CHAPTER XIV.--TWO OPPORTUNITIES.
When Mr. Benton, in his chuckling, had declared that he had taken awayevery means the young firm had for reaching the main shore, heoverlooked two important facts: first, that the island at its nearestpoint was not over a half-mile from the main-land; and, second, thatthere was an abundance of material on the island from which to constructa temporary float, even were there not other ways of effecting alanding.
Now the events of the previous chapter, it will be remembered, occurredon a Thursday; consequently the next day was Friday, and the youngfirm's greatest salesday of all the week. The trial and the incidentsantecedent to it had greatly hindered the lads' work, also; and whenthey retired at an early hour on Thursday night, therefore, it was witha determination to be up the next morning long before their usual time,which was in no sense late.
There was, moreover, a special reason for the boys to be up early thisparticular morning, for a telegram the day before had brought an orderfor an extra supply of fish to be shipped that morning by the earliesttrain to the city. That train left at six o'clock, and the fish must bepacked and at the depot before that hour. So it happened that the ladswere up at a little past three o'clock, and breakfast was eaten and theywere out at the wharf before four.
Immediately after their first exclamations of surprise at thedisappearance of the boats Judd asked:
"Who do you suppose has taken them, chum?"
"One of two parties," responded Budd, promptly; "either Bagsley and hisgang, or Mr. Benton."
"It makes a vast difference to us which," remarked Judd, with hisfavorite whistle. "How are we going to find out which party it was?"
"By using a little reason, first of all things," said Budd, with asmile. "There are some things that make it improbable that it wasBagsley and his companions. To have taken the boats they must have beenprowling around here before last night, and that isn't likely, for withour sharp lookout we would have discovered some trace of them. Again,if it were him and his crew, they must have discovered that you were myonly companion here, and they would have done something more seriousthan simply to take the boats. I don't say that these are positiveproofs that they are not the ones who have taken the boats, but theymake it look at least improbable. Then, again, if it were thosefellows, they have carried out 'the little job' they talked of, and usedthe boats as a means of escape. If we don't hear within a few hours ofsome burglary near at hand, I shall feel conclusively that they are notguilty of this act."
"You think, then, that Benton has done it?" inquired Judd. "What couldhave been his object?"
"Just this," replied his partner, earnestly: "He left the house angrythat he had been baffled in his purpose. Coming down by the wharf,here, he thought of the boats, and has taken them, either to hold themuntil I pay him the thirty dollars he has asked for, or by shutting uson the island and hindering our work he hopes to find a partial revengefor his disappointment."
"But don't he know it was a theft?" asked Judd, hotly.
"He probably don't call it so, and may not really mean to keep theboats; but the law will put that interpretation upon his act, and thatgives us a great opportunity."
"What do you mean?" asked Judd, a little mystified.
"To have him arrested, and, even if we do not push the matter to theend, frighten him so thoroughly he will let us alone after this;" andBudd went on to explain that this had been Mr. Wright's way of dealingwith the man.
"But before we can do this we will have to get ashore, and then our fishmust be at the depot before six o'clock," said Judd, dryly.
"I know it," assented his comrade, "and we must stop this talk and goashore. Once on shore, you must go to the village and get Ben Taylor'sboat for the day and come back here. Meanwhile I will go down along theshore, and see if Mr. Benton has taken the boats down to that littlecove adjacent to his farm. I'll try and be back at 'The Hummocks,' soyou can pick me up as you come down with the boat. It is about fouro'clock, now, and by five we must be back here; then, by stirringlively, we can get the fish packed and down to the depot in time for thetrain."
"You talk just as though we could go right over to the main shorewithout the slightest trouble," said Judd, laughingly. "Are you goingto walk over?"
"No," said Budd, briefly; "but I'm going to put my clothes into oursmallest tub, and pushing that ahead of me, swim over. We could, ofcourse, make a raft, but we haven't the time for it;" and Budd ran backto the house, appearing again in a moment with the tub.
