_A SECOND ARREST._
When the fight began Teddy's first thought was that it had been
prearranged by some one who wanted to do him an injury without taking
the chances of being arrested on a charge of malicious mischief.
Tim believed it to be a scheme for robbing the money box, and while the
combatants were struggling close around him he emptied the contents into
his trousers pockets, regardless of the chance blows received meanwhile.
That both were wrong in their conjectures could be told later, as the
fight assumed the proportions of a small riot, and the battle ground was
soon shifted to an open space in front of the exhibition buildings.
It was nothing more than a causeless row such as is often witnessed at
fairs where intoxicating beverages are sold, and which start from
comparatively nothing, illustrating the proverb: "See what a great fire
a little spark can kindle."
"This is goin' to knock our hundred dollars in the head," Tim said,
ruefully, as he began to gather up the scattered stock when the
combatants had surged to and fro until they were some distance from the
wrecked cane-board. "It'll take an hour to straighten things out, an'
all that time will be the same as lost."
"It might be worse," Teddy replied, philosophically, "and, besides, we
shouldn't be able to do any business while that row is going on. If you
hadn't thought of the money it might have been lost, for there were so
many close around me that I couldn't get at the box."
"Oh, if you want to pick somethin' good out of the trouble, I'll help.
This will give us a chance to shorten the board so the stock won't look
quite so small."
The young fakirs were ready for business in considerably less time than
they had fancied would be the case. Nearly every one on the grounds was
attracted by the riot, and among those who came to the scene of the
conflict was Dan.
Instead of watching the struggling, yelling throng, he helped Teddy and
Tim restore the booth to order, and with such aid as the assistant could
give the work was done very quickly.
Before the spectators had quieted down sufficiently to turn their
attention to sport once more everything was ready for business, and when
the constables had taken the ringleaders in the fight away, money began
once more to roll into Teddy's coffers.
Before Dan returned to his own work he heard of all that had occurred
since morning, and his comments on Uncle Nathan's behavior were more
forcible than polite.
"He's an old fool what oughter be rode on a rail till he can't see, an'
I'm goin' over to the Run before I start for home jest to give the
duffer a piece of my mind."
"I don't believe that would do either you or him any good," Teddy
replied, laughingly.
"I don't know what effect it'll have on him; but I'll feel a mighty
sight better. He shows himself to be the worst swindler on the grounds
when he tries to scare you into givin' him half you've made, for that's
what his talk means."
"If he don't do any worse than threaten I won't say a word; but he's so
mad there's no knowin' what'll happen."
"The lawyer will see that you pull through all right; but if trouble
should come, be sure to send for me. I'll manage to get off somehow."
With this assurance Dan hurried back to the exhibition buildings, and
Teddy was free to assist Tim in waiting upon the customers.
During the remainder of the afternoon the young fakirs had quite as much
as they could attend to, and then, just as trade had so fallen off that
Tim could wait upon the customers alone with the aid of the assistant,
Teddy received a call from Mr. Harvey, the lawyer.
"Come here behind the booth where we can talk without being overheard,"
he said, peremptorily, and the boy obeyed at once, asking before the
attorney had time to speak:
"Do you know if Uncle Nathan is goin' to do anything?"
"He is certainly trying very hard, and in case he should succeed in
getting a warrant, you will demand of the officer who serves it to be
taken directly to Deacon Jones. Mr. Reaves and I have just had a talk
with him, and in our absence he will render such assistance as you may
require."
"That sounds as if you believed Uncle Nathan would be able to do as he
threatened."
"It is well to be prepared for any emergency, since no man can say
exactly what may happen. During the night two constables will go to the
barn on the marshes where you saw the burglars carry some of the goods,
although I do not think any good is liable to result from the visit, for
the men have probably been frightened away by this time. Enough may be
found, however, to prove the truth of your story, and that will be
sufficient to give the thick-headed authorities an inkling that their
judgment as to who the burglars are is not infallible."
"Have you seen Mr. Hazelton yet?"
"No; but I shall call on him before going home. The best thing which
could happen now for all concerned would be the arrest of the man you
call Long Jim, and to that end both you and Dan must keep a sharp
lookout, for it is barely possible he may be bold enough to come on the
grounds again."
"But what could we do in case we did see him?"
