CHAPTER III
THE CASE IS STATED
"It may be that your messenger has come in with my associate," Katzblustered, as the little caravan came nearer to the camp, "but if I'mnot very much mistaken, both men are here to assist me!"
"You must need a lot of assistance!" Tommy said, with a wrinkling of hisfreckled nose. "You look the part, too!"
"Now see here, young man," exclaimed Katz, angrily. "I don't want anylip from you boys. I've been robbed in this camp, and as soon as my mencome up I'm going to know whether my property is here or not!"
"If you try any funny business with us," Sandy cut in, "you'll get yourblock knocked off!"
"We'll see about that when my men come up!" retorted Katz, defiantly."I'm not going to submit to being held up by four boys who ought to bespanked and put to bed instead of being permitted to roam about themountains robbing unwary travellers."
Tommy was about to make an angry reply, but Will motioned for him toremain silent. No more was said until the two men came up with theirheavily-loaded burros. Katz was first to address the newcomers.
"Well, Cullen," he said, extending a hand to a short, heavily-built manwith a dissipated-looking face, "I'm glad you came in on time. I am alsoglad that you brought a man in with you, and plenty of provisions," headded with a look of challenge at the boys.
"Why," replied Cullen, "I don't know anything about this fellow with me.He came out of Green River with his two burros just ahead of me, and sowe decided to travel together. I should judge from what he said thathe's looking for the camp we have just blundered into."
Katz stepped back as if annoyed at the statement, and finally drewCullen away to one side, where they engaged in a whispered conversation.
In the meantime, the messenger advanced toward Will and extended asealed envelope. He was a well-built young fellow with a clean-shavenface which gave every indication of intelligence and determination.
"I guess you're the boys I'm looking for," he said, with a smile, "I'mJohn Johnson, of Chicago, special messenger at this time for Mr.Horton."
"We're glad to see you," Will answered, shaking the young man's handheartily. "We have been waiting for instructions, and, besides," hecontinued, "this cheap skate that you found here is trying to make ustrouble over something which took place in the camp last night."
"You think he's a cheap skate, do you?" Johnson asked, with asignificant smile. "Well, I don't think anything about it. I know it.That's Joe Katz, one of the rankest plain-clothes policemen on theChicago force! The fellow who came in with me is Ed. Cullen, anotherimitation detective. Now tell me what took place last night."
Will related the story of the arrival of the boy and of the claim madeby Katz in the morning. He explained how the detective had threatenedthem all when the loss of his property was discovered. Also, how he hadrenewed his threats when he believed that he would have the backing ofboth newcomers. Johnson smiled at the recital.
"Now, about this boy," he said, without referring to the two detectivesor the threats. "I wish you would describe him to me as accurately aspossible. Tell me exactly how he looked and how he talked."
Will gave as complete a description of the boy as possible, and alsorepeated the account the lad had given of himself. Johnson threw backhis head and laughed until the echoes came back from the mountains.
"Well, boys," he said, "you seem to have lighted in a hornet's nest thefirst jump out of the box. And so the kid stole the detective's badgeand weapons and money, did he?" he went on, with another roar oflaughter. "That's about the best thing I've heard yet!"
"I don't see anything funny about it!" replied Will.
"You will directly," replied Johnson. "Read your instructions, and thenI'll tell you all about this boy, and all about these two imitationdetectives. Then you'll see how funny this incident is."
Will opened the sealed envelope and held up a sheet of paper which wasentirely blank, except for eight words and a signature written in themiddle of the page. The words were:
"Introducing Mr. John Johnson. He'll tell the story."
The signature was that of the famous criminal lawyer who had induced theboys to undertake the mission to the Great Divide.
"It won't take very long for me to read the instructions," Will laughed,as the other boys gathered around him. "It seems to be up to you to tellus what we want to know!"
"Yes, that's the idea!" replied Johnson. "Mr. Horton explained to methat he didn't care to put what he had to say to you into writing. Butperhaps we'd better get rid of these imitation fly-cops," he added,nodding his head toward the two Chicago detectives. "We don't want themhanging around the camp while we are making our plans."
