Darry the Life Saver Part 22

After all it proved to be a false alarm, for no one came in sight.

Darry was not foolish enough to invite a further attack by remaining on the ground after the enemy had temporarily withdrawn, so he gathered himself together and continued along the road, feeling of his limbs to ascertain just how seriously he had been bruised, and trying to sc.r.a.pe some of the mud from his clothes.

He felt ashamed to let Mrs. Peake see him in this condition, for the clothes had been Joe's, and naturally she would feel badly to discover how they were now treated to a coating of mud.

But then the fact of his having such a joyful surprise for her would discount any bad effect of his appearance.

Thinking thus, Darry put his hand eagerly into the inside pocket where he had so carefully stowed the little leather pocket-book in which the hundred dollar bill given him by Paul, as well as the amount which his muskrat pelts had fetched at the hardware store, had been lodged.

The pocket-book was gone!

Poor Darry shivered as if someone had struck him a blow.

Could he have lost it while upon the sh.o.r.e with Paul Singleton and had the angry sound claimed it as pa.s.sage money for having allowed a victim to escape?

No, he recollected very distinctly feeling it there as he started from the office of the lawyer, after learning that Mr. Quarles was away.

Then it must have fallen out during his struggles on the road, for several times he had been on his back, with those "wildcats" clawing at him.

Despite the chances of meeting them again, and having the struggle renewed, he deliberately turned back and quickly ran to the spot where there were plain evidences to be seen of the free-for-all fight.

How eagerly he searched every foot of that territory, his heart, figuratively speaking, in his throat with anxiety. But as the minutes pa.s.sed and he realized the hopeless character of his hunt it seemed to drop like lead into his shoes, the change was so great.

Then there remained only one solution of the mystery--one of those young rascals must have inserted a hand in his coat while they were struggling there on the road and stolen the pocket-book with its contents.

His heart seemed almost broken, and he even contemplated rushing after them to renew the battle and tear the prize from their possession; but a little thought caused him to understand how foolish such a move would be, for he had no idea as to what quarter they could he heading for when they left him, unless it might be that shack in the swamp, and it would be rash indeed for him to go there alone.

He tried to pluck up courage enough to go home, basing all his hopes on Paul, who had seemed so very kind, and ready to help him out.

Of course Mrs. Peake was astonished at his appearance, but the rising anger vanished when she learned who had been the cause of his misfortunes--at least it was turned in the direction of Jim Dilks, and she vowed that before another day had pa.s.sed she would swear out a warrant for his arrest, and go personally to see that Hank Squires did his duty.

Depressed in spirits Darry crept away to change his clothes for some others she brought him, also once belonging to Joe.

Mrs. Peake advised that the muddy garments be hung up until they dried, when by a vigorous brushing they might be restored to something like their former condition of cleanliness.

Accordingly, Darry first of all picked up the trousers and placed them on a line in a corner of the room, where they could drip without soiling the floor, he having spread a newspaper beneath.

Then he proceeded to attend to the coat in the same way.

While engaged in this he felt something bulky in one of the pockets and smiled faintly as he remembered thrusting that portion of Sim's torn coat there.

This he had done under the impression that Hank might consider it conclusive evidence, calculated to convict the young ruffian beyond a possibility of doubt.

It might just as well hang alongside the other garments, though Darry did not intend removing the incriminating mud stains from the fragment.

As he drew the offending piece of cloth out he was thrilled to feel something in the folds, and with trembling fingers he opened it out.

It seemed that with the portion of the coat that had come away in his hands was one of the pockets, and out of this receptacle Darry quickly drew something at which he stared as though he fancied he were dreaming.

_His pocket-book!_

Sim had undoubtedly s.n.a.t.c.hed the same from his person as they wrestled upon the ground, and having no other place in which to hide it at the moment, had thrust it in the very outside pocket of his coat that a minute later remained in the grip of the boy he had robbed.

Darry stared at it until he realized the amazing fortune that had so kindly returned him his property, and then rolling over on the floor he shook with wild laughter, so that Mrs. Peake came to the door in alarm to see if he were ill.

CHAPTER XXI

SATISFYING THE MORTGAGE

While Darry was gurgling with laughter, still clutching the fragment of coat and the precious pocket-book, he felt a hand seize his arm.

Looking up he saw the puzzled and anxious face of Abner's wife.

"What ails you, boy? Did they injure you more than you told me?" she asked, as if fearful that he were going out of his mind.

To the further astonishment of the good woman the boy climbed to his feet, suddenly threw his arms around her neck and gave her a vigorous hug.

"It's all right, mother, after all; they didn't get it!" he exclaimed.

"What's all right? I don't understand at all," she replied, looking at the dirty strip of cloth he was holding, and the pocket-book as well.

"Why, what do you think, while we were struggling there on the road, with me underneath part of the time, that sneak thief, Sim Clark, managed to steal my pocket-book out of my inner pocket. That was what made me seem so blue, for I had something in it I meant to show you. But when he tried to run away I held on and part of his coat ripped away. I stuck it in my pocket, thinking Hank would like to see it as evidence, and when I took it out here, don't you see I found what I had lost in Sim's pocket! Did you ever hear of such luck in your born days."

Mrs. Peake herself laughed.

"You do seem to be a fortunate boy. And they would have robbed you of what little you have. I'm glad you got it back, and I'm determined to see Hank Squires to-morrow about this thing. It has gone far enough."

"But I've got something else to tell you. Come and sit down where we can talk," he continued, feeling happier than ever before in all his life, for he knew he was in a condition to chase away the clouds that had been bringing anxiety to her mind for months.

So he told first of all about his visit to the hardware man, and how he obtained fourteen dollars for his muskrat skins.

After that came the call upon the lawyer and what followed in connection with his offer to pay the interest due, and how Mr. Quarles had absolutely refused to accommodate him.

Nancy sighed as she heard what the cold, grasping man of law had said about settling old scores.

Perhaps she was sorry now she had given him such cause for hatred; but better the life she had led than one as the wife of a cruel money shark of his breed.

From this Darry soon branched out and spoke of his trip to the sh.o.r.e, and how on his return a kindly fate had allowed him to be of material a.s.sistance to the very young man with whom he expected to spend the winter on his launch.

Mrs. Peake began to listen more eagerly now, for she surmised that something of a pleasant nature was coming.

When Darry finally placed the money in her hand, she looked at it in bewilderment, never having touched so much at one time in all her life; then she turned her tear-stained eyes upon him, and drawing him into her motherly arms kissed him again and again.

And Darry never felt so well repaid for any action of his life as that.