"Follow him quietly until you meet a constable, and then insist that he
be arrested for swindling you out of fifteen dollars. There is not
sufficient proof to connect him with the robbery here or at the Run; but
I will take care that he is held long enough as a common swindler to
enable us to sift the other matter. Let me see, you said Dan was with
you at the time of the transaction in Waterville?"
"No; it was poor Sam, and now that he is dead I'm the only one who saw
Long Jim there. Do you know if they have found Sam's body?"
"I think not; men have been dragging the creek all day, and the
probabilities now are that some time will elapse before it can be
recovered. I want you to be very careful during the remainder of to-day
and to-night. Go to the tent where you sleep before dark, and do not
venture outside under any provocation, no matter what message may be
brought."
"What do you mean?" Teddy asked, in surprise.
"Nothing particular; I am only taking precautions, that is all. I shall
be here to-morrow, and will see you then."
The lawyer turned to go, and had just passed out from behind the end of
the booth when Teddy seized his arm, pulling him back very suddenly.
"There's Long Jim now!" he whispered, excitedly. "See! That man over
there by the striking machine!"
It was indeed the burglar whose partner had warned him against visiting
the fair, or even showing himself in the vicinity during the daytime. It
could be plainly seen that he was decidedly under the influence of
liquor, and he swaggered to and fro as if in his drunken brain was the
idea that no one would dare cause him trouble.
"Are you certain there is no mistake?" the lawyer asked, as he watched
the man.
"I'd be able to recognize him anywhere, no matter how he was dressed,
an' so would Dan, for Sam an' me pointed him out two or three times."
"Then the hardest portion of our work is finished. I shall have him
arrested on the charge of swindling you, and can arrange it without the
formality of first getting a warrant. It is now more necessary than ever
that you should remain where I can find you readily at any hour of the
day or night."
"Except when I go for supper, I'll be here or in the tent," Teddy
replied, and then there was no further opportunity for conversation.
Long Jim had started leisurely, and on anything rather than a straight
course, toward the grand stand, and Mr. Harvey followed so near that he
could have placed his hand on the burglar's shoulder.
Teddy watched until the two were lost to view amid the throng, and then
said to himself, with a sigh:
"I'll bet the lawyer can't find a constable, an' that Long Jim gets
clear somehow. But what I don't understand is how he dares to come
here."
He would have run down to tell Dan of the startling news had it not been
for Mr. Harvey's injunction to remain in the places designated, and he
was so nervous that only with the greatest difficulty could he wait upon
an impatient customer.
An hour passed, and nothing had been heard from either the lawyer or the
burglar.
The visitors remained later on this day than usual; but the tardy ones
were departing, and it was with a decided sense of relief that Teddy
began to pack up his stock for the night. Dan arrived before the work
was finished, and his excitement was great when he learned of what had
happened.
"Can't we go somewhere to find out if the man was arrested?" he asked,
eagerly.
"I promised to be on hand in case the lawyer should want me."
"Then we'll get the stuff to the tent, go to supper, an' afterward I'll
snoop 'round to hear the news."
All hands worked rapidly, and in ten minutes the three boys were at the
boarding-house, eating as if each moment were of the utmost importance,
when they overheard a conversation between two men at the next table
which caused them no slight degree of relief and pleasure:
"Who was that drunken fellow Constable Ford lugged off this evening?"
one of the men asked, and the other replied:
"A man who swindled a boy over at Waterville out of fifteen dollars."
"I didn't see any boy in the crowd."
"He wasn't there. Lawyer Harvey recognized the fellow, and insisted on
his arrest, sayin' that the 'Squire already knew about the case."
"I thought at first it might be some one who had been robbing the stores
around here."
"Oh, the burglar has been caught already, an' laid in jail since
yesterday."
"But he was only arrested on suspicion."
"There'll be proof enough to convict him, I reckon, an' if there isn't
he ought to be sent to jail for six months because of what he has done
on the grounds."
Then the conversation was changed to a subject in which the boys had no
interest, and Dan whispered to Teddy:
"That settles Long Jim, an' now if your lawyer is as smart as he appears
to be it won't take long to show that Hazelton didn't have anything to
do with the burglar tryin' to get me in jail," Teddy replied, with a
sigh.
"Of course it will. Things are turning out all right after all, an' if
poor Sam hadn't been drowned we'd have a reg'lar celebration to-night."