Katz and Cullen saw that they were being regarded with suspicion and atonce came forward to where the boys stood.
"I've been talking the matter of the robbery over with Cullen," Katzsaid, with a smile intended to be conciliating, "and he says that he'sheard of this boy before, and that he's a noted thief. And so," thedetective continued, "I'm very glad to be able to apologize to you foranything I might have said at a time when I was excited over my loss. Iam satisfied now that you boys are friendly to me, and I sincerely hopethat we'll often meet while we are in the hills."
Tommy was about to make some angry reply, as the insincerity of the manwas plainly discernible, but Will gave him a nudge in the back whichcaused him to change his mind.
"And now," Cullen began, "that everything is satisfactorily explained,perhaps we'd better be on our way!"
"That's a fact!" exclaimed Katz. "I'm very much obliged to the boys fortheir friendly shelter and their well-cooked meals, and I hope they'llall come and partake of our hospitality as soon as we make permanentcamp. We'll take steps to let you know where we are," he added, as thetwo turned toward their burros and led off to the north.
Tommy could not give over the thought of landing an irritatingobservation as the men walked away by the side of their beasts.
"Remember," he cried, "that the two train robbers and the cowboyviligance committee went, in that direction last night! You fellowswould better watch out, or you'll get mixed up with hold-up men!"
Katz turned an angry face toward the boy, muttered something to hiscompanion, and went on without speaking.
"Those fellows won't dare to sleep a single night after that!" laughedJohnson. "They're scared right now!"
"I don't know anything about Cullen," Tommy answered with a grin, "but Iknow that the man Katz is a false alarm. You should have seen him taketo his heels last night, when the train robbers rushed through the camp.I'd like to know what he's in here for, anyway!"
"That's the very thing I'm here to explain!" replied Johnson. "Thestory," he continued, "begins with the death of Thomas T. Fremont, aChicago banker, some weeks ago."
"I remember the case," Will interrupted. "The police declare that theman was murdered, while his relatives insist that he might havecommitted suicide."
"That's exactly the point," Johnson went on. "The police are working onthe theory that Fremont was murdered at his private room at the bank onehot night in July. The relatives declare that there was no reasonwhatever for him to have committed suicide, yet they insist that he musthave done so. Now, understand me," Johnson continued, "the relatives areall interested in the defense of a disinherited son of the banker who ischarged with the crime of murder. And so, you see, when the police askthem to point to some one fact substantiating the suicide theory theyare unable to do so.
"The result of this peculiar situation is that the police insist thatthe relatives are advancing the suicide theory solely for the purpose ofsecuring the acquittal of the son. To the average citizen, it would seemthat the police are right. The son was always a thorn in the flesh ofhis father. He has squandered thousands of dollars in riotous living,and brought no end of disgrace on the family whose name he bears. Andstill the relatives insist that he is innocent, and are willing to spenda million in order to prevent his dying the death of a murderer. Mr.Horton re
presents the relatives."
"I begin to see daylight!" Will exclaimed. "I guess this case isn't sucha little baby affair as we thought it might be!"
"Indeed it is no baby case!" exclaimed Johnson. "The family of the deadbanker have a well-defined theory concerning the death of the old manwhich might help their case with the police if they would only presentit to the chief. This, however, they refuse to do, declaring that thepolice would only take advantage of the confidence and use theinformation received to the prejudice of the prisoner."
"I don't blame them for doubting the honesty of the police!" declaredTommy. "The detectives are certainly a bum lot!"
"This theory," continued Mr. Johnson, "insists that there was a secondperson in the private office of the banker that hot July night. It isclaimed that this person went to the office to secure financial helpfrom the banker. It is said, too, that he possesses at this timepositive proof, in the form of written documents, showing that Fremontcommitted suicide. The family believes this proof to be perfect."
"Then why don't they find this fellow and bring him forward?" askedWill.
"That is just what they are trying to do," replied Johnson. "That isjust what you boys are expected to do!" he added with a smile. "You areexpected to bring this witness forward, and so establish the innocenceof the son. That's what you're here for."
