Budd Boyd's Triumph Part 13

As he came up under Hope Island, however, he recalled the words of Tom Bagsley on the previous Sat.u.r.day evening about this island being Mr.

Johnson's summer residence; and remembering, also, that Tom and his companions had left Fox Island intending to make Hope Island their rendezvous for a few days, a strong desire took possession of him to land on the island and see if the burglars were still there, or had ransacked the house and left.

Like an inspiration the thought came to him that here might be his chance to bring a charge against his enemy. If the house had indeed been robbed, his own and Judd's testimony as to the declaration they had heard from the robbers' lips surely ought to be sufficient to warrant their arrest for the deed. He resolved, then, to land and make an investigation; and if he found traces of the crime, as he felt sure he would, then he would report to Mr. Johnson at once.

He knew he was running some danger of discovery by a man who would not hesitate to take his life, but he believed the risk was very slight. If the house had been robbed, he argued, then the men had already departed.

He believed this all the more strongly because it was quite time for Mr.

Johnson to come to the island for the summer; and the men, also knowing this, would not be apt to make a long sojourn there. So he ran in as close to the island as possible and anch.o.r.ed the sloop. Then, jumping into the yawl, he went on sh.o.r.e, and climbing up the steep bank, started boldly across the fields toward the house.

He would have hesitated long before doing this, however, had he been aware that Mr. Johnson had only that morning come to the island, bringing some men with him, to arrange for his summer sojourn; and finding that the house had indeed been robbed, and believing, from unmistakable evidences, that a gang of men were making the house a place of rendezvous, he had left everything just as it had been found, and was lying in wait with his men for the burglars' return.

Unconscious of all this, Budd went directly on to the house, and found the shutters torn off from one window and the window open. Listening a moment, and hearing no sound of anyone within the house, he leaped into the window and began his search of the rooms.

On every side were the signs of the robbers' presence. The table was covered with unwashed dishes, beds had been slept in, and drawers and closets torn open. Budd of course could not tell what had been carried off, but he felt sure that many things had been taken.

From down-stairs he went upstairs, and wandered through room after room until convinced that the burglars had left no part of the house unvisited; then he retraced his steps to the window by which he had entered.

Exulting in his heart at the discovery he had made, for he believed it was one link in the chain toward his father's freedom, and utterly unconscious of any danger to himself, he put his feet out of the window and lowered himself to the ground.

Then he heard hurried steps behind him, and a loud shout close at hand; but before he could turn about and face the unseen danger strong hands seized him and a stern voice said:

"So it is you, you young rascal, that has been robbing me, and this is the place you have got, but cannot send me any money until fall! Not until you sell the articles you have stolen, I suppose!"

Full of consternation, and wondering how he could explain the awkward predicament in which he found himself, Budd turned and stood face to face with Mr. Johnson.

CHAPTER XII.--BUDD'S TRIAL.

For a moment Budd stood before the angry man abashed, and not knowing what to say. Then the consciousness of his innocence of any wrong came to his rescue, and he quietly said:

"Mr. Johnson, I have not robbed your house, nor have I ever been on the island before to-day. If you will permit me to explain, I will tell you how I came to be here."

"None of your lies to me!" angrily answered Mr. Johnson. "Your father tried that when he robbed me, and now you want to make use of the same trick! But whatever story you have got to tell you may tell in the court-room, as he did; and, like him, you'll find it won't save you from prison-walls;" and he checked every effort of Budd to speak.

"Bring a rope here," he said to one of his men, "and bind this fellow's arms behind his back, and get ready to go with me over to the west sh.o.r.e. I shall want your testimony to corroborate mine, that we found the young rascal in the house. The rest of you can now put the house in order."

"How shall we go over to the main-land?" asked the man, after he had finished tying Budd's arms.

"We'll go in the prisoner's boat," replied Mr. Johnson, "and Bill, here, can come over after us to-morrow noon. We can't swear out a warrant and have the boy tried before that time."

With Budd between them, the two men now proceeded down to the sh.o.r.e where the yawl was lying, and pushing her off, Went on board the sloop.

Scarcely had Mr. Johnson got on board the Sea Witch, however, when he noticed the bundles Budd had put on board at Bristol, and he directed his man to examine them.

