_A FRIEND._
The baggage-master immediately displayed the utmost sympathy for the
victim of the old fakir's seductive scheme, and Sam was loud in his
denunciations of a brother in the craft who would serve them in such a
shabby manner.
"You leave him to me, an' I'll show you what can be done," that young
gentleman said, and Teddy replied, reproachfully:
"I've left too much to you already. If you hadn't thought it was
necessary to make the acquaintance of every fellow who was going to the
fair I'd have my fifteen dollars in my cap now."
"I'll get them back for you."
"How?"
"I can't say jest now; but you wait an' see what I can do."
Inasmuch as Teddy must account first to his mother and afterward to
Uncle Nathan for that amount, the confident assertion of his friend
failed to give him any mental relief, and he said, quite sharply:
"You thought it was all right to give the money to him, an' if you
didn't know any more than a country boy who'd never even heard of such
fellows, I can't see how you can do much toward helping."
At this point the baggage-master, who had been listening to the
conversation, broke in with the sage remark:
"It's no use for you fellows to fight over what has been done. The money
is gone; there's no doubt about that; but it may be you can get it
back."
"How?" Teddy asked, eagerly.
"By notifying the police, and it is possible that they may find your man
long before the fair is ended."
"But even if they should, how can I pay Uncle Nathan the eighteen
dollars he wants, after givin' Deacon Jones the ten which I promised?"
"That, of course, is a question I cannot answer," the officer of the
company replied, not unkindly; "but it will certainly be better to get
some of the money back than to lose the whole."
"Of course it will," Sam said, promptly, after waiting a few seconds
without hearing any reply from Teddy. "Tell us what to do, an' I'll see
to the whole thing."
"Hello! What kind of a meeting are you holding here?" a cheery voice
cried, and, looking up, the disconsolate Teddy saw a merchant whose
stock he had been examining a short time previous.
In a few words the baggage-master explained the condition of affairs.
"Can nothing be done?" the merchant asked.
"It is barely possible. The fact of the matter is that the two swindlers
left on the last train, and this boy's money has gone with them beyond a
doubt."
Then the merchant turned to the would-be fakir and asked for further
particulars, which were readily given, the latter saying, as he finished
the sad story:
"Uncle Nathan is bound to raise a big row, an' I won't be able to help
mother, as I counted on doing; but I s'pose it serves me right."
"I'm not so sure of that, lad, for all of us are liable to be taken in
at some time or another. It is possible you may make money at the fair,
and I will give you credit to the amount you lost. Go to the store, show
this slip, and get what you think may be needed."
While speaking the merchant had been writing on a piece of paper torn
from his memorandum book, and when he handed it to Teddy the almost
heartbroken boy read the following words:
The bearer, Edward Hargreaves, is entitled to credit, thirty
days' time, on all he may need, to the extent of thirty
dollars.
JOHN REAVES.
"But I only lost fifteen dollars," Teddy said, as he read the order.
"I so understood; but you may need more, therefore I have made the
amount sufficiently large. Don't hesitate to buy what is wanted, and
whether you ever find the swindler or not, I feel very positive my bill
will be paid."
Teddy tried to thank the merchant, but that lump in his throat was still
too near his mouth to admit of many words, and Sam whispered:
"Don't say anything more about it. You've struck the biggest kind of
luck, and the safest way is to hold your tongue."
Even had it been possible to speak, Teddy could not have said all that
was in his heart, and before Sam had time to give any further advice the
merchant boarded a train which was just starting for New York, leaving
the young fakir and his newly-made friend to settle matters among
themselves.
"You're in big luck," the latter said, consolingly. "What's the
difference if you have lost fifteen dollars so long as you know how to
get thirty dollars' worth of goods to start in business?"
"But this bill will have to be paid, and Uncle Nathan must have his
money; that leaves me forty-five dollars in debt."
"S'pose'n it does? You're bound to make a good deal more'n that, an' I'm
here to help you through."
Teddy came very near saying that if Sam had not been there the fifteen
dollars would still be reposing beneath the lining of his cap; but he
succeeded in checking himself, and the reproachful words remained
unspoken.
At this point in the conversation the baggage-master insisted that
information of the swindler should be given to the police, and, whether
they desired to do so or not, the boys were forced to accompany him to
headquarters.
