CHAPTER XXIV
THE PROOF OF THE NEGATIVE
"Come in, Mr. Sheriff. Don't be bashful," said Thaddeus Lasher, with agrimace of pain.
"Thank you, Lasher. Glad to see you so cheerful." And Mr. Dodd walkedin.
"Oh, I've become reconciled to my fate, that's all. This boy hasrelieved my fear that I had a broken leg; and just now, of all times,that would have been a sure-enough calamity. He's eased the pain some,too, which is another blessing," returned the escaped convict.
The sheriff looked keenly at him.
"I admire your grit, anyway, and I'm sorry that duty compels me todisturb your dream of freedom," he observed.
"That's all right, Mr. Sheriff. I'm not asking favors of anyman--_now_!" replied the other.
Frank was amazed. He thought that if ever a poor fellow had cause formourning his hard luck, Thaddeus Lasher was the one. He had escaped fromprison, and eluded the authorities for nearly three months, only tohave this miserable fall, that in a measure was responsible for hisbeing retaken.
And yet he even smiled, back of the lines of physical pain on his face.
Another man stood in the entrance to the grotto, one of Mr. Dodd'sdeputies; in fact, the same fellow who had spent the night in camp withthe boys.
"What can we do about it, Bill?" questioned the sheriff.
At this the man came forward and bent over the recumbent form.
"Sure he ain't shamming, are you, Mr. Dodd?" he asked dubiously.
"How about it, Will?" And the sheriff turned with a smile to the amateursurgeon.
"No sham there, sir. He really thought he had broken the bones, but itproves to be a sprain that will keep him from walking alone for weeks. Iwas just making a suggestion when you came."
"And what might that be, my boy?" queried the sheriff kindly.
"If he could be carried to our big canoe, we would engage to paddle himacross the lake to our camp. There I would be able to take charge of himuntil such time as you thought best to--er--leave us," stammered Will.
At that the sheriff grinned and the wounded man laughed outright.
"Don't hesitate to say it, my boy," said the latter, "because I know, ofcourse, that the officer is here for one purpose, and that is to take meback to the prison I escaped from with a particular purpose in view.Isn't that so, sheriff?"
"Sorry to say it is," replied Mr. Dodd, shaking his head.
"But he's mistaken when he thinks that they are going to add to my fouryears because of this break of mine. I tell you that rather will I havethis State on its knees, apologizing to me as best it can for havingkept me shut up all this time without cause!" exclaimed the man, raisinghimself on his elbow, and speaking with a passion that thrilled theboys.
Again Mr. Dodd surveyed his prisoner with renewed interest.
"That sounds like you had found something, Thaddeus," he remarked, a biteagerly, for the strange case had interested him much more than it didthe stubborn head warden of the penitentiary.
"Well, I have!" replied the convict, with a ring of triumph in hisvoice.
"The booty?" demanded the officer.
"Yes; but, best of all, the glass negative that Fletcher somehowrefused to destroy, even though it would incriminate him, if ever seen!"
"Hurrah!" exclaimed Will, in great excitement, for this point of thematter appealed to him as nothing else could.
The sheriff showed his good heart by bending down and grasping the handof the prostrate convict.
"I congratulate you, Thaddeus. I liked your nerve in breaking away toprove the claim you made. So the old thief didn't fool you, after all?Well, it goes to his credit as one decent thing he did in his life,perhaps the only one, at that. Now, I think the lad's suggestion a goodone. We must get you out of here, and the sooner the better. Bill, beara hand with me," he said, with a business-like air.
"Hold on, just a minute, Mr. Sheriff! Of course, you understand thatI've got all that plunder secreted away. When I can get back here againI'll lead the officers to where it lies, and I don't believe he evertouched a single thing of the lot, for he was caught soon afterward onanother old charge and sent up, to end his days behind the bars. But Imust hold on to that plate, for if all goes well, it means liberty andlife to me, thank God!"
He spoke a few words to Andy, who hurried off to a corner of thecavern. Bending down, he took a package from a crevice, handling it verycarefully. It was wrapped in an old newspaper, and outside of that aflannel shirt had been tied. That photographic, fragile bit of glass wasworth more to poor Thaddeus Lasher than all the wealth of the Indies.
"Now do with me what you please, Mr. Sheriff," said the man grimly.
They handled him as carefully as possible, though in spite of theirsolicitude he groaned several times as he was being carried down theslope to where the three canoes were drawn up on the pebbly strand.
Making as good a cushion as possible in the bottom of the large canoe,the boys assisted in laying the wounded man there. He heaved a sigh ofrelief when this was finally accomplished.
"It's mighty Christian-like of you young chaps to help a wretchedfugitive from justice in this way; but make up your minds, boys, you'reonly assisting an unfortunate fellow to right himself in the eyes of theworld," he said, with a grateful look toward Frank and his chums.
"How about that ghost racket, sir?" asked Bluff, unable to restrain hiscuriosity longer.
"That answered its purpose for some time while I was hunting; but itseems as though it must have outlived its usefulness. In fact, Iwouldn't be surprised if it was the main cause of this invasion of myprivate territory," said Lasher humorously, evidently glad of a chanceto have his mind diverted from his suffering.
"Well, it was really the cause of our coming up here. Only for the ghostof Oak Ridge we might have selected another place for camping. Some timeI'd like to know how you did it, though Frank said that shiny appearancecould be caused by using phosphorus," persisted Bluff.
"Which was just what I did," acknowledged the other, as the canoe wasshoved off, with Frank in the stern and Jerry seated in the bow, paddlesin hand, ready to make the passage of Lake Surprise.
Mr. Dodd was stowed away in the canoe with Will, while Bluff ferriedBill across with the greatest ease. So in good time they landed on theother shore. Here, Adolphus and Jed awaited them, with wonder on theirfaces. When the colored man heard that the boys were bringing thedreadful "ghost" to camp his knees shook with fear; and all the timeThaddeus Lasher remained in that place the negro refused to go near him,such was his superstition.
They soon made the wounded man fairly comfortable.
"To-morrow," said the sheriff, later on, "if so be you can let us haveyour team, we will take Thaddeus to town, and send the wagon back by oneof my men."
"It's a bargain, Mr. Dodd. That will give us one more night, then, ofyour society, which pleases my chums and myself. Watch Will! I cansuspect what he's hanging around the wounded man for," remarked Frank.
"That negative draws him," suggested the other, laughing.
"That's what it is. Just at present he's photography mad, as you mightsay. He tries to snap us off in the most astonishing situations. Ibelieve that if I happened to be hanging by my toes, from a limb fiftyfeet from the ground, and in danger of having my brains dashed out, Willwould shriek out to me to 'Please, _please_, can't you just wait a fewseconds til I get you focussed!'"
The sheriff laughed heartily.
"There! He's speaking to Thaddeus now. The man looks interested andanxious. He hardly knows whether to allow his precious plate to pass outof his hands, even for a few minutes," he remarked presently.
"But he has decided to take the risk. There! He hands the package to mychum. Note that look of rapture on Will's face, please! Nothing coulddelight Will more than a chance to undertake that little printing job.Now he has gone into the tent, and I suppose that before long we'll knowwhat's what," said Frank.
"It'll be an anxious ten minutes to poor Thaddeus," remarked thesheriff.
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Presently Will came out with a printing frame, which he stuck where thebright sun could fall full upon it.
"He's going to just try a solo print at first," remarked Frank. "It willdo to prove the thing, one way or the other. Later on he can print allthe permanent copies the man wants."
Twice did Andy approach Will with a message from his father, but theyoung photographer only shook his head. Finally he snatched up theframe, took a look, by unfastening one end, and then eagerly removed thepaper.
The wounded man, who was lying near the fire, drew himself up on hiselbow, and the look on his face was full of eagerness.
"What luck?" asked Frank, hurrying over.
"The best ever! The print is as clear as a bell, and I'll get a finepicture when I go at it properly. See there!"
Will held out the paper, upon which the sun had printed a positivereproduction of the interior of a room, with a man crouching before asafe. His head was turned as though he had been looking straight at theconcealed camera, so that his face stood out clear and distinct!
It was a smooth-shaven, repulsive face, but utterly unlike that ofThaddeus Lasher!