THE CASE IS STATED
"It may be that your messenger has come in with my associate," Katz
blustered, as the little caravan came nearer to the camp, "but if I'm
not very much mistaken, both men are here to assist me!"
"You must need a lot of assistance!" Tommy said, with a wrinkling of his
freckled nose. "You look the part, too!"
"Now see here, young man," exclaimed Katz, angrily. "I don't want any
lip from you boys. I've been robbed in this camp, and as soon as my men
come up I'm going to know whether my property is here or not!"
"If you try any funny business with us," Sandy cut in, "you'll get your
block knocked off!"
"We'll see about that when my men come up!" retorted Katz, defiantly.
"I'm not going to submit to being held up by four boys who ought to be
spanked and put to bed instead of being permitted to roam about the
mountains robbing unwary travellers."
Tommy was about to make an angry reply, but Will motioned for him to
remain silent. No more was said until the two men came up with their
heavily-loaded burros. Katz was first to address the newcomers.
"Well, Cullen," he said, extending a hand to a short, heavily-built man
with a dissipated-looking face, "I'm glad you came in on time. I am also
glad that you brought a man in with you, and plenty of provisions," he
added with a look of challenge at the boys.
"Why," replied Cullen, "I don't know anything about this fellow with me.
He came out of Green River with his two burros just ahead of me, and so
we decided to travel together. I should judge from what he said that
he's looking for the camp we have just blundered into."
Katz stepped back as if annoyed at the statement, and finally drew
Cullen away to one side, where they engaged in a whispered conversation.
In the meantime, the messenger advanced toward Will and extended a
sealed envelope. He was a well-built young fellow with a clean-shaven
face which gave every indication of intelligence and determination.
"I guess you're the boys I'm looking for," he said, with a smile, "I'm
John Johnson, of Chicago, special messenger at this time for Mr.
Horton."
"We're glad to see you," Will answered, shaking the young man's hand
heartily. "We have been waiting for instructions, and, besides," he
continued, "this cheap skate that you found here is trying to make us
trouble over something which took place in the camp last night."
"You think he's a cheap skate, do you?" Johnson asked, with a
significant smile. "Well, I don't think anything about it. I know it.
That's Joe Katz, one of the rankest plain-clothes policemen on the
Chicago force! The fellow who came in with me is Ed. Cullen, another
imitation detective. Now tell me what took place last night."
Will related the story of the arrival of the boy and of the claim made
by Katz in the morning. He explained how the detective had threatened
them all when the loss of his property was discovered. Also, how he had
renewed his threats when he believed that he would have the backing of
both newcomers. Johnson smiled at the recital.
"Now, about this boy," he said, without referring to the two detectives
or the threats. "I wish you would describe him to me as accurately as
possible. Tell me exactly how he looked and how he talked."
Will gave as complete a description of the boy as possible, and also
repeated the account the lad had given of himself. Johnson threw back
his head and laughed until the echoes came back from the mountains.
"Well, boys," he said, "you seem to have lighted in a hornet's nest the
first jump out of the box. And so the kid stole the detective's badge
and weapons and money, did he?" he went on, with another roar of
laughter. "That's about the best thing I've heard yet!"
"I don't see anything funny about it!" replied Will.
"You will directly," replied Johnson. "Read your instructions, and then
I'll tell you all about this boy, and all about these two imitation
detectives. Then you'll see how funny this incident is."
Will opened the sealed envelope and held up a sheet of paper which was
entirely blank, except for eight words and a signature written in the
middle of the page. The words were:
"Introducing Mr. John Johnson. He'll tell the story."
The signature was that of the famous criminal lawyer who had induced the
boys to undertake the mission to the Great Divide.
"It won't take very long for me to read the instructions," Will laughed,
as the other boys gathered around him. "It seems to be up to you to tell
us what we want to know!"
"Yes, that's the idea!" replied Johnson. "Mr. Horton explained to me
that he didn't care to put what he had to say to you into writing. But
perhaps we'd better get rid of these imitation fly-cops," he added,
nodding his head toward the two Chicago detectives. "We don't want them
hanging around the camp while we are making our plans."
