The Adventures of a Country Boy at a Country Fair Part 27

Fully half an hour elapsed before he succeeded in crawling to the brook where he quenched his thirst, and then his one desire was for sleep.

Stretched out on the ground within a few feet of his captors the blissful unconsciousness of slumber came upon him, and the sun was high in the heavens before he awoke.

Long Jim was seated on the turf, his back against a tree, and a quant.i.ty of food spread out in front of him; but Phil was not in sight.

"Well, it strikes me you've been takin' things mighty comfortable," the man said, with a grunt. "Don't give yourself so far over to a life of pleasure as to forget that I promised to give you the greatest floggin'

of your life before we part, for then you won't be so much surprised when it comes."

The sight of the food caused Sam to realize how very hungry he was, and, regardless of the subject introduced by Jim, he asked, timidly:

"Can't I have somethin' to eat?"

"I don't think you can, my son. In the first place you haven't earned it, an' then, again, my partner an' I may need all the grub we've got on hand."

Then, as if reconsidering his determination, the man selected two small crackers, tossing them to Sam as he cut a slice of boiled ham for himself.

"That's more'n you deserve," he said, as the prisoner began to devour them eagerly; "so don't count on gettin' another bite to-day."

Sam literally devoured the food, and then went once more to the brook to wash down the dry repast.

It seemed as if the crackers increased rather than satisfied his hunger, and he watched Jim eagerly as the latter finished a generous meal of meat, cheese, and hard-boiled eggs.

The burglar lighted his pipe, and paid no attention to the hungry boy, who now had ample time for reflection.

He remembered that this was the important day of the fair, and pictured to himself Teddy and Dan at their work enjoying themselves at the same time they were making money. Then he thought of what he might be doing if the detective fever had not taken so firm a hold upon him, and, despite all efforts to prevent it, the tears coursed down his cheeks, plowing wide furrows in the dirt with which his face was encrusted.

This painful revery was not prolonged. Shortly before noon Phil came into the hiding-place, his face wearing an expression of entire satisfaction.

"I reckon we needn't be afraid any one will be here lookin' for us now our detective has been drowned," he exclaimed.

"What's up?" Jim asked.

"Hazelton, the fakir, has been arrested for the burglary at Peach Bottom, an' men are draggin' the creek to find the body of the boy who worked for the Davis Boat Company."

Sam actually shuddered at the thought that people were looking for his corpse, and it gave him an "uncanny" feeling, this idea that he was numbered with the dead.

"When was the arrest made?" Jim asked.

"Last night. Old Nathan from the Run says the fakir turned over a lot of money to the boy who was goin' to buy your cane-board, an' it looks very much as if he would be locked up with the man whom people believe is his partner."

"Nothin' said about what the cubs saw at the barn?"

"Not a word."

"Then we can count on havin' the balance of this week in which to leave the country."

"As much as that, if not more. Another load will get the stuff together; but I've been thinkin' we'd better bury it here, an' not try to move a thing for a month or two."

"In that case we'd be obliged to take that specimen along," and Jim pointed with a contemptuous gesture toward Sam. "It wouldn't do to let go of him while there was a chance of his givin' the game away."

"I'll 'tend to that part of it, an' guarantee he won't be in condition to make us much trouble," Phil said so confidently that Sam began to shake as with an ague fit, for it seemed positive to him this burglar had decided upon his murder.

"If things were so comfortable like why don't you try to make a dollar, for I reckon there's a big crowd at the fair?"

"The grounds are packed; but it ain't exactly safe to do much business,"

and Phil told of the a.s.sault upon Hazelton. "The whole boilin' of 'em now think everybody's tryin' to work some swindle," he added, "an' the consequence is that it would go hard with any feller who should slip up.

We've done enough for one week, an' I'd rather not take chances till this stuff is off our hands."

"Do you count on goin' back agin to-day?"

"What's the use?"

"I only asked, for you're managin' this whole thing now."

"My idea was to sneak up alone to-night; take on the balance of the stuff, an' then lay low till Sat.u.r.day evenin', when we'll make the big break."

"It's goin' to be mighty dull business sittin' here with nothin' to do,"

Jim replied, in a tone of complaint.

"I don't see how we can fix it much quicker, unless we go to-morrow, while there are so many around."

It was evident Jim did not relish the idea of leaving everything to his companion, and the latter so understood the expression on his friend's face, for he said, angrily:

"You're cookin' up some foolish scheme now, an' in spite of all I can do to prevent it we'll probably succeed in gettin' nabbed before matters are arranged as they should be."

"Oh, you're too smart, that's what ails you. Take all the soft snaps, an' leave me here to suck my thumbs without even the chance of movin'

around."

"If you think it's sich a snap to row up there an' back, why don't you try your hand."

"That's jest what I'm willin' to do. Anything's better'n stayin' here, an' I'd like you to have a taste of it."

Sam, who was expecting each moment to see the thieves come to blows, understood at once that this arrangement did not please Phil; but he made no further objection than to say:

"If you wasn't so blamed careless I'd like to have you do a share of the hard work; but it's ten to one you'll contrive to let everybody know you are there."

"I may not be so all-fired smart as you think you are, but I ain't quite a fool. Why, I've managed bigger things than this when you was around beggin' for something' to eat, 'cause you was too chicken-hearted to do this kind of work."

"You'd better not say too much; I've stuck by you when worse men would have a' given you the cold shake, an' don't intend to take any guff, especially since I've had sich hard work to get us out of the sc.r.a.pe you jumped into."

"I shall talk, an' if you don't want to listen, there are plenty of places to lay off in outside of this."

Then the two thieves glared at each other several moments in silence, and finally Phil said, with a mirthless laugh:

"We won't fight till this job is finished. Go an' get the balance of the stuff, an' we'll make a break whenever you are ready; but after one pull up an' back there'll be somebody besides me who'll think it hard work."

Then, in order to heal the breach which had opened between them, Phil produced a suspicious looking black bottle from his pocket, and handed it without comment to his partner.