Boy Scouts on a Long Hike; Or, To the Rescue in the Black Water Swamps

  CHAPTER VII

  INNOCENT OR GUILTY?

  Paul could feel the farmer trembling as he happened to come in contactwith his person; and from this he guessed that Mr. Rollins had alsodiscovered the pile of money on the table.

  Was Jo Davies, then, such a silly fellow as this? It did not seempossible that anyone not a fool would rob his employer, and immediatelyhurry home, to throw the stolen money before his dear old mother, withsome wonderful story of how he had found it on the road, perhaps, or hadit given to him by a millionaire whose horse he stopped on the highway,when it was running away with a lady in the vehicle.

  And somehow, from the few little glimpses Paul had caught of the youngfellow's face he rather liked Jo Davies. If, as seemed very likely, theyoung man had been tempted to steal this money, it would cause Paul afeeling of regret, even though he had not known there was such a beingas Jo Davies in the world half an hour before.

  "Whoo! see the long green!" he heard Seth whisper. "Reckon he's gone anddone it, worse luck!" and from the words and the manner of his sayingthem, Paul guessed that the speaker must have taken a fancy to Jo, aswell as himself.

  The window happened to be shut, and so this whisper attracted noattention on the part of those within the cottage. Indeed, they were sogiven over to excitement themselves that they were hardly apt to noticeanything out of the common.

  Paul could feel the farmer beginning to slip down, and it was easy tounderstand that the sight of all that money made him want to rushinside, to claim it, before the bold thief had a chance to hide hisplunder somewhere.

  And this was the only possible thing that should be done. While Mr.Rollins in the kindness of his heart might wish to spare the dear oldlady all he could, he dared not take any chances of losing sight of hisproperty.

  "Come on, boys!"

  That was quite enough, for when the other scouts heard Paul say thesethree simple words they knew that there was going to be something doing.And quickly did they proceed to fall in behind their leader and thefarmer.

  Under ordinary conditions, perhaps, it might have occurred to the patrolleader to throw some sort of guard around the cabin, so as to preventthe escape of the desperate thief. He did not think of doing such athing now, for various reasons.

  In the first place, one of the scouts could hardly hope to cope withsuch a husky young fellow as the farmhand, if once he wanted to breakthrough the line.

  Then again, it hardly seemed likely that Jo Davies would attempt toflee, when his old mother was there to witness his confusion; in fact,the chances appeared to be that he would brazen it out, and try toclaim that the money belonged to him. The door was close at hand, sothat it took only part of a minute for the eager farmer to reach themeans of ingress.

  He did not hesitate a second, after having set eyes on all that alluringpile of bank notes on the table, under the glow of the lamp.

  And when he suddenly opened the door, to burst into the room, Paul andthe other scouts were close upon his heels, every fellow anxious to seewhat was about to happen.

  Of course the noise caused by their entrance in such a mass, was heardby those in the room. Jo Davies sprang to his feet, and assumed anattitude of defiance, one arm extended, as though to defend the littlefortune that lay there exposed so recklessly upon the table.

  Possibly this was the very first time in all his life that he hadexperienced such a sensation as fear of robbery. When a man has neverpossessed anything worth stealing, he can hardly know what the feelingis. So it must have been sheer instinct that caused Jo to thus stand onguard, ready apparently to fight, in order to protect his property,however recently it may have come into his possession.

  No wonder that he felt this sudden alarm, to have the door of his homerudely thrown open, and a horde of fellows fairly tumbling over eachother, in their eagerness to enter.

  Then, the look of alarm seemed to pass away from the face of the youngfellow; as though he had recognized his employer. Paul wondered whetherthis was real or cleverly assumed. He saw Jo actually smile, andadvancing a step, half hold out his hand toward Mr. Rollins.

  But the farmer was looking very stern just then. He either did not seethe extended hand, or else meant to ignore it purposely, for hecertainly made no move toward taking it.

  "I've got back, Mr. Rollins," Jo said, his voice rather shaky, eitherfrom excitement, or some other reason; and he stared hard at Paul andthe other khaki-garbed scouts, as though puzzled to account for theirbeing there.

  "So I see," replied the farmer, grimly.

  "I hope you didn't hev too much trouble with the stock, Mr. Rollins," Jowent on to say, in a half hesitating sort of way.

  "Well, if I did, they are all safe and sound; perhaps you'd like to knowthat now," the farmer went on to remark, a little bitterly.

  Jo looked at him queerly.

  "He either doesn't understand what that means, or else is trying to seemignorant," was what Paul thought, seeing this expression of wonderment.

  "I'm glad to hear that, sure I am, Mr. Rollins," the other remarked,slowly, "an' seein' as how you're dropped in on us unexpected like,p'raps I ought to tell you what I meant to say in the mornin.'"

  "What's that?" demanded Mr. Rollins, unconsciously edging a littlecloser to the table where that tempting display of greenbacks could beseen; just as though he began to fear that it might suddenly take wingsand fly away before he could put in a claim for his property.

  "I've come in for a little windfall, sir," began Jo, proudly itappeared.

  "Looks like you had," grumbled the farmer, as he flashed his eyes againtoward the display so near at hand.

  "And if so be you're of the same mind about that Thatcher farm, p'rapswe might come to terms about the same, sir. I guess you'd just as liefsell it to _me_ as anybody else, wouldn't you, Mr. Rollins?"

  "You seem to have a lot of money all of a sudden, Jo?" suggested thefarmer, in a hoarse tone, so that he had to clear his throat twice whilespeaking.

  "Yes, sir, that's so," declared the young farm hand, eagerly. "I neverdreamed of such grand good fortune as an old aunt of mine dying up inIndianapolis, and leaving me all she had in bank. That's why I asked toget off this afternoon, Mr. Rollins, so I could run over, and get whatwas comin' to me."

  The farmer was grinding his teeth a little; but so long as he believedhe saw all his stolen hoard before him, within reach of his hand, heseemed able to control himself; he even waxed a trifle sarcastic, Paulthought, when, looking straight at his hired man, he went on to say:

  "Perhaps now, Jo, I might give a pretty good guess about the size ofthis wonderful fortune you've come into so sudden-like. How would threethousand sound to you, Jo? Is that about the figure now, tell me?"

  Jo turned a wondering face toward his old mother.

  "Well, did you ever hear the beat of that, maw?" he cried, "Mr. Rollinshas just guessed the size of my pile to a dollar, because it was justthree thousand old Aunt Libby left me--a few dollars over p'raps.However did you know it, sir?" and he once more faced the sneeringfarmer.

  "I'll tell you, Jo," continued Mr. Rollins, coldly, "I happen to havejust had three thousand dollars in bills stolen from my house this verynight, by some rascal who first of all set fire to my stable and barn,so that the missus and me'd be so taken up with saving our pet stockwe'd leave the farmhouse unguarded. Yes, and there _was_ a few dollarsmore'n three thousand dollars, Jo. Queer coincidence I'd call it now,wouldn't you?"

  Jo turned deathly white, and stared at his employer. His eyes were roundwith real, or assumed horror. If he was "putting on," as Seth would termit, then this farm hand must be a pretty clever actor for a crudecountry bumpkin, Paul thought.

  "Oh! Jo, my boy, my boy, what does he mean by saying that?"

  The little old lady had arisen from her chair, though she trembled sothat she seemed in danger of falling; but Paul unconsciously moved apace closer, ready to catch her in his arms if she swooned. But Jo,quick as a flash, hearing her voice, whirled around, and threw aprote
cting arm about her.

  "It's all right, maw; don't you go and be afraid. I ain't done nawthingyou need to be fearful about. This money's mine! Set down again, deary.Don't you worrit about Jo. He ain't agoin' to make your dear old heartbleed, sure he ain't."

