THE LAME HORSE ONCE MORE
If Elgert and Dobson and the two juniors who had overheard that
conversation in Brown's cake-shop were the four most excited concerning
the five-pound note which had been stolen from Mr. Delermain, they were
not the only ones in Marlthorpe College who were interested in the
matter.
From first to last the whole school could do nothing but discuss the
mysterious business; and, whatever else it did, the attempt to put the
guilt upon Ralph's shoulders resulted in his being all the more firmly
established in the favour of most of the boys.
Even those who had not liked him were more friendly now; for there was
something so shameful and wicked in trying to get him accused of that
which it had been proved he was innocent of, that they could not but
feel sympathy for him. Then the story of his brave deed in rescuing
Elgert was strongly in his favour. After all, boys at heart love
bravery.
But of all there, Warren and Ralph himself pondered most. Their
friendship was quite restored, and together they talked and discussed,
and wondered who it could possibly be who would want to harm Ralph.
And poor Charlton! Ah, how miserable he was now! He had his own weight
of sorrow, and it was very, very heavy to bear; and after what Ralph
had said he could never hope that they would be friends again.
"I suppose that I am to blame," he said. "Perhaps I took things too
much to heart. I feel that I am never to have friends. I--I don't care!
Rexworth might give me another chance; but if he won't--if he is so
taken up with Warren--he can do as he likes. I don't care!"
Poor Charlton! He did care, for all his talk--care very much. He was
lonely and sad; but he did not stop to think that Ralph had already
given him chances, and that it was his own fault that he had not taken
them. When we are miserable we are also apt to be unjust, and to put
the blame for our own actions upon other people's shoulders.
And how interested and indignant, and yet withal delighted, were the
St. Clives when they heard of what had happened.
"A clean reputation is a good thing, you see, Ralph," Mr. St. Clive
said. "It is surely worth something to feel that people have such a
high estimate of you as to realize that you are utterly incapable of
doing a mean thing, even though appearances are so strong against you."
"It is just splendid to think how you have come out of it, Ralph!" was
Irene's delighted comment when the two young people were alone. "It is
like when wicked people tried to injure the brave knights of old, and
when truth and valour and true chivalry triumphed over all opposition.
There is something, even here and now, to be gained when people know
that you are fighting under honour's flag!"
And Ralph had to acknowledge that she spoke the truth, and to own that
he was now very glad that he had resisted the temptation to yield and
to run away from his troubles.
That Saturday holiday--the one after the business of the note being
found in his pocket-book--was one of the happiest that he had spent
since coming to Stow Ormond--a day when the clouds seemed to have
lifted, when the sun seemed brighter, and when faith grew more strong.
It came from the feeling that he had fought a good fight, and that he
had been helped to be more than conqueror.
And yet he had forgotten nothing of his father. He was as anxious as
ever to solve the mystery surrounding his disappearance; only now,
instead of being impatient, he felt that he was preparing in the best
way for seeking the truth by staying with Mr. St. Clive, and by working
as hard as ever he could.
And on that same afternoon he walked with Irene as far as the pretty
old inn; and old Simon, the landlord, greeted him with a cheery smile;
for, indeed, Simon felt a great interest in the lad, seeing that the
first scene in his strange story was enacted beneath his roof.
"And how are you, young gentleman?" he asked. "And you, too,
missie?"--as the two entered the yard. "Come to pay a visit to old
Simon--eh?"
"I have come to talk to you, Simon," answered Ralph. No one ever called
the landlord of the _Horse and Wheel_ anything but Simon. "I have come
to ask you something."
"That's right, sir! Ask away--though I don't promise to answer if it is
a poser. I haven't had the education which you young people enjoy."
"It is nothing to do with education, Simon," laughed Ralph. "I want
to ask you whether, now that you have had plenty of time to think of
it--as I feel sure you must have thought--do you think that you have
any recollection of ever having seen my father before? I feel certain
that he knew the place; and if he knew it, perhaps you may be able to
think of some one whom he reminds you of."
But Simon shook his head at that question.
"I am afraid that I cannot answer that, sir. Your father certainly did
know the place; for when I told him the number of his room he walked
right up to it without waiting to be shown. And, in some way, I seem to
have a faint recollection of having seen him before; but it is all dim
and hazy like, and it wouldn't do to go upon."
"Thank you, Simon. Now the other question--and I want you to keep this
to yourself; I have a particular reason for that. Do you know any one
in the neighbourhood who drives about in a light trap, and who has a
horse lame in its left foreleg?"
