CHAPTER IX.
A CLOSE CALL.
"You are going to murder me?" the boy cried.
"Well, we don't put it just that way," was the cool reply of the man whohad spoken before.
"How do you put it, then?"
"We are going to execute you. In cases like yours the law is a littletoo slow for us, so we have constituted ourselves judge, jury,executioners and all the rest of it. Young fellow, you've stolen yourlast horse."
The truth flashed upon Al.
For several weeks residents of the neighborhood ofBoomville--principally farmers--had been the victims of a clever horsethief, who had, since he began operations, stolen a number of valuableanimals. The authorities seemed to be powerless in the matter, althoughthey professed to be using every possible means to bring the thief tojustice. Only one clew had been gained; one of the stolen horses hadbeen sold to a farmer in a village about fifty miles distant by a youthof about sixteen, who had given a plausible reason to the simple-mindedpurchaser for having the animal in his possession. The farmer had beenable to give a quite minute description of the boy. Al had read thatdescription, and now remembered, with a sinking of the heart, that itwould apply to him fully as well as to the thief for whom he was taken.
"See here," he exclaimed, impetuously, "you are making a terriblemistake! I am not the person you think me to be."
"That's all right," was the sarcastic response of the spokesman of thecrowd. "I told you we were not going to waste any words on you, and weare not."
"String him up!" shouted another of the party. "Get the job done with!We're taking big chances in delaying the thing."
"That's right!"
"H'ist the derned hoss thief, then!"
"We've had enough chin music; let's get to work."
These were a few of the comments of the would-be executioners.
One man now stepped to the front. It was he who had followed Al from thetown. He had now donned a mask like the rest of the party.
"I'll do the job," he said. "Will you leave it to me, gents?"
Al started. Where had he heard that voice? Before any reply could bemade he said, in a loud, clear voice:
"Gentlemen, I am innocent of this crime. My name is Allen Allston. Ilive in Boomville. Hundreds of people there know me, and can tell youwhat my reputation is. Why, I should not have the slightest trouble inproving an alibi. If you murder me, you will all bitterly regret it someday. You do not want to commit a murder; you want to do what you thinkan act of justice. You are making an awful mistake; give me a chance,and I will prove it."
These words had a visible effect upon the desperate men. They began toconverse together in a low tone--all but the man who had followed Al; hestood aloof from the rest.
"See here," he presently said, in a voice that Al noticed trembledslightly, "if you gents have any more time to fool away here I haven't.I don't propose to get into any trouble through this thing. I have triedto do you a service, but you don't seem to appreciate it."
"We don't want to make any mistake," said the spokesman.
"But you're not making any mistake. Don't I tell you I know the boy,that he is the same one that sold me the horse last week?"
Here Al interposed.
"Do you claim," he asked, "that you are the farmer to whom the horsethief sold one of the stolen animals last week?"
"I do; and I recognize you as the person. It's no use, my fine fellow,the jig's up. I've been shadowing you for some time, and I've got youdown fine."
Al turned to the group of men, who had been listening in silence to thebrief dialogue.
"Gentlemen," he said, "do any of you know the farmer who bought thehorse from the thief? Could any one of you swear to his identity?"
The spokesman replied, this time using a gentler tone than before.
"No, my lad," he said, "not one of us ever saw the man until to-night."
"You don't see him now," said Al. "I do not believe that this is the manat all. He is some enemy of mine, who has imposed upon you for his ownpersonal ends."
"Bah!" interrupted the subject of discussion, "are we to stand here allnight listening to this sort of stuff? The young villain is only tryingto gain time. Of course, if he will steal, he will lie."
"All I ask is a fair trial," said Al, "but I see I cannot get that here.However, gentlemen, if you must kill some one, don't kill the wrong man.It looks to me a good deal as if this fellow were the real thief, andthat he was trying to throw dust in your eyes. None of you ever saw himbefore, you say. Now, perhaps I have seen him. Let me see his face; itmay be that I can identify him."
"That's fair enough."
"That's all right."
"Off with your mask, stranger, and let the boy see your face."
It was evident that the sentiment of the crowd was turning in Al'sfavor.
"Why should I show him my face?" said the boy's accuser. "All the restof you are masked."
"We'll take off our masks if you take off yours," said the spokesman."Eh, boys?"
