CHAPTER XIV
UNDER THE CAR
Reassured as to the fate of the car, Phil was about to turn back towhere Paul and Billy were still picking up the things, when Dave's voicewas heard:
"Oh, Phil! Here's trouble! Come on down here--quick!"
Shouting back to the two lads behind that the car was found, Phil jumpeddown and ran round to where Dave was staring at something on the ground.Meantime catching the meaning of Phil's words, Paul and Billy hurriedforward with the loads they already had.
"Geemineddy!" This was of course by Paul, always emphatic andexclamatory. "If I ever get my hands on that old Six again, I bet shedon't go out of my reckoning soon!"
"I know just how you feel, Paul. I was to blame, but--oh, don't I wishwe had the chaps that did it!"
The two, their hands filled with sundry belongings, were hastening afterPhil who had vanished from their view. Down the slope, over the jaggedembankment they hurried, giving a yell as they saw the Big Six upturned,but apparently safe. The tops of Dave's and Phil's heads bobbed up anddown on the further side of the car.
Reaching the spot, what was their surprise to see the body of a manlying prone on the ground, his legs and part of his body fairly underthe car. Billy, after one look, gave a gasp of amazement. The man wasbareheaded, his face half turned under and pressed against the ground.
"Here, boys," began Phil. "Drop everything and let's turn the car offhis body!"
By the united efforts of all the Big Six was lifted at the forward endso that the weight of the car no longer rested on the dead or insensibleman.
"Boys," said Billy, "that's the man in gray who wore the visored cap wefound back yonder. I'll swear to that. Is he dead?"
Phil and Dave, stooping closely, examined the man, and in so doingturned his head to one side. There, near the temple, was a purplishblot, from which a few drops of blood were trickling. At the same timecertain movements, not unlike muscular tremors, were evident in body andlimbs.
"Why, he's alive!" said Paul. "Let's get him more comfortably placed."
While this was being done Worth picked up a tin cup, ran to a rockypuddle in the dried brooklet where some water was left, and returningwith the filled cup bathed the fellow's face and head, very gently nowthat they knew life was not extinct.
This, aided by the more comfortable position in which he had beenplaced, had such effect that the man's eyes soon opened. He groaned ashe breathed, while with one hand he attempted to feel his head near whatwas now seen to be a bullet wound. Paul, wiping his head, felt aprotuberance under his hair, and directly thereafter drew forth a smallpointed bullet, such as is much used with pocket pistols of the Smith &Wesson type.
"Well, well!" exclaimed that lively youth. "If here ain't a regulartwenty-two pistol ball. It must have glanced along under the skin nearthe temple and come out again. Who could have done it?"
When the man felt Paul's hand extracting the ball from his mass oftouzled hair, he clutched at the place, saying:
"I always--told--Dippy--that gun--was no--good--" A scuffling sigh, andthe fellow was again in a swoon.
What had they better do now? Here was their car, all right except forsome scars and bruises incurred during the last flight after Billy wascaptured and stowed away in the old tavern. Where was the other man? Asusual in such stress, Phil again took command of the situation.
"This man's not dead. He may recover. He's either been shot by someoneor he's shot himself, which isn't likely."
Here the man struggled into a half sitting position, as he murmured:
"Didn't sh-shoot myself! Dippy shot--me! Dippy always--poor--shot--"
Then with a groan he fell back again into a state of coma. Phil, lookinghastily over the car, now said:
"Help right the car, boys."
This was accomplished almost as soon as said, by simply easing the upperside down so that the Six again stood on "all-fours," as Paul expressedit. It stood squarely across the brook-bed, headed towards the railroadwhich here was not more than an eighth of a mile distant.
"Now, Paul," resumed Phil, "you hike across through the brush to therailroad, if necessary. It may be the real highway lays over theresomewhere. Pick out the easiest way to get our car there. We can hardlygo back the way we came, can we?" The others shook their heads at this."When you're through, come back. Mebbe we'll meet you on the way."
Without a word Paul vanished in the thick undergrowth beyond thebrooklet. Meanwhile Dave was examining the car, which he pronounceduninjured by the rough usage to which it had been subjected with theexception of sundry scars and a slight twist in one of the minorconnecting rods, easy to readjust. Both he and Phil were kept busyrestoring the things that had been dumped out by the fleeing coupleduring the last stages of that hurried flight to--where? Probably wherethey thought the nearest open road would be; or perhaps it was therailroad and the nearest station they sought.
When Paul came back, he said that they were only a short distance to thenew highway and the railroad. The guide book told them that they werewithin a very few miles of a small station east, while Midlandville, thenearest town west, was not more than two hours away, with a good road.
"Better put that chap in the tonneau, hadn't we?" suggested Worth.
"Aw, where'll we take him?" This from Dave who now was in the driver'sseat.
"Looks like we had enough trouble long of him and his mate as it is."
"Put him in back, of course," corrected Phil. "If these two are in badabout something, it is our duty to keep track of this one, for thepresent at least. Who knows? He may give us a pointer yet as to whatthey were up to."
