Down the Slope Part 56

"Nothing'; but I thought you might. When things turned out at Farley's as they did it seemed to me that by gettin' hold of him the truth would come out."

"Have you been at that work all this time?"

"Yes."

"Of course you couldn't find him."

"Of course I could, an' if you want him I'll go straight to where he's hiding."

Fred looked at his friend in astonishment for an instant, and he cried:

"Come to the lawyer's with me this minute. You're the very fellow he's been wanting to see."

Five minutes later the two were closeted with Mr. Hunter, who appeared very well pleased with the news brought by Skip.

"How did you chance to find the boy?" he asked.

"It was a good deal like luck. Fred told about he an' Gus campin' by the river, an' I snooped up that way. A lot of us fellers stayed a week in the same place, so it was handy to get around. It was two days before I saw any signs of him, an' then I come mighty nigh tumblin' over his camp."

"How long since you left him?"

"Yesterday noon."

"Have you been traveling all this time?"

"Pretty much; but it don't make any difference if you want to send after him."

"That is exactly what I want to do, and as soon as possible."

"I'm ready now," and Skip started toward the door.

"I didn't mean quite as soon as this. Go for something to eat, while I make the necessary arrangements. Come back here when you've had dinner."

"It'll be two or three dinners in one," Skip muttered, as he followed Fred down stairs.

"Didn't you take any provisions?"

"Some; but not enough to last a great while. It don't make any difference, though, so long as I found Tim."

Skip was not so excited but that he could eat a hearty meal, and when it was finished the two boys returned to Mr. Hunter's office just as that gentleman entered, accompanied by a constable.

The official questioned Skip very minutely as to Tim's whereabouts, and when the boy had explained the situation to the best of his ability, the former said:

"I reckon we won't have to walk all the way. By riding up the valley road eight or ten miles it is possible to cut off a good bit of the distance."

"Very well, adopt any method which will insure your return to-morrow noon, for the trial is to come off at twelve o'clock. Go with him, Skip, and see to it that there is no loitering by the way."

"Are you intending to hire a team?" Fred asked the constable.

"Yes."

"Then I'll go with you to the stables."

The constable walked rapidly ahead leaving the boys to follow more leisurely, and Fred had time for a brief conversation.

"You've been a good friend, Skip, and none of us will ever forget what you've done."

"I don't want you to remember what happened while I was boss of the regulators."

"We never think of it. Now do you believe it is possible to go to the camp and back by noon?"

"It'll be a tight squeeze, even allowin' that we ride a good part of the way; but we'll pull through somehow."

"Then if Tim has run off, all your work will have been for nothing."

"It can't be helped if things turn that way; but I think he's too much frightened by the disappearance of Gus to leave a good hiding-place."

At this moment the officer emerged from the stable in an open wagon drawn by a powerful-looking horse, and Skip shouted, as he clambered in:

"We'll be back by noon."

Then the two were whirled rapidly away, and Fred walked slowly to Mr.

Hunter's office depressed by a sense of impending evil.

The lawyer was absent, and, not caring to stroll around the town where he might meet acquaintances from Farley's, the boy remained alone until late in the afternoon, when Joe and Sam arrived.

"The trial is to come off to-morrow," he cried, mentioning first that subject which was nearest his heart.

"And you couldn't find Skip," Joe added, mournfully; but his face lighted up wonderfully on being told of what had occurred during his absence.

"We'll come out of the sc.r.a.pe all right, if one of the young scoundrels can be produced, so you an' Sam may as well look cheerful."

"Is there anything new at Farley's?" Fred asked.

"Wright is goin' around like a bear with a sore head; but I didn't hear anything about his servin' the warrant on you. I reckon neither him nor that blessed cas.h.i.+er fancy havin' the trial come off so soon."

"How is Bill?"

"Chipper as a chicken. Your mother has sent some clean clothes, an' we'd better mosey over to the hotel to make ourselves comfortable like."

Before any objection could be offered to this plan Mr. Hunter entered; but he did not delay the partners very long. After asking a few questions and jotting down the answers, he dismissed them with the caution to be at the office by eleven o'clock next morning.

During the evening Joe tried very hard to appear jolly and perfectly at ease; but the boys could not simulate cheerfulness, and the hours pa.s.sed wearily despite their companion's efforts.

At an early hour Fred and Sam were on the road down which Skip had driven, waiting for his return; but when the appointed time for them to go to Mr. Hunter's office arrived, they had watched in vain.

Now the suspense was positively painful. The lawyer exhibited the utmost impatience, because the constable did not come, while his clients were on the verge of despair.

At half-past eleven when the train from Farley's arrived, the boys saw Mr. Wright and the cas.h.i.+er pa.s.s on their way to the court-room, and a few moments later Mr. Hunter said: