CHAPTER VI
THE BURNED COTTAGE
"Nonsense!" exclaimed Bob. "What makes you think we'd do a trick likethat?"
"Never mind about that!" exclaimed the elder Looker, furiously. "Isupposed you'd deny it. I want to see your father, young man."
"Here he is," and Mr. Layton, who had been attracted to the door byMr. Looker's loud and angry tones, emerged on to the porch. "What canI do for you, Mr. Looker?"
"You can pay me for my house that your boy and his companions burntdown," said Mr. Looker in angry tones.
"I rather think you must be mistaken," said Mr. Layton. "What groundshave you for making such a serious accusation?"
"My boy caught them red-handed after they'd broken into the house, andmade them get off my property. It wasn't six hours later that theplace was burned, and there's no doubt in my mind that your boy andhis friends set it on fire just to get even. They've always had agrudge against Buckley, anyway, and are always doing all they can tomake life miserable for the poor fellow."
"You know that isn't true, Dad," protested Bob, hotly, "neither aboutthe fire, nor about Buck. He's always the one that starts trouble."
"You've got plenty of nerve, Looker, to come here and make anaccusation like this to me," remarked Mr. Layton, his usually kindlyface stern and set. "There are many ways that fire could have occurredbesides being deliberately set, and you know it. Likely enough sometramps had decided to spend the night there, and set it on fire byaccident. You had better get off my property before I am tempted tothrow you off."
"It might not be so easy as you think," sneered the elder Looker, butnevertheless he began edging toward the sidewalk. "If you don't pay,I'll see my lawyer and have him bring action in court. See if Idon't."
"Suit yourself," answered Mr. Layton, shrugging his shoulders. "Yourlawyer will tell you, though, that you haven't the shadow of a case.As for your boy, he looks big enough to take care of himself, and ifhe can't, I don't see what business that is of mine."
"I'll show you," threatened Mr. Looker, as he turned down the walk."Don't worry about that. Maybe somebody will be arrested."
"As you please," said Mr. Layton, with a grim smile.
Mr. Looker and his promising son reached the sidewalk in sullensilence, while Bob and his father watched them until they turned thecorner of the street.
"Young Looker is a young bully, just as you say, and his father wouldlike to be," said Mr. Layton, seating himself in a rocking chair. "Isuppose you and Joe and the others are sure you didn't light a matchfor any purpose while you were there?"
"Absolutely not, Dad," asserted Bob. "We weren't inside that shackmore than five minutes the first time, and, with that bear outside,lighting matches was the last thing we'd have thought of. As soon asthe bear's owner captured him, we went outside. We worked on the roofboth from outside and inside, and tried to patch the thing up. Westruck no matches. We were doing the last few things inside when Buckcame along."
"Tell me just what happened then," directed Mr. Layton.
"Why, then there was a bit of an argument with Buck," grinned Bob. "Weknew that the place belonged to his father, and that there was nothingfor us to do but clear out. We came right home from there, though, andyou know that we were all here listening to radio that entireevening."
"Yes, I remember that," nodded his father. "And I guess that would bea pretty convincing alibi if Looker really should carry the case tocourt. My opinion is, though, that he's just bluffing, and we'll neverhear any more of it."
"I wish I did know who _was_ responsible," speculated Bob. "Do youreally think tramps were responsible, Dad?"
"Very likely. Several barns have been burned in this neighborhood fromthe same cause, you know. I'm rather sorry that you and your friendswere around there the same day it happened, because unless the realcause is discovered the Lookers will never stop talking about it.However, it's a small matter and we'll not think any more about it.From what you tell me, the place must have been falling apart,anyway."
"I should say so," laughed Bob. "We were a surprised bunch when thatroof caved in with us. The place was so rickety it's a wonder itdidn't all come down then."
"I'll bet you were a scared bunch," bantered his father, a twinkle inhis eyes.
"I'll say we were," admitted Bob, honestly. "If we'd had a gun withus, it would have been a different story, though. Tony would have beenout one large, brown bear."
"It's just as well you didn't," said Mr. Layton, dryly. "We'd have hadTony threatening a lawsuit, too, if you had killed his pet bear."
"It would have been a shame to do it," admitted Bob.
For a few minutes they both sat silent, each busy with his ownthoughts.
"I expect I'll have to be away from home most of next week, Bob," saidMr. Layton, at length. Bob looked at him expectantly, and hecontinued. "There is a store at Mountain Pass being offered at abargain, and I'm strongly tempted to buy it and operate it as abranch. I'm going to look the ground over, anyway, and if it looks asgood then as it does now, I think I'll buy."
"That will be fine!" exclaimed Bob. "I've heard a good deal about thatplace lately, and it seems to be getting more popular all the time. Ifyou go will you take mother with you?"
Mr. Layton nodded, and waited expectantly for the question that heknew was coming. Nor was he wrong.