  And somehow, when Paul saw the tender way in which the rough farm boyforced the little old lady back into her chair, and caught the positivetone in which he gave her this assurance, he seemed almost ready tobelieve Jo _must_ be innocent; although when he glanced at themoney his heart misgave him again.

  "Now, Mr. Rollins, please tell me what it all means?" asked Jo, turningand facing his employer again, with a bold, self-confident manner thatmust have astonished the farmer not a little. "I just come up from townas fast as I could hurry, because, you see, I knew I was bringin' thegreatest of news to maw here. I did see a sorter light in the sky when Iwas leavin' town, and thinks I to myself, that old swamp back of the tenacre patch must be burnin' again; but I never dreamed it was the stableand hay barn, sure I didn't sir."

  The farmer hardly seemed to know what to say to this, he was so takenaback by the utter absence of guilt in the face and manner of Jo.

  Before he could frame any sort of reply the young fellow had spokenagain.

  "You said as how you'd got all the stock out safe, didn't you, Mr.Rollins? I'd just hate to think of Polly and Sue and the hosses bein'burned up. Whatever d'ye think could a set the fire agoin'? Mebbe thatlast hay we put in wa'n't as well cured as it might a been, an' it'sbeen heatin' right along. I meant to look into it more'n once, butsomethin' always came along an' I plumb forgot it."

  Mr. Rollins looked at him, and frowned. He did not know how to answersuch a lead as this. He was growing impatient, almost angry again.

  "Give me my money, Jo, and let me be going; I can't breathe proper inhere, you've upset me so bad," he said, holding out his hand with animperative gesture.

  "But I ain't got no money of yours, Mr. Rollins," expostulated theother, stubbornly. "I'm awful sorry if you've gone and lost your roll,and I'd do most anything to help you find it again; but that moneybelongs to me, and I don't mean to turn it over to nobody. It's goin' tobuy a home for me and maw, understand that, sir--your little Thatcherplace, if so be you'll come to terms; but some other if you won't.That's plain, sir, ain't it?"

  "What, do you have the nerve to stick to that silly story, afteradmitting that this wonderfully gotten fortune of yours tallies to thedollar with what has been taken from my house?" demanded Mr. Rollins,acting as though half tempted to immediately pounce upon the treasure,and take possession, depending on Paul and his scouts to back him up ifJo showed fight.

  "I sure do; and I know what I know, Mr. Rollins!" declared the farmhand,with flashing eyes, as he pushed between the table and the irate farmer;while his little mother wrung her clasped hands, and moaned pitifully tosee the strange thing that was happening there under her own roof.

  It looked for a moment as though there might be some sort of a rumpus;and Seth even began to clench his hands as if ready to take a prominentpart in the same; but as had happened more than a few times before whenthe storm clouds gathered over the scouts, Paul's wise counselintervened to prevent actual hostilities.

  "Wait a minute, Mr. Rollins," he called out. "This thing ought to beeasily settled, one way or another. You understand that queer things mayhappen sometimes, and there is a chance that two sums of money may bealmost exactly alike. Now, if Jo here has inherited a nice littlefortune, he ought to be able to prove that to us by showing letters, orsome sort of documents. How about that, Jo?"

  To the surprise, and pleasure as well, of the scoutmaster, Jo's faceimmediately expanded into a wide grin, and he nodded his head eagerly.

  "Say, maw, what did you do with that letter we had from the law firmover in Indianapolis, tellin' me to come and claim my property, and tobring along something to prove that I was the said Jo Albion Daviesmentioned in Aunt Selina's last will and testament? In the drawer, youmean? All right, I'll get it; and let these gentlemen read the same. Andthere's Squire McGregor as went up with me to identify me to thelawyers, he'll tell you he saw me get this money from the bank, justbefore they closed this arternoon. There she is; now read her out loud,young feller."