CHAPTER XIII
A SLIGHT MISTAKE
An automobile chugging along at the rate of thirty miles an hour whirledaround a bend in the road from the eastward and approached the youths,who halted and looked wonderingly at it. The youthful chauffeur bentover the steering wheel, and beside him sat a bearded, grim-looking manin middle life, with a big brass badge on his breast. The two were theonly occupants of the car, the broad rear seat being unoccupied.
The moment the constable, as he was, caught sight of the lads, he raisedhis hand to signify he had business with them. At the same time thechauffeur slowed up in front of Alvin and Chester. The officer leapedout before the car had hardly stopped and strode toward them.
"I want you!" was his crisp remark.
"What do you want of us?" asked the astonished Alvin.
"I'll blame soon show you. No shenanigan! Hand over your pistols."
"We haven't any; you are the only one hereabouts that's armed," said theCaptain, observing that the man had drawn a revolver.
"In here with you! I've no time to fool!"
The lads resented his peremptory manner. Chester asked:
"Why should we get into your auto? We prefer to choose our own company;we don't like your looks."
"I know mighty well you don't, nor do I like _your_ looks, but thatmakes no difference. In with you, I say, or I'll blow your heads off!"
The alarming words and action of the officer left no doubt of hisearnestness. Alvin replied:
"We have a right to know why you arrest us; we have done nothingunlawful."
"I don't mind reminding you that the Rockledge post office was robbedlast night. Banet Raymond the postmaster said it was done by threescoundrels--all wearing masks and dressed in yachting clothes. Theycame this way; where's the other fellow?"
"We had a companion with us when we came up the Sheepscot, but he's gonein search of our boat that some one stole from us a little while ago."
"You're the skeezicks I'm after; we'll soon have the third burglar."
"What do you mean to do with us?" asked Alvin. "Where is your warrant?"
"I don't need any."
Neither he nor Chester was alarmed. The arrest could have but one issue,since sooner or later their identity would be proved; but the situationwas exasperating, for it promised to interfere with their capture of thestolen boat or at least cause serious delay in making the search. It wasdangerous to trifle with an officer who was in no mood to accept anyexcuse from the couple whom he believed to be criminals. He added:
"Robbing a post office is a crime against Uncle Sam, and he's a prettyhard proposition to buck against. If you have a story to tell me, I'llgive you three minutes to do it in."
The two stepped beside the auto, the glum chauffeur silently watchingthem.
"It's all well enough for you to be so bumptious in the performance ofwhat you may think is your duty," said Alvin, looking into the ironcountenance, "but I suppose you have made a mistake once or twice inyour lifetime."
"What's that got to do with this business? Who are you?"
"My name is Alvin Landon and my friend here is Chester Haynes. Ourparents each have a summer home on Southport, opposite Squirrel Island.My father made me a present of a motor boat a short time ago; we havebeen cruising about the bay and islands for several weeks; this morningwe left home with a companion, an Irish lad named Mike Murphy; westopped at the blockhouse up the river and went ashore to eat our lunch;while we were doing so, some one ran off with the boat; Mike has gone ona run down stream to see if he can overtake it; we walked to this placeand sent a telegram to Point Quarry, inquiring about the craft andlearned it had passed there a few minutes before, headed down stream.There you have our story straight and true: what have you to say aboutit?"
"I don't believe a word of it. Anyhow, you'll have the chance to tell itin court, where you're certain to get justice done you."
The officer handed his weapon to the chauffeur.
"Keep your eye on 'em, Tim, and at the first move, shoot!"
"Yes, sir," responded the chauffeur, showing by his looks that he wouldhave been quite glad of an excuse for displaying his markmanship uponone or both of the prisoners.
His hands thus freed, the officer ran them deftly over the clothing ofeach lad from his shoulders to his knees, to assure himself they carriedno weapons. The search was satisfactory.
"Throwed your guns away, I 'spose. Now for the bracelets."
He whipped out a pair of handcuffs, at sight of which Alvin recoiledwith a flush of shame.
"Don't do that, please; we'll give our parole. With your pistol you arenot afraid of two unarmed boys."
The appeal touched the pride of the officer, who dropped the handcuffsinto the side pocket of his coat.
"Of course I'm not afeared of you, but you might try to give me theslip, if a chance should happen to come your way."
"We will not, for we have nothing to fear."
"All right. You," addressing Alvin, "will sit in front while I take yourfriend with me on the back seat."
Brief as was the conversation between the constable and his prisoners,it attracted the attention of several men, women and young persons, whogathered round the automobile, and catching the meaning of the incidentfrom the remarks of those concerned, naturally indulged in remarks.
"Seems to me that this part of Maine has become a favorite trampingground for yeggmen and post office robbers," said a man in whiteflannels, with a tennis racquet in one hand and two tennis balls in theother. "These gentlemen have begun young."
"Who would think it of them?" asked the sweet girl at his side.
"Can't judge a fellow by his looks."
"Which is fortunate for you, Algernon."
He lifted his hat in mock obeisance.
An older man, probably a member of the same party of players, spokeoracularly:
"You needn't say that, Gwendolen; you _can_ judge a person by his looks.Now just to look at the face of that chap on the front seat. He israther handsome, but it is easy to see that the stamp of crime is there,as plain as the sun at noonday. Like enough he is a tough from theBowery of New York."
"And the one on the rear seat beside the officer isn't any better," saida middle-aged woman, peering through her eyeglasses. "Just think of twoas young as they robbing a post office for a few paltry dollars, andalmost beating the life out of the old postmaster! Ugh! it would servethem right if they were lynched."
Every word of this and many more were heard by Alvin and Chester duringtheir brief debate with the officer. It "added to the gayety of nations"and caused Alvin to turn his head and say to his friend:
"Give a dog a bad name, Chester--you know the rest. We don't seem tohave made a very good impression in Charmount. I never knew I looked somuch like a double-dyed villain."
"I have noticed it many times and it has caused me much pain."
"It might distress me, if we both were not in the same boat."
"We have often been in the same boat, but I don't know that we evershall be again. Ah, you have one friend in Charmount."
"Who is he?" asked Alvin, with quick interest.
"It's a _she_; cast your eye toward the telegraph office."
As Alvin did so, he saw the sweet-looking telegraphist in the door andwatching proceedings. He could not resist the temptation to touch hisfingers to his lips and waft them toward her. Nothing daunted, shereplied similarly, whereat most of the spectators were shocked.
"I should hold her in tender regard," said Alvin, "if she didn't asksuch a big price for a look at Mike's telegram."
"How much does she want?"
"Fifty thousand dollars."
"Why didn't you give it her?"
"I didn't happen to have the change with me; can you help me out?"
"I should like to help us both out, but the officer might object."
The chauffeur was backing and turning, and now headed the machine overthe road by which he had brought his employer to this spot.
"Where to now?" asked Alvin of their gaoler.
"Augusta--as straight and fast as we can travel."
But Alvin Landon and Chester Haynes down to the present time have neverseen the capital of the State of Maine.