CHAPTER XIV.
ON THE KIDNAPPER'S TRAIL.
The two boys were pretty well tired out from the strain through whichthey had just passed and they both had several bad burns on theirhands, which, now that the excitement was over, began to assertthemselves. They had not walked far when they saw a small park, wherewere some benches, and Jack proposed that they sit down and rest up abit. As he knew that Bob had been taken to Boston, naturally thelatter was the more surprised of the two on seeing his brother there,and as soon as they were seated on a bench Bob said:
"Now, Jack, tell me all about it, quick, and then I'll give you anaccount of my racket."
So Jack, starting from the time Bob disappeared, told him all that hadhappened. When he reached the point where we left him, he said:
"I tell you what, Bob, when I found that those rascals had varmousedand left me locked in that burning house, I was scared. I pounded onthe door and yelled till I was hoarse and when no one came I wasabout ready to give up. By this time the room was pretty full ofsmoke, and my eyes smarted so that I could hardly keep them open andthe floor was so hot, that I had to fairly dance, and it was gettinghotter every minute. I had managed to get my clothes on by this timeand started to see if I could kick a hole in the door, but it was toostrong and I could make no impression on it."
"Couldn't you cut a hole in it with your knife?" asked Bob.
"I thought of that, but I had lost my knife somewhere. Well, just as Ithought that all hope was gone, I remembered that there was a holeabout two feet square in the ceiling at one end of the room. It wasfully eight feet from the floor, but I took the cot and leaned itagainst the wall and managed, by climbing up on it, to reach the edgeof the opening and climb up through. I found myself in an empty roomrunning the entire length of the house. There was a stairway at theother end and I ran to it, but the smoke was pouring up in clouds andI could see that the stairs were ablaze and the room below full offire, so I didn't dare to risk it. I thought then it was all up withme, but it was a little cooler up there and I managed to get one ofthe front windows open, and you know the rest. I tell you, Bob, oldman, you never looked so good to me as you did coming up that ladderwith the rope in your hand. I think I should have jumped in anothertwo minutes. But, now tell me all about yourself. Where have you beenand how did you get away?"
Then Bob gave him a full account of his adventures and when he toldhow he had hit Reed on the nose, Jack said, "Good enough for him, wishI'd been there." Then, when Bob had finished, he asked, "But why doyou suppose Reed pushed me overboard? It must have been he."
"Of course it was," answered Bob, "there's no one else who would do itexcept King and it couldn't have been he, for he was with me at thetime. I suppose he saw you, and thinking you might make trouble forthem, he probably thought he would dispose of you."
"I guess that's about the way of it, leastwise, that's the way Ifigured it out. Hello, there's a cop; suppose we ask him where weare."
They soon learned that they were only about a half mile from thestation, and as they were well rested, they decided that they would gothere and take the train for their Uncle Ben's in Winthrop.
Reaching the station, they found a train about to leave, and in lessthan a half hour, they were getting off at Winthrop Beach. Uncle Ben'shouse was but a few minutes' walk from the station and soon they wereringing the bell, and their Aunt Lucy answered it.
"Why, it's Bob and Jack," she cried as she saw them. "Where did youcome from? My, but I'm glad to see you," and without giving them timeto speak, she grabbed one in each arm and gave them a good hug andkiss.
"Where's Uncle Ben?" asked Bob as soon as he could get the questionin.
"He had to go to the bank, but I expect him out on the next train, ashe said he was only going to stay a little while. But there, I'll betyou haven't had any lunch and are as hungry as two young bears. Comeright in and we'll have something to eat in less than no time."
"How are all the folks?" asked Aunt Lucy, as they sat down.
"Fine and dandy," replied Jack, "but my goodness, Bob, we must callthem up right off. Can I use the 'phone, auntie?"
The 'phone was in the front hall and Jack was gone some little time,but at last he returned. Just as they began to eat, the door openedand Uncle Ben entered the room. He was no less delighted to see theboys than Aunt Lucy had been, and the meal was a merry one. The boyssaid nothing regarding their adventures till the lunch was over, thenBob said:
"Uncle Ben, we've got quite a long story to tell you."
"Is that so? Well, fire away."
So Bob began and told them all about their adventures. He wasinterrupted many times by expressions of horror and indignation fromUncle Ben and Aunt Lucy.
