Budd Boyd's Triumph; or, The Boy-Firm of Fox Island

by John Kendrick Bangs

  CHAPTER XIX.--MR. JOHNSON IS ASTONISHED.

  The Sea Witch was luffed up into the wind as Budd came alongside, and inanother moment he had leaped on board of her, and was shaking hands withhis chum and with the constable. A single glance through the open doorof the cabin now revealed to him the prisoners, and too full ofhappiness at the sudden revelation to speak, he turned toward Judd aninquiring look.

  "Yes," he said proudly, at once interpreting his partner's look, andunderstanding something of his feelings, "we have got the burglars,their booty, and all their traps."

  "Tell me about it," Budd managed to say.

  "No, your story comes first," remonstrated Judd.

  So Budd began with his meeting of Mr. Wilson at the village theafternoon before, and told all he had passed through until he had run inwith the sloop. When he had done, Judd and Mr. Avery together gave hima full account of the chase and capture of the burglars from the momentthat Judd had discovered them running away with the Sea Witch.

  Then Judd said:

  "We were on our way up to Patience Island to release you, after which wewere going into Hope Island to notify Mr. Johnson of the burglars'capture. Mr. Avery thinks much of the camping stuff they have was takenfrom his house, and that he may wish to bring action against themsimultaneously with Clapp & St. John. Now that we have met you,however, we are saved the trip up to Patience, and we will go directlyover to Hope Island."

  "Run over to Prudence and let me return this boat first," said Budd. "Idon't need it now, and it will save a trip over here on purpose to bringit."

  "So it will," assented Judd; and the sloop was headed in that direction.

  The farmer was surprised to have his boat returned within a half-hour ofthe time it had been taken, but opened his eyes in wider astonishmentwhen Mr. Avery, who was acquainted with him, gave him a full account ofBudd's experiences and showed him the prisoners.

  The run across to Hope Island was made in less than another half-hour,and Budd, at the request of his companions, who knew he had specialreasons for seeing Mr. Johnson, landed and went up toward thatgentleman's residence.

  As he approached the building he could not help noticing the changesthat had taken place since he was there scarcely a week before. Theshutters were off of the house, windows were open, lawns were mown,chairs and settees were out on the veranda, and everywhere there weresigns of occupancy.

  Walking boldly up to the front door, Budd rang the bell. A servantanswered his ring, and the lad politely asked her if Mr. Johnson was athome.

  "Yes, sir," she replied; and then, evidently thinking from the boy'sappearance he was looking for work, she added, "but he has all the helphe desires."

  Budd smiled a little.

  "I do not wish work, but desire to see Mr. Johnson on importantbusiness," he replied, with a marked emphasis on the next to the lastword.

  "Who shall I tell him wishes to see him?" the girl asked, doubtfully.

  "A gentleman," answered Budd, fearing to give his own name, and thus berefused an interview with the man he sought.

  The girl hesitatingly showed Budd into the reception-room and went offto call her master.

  With some doubts as to the reception he should receive, but elated atthe revelations he had to make, the lad arose to meet Mr. Johnson as heentered. Before he could speak a word, however, he was recognized, andthe gentleman exclaimed, angrily:

  "Budd Boyd! How dare you enter my house, sir?"

  "I have business with you, Mr. Johnson," Budd replied gravely, and withdignity.

  Something in his quiet tones and self-possessed manner soothed Mr.Johnson's anger, and he asked, shortly:

  "What is it?"

  "May I sit down, sir? I have several most astonishing revelations tomake," said Budd, noticing the impression he had made.

  Mr. Johnson without a word motioned the boy to a chair, and taking onenear by, waited for him to speak.

  "Do you remember the conversation I had with you about Thomas H.Bagsley, when in your office last March?" Budd now asked.

  "I do," said the gentleman addressed, briefly and haughtily.

  "You may remember that as I left your office he entered, making itevident that he had been listening to our conversation," continued thelad.

  "What makes you think so?" asked Mr. Johnson with a start, and for thefirst time beginning to show an interest in the conversation.

  "Because of his own words and threats to me the next morning," respondedBudd; and he rapidly described the altercation that then occurred.

  "I immediately left the city," he went on, "and did not see Bagsleyagain until a week ago last Saturday evening. But meanwhile he leftyour employ."

  "Yes," assented Mr. Johnson, "he was thoroughly incompetent for hisduties; and, then"--he hesitated a moment, but eventually finished hissentence--"and, then, I felt I could not trust him."

  "Your fears were well grounded," said Budd, with a little secretexultation over Mr. Johnson's admission.

  Then he described the visit of Bagsley and his two companions to FoxIsland, and the statements and declarations he and his partner hadoverheard.

  "It was this visit to our island, Mr. Johnson, that sent me over to yourisland last Wednesday, when I was so unfortunate as to place myself inyour hands and be arrested as the party who had robbed your house," headded.

  "That does nicely for a story," replied Mr. Johnson, incredulously; "butif true, why didn't you at once tell me, or make it known at least atyour trial? It looks altogether like an ingenious attempt on your andyour partner's part to get me to withdraw my charge against you."

