest of Sam Thorpe."

  "Even admittin' that's so, which I don't, why should Fred Byram an' Billbe pulled into the fuss? There's nothin' to connect them with it."

  "They have acted very suspiciously ever since the money was said to havebeen lost."

  "That's where you are makin' a big mistake, Mr. Wright. I've had a handin all their maneuvers, an' so has the widder, consequently if one isguilty the whole crowd are."

  "What do you mean?"

  "I can't explain yet awhile; but it'll come out before long, when you'llsee everything was square an' above board."

  "Look here, Brace," Mr. Wright said, in a friendly tone: "I called youin here to have a confidential chat upon the subject, and it is notright to keep from me anything which may have a bearing on the matter."

  "What I know can't be told for a while; but I'll give you theparticulars of what we've already found out," and without furtherquestioning Joe related the events of the past three days, save so faras they were connected with the discovery of the vein.

  "It surely looks suspicious," the superintendent said, musingly; "but Ifail to understand how those boys could have gotten the money from Sam'spocket, unless he remained in town skylarking with them."

  "That's somethin' I can't explain; but when I find Fred we'll know agood deal more about the matter."

  "Do you think anything could be accomplished by my visiting Sam?"

  "I'm certain of it, for one talk with him is bound to convince you heisn't a thief."

  The superintendent remained silent several moments, and it seemed verymuch as if this second conversation with Joe had caused a change ofopinion.

  "Very well," he said finally, "I will think the matter over. Shall yoube here in the morning?"

  "I'm goin' to leave Farley's as soon as I get a bite to eat, an' itain't likely I'll be back 'till Fred can come with me."

  Mr. Wright arose to intimate that the interview was at an end, and Joeleft the store with a gesture of defiance and anger toward the cashier.

  While all this was taking place Fred occupied anything rather than anenviable position.

  When the march was begun he found it extremely difficult to make his waythrough the woods, loaded down as he was and with one arm tied to hisside; but Gus had no mercy. At every opportunity he spurred the prisoneron, using a stout stick for the purpose, and more than once was Fred onthe point of open rebellion.

  He felt confident the boys would not dare do more than give him a cruelflogging, after which they must leave him behind; but this would be tolose sight of the thieves, and almost anything was preferable to beingthus defeated in his purpose.

  "I'll stick it out," he said to himself, "and wait for the time when Ican tell the story to some one who will help make them prisoners."

  During an hour the boys traveled straight ahead, and then Gus insistedupon a halt.

  Tim agreed, because his breakfast had not been perfectly satisfactory,and he wanted a second meal now they were, as he believed, free frompursuit.

  The provisions were brought out from the bag, and as the two boys beganto eat Fred's hunger returned with such a force that he could not resistthe impulse to ask for food.

  "Say, if you'll give me some of that bread I'll carry all the load whenwe start again. I haven't had a mouthful since I left Blacktown."

  "An' you'll go without two or three days longer," Gus replied withmalicious pleasure. "You'll have the whole load, an' no trade about iteither, so hold your tongue or I'll use the stick again."

  Tim laughed as if he thought it great sport to hear the prisoner beggingfor food, and Fred threw himself upon the ground, resolving not to givethem another opportunity for mirth.

  "If there's a chance to get hold of the bag to-night I'll help myself,"he thought. "It can't be stealing, for I'm surely entitled to a sharewhen they force me to stay with them."

  Gus amused himself for a while by thrusting food close to the prisoner'sface and then withdrawing it, but he tired of this when Fred made noeffort to take what he knew was not intended for him.

  The halt continued about an hour, and then, as Gus had threatened, bothpackages were placed on Fred's shoulders.

  "Now step out livelier than you did before, for we don't want to makeanother halt until we are ready to build a camp," Tim said, as he beganthe advance.

  "Treat me decent an' I'll travel as fast as you can."

  "You ain't gettin' it half as bad as you deserve, an' it'd be a goodidea to keep your mouth shut."

