CHAPTER V
THE POLICE PATROL
For some moments neither girl spoke: Tavia stood out in the road likean officer, while Dorothy did not lift her head from her attitude ofprayer. Suddenly Dorothy, in a frenzy of fear, rushed out to whereTavia stood, and threw her arms around her.
"Tavia," she exclaimed, "I must go to them. I cannot stand anothermoment like this--I am simply choking. Come: See, they have not beenable to manage him. He is in the car yet. Oh, do let us go!" and thelook on the terrified girl's face so frightened Tavia she forgot towatch, forgot everything but Dorothy--something would surely happen toher if that anxiety was not soon relieved.
But to go to the boys! Might not that make matters worse?
"Dorothy, darling," began Tavia, "don't be so frightened. Perhaps theyare just talking pleasantly to him--"
"Then I must hear them. I must know what it is all about. Do come!"and she tried to drag Tavia from the spot to which she seemed riveted.
"If you would only wait here while I go down first, and then if it isall right, that is, if the boys want us to come--"
"No, no," cried Dorothy. "I must go at once! See! Oh, Nat is comingthis way--"
"Yes, here comes Nat. It will be all right now," and Tavia wassoothing Dorothy as if she were a baby--patting her, smoothing herhair, and even pressing her lips to her cheek. In truth Dorothyappeared as weak as a baby, and seemed to require that help which aloving human hand may impart to a nervous body, at once the sense ofprotection and the assurance of sympathy.
"Ned is starting up the machine," exclaimed Tavia. "Oh, I know. He isgoing to give the man a ride."
Little dreaming how truly she spoke, for indeed Ned was going to givethe strange man a stranger ride, Tavia showed Dorothy that she believedeverything was all right now, and then Nat was there--they could callto him. Yes, he was whistling lightly. How silly they were to havebeen frightened!
"What is it?" demanded Dorothy, as soon as her cousin could hear hervoice.
"I guess it was--"
"Nat! Nat!" screamed Tavia, at the same time running to him andwhispering a word in his ear. "There, now, Dorothy. Didn't I tellyou. Only a poor farmer. Where did he say he lived, Nat?"
"Tavia, you told Nat not to tell me--"
"Ha! ha! ha!" roared Nat. "Well, of all things. Not to tell you.Well I guess I will. Sit right down here, my little Coz, and I shallbe delighted to tell you all I know," and at this he drew the almostexhausted girl down to a tree stump, to "tell her." But Tavia keptclose at the other side of the young man--she could nudge him if--well,of course, just to make the story funny--perhaps!
"Wanted a ride, that was all," declared Nat. "See, here they are. Wemust not notice them as they pass!"
"Why?" asked Dorothy. But in answer Nat squeezed her hand so hard sheknew he meant for her to keep quiet.
The car flew past. Ned never glanced at those by the roadside. Andhow strange he looked--
"Oh, Nat!" almost screamed Dorothy. "That man had on stripedclothes--like--"
"Queer kind of sweater. They come in all sorts of stripes," her cousininterrupted, with a side glance at Tavia.
"But his leg was out of the car, and that was--"
"Also striped. Yes, I noticed his suit was not exactly of the newestfall pattern, but there is no telling where a farmer may pick up hisduds. Like as not his wife made the trousers out of some good strongbed ticking."
"Nat, you are trying to deceive me. That man is an escaped convict,and Ned is riding alone with him--Oh, what will become of us?" andtears welled to Dorothy's eyes. That outlet of the overstrained--agood cry--had come to her relief.
"Oh, there!" begged Nat. "Don't take on so. It will be all right.Ned will be back for us before you have your eyes dry," and he kissedhis little cousin affectionately.
"And it was that awful man out of jail! I knew it! I could tell himbefore he ever got to the car! I can always tell when he is coming.Oh! suppose he should kill Ned--" and she burst into a fresh flood ofhysterical tears.
Meanwhile Tavia had not yet heard what had happened to induce Ned totake the convict away--for Anderson it was. Nat had told her it wasthat awful rascal when she cautioned him to hide it from Dorothy.Certainly it was all very strange, and very dangerous.
