CHAPTER XVII
A RESCUE BY FORCE
Theodore was hesitating, though his father was eager to obey. Garrisonstepped a foot forward and thrust the pistol firmly against the youngman's body, cocking the hammer.
"I'm going--for the love of Heaven, look out!" cried the cravensuddenly, and he backed toward the stairs in haste.
"That's better," said Garrison coldly. "Step lively, please, and don'tattempt the slightest treachery unless you are prepared to pay theprice."
Theodore had no more than started when the door-bell rang--four littlejingles.
"It's mother," said old Robinson, starting for the door.
"Let her remain outside for the present," ordered Garrison. "Get on upthe stairs."
The bell rang again. The Robinsons, resigned to defeat, ascended tothe hall above, with the gun yawning just at the rear.
Once more Garrison called out:
"Dorothy--where are you?"
"Here!" cried Dorothy, her voice still muffled behind a solid door."The room at the back. I can't get out!"
Garrison issued another order to Theodore, whom he knew to be thegoverning spirit in the fight against himself and Dorothy:
"Put down one hand and get out your keys--but don't attempt to removeanything else from your pocket, or I'll plug you on the spot."
Theodore cast a defiant glance across the leveled gun to the steady,cool eyes behind it, and drew forth the keys, as directed.
"If that's you, Jerold--please, please get me out--the door is locked!"called Dorothy, alarmed by each second of delay. "Where are you now?"
"Coming!" called Garrison. He added, to Theodore: "Keep one hand up.Unlock the door." He called out again: "Keep cool when it's opened.Don't confuse the situation."
Young Robinson, convinced that resistance at this point was useless,inserted the key in the lock and opened the door, at the same timecasting a knowing look at his father, who stood over next to the wall.
In the instant that Garrison's attention was directed to the unlockedroom, old Robinson made a quick retreat to a tiny red box that wasscrewed against the wall and twice pulled down a brass ring.
Garrison beheld the action too late to interpose. He knew the thingfor a burglar-alarm--and realized his own position.
Meantime Dorothy had not emerged.
"Jerold! Jerold!" she cried. "My feet are chained!"
"Get in there, both of you, double-quick!" commanded Garrison, and heherded the Robinsons inside the room, fairly pushing them before himwith the gun.
Then he saw Dorothy.
White with fear, her eyes ablaze with indignation at the Robinsons, herbeauty heightened by the look of intensity in her eyes, she stood bythe door, her ankles bound together by a chain which was secured to theheavy brass bed.
"Jerold!" she cried as she had before, but her voice broke and tearsstarted swiftly from her eyes.
"Be calm, dear, please," said Garrison, who had turned on her captorswith an anger he could scarcely control. "You cowards! You infamousscoundrels!" he said. "Release those chains this instant, or I'll blowoff the top of your head!" He demanded this of Theodore.
"The key isn't here," said the latter, intent upon gaining time sincethe burglar-alarm had been sprung. "I left it downstairs."
"I think you lie," said Garrison. "Get busy, or you'll have trouble."
"It's on his ring, with the key to the door," said Dorothy. "They'vekept me drugged and stupid, but I saw as much as that."
Once more Garrison pushed the black muzzle of the gun againstTheodore's body. The fellow cringed. The sweat stood out on hisforehead. He dropped to his knees and, trembling with fear, fumbledwith the keys.
"To think they'd dare!" said Dorothy, who with difficulty refrainedfrom sobbing, in her anger, relief, and nervous strain.
Garrison made no reply. He was fairly on edge with anxiety himself, inthe need for haste, aware that every moment was precious, with thetown's constabulary doubtless already on the way to respond to the oldman's alarm. The rights of the case would come too late, with his andDorothy's story against the statements of the Robinsons, and he had nointention of submitting to arrest.
"You're wasting time--do better!" he commanded Theodore, and he nudgedthe gun under his ribs. "That's the key, that crooked one--use it,quick!"
Theodore dared not disobey. The chain fell away, and Dorothy ranforward, with a sob upon her lips.
"Don't hamper me, dear," said Garrison, watching the Robinsons alertly."Just get your hat, and we'll go."
Dorothy ran to a closet, drew forth a hat, and cried that she was ready.
"Throw those keys in the hall!" commanded Garrison, and young Robinsontossed them out as directed. "Now, then, over in the corner with thepair of you!"
The helpless Robinsons moved over to the corner of the room. Dorothywas already in the hall. Garrison was backing out, to lock the door,when Dorothy ran in again beside him.
"Just a minute!" she said, and, going to the bed, despite Garrison'simpatience, she turned down the pillow and caught up a bunch of fadedroses--his roses--and, blushing in girlish confusion, ran out oncemore, and slammed the door, which Garrison locked on her relations.
"Throw the keys under the rug," he said quietly. "We've no time tolose. The old man rang in an alarm."
Dorothy quickly hid the keys as directed. The face she turned to himthen was blanched with worry.
"What shall we do?" she said, as he led her down the stairs. "In alittle town like this there's no place to go."
"I provided for that," he answered; and, beholding her start as a soundof loud knocking at the door in the rear gave new cause for fright, headded: "Thank goodness, the old bearded woman has gone around back toget in!"
Half a minute more, and both were out upon the walk. Garrison carryinghis book, his pistol once more in his pocket.
A yell, and a shrill penetrative whistle from the rear of the house,now told of Theodore's activities at the window of the room where heand his father were imprisoned. He was doubtless making ready to lethimself down to the ground.
"We may have to make a lively run," said Garrison. "My motor-car istwo blocks away."
They were still a block from the waiting car when, with yells and afurious blowing of his whistle, Theodore came running to the streetbefore his house. One minute later a big red car, with the chief ofthe town's police and the chief of the local firemen, shot around thecorner into Myrtle Avenue, and came to a halt before the residencewhich the fugitives had just barely quitted.
"Make a run for it now, we're in for a race," said Garrison, and, withDorothy skipping in excitement beside him, he came to his waitingchauffeur.
"That fellow up the street is on our trail!" he said. "Cut loose allthe speed you've got. Fifty dollars bonus if you lose the bunch beforeyou cross the bridge to New York!"
He helped Dorothy quickly to her seat inside, and only pausing to notethat Theodore was clambering hotly into the big red car, two longvillage blocks away, he swung in himself as the driver speeded up themotor.
Then, with a whir and a mighty lurch as the clutch went in, theautomobile started forward in the road.
Ten seconds later they were running full speed, with the muffler cutout, and sharp percussions puncturing the air like a Gatling gun'sterrific detonations.
The race for New York had commenced.