THE PUNCTURED TIRE.
IT was Saturday night.
Elmer Chenowith had put in rather a strenuous day, all told, what with
that morning walk, the rescue of poor Toby from the tree top, and then
nine full innings of warm work pitching during the afternoon hours.
But he fancied he did not feel half so used up as Toby, for instance,
after his fall into the branches and vain struggles for release.
It was about eight o'clock when the telephone bell rang, and as he was
alone in the library at the time, Elmer answered the call. To his
surprise he recognized the voice at the other end of the wire as
belonging to Colonel Hitchins, for once heard those smooth, even tones
could never be mistaken.
"Is Elmer at home?" asked the gentleman.
"Yes, sir, this is Elmer talking with you," replied the boy, wondering
immediately what could be wanted.
"Oh, is that so? How do you feel, Elmer, after your hard afternoon's
work? I was much pleased with your pitching, and meant to tell you so,
only I found myself called to town by a message from the head of the
police; for it seems that by some bad management they let those two
rascals slip through their fingers--the fellows who took my fruit, I
mean. Are you dead tired, my boy?"
"Oh, not at all, sir. I took a bath as soon as I got home, and feel
first-rate right now. Did you want me for anything in particular,
colonel?"
"Well, I'm afraid you'll think me as impatient as any boy," laughed the
gentleman, "but the fact is, that box I mentioned to you as coming from
India has just arrived this evening, and I'm going to unpack it. I had
an idea that if you weren't too tired, possibly you might like to jump
on your wheel and come over to give me a little help."
"Of course I will, sir, and only too glad!" declared Elmer, for he knew
about what that marvelous box was supposed to hold, and fairly itched to
be on hand when its contents were exposed.
"But are you sure you are not worn out after that hard game?" persisted
the old gentleman.
"Well, I could ride twenty miles without much trouble if I had an object
back of it; and I certainly do want to see what you told me was in that
box of curios, colonel. My father will be in at any minute now. I'll
tell him where I'm going, and I'm sure he won't object, for he likes me
to be with you. Then I'll jump on my wheel and run across. I've got a
good lantern, you know, and there's a fairly decent road most all the
way."
"Good! I shall expect to see you soon, then, Elmer," said the gentleman,
who had taken a deep interest in the boy.
"I ought to be there inside of twenty minutes, I expect, sir"; and Elmer
cut off communication, because he heard his father's step in the hall.
When he communicated the message of Colonel Hitchins to Mr. Chenowith
there was not the slightest objection raised to his going. Well did that
father know he could trust his boy anywhere, and at any hour, without
feeling anxiety as to what sort of company he was in. And the father
who has this confidence in his son is to be envied indeed.
So Elmer got his wheel from the back hall where he usually kept it and,
passing out, was quickly on the way. His lantern lighted the road in
front of him fairly well, and since he was not apt to meet with many
vehicles at this hour he could make pretty good time.
Just as he arrived close to the gate leading into the large property
belonging to Colonel Hitchins, he heard the well-known hiss of escaping
air that told of a puncture.
"Well, now, wouldn't that just jar you!" he exclaimed in disgust, never
dreaming at the time what a tremendous influence that very same incident
was destined to have upon his fortunes. "Now I've either got to ask the
colonel to give me a lift home, which I certainly won't do, or else
trudge all the way back on foot, trundling my old wheel, for of course I
couldn't expect to put a plug in without daylight to work by. Oh, well,
it's all in the game. Let it go at that."
In this manner, then, free from care and ready to take the hard with the
easy, Elmer pushed his useless machine ahead of him as he walked along
the drive leading to the house, far removed from the country road.
As he passed the peach trees that had been shorn of their prize contents
Elmer was, of course, reminded of the lost cap; but whatever he thought,
he said nothing aloud to indicate that he had solved the mystery.
"There's old Bruno giving tongue," he presently remarked. "What a deep
bark he has! Wonder what he would do if he broke loose right now? But he
ought to know me well enough. Still, I hope the chain holds him. And
here I am at the house."
Once again did he enter and pass along to the library where the colonel
spent most of his time when at home. Elmer remembered that the last
occasion of his entering that room was when he accompanied Mark there,
as the other was responding to the request of the colonel that he would
call and see him.
"Glad to see you, Elmer; and this is nice of you, humoring a cranky old
fellow like me when you deserved your rest to-night," was the way the
gentleman met him as he entered.
"I rather guess, sir, that I'm the one to feel grateful, because of your
letting me be with you when you open that big box"; and he eyed the case
with the foreign markings, knowing that it held many almost priceless
objects, which the other had secured when last in India and left there
until he chose to send for them.
A servant came in with a pitcher of iced grape juice and some cake.
"Before we get to work, suppose we sample this, my son," remarked the
gentleman, smilingly; for Colonel Hitchins knew boys from the ground up,
even though he had never had any of his own.
A little later the lid of the case, which had been loosened previously
by one of the servants probably, was lifted off, and the colonel began
to take out the costly little articles that were so snugly packed in
nests of paper and cloth.
