CHAPTER VI. BERNARD'S DANGER.
|By the way," said Mr. Penrose suddenly, "it has just occurred to methat I have had no breakfast."
"It is the same case with me," returned Bernard, smiling.
"Bless my soul! How hungry you must be!"
"Don't you feel hungry, Mr. Penrose?"
"Yes, but my appetite isn't equal to that of a growing boy. What time isit?"
"I have no watch, Mr. Penrose."
"Then I will look at my own. It is nine o'clock. Won't you go downstairs, Bernard, and ask if breakfast is over."
Bernard returned with the information that the regular breakfast wasover, but that a special breakfast for the two guests would be ready inhalf an hour.
"That will be satisfactory."
Bernard thought it would be satisfactory to him also, for he felt, touse an expression of his own, "as hungry as a bear."
It is needless to say that both enjoyed their breakfast.
"I suppose," said Mr. Penrose, smiling, "that important businessprevented your breakfasting with my old teacher, Mr. Snowdon."
"Yes, sir; very important business."
"Does he provide a liberal table?"
"Very far from it, sir."
"So I imagined; though when I was his pupil, he had no boarding pupils.Suppose we take a walk about the town. I have never been in PoplarPlains before."
"All right, sir."
It was two hours before they returned. They had sauntered to the riverand taken a seat on the bank under some old trees that afforded agrateful shelter. Mr. Penrose found himself more and more attracted bythe frank, open nature of his boy companion.
"Really, Bernard," he said, "I find you a very agreeable comrade. I amglad I fell in with you."
"I shouldn't think you would be, sir."
"Why not?"
"Because Mr. Snowdon says I am a bad lot."
"I am disposed to think that Mr. Snowdon himself is a bad lot."
Finally they rose and made their way back to the hotel.
In front of it was a rusty-looking chaise drawn by a rawboned horse,whose skin was worn away in several places.
Bernard started in dismay.
"Mr. Snowdon has come after me," he said quickly.
"What makes you think so?"
"That horse and carriage is one that he always hires. He gets it becausehe can hire it for half the price of a stable team."
"But there is no one in the carriage."
"He is probably in the hotel. I don't know what to do."
"How could he have got track of you?"
"Freed Wentworth must have told him I was here. You see, I forgot totell Freed not to speak of seeing me. Do you think he can carry meback?"
"I'll tell you what to do, Bernard. Go back to the river side, and Iwill go forward and meet him. When the coast is clear I will go and findyou."
"Thank you, sir."
Mr. Snowdon and Septimus had driven up five minutes before. They leftthe horse standing in front of the hotel and entered.
"How do you do, Mr. Snowdon?" said the landlord. "What brings you here?"
"I am after a runaway boy--one of my pupils. I heard he was here."
"There is one boy staying here, but he came with a gentleman whom I tookfor his guardian."
"What's his name? Let me look at your book." Ezekiel Snowdon ran downthe page with his lean forefinger. Finally he came to the followingentries:
William Penrose, Buffalo.
Bernard Brooks.
Bernard had not registered himself from any place in particular, feelingthat as yet he had no special local habitation.
"There it is!" said Mr. Snowdon triumphantly. "That's the boy--BernardBrooks."
"And he is one of your pupils?"
"Yes, he ran away from my school--the Snowdon Institute--this morning."
"He seemed to be traveling with Mr. Penrose. He came with him in acarriage."
"I can't help that. The man must have abducted him."
"Don't you think they had met before? They seemed to be wellacquainted."
"I don't know about that. Now, Mr. Wilson, I want that boy given up tome. I want to take him home."
"I have no authority over him, Mr. Snowdon. I can't deliver him intoyour hands. I can't take any responsibility."
"I'll take the responsibility," said Mr. Snowdon impatiently. "Just showme to his room."
"He isn't in his room."
"Where is he, then?"
"He went out to walk with Mr. Penrose directly after breakfast."
"Is that a good while since?"
"About two hours."
