ASSISTANCE
During the first hour Jet thought it would be impossible for him to
hold out to reach the town; but the knowledge of what the result would
be, not only to himself, but to those whom he had left behind, enabled
him to battle against the fatigue which threatened to overpower him.
Not a word had been spoken since Joe made the proposition to purchase
his liberty, until fully an hour passed, and then he said in a meek
tone:
"Don't you think it is about time to take a rest? I'm pretty nigh
played out."
Jet was only too willing to do so, and said:
"Sit down at the foot of that tree; I'll stay in the rear as Mr. Harvey
advised."
"What damage do you think I could do with my arms handcuffed behind me?"
"That is exactly what I don't know, and shall take good care you
haven't a chance to show me."
"I don't deny that I would run a good many risks rather than be taken
to jail; but at the same time I'm not such a fool as to kick when there
isn't the least show of getting the upper hands."
"You are wasting your breath talking to me in that manner, for I intend
to follow Mr. Harvey's advice to the letter."
Joe's face was contorted with a grimace of rage as Jet thus showed that
it would be impossible to wheedle him into carelessness, and, suddenly
changing his tone, he said, angrily:
"You don't have any idea of the trap you're running into. There's more
belonging to our gang than that fool detective fancies, and the minute
we show up in town you'll be marked."
"That won't hurt I reckon."
"It will be enough to cause your death."
"Then I'm to be murdered, eh?"
"That is exactly what will happen when any of our crowd get the chance,
and you may make sure they won't lay down till you're out of the way."
"Well?"
"That's all, unless you're willing to make a trade with me. There'll
be more in it than by sticking to Harvey, who'll throw you over as soon
as this job is finished."
"Get up and make another start," Jet said, abruptly. "If you have
rested enough to talk, I reckon you can push ahead."
"You'll regret not having listened to me while there is a chance."
"Get up!"
The man obeyed with a very bad grace, and once more the two were
traveling at a fair rate of speed toward the village.
Twice again during the journey did Joe attempt to bribe or frighten his
captor, and desisted from his efforts only when they were within sight
of the town.
This walking through a settlement behind a man at whose head a cocked
revolver is held, naturally created considerable excitement, and Jet
found himself surrounded by a curious throng before he had reached the
main street.
The thought occurred to him that among these people might be friends of
his prisoner, and his anxiety became even greater than while they were
in the woods.
He was overwhelmed with questions; but refused to make any
explanations, asking simply that some one would show him the nearest
magistrate's office, and his silence served to anger the crowd.
"Are we going to let a boy walk through this town with his revolver at
a man's head?" one of the party shouted, angrily, and Joe's face
lighted up wonderfully.
"I'm an innocent man whom a party of villains are trying to down," he
cried. "If there are any here who like fair play, take me along
decently, rather than in this style. I can explain who and what I am."
"Shove that boy out of the way!" another member of the crowd shouted,
and Jet believed his prisoner was about to be rescued.
Drawing his second revolver, he held it in his left hand, as he said
firmly:
"This fellow has nearly killed a detective who was sent to arrest him,
and I have the proof of that in my pocket, which I will show to the
magistrate. My orders were to deliver him up to justice, and make sure
he didn't give me the slip. If any one interferes, I shall fire first
at the prisoner, and then at him who dares try to help him."
Just for an instant the crowd fell back, and then the man who had first
spoken, cried angrily:
"Hasn't somebody got the nerve to knock that cub down? I'll see to it
that the prisoner is taken before the magistrate in a proper manner."
"That's a fair offer," Joe said, eagerly. "I'm willing to go along
peaceably; but I don't want to walk with a revolver at my head, as if I
was too dangerous to be in a town with my hands behind my back."
"Knock the boy down!"
"Shoot him!"
"Don't let such an outrage be committed in our town!"
"Will you let a cub like that play the part of desperado in a quiet
village?"
These and similar shouts were heard as the throng drew nearer Jet, who
now understood that Joe's friends must be making the row for the
purpose of releasing the prisoner, and he looked around in vain for a
friendly face.
"Will no one help me do my duty?" he cried.
