CHAPTER XXV.
CHASING ANDY MOSEY
Jack's thoughts were busy as he hurried toward the shore, where heexpected to meet farmer Farrell and the two prisoners.
"Pooler acts mighty queer to say the least," he told himself. "I can'tmake it out at all, excepting that I think we are on the edge of somediscovery of importance."
It was dark under the trees, and he had to pick his way along as best hecould. Once he lost the path and came close to running into a smallbrook flowing halfway across the island.
Never for a moment did he imagine that either of the two prisoners couldget away from the farmer and his hired man.
But in this he was mistaken.
Corrigan was too tightly bound to help himself, but not so Andy Mosey.The Irishman had been so near complete intoxication that it had not beendeemed necessary to make his bonds extra strong.
But finding himself a close prisoner had sobered Mosey a good deal andlong before the shore was gained he made up his mind to escape if hepossibly could.
With a cunning that he had heretofore failed to exhibit he began to actas if he was more intoxicated than usual.
"Look out, or you'll go down!" was the warning of the farmer. "And ifyou do go down you can pick yourself up, for I shan't help you,excepting with a kick."
"Oi know me way," was Mosey's unsteady reply. "Oi'm comin'. Don't yeworry about me."
Just as the vicinity of the shore was gained Mosey slipped the bondsfrom first one hand and then the other, taking care that not even hisbrother-in-law should see him, for he was now thinking of saving himselfonly.
"Come, don't drag," came from farmer Farrell. "I am not going to stayhere all night."
"Sure, an' Oi sthepped in a hole, the ould b'y take the luck!"spluttered Mosey. "Oi'm comin' jhust as fast as Oi can!"
The farmer moved on and so did Corrigan and the hired man. FarmerFarrell had cautioned the hired man to keep an eye on Mosey, but the jobwas not at all to the fellow's taste and he was thinking of nothing butto get back home, where he had left a comfortable bed in the barn.
At last Mosey thought he saw his opportunity and dropped further behindthan ever, acting as if he had lamed his foot. Then of a sudden hedarted behind some trees and crashed away through some bushes.
"Hi! stop!" roared farmer Farrell. "Stop, or I'll fire on you!"
To this Andy Mosey made no reply, but increased his speed, so that hewas soon quite a distance from the island shore. The farmer gazedaround in dismay, first at Corrigan and then at his hired man.
"Go after him, you dunce!" he cried to the hired man. "I must watchthis rascal. Didn't I tell you to keep an eye on the other fellow?"
"And I did, sir," was the weak answer. "He ran off before I knew it."
"Well, after him, I say! Don't stand there like a block of wood!"
"He--he may take it into his head to shoot me," faltered the hired man.
"He hasn't any pistol, we disarmed him," returned the farmer,frantically. "Are you going after him or not?"
"I'll go, sir," said the hired man, and hurried off as far as the bushesinto which Mosey had first disappeared. But by that time the Irishmanwas a good hundred yards away, and running as rapidly as his limbs wouldcarry him.
In the bushes the hired man came to a halt. He pretended to look around,but he did not venture a step further.
"Do you see him?" called out farmer Farrell.
"No, sir."
"Why don't you follow him up?"
"I don't know where he went to."
"He went up the shore. Quick, follow him, or I'll discharge youto-morrow morning."
Thus threatened the hired man started up the shore and then moved in thedirection of the cottage, having a notion that Mosey might move in thatdirection, although he might have known better. A minute later he heardfootsteps and came to a halt with his heart in his throat.
"If he attacks me I'm a goner!" he groaned, and then saw that it wasJack and not Mosey who was approaching.
"O, sir, he's got away!" he cried, with a feeling of relief when herecognized the young machinist.
"Got away? Who?" questioned Jack, quickly.
"The rascal named Mosey."
"When?"
"Just a few minutes ago, sir--when we were almost to the boat."
"What of Corrigan?"
"Mr. Farrell is watching him."
"But Mosey was bound?"
"I know it, sir. But he got away anyhow, and ran like a deer up theshore."
"Then he can't be far off," exclaimed Jack. "Were you after him?"
"Yes, sir."
"But if he went up the shore----"
"I was a-thinking he might turn toward the cottage."
"No, he didn't come this way."
"Then he must have gone that way."
"We must catch him," cried Jack, earnestly. "He has done too many wrongdeeds to be allowed to escape in this fashion. Come on, follow me."
The young inventor pushed forward and the hired man came after him, butat what he considered a safe distance in the rear. Soon Jack wasrunning up the shore at a point where there was a wide open field, whichPooler had once used for growing wheat.