Here it is possible their story might have been told without exciting
more than ordinary interest if the name of the kindly-disposed merchant
had not been used; but that was sufficient to awaken a decided interest,
and every detail was written down carefully.
"We will try to get the money for you," the chief said. "Several of my
men will be at the fair, and if you see this fellow again, information
must be given to them immediately."
Teddy had but little hope that any good would result by this means, but
he promised faithfully to do as requested, and then the boys were at
liberty to finish the business which had been interrupted so
disastrously.
So much time had been wasted that it was necessary to move around very
lively in order to have the goods ready before the stage should leave,
and Teddy did a great deal toward expediting matters by explaining to
the clerk at the store on which he had the order for credit exactly
what he proposed to do.
The young man understood at once the kind of goods which would be
needed, and without listening to the many suggestions made by Sam
selected a good assortment of both knives and canes.
"Ain't you getting more than thirty dollars' worth?" Teddy asked, as the
clerk continued to add to the pile.
"I think not. These are all cheap goods, you know, and make a big show
without amounting to any very great value. I will put in cotton cloth
enough for the cane board, and as many rings as you will need unless
business should be very brisk."
The clerk was bent on making the bill exactly the size of the order, and
when the prices had been figured out Teddy had invested just thirty
dollars in a stock which must bring in a profit of at least fifty per
cent. in order to admit of his paying the debts already contracted.
The goods were to be put on the stage by the salesman, and there was
nothing further for the boys to do but decide on their manner of
traveling to the Run.
"After losin' fifteen dollars, I reckon there's only one thing for me to
do," Teddy said, as they left the store. "I'm goin'to walk; but you can
do as you please."
"S'pose'n we both ride? You're bound to make a pile of money before the
fair is over, an' can afford---- By jinks! There's that fakir now!"
In an instant Sam was off at full speed, crying: "Stop thief!" with the
full strength of his lungs, as he pursued a man carrying a bundle
covered with green cloth.
Such an appeal was well calculated to arouse every idler in the
immediate vicinity, and before Teddy fully understood what had happened
not less than twenty men and boys were in chase of the stranger, who,
strange to say, had not quickened his pace.
The thought that it might yet be possible to regain his money lent
unusual speed to the would-be fakir's heels, and he was among the
foremost when the man suddenly halted, turned squarely around, and
asked:
"What is the matter with you people? Do you want me?"
"I guess we do," a policeman replied, as he seized the stranger by the
collar. "Somebody yelled for us to stop the thief, and you must be the
man."
"Who says I am?" was the angry question.
By this time both Teddy and Sam had discovered the latter's mistake. The
only point of resemblance between this stranger and the one who stole
the money was that both carried packages covered with green cloth; but
while the first bundle was bulky and apparently heavy, this was small
and readily held under the man's arm.
Sam did not wait to explain matters. Fearing lest he might get into
serious trouble because of the mistake, he slipped quietly away, leaving
Teddy to bear the brunt of the accused's wrath.
The latter realized that something must be done at once, for the greater
portion of the crowd was looking inquiringly at him, and he said, in a
voice which was far from steady:
"I didn't do the hollerin'; but a feller who was with me when a man
stole my money thought you must be the one."
"Where is he?" the stranger asked, advancing threateningly.
"I don't know. He ran away when he saw it was a mistake."
The crowd immediately began to disperse. The policeman called down quite
the reverse of blessings on Sam's head, and then walked away, leaving
Teddy and the stranger comparatively alone.
"I don't know as it does any harm to have a lot of fools chasing a man,"
the latter said, "but it might give him a bad name in his work."
"I'm very sorry, sir, but you see----"
"I'm not blaming you, my boy, since it was the other fellow who did the
mischief. Tell me how you lost your stuff."
"My what?"
"Your stuff--money."
"Oh!" and Teddy at once gave the stranger a detailed account of all that
had happened, the latter saying, as the story was concluded:
"I wouldn't be afraid to bet my head that Long Jim was the duck who
played the trick. I know he came here, headed for the fair grounds, and
it's jest about his style of working."
"Do you think there's any chance I'll get it back?"
"He shall give up if I see him. I'll be at the fair myself, working a
neat little game, and will see you there."
With this remark the stranger walked away, and Teddy went toward the
depot once more, feeling quite certain he had made a friend who would
aid him in his new venture.