CHAPTER VIII.
THE PUNCTURED TIRE.
IT was Saturday night.
Elmer Chenowith had put in rather a strenuous day, all told, what withthat morning walk, the rescue of poor Toby from the tree top, and thennine full innings of warm work pitching during the afternoon hours.
But he fancied he did not feel half so used up as Toby, for instance,after his fall into the branches and vain struggles for release.
It was about eight o'clock when the telephone bell rang, and as he wasalone in the library at the time, Elmer answered the call. To hissurprise he recognized the voice at the other end of the wire asbelonging to Colonel Hitchins, for once heard those smooth, even tonescould never be mistaken.
"Is Elmer at home?" asked the gentleman.
"Yes, sir, this is Elmer talking with you," replied the boy, wonderingimmediately what could be wanted.
"Oh, is that so? How do you feel, Elmer, after your hard afternoon'swork? I was much pleased with your pitching, and meant to tell you so,only I found myself called to town by a message from the head of thepolice; for it seems that by some bad management they let those tworascals slip through their fingers--the fellows who took my fruit, Imean. Are you dead tired, my boy?"
"Oh, not at all, sir. I took a bath as soon as I got home, and feelfirst-rate right now. Did you want me for anything in particular,colonel?"
"Well, I'm afraid you'll think me as impatient as any boy," laughed thegentleman, "but the fact is, that box I mentioned to you as coming fromIndia has just arrived this evening, and I'm going to unpack it. I hadan idea that if you weren't too tired, possibly you might like to jumpon your wheel and come over to give me a little help."
"Of course I will, sir, and only too glad!" declared Elmer, for he knewabout what that marvelous box was supposed to hold, and fairly itched tobe on hand when its contents were exposed.
"But are you sure you are not worn out after that hard game?" persistedthe old gentleman.
"Well, I could ride twenty miles without much trouble if I had an objectback of it; and I certainly do want to see what you told me was in thatbox of curios, colonel. My father will be in at any minute now. I'lltell him where I'm going, and I'm sure he won't object, for he likes meto be with you. Then I'll jump on my wheel and run across. I've got agood lantern, you know, and there's a fairly decent road most all theway."
"Good! I shall expect to see you soon, then, Elmer," said the gentleman,who had taken a deep interest in the boy.
"I ought to be there inside of twenty minutes, I expect, sir"; and Elmercut off communication, because he heard his father's step in the hall.
When he communicated the message of Colonel Hitchins to Mr. Chenowiththere was not the slightest objection raised to his going. Well did thatfather know he could trust his boy anywhere, and at any hour, withoutfeeling anxiety as to what sort of company he was in. And the fatherwho has this confidence in his son is to be envied indeed.
So Elmer got his wheel from the back hall where he usually kept it and,passing out, was quickly on the way. His lantern lighted the road infront of him fairly well, and since he was not apt to meet with manyvehicles at this hour he could make pretty good time.
Just as he arrived close to the gate leading into the large propertybelonging to Colonel Hitchins, he heard the well-known hiss of escapingair that told of a puncture.
"Well, now, wouldn't that just jar you!" he exclaimed in disgust, neverdreaming at the time what a tremendous influence that very same incidentwas destined to have upon his fortunes. "Now I've either got to ask thecolonel to give me a lift home, which I certainly won't do, or elsetrudge all the way back on foot, trundling my old wheel, for of course Icouldn't expect to put a plug in without daylight to work by. Oh, well,it's all in the game. Let it go at that."
In this manner, then, free from care and ready to take the hard with theeasy, Elmer pushed his useless machine ahead of him as he walked alongthe drive leading to the house, far removed from the country road.
As he passed the peach trees that had been shorn of their prize contentsElmer was, of course, reminded of the lost cap; but whatever he thought,he said nothing aloud to indicate that he had solved the mystery.
"There's old Bruno giving tongue," he presently remarked. "What a deepbark he has! Wonder what he would do if he broke loose right now? But heought to know me well enough. Still, I hope the chain holds him. Andhere I am at the house."
Once again did he enter and pass along to the library where the colonelspent most of his time when at home. Elmer remembered that the lastoccasion of his entering that room was when he accompanied Mark there,as the other was responding to the request of the colonel that he wouldcall and see him.
"Glad to see you, Elmer; and this is nice of you, humoring a cranky oldfellow like me when you deserved your rest to-night," was the way thegentleman met him as he entered.
"I rather guess, sir, that I'm the one to feel grateful, because of yourletting me be with you when you open that big box"; and he eyed the casewith the foreign markings, knowing that it held many almost pricelessobjects, which the other had secured when last in India and left thereuntil he chose to send for them.
A servant came in with a pitcher of iced grape juice and some cake.
"Before we get to work, suppose we sample this, my son," remarked thegentleman, smilingly; for Colonel Hitchins knew boys from the ground up,even though he had never had any of his own.
A little later the lid of the case, which had been loosened previouslyby one of the servants probably, was lifted off, and the colonel beganto take out the costly little articles that were so snugly packed innests of paper and cloth.