As the young machinist came out on the edge of the field he saw a darkform just leaving the open space at the opposite side. The form wasthat of Mosey.
"Stop, Mosey!" he cried, loudly. "Stop, it will be best for you!"
The cry from Jack alarmed Andy Mosey more than ever, and he tried to runwith increased speed. But his first burst had been almost too much forhim, and he was panting loudly for breath.
"Sure an' Oi can't make it afther all," he panted. "Bad cess to JackWillington fer followin' me! Oi wisht Oi had me pistol. Oi'd soon beafther sthopin' his game!"
But Mosey had nothing more than a sharp stone, which he had picked up inthe field, and at present he saw no way of using this, for Jack was toofar off.
Feeling that he could not run much further, he looked around for someplace where he might hide. A gnarled tree with low-spreading brancheswas not far away and to this he went and began to climb the trunk withall possible speed. Soon he was some distance from the ground and thenhe stretched himself on a limb and remained quiet.
Crossing the field at his best speed, Jack darted in among the trees andpeered around sharply. Of course he could see nothing of Mosey, and hemoved on for a distance of a hundred feet or more. Then he came backand stood directly under the tree in which the Irishman was hiding. Inthe meantime the farmer's hired man came to a halt in the middle of thefield, ready to run at the first sign of danger.
"Mosey!" called Jack. "Mosey, you might as well give yourself up. Youare bound to be caught sooner or later."
He listened, but no reply came back. Then Jack walked around the tree.
Now had the Irishman kept quiet he might have escaped the younginventor, but his success at getting away made him extra bold, and notknowing that the farm hand was near he resolved to do Jack a greatinjury. Bringing the sharp stone from his pocket, he took careful aimat Jack's head and let drive with all the force he could command.
Had the stone landed as intended the young inventor might have beenkilled, but as it was, on the instant that Mosey threw the missile Jacktook a step forward, thinking to go on another hunt for the Irishman.Consequently the stone merely grazed his shoulder, doing hardly anydamage.
Much startled, Jack leaped forward and then turned around. He did notknow exactly where Mosey was, but resolved to put on a bold front.
"So that is where you are!" he cried. "Do you want me to put a bulletthrough you?"
"Bad luck to yez!" growled Mosey, much crestfallen. "No, don't shootme, Jack, me b'y. It--it was all a mistake. I thought ye was thefarmer, upon me wurrud."
"Do you surrender?"
"Yis, yis!" Andy Mosey had a wholesome fear of being shot, and he couldnot see whether Jack had a pistol or not.
"How many more rocks have you up there?"
"Nary a wan, Jack, Oi only had the wan, upon me honor."
"Then jump down here, and hold your hands over your head. If you try toplay me another trick I'll shoot you sure."
With a groan Andy Mosey descended to the ground, and then held his handsover his head.
"Now turn around and march the way you came. And don't you dare to lookback," continued the young inventor.
"But, Jack, me dear b'y----"
"I am not your dear boy, Mosey, and I won't stop to parley with you."
"But, Jack, I didn't----"
"Stop it I say, and march. Or do you want to be in the fix Pooler isin?"
"No, no! I'll march, Jack; don't shoot!" And without further ado AndyMosey set off for the shore, with Jack behind him, and the farm handbringing up at a safe distance to one side. Presently the farm hand ranahead, to tell farmer Farrell of how matters now stood.
As soon as the hired man had disappeared Andy Mosey tried to argueagain.
"It's Corrigan's doin's----" he began.
"Mosey, we won't talk now," said Jack at last, for he saw that theIrishman's head was not as clear as it might have been. "If you want toargue you can do it when we are in the boat."
"But you'll be afther listenin' to me Jack, me b'y?" pleaded Mosey.
"Perhaps."
"I want to be friends wid ye."
"You have a strange way of showing it."
"It's the liquor, Jack, me b'y--bad cess to it."
"Why don't you leave liquor alone then, Andy?"
"Sure, an' it would be a good job done if I had niver touched a drap."
"You've spoken the truth there."
"If Oi iver git out av this hole Oi'll soign the pledge, so Oi will."
"You might do worse."
"Say the wurrud, Jack, me b'y, an' Oi'll soign it to-morrow," went onMosey, thinking he was winning the young inventor over.
"I'll say nothing more at present, Andy, excepting that I want you toget along to the shore, without further delay."
"But Jack, if Oi----"
"Not another word. March!"
And then the march to the boat was resumed.