"Well, of all the happenings," declared Uncle Ben, when he hadfinished. "Say, Bob, do you think you can find that house where theyhad you?"
"Yes, I think so. It was in East Boston, 54 Uhl street. I noticed thenumber of the house and the street as I ran out."
"That's in one of the worst sections of the city," declared Uncle Ben."Now, boys, if you are not too tired we must take the next train tothe city and report this to the police, and we may be in time to catchthem. The scoundrels, they must be caught and punished if possible;it's not safe to have them at large."
Both boys declared that they were not tired, and, as the next trainleft in about fifteen minutes, they started at once.
In a short time they reached East Boston and took the ferry across.
"It must have been here that I went overboard," said Jack as they wereabout half way across, and he shuddered as he looked down at thewater. "I wouldn't want to go through that again."
"I should say not," said Uncle Ben. "Oh, by the way, Jack, you didn'tsee either of those fellows round the house after the fire, did you?"
"No, I never thought a thing about them."
"Well, they ought to be found and locked up, for they undoubtedlyintended to rob you, and were probably going to make your father pay abig sum of money."
"Yes, I guess that's so," agreed Jack, "but then they saved my lifeand I'd rather call it square."
"Well, if that's the way you feel about it," said Uncle Ben, "we won'tsay anything to the captain about them."
Reaching the other side of the harbor, they lost no time in getting acar, which took them to State street, where was the police station ofwhich Uncle Ben's friend was captain.
"Is Captain Long in?" he asked a sergeant, who was sitting at the deskas they entered.
"I think so, sir, please wait a moment and I'll see." Touching a bellon his desk, he ordered the attendant to see if the captain was in hisoffice.
"Right, sir," said the man going out.
He was back in a minute, and telling them that Captain Long would seethem at once, conducted them through several rooms into his privateoffice.
"Why, hello Ben," greeted a large broad-shouldered man, wearing theuniform of a police captain, as they were ushered into the room. "Cometo give yourself up?"
"Not just yet, Harry. These are my two nephews from Maine," he said,introducing the boys, "I think likely you've seen them around myhouse, but I guess you've never met them."
The captain expressed himself as pleased to know them, and thenmotioning them to sit down, asked:
"Now, what can I do for you?"
"Well, Harry," answered Uncle Ben, "these two youngsters have beenthrough enough to turn your hair gray." Then turning to Bob, he said:"Tell him your story as quickly as you can, for every minute maycount."
So, for the third time that day Bob gave an account of his kidnapping,only this time he made it as brief as possible. The captain saidnothing till he had finished, but they could see that he was notlosing a word.
"Give me as careful a description of those two men as you can," heordered, and Bob obeyed.
"This is indeed serious," said the captain, turning to Mr. Golden whenBob had finished. "I'll bet you my cap that the smaller of the two menis Jim the Penman, and if that's right, he
is one of the most wantedmen in the country today. Why, there's a reward of $10,000 for him,and that other fellow may be Oily Joe; they have worked together agood bit and are two of the most expert counterfeiters in the world.The two of them have given us a lot of trouble. I'm mighty glad youcame to me, although I'm afraid it's too late, as they've probablyskipped, but we'll make a try for them and it's possible we may be ontime."
He touched a button on his desk, and an officer entered.
"Have the patrol out at once with six of the best men available," heordered, "Report to me here. Let's see," he said, as the man salutedand retired, "you said 54 Uhl street. That's over across the ferry."
In less than two minutes a knock sounded and at the captain's "comein," six uniformed policemen entered. Quickly, he explained thesituation to them and gave his orders.
"The driver will let you out about two squares this side of the house,and I'll be there by the time you are, and tell you how to arrangethings."
He gave them the address and saluting, they left the room.
"Don't lose a minute," he shouted as the last man went out.
"Now," said Captain Long, turning to Mr. Golden and the boys, "don'tyou want to come along with me in my car?"
"We sure do," cried both boys together, and even Uncle Ben seemed noless anxious.
"All right then, this way," and he led them out to the street.
His car, a powerful two-seated machine, stood in front of the stationhouse, the chauffeur dozing on the front seat, but he sprang toactivity as he heard the captain's voice.
Quickly, they entered the machine, Captain Long giving the directionto the driver, and just as they started, the patrol whizzed by, thehorses at full gallop.