"I suppose we have to sit here and wait for Ned to come back," venturedTavia.
"Or else walk to meet him," suggested Nat, who was really anxious to dosomething beside sitting there listening to Dorothy cry. "Dry yourtears, Dorothy," he said kindly, "and we will walk along. It ispleasant and cool, and it will do us good to have a walk."
"Can't we get back to Dalton this way?" asked Dorothy. "Isn't this theroad we came out?"
"It may be the road but it is some miles from town," answered Nat."Listen! What was that?"
"The gong of an ambulance, it sounded like," exclaimed Tavia. "Hark!"
At that moment a wagon turned a corner and came towards them. It was ablack wagon--yes, it did look like an ambulance.
"Oh," shrieked Dorothy. "What ever has happened now?"
"Why, it's only the 'police patrol," answered Nat, trying to beindifferent about the matter. "Probably they're--"
"Hello there, young fellow!" called a man from the wagon. "Have youseen a fellow in stripes about these woods?"
The speaker was addressing Nat, and he wore the uniform of a policeofficer.
"Yes, we have," answered the young man. "And I can tell you all abouthim."
The wagon came to a full stop now, and the officer stepped down fromthe seat at front, while simultaneously, two other officers droppedfrom the step at the back, so that our friends suddenly becamesurrounded by bluecoats.
"There," said Tavia aside to Dorothy. "You are not afraid now, areyou? We have enough of protection at last."
"Which way did he go?" asked the officer.
"Straight for Danvers," answered Nat, "and in my brother's custody. Wehad to go to a shop to get a piece of the machine fixed and left thesetwo young ladies alone here. When we returned the fellow was in ourauto--he had taken possession of it, and refused to give it up. We dideverything to induce him, but he absolutely refused to leave, anddemanded a ride, so, recognizing him from the description as the fellowwho had escaped from Danvers, my brother decided there was nothing todo but give him a ride back to the jail."
"Well, he's a plucky lad, I must say," declared the officer spokesman."That fellow is dangerous, he was just about to be committed to theasylum. He's a lunatic, and should never have been in jail--"
"Oh," cried Dorothy. "If he should turn on Ned--"
"Not the least danger as long as the lad humors him," said the officer.
"We saw that," said Nat, "and my brother knows how to manage him, Iguess."
"And you are stalled now, can't get home until the machine comes back?"asked one of the blue-coats, looking at Dorothy's pale face.
"I might walk, but the girls never could," answered Nat.
"Then suppose you go with us?" suggested the officer. "If the youngladies would not mind riding in a patrol."
"Oh, not at all," declared Tavia, but Dorothy looked askance at thewagon, in which so many criminals had ridden from their freedom.
"The best thing we can do," said Nat, realizing how much better anykind of ride would be than the uncertainty of waiting there as nightcame on.
"Jump in then," invited the officer. "We must be moving. I don't knowwhat the captain will think of our prisoner coming up in an automobile,and the wagon bringing in this party."
Up the back step sprang Tavia, while Dorothy followed with lessalacrity--it did not seem pleasant to get in the big ugly black wagon;a girl of Dorothy's nature feels the mere touch of things tainted byreal crime.
"All right?" asked Nat, as he stepped in last.
"Yes," answered Dorothy, timidly, taking her place on the leather seat.
"Isn't it too jolly!" burst out Tavia. "I bet on the horse every time.Of co
urse the auto is delightful, but when night cometh on,--Get ahorse! Get a horse!"
"The horse is a good old stand-by," admitted Nat. "But isn't thisgreat, though! Riding into Dalton in the hurry-up wagon!" and hejoined Tavia in the laugh over their new adventure.
"But we must watch for Ned," spoke Dorothy, "He might go back to thatlonely place."
"I've told the officer at front to look out for him," remarked Nat."He has to come this way."
"And to think," whispered Dorothy, "that the man was crazy, and theofficer said he should never have been in jail!"
"Don't you worry about him," Nat told her. "That fellow has thefaculty of making himself comfortable any place. Look at his nerve inthe Fire-Bird."
