CHAPTER IV
THE RUNAWAYS
That fate which had seemed to favor the three audacious youngsters didnot desert them when the critical point in their enterprise arrived.
The chief of police was wise in restraining any hint of what was inhis mind to the parents of Tommy Wagstaff. It would have been repelledwith wrath and made them enemies--all the more bitter, perhaps, when itshould appear that the wise officer was right.
The youngster, having suffered so cruelly, received every compensationhis friends could give him. His father reproved himself for making himstay home from the concert. Had he taken him with him, the outragenever could have occurred.
The mother heaped favors upon her darling Tommy, who might haveluxuriated for weeks on the general sympathy felt for him. He wasvisited by several newspaper reporters, who took down the thrillingaccount from his own lips. The chief trouble in these cases was thewide variance in the versions given by the lad. In some instances heinsisted there were three burglars, in others only two, while to oneyoung man in spectacles, he solemnly averred that there were seven byactual count, and that they were all armed with tomahawks and scalpingknives. These wild statements were attributed to the lad's nervousnessinstead of to the real cause.
But on the next afternoon, or rather evening, Tommy did not make hisappearance at supper. The mother was greatly frightened and believedthe robbers had returned to revenge themselves upon her darling fortelling the truth about them.
Before the evening was late, Mr. Wagstaff learned that Tommy,accompanied by Billy Waylett and Jimmy McGovern, had been seenhurrying in the direction of the railway station. Inquiry thererevealed the fact all three had bought tickets for New York.
About this time a dim suspicion took shape in the mind of Mr.Wagstaff. He gave no hint to his wife, but he telegraphed theauthorities in the metropolis to look out for three boys, and toarrest them at once and communicate with their parents, Messrs.Waylett and McGovern having joined in the request.
New York was so near Ashton that the runaways arrived there more thanan hour before the telegram was sent, otherwise they would have beenreturned to their homes the same evening.
Their fathers next held a conference, and on the following day appliedto the chief of police for counsel. That gentleman listened grimly tothem, and then quietly said that the robbery of Mr. Wagstaff's homehad been planned and carried out by the three lads without help fromany one else. They were shocked, but when he showed Billy Waylett'shandkerchief, which had been used to check the utterance of Tommy, andpointed out the numerous tell-tale slips made by the boys, especiallythe shooting through the windows, they were convinced, and becameeager to capture them at the earliest possible moment, each parentdeclaring that the instant his son was brought within reach, he wouldgive him a trouncing that he would remember to his dying day.
It was arranged that Chief Hungerford should undertake to hunt themup, and he readily agreed to do so, for the gentlemen were warmfriends of his, for whom he was ready to make any reasonablesacrifice.
And now that a pursuer is on the trail of the runaways, let us see howthey got along.
The indulgence shown Tommy by his parents gave him just theopportunity he wanted. He was able to hold several meetings with hisintended partners, without any one suspecting what was going on, andthe arrangements were made for starting for New York on the afternoonfollowing the supposed robbery.
In one respect, the lads showed a wisdom beyond their years. Knowingthat prompt search would be made for them, and that they were likelyto be looked upon with suspicion, they decided to leave the stolenjewelry where it had been placed beneath the old stump. If worse cameto worse, they could return and draw upon it, but if they should tryto sell the valuables in New York, they would be arrested onsuspicion.
So they wisely left the jewelry behind, and took with them only asingle gold watch, which Tommy wore, since it was the property of hisfather. They found that they had fully a hundred dollars in money,which, as nearly as they could learn, would carry them most of thedistance they wished to go, when such bright chaps would have notrouble in hitting upon the means for raising the wind.
Since they expected to meet Snakeroot Sam, it was intended to send himback to Ashton, to sell the plunder for them, inasmuch as he couldreadily do it without danger, and was so honest that he would turnover every penny of the proceeds to them.
Reaching New York ahead of the telegram, they were too wise to lingeraround the large station at Forty-second Street. More than likely, allthree of their irate fathers would be there in the course of an houror two, and it was, therefore, no place for them.
Since it was growing dark, they decided to put up at some obscurehotel, under assumed names, and make an early start for the West. Thewisdom shown by the lads was astonishing--the oldest of whom had notseen fourteen years. They had talked and discussed the venture formonths, and stored their minds with all the information obtainable.Consequently, when they sauntered out on the street, and, after someinquiries, reached Broadway, they attracted no special attention. Theywere well dressed, and the additional revolvers which they speedilybought were carried out of sight, so that there was no noticeabledifference between them and the hundreds of other boys who may be meton any day in the great metropolis of our country.
Billy Waylett, being the youngest, needed some coaching, but he wastractable, and the lads were fortunate enough to escape the sharksthat are always waiting in the large cities for just such prey as theywould have proved.
The only thing that worried Tommy Wagstaff was the fact that he didnot know how to find Snakeroot Sam. That worthy had been told of theintended start for the West, but, of course, the leader could not givehim the precise date of their departure. It was known, however, thathe spent a good deal of his time in New York city, and the leader ofthe party instructed his companions to keep a sharp lookout for him.They did so, but though they pointed out several persons who answeredhis description, none of them proved to be the individual they were soanxious to meet, and who, doubtless, would have blessed his luckystars could he have met them.
