Boy from the Ranch; Or, Roy Bradner's City Experiences

by Frank V. Webster

  CHAPTER XXV

  THE ROUND-UP--CONCLUSION

  Across Roy's mind it flashed in an instant that he had been deceived bythe note--it was a forgery. He had been tricked into coming to theBowery. He dwelt but momentarily on this, however, for he needed todevote all his attention to escaping from the grip of the man who heldhim.

  Fortunately Roy was of exceptional strength for so young a lad. Histraining on the ranch, roping steers, training wild horses, and hislife in the open, made him more than a match for the average man.

  He kicked out vigorously, right and left, and squirmed like an eel. Hefelt the grip of the man relaxing, and heard him call for aid. Thenanother came.

  But Roy was fighting desperately. He made up his mind not only not tolet the men take him away again, but to hold them until help came.With this in view he set up a loud shout.

  "Police! Police! Police!" he cried, remembering what the hotel clerkhad said about the bluecoats being on the Bowery.

  "Stop his mouth or we'll all be arrested!" exclaimed some one.

  "Yes. Can't you manage him?" asked Annister desperately.

  "He's as strong as a horse!" Roy heard one man grunt, and this causedthe boy to smile grimly.

  The struggle in the dark continued. The boy had a good grip on twomen, and was preventing them from dragging him down the dark hallway.

  But help was at hand. His cries had been heard in the street, and, amoment later the door leading to the thoroughfare opened, and a littlelight came in.

  At the same time Roy heard the sound of a club striking on the pavement.

  "The cops are coming!" cried a voice.

  A few seconds later a burly bluecoat entered the door.

  "What's going on?" he asked.

  "Nothing but a drunken row," quickly replied one of the men who hadattacked Roy, at the same time trying to loosen the grip of the lad."I'm putting the fellow out."

  The plotter would have been glad to drop the matter now and escape, butRoy had no intention of letting him go.

  "Officer!" exclaimed Roy quickly, "they're trying to get me away! I'vegot hold of two of 'em. Give us a hand and we'll throw and tie 'emboth."

  He talked as though he was on the ranch, handling a pair of refractorycalves.

  Somehow the officer recognized the honesty in Roy's voice. He knew itwas not uncommon for thieves and pickpockets to attack persons in darkhallways. He supposed it was one of those cases.

  "I'll help you!" he exclaimed, quickly advancing. Some one in the rearof the hall had opened a door, and the place was lighter. Thepoliceman saw two men whom Roy had gripped, holding them by twistinghis hands in their coats. The men tried to escape.

  "No, you don't!" exclaimed the officer, grabbing one. "I've got you."

  At the same time a second policeman appeared, and took charge of theother. The rest of the men escaped.

  "Now let's see who we've got," said the first bluecoat, as he led hisprisoner to the light in the rear. His brother officer did likewise.

  "I don't know either of 'em," announced the first policeman.

  "Me either," admitted his colleague. "They must belong to a newpickpocket gang."

  But Roy knew them both. One was Caleb Annister, and the other JohnWakely, alias Dennison Tupper, though Roy did not learn that untillater.

  "Do you want to make a charge against these two?" asked the firstofficer. "A charge of attempted pocket picking?"

  "It's worse than that," replied Roy. "They tried to kidnap me."

  "Kidnap you? Then you'd better come to the station, and tell thesergeant all about it. I'll ring for the wagon."

  In a little while the patrol vehicle dashed up with a clanging of thegong, and, through the great crowd that almost instantly gathered, Royfollowed the two officers and their prisoners into the wagon. Theywere soon at the station house.

  "How do I know but what you're all of one gang?" asked the sergeant,when Roy had told his story, while the other two remained obstinatelysilent.

  "If you will telephone for Mr. Ketchum he will identify me."

  The name produced an instant effect, for Mr. Ketchum was a lawyer wellknown in police circles, as he prosecuted many criminals.

  The sergeant telephoned, and, in a short time, came the answer from Mr.Ketchum's home that he would come to the station and identify Roy.

  He did so, and the sergeant admitted his mistake.

  "I'll just lock these two up," he said, indicating Mr. Annister andWakely.

  "You're not going to lock me up, are you?" asked Caleb Annister, whoseemed to lose all courage as he saw the way matters were going."You're not going to prosecute me, are you, Roy Bradner? I'll makerestitution! I'll pay it all back!"

  "Then you confess you swindled this boy, and his father?" asked Mr.Ketchum quickly.

  "I--er--I won't say anything," replied the other sullenly, as he sawthe mistake he had made.

  "You don't have to. I have evidence enough to convict you without anyadmissions on your part. I discovered your scheme in time. A few daysmore and it would have been too late to pay the taxes, and save theproperty for Mr. Bradner and his son."

  "Was he going to take the property?" asked Roy, amazed at the duplicityof the agent his father had trusted.

  "He was. That is why he tried to have you put out of the way. He wasafraid you would interfere with his plan before the two weeks expired.Fortunately I discovered it in time. To-morrow I will pay the taxes inyour father's name, and the building will remain the property of himand yourself."

  "What's the charge against these two, then?" asked the sergeant.

