CHAPTER V
THE ROBBERY AT THE BANK
Dan Speedwell, in Mr. Briggs’ maroon car, was at first badly frightened,and then angry. The pressure of the muzzle of a revolver against hisstomach precluded his seeing the humor of the situation.
“Ouch!” he exclaimed. “Take it away!”
“Surrender!” cried the man with the weapon, and then Dan realized thathis captor was Josiah Somes, one of Riverdale’s constables, and apompous, officious little man.
“Surrender, in the name of the law!” repeated Mr. Somes, using theinstrument a good deal like a gimlet.
“Oh!” gasped Dan. “Who do you think you’ve got hold of, Somes?”
“Eh? Ye know me, do ye?” growled the constable. “Then, Mr. Bank Robber,you know that Josiah Somes ain’t to be fooled with.”
“I don’t want to fool with you when you act so careless with thatpistol. Take that gun away!” cried Dan.
“Hold up your hands!” ordered Mr. Somes. “I’ve got to search you.”
By this time one of the other men in the strange automobile, had gottenout, and brought a lantern to the side of the maroon car. He flashed thelight into the boy’s face, and at the same moment Dan recognized HiramBaird, the cashier of the Farmers’ Bank.
“Mr. Baird!” gasped Dan. “Take him away, will you?”
“Dan Speedwell!” rejoined the cashier, in amazement. “Why, how is this?”
“One of them Speedwell boys!” cried Somes, glaring into Dan’s face, anddropping the pistol’s point, to Dan’s great relief.
“That’s certainly who it is,” said the cashier of the bank.
“Wa’al! It’s nothing more than I could expect,” said Somes, shaking hishead. “Them boys are always racing around the country on them motorwheels of theirn—huh! Where’s the other robbers?” and he grabbed Dan bythe collar.
“What do you mean?” demanded the boy, angrily.
“You helped them get away,” declared the constable. “The car was seenstanding before the door of the bank after hours. They shut Mr. Bairdinto the strong room and he was almost smothered before the presidentcame back and found him there.”
This garbled account of a very interesting happening was sufficient forthe moment to explain his position to Dan. He knew now why the trio ofmen in the first maroon car had refused to halt when they had wreckedMaxey Solomons’ automobile.
“You’ve made a mistake, gentlemen,” said Dan, quietly. “I really wishyou would put up that gun, Mr. Somes. You’ll do yourself, or me, aninjury.”
“Yes, do put away the pistol, Josiah,” urged Mr. Baird.
“But this young villain——”
“Nonsense, Josiah!” exclaimed the cashier. “We know Dan is not mixed upin the robbery.”
“Then how came he by the car? A maroon car. This is it—I’m positive ofit.”
“No it isn’t,” declared Dan.
“But, really, Dan,” said Mr. Baird, puzzled, “I saw the car stop at thebank door myself, and this one looks just like it.”
“And what happened then?” asked Dan, curiously.
“Two men came in. The third sat where you do—in the driver’s seat. Itwas after three, but the door had not been locked. I was alone. One ofthe men covered me with a pistol, and the other locked the door. Thenthey backed me into the vault and locked it. We had not put away themoney. They got fifteen thousand dollars in bills and specie. They mighthave got much more had they known where to look for it. I had to stay inthe vault until Mr. Crawley came in at half-past five.”
“And they sent for _me_,” added the pompous Somes, “and put me on thecase. I remembered, of course, seeing this maroon car standing by thebank.”
“Not _this_ car,” urged Dan, again.
“Why ain’t it?” snapped the constable.
“Because this car is the property of Mr. Briggs—and you don’t accuse himof being a bank robber, do you?”
“Mercy!” ejaculated Mr. Baird. “One of our largest depositors!”
“Well!” cried Somes. “How came you with the machine?”
Dan repeated the narrative of his adventures that afternoon and evening.Mr. Baird, of course, saw how reasonable it was, and believed him. Somesdisliked to say he was mistaken.
“I think I’d better arrest him, and take the machine back to town, Mr.Baird,” he said.
“Nonsense!” exclaimed the cashier. “Get into Mr. Crawley’s machine here,and let us follow the trail Dan has told us of. Perhaps Mr. Armitage andMr. Briggs have caught up with the thieves.”
Dan was much excited by the story of the robbery. To think that the boldthieves had ridden down the river road out of the town, and within ashort distance of the scene of their first crime, had committed thedesperate act which (so Dan supposed) had brought about Maxey Solomons’serious injury, or death, and the wrecking of that youth’s automobile!They were certainly desperate characters. He hoped, with all his heart,that the gentlemen whom he had left in pursuit, and Deputy Sheriff Polk,would apprehend them. But he did not believe Josiah Somes would be ofmuch aid.
Dan came safely to Holliday’s garage and delivered the maroon car, to becalled for by its owner. Then he got upon his Flying Feather and motoredhome as quickly as possible, for it was already late and he and Billyhad the milk to pick up at Mr. Speedwell’s dairies.
His younger brother had arrived at home ahead of him; but before he lefttown Dan had learned how Maxey Solomons had been saved. Billy, however,had something on his mind, and he even listened to Dan’s tale of his“arrest” by Josiah Somes without showing very much interest.
“What’s the matter with you, boy?” demanded Dan, as they finallyfinished the chores about the stable and milkhouse and sat down a fewminutes on the granary stairs before going into the house for the night.
“What makes you think there’s anything the matter?” returned Billy,quickly.
“Come on, boy! ’Fess up,” laughed Dan. “What’s on your mind? If it’sanything good, don’t keep your brother out of it; and if you’re in a fixof any kind, maybe I can help you.”
“You’re all right, Dan. But I reckon this is something I’ve got intomyself, and I mean to stand by it,” admitted Billy. “I expect you’llthink I’m crazy.”
“Don’t know. Can’t say. Open up!” urged his brother.
“Well—I’ve bought an automobile!” blurted out Billy Speedwell.
“You’ve done _what_?”
Billy repeated his statement, gloomily enough. Dan stared at him in thelight of the barn lantern and remarked:
“Well, you don’t look any crazier than common. And I expect you’retelling me the truth. But I don’t understand it. How did you buy it—fromwhom—what with?”
“Hold on!” exclaimed Billy. “Let me tell you all about it.”
“That’s right. It don’t sound very real to me,” said Dan, rubbing hishead. “By the way, where’s the machine?”
“Up in the air,” returned Billy, with a grin.
“Huh! in a garage attached to one of those ‘castles in Spain’ that theytell about?”
“I bought Maxey’s wrecked machine. I paid five hundred dollars forit—or, I promised to do so on Monday—and I don’t even know whether I canget the thing out of the tree where it’s roosting!”
Billy blurted all this out in a hurry. The information left Dan fairlyspeechless.