While Fred was enjoying the latter part of his evening so thoroughly,
Matthew was miserable in his anger, as he and his confederate remained
crouched under the shadow of the bushes, chafing at our hero's failure
to appear.
Every minute seemed ten to him, there in the cold night wind, as he
meditated upon the events of the past few hours, and imagined his rival
enjoying the pleasure of escorting Nellie home. The more he thought upon
the matter the more vividly he pictured the situation, and the greater
the contrast seemed to be between his own position and that of the boy
he hated.
And as he dwelt upon this picture, and thought, and thought rightly,
that Fred was prolonging the time in reaching Dr. Dutton's house, his
anger became more bitter against his intended victim, for being kept
there so long in the frosty night.
It was indeed a galling situation for Matthew, and right well he
deserved to be placed in it. He was on a wicked errand--an errand for
which he should have suffered a severe punishment. Still the time went
on, and the cold grew more intense, until their teeth chattered, and
their fingers were benumbed; yet Fred did not appear.
Matthew was so bent on revenge that he hated to give up his evil
project; but he had waited so long, looked, listened, and hoped, and no
sound of footsteps could he hear, that now he broke out angrily:
"Worthington isn't coming, after all--the sneak!"
"Don't believe he is," shivered Tim, who was evidently very anxious to
get out of his contract.
"But he must come this way," continued Matthew.
"He might go to the other road and cut across the grove."
"Why should he do that when it is so much farther? Listen, do you hear
it? There is a step now!" exclaimed De Vere, clutching his club tightly.
"Sure as I'm alive, there he comes," said Tim, pointing to an
approaching object just growing visible.
"Let him get nearly opposite us before striking. Ah, now I'll get square
with him--the tramp! I'll teach him better than to interfere with me,"
continued Matthew, swinging his club as if raining imaginary blows upon
the head of his victim.
"I should think so," observed Tim.
"He will think so, too, in about a minute. He will wish he had not
crossed my path."
"Where shall I hit him?"
"Hit him on the leg so he can't run."
"He might get my club if he has the use of his arms, and then it would
be all day with us," put in Tim, with a hint at caution.
"Don't you worry. I'll fix him quick enough so he won't bother us with
his arms," replied De Vere, in a savage tone.
"How will you do it?"
"Hush, now is the time!" returned Matthew, darting from his hiding
place.
"Stop, you villain!"
The words suddenly rang out upon the night in a powerful voice. They
struck terror to the heart of the highwayman, whose club was raised high
in the air, ready to descend upon his victim.
The sudden appearance of a strong man before him, as if by magic, the
disappointment, the danger and the surprise, almost paralyzed Matthew
with fear, and he dropped his club and fled, like the coward that he
was.
But not so fortunate in escaping was young Tim Short, for before he had
time to realize the unexpected situation his club fell heavily upon the
leg of the man that he had taken for Fred Worthington.
Though he heard the command to stop, and did actually break the force of
his blow in consequence, nevertheless he struck so hard that Jacob
Simmons, for that was the name of the new comer, thought for a time that
his leg was broken. Notwithstanding this, he made sure of his assailant,
and held him in an iron grasp.
Jacob was fairly taken aback at first as the two boys rushed out upon
him, but Tim's well aimed club speedily brought him to his senses, and
aroused his temper as well. He consequently fell upon his assailant like
a madman, and choked him till he cried piteously for quarter.
"What does this mean?" demanded Jacob angrily, at the same time
enforcing his demand by shaking his prisoner as a terrier might shake a
rat.
"I do--don--don't know," replied the boy, as he, with much difficulty,
forced breath enough through the grasp of the strong man's hand around
his throat to speak at all.
"Don't, eh?" echoed Mr. Simmons, with another shake, given, probably,
with the view of bringing Tim back to his senses.
"It was a mistake--oh, don't; you will cho--choke me to death."
"Well, then, tell me all about this business, and why you assaulted me
in this outrageous manner."
"We didn't know it was you. We thought----"
"The truth, mind you, now."
"I am telling the truth, and I say we thought you were some one else."
"It was a plot, then, to rob and murder some one else?"
"No, it wasn't, and I didn't have anything to do with the plot. Matthew
hired me to----"
"Matthew who?" interrupted Jacob, whose anger was giving place, to some
extent, to his interest in the affair.
