AT THE END OF THE CIRCUIT
A tall man came running out of the hotel.
"What's that you say, boys?" he was demanding, as he advanced
eagerly.
"Here's luck for you--the very car you said was stolen over in
Columbia! See if it ain't, sheriff!" cried the fellow who had done
all the shouting.
"It's the same make car, as sure as you live. I wouldn't be
surprised if it turned out to be Doc. Shadduck's new one,"
observed the official, glancing at a yellow paper he gripped in
his hand, and which, as he held it close to the one burning
headlight of the car, proved to be a telegraph dispatch.
"That's right, sheriff; it is Doctor Shadduck's car," said Frank
cheerfully, as he proceeded to alight.
"Hey! he's goin' to try and run for it, sheriff; nab him!"
exclaimed the voice.
"You admit that this is the car stolen from Columbia this very
night do you?" demanded the stern-faced man laying a hand on
Frank's shoulder.
"Of course I do, sheriff; but I'm shivering all over. I've been in
Jumper Creek not long ago. Come in with me while I get a cup of
hot coffee, and I'll tell you the story. You ought to know me,
sheriff; I'm Frank Allen. I've seen you in my father's store more
than once."
"What's that. Well, I declare now if it ain't so! This is getting
mighty interestin', sure. Here, Dobbs, you watch this car until I
come out. Now, my boy, come along with me," said the sheriff.
"All right, sir; just wait a couple of seconds. There's something
here in the car that Jim and Bart seemed to think a heap of, and
so I wouldn't like to lose sight of it just now."
Saying which Frank bent down and took hold of the little leather
bag. He had been surprised before to find it quite heavy, a fact
that had convinced him it must hold something which had been
stolen from the doctor over in Columbia.
Fortunately there was hot coffee to be obtained. While it was
coming Frank entertained the kindly sheriff with a rapid account
of what had happened, commencing with the duck hunt, and the
finding of the stranded car on the road home.
"Well, I never!" the other kept saying, as he sat there with his
eyes glued on the face of the young speaker, and drinking in his
words.
When Frank told of how he jumped over the railing of the bridge
that spanned Juniper Creek, the sheriff brought his hand down upon
his knee with a resounding slap.
"Beats anything I ever heard, I swan if it don't! And they tell me
that you captained them boys as played the Clifford football team
to a stand this mornin'. I don't wonder at it; they ain't much as
could stand up before such pluck! And so you went souse into the
creek? Ugh! it must a been a cold bath, Frank. Go on," he
exclaimed, enthusiastically.
"Oh! that's about all. I crawled out below, and when they came
down to hunt for me, because I'd fixed it so the machine couldn't
be run, I just crawled up the bank, jumped aboard, and was off.
Jim banged away after me a few times, but he was hurt so he had to
use his left hand, and I knew he couldn't hit a barn. That's all.
Here comes my coffee; I only hope I don't take cold."
The elated sheriff watched the youth gulp down the hot drink,
admiration in his eyes.
"I'll see to it that you have a big fur coat the rest of the way.
And I'm goin' along with you, boy, to be in at the finish. This is
too good to lose. Ain't had so much excitement in six months. Jim
and Bart is loose on the community. I'll just have word sent
around so they kin be pulled in if they try to get aboard any
train."
Ten minutes later and Frank again jumped into the captured car. He
was now warmly clad in a heavy automobile coat that would defy the
bracing air as they headed for Columbia, just seven miles distant.
"We'll make it in a quarter of an hour, easy," he remarked, as the
sheriff took a seat beside him.
"I reckon we oughter, Frank. I'd sure like to be in your shoes for
this. They'll think more of you in Columbia than ever, I reckon,"
remarked the officer, as they made a flying start, amid a few
cheers from the gathered crowd.
"Did you telegraph along the line about those men?" asked Frank,
desirous of seeing justice meted out to Jim and his companion.
"I did, and told the operator at Fayette to pass the good word
along everywhere. There's some reward out for the apprehension of
them fellows, and its enough to make every chief of police keep
busy in hopes of corralin' the same. Now tell me what them men
looked like. That job of cuttin' the wires was a cute one. I
reckon that Bart he's been servin' his time as a telegraph
wireman, and knows all the dodges."
Frank could not decline, although he would have much preferred
keeping silent as he drove the big car onward. The sheriff had
been so kind to him that he felt as though he could not refuse to
aid him in any way possible. So he described both men as nearly as
he could, considering what few glimpses he had had of their faces.