"Ay! ay!" came from the others.
Still the stranger hesitated.
"It's risky for all of us," he said. "Have done with this nonsense. Ifyou are going to do away with the thief, get to work; if you're not,why, let him go. We can't stand here all night chinning."
"Off with your mask!" said the leader of the crowd, sternly.
"All right," said the fellow, desperately; "I agree. Off with yours,then, all of you."
Several of the crowd removed their masks. The stranger raised his hand,as if to take his off, but instead of doing so, he turned suddenly andmade a rush for a thick growth of wood near which the scene we have justdescribed had been enacted. In a few moments--before his companionscould recover from their astonishment--he had disappeared.
"After him, Hammond and Thompson, and you, Porter!" shouted the leader."Don't let him get away from you."
Then turning to Al, he added:
"Boy, I believe we have made a mistake. That fellow is the real thief."
"I don't know about that," said our hero, "but I do know I'm not."
"If he isn't the thief, what motive could he have had in accusing aninnocent person?"
"Perhaps it is some one who has a grudge against me."
"It must be an awful grudge to induce him to lay such a plot as thatagainst you. Do you suspect anyone?"
"I'd rather not mention any names," said Al.
Here an old farmer, one of the three or four who had removed theirmasks, stepped forward.
"Don't let this here boy fule yer," he said. "I b'lieve he's one o' thegang. Mark my word, it'll turn aout so."
"You think so, do you, Mr. Chadwick?" said Al, quietly, looking the oldman full in the face.
"Yeou know me, dew yeou?"
"Yes, and you ought to know me. Have you forgotten Allen Allston?"
The farmer gasped for breath.
"I'll be derned ef it ain't Jack Allston's boy!" he exclaimed. "Why, o'course I know yeou."
"I told you my name before."
"I wuz so 'xcited that I didn't take notice. I wuz so sure, yeou see,thet we hed the right one. Boys"--turning to the others--"I'll swearthet this here lad don't know no more 'baout who stole them hosses thanwe do. I know all his folks, an' there ain't a dishonest hair in theheads o' enny o' them. I'd ha' know'd him at fust, but I ain't seen himfer a year or more, an' he's grow'd. An' besides, my eyesight ain't whatit used ter be. Boys, we've hed a narrer escape from committin' amurder." The men now crowded round Al and shook his hands, andapologized for their rough treatment of him.
While they were thus engaged the three who had gone in pursuit of Al'saccuser returned.
"Ain't you got him?" cried Farmer Chadwick.
"No, he gave us the slip. The moon has gone under a cloud, and in thedarkness he got away. But we'll catch him yet."
Then the man turned to Al.
"Boy," he queried, "have you any suspicion as to who the fellow is?"
Our hero hesitated, the
n he replied:
"Yes, I have."
"Who do you think he is?" cried two or three of the men together.
"I would rather not say," replied the boy.
"Why?"
"Because I might be wronging an innocent man."
"But we want to find the thief."
"I cannot help you do that. If the man is the one I think he may be, hedid not steal the horses."
"Why did he accuse you, then?" demanded one of the party.
"Merely to satisfy a private grudge."
"Then he ought to be found and punished; so why do you try to shieldhim?"
"Because it is my private affair," replied Al, quietly. "And because Ido not like your way of administering what you call justice. See hownear you came to making a mistake to-night. But how did you run acrossthe fellow who said I was the thief?"
"I'll tell you," replied the spokesman, rather sheepishly. "A few of uswere in a saloon in Boomville the early part of the evening. We hadindulged in a few drinks, and we must have talked a little louder thanwe realized, for this fellow overheard us telling how we were going tostart a search for the horse thief to-night and string him up if wefound him. He came and told us that he could lead us to him. Well, hetalked as if he knew what he was saying, and---- Well, you know therest."
"So," said Al, "you took the word of a barroom loafer, or worse, on amatter of so much importance as that."
"We were excited and had drunk a little too much."
"Well, it seems to me that you had better leave the future management ofthe business to the proper authorities," suggested Al.
"Maybe you're right," admitted the man he addressed. "Well, you won'tsay anything about this night's affair to anyone?"
"I shall say nothing that can harm you. The thing shall not be madepublic through me."
"We'll take your word for that. And now, get into the wagon, and youshall be driven home."