"Matthew De Vere."
"Matthew De Vere!" exclaimed Mr. Simmons, with intense surprise, giving
vent to a low whistle. "His father rich, proud, a banker," continued the
wily Jacob, easing his grasp upon the throat of Tim. "And he, Matthew De
Vere, is the villain who raised his club to hit me on the head--to
murder me, perhaps?"
Young Short caught at the idea of freeing himself by implicating
Matthew, so he replied:
"Yes, he was the fellow, but when he saw his mistake he dusted out, for
it wasn't you he wanted."
"Of course you would plead innocent--all outlaws do--and try to throw
the blame on some one else; but you can't get away now. I shall have you
arrested and locked up for an attempt at robbery and murder."
"Oh, don't--don't!" pleaded Tim, with tears and bitter anguish.
"Come along. I'll have to put you in safe keeping, where you will not
get a chance to try this game of murder again right away."
"Please don't! Oh, don't, Mr. Simmons! I will tell you all I know about
it, and do anything--work all my life for you if you will only let me
go."
"Let you go, after this affair? Yes, I will let you go--go to the
sheriff! Come along, I say."
"It's all Matthew's fault--wanting to lick Fred Worthington."
"Do you expect me to believe such a story? It's a fine yarn to try and
clear yourself when you are the one that almost broke my leg with your
club."
"He told me to hit you----"
"Told you to hit me?"
"I mean to hit Fred, for he was waiting for him--said he wanted to get
square with him."
"Then, according to your own story, you hired yourself to Matthew De
Vere to come here and waylay an innocent boy, and beat him with clubs,
and perhaps murder him."
"Yes; but I didn't think of it in that way or I wouldn't have come.
Matthew hired me."
"So much the worse, if you would sell yourself to do such a wicked
deed. You are as guilty as he, and it is my duty to hand you over to the
State."
It was plainly Mr. Simmons' duty to hand young Short over to the
authorities, but when he found that Matthew De Vere was the principal
offender, a scheme instantly suggested itself to him--a plan to extort
money from the rich banker to keep the affair a secret, and save his
family from disgrace. Thus Jacob's regard for the law and justice, which
was sincere at first, before he saw an opportunity of turning his
knowledge to a money value, was now but an assumed position to draw Tim
out, and to hold over his head the power that would frighten him into
doing his bidding.
By entertaining this idea of suppressing the knowledge of the crime in
order to get the reward Mr. Simmons became, in a sense, a party to the
assault upon himself, and morally guilty with the boys, though
undoubtedly in a less degree.
However, this did not trouble his conscience, as he was one who lived
for money, and he saw here a chance to replenish his pocketbook. He took
Tim with him, and, after getting his story in full regarding Matthew's
object in waylaying Fred Worthington, gave him a conditional pardon;
that is, he agreed to wait a few days before handing him over to the
sheriff, to see if he could get Matthew to buy his liberty by paying
handsomely to suppress the whole affair. If he did not succeed in this,
he assured Tim that he would then be arrested, convicted, and sent to
prison.
Mr. Simmons next told his prisoner that Matthew was liable with him, and
would be arrested at the same time unless he complied with his
proposition, which was that he should be paid five hundred dollars cash
for the injuries he had received. If Matthew and his father did not
comply with this demand, then he would summon the sheriff at once, have
both offenders arrested, and the entire facts made public.
Though five hundred dollars seemed an enormous sum to young Short, he
was nevertheless glad to get off temporarily on these conditions. He
promised to try to raise this amount through Matthew, or, if he failed
in so doing, to secure by some means one hundred dollars to free
himself. Jacob had at last very shrewdly, though with seeming
reluctance, agreed, if Tim could do no better, to take the one hundred
dollars in settlement for the part he played in the assault, provided he
would hold himself in readiness to testify against Matthew.
Short readily agreed to this proposition, and looked upon the
magnanimous Mr. Simmons as a paragon of liberality, and as his best
friend. But before leaving the presence of his benefactor, the latter
was careful to note down all the facts touching upon the assault as
related by Tim, and made the boy sign the statement.
This was a little precaution probably intended to assist Tim's memory if
he should happen to forget some important points.
Jacob never forgot little matters like these when the interest of his
friends was to be considered, and in this especial instance he was
unusually keen.