ONE BOY’S INFLUENCE.
Yes, it was their friend of the other day, Mr. Jones, the same who had
helped keep back the crowd at the time Arthur was working over the man
injured in the runaway accident.
Again he had bobbed up just at the critical moment. On hearing the
splendid news he brought, Hugh felt like giving a shout of joy. As for
poor, badgered Andy, his mouth opened, and his eyes grew luminous with
tears, but for the life of him he could not give utterance to the
mingled emotions that filled his heart.
The little man who had been robbed was not going to give up quite so
easily.
“Even if you saw someone drop this empty bill-folder in his pocket, sir,
that doesn’t prove him innocent. Would you know the thief again if you
saw him again?”
Mr. Jones grinned, for he seemed to be greatly amused over something or
other.
“Oh, yes, I’m sure I would,” he replied, positively.
“But see here, if you saw him do what he did, you must have guessed he’d
emptied the pocketbook before he got rid of it!” blurted the victim.
“I have cut my eye-teeth, let me tell you, my bantam,” said Mr. Jones;
and the crowd laughed as it was recalled that the other had confessed to
being a poultry dealer, so that the application seemed very pat. “I
recognized the game immediately. Once ’on a time I found _three_ empty
pocketbooks on my own person after being in a crush in the city, where
pickpockets were as busy as bees.”
“Then why didn’t you do something to have the rascal apprehended, may I
ask?” demanded the other indignantly. “If you saw all you say, and let
the thief walk away, you become a party to the crime after the fact,
sir!”
“Softly now, my bantam, no names if you please,” said Mr. Jones, without
displaying any annoyance. “One of the reasons why I was late in arriving
on the scene here lay in the fact that I _did_ consider it my duty to
keep track of that slick rascal, and see where he went. I followed him.”
“Then perhaps, sir, you can take us to where he may be found; unless, in
the meantime, he’s managed to leave the Fair grounds?” continued the
victim; naturally eager to recover his lost funds, if it were possible.
Again did Mr. Jones give that odd little chuckle of his. Hugh began to
believe the big friendly man must have a card up his sleeve which he
meant to play when it suited him.
“I shall be pleased to have you accompany me,” said Mr. Jones, “and
particularly the Chief here and these Boy Scouts who have been so
gallantly standing up for one of their number unjustly accused. Listen,
my friend: I followed the thief to the building in which there have been
built a number of closets intended for the clothes of the men who were
working on the grounds before the Fair opened. He entered one of these,
to conceal his ill-gotten plunder, I reckon. Well, I just closed the
door, and put a fine big section of joist against it in such a way that
mortal man couldn’t push it aside. Unless someone has let him out, we’ll
find him still there. Come along, everybody!”
There was an immediate rush on the part of the crowd; the Chief striding
on ahead with Mr. Jones, the man who had lost his money, and a cluster
of the Boy Scouts, including Hugh, Arthur, and the delighted Andy,
following closely.
As they entered the building referred to, Hugh saw with considerable
pleasure that there was a stout section of joist leaning against one of
the closet doors. Striding forward, they soon filled that end of the
building, with more late comers trying to push in, so that they might
see what it was all about.
“Be ready for him, Chief,” said Mr. Jones, “because he may be a
desperate case.” The big officer produced his gun, and stood there in a
position to immediately cage the thief as soon as the door was thrown
open.
When Mr. Jones cast down the strip of timber that had been so deftly
braced against the closed door so as to make it immovable, out walked a
man. He was trying to appear as unconcerned as possible.
“What’s all this row mean?” he demanded. “I found my light overcoat a
burden and was meaning to hang it in here and take the key with me when
some prank-playing boy shut me in. I shall complain to the management of
the Fair about such treatment to visitors.”
“Search him, and see if he has the money on his person!” ordered the
Chief, who had been put in touch with the nature of the offense.
The man threatened all sorts of things in retaliation for such an
“insult,” but in spite of his words Mr. Jones went through all his
pockets. There was no result so far as disclosing any sign of the lost
bills.
“Keep him there while I investigate inside,” said the big man. “On
finding himself trapped, it would be his policy to hide the stuff
somewhere.”
He vanished inside the clothes closet and was heard scratching a number
of matches in order to have light. Presently he came out again. The
crowd gave a shout as Mr. Jones held up a package of what seemed to be
brand-new bank bills.
“See if that is your money, sir!” he told the excited poultry dealer, as
he thrust the roll into his hands.
“Yes, yes, for here are the little red crosses I made, just as I told
you!” exclaimed the other, in rapture.
“Count them!” continued the big man, as though invested with authority.
Having done this the other announced the result.
“All here, the whole thirty bills; but although I’ve recovered my
property I mean to press the charge of robbery against this scamp.
Chief, lock him up, and I’ll be at the hearing, I give you my word!”
The caught thief only laughed jeeringly as though he might not be very
much alarmed concerning country justice. As the Chief led him away,
after actually snapping handcuffs on his wrists, he even turned and
called back a few remarks intended to inform the poultryman that he had
been the easiest “picking” he had ever known.
