JOE'S FLIGHT.
It was literally impossible for Joe Potter to make any reply to Dan
Fernald's positive statement that he must run away in order to escape
punishment.
As a matter of course he knew he had done nothing of a criminal nature,
and yet the advertisement, which seemed to stand out more conspicuously
than any other item in the paper, could not be construed either by
himself or his companions to mean anything else.
The fact that it was signed by attorneys seemed to Joe and his friends
positive proof that a crime had been committed; otherwise why would
representatives of the law have appeared in the matter?
Dan Fernald, as Joe's oldest and nearest friend, took it upon himself to
act as master of ceremonies in the affair, and, understanding that his
comrade was so overwhelmed by the impending danger as to be absolutely
incapable of intelligent movement, led him towards the shanty, as he
said, gravely:
"Never mind what it is you've done, Joe, us fellers are goin' to see you
through, an' it won't do to hang 'round here very long, if you plan on
givin' the perlice the slip. I reckon they'll be hot after you before
nine o'clock, an' by that time I'm countin' on havin' you hid. Got
anything here you want to take with you?"
Joe shook his head; but Master Fernald seemed to consider it necessary
they should enter the building, and his two comrades followed close in
the rear.
Once inside the shanty, the visitors, as a matter of course, saw the
princess sleeping on the straw, and, despite the fact that her garments
were not as cleanly as on the day previous, making a most charming
picture.
"Well, I'll be blowed! Where'd you get that?"
Joe had been so bewildered by the terrible knowledge that the officers
of the law were probably on his trail, as to have forgotten for the
moment that the princess was in his charge, and he stood for an instant
staring at her vacantly before making any reply, which odd behaviour
served to strengthen the belief in the minds of his friends that he was
guilty of some serious crime.
"Oh, that's the princess. She lost her folks somewhere near the _de_pot
last night, an' I was countin' on findin' 'em for her this mornin'.
Plums an' me had to take her in, else she'd been layin' 'round the
streets."
Dan looked at him sharply, while Tim and Jerry raised themselves on
tiptoe to gaze at the sleeping child.
"Well, what you goin' to do with her now?" Dan asked, after waiting in
vain for his friend to speak.
"I don't know," Joe replied, sadly, and added, in a more hopeful tone,
"If you fellers would look after the little thing, she might--"
"We'll have all we can do keepin' you out of jail, without bein'
bothered by a kid taggin' everywhere we go. You don't seem to
understand, Joe, that it's goin' to take mighty sharp work, an' most
likely every feller that ever knew you will be watched by the perlice
from this time out."
"But I can't leave her here alone," Master Potter wailed.
"Why not take her down where Plums used to live? Mis' Carter's got a
reg'lar raft of kids, an' ought'er know how to take care of another."
"It would jest 'bout break the little thing's heart to put her in with
that Carter gang, an' I can't do it. I'd sooner the perlice nabbed me."
"Now you're talkin' through your hat. Of course you don't want to go up
to Sing Sing for two or three years, an' that's what's bound to happen
if them lawyers get hold of you. What's Plums snorin' away for, when
things are all mixed up so bad?" Dan asked, impatiently, and without
further delay he proceeded to arouse Master Plummer to a knowledge of
the terrible danger that threatened Joe, by shaking him furiously.
"What do you want now,--more milk?" the fat boy asked, without opening
his eyes, and Dan pulled him suddenly to his feet.
"Wake up, an' see what we want! Here's the perlice after Joe, red-hot,
an' we've got to get him out'er town."
"After Joe?" Master Plummer repeated, stupidly. "What's he been doin'?"
"We don't know, an' he won't tell us."
"I haven't been doin' a thing, Plums, as true as I live; but there it
all is in the paper," Master Potter replied, in a tearful voice. "Of
course there's no gettin' away from that."
Not until Plums had spelled out for himself the ominous advertisement
was it possible for those who would rescue Joe Potter from the impending
doom to do anything towards his escape, and, once having mastered the
printed lines, the fat boy gazed at his grief-stricken friend in mingled
astonishment and reproach.
