CHAPTER XXIII
JUSTICE
"Now then, Bennie," whispered Gus, "beat it on the q.t. Then streak itfor Bill's house. He'll be watching for you. Tell him our man is hereand probably getting ready to light out. You needn't come back; I'm onlygoing to spot this bird and find out where he goes, if I can. You'll getwell paid for this, kid."
The two boys were lying on the sandy ground among young cedars, andwatching the little cabin not fifty yards distant. Out of this crudeshack had come the sole occupant, to stand and gaze about him for aminute, lifting his face to the moon. Gus could plainly distinguish thegray cap, the slender build of the youth; he recognized the walk, acertain manner of standing, and once he plainly caught that upward shiftof the shoulder. Then Gus gave his orders to Bennie, knowing that theywould be carried out with precision, for the little fellow, almost awaif and lacking proper influences, would have nearly laid down his lifefor Gus after the athlete had very deservedly whipped two town bulliesthat were making life miserable for him. Moreover, the youngster wantedto be like Gus and Bill, in the matter of mentality, and a promise ofreward meant money with which he could buy books.
Left alone, Gus crept nearer the cabin. He could be reasonably sure ofhimself, but not of Bennie, who might crack a stick or sneeze. Some lowcedars grew on the slope above the cabin; Gus took advantage of theseand got within about forty feet of the shack. Then he lay watching forfully an hour, there being no sign of the inmate. But after what hadseemed to Gus almost half the night, out came the suspect, stood amoment as before and started off; it could be seen that he carried asmall pack and a heavy stick in his hands.
Then Gus was taken by surprise; even his ready intuition failed him. Hehad made up his mind that he was in for a long hike to the not toodistant mountains and that over this ground the work of keeping theother fellow in sight and of keeping out of sight himself was going tomean constant vigilance and keen stalking. But the midnight prowlerswung around the cabin and with long, certain strides headed straightfor the Hooper mansion.
This was easier going for Gus than the open road toward the mountainswould have been; there was plenty of growth--long grass, trees andbushes--to keep between him and the other who never tried to seekshelter, nor hardly once looked behind him until the end of the broaddriveway was reached.
Gus knew the watchman must be about, though possibly half asleep. Healso believed that the suspected youth, by the way he advanced, mustknow the ways of the watchman. Roger, the big Saint Bernard, let out abooming roar and came bounding down the driveway; the fellow spoke tohim and that was all there was to that. Gus stayed well behind, fearingthe friendly beast might come to him also and thus give his presenceaway, but Roger was evidently coaxed to remain with the first comer.
The big house stood silent, bathed in the moonlight; there was no signof anyone about, other than the miscreant who stood now in the shadow,surveying the place. Presently he put down his pack, went to a windowand, quick and silent as an expert burglar, jimmied the sash. There wasonly one sudden, sharp snap of the breaking sash bolt and in a momentthe fellow had vanished within the darkness and Gus distinguished onlythe occasional flash of a pocket torch inside.
There was but one thing to do, and that as quickly as possible. The doghad gone around to lie again on the front veranda. Gus made a bolt forthe rear of the grounds, reached the garage, found an open door, begansoftly to push it open and suddenly found himself staring into themuzzle of a revolver that protruded from the blackness beyond.
"Don't shoot! I'm Gus Grier, Mr. Watchman." The boy was conscious of acertain unsteadiness in his own voice.
"Oh! An' phwat air yes doin' here?"
"Talk low," said Gus, "but listen first: There's a burglar in the house.I spotted him some time ago, followed him and saw him get through thedining-room window. Move fast and he's yours!"
Pat moved fast. He recognized that he had not been up to his duty so farand he meant to make amends. With Gus following, the boy's nerves onedge with the possibility that the housebreaker would shoot, theIrishman, who was no coward, reached the house, entered the basement,flooded the house with light, alarmed the inmates and in a few minuteshad every avenue of escape guarded, the chauffeur, butler and gardenercoming on the scene, all half dressed and armed.
What followed needs little telling. Hardly had the men decided to searchthe house before the sound of a rapidly approaching motor horn was heardand from the quickly checked car two men leaped out, the constable and adeputy from the town--and then Bill Brown! The illuminated house hadstopped their course. The search revealed Thad cowering in a closet, allthe fight gone out of him. Grace and Skeets were not even awakened; Mrs.Hooper did not leave her room.
As the constable turned a light on the handcuffed prisoner he remarked:"That's the chap all right. Description fits. He'll bring that fivehundred all right."
"A reward; is it?" said the watchman. "An' don't ye fergit who gits it.Not me, ner you, Constable, but the bye here." He laid his hand on Gus'sshoulder. The constable laughed:
"Oh, you're slow, Pat. We all know that. The kid and his pal, that youngedition of Edison by the name of Billy Brown, got the thing cinched overtheir radio. We didn't know that the description that Willstown sent outfitted Mr. Hooper's own nephew."
And so with relief, mixed with regret for Mr. Hooper's sake, Gus andBill saw a sulky and rebellious Thad vanish into the night and out oftheir immediate affairs.
Radio Boys Cronies Page 23