So the wounded man, despite his querulous complaints, was put in thetonneau with Billy and Paul to assist him and do whatever was necessaryto make him as comfortable as conditions would permit.
Then the Big Six was started. As has been stated, the incline beinggradual, the big car, carefully steered, had less trouble in making theremainder of the trip to the new highway than the boys anticipated.True, with the injured man and the equipment of the lads the car wasrather crowded, but the motor did its duty, the purring sounds being aseven as could be wished. Paul, on his return, had broken down a sort oftrail which it was not difficult to follow.
Arrived at the roadway it had been already determined that, as the daywas already well spent, they would return to Feeney's for the night,then make for Midlandville in the morning.
"Won't old Feeney open his eyes when we tell him what those twostrangers were up to to-day?" remarked Paul who, tired of fanning thewounded man, had managed to exchange with Dave.
Not far from where they turned into the highway, it veered southward,leaving the railroad to the right, and a mile further crossed the oldroad along which the boys had motored that morning on their way to theold tavern.
To say that they were cordially received by Mr. Feeney would be only thetruth. At sight of the bareheaded man in gray, his visored cap somewhereamong the things in the car, Pat eyed him perplexedly, saying:
"Holy Moses! Little did I think to see the likes of you back again!"
The wounded man opened his eyes slowly and blinked the lids when he sawthey were carrying him to the house from the car.
"Dippy done it--yes--Dippy--he done it." Then he fainted away again.
After the wounded man was placed on a cot in a small shed room attachedto Feeney's not very commodious house, Pat took Phil and Worth aside,while Dave and Paul remained with the stranger. It was felt intuitivelythat the man should be closely watched. Why none of them knew exactly,except that their methods with Billy and the taking of the car indicatedthat something was wrong, somewhere. What it might be, of course none ofthem as yet had any distinct idea. Feeney scratched his headmeditatively, as he said to Phil:
"Them two fellers come here about night, afore you boys appeared. Theywanted to stay all night and after breakfast they had my wife put upsome grub; quite a lot of it. But when you came in, all at once theytook a notion to leave, sudden-like.
After they was gone my woman foundthe stuff we'd packed up, which they seemed to have forgotten. That'sall we seen of 'em until you came in here with that one in the fix he'sin now."
"It all does look mysterious," remarked Phil. "From a hasty look we tookin the old tavern we saw what looked like a forge and some tools. Ithought I glimpsed some dies but I might have been mistaken."
"Wait a minute," broke in Pat, going to the door of the kitchen. "Ma,"he called out, "any sign of Nan and Dan yet?"
A broad-bosomed, red-faced woman appeared for a minute at the opendoorway, as she replied:
"No, Pat, I ain't seen nothin'. I went to the bend of the road, too.It's time they was here onless something's bothered them."
Coming back to the two boys, Feeney explained:
"Last night, ruther late, Bill Spivee, our nearest neighbor to the west,came over. He's got a telephone and he says that the Midlandvilleop'rator asked him if any strangers had been round lately. Bill told 'emhe hadn't seen any, but that two fellers had stopped here, for I'd toldhim that when we met up after puttin' up some marsh hay yon way,"jerking a thumb southward. "We often puts up wild grass together.
"Well, later they 'phones ag'in. Asks Bill to see me right away and findout all he could 'bout them strangers. If it was what they thought, themfellers was wanted right away."
Feeney pointed towards the shed-room, as he continued: "We mustn't letgo of that chap, whatever happens, until we knows more."
"I should say not," put in Worth, who quickly related what thesestrangers had done to him. Then Phil briefly described the subsequentproceedings, including their finding the man senseless under theoverturned car, and with the pistol wound, finally showing the bulletthat had been found in his hair, which had glanced from the skull, as wehave described. Feeney looked at the bullet.
"Smith & Wesson pistol sure!" He thought a moment. "I think I saw thatpistol when the man that is missing changed some of his things, as I waspassing their door. After thinking it all over, I sent Dan and Nan onhorseback, soon after you all left, but I didn't say nothing, for Ididn't really know nothing. We needed more coffee, and that was a goodexcuse. But I told the kids to be sure and see the operator of thetelephone booth and try to find out what was the matter. I reckon we'llknow if they ever get back."
Mrs. Feeney now appeared in the doorway and excitedly pointed westward.
"Nan and Dan's a-comin'. I can see 'em out at the kitchen back door.There's nobody with 'em as I can see."
Just then Paul came in to say:
"That chap's come to again. Looks like he's worrying some. What oughtDave and I to do? He seems to want Dippy, as he calls that mate of his."
Phil accompanied Paul back, while Worth remained with Pat to wait forthe arrival of the girl and boy. Their horses seemed tired, and stoodwith drooping heads while they dismounted, delivered the coffee to theirmother and glanced shyly at Billy as the father explained briefly whathad happened.
The children brought news that as soon as a telegram could reachMidlandville, two officers would start at once for Feeney's place. Mightget there some time in the night.
"Well, here's a pretty to-do!" exclaimed Mrs. Feeney. "How am I goin' tofeed so many strangers? You know, Pat, we're pretty near out of flour."
