CHAPTER XXII.--SAFE.
"Shirley! Mabel!" came Leonard's voice again.
"Here we are, Leonard," shouted Mabel.
There was a moment's silence, and then the footsteps came nearer andLeonard halted directly under the tree in which the two girls clung.
"Where?" he shouted.
"Right up here," replied Mabel, with a giggle.
This time Leonard placed the sound of Mabel's voice. He glanced up. Farabove the ground he could just make out what he knew must be the twogirls.
"Bless my soul!" he exclaimed. "What on earth are you doing up there?"
"Trying to get away from Jones," replied Mabel.
"Well, you are safe enough now. Come down."
"All right," said both girls at once.
While Leonard turned back to hail the other searchers, the two girlsslipped from the tree. Leonard seized the hand of each.
"Oh!" he exclaimed, "you gave us an awful scare. If it hadn't been forDick, there is no telling when we might have found you."
"What did Dick do?" asked Shirley eagerly.
"Why, he saved us a futile search in the woods. He figured that it wasyou who had taken the _Sybil_ and it was upon his suggestion that wecame up stream again."
"And did you capture Jones?" demanded Mabel.
"Yes; but he got away again."
"And Jimmy?" asked Shirley eagerly. "Is he safe?"
"Yes. He's around here some place looking for you."
"Then," said Mabel, slowly, "it must have been you we saw on the shorejust as we escaped."
"It must have been," replied Leonard. "I thought I saw a dark shapegoing up the creek, but I wasn't sure, so I said nothing about it."
"And where did you get the other launch? We saw nothing of it when weleft."
"We found it a mile down stream, about where we left it when werecaptured the _Sybil_."
"So that's the way it was," said Shirley, half to herself. "Had we onlymet you after we escaped we all would have been saved a lot of worry."
"But why didn't you stop when I hailed you in the creek?" asked Leonard,fatigue and anxiety beginning to tell on his nerves.
"We thought it was Jones coming after us," Mabel explained.
"I see," replied Leonard.
At that moment, Dick, Jimmy, Jenkins and the policemen came running up.
"Well, I see you have found them," said Jenkins.
He wiped beads of perspiration from his brow--for he had been running.
"I'm glad of it. I must get home at once, or my wife will have theentire police force on the lookout for me."
The others laughed.
"Well, that's what I get for being married," said Jenkins. "But come,hustle back into the launch and we'll hurry back to town."
"There is no gasoline in the _Sybil_," said Shirley.
"Is that so?" said Jenkins. "Then I'll have to hitch her on behind andtow her home."
This was done and the little party was soon turned toward home.
They were closer to Paris than the girls had realized, and half an hourlater they came in sight of the point from which they had started uponthe long chase the day before.
As the boat drew close to the little landing, a woman with fiery redhair, her sleeves rolled up and a frown on her face, came hurryingtoward them, and just as Jenkins leaped ashore and tied the boat up, sheseized him by the ear with her right hand.
"Tom Jenkins," she cried, "it's about time you were getting home. Whatdo you mean by running away from me and not coming back?"
"But, Martha," protested Jenkins, his face turning red in confusion, "Iwas only helping these young people out. One of 'em had been kidnapped,and----"
"And you had to go along and see the fun, I suppose."
"Well, not exactly," said Mr. Jenkins. "I----"
"You come with me," said Mrs. Jenkins decisively.
She gave Jenkins' ear a sharp twist, and the latter howled with pain.
"Ow! Leggo my ear!" he screamed.
He twitched about, and with effort freed himself and stepped back.
"Let me explain," he said to his wife.
"You can explain when you get to the house," said Mrs. Jenkins angrily."If you ain't there in three minutes, I'll be back after you."
She strode majestically away.
Mr. Jenkins rubbed his ear and grinned ruefully.
"You see how it is," he exclaimed. "A man always gets the worst of itsomehow when he gets mixed up with somebody else's business."
"We certainly appreciate your aid, Mr. Jenkins," said Shirley, offeringher hand, which Jenkins grasped heartily.
The others also shook hands with him.
"Well," said Mr. Jenkins, "you know I'm glad to have been of---- Allright, Martha, I'm coming!"
This last as the voice of his wife once more rang out with the demand:
"Are you coming, Tom Jenkins? Or do I have to come after you?"
He broke off suddenly and hastened toward the house to meet his spouse,who was coming toward him with rapid strides.
The girls laughed and the others joined them.
"Poor old Jenkins," said Leonard. "I'll bet he has a tough time."
"It looks that way," said Dick, with a faint smile.
He turned to Shirley.
"Now that you are safe at last," he said quietly, "I guess I may as wellbe going. There is nothing more for me to do."
Shirley was startled.
"Surely you will wait and let my father thank you?" she said.
Dick shook his head.
"It's enough for me to know I have been of service to you," he said. "Iwant no thanks."
"But," protested Shirley, "where are you going?"
"I don't know exactly," replied the boy. "Back to Cincinnati, I guess."
"Do your father and mother live there?" asked the girl.
"I have no father and mother," was the slow response.
"Forgive me," said Shirley impulsively. "I didn't know. What are youplanning to do?"
Again the lad shook his head.
"I don't know," he said. "I guess I shall find a job of some kind,though."
"Surely you will not get mixed up with Jones again?" asked Shirleyanxiously.
"No," replied Dick. "I am through with Jones and his kind forever."
Shirley breathed a sigh of relief.
"I am glad to hear that," she said. "How would you like to go home withus? I am sure Dad can find something for you to do on the farm."
"Thank you," replied Dick. "I am sorry, but I must decline."
Shirley gave it up.
"Well," she said, "you must decide for yourself. But I do want to thankyou for the aid you have given us, and I shall always be glad to seeyou."
Dick bowed. The others approached and shook hands with him, and then heturned to go.
"Come and see us when you can, or at least let us hear from you,"Shirley called after him.
Dick turned and bowed once more. Shirley waved her hand to him, and amoment later he disappeared.
"Well," said Leonard, "there is no use standing here. Let us get home."
They started up town. At Main Street the two officers left them.
"1 guess we are due for a wigging from the chief," said one.
"Well," said the other. "It was worth it."
Leonard, Jimmy and the two girls bade the officers good-bye and madetheir way to Wilson's drug store. Mr. Wilson himself came running to thedoor as they approached.
"Where have you been?" he demanded. "Your father has been scouring thetown for you. He is almost frantic."
"We have been rescuing Jimmy," replied Shirley. "Where is Dad now?"
"I guess he is at the police station."
"Then he'll be back in a few minutes," said Shirley. "The officers willtell him where we are."
Her prophecy proved correct, and five minutes later Mr. Willing dashedbreathlessly into the store.
"Shirley," he cried, and clasped his daughter in his arms.
"You almost frightened your father to death," he said, releasing her atlast. "Where have you been?"
"Didn't the officers tell you?" demanded Shirley.
"They tried to tell me something," was the reply, "but I didn't wait tohear them when I learned that you were safe."
Shirley related their adventures and Mr. Willing listened attentively.
"I must put the police after this man Jones," he said, when Shirley hadconcluded.
"I wouldn't do that, Dad," said Shirley. "It's all over now, and thereis no use causing more talk."
"I don't know but what you are right," agreed Mr. Willing after a pause."Besides, I guess we shall hear no more of him."
"I am sure we shall not," agreed Shirley.
But in this, as we shall see later, all were mistaken.