  As during the first portion of the journey, Gus amused himself byprodding the prisoner with a stick, but as the day lengthened and Timrefused to halt, the boy grew too weary to indulge in such pleasantries.

  In order that Fred might carry all the burden, it was necessary tounloosen both his hands, and, without being observed by his companions,he contrived to transfer several crackers from the bag to his pocket.

  The second stage of the journey lasted nearly two hours, and then Timdecided the camp should be erected on the bank of a small stream.

  They were now, according to Fred's belief, not more than twenty milesfrom Blacktown, and a trifle less than that distance from Farley's.

  As far away as the eye could reach was a town, but no one knew its name.

  "We might have stayed nearer home if the camp is to be made so close toa settlement," Gus said fretfully.

  "While we keep out of sight nobody'll know we're here, an' in case wewant to leave suddenly on the cars, it won't be far to walk. I'd like toget hold of a boat, an' then we could run down the stream without muchtrouble."

  "Why not buy one?"

  "After a day or two we'll find out if there is any near. Just now wemust get the camp built, an' then take things comfortable for awhile."

  Fred watched Tim's every movement in order to learn where the moneywould be hidden; but failed to see any attempt at burying it. Theprotuberance just over his breast served to show the treasure was yetin his possession, and Gus seemed well content it should remain there.

  The prisoner was ordered to hew the materials for the camp while theothers put them together, and during this work he contrived to eat thestolen crackers.

  The shelter was a rude affair, hardly more than sufficient to protectthem from the rays of the sun, and when completed all hands lay down torest, Fred being bound hand and foot again to prevent any attempt atescape.

  Not until night was the prisoner given food, and then Gus doled out twocrackers, an amount which would have been little more than anaggravation if he had not previously ministered to his own wants.

  During the hours of darkness no watch was kept; but Fred remained awakenearly all the time, straining his ears in the vain hope that he mighthear something of Bill.

  The second and third days were but repetitions of the
first, and then itbecame necessary to visit the village in order to procure food.

  "I'll walk up the stream 'till a place to cross is found," Tim said,"an' if I don't see a boat before then, will strike out for the town.Keep your eye on the sneak, an' don't give him a chance to get away."

  "Help me fix the ropes around his legs a little tighter, an' I'll answerfor it that he won't go far."

  Tim complied with this request, and when Fred was trussed up like achicken, he took from his pocket the stolen money.

  "It won't do to carry all this, so you'd better take care of it a while.Ten dollars will be enough for me, even if I should happen to comeacross the boat."

  Subtracting this amount from the total, he gave the remainder to Gus,who put it carelessly in his pocket as if accustomed to handling largesums of money.

  Then he started along the bank of the stream, his companion accompanyinghim a short distance, and Fred realized that the time had come when hemust make one desperate attempt to take his jailer prisoner.

  "Gus has got nearly all the money," he said to himself, "and if I couldmanage to slip the ropes it would only be a question of a fight, inwhich I'm almost certain to get the upper hand."

  He had been left seated with his back against the trunk of a tree, andthe first move necessary was to release his arms.

  To do this he struggled desperately, regardless of the pain; but thebonds remained firm until Gus returned, when, as a matter of course, hedid not dare to make any further movement.

  "Now Tim is so far away that he can't interfere, I'm going to pay youoff for playin' the sneak," Gus said, as he took up his station directlyin front of the prisoner. "If I had my way you shouldn't have a bite toeat from now out, an' by the time we get ready to leave you couldn't domuch mischief."

  "If you're afraid, why not kill me? That's the safest plan."

  "I'd like to," was the savage reply, "an' would if I was sure of notbein' pulled up for murder. I can give you a lively time for the nexttwo or three hours, though."

  Gus began to fulfill his promise by tickling Fred's nose with a twig,and the prisoner was by no means averse to the cruel sport, since itgave him a good excuse to struggle.

  He writhed and twisted as if to move beyond reach of his tormentor; butall the while his sole aim was to release his hands, and Gus was sodeeply engrossed with the efforts to cause pain that he failed tounderstand what his victim might succeed in doing.