"Then I will wait for him. He can't be out much longer."
"That's right, pa," said Septimus. "You'd ought to take him back withyou. If he makes any trouble, I'll help you."
The landlord regarded Septimus with a glance by no means flattering.
"Who is that boy, Mr. Snowdon?" he asked. "Is he one of your pupils?"
"That is my son, Septimus Snowdon," answered Ezekiel, with an inflectionof pride. It is strange that any one should be proud of such anunfledged cub as Septimus, but Mr. Snowdon was influenced by parentalpartiality.
Finally the landlord, whose eyes commanded the road outside, saw throughthe door the approach of Mr. Penrose.
"There's Mr. Penrose," he said, "the gentleman your pupil came with, buthe is alone."
"Alone!" repeated Snowdon. "Isn't the boy with him?"
"No, it seems not. However, he will be here in a minute and you can talkwith him."
Mr. Snowdon advanced to the door, and met Mr. Penrose half way.
"Is this Mr. Penrose?" he asked stiffly.
"The same, Mr. Snowdon."
"Ha, you know my name?"
"Yes, and I know you. I was once a pupil of yours."
"Is that so? Where?"
"Out in a town in Illinois. You remember that the big boys rode you outof town on a rail."
"Is that so, pa?" gasped Septimus in horror-struck amazement, "I don'tremember anything of the kind," said Mr. Snowdon, disconcerted. "Youmust have mistaken the person."
"Not at all. No one who had once met you would be likely to forget you,Mr. Snowdon."
"We will drop this subject, if you please," said Snowdon peevishly."Where is the boy that went out with you this morning?"
"I really cannot say."
"That answer is not satisfactory. Do you know who that boy is?"
"He says his name is Bernard Brooks."
"That is true, and he is a pupil of mine."
"Was a pupil of yours, like myself?"
"He is still my pupil. He was placed with me by his guardian. I chargeyou with abducting him, Mr. Penrose."
"Really, this is amusing."
"You won't find it an amusing matter. I demand, where is the boy?"
"He went out to walk, and he left me."
"Is he coming back to the hotel soon?"
"I can't say. I have no authority over him."
"Can't you give me a clue as to his whereabouts?"
"I might, but I don't choose to."
"Mr. Wilson, you hear this? You understand that this gentleman isconniving at the escape of my pupil."
"I have nothing to do with the matter," said the landlord.
"By the way, Mr. Snowdon," asked Mr. Penrose, "why did the boy Bernardrun away from you?"
"Because he's a bad lot."
"Did you treat him kindly?"
"I always treat my pupils kindly," answered Mr. Snowdon stiffly.
"You didn't when I was a pupil of yours, five and twenty years ago.However, the boys didn't treat you kindly. It makes me laugh whenever Ithink of you being ridden out of town on a rail."
"Septimus, go outside!" said Mr. Snowdon, who felt sensitive abouthaving this unpleasant episode in his early life made known to his sonand heir.
"I want to stay here, pa."
"Go out at once or I'll horsewhip you."
Much against his will, Septimus left the room.
He was very curious tolearn more about his father's adventure with the big boys.
Mr. Snowdon waited an hour in the hope that Bernard would appear, but invain. Finally he summoned Septimus reluctantly and started for home. Hehad ridden about two miles when he met an open carriage holding threegentlemen. They stopped their carriage and hailed Mr. Snowdon.
"Have you seen anything of a man about five feet eight inches in height,rather slender," began one, and continued with an accurate descriptionof Mr. Penrose.
"Is his name Penrose?" asked Ezekiel.
"Yes."
"What do you want him for?"
"He is crazy. We want to take him to an asylum."
"He is at the hotel in Poplar Plains," answered Mr. Snowdon eagerly. "Hehas abducted a pupil of mine. I will go back with you. We shall getBernard after all, Septimus."
Both carriages started at a good rate of speed for Poplar Plains, Mr.Snowdon's face wreathed with triumphant smiles.