He found his companion already undressing, and not three minutes hadelapsed before both boys, pushing the tub before them, were swimming forthe nearest point of the main shore. They were equally good swimmers,and in about fifteen minutes reached the point, and dressing, eachhurried off his appointed way.
Budd's way was down across "The Hummocks" to "the narrows," which he wasobliged to swim; but as the distance was short, he managed to do itcarrying his clothes in a bundle on his head. Dressing again, he ranalong the shore to the cove he had mentioned, and laughed aloud when hecame to the boats so securely padlocked.
"My dear Mr. Benton," he said, mockingly, as he started back up the bay,"had you hitched them with a tow-line I would not have disturbed them.You will yourself be glad to bring them back before the day is over."
He re-swam "the narrows," and reached the point of land opposite theisland before Judd had returned. But he had not long to wait; and whenhe had taken a seat in Mr. Taylor's yawl with his partner, under theirunited strokes the light boat sped through the water like a racer. Withquick and dexterous hands the fish were packed, and ten minutes beforethe appointed hour the box was landed at the railroad station.
Budd had told his chum, as soon as he had rejoined him, of the discoveryhe had made, and so the young partners went directly from the depot tothe house of the proper officer for swearing out a warrant against Mr.Benton, and in half an hour Mr. Avery, the constable, was driving towardthat gentleman's residence with the warrant in his pocket.
Arriving at the farm a little past seven o'clock, he was told that Mr.Benton had gone down to the shore. He followed him down there, andfound the unsuspecting man standing by the stolen boats.
"Good-morning, Mr. Benton," he said. "You have quite a collection ofcraft here. Isn't that Boyd & Floyd's sloop and yawl?"
It seems almost incredible that Mr. Benton did not even now suspect theofficer's errand, or the nature of his own act; and realizing this, Mr.Avery enjoyed the situation immensely.
"Well, yes," assented the farmer. "Ye see, Budd owes me, an' I thoughtI'd take his sloop until he paid me."
"But running off in the night with another person's property is not alegal way to collect one's debts," said the officer, dryly, "and I amobliged to arrest you for stealing those boats. You will hardly denythe theft now, since your own confession;" and the officer took out hiswarrant.
Mr. Benton fairly shook with excitement and rage.
"Me 'rested!" he cried. "Who's dared to do it?"
"I have," remarked the officer, quietly; "and you can come along with mewithout fuss or I'll put these on you;" and he took a pair of ironbracelets from his pocket.
For the first time comprehending the real situation into which histhoughtless act of the night before had brought him, the man turned paleand stammered out the words:
"But I didn't really mean to keep the boats. I only took them to bringBudd to terms, an' then I was goin' to let him have them ag'in."
"It looks as though you did mean to keep them; you certainly havesecured them very thoroughly," responded the officer, significantly."But as to your real motive, you can settle that with the Court. But Icannot stop here talking with you. Would you like to go to the houseand change your clothes before you go with me, Mr. Benton?"
"Go where with you--up to the village?" asked he, quickly.
"No; I've got to take you to the county jail. Your offense, owing to theamount you have taken, is made returnable to the Court of Common
Pleas,and that does not sit until September. I shall have to take you to thejail until the time for your trial," explained Mr. Avery.
Dazed and overwhelmed at the prospect before him, Mr. Benton followedthe officer back to the house.
"See here," he said, as they reached the threshold and a sudden hopecame to him, "can't I settle this with the boys? I don't want to go tojail. I've no one to look out for things, it's a'most hayin' time, andI want to be here to home. I'll take the boats right back, if ye sayso."
"You will have to see the lads for yourself," said Mr. Avery, shortly.
"Can't you take me where they are an' let me talk it over with them?" heasked, eagerly.
"Yes, if you will pay for it," consented Mr. Avery. "My orders were toarrest you and carry you to jail, and that is all the law will allow meto collect fees for; but if you will pay me for my time, I'm willing toride around with you all day."
