CHAPTER XXV
WHAT HAPPENED TO TOM
Tom glanced up, to see the white face of Jesse Pelter peering downupon him.
"You had better let us out of this!" cried the broker, hoarsely.
"You stay where you are--if you know, what is best for you!" returnedTom.
"Is he dead?" went on the broker, referring to Crabtree.
"I don't know."
The youth ran up to the former school teacher and turned him over. Ashe did this Josiah Crabtree gave a gasp and a groan and opened hiseyes.
"Oh! Oh! what a--a fa--fall!"
"If you hadn't tried to get away it wouldn't have happened," returnedTom, briefly. He could have but little sympathy for such a hardenedrascal.
Josiah Crabtree sat up and then tried to get to his feet. There was acut on his forehead from which the blood was flowing.
"Oh! oh!" cried the man and put his hand to his left leg. It wastwisted under him in a peculiar fashion. To get up on it wasimpossible, and Crabtree fell back with a cry of pain and fright.
"My leg! It is broken! Oh, what shall I do? Rover, please help me!"And the former teacher turned a look of genuine misery on Tom.
"Let me examine it," said the boy, in a more kindly tone. Heapproached the man and felt of the injured limb. By the way it wasdoubled up Tom felt certain it must be broken, perhaps in two places.
"I don't know what I can do," said Tom. "I guess you need a doctor.I'll carry you to the barn, if you say so--or into the house."
"Can't you--you----" began Josiah Crabtree, and then another look ofpain crossed his face and he fainted.
Alarmed, Tom picked up the tall, thin form and carried the man intothe house, for it was still raining, although not as hard as before.He placed Crabtree on an old couch in the sitting room and, gettingsome water, laid a wet cloth over his bruised and swelling forehead.Knowing but little about broken limbs, he did not attempt to doanything for the broken leg but placed that member out in a somewhatstraight position. He called up to Dick and told his brother of whathad happened.
"Keep the other fellows up there, Tom!" yelled back the big brother."Don't let 'em get away!"
At this Tom ran out of the house once more. With the fall of Crabtreehad come the greater portion of the blanket-rope. Pelter haddisappeared from the window, and evidently he and Japson were inconsultation.
"See here, Rover, we want to talk to you!" called out the broker,reappearing at the window a minute later. "Call your brothers."
"What do you want?"
"We want to fix matters up with you."
"You can do that after you are in jail."
"You'll gain nothing by having us arrested."
"That remains to be seen."
"We have got the upper hand in those deals with your father and if youhave us locked up we won't let go--no matter what happens," put inJapson.
"We'll make you let go," returned Tom, with determination. "Youfellows have reached the end of your string, and the sooner yourealize it the better it will be for you."
"Bah! Do you think we'll give up the things we have fought so hard toget? Not much!"
While Japson was speaking Pelter had stepped back into the garret. Nowhe came again to the window, at the same time whispering to hiscompanion.
"Hello, Dixon!" he called, as if to somebody behind Tom.
As was but natural, the youth below turned quickly, thinking somefriend of the broker's had appeared. The moment Tom turned, Pelterhurled something down at him. It was an old wooden footstool, and itstruck the youth squarely on the head. Down went poor Tom in thegrass, senseless.
"Now is our time!" exclaimed Pelter. "Quick, with that other rope!"
A second rope, also made from sections of a blanket--but strongerthan the first--was produced. As the lower end struck the ground,Pelter commenced to slide down, closely followed by his partner.Evidently they were both willing to risk their lives in an effort toescape. The thought of going to jail filled them with grim terror.
Reaching the ground, neither of the men hesitated an instant over whatto do next. The man who owned the place knew it thoroughly, and heturned in the direction of the barn, and his partner went after him.They crossed a back lot, and then, coming to a side road, took tothat, running as fast as their wind and strength permitted.
In the meantime Dick, hearing Crabtree groaning, came down in thesitting room to look at the sufferer. The man was still flat on hisback.
"Oh, my leg!" he groaned. "Oh my leg! Can't you get a doctor?"
"Perhaps,--later on," answered Dick.
"Oh, Rover, I never thought I would come to this!" whined thecriminal. "Oh, the pain!"
"We'll do what we can for you, Crabtree. You had better lie still forthe present."
Dick listened in the hallway. As nobody seemed to be at the garretstairway, he ran outside, to learn how Tom was faring.
"Tom! Tom! What happened to you?" he cried, in horror, when he beheldhis brother on the ground. Then he saw the footstool and a cut onTom's head and understood what had occurred. The dangling rope toldthe rest of the story.
"They have gotten away!" he groaned. "And after all our efforts tohold them prisoners until help came! Too bad!"
He wanted to go after the brokers, but just now his concern wasentirely for his brother.
He turned Tom over and then ran for some water. When he returned Tomwas just opening his eyes.
"Dick! Some--something hi--hit me!" gasped the hurt one.
"They threw that wooden footstool at you, Tom. I'm afraid you're badlyhurt."
"Am I? I--I feel mighty queer," returned Tom, and then he closed hiseyes again.
Dick was now more alarmed than ever. He carried his brother to thedining room, and laid him on some chairs, with a doubled-up blanketfrom a bed for a pillow. He washed Tom's head and bound it up as besthe could. Once or twice the injured youth opened his eyes for aninstant, but he did not make a sound.
"It was a fearful blow,--it must have been!" thought Dick. "I hopethey didn't crack his skull!"
Josiah Crabtree was still groaning in the next room, but Dick paidlittle attention to the man. Nor did he think of the rascals who hadescaped. All his thoughts were centered on Tom.
"If I only knew where to get a doctor," he mused. Then he ran out ofthe house by the front door and looked up and down the road.
A carriage was approaching, containing three men. As it drew closerDick saw that one of the men wore a shining badge on his coat andcarried a policeman's club.
"Want me here?" he cried, on catching sight of the youth.
"Are you a policeman?"
"I am."
"Then come right in."
The policeman and the other two men followed Dick into the house. Theyouth took them first to where Josiah Crabtree lay.
"There is a man who escaped from the jail at Plankville. He tried toget out of a garret window and had a fall. I guess his leg is broken."
"If that's the case, he won't need much watching from me," replied thepoliceman, grimly.
"The other two rascals who were with him got away, after hitting mybrother with a footstool and hurting him quite badly. Here he is. CanI get a doctor anywhere around here?"
"Doctor Martin lives up the road about half a mile," said the man whohad driven the carriage.
"Will you get him for me, just as soon as you can?"
"I will," said the man, and went off at once after the physician.
While he was gone Dick told his story to the policeman and the otherman, who was a local constable. Both listened with interest, and saidthey would make a hunt for Pelter and Japson.
"They may go back to New York," said Dick. "If they do, telephone downthere to have them arrested." And he gave the address of the brokers'offices.
It was about half an hour later when Doctor Martin, and elderlyphysician, arrived. Dick escorted him at once to where Tom lay, stillin a semi-conscious state.
"A bad case, I am afraid," said the doctor, after a br
ief examination."His skull may be fractured. We had better get him to the hospital atonce!"
The Rover Boys in New York; Or, Saving Their Father's Honor Page 25