"That's nice!" exclaimed Tommy. "That's an easy little undertaking forfour school boys! When other means fail, hire Boy Scouts!"
"That's right!" replied Johnson.
"And we won't see him if those two imitation detectives get to himfirst!" the boy went on.
"And that's right too," Johnson answered. "For my part, I can'tunderstand how the Chicago police department got wise to the whereaboutsof Wagner at this time. When it was arranged to send you boys out herein quest of him, it was understood that the police had no clue whateveras to his whereabouts. In fact, we all believed that the officers hadabandoned the search for the escaped convict."
"Well, they're here all right!" Sandy cut in. "And look here," he wenton, "we've got something worse than imitation detectives in our midst!We've got a couple of train robbers, and a band of cowboy vigilantes!"
"Exactly!" Johnson agreed. "And you've got something equally dangerousfor the purposes of our cause. You've got that fourteen-year-old ChesterWinslow, whose name isn't Winslow at all, but Chester Wagner, son of theescaped convict!"
"Jerusalem!" exclaimed Tommy. "That boy didn't do a thing to Will, didhe?" he added with a roar of laughter. "He told him a story about comingin on blind baggage, and sized up the camp, and stole the badge and theweapons and money of the detective sent in here to capture his father.Just think of the kid coming in here and stealing the detective's badge!He'd have taken his necktie if he'd 'a' thought of it!"
"I thought you'd see something humorous in the occurrence as soon as youfound out about the boy!" laughed Johnson.
"The little rascal!" shouted Sandy. "The nerve of him! To come in hereand steal the badge of the detective sent out to catch his father! Say,"he went on, "I hope we'll run across that boy and make friends with him.I rather like his grit!"
"You won't be apt to find him as long as he thinks it necessary to keephis father in hiding!" Johnson suggested.
"He's an awful little liar!" exclaimed Will.
"I guess you'd lie, too," laughed Tommy, "if you had the same motive forlying that he had. He's standing by his father like a brick! And Iwon't lay it up against him if he tells lies enough to fill a book! Hedrew one friend in me when he stole that policeman's badge."
"These detectives," Will asked in a moment, "are here to take Wagnerback to the penitentiary if they can find him, I suppose?"
"That's the idea! Unless some one of the relatives has leaked, thepolice do not understand that Wagner is a factor in the Fremont case.They are here to take him back to the penitentiary if they can find himand that's all they know about it."
"Well," Tommy exclaimed, "let them get him and take him back to thepenitentiary! As soon as he gets run in for the remainder of hissentence he'll tell about being in the banker's private office that hotJuly night, and that will secure the release of the boy who is chargedwith the murder. It seems to me that the police are helping along thiscase."
"Not so you could notice it!" replied Johnson. "The fact is," he wenton, "Wagner is entirely innocent of the crime for which he wasconvicted. He has had what the officers call a vindictive grouch on eversince the day he was sent to prison. In other words, he is at war withevery person in the world except his son, the boy who told you suchpretty fairy stories last night. If he is ever retaken and sent back tothe penitentiary, he will never open his lips, not even if the accusedson dies on the scaffold."
"And that's another beautiful little complication!" exclaimed Sandy.
"The friends of the accused man," continued Johnson, "must find Wagnerand contract to establish his innocence. If the police get him first, welose our case. I say this positively because there is no doubt that hewill kill an officer or two before he is taken. Now you boys see exactlywhat you have undertaken to do."
"It's interesting, anyhow!" Tommy declared.
"Reads like a novel!" cried Sandy.
"Think of that little rat coming here and stealing the detective'sbadge!" laughed George. "It's a sure thing he'll lead those amateurofficers a merry dance while they are in the hills! If I could just gethold of him, I wouldn't mind helping him along now and then!"
"Well, get hold of him then," advised Johnson.
"But how?" asked Will. "Why, from this time on, you might as well try tocatch a flea in a load of hay as to get your hands on that boy! He canfind you, but you can't find him!"
"But he was hungry last night!" Tommy explained. "And he may becomehungry again!"