These he placed upon the table as he brought them forth. They were ofebony, copper, brass, and ivory. Elmer had never before looked upon sucha queer assortment of curios. And the best of it was that nearly everyone represented some sort of adventure in which the present owner hadtaken part.
He related the story of each as he placed it there on the table andfingered it, while allowing memory to once more recall the livelyincidents.
Elmer never passed a more enjoyable evening in all his life. Why, itseemed to him that Colonel Hitchins must be one of those wonderfulstory-tellers he had read about in the _Arabian Nights Entertainment_.And yet, strange though many of these narratives might be, he knew theywere absolutely true, which made them seem all the more remarkable.
So deeply interested had the boy become that he hardly noted the flightof time. When a clock struck eleven he drew a long breath.
"I'm afraid I must be going, sir," he said, rising regretfully. "Ipromised my father not to stay longer than eleven, but I was surprisedwhen I counted the cuckoo notes, for I thought it was only ten o'clock!"
"Thank you, Elmer," said the other, as though greatly pleased. "That wasas delicate and yet positive a compliment for my powers of entertainmentas I have ever received. I will not try to detain you, because Iappreciate the confidence your father puts in you. Give him my bestregards. I expect to have him over next week with a couple of otherfriends, for a hand of whist, and they will then see what you havehelped me unpack to-night."
True to his resolve, Elmer had not mentioned the fact that his tirebeing flat, he would either have to push his wheel all the way home orleave it there and come on Monday, when in daylight he could render itserviceable again. For he knew the genial colonel would insist ongetting the colored driver out, have him hitch up the horses, and takehis guest home; something Elmer did not care to have happen.
Having shaken hands with the old gentleman again, Elmer made his way tothe front door and passed out. By this time he knew more or less aboutthe arrangements of both house and grounds, and when the idea came tostow his wheel away until he chose to return for it, he remembered thatthere was an outhouse where some garden tools were kept, just around themain building.
"I guess I'll see if it's unfastened, and if so I'll leave my old wheelthere. It'll be safe in case of rain, too. Wonder if Bruno will act ha
lfcrazy when he hears me moving around."
While thinking after this strain, Elmer was softly trundling his wheelaround to that side of the mansion where he remembered seeing the toolhouse he spoke of. Not wishing to make any noise that might excite thechained hound, or be heard in the house, he kept to the turf as hewalked.
"Now that's queer," he said to himself, as he stopped to listen. "Justwhen I expected to hear Bruno carry on wild, he's as still as a clam.And yet a while ago he was barking fiercely, too. Must have tiredhimself out and gone to sleep; or else he's broken loose again, and istaking a run over the country, as the colonel says he always does whenhe slips his collar."
However, he was not at all sorry for this silence. Had the hound,hearing his suspicious and stealthy movements, started to baying andyelping, he might have drawn the attention of some servant, who would beapt to give him trouble.
And so Elmer presently discovered some dark object looming up alongsidehim; which on closer inspection proved to be the very tool house ofwhich he was in search.
And better still, the door turned out to be unfastened by any lock, astaple and a wooden pin doing the holding act.
Groping around until he found a way to open the door, Elmer carefullypushed his useless wheel inside. Then he as quietly closed the dooragain.
"I suppose somebody will be surprised to find a bicycle inside of a toolhouse," he chuckled, as he began to fasten the door again just as he hadfound it; "but if the fact is brought to the colonel's attention, trusthim for understanding how it got there, and why."
Turning once more, he started to retrace his steps, intending to passaround the house and out at the gate that lay some distance away. A milewas not so very far to go, even for a tired boy. And as he had said,that cold bath had worked wonders for his muscles.
Elmer had gone possibly one half of the distance to the gate, when hebelieved he detected something moving ahead of him. The first thoughtthat flashed across his mind was that it must be Bruno, who was in theact of returning home after a little run about the country.
He hoped the big dog would recognize him as a friend before attemptingto jump at him; for Elmer knew that Siberian wolf hounds are not theeasiest animals in the world to handle when met in the dark.
So the boy prepared to speak, in the hope that Bruno would recognize hisvoice. Better after all to arouse the house, than have the dog attackhim under the impression that he was a thief.
Again he detected that movement as he stood perfectly still alongsidethe bush. This time, however, it struck him that it did not seem so muchlike a dog; and while he was trying to figure this out, another soundcame faintly to his ears. Whispers! That meant human beings, and atleast two, or they would not be exchanging remarks!
Could it be any of the servants belonging to the house? Their actionswould not warrant such an idea, for Elmer could now see that the twodusky figures were creeping along, bending low, and behaving in the mostsuspicious manner possible.
A sudden thought struck him so forcibly that it sent a shiver throughhis whole body. What was that the colonel had said over the wire aboutthe two men whom he had had arrested on a charge of stealing his prizefruit, getting away from the poorly guarded lock up in town?
Could it be possible that these shadowy figures were those same rascals;and had they come to the home of Colonel Hitchins, determined aftertheir lawless way, to get even with him for having caused them to suffera short time in the jail?
Elmer could feel his heart beating like mad as he watched them drawingnearer and nearer.