CHAPTER XXV.
ON BAIL.
When Uncle Nathan learned that the celebrated lawyer had madepreparations for this move on his part he was literally beside himselfwith rage, and vowed that the warrant should be served and the prisonertaken to jail immediately, or he would see to it that the constable wasdeprived of his commission without delay.
"I've served the warrant," the man said, quietly, "an' now the prisoneris in my custody. You have no more to say what shall be done with himthan that goat, so shut your mouth."
"I'll shut yours so close it won't be opened again for a month!" the oldman screamed. "Do as I tell you, or take the consequences."
"And I'm goin' to give you the same advice," Mr. Sweet cried, as headvanced toward Uncle Nathan threateningly. "Now the boy has beenarrested, you are an intruder here, an' I'll give you thirty seconds inwhich to get out; after that we'll make an example of such a reprobate."
"I'll go when I get ready, an' not a minute before. Lay a hand on mean' I'll have a warrant for you."
"If you can get it, well and good. I now order you out for the lasttime. In thirty seconds I'll guarantee you won't be in condition towalk."
While their employer had been speaking the barker and the clown silentlyranged themselves by his side, ready for any commands which might begiven, and the infuriated old man had sufficient sense left to let himunderstand it would be unsafe to linger.
"I'll serve you out before this thing is ended," he cried, shaking hisfist in impotent rage as he went toward the flap, and Dan, who couldcontrol himself no longer, replied:
"You'd better begin on me, for I'm goin' to tell this thing to everybodywho comes to the fair to-morrow, an' from what I've heard it wouldn'ttake much coaxin' to get the band from the Run up here, so's I couldsing it. You're havin' a good time now; but there'll be a different sideto the matter to-morrow."
Mr. Sweet had followed Uncle Nathan so closely, literally turning himout, that he could not reply while inside the canvas; but once in theopen air, he made threats that would have frightened any one who did notknow the motive by which they had been inspired.
Meanwhile the constable appeared disposed to take matters in the mostcomfortable manner. He asked Teddy why he wished to see Deacon Jones,and the boy said:
"I don't know; but Mr. Harvey told me that if anything happened to-nightI was to see the deacon."
"Then we'll go there. Are you ready?"
Teddy thought of his money, and, fearing lest it might be taken fromhim, asked if he could hand something to Mr. Sweet.
"I think not," was the undecided reply. "The deacon will know, an'whatever he says I'll stand by."
"Don't bother about anything just now," the proprietor of the museumsaid. "We'll all go with you, an' there'll be plenty of time to makenecessary arrangements before you're taken to jail."
Although the lawyer had assured him he could be involved in no serioustrouble, the mere fact that he was under arrest sufficed to make Teddywretched, and like one under sentence of death, he prepared to accompanythe constable.
Dan and Tim intended to join the party, as was shown by their remainingvery close to the prisoner, and only the barker and the clown were leftto care for the tent.
Uncle Nathan was met on the outside, and he immediately began to insistthat the boy be taken to jail at once; but the officer paid no attentionto his ravings.
"If you don't hold your tongue I'll knock the whole top of your headoff," Mr. Sweet whispered, brandishing his fists in the most threateningmanner, and the old man cried, excitedly:
"Mr. Officer, I call upon you to bear witness that this man isthreatening my life, and insist that you protect me from insult."
"I've nothing to do with you," the constable replied, with a laugh. "Thewarrant has been served, an' all you've got to do is hold your horsestill the case is called up in court."
"Wait till I get home once more, an' then we'll see that he's got a gooddeal to do with the case," Tim cried. "I'll spend every minute from thenfor a week tellin' the folks that he only did this to make Teddy give uphalf of what he made, an' it'll be a pretty poor kind of a chump who'lldo any more tradin' at his store."
Uncle Nathan stepped toward the boy who had spoken so boldly as if hewould inflict the direst punishment then and there; but he probablyrealized that this would prejudice his case, and contented himself bysaying:
"We'll see whether the people at the Run will believe a couple of boyswho have been in league with burglars, for you mustn't forget, TimJones, that I have proof you helped Teddy to carry away the burglar'smoney."
"If it'll do you any good I'll own up to the fact now," the boyreplied. "It can't be so bad to do that as it is to arrest your ownnephew because he won't give you half his money."
"Don't say anything more," Teddy whispered to his friend. "It's onlymakin' matters worse, an' he's got the upper hand of us all jest now."
"I don't know whether he has or not," the valiant Tim replied; "but atthe same time it'll do him a world of good to let him hear the truth."
At this point Uncle Nathan appeared to understand that he was not comingout victor in this battle of tongues, and he wisely held his peace,saying not another word until the little party arrived at the home ofDeacon Jones.
