The Boys of the Wireless Part 35

"I will only pay the five hundred, as I promised."

"It's five thousand, or you never see the boy again."

"I arrest both of yez!" here announced the policeman, stalking into the compartment, and placing a hand on the shoulder of each of the two men, who arose in alarm to their feet.

"What's this?" snapped out Brady.

"Resisting an officer of the law, are yez?" shouted the policeman, as Brady tried to escape his clutch, and he shaking the culprit till his teeth chattered,

"Donner! I am lost!" gasped the other prisoner.

"I say--" protested Brady anew.

"Shut up!" ordered the policeman. "You'll have a chance to explain to the captain at headquarters."

"Aha!" hissed Brady, as, pulled out into the main room, he for the first time observed Tom. Evidently he recognized him, for a sullen, surly look came into his crafty face.

At the door of the restaurant the policeman paused.

"Go to the second corner, lad," he directed Tom, "and tell officer Moore his partner needs his a.s.sistance."

Tom did as directed, and five minutes later the prisoners were led down the street, each in the charge of a stalwart guardian of the law.

When the party reached the station, the first policeman beckoned to Tom and led him to the office of the police captain. Tom told his story in a simple direct way. The captain came out and looked first at the grotesque figure and affrighted face of the big man, and then at Brady.

"Ah, it's you, is it?" exclaimed the police official, with a start of recognition. "Circus Jake."

"I think you are mistaken," muttered Brady, in a surly tone.

"Oh, no, I'm not. If you think so, I'll just send for your picture from the Rogues' Gallery, and go over a few records. Lahey, keep your eye close on this fellow till I need him. You two come with me."

The speaker led Tom and the man with the big satchel into his private office, and beckoned both of them to seats after closing the door.

"Now then, young man," he directed Tom, "tell your story before this man."

Tom began at the commencement of the Donner incident, and followed it up to its present climax. All through the recital, as reference was made to Harry Ashley, the old man started, e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed, grimaced and groaned.

"Ah, he was not Harry Ashley, he was Ernest Warren, the son of my benefactor, my friend! Did he ever say that I, Blennerha.s.sett, abused him?"

"He never said anything about you, for we did not know that he was Ernest Warren," explained Tom.

"Now, then, for your story, Mr. Blennerha.s.sett, if that is your name,"

spoke the police captain.

The old man looked fl.u.s.tered and frightened. He cast an apprehensive glance out at the street, an appealing one at the captain.

"The Czar of Russia shall not be told?" he at length articulated.

"The Czar of Russia?" repeated the official, with a mystified stare.

"What has he got to do with it?"

"Everything," declared Blennerha.s.sett, with a groan. "You will not advise the spies of foreign governments?" he persisted, very seriously.

The captain evidently concluded that he was dealing with a lunatic, for he said indulgently:

"Surely not."

"And no notoriety in the newspapers, so that I might be trailed down by a.s.sa.s.sins?"

"Not a word, provided you tell the truth."

The old man began his story, which was an interesting one. It seemed he had been a Russian spy, and a price was set on his head. A fugitive, he chanced to meet in Germany the father of Ernest Warren. The latter was very kind to him. Mr. Warren was a civil engineer engaged on some large public work. He took sick and died. He had learned to trust Blennerha.s.sett as a loyal friend, and had given him all his money with directions to repair to the United States and take personal charge of Ernest.

The latter, it seemed, was one of the heirs to an estate in litigation.

It was to the interest of others after the fortune to have him disappear. Not only to protect Ernest, but also because he was fearful the Russian government might hunt him down personally, Blennerha.s.sett had made his new home in an isolated old house about fifty miles up the coast from Rockley Cove.

He never explained to Ernest the cause of this seclusion and mystery.

The lad had rebelled against such a solitary life, had run away after accidentally destroying five hundred dollars by fire, and Blennerha.s.sett, not daring to come out openly, had surrept.i.tiously visited a nearby wireless station when its operator was absent, and under cover had tried to communicate with the outside world.

He had incidentally come across Brady, and had started him on a search for the runaway, promising a five hundred dollar reward for finding him.

The day before the present one a demand had come from Brady for five thousand dollars to be brought to Springville at once, or the boy would never be returned.

"The five hundred dollars Ernest burned up was his own money," explained Blennerha.s.sett. "I love him as my own son. All I ask is that I find him."

The police captain opened the door of his office and called out into the station main room.

"Bring that man in here," he directed; and Brady slouched into the private office.

"Now then," said the captain, "short and sweet's the word for you. Think we don't know you, eh? I suppose you're not the man who advertised a set of parlor furniture by mail for fifty cents, and a yard of silk for a quarter, and a plan to save your gas bills for a dollar, and how to kill c.o.c.kroaches for a dime?"

"That's old," growled the discomfited Brady.

"Why," explained the police official, "he sent a toy set of furniture to investors, and a yard of sewing silk, told them to save their gas bills on a file, and advised them to get a board and a club and whack the roaches. Now, sharp and brisk. You've kidnapped this man's charge. I'll send two officers with you to your partner to give him up. Produce him, and you go free. Otherwise I'll telegraph all over the country to find out your latest schemes, and lock you up for abduction and extortion in the meanwhile."

"I've done my work for this old man," blurted out Brady.

"Yes," a.s.sented Blennerha.s.sett, "and the price was to be five hundred dollars, not five thousand dollars. I'll pay the five hundred."

"All right," muttered Brady, "I'll give in."

"And I'll go with him to see that the boy is all right," said Blennerha.s.sett.

Brady was released later, for the old man returned to the police station within an hour. Harry Ashley, or Ernest Warren, as his real name was, came in his company.

There was a joyful meeting between Tom and his friend. It was made still more happy when Ernest was informed that the estate in which he was interested had been settled, and his share was some twenty thousand dollars.

The guardian and his ward accompanied Tom back to Rockley Cove as guests at the Barnes homestead. Tom at once repaired to the wireless station.

He put his excitable chum in transports of delight when he announced the success of his search for the stolen Harry Ashley.