"Of course the perlice are goin' to know you slept here last night, an'
jest as likely as not I'll be pulled for takin' you in."
"Course you will!" Jerry Hayes cried, shrilly. "You're in a pretty tight
box, Plums."
Joe protested vehemently that he was innocent of any intentional
wrong-doing; but with that unexplainable advertisement before him, Plums
received the statement with much the same incredulity as had the others.
"Where you goin' to take him?" he asked of Dan; and the latter replied:
"I don't know; but we've got to get him out of town by the shortest cut,
an' I reckon that'll be Thirty-fourth Street Ferry. How much money you
fellers got?"
Master Plummer took from his pocket that which remained of the amount
given him by Joe the night previous, and, after counting it twice,
replied:
"Here's sixteen cents what belongs to Joe, an' I've got twenty of my
own."
"Us fellers have anteed up a dollar an' a quarter towards seein' you
through, an' here it is," Master Fernald said, as he gave Plums a
handful of small coins.
Joe did not so much as glance at the money, and Dan said, impatiently:
"Now, don't hang 'round here any longer, you two, 'cause it's mighty
near sunrise."
"But what about the kid?" Plums asked, as if until that moment he had
entirely forgotten the sleeping child.
"I reckon she'll have to take her chances," Dan replied, carelessly.
"Some one will look out for her, of course,--turn her over to McDaniels,
the blacksmith."
This suggestion aroused Joe very suddenly, and he glanced at each of his
companions in turn, as if to read the thoughts of all, after which he
said, sharply:
"You fellers can believe me or not, but I haven't done anything to set
the perlice after me. I can't say as I blame you for thinkin' it ain't
so, 'cause there's that advertisement; but it's a fact all the same, an'
I'm goin' to let the cops take me."
"What?" Tim Morgan screamed. "You're goin' to jail?"
"What else can I do?"
"Run away, of course, the same's we're fixin' it."
"In the first place, we haven't got money enough to go very far, an'
then, ag'in, I won't leave the princess knockin' 'round the streets."
"You'd have to if you went to jail."
"I could take her with me for a spell, anyhow."
Joe appeared so thoroughly determined to give himself up to the
officers of the law that his comrades were seriously alarmed.
Although there was but little question in their minds that he was guilty
of some crime, not one of them was willing he should yield to the order
of arrest which they believed had already been issued.
Plums looked at Dan imploringly, and the latter said, as he laid hold of
Joe's arm:
"Now see here, old man, we ain't goin' to stand by with our hands in our
pockets while you go to jail, 'cause there's no need of it. The perlice
won't be 'round for two or three hours, an' it's pretty hard lines if we
can't get you out of town before they come."
"I won't leave the princess," Joe replied, doggedly.
"Then take her with you. Of course there's a good deal of risk in it,
seein's how the advertisement said you had her; but it's a blamed sight
better'n givin' right up same's any chump would do."
"I counted on findin' her folks this mornin'."
"The way things have turned out, you can't; an' what's the odds if you
wait two or three days? I'll see that you have money enough to keep you
goin' for a spell, anyhow, 'cause all the fellers what know you an'
Plums will chip in to help."
"Am I goin', too?" Master Plummer asked, in surprise.
"I can't see any other way out of it. When the perlice find where Joe
slept last night, they're bound to pull you in. It don't look to me as
if it was goin' to be sich a terrible hard thing to go off in the
country for a spell, now the weather's warm, an' if it wasn't for the
kid here, I'd say you'd have a great time."
At this moment the princess awakened, and, fortunately, in an amiable
mood.
She raised her hands towards Joe as if asking to be taken in his arms,
and, instantly the mute request was complied with, the ruined merchant's
courage failed him.
Burying his face in her dress, regardless of the possible injury to be
done the delicate fabric, the poor boy gave way to tears, and the little
maid must have understood that he was suffering, for she patted him on
the ear, or ruffled his hair gently with her hands, all of which served
but to make his grief more intense.