Katz and Cullen saw that they were being regarded with suspicion and at
once came forward to where the boys stood.
"I've been talking the matter of the robbery over with Cullen," Katz
said, with a smile intended to be conciliating, "and he says that he's
heard of this boy before, and that he's a noted thief. And so," the
detective continued, "I'm very glad to be able to apologize to you for
anything I might have said at a time when I was excited over my loss. I
am satisfied now that you boys are friendly to me, and I sincerely hope
that we'll often meet while we are in the hills."
Tommy was about to make some angry reply, as the insincerity of the man
was plainly discernible, but Will gave him a nudge in the back which
caused him to change his mind.
"And now," Cullen began, "that everything is satisfactorily explained,
perhaps we'd better be on our way!"
"That's a fact!" exclaimed Katz. "I'm very much obliged to the boys for
their friendly shelter and their well-cooked meals, and I hope they'll
all come and partake of our hospitality as soon as we make permanent
camp. We'll take steps to let you know where we are," he added, as the
two turned toward their burros and led off to the north.
Tommy could not give over the thought of landing an irritating
observation as the men walked away by the side of their beasts.
"Remember," he cried, "that the two train robbers and the cowboy
viligance committee went, in that direction last night! You fellows
would better watch out, or you'll get mixed up with hold-up men!"
Katz turned an angry face toward the boy, muttered something to his
companion, and went on without speaking.
"Those fellows won't dare to sleep a single night after that!" laughed
Johnson. "They're scared right now!"
"I don't know anything about Cullen," Tommy answered with a grin, "but I
know that the man Katz is a false alarm. You should have seen him take
to his heels last night, when the train robbers rushed through the camp.
I'd like to know what he's in here for, anyway!"
"That's the very thing I'm here to explain!" replied Johnson. "The
story," he continued, "begins with the death of Thomas T. Fremont, a
Chicago banker, some weeks ago."
"I remember the case," Will interrupted. "The police declare that the
man was murdered, while his relatives insist that he might have
committed suicide."
"That's exactly the point," Johnson went on. "The police are working on
the theory that Fremont was murdered at his private room at the bank one
hot night in July. The relatives declare that there was no reason
whatever for him to have committed suicide, yet they insist that he must
have done so. Now, understand me," Johnson continued, "the relatives are
all interested in the defense of a disinherited son of the banker who is
charged with the crime of murder. And so, you see, when the police ask
them to point to some one fact substantiating the suicide theory they
are unable to do so.
"The result of this peculiar situation is that the police insist that
the relatives are advancing the suicide theory solely for the purpose of
securing the acquittal of the son. To the average citizen, it would seem
that the police are right. The son was always a thorn in the flesh of
his father. He has squandered thousands of dollars in riotous living,
and brought no end of disgrace on the family whose name he bears. And
still the relatives insist that he is innocent, and are willing to spend
a million in order to prevent his dying the death of a murderer. Mr.
Horton represents the relatives."
"I begin to see daylight!" Will exclaimed. "I guess this case isn't such
a little baby affair as we thought it might be!"
"Indeed it is no baby case!" exclaimed Johnson. "The family of the dead
banker have a well-defined theory concerning the death of the old man
which might help their case with the police if they would only present
it to the chief. This, however, they refuse to do, declaring that the
police would only take advantage of the confidence and use the
information received to the prejudice of the prisoner."
"I don't blame them for doubting the honesty of the police!" declared
Tommy. "The detectives are certainly a bum lot!"
"This theory," continued Mr. Johnson, "insists that there was a second
person in the private office of the banker that hot July night. It is
claimed that this person went to the office to secure financial help
from the banker. It is said, too, that he possesses at this time
positive proof, in the form of written documents, showing that Fremont
committed suicide. The family believes this proof to be perfect."
"Then why don't they find this fellow and bring him forward?" asked
Will.
"That is just what they are trying to do," replied Johnson. "That is
just what you boys are expected to do!" he added with a smile. "You are
expected to bring this witness forward, and so establish the innocence
of the son. That's what you're here for."