These he placed upon the table as he brought them forth. They were of
ebony, copper, brass, and ivory. Elmer had never before looked upon such
a queer assortment of curios. And the best of it was that nearly every
one represented some sort of adventure in which the present owner had
taken part.
He related the story of each as he placed it there on the table and
fingered it, while allowing memory to once more recall the lively
incidents.
Elmer never passed a more enjoyable evening in all his life. Why, it
seemed to him that Colonel Hitchins must be one of those wonderful
story-tellers he had read about in the _Arabian Nights Entertainment_.
And yet, strange though many of these narratives might be, he knew they
were absolutely true, which made them seem all the more remarkable.
So deeply interested had the boy become that he hardly noted the flight
of time. When a clock struck eleven he drew a long breath.
"I'm afraid I must be going, sir," he said, rising regretfully. "I
promised my father not to stay longer than eleven, but I was surprised
when I counted the cuckoo notes, for I thought it was only ten o'clock!"
"Thank you, Elmer," said the other, as though greatly pleased. "That was
as delicate and yet positive a compliment for my powers of entertainment
as I have ever received. I will not try to detain you, because I
appreciate the confidence your father puts in you. Give him my best
regards. I expect to have him over next week with a couple of other
friends, for a hand of whist, and they will then see what you have
helped me unpack to-night."
True to his resolve, Elmer had not mentioned the fact that his tire
being flat, he would either have to push his wheel all the way home or
leave it there and come on Monday, when in daylight he could render it
serviceable again. For he knew the genial colonel would insist on
getting the colored driver out, have him hitch up the horses, and take
his guest home; something Elmer did not care to have happen.
Having shaken hands with the old gentleman again, Elmer made his way to
the front door and passed out. By this time he knew more or less about
the arrangements of both house and grounds, and when the idea came to
stow his wheel away until he chose to return for it, he remembered that
there was an outhouse where some garden tools were kept, just around the
main building.
"I guess I'll see if it's unfastened, and if so I'll leave my old wheel
there. It'll be safe in case of rain, too. Wonder if Bruno will act half
crazy when he hears me moving around."
While thinking after this strain, Elmer was softly trundling his wheel
around to that side of the mansion where he remembered seeing the tool
house he spoke of. Not wishing to make any noise that might excite the
chained hound, or be heard in the house, he kept to the turf as he
walked.
"Now that's queer," he said to himself, as he stopped to listen. "Just
when I expected to hear Bruno carry on wild, he's as still as a clam.
And yet a while ago he was barking fiercely, too. Must have tired
himself out and gone to sleep; or else he's broken loose again, and is
taking a run over the country, as the colonel says he always does when
he slips his collar."
However, he was not at all sorry for this silence. Had the hound,
hearing his suspicious and stealthy movements, started to baying and
yelping, he might have drawn the attention of some servant, who would be
apt to give him trouble.
And so Elmer presently discovered some dark object looming up alongside
him; which on closer inspection proved to be the very tool house of
which he was in search.
And better still, the door turned out to be unfastened by any lock, a
staple and a wooden pin doing the holding act.
Groping around until he found a way to open the door, Elmer carefully
pushed his useless wheel inside. Then he as quietly closed the door
again.
"I suppose somebody will be surprised to find a bicycle inside of a tool
house," he chuckled, as he began to fasten the door again just as he had
found it; "but if the fact is brought to the colonel's attention, trust
him for understanding how it got there, and why."
Turning once more, he started to retrace his steps, intending to pass
around the house and out at the gate that lay some distance away. A mile
was not so very far to go, even for a tired boy. And as he had said,
that cold bath had worked wonders for his muscles.
Elmer had gone possibly one half of the distance to the gate, when he
believed he detected something moving ahead of him. The first thought
that flashed across his mind was that it must be Bruno, who was in the
act of returning home after a little run about the country.
He hoped the big dog would recognize him as a friend before attempting
to jump at him; for Elmer knew that Siberian wolf hounds are not the
easiest animals in the world to handle when met in the dark.
So the boy prepared to speak, in the hope that Bruno would recognize his
voice. Better after all to arouse the house, than have the dog attack
him under the impression that he was a thief.
Again he detected that movement as he stood perfectly still alongside
the bush. This time, however, it struck him that it did not seem so much
like a dog; and while he was trying to figure this out, another sound
came faintly to his ears. Whispers! That meant human beings, and at
least two, or they would not be exchanging remarks!
Could it be any of the servants belonging to the house? Their actions
would not warrant such an idea, for Elmer could now see that the two
dusky figures were creeping along, bending low, and behaving in the most
suspicious manner possible.
A sudden thought struck him so forcibly that it sent a shiver through
his whole body. What was that the colonel had said over the wire about
the two men whom he had had arrested on a charge of stealing his prize
fruit, getting away from the poorly guarded lock up in town?
Could it be possible that these shadowy figures were those same rascals;
and had they come to the home of Colonel Hitchins, determined after
their lawless way, to get even with him for having caused them to suffer
a short time in the jail?
Elmer could feel his heart beating like mad as he watched them drawing
nearer and nearer.