"How about taking me along, Dad?" said Bob, eagerly. "It will be apeach of a trip. They say the scenery through Mountain Pass is thebest ever."
"Well, I've thought of that, too, because I was pretty sure you'd wantto come. But I'm afraid they'll have you too busy in the high schoolthis term for us to manage it. I may have to be gone two or threeweeks, and that would be a serious break in your studies."
Bob urged and pleaded, but his father was adamant, and at last Bob wasforced reluctantly to give up the idea of going.
When he told the other radio boys about the visit of the Lookers, theywere as indignant as he.
"'Like father, like son,'" quoted Joe. "They're two of a kind, thatpair. But I guess they didn't get much satisfaction out of yourfather, Bob."
"I should say not!" laughed Bob. "If they had said much more, I thinkwe'd have treated ourselves to the pleasure of throwing them into thestreet."
Bob then told them about his father's projected trip to Mountain Pass,and his disappointment at not being allowed to accompany his parents.
"That's pretty tough," said Jimmy, sympathetically. "I know how youmust feel. It would be a swell trip, and they say the meals at theMountain Rest Hotel up at Mountain Pass are about the best ever."
"There you go!" exclaimed Bob, laughing. "It's a lucky thing for thehotel that you're not going. They'd lose money on you, sure asshooting."
"Well, I'd try to get my money's worth," said Jimmy, complacently.
"You'd get it, too, no fear of that," said Joe, confidently.
When this conversation took place, the boys never dreamed that theymight all be going to Mountain Pass together in the near future. Butas events shaped themselves in the next few days, this began to assumean aspect of probability.
The epidemic of typhoid increased, and there was something nearlyapproaching a panic in Clintonia. Families began leaving the townevery day, and Dr. Atwood, as head of the town Board of Health,finally issued orders that the schools must close until the epidemichad been gotten under control.
When Bob heard this news, he could not, in spite of the seriousness ofthe situation, suppress a feeling of exultation. With school closed,the main objection to his accompanying his parents to Mountain Passwas removed, and he had little doubt now that he could persuade themto take him.
The task was even easier than he had anticipated, for the Laytons,like all the other towns-people, were greatly alarmed over the rapidspread of the sickness, and when Bob broached the subject to them theyreadily consented to having him go with them.
"It's an ill wind that blows nobody any good," thought Bob, andhurried away to seek his friends and tell them the good n
ews.
He found all three of them in a state of excitement equal to his own.
"Dad wants us all to leave town, too," declared Joe. "He says theremust be something wrong with the water supply, and he wants us allaway until the trouble has been located and remedied."
"My father says the same thing," said Herb. "The trouble is, thatwe'll have to go to different places, and that breaks up ourcombination for goodness knows how long."
"Maybe we could get our folks to let us all stick together and go toMountain Pass with Bob," ventured Jimmy. "It seems too good to betrue, though."
"It's an idea, anyway," declared Joe. "You certainly come out strongonce in a while, Doughnuts. It won't do any harm to try, at any rate."
The others agreed with this, and that night besieged their parents tolet them go to the mountain resort. They succeeded more easily thanthey had hoped, as the older people were too worried over thesituation, and too busy packing up, to offer much resistance to theimpetuous lads.
Early the next morning first Joe, and then Herb and Jimmy, droppedinto the Layton home, to report their success to Bob.
"Well, that's great!" exclaimed the latter. "Jimmy, you win thecelluloid frying pan for making that suggestion yesterday."
"Huh! that's about as useful as anything I'll ever get from youIndians," snorted Jimmy. "I ought to make you pay in advance for myideas, instead of giving them away so carelessly."
"You'll never get rich that way," remarked Joe. "But let's cut out thecomedy, fellows, and get down to business. When are your folks goingto start for Mountain Pass, Bob?"
"The day after tomorrow."
"Whew!" whistled Herb. "That means that we'll have to flash a littlespeed, doesn't it?"
"I sha'n't worry about that," grinned Bob. "I'm all ready to startthis minute, so I'll sit back and watch you fellows hustle. It will belots of fun."
"You won't be able to see me, on account of the dust I'll raise,"announced Jimmy.
"You're going to stay at the Mountain Rest Hotel, aren't you, Bob?"asked Joe.
"Sure! It's the best hotel up there. The only one, in fact; though Ibelieve some of the natives take a few people into their homes."
"By the way," said Herb. "Who's said anything to Mrs. or Mr. Laytonabout our joining their party? Seems incredible, but maybe they won'twant us."
"Gee!" gasped Joe. "I never thought of that. But maybe it's so."
"There's mother now," announced Bob. "Let's put it up to her."
This they did, and her son's three friends were assured by Mrs. Laytonthat if their parents were willing they should go she and Mr. Laytonwould be glad to have them in their party.
"That's fixed then," announced Jimmy. "I'm off now, fellows. Nextstop, Mountain Pass."