"Well," said the old man thoughtfully, "come to that, there are plenty
of folk with light traps hereabout; and I know of two lame horses. Old
Saxer, the carter, has one, and Hopkin, the butcher, has one, and--why,
yes, Lord Elgert himself has a pretty little mare lame in her left
foreleg. She hurt herself in a hole, and, though she goes all right
now, she has a bit of a limp. And, why, come to think of it, now I
remember who your father put me in mind of."
"Who--oh, who?" cried Ralph eagerly; while Irene looked on not less
interested.
"Who?" said the innkeeper. "Why, of old Lord Stephen! He was Lord
Elgert's uncle, and he died without leaving child of his own. He had
one son, who died long, long ago. That is it, for certain! But what
ails you, young sir?"
For Ralph had gone quite white. He had never expected that answer. Lord
Elgert had a lame horse! Lord Elgert was the nephew of some one whom
his father had resembled! Lord Elgert had told that wicked story about
his father; and Lord Elgert was so very anxious for him to go back to
the plains, and leave England behind him for ever! Surely it could not
be! And yet, as Ralph pondered, he seemed to call to mind a hundred
things to strengthen his suspicions. It could not be that Lord Elgert
knew anything about his father!
A very grave Ralph walked home to lunch; and a very grave Mr. St. Clive
listened to his story.
"I could wish that this had not been brought up, Ralph," he said. "I
fear that it will only unsettle you again; and, in spite of all that
you advance, I cannot bring myself to believe that you are anything but
mistaken. Lord Elgert may not be a pleasant man to deal with, but this
is a very, very grave thing to even so much as hint at."
But whatever Mr. St. Clive might say, Ralph could not get the thing
out of his head. It is not to be wondered at that it should haunt him
and make him feel excited. After waiting so long, this was like the
first real tangible clue. And he had been thinking that it was poor
Charlton's father who must be at the bottom of it! Poor Charlton!
Walking by himself, Ralph pondered upon the fact that, after all, if
any one had hinted to him what he had hinted to his chum he would have
been just as hurt and indignant. And now that he was cleared it would
be manly and nice to go and ask him to be friends again.
"He can hardly do anything if I don't give him the chance," he told
himself. "I will do it as soon as I get back to school on Monday."
His head full of the tracks of lame horses and light traps, he had
taken his way across towards Stow Wood, the scene of that tragedy--for
tragedy he believed there had surely been--and as he walked over the
common he reflected that those marks had led away in the direction of
Great Stow; and in Great Stow or just beyond it, Lord Elgert lived.
And then, as he walked along, his eyes thoughtfully fixed upon the
ground, he stopped suddenly. Surely things were going strangely to-day;
for, coming on top of old Simon's words, here was the track of the lame
horse again!
"I will follow it this time," said Ralph to himself.
And he set forward rapidly. There was plenty of both light and time
this afternoon, and if the tracks led to hard roads he would go on and
search beyond them.
But he did not have very far to go this time, though he gained but
little for his trouble. The other side the common, and close to Stow
Wood, he came upon the vehicle he had followed--a light trap, truly,
and drawn by a pretty little mare; and with it were three men, one in
the uniform of a constable and the others in ordinary dress.
"Who does this trap belong to?"
The question was absurd, perhaps, but he blurted it out without
thinking; and the men turned and regarded him with mingled surprise
and amusement.
"And what has that to do with you, if you please?" said one--the one in
uniform.
And what could he say? Whatever the other two were, one was a
constable; and surely a constable was sufficient evidence that he had
followed a wrong trail!
"You seem to have a liking for asking questions, young gentleman," said
one of the other men. "Now, suppose that we ask you one? Have you seen
any one out here--any one that seemed as if they were trying to hide?
We are looking for a prisoner of ours, who escaped some time back,
and who, we believe, is hiding in this locality. Have you seen any
suspicious character about?"
Detectives! A prisoner! It must be Charlton's father! How glad he was
that he could answer truly that he had seen no one! And the man who had
put the question replied to him, when he had finished:
"Thank you. Now, as you have answered me, I will answer you; though
I confess that I do not understand the reason for your question. The
horse and trap belong to Lord Elgert. Doubtless you have heard of him.
He kindly lent them to us that we might be saved a long walk."
It was Lord Elgert's! And these men, in Lord Elgert's trap, were
looking for poor Charlton's father! Ralph thanked the constables,
letting them remain in ignorance as to the real reason for his
question, and with slow and thoughtful steps turned into Stow Wood.
He was bewildered, perplexed, stunned. It was Lord Elgert's trap! Could
Lord Elgert be the one who had harmed his father?
Pondering deeply, he walked on, hardly noticing where he went, until
suddenly a slight exclamation recalled his wandering senses. He looked
up. He had penetrated into a little glade, and there before him stood
two people--his chum Charlton and a man! He had found the one for whom
the police were searching so close at hand!