The Boy from the Ranch Part 30

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 had attacked 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, but Roy had no intention of letting him go.

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

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

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

"I'll help you!" he exclaimed, quickly advancing. Some one in the rear of the hall had opened a door, and the place was lighter. The policeman saw two men whom Roy had gripped, holding them by twisting his 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 the other. The rest of the men escaped.

"Now let's see who we've got," said the first bluecoat, as he led his prisoner 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 new pickpocket gang."

But Roy knew them both. One was Caleb Annister, and the other John Wakely, alias Dennison Tupper, though Roy did not learn that until later.

"Do you want to make a charge against these two?" asked the first officer. "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 the sergeant all about it. I'll ring for the wagon."

In a little while the patrol vehicle dashed up with a clanging of the gong, and, through the great crowd that almost instantly gathered, Roy followed the two officers and their prisoners into the wagon. They were 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 obstinately silent.

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

The name produced an instant effect, for Mr. Ketchum was a lawyer well known 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 and Wakely.

"You're not going to lock me up, are you?" asked Caleb Annister, who seemed 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 make rest.i.tution! 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 saw the mistake he had made.

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

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

"He was. That is why he tried to have you put out of the way. He was afraid you would interfere with his plan before the two weeks expired.

Fortunately I discovered it in time. To-morrow I will pay the taxes in your father's name, and the building will remain the property of him and 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 actual kidnapping. 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 Mortimer De Royster. "There's another charge to be made."

"Who against?" asked the sergeant, impressed by the apparently wealthy air 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 shaved his moustache off," went on De Royster, and Roy, now, also knew where it was he had heard Wakely's voice before.

"Lock 'em up!" called the sergeant to the doorman, as he made an entry on the blotter, against the prisoners' names. "You can see the Judge in 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 and bold attempt at swindling."

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

"I called at your hotel shortly after you left. I had forgotten to tell you, when we parted, that I would call for you early to-morrow morning. The clerk said you had gone to the Bowery, after receiving a note.

"I was suspicious, and I followed. I got there just as the patrol wagon 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 of them are."

"The police will get the others. They'll make Annister and Wakely tell who 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 the city. On Sutton were found p.a.w.n tickets representing De Royster's watch and diamond, and he got them back in due time. There were also some 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.