"We'll take the man to the magistrate decently," some one replied.
"That simply means that a few of you are determined on a rescue."
He would have said more; but Joe's pals, fearing the influence his
words might have upon the crowd, drowned his voice by angry shouts.
Jet realized that the crisis was at hand.
He and his prisoner had just turned down the main street, and the plot
must be carried out at once.
Half a dozen men had crowded so near that they could easily have thrown
him to the ground before he would have an opportunity to use his
weapons.
It was high time to carry his threat into execution; but he knew that
the instant he fired for the purpose of keeping the nearest back, his
prisoner would be torn from him.
"I have failed at the moment when I thought the work was done," he said
to himself, despairingly, and at that instant two men ranged themselves
either side of him.
"Have you been sent here by Harvey?" one of them asked, and Jet could
have shouted for very joy, for he understood these must be the officers
who had come from Albany.
"Yes, and this is one of the men he was so anxious to arrest."
"Where is he now?"
"Hiding in the woods, wounded so badly that he can't walk."
"And the others?"
"Penned up in the building with a prisoner."
During this short conversation the crowd had grown more unruly, and
were now clustered around Joe so closely as to impede his progress.
The officer who had been speaking to Jet motioned to his companion, and
the two sprang in front of the prisoner, as the former shouted:
"Make way, or I shall do more than the boy promised," and he drew a
revolver.
"Who are you?"
"Officers from Albany who have come to assist in the arrest of this
man. The first who interferes shall be taken in custody, and I warn
you that it is a serious matter to try to rescue a prisoner."
This short speech had a decidedly good effect upon the majority of the
crowd, who fell back at once; but Joe's friends had not yet despaired
of success.
They faced the officers boldly, trying to force their way between the
prisoner and Jet, and in a twinkling two of them were seized by the
strangers, who clasped bracelets on their wrists without delay.
"If there are any more who want to try the same, we've got plenty of
time to attend to them, for all we ask is a chance to pick out this
fellow's pals."
The street was now cleared, each member of the throng endeavoring to be
the first to escape suspicion, and the officers called to Jet:
"Start your man along lively. We'll lead you to a magistrate, and then
come back for a few of those who were shouting the loudest."
Ten minutes later Jet's work was accomplished. The prisoners were
confined in the village lock-up, and a message sent to the inspector,
detailing what had been done.
Before Jet had finished the meal he was so much in need of, an answer
came.
It read as follows:
"Have sent for the tall man by train which is just leaving. Report the
result of Harvey's injuries as soon as possible."
"That will be when we come back from the woods," one of the officers
said, as he read the telegram which Jet handed him. "You had better
lie down an hour or so, and then we'll start."
"I'd rather go now. If we can hire a horse with which to bring Mr.
Harvey here, I'll be able to ride part of the way."
One of the officers went out to attend to this portion of the work, and
when he returned it was with the information that he had secured just
the kind of an animal they required.
"He's too old to be afraid of anything, and there's no danger of his
running away after Harvey mounts."
Both the men insisted that Jet should ride the entire distance, and
when he objected they reminded him that by so doing it would be
possible to arrive at the desired place just so much sooner.
The strain of caring for his prisoner had fatigued him quite as much as
the tramp, and it is doubtful if he could have covered the distance
again in less than three or four hours.
The officers walked on either side of the horse, and during the journey
he had ample opportunity to explain why he had not met them at the
arrival of the train.
"We knew from the station agent that a boy had sent the telegram, and
intended to wait for us, therefore it was only natural to suppose some
of the crowd had got the best of you. When we heard the row both of us
hurried from the depot, thinking you were in some way the cause of it."
"I was afraid you might leave when I failed to show up."
"Not much. On such a job as this we'd have stayed here more than one
day before jumping back."
During the last portion of the journey, Jet dozed as he rode along,
forcing himself to open his eyes now and then to make certain he was on
the right course, and it was while he was thus in a semi-conscious
condition that a shout from a clump of bushes told the tramp was nearly
at an end.
"That is Mr. Harvey," Jet cried, gleefully, all desire for slumber gone
from his eyelids now.