TWO AND TWO
While the boys are finishing their breakfast it may be well to
introduce them to the reader. The four, who were known among their
acquaintances as the "inseparables," had been classmates for several
terms at School No. I, of Creston, from which they had graduated
the previous year and were now students of the Hilltop Academy,
where they were preparing for college.
Rand--Randolph in full, surname Peyton--who was slightly the eldest
of the four, was the nephew of Mr. Scott, president of the Creston
National Bank. He was a native of Virginia, having come to Creston
after the death of his father some two years before this time, with
his mother and sister. He was bright, but inclined to be indolent,
except when aroused, when his energy knew no limit. He was slow
in speech, having the soft Southern drawl with a tendency to slur
his r's, and was a natural leader among his companions, both in
their sports and their studies.
Donald Graeme, sometimes nicknamed Old Solomon, was the son of the
chief engineer of the Creston Paper Mills, and one of a considerable
family of boys and girls. He was of Scotch descent and inherited
many of the characteristics of his ancestry as well as many of their
superstitions. Something of the burr clung to his tongue, and he
was given to the occasional use of a Scotch word or phrase. He had
also the Scotch canniness and never committed himself by a positive
opinion. Although not as quick as Rand, he was more persistent and
usually carried out, to the end, anything that he entered upon.
Jack Blake was the oldest son of Mr. Blake, editor and publisher of
the Crest, the newspaper of the town. Brought up in the newspaper
atmosphere, Jack had early developed a nose for news and was the
best reporter, although unofficial, on the paper. He was always
on the lookout for items and always putting two and two together,
sometimes with most surprising results.
Lastly, Pepper Blake, Jack's younger brother, who was of a quicker,
more nervous, disposition than the others and given to stammering
when excited. Impetuous and quick-tempered, he was always getting
into difficulties, but always finding a way out. Romantic and
imaginative, but with a streak of hard horse-sense beneath.
"Well," observed Rand, when Jack at last rose from his box with a
sigh of satisfaction, "what is the exciting thing you have got to
tell us this morning? Whose barn is being painted now?"
"Judge Taylor's office was robbed last night," replied Jack
laconically.
"What's that!" cried Rand.
"Judge Taylor's office was robbed last night," repeated Jack,
enjoying the sensation his news had made.
"W-w-what!" stammered Pepper. "Who did it?"
"That's what we all want to know," answered Jack.
"What did they get?" asked Donald.
"How did they get in?" went on Pepper.
"One at a time, boys," put in Rand. "Come, Jack, tell us the whole
story."
"Well, all I know is, Officer Dugan found a window open this morning
and the place all upside down. The judge hadn't come down yet, so
they don't know what's missing. From the tracks around it looks as
if some boys were mixed up in it."
"That's queer," commented Rand. "I wonder who it could have been,
and what they were after?"
"Money, of course," said Pepper.
"I don't think so," returned Jack. "If it was money I think they
would have picked out a more likely place. I guess it must have
been papers, or something like that."
"Pooh!" criticized Donald, "what would anybody in their senses want
to steal papers for?"
"There are more unlikely things than that," replied Jack. "I have
read of such things."
"Pshaw!" retorted Donald, "that's nothing. I've read of robbers'
caves and all that sort of thing, but I've never seen any."
"Which proves there never were any," retorted Jack sarcastically.
"Have you got any dues, Sherlock?" asked Rand laughingly.
"Not yet," replied Jack seriously, "but I am looking for them. They
sometimes turn up in the most unexpected places."
"Huh!" sniffed Donald, "your turnips run mostly to tops."
While talking thus, the boys had been putting their supplies and
tackle into the boat which they had run out into the river.
"Which way do you want to go?" asked Rand when they were ready to
start.
"Up," said Pepper.
"Down," said Jack.
"What do you say, Don?" continued Rand. "Either way," replied
Donald. "Let them toss up for it."
Taking the coin he had picked up in the road from his pocket Rand
tossed it into the air. "What do you say, Jack?" he asked.
"Heads!" responded Jack.
"Tails it is," announced Rand as he picked it up. "Pepper wins.
Up, we go."
"What have you got there, Rand?" asked Jack, who had been eying
the coin Rand had tossed; "something new?"
"It's something that I found in the road this morning," replied
Rand, handing the coin over to Jack. "Pepper found one, too."
"Found it in the road!" cried Jack, instantly on the alert. "That's
serious. Tell me about it."
"There isn't much to tell," replied Rand. "Monkey Rae tried to run
us down this morning and we had a near-fight and after he had gone
we found them."
"Well?" questioned Jack.
"That's all," replied Rand.
"Now I wonder," mused Jack, when the story of the encounter with
Monkey Rae and his companions had been gone over in detail for his
benefit, "what Monkey Rae has to do with these things," jingling
the coins in his hand.
"Not as much as you or I have," announced Donald. "I can no see
any connection between the two."
"Of course you can't, old wisdom," returned Jack. "You lack
imagination, but I think it is there just the same. Whose horse
and wagon was it?"
"That's another strange part of it," replied Rand. "I never saw them
before. I was wondering whose they were, and where he got them."
"That's so," agreed Pepper. "I never thought of that; the truth
is, I was so busy with Monkey that I didn't look at them."
"Well," broke in Don, "if you ask my opinion I think it would
be more to the purpose if we went on our own business instead of
wasting time in speculating on what is no concern of ours."
"All right, Solomon-Donald," said Rand; "it sounds wise."
"Even if it is mostly sound," growled Jack.