Tommy Wagstaff was satisfied that the crisis in their enterprise wouldcome when they reached the ferry to buy their railway tickets.Officers would be on the watch for them, and if the three shouldpresent themselves at the office and pay their fare to Chicago or someother Western point, they were quite sure to be stopped and compelledto give an account of themselves.
Accordingly, he arranged the matter with the shrewdness he had shownfrom the first. They separated at the foot of Cortlandt Street andmade their way into the railway office, as though they were strangersto each other. Billy had enough money to buy a ticket to NewBrunswick, and Jimmy to procure one to Trenton, while Tommy, who hadtaken charge of the entire funds, paid his fare to Philadelphia. Thenthey passed through the narrow gateway upon the ferryboat.
The three were alarmed by the sight of a blue-coated policeman,standing at the broad entrance to the ferry, and who scrutinized themsharply as they joined the swarm hurrying upon the boat. The officerfollowed Billy with his eyes, and seemed on the point of startingafter him. The youngster's heart was in his throat, and he wished thatsomething would blow up and scatter everybody so far apart that nopoliceman could see him.
So guarded were the boys they did not speak to each other whilecrossing the ferry, indulging in only an occasional sly glance, asthey stepped off the boat and passed up the slip.
Here they were startled again, for the big policeman near thepassageway to the trains, after one keen look at Billy, asked himwhere he was going.
"To New Brunswick," was the slightly tremulous reply.
"Let me see your ticket," was the gruff command.
Billy fished out the pasteboard and showed it to the terrible fellow,who was not yet satisfied.
"What are you doing in New York?"
"I aint in New York; I am in Jersey City."
The officer smiled at the manner in which he had tripped, and asked:
/> "Where are the other two boys that came with you?"
Billy came nigh breaking down. He saw Tommy and Jimmy watching himfrom a little way, and his naturally quick wit came to his relief.
"What two boys are you talking 'bout? Don't you see there's nobodywith me, and if you keep me much longer, I'll miss the train, andfather will be mad, 'cause he expects me to be home as soon as I canget there."
The urchin made as if to move forward, and the officer, satisfied hewas not the one for whom he was looking, allowed him to pass on.
After entering the car, Tommy Wagstaff saw no risk in theircompanionship. Since the train was not crowded, he and Billy sattogether, while Jimmy McGovern placed himself on the seat in front,where no one shared it with him.
There was a bustle and novelty about this business which kept the boysin such a constant state of excitement that they had felt nothing asyet like homesickness. In fact, they were eager to get forward, andthough there was much to see that was new and strange, they would havebeen glad could the cars have traveled with double the speed.
"The way I figure it out," said the leader, feeling now that he couldtalk freely, since they were well under way, "is that we shall reachPhiladelphia before noon. Jiminy! but that is traveling fast; shall weget off there and stay over till to-morrow?"
"What would we do that for?" demanded young McGovern.
"There's so much to see that I didn't know but what you would like tostop and look around."
"Not much," replied Jimmy, with a disgusted shake of his head; "wecan't get out West soon enough to suit me; I feel hungry for Injinsand grizzly bears: how is it with you, Billy?"
"That's me, clear through; you know we've got to get a Winchesterapiece, and then we'll be ready to begin popping over Injins; that'llbe more fun than anything else in the world, and what do I care forall the cities and strange things that's between us and the West?"
Tommy laughed, for he was pleased.
"That's just the way I feel, but I didn't know whether you two wasright up to the handle yet; I'm glad you are; it proves that we arebound to win, like real brave American boys."
All three smiled approvingly on each other, and, glancing out of thewindow, wished the cars would run at the rate of two miles a minute,for the rest of the distance.
The conductor came through, punched the tickets, and took up Billy's,because it entitled him to ride only to New Brunswick. He intended toslip off there and buy one to Philadelphia, while Jimmy would do thesame at Trenton. If the Quaker City were reached without mishap, theywould conclude that all danger of being stopped was over, and fromthat point would travel openly and without fear.
The little party chatted and discussed their plans, sometimes speakingso loud in their ardor that the gentleman sitting just across theaisle overhead their words and looked curiously at them more thanonce, over the top of his paper.
Just before reaching the long trestle-work which spans the Raritan,Billy said:
"We must be pretty near New Brunswick, Tom, and I guess you had bettergive me enough money to buy a ticket: how much will it be?"
"I don't know; I s'pose two or three dollars; you ought to travel onhalf fare, but it aint worth bothering about; we'll gather in all thefunds we want in Chicago."
"It strikes me," remarked McGovern, "that we might as well divide upthe money, so that if any one loses his share, we won't be in a badfix."
"I guess that would be a good plan," replied Tommy, who reached in histrousers pocket for the roll of bills which he had placed there.
He started and turned pale the next moment, and hurriedly ran his handin his other pocket. Then he sprang to his feet and franticallysearched the pockets of his coat and vest.
"What's the matter?" asked Jimmy, with a sinking of the heart.
"The money is gone!" was the alarming answer.
"No; that can't be!" faintly exclaimed Billy; "it must be somewhereabout you."
"I put the roll in _that_, pocket," replied Tommy, who kept uphis search, through all the receptacles, again and again. Then hestooped down, and hunted under the seats with a nervous distress whichwas fully shared by his companions.
Finally he straightened up and said, despairingly:
"My pocket has been picked, and we haven't a dollar among us."
He spoke the truth.