"How much will ye charge?" asked Mr. Benton, cautiously.
"Thirty cents an hour," said the officer, looking at his watch.
It was a hard thing for the grasping man to do, but he finallyconsented; and taking him into his buggy, Mr. Avery drove off in searchof the boys.
Judd was found in the village, but would consent to no settlement untilhis partner was found. There was little prospect of finding Budd untilhe returned from his peddling trip, and Mr. Benton groaned more and moreas the hours ran by and he knew it was adding to the amount he shouldhave to pay the officer. But he soon found that amount was but a triflecompared with what he should have to pay before the young firm consentedto his release.
About two o'clock Budd came back to the village, where he had agreed tomeet Judd in anticipation of the very event for which his presence wasnow desired. The lads had time to talk the matter over before they sawMr. Benton, and when he appeared they were ready to state their terms.
After listening to Mr. Benton's proposition to return the boats, Budd,as spokesman for the firm, replied:
"Mr. Benton's act not only caused us a great deal of personal annoyance,but it interfered with our business arrangements. Again, we do not knowhow soon he may annoy us in some other way. We propose to make thisaffair a good lesson to him, and we will therefore settle it on threeconditions:
"First, that he shall return the boats unharmed to our dock at theisland.
"Second, that he pay all costs that have accrued on account of hisarrest.
"Third, that he pay us twenty-five dollars for the annoyance andbusiness delays he has caused, and give bonds for his future goodbehavior.
"These are the only conditions on which we will settle, and he canaccept them or stand his trial in court."
After a great deal of protestation Mr. Benton agreed to all but thegiving of bonds for his good behavior, and as he solemnly promised tolet them alone in the future, the lads yielded. The money was paid tothem, the costs were settled, the boats returned before night, and theyoung firm withdrew their complaint.
"You have completely silenced one of your enemies, Budd," remarked Judd,that evening. "Now, if only some opportunity will come for you to bringBagsley into a spot where you can dictate your terms, your triumph willbe complete."
"I hope it may," was the response.
That opportunity was nearer at hand than either of the lads thought, foron the following Monday the whole community was startled by learningthat the most daring robbery ever committed in that vicinity had takenplace some time between the hours of twelve o'clock on Saturday nightand six o'clock on Monday morning. A jeweler's store on the main streetof the village had during that time been entered and completely gutted.Watches, gold and silverware, jewelry and precious stones, had beencarried away to the amount of over five thousand dollars.
The store ran back from the main street to a narrow alley. A windowopening on this alley had been forced, the safe blown open, and all thestock of any real value carried off. The work had evidently been doneby experts, and they had disappeared without leaving a single tracebehind them.
Budd learned of the robbery about ten o'clock on Monday morning. He hadgone over to the village in the sloop to make a deposit of money andchecks at the bank, for the young firm had reached the dignity of havinga bank account, and while in the banking-rooms had his attention calledto a poster which had already appeared about the village. It read:
$1,500 REWARD.
One thousand dollars will be paid for the arrest and conviction of theburglars who entered our store some time between the hours of twelveo'clock on Saturday night, June 24th, and six o'clock on Monday morning,June 26th. Five hundred dollars additional will be given for the returnof the goods that were carried off, or ten per cent. of that amount foreach thousand dollars worth of goods restored.
Respectfully, CLAPP & ST. JOHN.
After inquiring of the bank-teller more of the particulars respectingthe robbery, Budd went around to the store and made a carefulexamination of the premises. He found the shutter of the window hadbeen opened by forcing some powerful instrument under the iron bar thatran across the outside, and thus prying the bar out of its socket. Thena pane of glass had been cut out as neatly and deftly as the one over atthe island. The fastening of the window had in this way been reached,and the window shoved up. As soon as Budd had noticed these details heleft the building and started down toward his boat.
"That was the work of Bagsley and his gang," he murmured, "and ouropportunity, if we can only find them, has come."
Budd Boyd's Triumph; or, The Boy-Firm of Fox Island Page 14