"That's nice!" exclaimed Tommy. "That's an easy little undertaking for
four school boys! When other means fail, hire Boy Scouts!"
"That's right!" replied Johnson.
"And we won't see him if those two imitation detectives get to him
first!" the boy went on.
"And that's right too," Johnson answered. "For my part, I can't
understand how the Chicago police department got wise to the whereabouts
of Wagner at this time. When it was arranged to send you boys out here
in quest of him, it was understood that the police had no clue whatever
as to his whereabouts. In fact, we all believed that the officers had
abandoned the search for the escaped convict."
"Well, they're here all right!" Sandy cut in. "And look here," he went
on, "we've got something worse than imitation detectives in our midst!
We've got a couple of train robbers, and a band of cowboy vigilantes!"
"Exactly!" Johnson agreed. "And you've got something equally dangerous
for the purposes of our cause. You've got that fourteen-year-old Chester
Winslow, whose name isn't Winslow at all, but Chester Wagner, son of the
escaped convict!"
"Jerusalem!" exclaimed Tommy. "That boy didn't do a thing to Will, did
he?" he added with a roar of laughter. "He told him a story about coming
in on blind baggage, and sized up the camp, and stole the badge and the
weapons and money of the detective sent in here to capture his father.
Just think of the kid coming in here and stealing the detective's badge!
He'd have taken his necktie if he'd 'a' thought of it!"
"I thought you'd see something humorous in the occurrence as soon as you
found out about the boy!" laughed Johnson.
"The little rascal!" shouted Sandy. "The nerve of him! To come in here
and steal the badge of the detective sent out to catch his father! Say,"
he went on, "I hope we'll run across that boy and make friends with him.
I rather like his grit!"
"You won't be apt to find him as long as he thinks it necessary to keep
his father in hiding!" Johnson suggested.
"He's an awful little liar!" exclaimed Will.
"I guess you'd lie, too," laughed Tommy, "if you had the same motive for
lying that he had. He's standing by his father like a brick! And I
won't lay it up against him if he tells lies enough to fill a book! He
drew one friend in me when he stole that policeman's badge."
"These detectives," Will asked in a moment, "are here to take Wagner
back to the penitentiary if they can find him, I suppose?"
"That's the idea! Unless some one of the relatives has leaked, the
police do not understand that Wagner is a factor in the Fremont case.
They are here to take him back to the penitentiary if they can find him
and that's all they know about it."
"Well," Tommy exclaimed, "let them get him and take him back to the
penitentiary! As soon as he gets run in for the remainder of his
sentence he'll tell about being in the banker's private office that hot
July night, and that will secure the release of the boy who is charged
with the murder. It seems to me that the police are helping along this
case."
"Not so you could notice it!" replied Johnson. "The fact is," he went
on, "Wagner is entirely innocent of the crime for which he was
convicted. He has had what the officers call a vindictive grouch on ever
since the day he was sent to prison. In other words, he is at war with
every person in the world except his son, the boy who told you such
pretty fairy stories last night. If he is ever retaken and sent back to
the penitentiary, he will never open his lips, not even if the accused
son dies on the scaffold."
"And that's another beautiful little complication!" exclaimed Sandy.
"The friends of the accused man," continued Johnson, "must find Wagner
and contract to establish his innocence. If the police get him first, we
lose our case. I say this positively because there is no doubt that he
will kill an officer or two before he is taken. Now you boys see exactly
what you have undertaken to do."
"It's interesting, anyhow!" Tommy declared.
"Reads like a novel!" cried Sandy.
"Think of that little rat coming here and stealing the detective's
badge!" laughed George. "It's a sure thing he'll lead those amateur
officers a merry dance while they are in the hills! If I could just get
hold of him, I wouldn't mind helping him along now and then!"
"Well, get hold of him then," advised Johnson.
"But how?" asked Will. "Why, from this time on, you might as well try to
catch a flea in a load of hay as to get your hands on that boy! He can
find you, but you can't find him!"
"But he was hungry last night!" Tommy explained. "And he may become
hungry again!"