"They contain a ham, some crackers, cheese and sugar," he reported.

"There is another proof of your guilt!" said Mr. Johnson, sternly, to Budd. "You had brought along your provisions for another sojourn at the house."

"Then why did I not carry them up there?" retorted Budd.

Mr. Johnson was at first puzzled for an answer, but at length said:

"You must have had accomplices, and it may be you only stopped at the house while on your way to your present rendezvous to see what else you could find."

"But I had nothing when I got out of the window," replied Budd.

Then he added, earnestly:

"If you will just let me explain, Mr. Johnson, you will see that I had good reason for being on your island."

"Very likely," said Mr. Johnson, with a sarcasm that stung the lad to the quick. "But there is just one chance I'll give you. If you will tell where the rest of your gang is, and help us to capture them, I'll do my best to save you; otherwise the law must take its course."

"How can I, when I have no accomplices and have not robbed you?" asked Budd, out of patience with the obstinacy of the angry man.

"The saying that 'A lie well stuck to is as good as the truth' won't apply in your case, at least," remarked Mr. Johnson, with rising anger; and for the remainder of the pa.s.sage he in no way addressed his prisoner.

Arriving at the village which Budd had left only five hours before under such happy circ.u.mstances, Mr. Johnson left him on the boat, with the hired man to look out for him, while he went in search of the proper authorities to perfect the lad's arrest. He had no difficulty in finding the officers, and at eight o'clock Budd had been put into the village lock-up, with his preliminary trial before the local justice a.s.signed for ten o'clock the next day.

But Budd was in no sense desponding; his head was never clearer, nor had he ever thought more rapidly or planned better to meet a grave emergency. He was growing older and wiser very fast. He knew, moreover, what were his rights.

"Mr. Avery," he had said to the constable, as he was about to leave him for the night, "I want Mr. John Benton and Peter Wright subpoenaed to appear as witnesses for me in the morning. I also want a messenger sent over to Fox Island for Judd Floyd. Mr. Ben Taylor will go, and my boat, as you know, is at the wharf. Please hurry this part of my request, for I have got to send Judd over to Bristol before my trial. Of course I will pay all necessary expenses."

Mr. Avery promised to attend to these matters, and evidently did so at once, for at nine o'clock he appeared again with Judd Floyd, and also announced that the two witnesses named had had due notice to appear at the trial.

As soon as Judd and he were left alone Budd took Mr. Dane's card from his pocket, and asked his chum if he would go over to Bristol for that gentleman and bring him over as a witness.

"I shall prove," he said, "that I have never been on Hope Island before this afternoon, and that will clear me from the charge brought against me; for Mr. Johnson has not put into his warrant that I robbed the house to-day, as he knew such a charge could not be sustained, but that I committed the burglary some time between the 1st of April (when he was last on there) and to-day.

"I shall, of course, depend upon you as the princ.i.p.al witness as to my residing on Fox Island.

"Mr. Wright and Mr. Benton can testify as to where I was previous to my joining you, and Mr. Dane can testify that I did not go to Hope Island while with him; that I bought my provisions there for our use on Fox Island; and that I did not leave there until after four o'clock to-day.

Perhaps it is not really necessary to have Mr. Dane's testimony, but I had rather he would be here, and you can tell him that I will pay his expenses, and also pay him for his time."

"I'll bring him back, sure," promised Judd, rising to go.

Then he drew near to Budd and whispered:

"Shall you allude to the visit of Bagsley and his gang to Fox Island, and what they said about Hope Island? That will be an important item, but it will give them the clew we are trying to follow up."

"No, it won't be necessary to mention that. At the worst they can only bind me over to a higher court, and before that trial can come off I believe we shall have found Bagsley, and that will clear me. I don't see how, after I have proved I was never on the island before to-day, they can hold me a single moment."

Judd held the same opinion, and hurried off to carry out his partner's request.

At ten o'clock the next morning the little village court-room was crowded, for criminal trials were a novelty then, and Budd's case had awakened a good deal of curiosity.

The Trial Justice was a little, fussy man, knowing far more about his grocery store down the street than he did about law; but he had put on a pompous air, and tried to manifest a dignity equal to the important occasion.