The manager of the fair was resting after a particularly hard day'swork. More than one of the citizens of Peach Bottom had openly said hewas responsible for the riot by allowing liquor to be sold on thegrounds, and his greeting of the visitors was not calculated to assurethe frightened Teddy.
"Well, what do you want?" he cried, roughly, as they entered hislibrary. "If it's anything concerning the fair I won't open my mouth. Aman can't be driven to death with work and then disturbed at all hoursof the night, simply to give the fools in this town a chance to maketrouble."
"All I know about it is that I arrested this boy, and he insisted onbeing brought to you, saying it was Lawyer Harvey's advice," theconstable began, and the angry deacon immediately began to appearinterested.
"Is this your nephew, Nathan?" he asked of the old man, who now had asmirk of confidence on his face.
"I'm sorry he is, deacon, an' after I set him up in business he goesag'in me by givin' information to burglars, who rob me."
"And you have had him arrested?"
"I felt obliged to in the interest of society."
"That's a lie," Mr. Sweet interrupted, angrily. "He tried to make theboy pay him half he earned on the fair grounds, and has done this thingonly because Teddy refused."
"We won't go into the details of the case, because I am not amagistrate," the deacon replied, with a majestic wave of the hand. "Mr.Officer, tell the 'Squire that I am prepared to go bail to any amount,and ask if the business can't be conducted here, for I'm too tired to goout of doors unless it is absolutely necessary."
"What?" the old man screamed. "Will you answer for that little villain'sappearance at court?"
"That's what I said, Nathan. This affair is none of my business otherthan I have stated; but I must say you are goin' a leetle too far, notonly in my opinion, but in that of others, an' it may prove a costly jobfor somebody before it's finished."
The old man was literally speechless.
He could not understand why the deacon should have turned against him sosuddenly, and the last words made him decidedly uneasy.
He was not to be silenced without a struggle, however. After the firstsurprise had died away he said, with a comical assumption of dignity:
"I will see whether I'm to be browbeaten in this manner. The 'Squiredoes not dare to release the boy on bail, and I shall tell him so."
With these words he left the house hurriedly, and the constable said tothe deacon:
"If you will write a line to the 'Squire, saying that you're ready to gobail, I do not think there will be any necessity of troubling you againto-night."
This suggestion was immediately acted upon, and the weary manager of thefair penned the following words:
I am rea
dy to enter security to any amount for the appearance at court of Edward Hargreaves, and if you should not consider my bond sufficient, I am empowered to say that John Reaves, of Waterville, will add his name, therefore there can be no good reason for committing him to jail, since we are both responsible for the prisoner until the bond can be executed.
A. JONES.
Having received this the constable departed with the prisoner and hisfriends, and once on the outside he said, confidently:
"The matter is settled, no matter how much old Nathan may rave. Both Mr.Reaves an' the deacon have got the 'Squire by the nose, and he mustdance to their fiddlin'."
That this assertion was correct Teddy realized a few moments later whenhe was ushered into the 'Squire's dining-room, and the latter, withoutpaying the slightest attention to the prisoner, said to the officer:
"I have just heard that you served the warrant I issued, and then tookthe boy to Deacon Jones' house. Is that correct?"
"Straight as a string, 'Squire. Lawyer Harvey told him if anythinghappened to go there, an' I thought he had a right to look up bailbefore being lugged off to jail. Here's what the deacon's got to sayabout it."
The 'Squire took the paper which the officer held out, and after readingit, said benignly:
"You were quite correct in doing what you did, Mr. Constable. This isquite sufficient guarantee that he will be produced when wanted, and youmay let him go. Give me the papers, and I will indorse them."
After this formality had been gone through with the constable said toMr. Sweet:
"That settles the matter so far as Teddy is concerned, and with such menas the deacon, Mr. Reaves, and Lawyer Harvey to back him, I don'tbelieve old Nathan will make any too much out of this job."
"You are free to go where you please," the 'Squire added, and the youngfakir with his friends left the house, wondering very much at the amountof influence which, unsolicited, had been exerted in Teddy's behalf.
As for the boy himself, he was far from feeling comfortable in mind.Unless the burglary could be brought home to Long Jim it did not seempossible that Hazelton could be set free, and this last was absolutelynecessary in order to establish his own innocence.
It was a great consolation for him to be with such good friends,however, and each in turn tried to cheer him, but without success untilMr. Sweet said:
"There's no question of your getting out of the scrape with flyingcolors, and to celebrate I'm goin' to give a regular dinner party toevery decent fakir on the grounds. Come over, boys, an' help me getready. Business has been so good to-day that I can afford to indulge ina little extravagance."