"Now's the time to get him right away," Dan said, in a low tone to
Master Plummer. "We've fooled 'round here too long already, and if he
kicks ag'in goin', why, we've got to lug him, that's all. I won't see
Joe Potter put in jail if it can be helped."
"What do you s'pose he's been doin'?" Plums asked, in a terrified
whisper.
"Blamed if I know; but it must be somethin' pretty tough, else they
wouldn't spend money advertisin' for him."
"I don't b'lieve he'd kill anybody."
"Neither do I; but it must be somethin' 'bout as bad as that. While he's
takin' on so we can get him off without much trouble. We'd better walk
to the ferry, 'cause there might be somebody on the horse-car what would
know him."
"If I've got to leave the town, I don't want to hang 'round Long
Island, 'cause there ain't so much chance of gettin' further away,"
Plums objected, and Dan began to show signs of ill temper at being thus
thwarted in his efforts to do a favour.
"You'll be blamed lucky if you get anywhere, except to jail."
"But what's the difference if we go over to Jersey? It ain't much
further to the Weehawken Ferry than it is Thirty-fourth Street way."
"All right, go there, then,--anywhere, so's you get a move on."
Master Plummer took the precaution to gather up such provisions as
remained in the cupboard, and, after one long look around at the home he
might be leaving for ever, shook Joe gently.
"Come on, old man; this thing's got to be done, an' the sooner we start
the better. There's no show for you to give yourself up 'less I'm with
you, 'cordin' to what Dan says, an' you can bet I ain't countin' on
goin' to jail so long as it can be helped."
Joe rose to his feet obediently, still holding the princess tightly in
his arms, and Dan ordered Jerry to precede them into the street, in
order to make certain the officers of the law were not in the vicinity.
"If you whistle once, we'll know nobody's there, an' twice means that
we're surrounded."
Jerry, looking as important as the occasion demanded, set about doing
the scouting for the party, and an instant later a shrill call rang out
on the morning air, telling that the coast was clear.
Dan and Plums ranged themselves either side of Joe; Tim marched in
advance, wary as an Indian hunter; and in this order the little party
gained the street, the princess in high glee because of the numbers who
were escorting her.
Joe neither spoke nor looked back. His heart was as heavy as though the
shadow of a real crime hung over him, and, had he been going directly to
prison, could not have appeared more despondent.
On the other hand, Dan Fernald was enjoying himself hugely.
Aiding a desperate criminal to escape from the clutches of the law was
to him a most exciting adventure. He had always believed he possessed
remarkable detective ability, and this was the first time an opportunity
of establishing such fact had presented itself.
"If I don't get you two fellers out of this scrape, then I'm willin' to
lay right down," he said, as Tim and Jerry led the way towards the west
side of the city at a rapid pace. "I've kept myself posted on the
detective business pretty sharp, 'cause I've made up my mind to go into
it before long, an' by the time we finish this job I guess the perlice
will find out what I'm made of. I ain't so sure but I shall join the
force after you're straightened out."
"They wouldn't take on a feller of your size," Master Plummer said, with
something very like a sneer; which was not seemly, in view of the fact
that Dan was at this moment giving him the full benefit of his wonderful
ability, simply through friendship.
"It don't make any difference about a feller's size; it's the head what
counts. Before long you'll find out whether I've got one or not."
Joe gave no heed to his friend's words. His grief was so great that
probably he knew nothing whatever regarding that morning journey, save
that the princess, when not laughing and chattering at him, was eating,
with evident relish, the sugar-besprinkled cake which Plums had slipped
into her chubby hand.
The boy did not realise that he might be doing a grievous wrong against
the parents of the princess by thus taking her from the city. He knew
she would be cared for to the best of his ability, and it seemed as if
those who loved her must realise the same. Of course he understood that
she was to be restored to her father and mother as soon as it should be
possible, but he failed to take into consideration the suffering which
might be theirs because of her disappearance.
Therefore it was that, in all this wretched business, at the end of
which he could see nothing but the open door of a prison, the only
bright thing to him, amid the clouds of despair, was the companionship
of the princess.
After the first slight sorrow at being forced to leave his home, Plums
began to enjoy this flight, and discussed with Dan the possible
enjoyment of a detective's life until the party arrived within a block
of the ferry-slip.
It was yet so early in the morning that but few were on the street; but
Dan had no intention of allowing the boy whom he was saving to enter
the slip like an ordinary citizen.
Ordering a halt near the entrance of an alleyway which led between two
stables, he said, with the air of a general:
"Tim, you scout along down towards the ferry-slip, an' see if anybody's
there on the watch. We'll stay here so's we can sneak up through this
alley if you should whistle twice. Jerry, you're to walk back about half
a block, so's to make certain the perlice don't creep up on us from
behind."
"But there ain't a dozen people in sight, an' we can see that there's no
cop 'round!" Master Plummer exclaimed. "What's to hinder our goin' right
on board the boat?"
"Look here, Plums, if you know more 'bout this kind of business than I
do, take hold an' run the thing. We'll see how far you'll get before the
whole crowd is nabbed."
"I don't know anything about it, of course; but I can see there's nobody
between us an' the ferry-slip that would likely make trouble."
"If we depended on you, we wouldn't have got so far as we have," Master
Fernald replied, disdainfully. "Jest likely as not, there's a dozen cops
hid close 'round here, an' I ain't goin' to be fool enough to walk right
into their arms."
Plums was silenced by this exhibition of superior wisdom, and Joe
indifferent to whatever steps might be taken for his own safety;
therefore Dan was not interfered with in his management of the affair.
The scouts set about their work, and not until fully ten minutes had
passed did the amateur detective give the word for the fugitives to
advance.
"I reckon it's all straight enough now, an' we'll go on board the boat;
but there's no tellin' what might have happened if I hadn't 'tended to
the work in the right way."
Then Master Fernald walked a few paces in advance of his friends, moving
stealthily, as if knowing danger menaced them on every hand, and casting
furtive glances up and down the street until, had any one observed his
movements, suspicions must have been aroused as to the innocence of his
purpose.
Jerry paid for the ferry tickets out of his own funds, for it was the
purpose of these rescuers to remain in the company of the fugitives
until they should have escaped from the State.
Once on the boat, Joe wanted to remain in the ladies' cabin, because of
the princess; but Dan would not countenance any such rash proceeding.
He insisted that they must take up their stations in what was, for the
time being, the bow of the boat, where they could prevent possible
pursuers from "sneakin' up on 'em."
The princess made no objection to this breezy position, otherwise the
boy who was being rescued by Master Fernald would have flatly refused to
obey orders; and thus the fugitives and their friends remained where
every passenger on board must of necessity have seen them.
Dan gave his friends what he considered good advice during the passage,
and when the boat was nearing the slip on the Jersey side, summed up his
instructions with a statement which electrified them all.
"You fellers are to hang 'round Weehawken till 'long towards dark, when
Plums must come down to the ferry-slip. I'm goin' back to New York to
fix up my business, so's I can stay with you till the worst of the
trouble is over."
"Are you countin' on runnin' away with us?" Master Plummer asked, in
surprise.
"That's jest the size of it. You fellers don't seem to know scarcely
anything at all about takin' care of yourselves, an' if I don't 'tend to
business you'll both be in jail before to-morrow mornin'. I'm goin' to
size up things 'round perlice headquarters to-day, an' then come over to
look after you. Jest as soon's the boat touches the slip, you two take a
sneak, find some place where you can hide till night, an' then watch out
for me."
Five minutes later, the fugitives stepped on Jersey soil, and Master
Fernald's scouts were deployed to guard against an attack from the enemy
until the two boys were lost to view in the distance. Then the amateur
detective said, in a tone of grim determination, "Now, fellers, we'll go
back, an' size up the cops in New York."