DAN’S ARREST
As soon as Dan had made up his mind what he was going to do,--that
is go to the village and tell the constables what he had seen that
night,--he hurried with his corn hoeing.
“I think I’ll change my clothes before I go,” he said to himself.
“These aren’t fit to go to town in. My others are not much better, but
they haven’t quite so many holes.”
Dan had to wear second-hand clothes, or garments made over from those
cast aside by his employer, for Mrs. Savage was determined not to spend
any money on the lad.
“I think my best plan will be to get into the house quietly,” thought
Dan, “for if Mr. Savage sees me he’ll not let me go.”
He knew a way he could get to his room without being seen by any one
in the house. This was to go up through the back orchard, and climb
an old apple tree, one branch of which was opposite the window of his
garret room.
Once in his apartment he could change his clothes and leave his room
the same way, slipping off to the village. He did not feel it would be
wrong to do so, as he had worked considerable over-time of late, and
was entitled to a few hours off. Besides, he was doing the doctor a
service.
Dan managed to reach his room without attracting any attention from
Mrs. Savage, who was doing her baking. Once in his sleeping apartment
Dan gathered up his clothes.
“Guess I’ll not change here,” he said to himself. “It might take too
long, and she might come up and find me. I’ll make a bundle, and do my
changing in the barn.”
Accordingly he did up his other suit, shoes and a clean collar in a
little package, tied it to his back, and prepared to descend by means
of the old apple tree.
“I certainly hope I can put the constables on the right track,” he
mused. “If I could, and the robbers were arrested, maybe I would get a
reward. That would be fine. I’d have some money of my own, then, and
perhaps I could get a better place, where I could go to school, or, at
least, do some studying.” Which showed that Dan was an ambitious lad,
and wanted to rise in life.
Making sure that his bundle would not slip out of the cord, he stepped
from his window sill, and out on the big limb. He was about to descend
when he heard some one talking, and looking down, he saw four men close
to the tree.
The men were the two constables, one of Mr. Savage’s hired men and
Silas Martin, who had accompanied the officers back to the farm. They
had arrived a little while before, and had sought out Mr. Savage to
tell him their errand, but learned that the old farmer had gone to a
distant meadow, to repair a fence.
“Could I attend to matters fer you?” Mrs. Savage had asked, pausing in
the midst of her baking. She hoped the three men would tell her their
errand, as she was very curious. She rather suspected it had to do with
the robbery, and imagining they were organizing a crowd to hunt down
the burglars, wanted her husband to help.
“No, ma’am, we’ll explain to Mr. Savage,” had been the reply from
Constable Wolff, who had taken upon himself the part of spokesman.
“Never tell any detective news to a woman,” he cautioned his companions
a little later. “They can’t keep a secret.”
The two constables whispered together for a moment, and then announced
that they would go to the barn and await the return of Mr. Savage.
That was one object they had, and the other was due to a suggestion of
Constable Wolff’s, that they try to locate the whereabouts of Dan, and
prevent him escaping, until they could consult with his employer. The
truth was, in spite of what Hank Lee had said, both constables were a
little doubtful of Dan’s guilt.
When the officers and Silas reached the barn they met one of the hired
men. Making a casual inquiry from him, Mr. Wolff learned that the
farm-hand had seen Dan leave the cornfield some time before and start
for the house.
“Then he’s tryin’ to escape!” Constable Wolff had declared. “That’s his
object! Come on, we’ll surround the house. I’ll appoint you a special
deputy,” he added to the hired man, “an’ you’ll be obliged by law to
help us.”
“Help you do what?”
“Arrest Dan Hardy.”
“Arrest Dan Hardy? What for?”
“We suspect him of the robbery of Dr. Maxwell’s house. Mind you, we
only suspect him, an’ we want to question him. You’ve got t’ help.”
“Well, I’ll help you, all right, but you needn’t worry. Dan Hardy is
as innocent as I am. He isn’t going to run away. Come on, I’ll take you
to his room.”
“No, no. We must go cautiously,” objected Constable Wolff, his
detective abilities asserting themselves. “If we go to th’ front of
th’ house, he may see us, an’ get out th’ back way. First we’ll go t’
th’ back, an’ I’ll post you there as a guard. Then Fred, Silas an’ me,
we’ll go in an’ get him.”