There was a jumble of voices as the crowd pushed out of the building,
every one trying to keep pace with Hugh and the other scouts, as well as
with Mr. Jones and the man who had luckily recovered his money.
“See here, Mr. Cooper, if that’s your name,” said the big man, suddenly;
“you’ve got to apologize to this boy here for accusing him of taking
your cash.”
“Sure, I’ll do that quick enough,” said the little man, who was feeling
the reaction that followed the recovery of his property. “See here, I’ll
make amends for being a little hard on him by giving him one of these
fine new ten-dollar bills!”
He held it out to Andy Wallis. Hugh watched to see what would happen,
for he saw the boy’s chest heaving convulsively, while his eyes, in
which tears had so recently stood, now flashed ominously.
Snatching the bill from the extended hand of the poultry dealer, Andy
flung it scornfully to the ground.
“Take back your money!” he said, bitterly. “Do you think I’d touch it
after what you’ve been saying about me? Not if you offered me the whole
roll. Next time I hope you’ll go a little slow about trying to put a
thing like this on a poor boy, just because he happened to be standing
near by when some one robbed you, and got scared at being accused.”
“That’s right, Andy; you’re giving it to him straight!” called out a
voice, for crowds are as fickle as an April day, and just now every one
was believing in the reformation of Andy Wallis, the Chief’s nephew.
The boy paid no attention to those around. He clung to Hugh, remembering
that it was the scout master who had said with a ring of sincerity in
his voice: “I do believe in you, Andy, and I’m going to stand by you
through thick and thin!”
When they could get away from the attending throng, by entering the
tent, Andy insisted on wringing the other’s hand again and again. He
seemed to be greatly worked up over what had happened.
“You don’t think, Hugh, do you,” he asked, anxiously, “that my dad will
be mad if he hears that I was accused of stealing that pocketbook? He is
mighty touchy about me nowadays, and says that if I don’t toe the
chalk-line this time for keeps, he’ll send me away up to an old uncle of
mine who hates boys, and would make life miserable for me.”
“I shall take pains to see your father this very evening, and tell him
the whole thing,” said Hugh. “He ought to be proud of what you’ve done,
and I mean to let him understand that every fellow in Oakvale Troop is
pulling for you, Andy. I know just as well as I’m standing here that
nothing can ever make you go back to the old life again, now that you’ve
had a taste of what it means to have people respect you. Make your mind
easy on that score.”
“Hugh, you’re the best friend I ever had,” said Andy, now actually
breaking down and crying like a baby, for the boy had gone through a
terrible experience, calculated to shatter his nerves badly. “I never
would have held out if it hadn’t been that I knew _you_ believed in me.
Now nothing on earth is going to make me go back on my word. I’d die
sooner than deceive a friend like you.”
Hugh finally got him quieted down, so that when he had washed his face
and his inflamed eyes, Andy was in condition to step out again, and
wander off. Now that the experience was a thing of the past, he would
feel all the better for having been tried and found not wanting.
Arthur was engaged in attending to a child that had been hurt in some
trivial way, but whose fond mother was greatly concerned. So Hugh,
stepping out once more, glanced around to ascertain if he could see any
signs of the long-absent Billy.
One of the first things he set eyes on was the well-known figure of the
stout chum hastening toward him, making signs as though he had something
of importance to communicate.
Apparently Billy had known nothing of what had happened. He must have
been over in the section of the grounds laid off for amusements; and as
there were frequent outbursts of shouting on the part of groups of
fun-loving boys, he had not been attracted by the excitement attending
the discovery of the robbery and the accusation of Andy Wallis.
“I want you to come with me, Hugh,” panted Billy as he joined the other;
“the show will close up for to-day in half an hour more, and there’s
something going on over here we ought to take a hand in.”
“I’ll go along with you, Billy,” Hugh told him. “First of all, tell me,
did you get a chance to speak with the boy?”
“Yes, but I couldn’t say much, because the crowd’s big and sales
whopping, so it kept Cale busy. Then the man looked like he could eat me
alive, every time he saw me. He must guess we’re on his trail, and mean
to get the boy away from his evil influence. Why, he even shook his head
at me once, and scowled just like a pirate. He shows his white teeth
when he does that, and it makes you shiver, you just can’t help it,
Hugh!”
“You told Cale the scouts wanted to help him, did you, Billy?”
“Yes, that’s about the size of it, Hugh.”
“How did he seem to take it?”
“I thought at first he seemed pleased; but then that old frown came back
on his face again, and he shook his head. ‘I’d like to, ever so much,
tell your friends,’ he went on to say, Hugh, and in such a wistful tone,
too, it’d have made you feel sorry for him like it did me, if you heard
him, ‘but it just can’t be. He’s got me tied down fast, hand and foot. I
don’t dare call my soul my own. When I want to turn and run I feel
something grip me that makes me go back to him. I hate him like I would
a spider or a snake, but I ain’t my own boss, and I can’t ever hope to
run away from him!’ Hugh, I told you how it was; that man has control
over his mind.”
“We’ll soon find that out,” said the scout master.
“Yes, for there’s Cale now, leaning against that post again; and see how
black and hopeless his face looks, Hugh! I certainly want to do
something to help him give that man the slip!”