The seven miles proved a short ride. Having more confidence in the
machine now that the road was fine, and that hard object no longer
prodded him in the back, Frank let out quite some speed in places.
"I wonder if Bones and Ralph have gotten home yet?" he was
thinking, as the outskirts of Columbia came in sight.
Turning several corners, he arrived in front of Doctor Shadduck's
place. The house he saw was all lighted up. And standing in front
was the vehicle he and his two chums had used in their little
expedition after the ducks of the marsh.
"That tells the story. Bones has arrived ahead of me, after all.
Wonder if its struck him that he saw his father's new car, and me
in it driving those two precious rascals off so cheerfully?"
Frank chuckled at the thought. Just then there came a big shout,
as a figure rushed down the steps of the house.
"Here's the car, dad! And Sheriff Tucker's got one of the thieves
in custody, too! He's carrying your bag. Hey, Ralph, come out and
see the fun!"
Of course it was Bones, and since Frank was bundled up in that
great wolfskin automobile coat, with a hat pulled down over his
eyes in place of the cap he had lost in Juniper Creek, it was not
strange that the other failed to recognize his comrade.
"Halt! hands up, Bones!" cried Frank, throwing the little leather
bag forward menacingly.
"What! great smoke! if it ain't Frank--and he's brought the car
and the bag back home! Ralph said he would, just as soon as he
heard about it; but I was a doubter. I thought they'd just eat you
alive, Frank, old boy. Where'd you get the coat, and how'd the
sheriff happen on you? Did he do the rescue act?" demanded Bones,
throwing his arms around the other, enthusiastically.
"Did he? Not if he knew it, young man," replied the officer
himself, with a shake of the head; "but let's get inside, and the
whole story can be told while Frank warms up again. Your dad must
see to it that the boy don't take cold, for he's been in Juniper
Creek to-night!"
"Wow! now you have excited my curiosity some, Mr. Sheriff. Hurry
in, Frank, and let's hear what happened after you left us. We just
got home five minutes ago, and found the whole place upset. Those
slick scoundrels worked a confidence game on my governor--left him
in a stupor in his private office, after supper, with the door
locked, and skipped out with his new car and some valuables,
including negotiable stocks worth a good many thousands, and all
his expensive new surgical tools that he kept in that glass case,
you remember, in his consulting room." And Bones rattled this off
at a tremendous rate.
"Oh! I see," exclaimed the sheriff just then; "so that's who Jim
and Bart are. A couple of smart ones have been going around
visiting doctors upstate this two months past, and stealing their
instruments, to sell again in New York. I reckon we'll try to make
this their last job, all right."
"But your father--surely he couldn't have been lying there all
this time?" observed Frank, wondering how the news could have been
wired or phoned over to Plattville if this were so.
"Oh! no; Mr. Willoughby happened to drop over to ask dad something,
and when they couldn't get any answer, he broke in the door of
father's den. They found him just beginning to come out of his
sleep, for, what do you think, those rascals had chloroformed him,
as sure as you live," replied Bones.
"I understand now. Of course a general alarm was sent out for the
thieves. But they couldn't have reached Fayette if they tried,"
laughed Frank.
"And why not?" asked Bones, quickly.
"Wires down. Bart, the fellow who wasn't hurt, shinned up a pole,
by the aid of a pair of lineman's spurs he carried with him, and
cut every blessed wire soon after they made me turn into that road
leading to Fayette," replied Frank.
Doctor Shadduck they found pretty much himself. He greeted Frank
warmly, as did also Coach Willoughby.
"He's all wet, dad; he's been in Juniper Creek, the sheriff says.
There's a story back of it, and I'm just dying to hear it," cried
Bones, shoving the other forward.
"First of all, please see if everything is safe here," said Frank,
as he thrust the bag into the hands of the doctor.
"Everything they got, so far as I can see, is here. It's wonderful
how you happened to get hold of them, and the car too," said the
doctor, shaking the boy's hand again warmly.
"There's where you're mistaken, dad; it didn't happen at all, and
I'd wager on it that Frank played a right hot game with those two
rascals, and beat them out in a square deal," declared Bones,
sturdily.
"Bully for you, Bones," remarked the sheriff; "you just bet he
did. Wait till you hear the whole story. It's the greatest ever."
Of course Frank related all that had happened to him; but first of
all the wise physician insisted upon giving him something that
would prevent any ill effects following his cold plunge and
subsequent wild ride.
Meanwhile Frank's father and mother were called over, and the
story had to be told again for their benefit; though Frank tried
to beg off, and declared that after all it had been just good luck
that carried him through.