THE WAY OF THE TRANSGRESSOR.
Wade Brooks was hardly satisfied with the situation. He was in great
danger of being sent back to live with Obed Swikes. He had plenty
to eat on the cutter, and he had fared pretty well on board of the
“Moonlight.” He could not endure the idea of returning to his former
comfortless home, where he had been both starved and abused. He dreaded
the cold of winter even more than the hunger of the summer, though it
was both cold and hunger in the winter. He had tried to get work in New
York without success; and he had not a cent of money to buy him a piece
of bread.
It might be possible for him to escape from the cutter, or from those
who attempted to take him back to Midhampton; but this was only jumping
out of the frying-pan into the fire. The poor boy was sadly perplexed
by the situation. It was cold and hunger if he went back to his former
home, and it was starvation if he did not go there.
Lon and Matt were troubled in about the same way, though the food
problem did not disturb them. They had money to buy what they wanted to
eat; but Wade had been rich twice, and had three times lost all his
money, for it was “just his luck.” If Lon and Matt went back to their
homes, they had to answer for burning the barn, and taking the money
from the closet over the mantle-piece. If they staid in New York, the
police would by this time be on the lookout for them. If they could get
out of the cutter, and on board of a steamer bound to some place in the
south, they might keep out of sight till their money was all gone; and
then all they had to do was to go home and take the consequences.
But the consequences did not trouble them much as Lon reasoned, their
parents would be so glad to see them back, that they would let them off
easy. This time they could not charge Wade Brooks with stealing the two
hundred dollars; for he was not in the town when the deed was done.
Even Obed Swikes would be compelled to believe his son was the thief.
Mr. Wallgood occupied a state-room by himself in the cabin, the door
of which was kept open all night, with a man to watch him, lest he
should repeat the experiment of attempting to jump overboard. The three
stowaways were berthed in the steerage. The strictest watch was kept in
every part of the vessel, and there was no chance for them to get out
of her.
When the cutter came to anchor in the night, Mr. Wilkins, the first
lieutenant, had been sent on shore by the captain; but no one was
informed in regard to the nature of his mission. At daylight he
returned, bringing with him the morning newspapers. He reported to the
captain as soon as he came on board.
“The papers of this morning have a full account of the disappearance
of the cashier of the Walnut National Bank of Midhampton,” said Mr.
Wilkins, when the captain asked him into his state-room, where he was
still in bed. “The account says that Capt. Trustleton was in New York
at the time the absence of the cashier was discovered; but he was
telegraphed for, and immediately returned. It appears that the amount
of the defalcation is one hundred and fifty thousand dollars.”
“But the cashier has but one hundred thousand,” added the captain.
“I think the fifty thousand was the amount he had taken before he left,
and which made his departure necessary.”
“Very likely. The boy Brooks told me he heard the cashier say he had
loaned money to the captain of the ‘Housatonic,’ which belonged to the
bank. Did you ascertain where Capt. Trustleton was?” asked the captain.
“Yes, sir: he is at the Fifth Avenue Hotel, where he arrived in the
midnight train. The papers say he traced the cashier and his wife and
another woman to the night-train for New York, and followed them the
next night, just a day behind. The police were at work on the case
all day yesterday. I wrote a note to Capt. Trustleton, informing him
that his presence was desired on board of the cutter as early in the
morning as possible; and I directed the night clerk to deliver it to
him in person at six o’clock in the morning; and he will be here, I
think, by seven.”
“Is the father of the other boy with him?” inquired the captain.
“I think not: the register of the hotel indicates that Capt. Trustleton
is the only guest from Midhampton,” replied Mr. Wilkins.
“I thank you, Mr. Wilkins, for the thorough manner in which you have
done your work; and I recommend you to turn in.”
The first lieutenant accepted this advice, and all was still about the
cabin of the cutter again. At six o’clock Wade Brooks had slept all he
could, and turned out. When he went on deck, the watch was washing down
the decks; but he saw no chance to go on shore. Several boats were fast
to the swinging boom; but the officer of the deck stood where he could
see all that was going on.
At seven he was asked to breakfast at the captain’s table. Lon and Matt
were there also; but the defaulter had not yet left his room, at the
door of which the sentinel still stood. Wade ate a very hearty meal;
for he felt that this one might be the last he would get that day, for
he intended to take French leave as soon as he found a chance to do
so. Before the meal was finished, Mr. Wallgood came out of his room,
looking very pale and haggard, as though he had not slept any during
the night. Wade ended his breakfast, and went on deck.
When he came out of the cabin, he saw a boat approaching the cutter;
and, as it came nearer, he recognized Capt. Trustleton in the
stern-sheets. He was amazed to see him so early in the morning; and he
concluded that his business related to the cashier, though he could not
see how he should know he was on board of the cutter. The president of
the bank did not know that the defaulter was on board; but Mr. Wilkins
had intimated to him, that the captain of the cutter wished to see him
in relation to the robbery of the bank.
Mr. Graves was in charge of the deck, and he had been instructed to
admit Capt. Trustleton on board. As soon as he came on deck, the first
person he identified was Wade Brooks.
“How came you here, Wade Brooks?” asked the visitor, who was as much
astonished to see the boy as the boy was to see him.
“It would take some time for me to tell the story,” replied Wade; “and
I guess the captain of the cutter wants to see you, sir.”
“Have you seen any thing of Alonzo, my boy?” inquired the president
anxiously.
“Yes, sir: Lon and Matt Swikes are at breakfast in the cabin.”
“Then it seems that you went with my son.”
“No, sir: I did not. I haven’t had any thing to do with them. Lon and
Matt hid in the ship ‘Housatonic,’ and were found on board. That was
the ship Mr. Wallgood was in.”
“Mr. Wallgood!” exclaimed Capt. Trustleton. “Have you seen him too?”
“Yes, sir; and he is in the cabin, eating his breakfast,” replied Wade,
who knew this would be good news to the president of the bank.
“Is it possible?”
“It’s so, sir. Mr. Wallgood was going to the coast of Africa in the
‘Housatonic;’ but the cutter found him out, and brought him back, with
all the money he had taken from the bank.”
“Well, this is good news that I did not expect,” added Capt. Trustleton.
“Here comes the captain of the cutter, and he will tell you all about
it,” added Wade.
The president of the bank introduced himself to Capt. Singleton. They
sat down by themselves, and the latter told the whole story.
“Now, sir, I want to say in conclusion, that you owe the discovery of
the defaulter to the Brooks boy,” said the captain of the cutter; “and
I have found that he told me the truth in all matters.”
“I will make it all right with him,” said the president. “Wade tells me
that my son and another runaway boy are on board.”
“Yes, sir; and your son charges Wade Brooks with the stealing of two
hundred dollars.”
“I know that the charge is false,” replied Capt. Trustleton earnestly.
“The Swikes boy stole the money from his father; and I have no doubt
that my son divided it with him. The Brooks boy was not in Midhampton
when the money was taken. Even the boy’s father believes he is guilty
now.”
Presently Lon and Matt came on deck; and of course they were surprised
to see Capt. Trustleton there. The father treated his son very sternly,
telling him that he had disgraced himself and his family. For the first
time Lon felt sorry for what he had done.
“How much of the stolen money have you left?” asked Capt. Trustleton.
“Not much,” answered Lon evasively.
“Don’t answer me in that way, Alonzo!” said his father severely. “Tell
me the truth at once.”
“I have over ninety dollars, and Matt has about the same,” replied Lon,
alarmed at the unusual severity of his father.
“Give it to me.” Lon obeyed, and gave his wallet to his stern parent.
“Give me yours, Matthew,” added the captain, turning to Matt.
Matt was afraid to refuse, and gave up the old wallet he had taken,
with the money it contained. Lon and Matt both protested that they had
no more; but Capt. Trustleton was not satisfied till he had searched
them both.
“Now, if you attempt to run away again, I will hand you over to the
police, and let you stand your chance of serving out a term in the
penitentiary,” added Capt. Trustleton.
The cashier was completely overwhelmed when he met the president of
the bank face to face. He trembled like an aspen, though the captain
was more gentle with him than he had been with his son. But he was
determined that the defaulter should pay the penalty of his crime.
He was handed over to the proper officers, and in due time was sent
to Midhampton to be tried for his offence; and was sent to the State
Prison for a term of years, in spite of all the influence that could be
brought to bear in his favor.
Capt. Trustleton and the three boys landed, and went to the Fifth
Avenue Hotel.