Messenger No. 48 Part 32

Now the one question in the mind of the amateur detective was as to why this man should be willing to travel with the show.

It did not require many minutes for him to arrive at a satisfactory conclusion.

"He has got a lot of that counterfeit money with him, and by running the company through a number of towns some distance from here can pa.s.s it," Jet said to himself. "Now, what shall I do if he makes the trade?"

The proper thing seemed to be to send a letter at once, and, going to his room, he wrote a full account of what he had heard, concluding by saying:

"To-night I shall lay around his house trying to get a sight of the man who is visiting there."

This done he went into the office once more, and there saw the manager, who was highly elated.

"It is all arranged," he said. "The fines will be fixed in some way to-morrow, and we shall start once more. We only lose to-night's stand, and then go on with a backer who has plenty of money. Will you tell the boys of our good luck, while I make arrangements for sending the posters ahead?"

Jet promised to carry the tidings, and stopped only long enough to add the following postscript to his letter:

"The trade has been made, and the constable will leave here to-morrow with the company. I shall loaf near his house this evening, and walk to the next town to send you a telegram if I learn anything."

This letter he mailed in time for the night train, and then visited the jail, delivering news which the prisoners were not particularly glad to hear, since it gave them no immediate prospect for money.

"We have made up our minds to tire the squire out," one of them said, "and I don't take favorably to the idea of working to pay the fines when there's no real need of it."

CHAPTER XX

A RECOGNITION

Jet did not spend much time trying to induce the prisoners to take advantage of the constable's offer.

It suited his plans best to have them refuse, and, after giving the information, he walked back to the hotel, as if the one desire of his life was to get a good supper.

When the meal was finished the night had fully come, and he would have set out at once to loiter around the constable's house but for the fact that as yet he did not know where that gentleman lived.

While standing in the office trying to make up his mind whom he could approach, in order to get this information, the manager joined him, as he asked:

"What did the boys say when you told them what was to be done?"

"I didn't wait to hear very much; but it struck me that they were not particularly well pleased."

"Why not?"

"They think it is foolish to work for the money when it may be possible to tire the squire out by holding on a while and letting the town support them."

"Is it possible they can be such fools? Come with me, and we'll see if it isn't possible to beat some sense into their stupid heads."

Jet did not want to waste the time; but since he could make no good excuse, there was nothing for it but to comply, and the two started at once.

On arriving at the jail, the turnkey informed them that it was against orders to admit any one after dark; but he intimated that the matter might be arranged with any one of the constables who had brought the prisoners there.

"Then it won't take us long to fix it," the manager said, as he beckoned Jet to follow him, and when they were in the open air again, he added: "Barker will see that we get in."

"Who is he?"

"Why, Jabe Barker, the constable who wants to take the company on the road."

Jet made no reply, but congratulated himself on thus having the house pointed out to him without any questions on his part.

A walk of ten minutes brought them to quite a large residence on the outskirts of the village, and the manager said:

"That's where he lives, and I'm told he owns the entire property, so you see we'll have a capitalist to back us."

"I guess I'd better not go any farther with you," Jet said, half-apologetically, as he halted.

"Why not?"

"You and he may want to talk business, and, perhaps, it wouldn't look well for me to be where I could listen."

"You are right, my boy. Go back to the hotel, and I'll meet you there in a short time."

Jet turned as if to obey, and walked slowly toward the center of the village, until he saw that the manager had been admitted to the building, when he clambered over a fence, ran across a piece of plowed land, and stood at the rear of the out-buildings when Mr. Barker and the manager emerged.

Not until they were lost to view in the gloom did he dare to make a move, and then he crept softly around in search of a place of vantage from which the house could be watched.

He finally found it immediately behind the woodshed, where, by climbing on the sloping roof, it was possible to look in at the uncurtained windows of the first and second story.

During fully an hour he lay at full length upon the hard boards without seeing that for which he sought.

Now and then a female form would pa.s.s one of the lighted windows, but nothing more, and he was beginning to think he had struck the wrong trail, when Barker returned.

He was whistling merrily while coming up the lane which led to the house, and, as if this was a signal, a man came from the building with a pipe in his mouth. Jet's heart beat fast and loud.

Although it was impossible, in the gloom, to distinguish any object clearly, he felt certain that this man was the one whom Harvey was so eager to find. The stature, form, and general appearance was Bob's, and Jet believed his search had come to an end.

It was evident that the two had some business to discuss which they did not care to speak of in the house, where the other members of the family could hear them, for they walked directly toward the shed on which the boy was lying, and, fortunately for his purpose, sat down on a log almost directly beneath him.

"It is all arranged," Barker was saying. "The fool actors kicked at first about working for nothing, as they called it; but we soon brought them to terms."

"When are you going to start?"

"Day after to-morrow."

"Why do you wait?"