“Suit yourselves,” answered the hired man, who was a good friend of
Dan’s. “He’ll not be afraid to answer your questions, and he’ll not try
to run away.”
Now my readers can understand how it was that the four men happened to
be under the tree just as Dan was coming down. The two officers and
Silas had been led there by the hired man, who offered to point out the
window of Dan’s room.
“You stay here, keep guard, an’ we’ll go around front,” directed
Constable Wolff.
At that instant Dan started to descend to the ground. He made quite
a commotion among the leaves, and the men, hearing it, looked up.
Constable Walker caught sight of the boy.
“Dan Hardy, we want you!” called Mr. Wolff sternly. “Don’t try to hide
away from us. We see you!”
“I’m not hiding,” replied Dan.
“Then what are you doing up that tree?”
“I’m coming down from my room,” for Dan did not want to explain all of
his reasons for his actions.
“That’s a queer answer,” commented the constable. “Where ye goin’?”
“I was just going to see you.”
“Humph, that’s a likely story! Guess you knowed I was comin’ after you.”
“No, I did not,” replied Dan, “but I was going to tell you about the
robbery--at least what I know.”
“He’s goin’ to confess!” whispered Constable Walker. “I guess he knowed
I was after him.”
“You’d better come down,” advised Constable Wolff.
“I’m going to.”
As Dan slid to the ground the bundle he had tied to his back slipped
from the string. The package struck the hard earth and burst open,
revealing his clothes, shoes and clean collar.
“Ha! I knowed it!” cried Jacob Wolff. “We come jest in time! He was
all packed up ready to escape! Dan Hardy, I arrest you in th’ name of
th’ law!” and he grasped the boy by the collar of his coat.
“Arrest me? What for?” and poor Dan became quite alarmed.
“Oh, you know what for, you jest confessed it.”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“Didn’t ye jest say ye was comin’ t’ tell us about th’ robbery?”
demanded Mr. Walker.
“Yes, but--”
“Then I arrest ye fer the burglarizin’ of Dr. Maxwell’s house last
night!” cried Constable Walker, also seizing Dan by the coat,
determined not to be outdone by his companion.
“Tell ’em you didn’t do it, Dan!” exclaimed the hired man. “I know you
didn’t.”
“Thank you,” said the boy, touched by these friendly words. “Of
course I did not commit the robbery, though I may be able to tell you
something about it.”
“I guess ye kin; more than’s good fer ye,” and Constable Walker laughed
sarcastically.
“You should warn him that anything he says may be used against him,”
declared the hired man. “That’s the law, and you know it. You have no
right to trap him into saying something that may incriminate him.”
“Yes, that’s right,” admitted Mr. Wolff. “It’s my lawful duty,” he went
on, “to state that anythin’ ye say will be used for trial. So ye’d
better keep still, ’less you want to tell,” he added cunningly.
“I have nothing to conceal,” said Dan. “I can easily prove that I was
some miles away from here at the time of the robbery. If Mr. Savage was
here he would tell you. As I said before, I may know something that
will be of service to the authorities. I saw some strange men last
night, and their actions puzzled me. I was on my way to tell you, and--”
“Yes, ye was goin’ t’ tell us, but we find ye hidin’ in a tree, with
yer clothes all packed up ready t’ run away,” interposed Constable
Walker. “That’s a likely yarn! Ye kin tell that t’ th’ Squire. I
believe ye robbed th’ house, an’ I’m goin’ t’ search ye.”
Things began to look bad for poor Dan. It was easy to see how his
actions were misconstrued. Even the simple packing up of some of his
clothes made it look as if he was going to run away.
At the mention of the word “search” Dan drew back indignantly. He was
not used to such treatment. Before he could prevent it the constable
had thrust his hand into the boy’s pocket. As he did so he uttered an
exclamation. Then he drew forth a silver spoon. It was the one Dan had
picked up in the road, near where he had seen the mysterious men.
“What ye got there?” asked Constable Wolff, who wished he had done the
searching.
“A silver spoon,” was the answer. “I’ll bet it’s part of the stolen
booty. Yep,” he went on, “it’s got an ‘M’ on it, an’ M stands fer
Maxwell. Now, Dan Hardy, I guess ye can’t say ye’re innocent! We’ve
found part of th’ stolen property on ye. Come along now.”
Poor Dan, who had forgotten all about the spoon, felt his heart sink
like lead. He was arrested for theft.