  Budd laughed.

  "I admit it, sir," he said; "but if you remember, I did beg you to hearmy story, and had you consented I should have told you all this at thattime. In the court I did not wish to tell it, for I had another purposein mind;" and he rapidly explained to Mr. Johnson what he hoped toachieve from Bagsley's arrest, and that he was fearful, if he haddisclosed what he did know about his enemy and his gang at the time ofhis own trial, it would have been premature and would have thwarted hispurpose.

  Mr. Johnson listened respectfully, but at the close of Budd's lengthyexplanation declared he was not yet convinced of the truth of the lad'sstatements.

  "I am not through," said Budd with another laugh, for he knew the proofsof the truth of all his declarations were not many rods away. "You haveheard of the extensive robbery of Clapp & St. John's store over at thevillage?" he now asked.

  "Yes, I heard of it last evening," Mr. Johnson admitted.

  "That robbery was committed by Bagsley and his gang, and they robbedyour house here," said Budd, quietly.

  "How do you know? Where are the proofs of your statement?" cried Mr.Johnson, springing excitedly to his feet. "Prove that to me, and I willwithdraw my case against you before sunset!" and he walked up and downthe room like a man about to receive some unpleasant revelation.

  "And try with me to secure Bagsley's confession of the crime hecommitted, and for which my father is now in prison?" asked Budd, withscarcely a less show of excitement.

  Mr. Johnson paused in front of the lad and looked at him sharply for aminute; but the lad did not flinch under his gaze.

  "Yes," he then said, firmly; "I promise that, also. Prove to me thosetwo things--that the robbery here and the one in the village were alikecommitted by a gang of burglars of which Bagsley is one, and I shallbelieve he was capable--yes, guilty--of the crime your father standscharged with to-day; for, mark, I now admit that there are reasons tobelieve that he did, at the time that act was committed, know thecombination to my safe, and thus had free access to my money and mycheck-book.

  "I now confess to you that I let my copy of the combination-number lieovernight on my private office desk, and though it was lying thereundisturbed the next morning, Bagsley may have seen it. This is why Ihave distrusted him.

  "It has also been a secret that has accused me every time I thought ofyour father and of you. I could not bear to think I had
sent aninnocent person to prison, and a part of my severity to you has grownout of the fact that if you were proved to be of a thievish dispositionit would seem to substantiate, in a measure at least, your father'sguilt. It was at least quieting to my conscience to have it prove so,and for this I doubtless have too strongly worked against you.

  "So I say, only prove your statements, and instead of your enemy I amyour friend, and I pledge you that I will try to undo all the wrong Ihave done your father and yourself," and there was an earnestness andsincerity in his tones that convinced Budd that he meant just what hesaid.

  "Mr. Johnson," he exclaimed, "get your hat and come with me."

  "Where?" he asked.

  "Down to your dock. My sloop, the Sea Witch, is there, and on board arethe five burglars, their booty from the store and from your house,guarded by Mr. Avery, the constable, and my partner, Judd Floyd."

  Mr. Johnson looked at the lad for an instant as though he doubted hissanity; then he led the way into the hall, took his hat and a stout canefrom the rack, and replied:

  "I'm ready."

  As they walked down to the wharf, Budd rapidly related the principalevents connected with the finding and capture of the burglars, andexhibited his own lacerated wrists as proof of the part he had borne inthe affair.

  "I'm just astonished! I'm just astonished!" was Mr. Johnson'sejaculation during this recital.

  They reached the sloop, and Mr. Johnson looked with his own eyes uponBagsley and his confederates. He even overhauled and identified muchamong their traps as having been taken from his house.

  He then had Mr. Avery and the lads recount to him again the whole storyof the robbers' capture. He also listened respectfully to Mr. Avery'ssuggestion that he should come over to the village, and identifyingthere his property, swear out a warrant against the men, that a doublecharge might be sustained against them.

  "I will do it," he replied. "I will come over immediately."

  He spoke to Bagsley, expressing regret at having found him such acriminal, but received only curses in return.

  At length he seemed to be satisfied with his own investigations, andwith the story he had heard.

  Laying his hand on Budd's head he said, solemnly:

  "I never meant to wrong you at all, my dear lad. I never meant to sendyour innocent father, for I feel instinctively now he is innocent, toprison. I never meant to hasten your invalid mother's death. Tell meyou forgive me, lad, for unless you do I can never forgive myself."

  Tears streamed down Budd's cheeks, and with them went much of the angerhe had cherished toward the speaker.

  "I believe you," he said; "only, leave no stone unturned to set myfather free and to put him right in the eyes of the world, and I freelyforgive you all the suffering and unhappiness you have unintentionallycaused me."

  "I solemnly promise it; and believe me there is yet happiness for bothfather and son," said Mr. Johnson fervently; and wiping his own eyes, hewent ashore, to complete his arrangements for visiting the village.

  And Budd, with a joy he could not tell, assisted his chum in getting thesloop ready for the passage over to the main land, where their arrivalwith their prisoners was to create a profound sensation, and win forhimself and partner not only the offered reward, but friends and fame.