"Let go of that pocketbook!" ordered Gus Talbot angrily.
"When I do, tell me," retorted Andy.
The young chauffeur knew that once the money got into the hands of the
Talbots, father or son, its return to its rightful owner would be
extremely dubious. He had proven himself a match for Gus in more than
one encounter in the past, and that was why Gus hated him. Andy reached
out one hand not at all gently. He gave his opponent a push under the
chin.
Gus Talbot went flat to the floor of the garage with a howl. He had not,
however, let go his grip on the pocketbook. The result was that it had
torn squarely in two. Andy directed a speedy glance at the half in his
own hand. He was reassured, for he had retained the part holding the
banknotes.
"You can keep what you have got," he advised Gus, with a little
triumphant laugh. "I'll put this where you won't get your paws on it."
With the words Andy ran through the front open doorway of the garage and
down the street in the direction of the business section of the village.
Primarily anxiety to bestow the money in a safe place impelled his
flight. Three other reasons, however, helped to influence him in leaving
the field ingloriously.
In the first place, Gus Talbot was a wicked terror when he got mad. It
was nothing for him to pick up a hatchet, a wrench or an iron bar and
sail into an enemy when his cowardly fists failed him. Andy might have
remained to give the mean craven a further lesson, but chancing to
glance through a side window he saw the chosen crony of Gus approaching.
Dale Billings was the bully of the town. He had left Andy severely alone
after tackling him once. With Gus and Dale both against him, however,
Andy decided that there would be little show of retaining possession of
the money.
The third reason was more potent and animating than any of the others.
Just crossing lots from his home and headed for the garage direct was
its proprietor. If Andy had had any confidence in the sense of justice
and rectitude of Talbot he would have stood his ground. He had none, and
therefore made a rash resolve. It was open defiance of his harsh
employer, and there would be a frightful row later on, but Andy's mind
was made up. He had reached the next corner and flashed around it and
out of sight before Gus Talbot had gained his feet.
Fifteen minutes later Andy Nelson reappeared at the end of a secluded
street near the edge of the village. He was slightly breathless, and
looked excited, and glanced back of him keenly before he sat down on a
tree stump to rest and think.
"I've done my duty," he murmured; "but it will make things so hot at the
garage I don't think I'll go back there."
Andy indulged in a spell of deep reflection. For some time he had
realized that he was giving his best energies to a man who did not
appreciate them. His work had grown harder and harder. Whenever a
complaint came in about imperfect work, due to the sloppy methods of
Talbot, the garage owner made Andy shoulder all the blame.
"He talks about a two-years' contract, and tries to scare me about what
the law will do to me if I leave him," soliloquized Andy. "Has he kept
his part of the bargain? Did he give me the increase in pay and the suit
of clothes he promised? No, he didn't. I've got something in me, but it
will kill it all out to stay in this place. I've got five dollars as a
nest-egg, and I'm going to start out on my own hook."
Andy was fully determined on his course. Perhaps if the incident of the
morning had not come up, he might have delayed his decision. He knew
very well, however, that if he went back to the garage Talbot would
raise a big row, and he would also get hold of the two hundred dollars
if it were possible for him to do so. Some day Andy feared the Talbots
would play one too many of their uncertain tricks and involve him in an
imputation of dishonesty.
"It's straight ahead, and never turn back," declared Andy decisively,
and started down the road.
"Hold on there, young man!" challenged a voice that gave Andy a thrill.
Running around the curve in the road Andy had just traversed, red-faced
and flustered, Seth Talbot came bearing down upon him.
Andy might have halted, but the sight of Gus Talbot and Dale Billings
bringing up the rear armed with heavy sticks so entirely suggested an
onslaught of force that he changed his mind. He paid no attention
whatever to the furious shouts and direful threats of Talbot.
Andy put ahead at renewed speed. At a second turn in the highway a man
was raking up hay, and he suspended his work and stared at the fugitive
and his pursuers, as Talbot roared out:
"Stop him, Jones--he's a runaway and a thief!"
Farmer Jones was not spry enough to shorten the circuit Andy made, but
he thrust out the rake to its full length. Andy's foot caught in its
tines, dragged, tripped, and the boy went flat to the ground.
"I've got him!" hailed Jones, promptly pouncing down upon him.
"Hold him!" panted Talbot, rushing to the spot, and his hard, knotty
fingers got an iron clutch on Andy's coat collar and jerked him to his
feet.
"What's the trouble, neighbor?" projected the farmer curiously.
"A thief isn't the matter!" shot out Andy hotly, recalling the words of
his employer.
"You'll have to prove that," blustered Talbot. "If you're innocent, what
are you running for?"
"I was running away from you," admitted Andy boldly, "because I want to
be honest and decent."
