CHAPTER XXIII
THE RESCUE
The oldest Rover boy had reached a rapid conclusion. This was that hisfather was not on the first floor of the house, nor in the cellar.Consequently, if he was in the building at all--and Dick believed hewas--he must be somewhere upstairs. While the three rascals were inthe sitting room he intended to make a quick investigation.
With his stick still in his hand, in case of attack, Dick reached thesecond floor and entered a small bed chamber. Opening from this was asecond room, containing a cot. Beyond the rooms was a closet, and thatwas all.
"Too bad! This stairs leads only to a kitchen addition!" murmured theboy. "How can I get into the main house? Why didn't they cut a doorthrough?"
He looked out of a window and saw the roof of a porch. At the end ofthe roof was another window, one of a room in the main building.Without hesitation Dick raised the sash of the window at which hestood and stepped out on the porch top. Soon he was at the otherwindow.
It was locked, but the catch was not a strong one, and with the bladeof his pocketknife he easily pushed it back. Then the sash came up andhe stepped into the bedroom beyond.
The room was empty and the bed showed that it had not been used forsome time. Dick crossed the apartment and opened a door leading to awide hallway. From downstairs came a murmur of voices. The rascalswere still in consultation.
Swiftly the oldest Rover boy passed from one room to another of thebig house. Each was empty, and in the last he came to a halt, somewhatdismayed. Then he thought of an enclosed staircase he had noticed,leading to the next floor, and he hurried to this.
The third floor of the building was but an open garret, piled highwith old furniture and discarded things generally. The two windowswere covered with dirt and cobwebs, and as it was dark outside,because of the rain, Dick could see but little.
"Father!" he called softly. "Father, are you here?"
He listened and heard a tapping, coming from one end of the garret. Hemoved over in the direction and struck a match. Then he gave a cry,half of gladness and half of dismay.
His parent was there, bound to an upright of the garret floor. He hadhis hands behind him, and a towel was tied over his mouth. With deftfingers Dick unloosed the towel, and then he cut his father's bondswith his pocketknife.
"Oh, Dick! How glad I am that you have come!" gasped Anderson Rover,when he could speak. "That towel nearly smothered me!"
"Did they hurt you any, Dad?" asked the boy anxiously.
"Not so very much, Dick. We had several rough and tumble fights,--whenI tried to get away from them. But they were too many for me.Have they gone?"
"No, they are in the sitting room below, talking matters over."
"And you came here all alone?" asked Mr. Rover, stretching his crampedlimbs.
"No, Tom and Sam are down in the cellar. I told them I would comeupstairs and investigate."
"Good! Then we are four to three. I am glad to know that. It will makeit easier to get away from them."
"Have you done anything for them--I mean, signed any papers, oranything like that?" asked the son, anxiously.
"No. They wanted to keep me from signing certain papers that must besigned inside of two days, Dick."
"I know it."
"They also wanted me to sign other documents, and Crabtree said if Ididn't do it he would leave me here to starve!"
"The rascal!" muttered Dick. "We have got to get him back to jail,that's sure! Are you sure you are well enough to go with me, Dad?"
"I--I think so, Dick. But this has been an awful strain on me,"sighed Anderson Rover.
He was very pale, and the hand he placed on Dick's shoulder trembledgreatly.
"After this you must let me attend to business for you," said the son."I am old enough to do it. You need a complete rest."
"Yes, Dick, but your college career----"
"We'll talk about those things later, Dad. First, I want to get youaway from here, and in a safe place. Then we'll attend to Crabtree,Pelter and Japson," added Dick, grimly.
"The business matters have been too much for me--I realize it now,"sighed Anderson Rover. "I must take a rest--a good, long rest. Theywould not have gotten the best of me if I had been stronger."
"Come," said Dick. "Don't make any noise if you can help it," headded, in a whisper.
He guided his parent, and both tiptoed their way to the second floorof the dwelling. Then they entered the bed chamber opening on the topof the porch, and so made their way down to the kitchen and then intothe cellar.
"Father!" cried Sam and Tom, simultaneously, and rushed to embracetheir parent.
"My boys!" murmured Anderson Rover, and the tears stood in his eyes.Never before had he realized how much they were to him.
"Come on--no time to talk now," said Dick, in a low voice. "We'll getaway from here first."
"But those rascals--" began Sam.
"We'll take care of them, Sam, never fear."
The boys led their father from the cellar and across the back yard tothe barn. From the barn a lane ran to the main road. The lane had ahedge that practically hid it from the house.
"Wait here, in the barn," said Dick. "But keep out of sight."
"Where are you going?" asked Tom.
"To watch on the road for a wagon or an auto, to take us to thenearest town or railroad station."
"Going to leave those men here, Dick?"
"Not much! I thought Sam might take dad back to New York, while youand I had it out with Crabtree and the others."
"Good! I'm with you!" cried Tom.
Dick posted himself on the highway, and presently saw a covered wagonapproaching, drawn by a spirited team. The driver was a young man,evidently from some nearby town.
"Going to town?" asked Dick, as he stopped the fellow.
"Yes, want a ride?" and the young man smiled.
"I don't, but another fellow, my brother, and my father, do," saidDick. "If you'll take them, we'll pay you."
"All right," was the answer. "Come right along."
"How far is it to the railroad station?" went on Dick.
"About two miles."
"Will you take 'em over?"
"Sure--I'm going there myself."
Dick hurried back to the barn, and soon Sam and Mr. Rover were in thewagon. Before Sam left his big brother gave him some instructions inprivate. Then the wagon went on through the rain.
"Thank heaven! dad is safe!" murmured Tom, when the wagon haddisappeared. "I hope Sam doesn't let him out of his sight until thosebusiness affairs are settled up."
"He is going to take him to the Outlook Hotel first," answered Dick."But he is going to do more than that, Tom--if it is possible."
"What?"
"I told him to stop in that town and send some help here--a policeofficial, or a constable, or some men. Crabtree has got to go back tojail, and I think we ought to have Pelter and Japson locked up,too--although that may depend upon what father may have to say."
"Then we can't do anything until somebody gets here from town," saidTom, somewhat disappointedly.
"We can watch those rascals and listen to what they are talkingabout," returned Dick.
Both boys returned to the barn, to get out of the rain. Then theysneaked to the cellar of the house and up to the kitchen, and then toa little storeroom next to the dining room. From the storeroom theycould catch much of the conversation coming from the three men in thedining room.
There were some matters Dick and Tom did not understand. But from whatwas said they learned that Japson was a distant relative of JosiahCrabtree and the two had been in several shady transactions together.Crabtree had agreed, if aided in his escape from the Plankville jail,to assist the brokers in making Anderson Rover a prisoner and keepinghim such until he signed certain documents and until the time hadpassed when he could no longer take up the options which were sovaluable to the Rovers and their friends.
"Well, I think these documents are all right," the boys heard JessePelter
say, presently. "Now we can turn them over to Belright Fogg andtell him to go ahead."
The boys looked at each other in amazement. Belright Fogg! The lawyerwho had tried to outwit them in their claim against the railroadcompany because of the smashed Dartaway! Was that fellow mixed up inthis game also? It looked like it.