"Shucks, mother! We got plenty of meal and hog meat, and there'svegetables. We'll not starve. Besides," here he whispered in Mrs.Feeney's ear, "you'll get some money from 'em, eh? I knows you--"
"Pat, you know you're not going to charge them four boys, if they stay aweek. I've heard ye say so."
"Now, Mrs. Feeney," put in Billy, "don't you worry! We boys are notgoing to cost you a dollar more than we'll pay back. We like you folks."Here Billy winked boldly at Nan who laughed as she slightly blushed."Anything will do us."
"You sure are good boys," nodded Mrs. Feeney. "You were nice to my folkson the way from the hay market. Pat and me are glad to have ye. Butthese others--real strangers, that might be different."
"Oh, Billy," called Paul from the shed doorway, "please come here!"
Thus summoned, the two at once followed Paul into where the sick man waspicking at his wounded head and moaning:
"Dippy--done--it. What'd you do it for, Dippy?" A series of feeblecoughings ensued, and the man again seemed to swoon away.
"That's the way he keeps going on," remarked Worth, regarding Philattentively. "Reckon he ought to have a--a doctor?"
After another short consultation Dan, who meanwhile had eaten and feltrefreshed and rested, set out on another horse for the nearestphysician.
"Tell Doc the whole story, Dan," urged the father. "If we get any senseouten him, mebbe it will help undo this mystery that surrounds the wholebusiness. Tell him I won't pay his bill, but the county probably will.Thurfore he can stick it up to a pretty stiff figure."
Meanwhile Phil had been conferring with his three chums apart.
"I've made up my mind that some of us ought to visit that old tavernagain. There's something up down there or I'm a fool in judging byappearances. How do we know that this Dippy, as that chap calls hismate, may not slip in, having, as he may think, killed his partner, anddestroy what I saw when we went in after Billy? We've got time now. Wecan take the car--Worth and me."
"That sounds bully," exclaimed Worth. "I'm with you. They kidnaped me; Iwant to get even."
The only trouble now was that both Dave and Paul wanted to be "on," inthis adventure; but they yielded when Phil made it plain that part ofthem must remain at Feeney's to make sure that the one they had capturedwas in safe keeping. They all felt that if anything serious were in allthis, it was incumbent on all of them to be where things would gosmoothly.
"Well then," remarked Phil in low tones, "when Billy and I are gone, itfalls on you, (meaning Dave and Paul) to help Feeney when anythinghappens."
Just then the wounded man suddenly sat up in bed, clapped a hand uponhis forehead and began to mumble to himself.
"No--good--" he began. "Metal--dies--all there. Then--Dippy--tries tokill--me--"
"Who are you anyway?" suddenly demanded Phil, spurred by a sudden hopethat in his delirium the wounded man might let out something as his nowdisordered brain appeared to connect the present with what he rememberedof the past.
"Me?" The man stared vacantly past Phil at the wall. "I--I'mJimmy--Horr. I'm--I'm--" His voice trailed off into a mumble.
Phil bent forward close as he demanded:
"If you are Jimmy Horr, who is Dippy? You've been calling him oftenenough. We want to find him."
"D-Dippy--he--he's my partner. He's--he's Dippy Quinn--he--" Again hestared, straight now at Phil. "Wh--who be you?"
Still staring, he fell back, trembling as if in pain, muttering:
"My head--my--he--head!" Then his eyes closed and he was off in anotherapparent swoon.
"Come on, Billy," said Phil. "Let us be off! Are the things out of thecar?"
"Most of them," replied Dave. "I put 'em in the porch. Don't be gonelonger than you can help."
In they jumped, Phil at the wheel, and the car purred softly down theold woods road towards the Ghost Tavern. Whether either of them knewtheir departure was observed by the Feeneys was not important, and gavethem no concern. Both now felt that no time should be lost in findingout if the partner of Horr was yet in that vicinity. Despite theimprobability, Phil could not help feeling that if those two had beendoing wrong in the old inn, it might be that the survivor, as heprobably deemed himself, might wish to pay a final visit there beforetaking his stealthy departure.
In fact, so mysterious was the whole series of adventures which the boyshad gone through that almost anything might happen. In due time the BigSix drew up near the old tavern, and the boys cunningly hid the carbehind a screen of shrubbery, where it would hardly be seen if any oneshould pass by. Still Phil, in view of what had happened to the car,made a suggestion.
"You stay here, Billy; at least until I call you or you see something ishappening. If I find anyone or anything that's dangerous, I'll let yo
uknow."
"Will you--sure?" queried Worth anxiously.
Before Phil, now out of the car and heading for the porch could answer,there came the muffled sound of something inside the inn being moved. Atthe sound Billy seized a heavy walking stick from the driver's seat,which no one ever used, but which was carried simply because it mightsome time come handy. Giving this to Phil, he himself took a short thickrubber tube used at times when gasoline was transferred from a tank tothe machine reservoir.
"I'm going with you, Phil," he whispered. "No use to say no!"