"What's that?" roared the irate Talbot. "Do you hear him, Jones? He
admits he was going to break his contract with me. Well, the law will
look to that, you ungrateful young cub!"
"Law! contract!" cried Andy scornfully, fully roused up and fearless
now. "Have you kept your contract with me? You don't want me, you want
that two hundred dollars----"
"Shut up! Shut up!" yelled Talbot, and he muzzled Andy with one hand and
dragged him away from the spot. Farmer Jones grinned after them, and he
shrugged his shoulders grimly as he noticed Gus Talbot and Dale Billings
halted down the road, as if averse to coming any nearer.
"'Pears to me you're having a good deal of trouble with your boys,
Talbot," chuckled Jones. "That son of yours got a few cracks from my
cane last evening when he was helping himself to some of my honey among
the hives."
Once out of hearing of the farmer, Gus Talbot edged up to his father.
"Has he got the money?" he inquired eagerly. "Make him tell, father,
search him."
"I'll attend to all that," retorted the elder Talbot gruffly. "Here, you
two fall behind. There's no need of attracting attention with a regular
procession."
Talbot did not relax his hold of the prisoner until they had reached the
garage. He roughly threw Andy into the lumber room. Then, panting and
irritated from his unusual exertions, he planted himself in the doorway.
Gus and Dale hovered about, anxious to learn the outcome of the row.
"Now then, Andy Nelson," commenced the garage owner, "I've just a few
questions to ask you, and you'll answer them quick and right, or it will
be the worse for you."
"It has certainly never been the best for me around here," declared Andy
bitterly, "but I'll tell the truth, as I always do."
"Did you find a pocketbook with some money in it in one of my cars?"
"I did," admitted Andy--"two hundred dollars. It belonged to my fare, who
lost it, and it's going back to him."
"Hand it over."
"I can't do that."
"Why not?" demanded Talbot stormily.
"Because I haven't got it."
"Who has?"
"Mr. Dawson, the banker. I took it to him when I left the garage."
"Oh, you did?" muttered Seth Talbot, looking baffled and furious.
"Yes, sir. I told him that it was lost money, explained the
circumstances, and that if a certain Mr. Robert Webb called or
telegraphed for it, to let him have it."
"Is that the name of the man you took over to Macon?"
"That is the name written in red ink on the flap of the pocketbook," and
Andy drew out the former receptacle of the banknotes. "'Robert Webb,
Springfield.' I shall write to him at Springfield and tell him where the
money is."
Seth Talbot fairly glared at Andy. He got up and wriggled and hemmed and
hawed, and sat down again.
"Young man," he observed in as steady tone of voice as he could command,
"you've shown a sight of presumption in taking it on yourself to lay out
my business system. Here you've gone and implied that I was not fit to
be trusted."
Andy was silent.
"I won't have it; no, I won't have it!" shouted the garage-keeper. "It's
an imputation on my honor! I'll give you just one chance to redeem
yourself. You go back to the bank and tell Mr. Dawson that we've got on
the direct track of the owner of the money, and bring it back here."
"That would be a lie," said Andy.
"Don't we know where he is?"
"In a general way, but so does the bank. It would be a cheat, too, for I
don't believe you want to get the money back to its rightful owner any
more than you wanted to pay me the tip that passenger left here for me
last week."
Andy had been too bold. Talbot rose up, towering with rage. He sprang
upon Andy, and threw him upon the cot, holding him there by sheer brute
strength.
"Here, you Gus--Dale!" he shouted. "Off with his hat and shoes. And his
coat--no, let me look that over first. Aha!"
Gus Talbot considered it high sport to assail a defenceless and
outnumbered adversary. He and Dale snatched off cap and shoes without
gentleness or ceremony. Talbot had got hold of Andy's little purse and
had brought to light the five dollars so carefully folded and stowed
away there.
"Honest? Ha, ha! Decent? Ho, ho!" railed the old wretch. "Where did you
get this five dollars without stealing it?"
"Bet he got ten dollars for the run to Macon and held back half of it,"
chimed in Gus.
"My fare gave it to me for making good time," explained Andy. "If you
don't believe it, write to him."
"Yah!" jibed Talbot; "tell that to the marines!"
He kicked Andy's shoes and cap under a bench in the outer room and threw
his coat up among a lot of old rubbish on a platform under the roof.
"Get the strongest padlock and hasp in the place," he ordered his son,
"and secure that door. As to you, young man," he continued to Andy,
"I'll give you till night to make up your mind to get back that money."
"I never will," declared Andy positively.
"Boy," said Seth Talbot, fixing his eye on Andy in a way that made his
blood chill, "you'll do it, as I say, or I'll thrash you within an inch
of your life."