  "Attempted kidnapping and embezzlement against him," replied Mr.Ketchum, indicating Annister, "and against Wakely, a charge of actualkidnapping. I think we shall be able to arrest the others in the gang,also."

  "Hold on!" exclaimed a voice, and Roy turned around to behold MortimerDe Royster. "There's another charge to be made."

  "Who against?" asked the sergeant, impressed by the apparently wealthyair of the jewelry salesman.

  "Against him," pointing to Wakely.

  "What is the charge?"

  "Robbery. He and three others stole my gold watch and diamond pin."

  Wakely uttered an exclamation.

  "I now recognize him as one of the robbers, even though he has shavedhis moustache off," went on De Royster, and Roy, now, also knew whereit was he had heard Wakely's voice before.

  "Lock 'em up!" called the sergeant to the doorman, as he made an entryon the blotter, against the prisoners' names. "You can see the Judgein the morning," he went on. "I suppose you will be here, Mr. Ketchum?"

  "Oh, yes. I will prosecute this case to a finish. It was a wicked andbold attempt at swindling."

  "Well, you seem to turn up every time I need you," remarked Roy toMortimer De Royster. "How did you know I was here?"

  "I called at your hotel shortly after you left. I had forgotten totell you, when we parted, that I would call for you early to-morrowmorning. The clerk said you had gone to the Bowery, after receiving anote.

  "I was suspicious, and I followed. I got there just as the patrolwagon left, and I came on to the station house. Well, I guess you'rounded them up' as you call it, Roy."

  "Yes, they're roped and in the corral now, all right. That is, part ofthem are."

  "The police will get the others. They'll make Annister and Wakely tellwho their confederates are."

  Mortimer De Royster's surmise proved correct. Later that night Hynard,Baker and Sutton were arrested, just as they were about to leave thecity. On Sutton were found pawn tickets representing De Royster'swatch and diamond, and he got them back in due time. There were alsosome envelopes and letter heads secured in some criminal way from Mr.Ketchum's office. On one of them the note to Roy had been written.

  After a hearing the swindlers and Annister, the rascally real estateagent, were sent to jail, in default of bail, there to await trial onseveral charges.

  Eventua
lly they were sent to prison for long terms.

  "Well, you saved your father's building for him," remarked Mr. Ketchumto Roy, a few days later.

  "Do you really think Annister could have gotten it into his possession?"

  "He could, under the law. Of course we might have contested it, but itwould have been a long and expensive proceeding. He would have had atax deed to it, and that is considered pretty good. Your father can beproud of you. What are you going to do now?"

  "Go back to the ranch, I guess. I've done all dad told me to, exceptget a good man to look after the property. Perhaps you can suggestsome one?"

  "I think I can arrange that without difficulty."

  "Then I wish you would. I know my father would be glad to have you."

  This was done a few days later, and Mr. Bradner was informed, bytelegraph, of what had transpired. He could now be sure of getting allthe rent money from the Bleeker Building. Little was ever recovered ofthe money that Mr. Annister had unlawfully retained, for his propertywas so tied up that the law could not touch it.

  "Now, since your business is all attended to, why can't you stay in NewYork a few weeks longer, and see more of the sights?" proposed MortimerDe Royster to the boy from the ranch.

  "I think I will," decided Roy.

  "Besides, you have still a visit to make."

  "A visit?"

  "Exactly. You must call on that lady of the runaway."

  "Oh! I reckon she has forgotten me," answered the boy from the ranch.

  But he had not been forgotten, as a visit to the lady's home quicklyproved. He was royally entertained, and the lady's husband insistedupon presenting him with a ruby scarf pin, doing so in the names ofboth his wife and his little daughter.

  "And now you've got to make me a promise," said Roy to Mortimer DeRoyster, when the boy from the ranch was ready to go home.

  "All right, Roy, anything you say goes."

  "You must visit our ranch soon. I'll show you the best time possible."

  "I don't know what sort of a figure I'd cut on a ranch," answered thejewelry salesman, with a faint smile. "Don't forget how I got mixed upwith those sharpers when I was out in your neighborhood."

  "We haven't any sharpers at our ranch. If they came around where wewere our cowboys would treat them pretty rough, I can tell you that.I'd like to get you on one of our ponies and ride you across theranges. You'd find it the best kind of outdoor exercise."

  "I believe you there, Roy."

  "Then you will come? I want you to meet my father. You'll soon getused to our style of living--just as I got used to city ways." And theboy from the ranch grinned as he thought of the experiences he hadundergone.

  "I'll come if I possibly can," answered Mortimer De Royster. Let meadd here that he did come, during the following July, and he and Royhad many a good time together, hunting, fishing, and rounding-up cattle.

  It must be admitted that Roy was anxious to get home, to see his fatherand tell his parent the details of what had transpired. He found hisfather much improved, for which he was thankful.

  "Roy, you did well--as well as any man could have done," said Mr.Bradner. "I am proud of you." And his beaming face showed he meantwhat he said.

  It was a happy reunion. The cowboys were also glad to have the boyamong them again, and that night they held a sort of jollification,lighting a big bonfire and shooting off their firearms as if it was theFourth of July. And here let us take our leave of The Boy from theRanch.