"We were lucky to have gotten away in time," reflected Tavia. "Wewould scarcely have known how to entertain a lunatic."
"Oh, don't talk so!" Dorothy checked her. "I am so nervous and soanxious about Ned."
"Now, Dorothy," declared Nat, "Ned is certainly all right, and will bethe first person to meet us when we alight from this chariot. Thunder,but this is fun!"
The officers outside were talking of the strange capture. A reward hadbeen offered for the taking of the lunatic, for he had been at largefor some days, and now the bluecoats had just missed the capture.
While at the blacksmith's Ned and Nat had heard of the escape ofAnderson and so recognized him at once when they encountered him intheir car.
"I told you we would have three adventures," Tavia reminded Dorothy.
"And we are not home yet," added Nat, laughing.
The wagon rattled on, now and then clanging its gong to warn mere"people," not to interfere with the law--to keep out of its way.
"We are in some village," said Dorothy, looking out the little glasswindow at front, and seeing street lights along the way.
Presently a gang of urchins discovered the patrol wagon and as thehorses slowed up around a corner the youngsters tried to get on thesteps to catch a glimpse of the "prisoners."
"Look at that!" exclaimed Tavia, laughing. "Wonder what they think wewere taken up for?"
"Oh, I feel so queer about it," said Dorothy, plainly discomfited. "Iwish we could get out."
At that moment the wagon sprang forward, the horses having been urgedon, and before Nat had a chance to reply to Dorothy's wish they wererattling on, at greater speed than had been attained during the entiretrip.
To reach Danvers jail the route was through Dalton, and now Tavia couldsee Dalton houses, Dalton churches, and there was the postoffice block!Surely the officer would not let them out right in the center!
"Here you are!" called the man at front, while the wagon stopped andNat saw they were in front of the bank, the most conspicuous spot inall Dalton.
There was nothing for them to do but to alight of course, and, by thetime the officers had vacated the back step, and Nat put his foot onit, a crowd of people surrounded the wagon--waiting to see the"prisoners" get out.
"Girls!" exclaimed the surprised crowd in chorus.
"Tavia Travers!" declared one voice, as Tavia showed her head.
"And if that isn't Dorothy Dale! Well, they're nice girls!" cameanother sneer, "talk about being good and always preaching." This, wasalmost in Dorothy's ear. "I guess they had better begin at home!"
Tears came to Dorothy's eyes. If her father were only there to takeher hand--could that be little Joe?
"Dorothy! Dorothy!" called a young voice. "Come this way! We havebeen down to the telegraph office," went on Joe, for Dorothy was besidehim now, "and we never had any idea you were in that wagon. Ned justgot back. He was going out again to look for you."
"Is Ned all right?" Dorothy managed to say, while Nat was thanking theofficers who were in haste to be on their way again.
"Oh, he's all right, but I guess he had an awful time. He was toohurried to tell us about it, for he said he had to go back--There's hiscar now! Ned! Ned!" shouted Joe at the top of his voice, while Nat,seeing his brother at the same moment, gave his familiar whistle.
Tavia had not yet been able to extricate herself from the crowd. Manyof the boys recognized her, and she was plied with all kinds of curiousquestions. What had happened? Had they been arrested for speeding?(Ned's presence in the automobile prompting this query), or was someonehurt? In fact, there seemed to be no limit to the quality or quantityof questions that were being poured into Tavia's ears.
But Tavia was not the sort of girl to make explanations--under thecircumstances. If friends, or those who appeared to be friends, couldso easily lose all sympathy, and become so annoyingly curious about herand Dorothy, why then, she declared to herself (and also made it plainto some of the boys who were at liberty to tell the others), whatreally did happen "was none of their business."
But unfortunately there were, in that crowd, those too willing to drawtheir own conclusions, especially as regarded Dorothy Dale, a girl ofwhom so many others had been jealous.
Dorothy was aware of some of the remarks made, but she little realizedwhat a part the patrol wagon ride was to play in her life, nor how agirl who had observed her in the vehicle was to use that knowledgeagainst her.