CHAPTER VII--NAT POOLE'S REVELATION
Both Dave and Ben stared in astonishment at the son of the money-lenderof Crumville. Nat was highly indignant, but the reason for this was acomplete mystery to the other lads.
"Blacken your character?" repeated Dave. "Nat, what are you talkingabout?"
"You know well enough."
"I do not."
"And I say you do!" blustered the bully. "You can't crawl out of it.I've followed the thing up and I've got the evidence against you, andagainst Roger Morr, too. I was going to speak to Doctor Clay about it,but I know he'd side with you and smooth it over--he always does. But ifI tell my father, you'll find you have a different man to deal with!"
Nat spoke in a high-pitched voice that drew the attention of half adozen men and women in the car. Ben was greatly annoyed.
"Say, Nat, don't make a public exhibition of yourself," he said, in alow tone. "If you've got anything against Dave, why don't you wait untilwe are alone?"
"I don't have to wait," answered Nat, as loudly as ever. "I am going tosettle this thing right now."
Fortunately the train rolled up to the Junction depot at this moment andeverybody, including the boys, left the car. Several gazed curiously atDave and Nat, and, seeing this, Ben led the others to the end of theplatform. Here there was a freight room, just then deserted.
"Come on in here, and then, Nat, you can spout all you please," saidBen.
"You ain't going to catch me in a corner!" cried the bully, in somealarm.
"It isn't that, Nat. I don't want you to make a fool of yourself infront of the whole crowd. See how everybody is staring at you."
"Humph! Let them stare," muttered the bully; yet he followed Ben andDave into the freight room, and Ben stood at the doorway, so that nooutsiders might come in. One boy tried to get in, thinking possibly tosee a fight, but Ben told him to "fly on, son," and the lad promptlydisappeared.
"Now then, Nat, tell me what you are driving at," said Dave, as calmlyas he could, for he saw that the money-lender's son was growing moreenraged every minute.
"I don't have to tell you, Dave Porter; you know all about it."
"I tell you I don't--I haven't the least idea what you are driving at."
"Maybe you'll deny that you were at Leesburgh last week."
"Leesburgh?"
"Yes, Leesburgh, at Sampson's Hotel, and at the Arcade moving-pictureand vaudeville show," and as he uttered the words Nat fairly glared intothe face of our hero.
"I haven't been near Leesburgh for several months--not since a crowd ofus went there to a football game."
"Humph! You expect me to believe that?"
"Believe it or not, it is true."
"You can't pull the wool over my eyes, Dave Porter! I know you were atLeesburgh last week Wednesday, you and Roger Morr. And I know you wentto Sampson's Hotel and registered in my name and then cut up like arowdy there, in the pool-room, and got thrown out, and I know you andRoger Morr went to the Arcade and made a fuss there, and got thrown outagain, but not until you had given my name and the name of Gus Plum. Gusmay forgive you for it, and think it only a joke. But I'll not do it, Ican tell you that! You have got to write a letter to the owner of thathotel and to the theater manager and explain things, and you and RogerMorr have got to beg my pardon. And if you don't, as I said before, I'lltell my father and get him to have you arrested." And now Nat was soexcited he moved from one foot to the other and shook his fist in theair.
To the bully's surprise Dave did not get excited. On the contrary, ourhero's face showed something that was akin to a faint smile. Ben saw itand wondered at it.
"Say, you needn't laugh at me!" howled Nat, noting the look. "Before Iget through with you, you'll find it no laughing matter."
"I am not laughing at you, Nat."
"Well, do you admit that what I've said is true?"
"No; on the contrary, I say it is false, every word of it. Did you saythis happened last Wednesday?"
"I did."
"Both Roger Morr and I were at the school all day Wednesday. During theday I attended all my classes, and after school I went to my room, alongwith Polly Vane, Luke Watson, and Sam Day, and the three of us wrote onthe essays we had to hand in Thursday. After supper we went down to thegym for about half an hour, and then went back to our dormitory. And,come to think of it, you saw us there," added Dave suddenly.
"I saw you?"
"You certainly did. You came to the door and asked Luke Watson for aLatin book; don't you remember? Luke got it out of his bureau. We wereall at the big table. Sam Day flipped a button at you and it hit you inthe chin."
At these unexpected words the face of the money-lender's son fell.
"Was that--er--was that Wednesday?" he faltered.
"It certainly was, for we had to hand the essays in Thursday and we wereall working like beavers on them."
"Nat, what Dave says is absolutely true--I know he wasn't near Leesburghlast week, for I was with him every day and every evening," said Ben.
"But I got the word from some fellows in Leesburgh. They followed youfrom the hotel to the show and talked to you afterwards, and they saidyou told them your name was Porter, and the other chap said his name wasMorr. They said you gave the names of Poole and Plum just to keep yourreal identity hidden."
"Well, I am not guilty, Nat; I give you my word of honor on it."
"But--but--if you aren't guilty how is it those fellows got your name andthat of Morr?" asked the money-lender's son, not knowing what else tosay.
"I think I can explain it, Nat. The same fellows who did that areannoying me in other ways. But I'll not explain unless you will give meyour word of honor to keep it a secret, at least for the present."
"A secret, why?"
"Because I don't want the thing talked about in public. The more youtalk about such things the worse off you are. Let me tell you that Ihave suffered more than you have, and other folks have suffered too."
"Do you mean to say that some other fellows did this and gave my nameand Plum's first and yours and Morr's afterwards?" asked Nat, curiously.
"Exactly."
"Why?"
"For a twofold reason; first to blacken your character and that of Plum,and, secondly, to cause trouble between all of us."
"What fellows would be mean enough to do that?"
"Two fellows who used to be your friends, but who have had to run away,to keep from being arrested."
"Say, you don't mean Link Merwell and Nick Jasniff!" burst out themoney-lender's son.
"Those are the chaps I do mean, Nat."
"But I thought they had left these parts. They were in Crumville, Iknow," and now the bully looked knowingly at our hero.
"You have heard the reports from home then?" asked Dave, and he felt hisface burn.
"Sure."
"Nat, those reports are all false--as false as this report of your doingsat Leesburgh. They are gotten up by Jasniff and Merwell solely to injuremy friends and my family and me. My sister and Jessie Wadsworth wouldrefuse to even recognize those fellows, much less go auto-riding withthem. Let me tell you something." And in as few words as possible ourhero related how things had been sent to him and his friends withoutbeing ordered by them, and of the other trouble Jasniff and Merwell werecausing. The money-lender's son was incredulous at first, but graduallyhis face relaxed.
"And is all that really so?" he asked, at last.
"Every word is absolutely true," answered Dave.
"Then Nick and Link ought to be in jail!" burst out Nat. "It's anoutrage to let them do such things. Why don't you have 'em lockedup--that is what I'd do!"
"We've got to catch them first."
"Do you mean to say you are trying to do that?"
"We are."
"Well, you catch 'em, and if you want me to appear against 'em, I'll doit--and I'll catch 'em myself if I can."
There was a pause, and Nat started for the doorway of the freight room.But Ben still barred the way.
&nb
sp; "Nat, don't you think you were rather hasty in accusing Dave?" he asked,bluntly.
"Well--er--maybe I was," answered the money-lender's son, growing a bitred.
"Oh, let it pass," said Dave. "I might have been worked up myself, if Ihad been in Nat's place."
"Here comes the train--we don't want to miss it," cried themoney-lender's son, and he showed that he was glad to close theinterview. "Remember, if you catch those fellows, I'll testify against'em!" he called over his shoulder as he pushed through the doorway.
"The same old Nat, never willing to acknowledge himself in the wrong,"was Ben's comment, as he and Dave ran for the car steps. The other boyhad lost himself in the waiting crowd and got into another car, and theydid not see him again until Crumville was reached, and even then he didnot speak to them.
The snow was coming down lightly when Dave and Ben alighted, baggage andbundles in hand, for they had not risked checking anything in such acrowd. Ben's father was on hand to greet him, and close at hand stoodthe Wadsworth family sleigh, with Laura and Jessie on the rear seat. Thedriver came to take the suit-case and Dave's bundle, grinning a welcomeas he did so.
"There's Dave!" cried Jessie, as soon as he appeared. "Isn't he growingtall!" she added.
"Yes," answered the sister. "Dave!" she called.
"Here we are again!" he cried with a bright smile, and shook hands. "Ibrought you a snowstorm for a change."
"I like snow for Christmas," answered Jessie. She was blushing, for Davehad given her hand an extra tight squeeze.
"How are the folks?"
"All very well," answered Laura. "What have you in that big bundle?"
"Oh, that's a secret, sis," he returned.
"Christmas presents!" cried the sister. "Jessie, let us open the bundleright away." And she made a playful reach for it.
"Not to-day--that belongs to Santa Claus!" cried the brother, holding thebundle out of reach. "My, but this town looks good to me!" he added, ashe looked around and waved his hand to Mr. Basswood. Then Ben took amoment to run up and greet the girls.
"You must come over, Ben," said Laura.
"Why, yes, by all means," added Jessie, and Ben said he would. Then herejoined his father, and Dave got into the sleigh, being careful to keephis big bundle on his lap, where the girls could not "poke a hole intoit to peek," as he put it. There was a flourish of the whip, and theelegant turnout, with its well-matched black horses, started in thedirection of the Wadsworth mansion.