CHAPTER XXII.
IN WHICH PHIL RETURNS TO THE DEN OF THE ENEMY.
I felt that I could afford to lose sixty-five dollars better thanever before; but I did not like the idea of being swindled. It wasespecially repugnant to be overreached by such scoundrels as Lynch andBlair, though the latter appeared to be only the tool of the former.
"I did not like to give the man the money, but your father thoughtthat, as he was a policeman, it was all right," Mrs. Greenoughexplained. "Your father was very much worried when he heard you werearrested."
"I have not been arrested," I replied.
"Your father wishes to see you," added the landlady.
"I will go up with you, if you please," said Mr. Rockwood.
We went up to my father's room, where I introduced my new friend tohim. It required some time, of course, to explain who and what theplanter was, and how I had made his acquaintance.
"Then you have not been arrested," said my father.
"No; but I was kept a prisoner by these scoundrels."
"We must attend to them," added Mr. Rockwood, consulting his watch.
"Dear me! there is the door-bell again!" exclaimed Mrs. Greenough. "Whocan it be at this time of night!"
"It is only half past nine," added the planter, as I took a light toanswer the bell. "I think Mrs. Greenough had better go to the door,for I don't believe these scoundrels will be satisfied with sixty-fivedollars."
At this suggestion Mrs. Greenough answered the summons, and soonreturned with another note--from me! I opened it, and read that I hadbeen arrested in connection with the claim of Morgan Blair, and thatwhen the police sergeant heard there was a note, which represented theproperty claimed, in my possession, he thought it was better to haveit deposited with the chief of police for safe keeping.
"These fellows evidently think you have not yet returned to your home,Phil," said Mr. Rockwood.
"I don't blame them much for thinking so, for I expected to stay onthose roofs all night; and I think I should if you had not been so wiseas to put a hotel in the block," I replied.
"The man asked if Phil was at home before he gave me the note," saidthe landlady, "and I evaded the question."
"What shall we do?" asked my father, raising himself in the bed.
"Phil and I will pay a visit to these rascals," answered the planter."Have you an envelope?"
"Yes," I replied, producing one, with some paper.
He folded up a sheet of paper, put it in the envelope, and requestedthe landlady to direct it to the chief of police.
"Where is this messenger?" asked Mr. Rockwood.
"He is waiting in the kitchen."
"Very well, Mrs. Greenough. If you will close the door, so that we canget into the street without his knowledge, we will follow him up andattend to this business."
The landlady went down stairs, and when she had closed the kitchendoor, the planter and myself crept softly down stairs, and went intothe street. We placed ourselves where we could identify the messengerwhen he came out of the house. He was evidently satisfied that theenvelope contained the document for which he had been sent, for heimmediately followed us out of the house. He was a well-dressed man, aswe saw by the light of the corner street lamp. He wore a light-coloredovercoat, so that we could easily follow him as he passed through thestreets. Mr. Rockwood went behind him, while I walked on the other sideof the street, and kept up with him. He went, as I supposed he would,to the house to which I had been enticed earlier in the evening. Hewent in by the aid of a night-key, and doubtless believed that he hadfully accomplished the mission upon which he had been sent.
"You are younger and more active than I am, Phil," said Mr. Rockwood,when the man had entered the house and closed the door behind him."If you will stay here, and follow any of the rascals if they come outagain, I will get an officer."
"Very well, sir."
The planter hastened to his hotel, and I stationed myself where I couldsee who left the house. My friend was not absent more than a quarterof an hour, and returned with two officers, whom the landlord of thehotel had procured for him. One of them was in uniform, and the othera detective in plain clothes. I concluded that Mr. Rockwood meantbusiness, and instead of my spending Sunday as a prisoner, this wouldbe the fate of those who were trying to swindle me.
"That's a gambling-house," said the policeman in uniform, when Ipointed out the door where the man entered.
"Undoubtedly it is a gambling-house," replied the detective, gazinginquiringly at me, as though he was not quite satisfied with the storyrelated to him by Mr. Rockwood; "but even a gambling-house has certainrights, which may not be disturbed without proper cause."
"Proper cause!" exclaimed Mr. Rockwood. "Don't I tell you that thisyoung man has been robbed and abused by the villains in this house?"
"You will excuse me, sir, but it is possible to be mistaken. If Iunderstand you, Mr. Rockwood, you met this boy for the first time abouttwo hours ago."
"But I have entire confidence in him. He is the son of EdwardFarringford."
"Perhaps he is, though I do not believe it; but that is nothing torecommend him. His story is absurd on the face of it."
"My story is true, sir, every word of it," I interposed, indignantly.
Mr. Bogart, the detective, asked me a few questions in regard to myescape from the building, and I repeated all the particulars. He shookhis head, and declared that he was unwilling to enter the house uponthe strength of such a story. It would damage his reputation as anofficer, and his superiors would not justify the measure.
"I'll tell you what I will do," he continued.
"Well, what will you do?" demanded Mr. Rockwood, impatiently.
"I will go with this young man to the top of the house, where he leftthe chamber of the gambler. I will follow him into the house by thewindow through which he came out."
"I don't think you can get in at the window."
"I suppose not," said Mr. Bogart, with a palpable sneer.
"But I will go with you, and show you the window," I added.
"I wish you would," replied the officer, who evidently believed that Ishould give him the slip before I verified my position.
Mr. Rockwood and the policeman were to remain in the street and keepwatch of the house during our absence. If the gambler's messenger whohad gone to the house of Mrs. Greenough appeared, he was to be arrested.
Mr. Bogart and myself went to the hotel, where, after my companion hadspoken to the landlord, we ascended to the roof.
"Now, young man, if you will go ahead, I will follow you," said thedetective.
"I hope you are used to climbing," I replied.
"Don't borrow any trouble on my account; I will follow anywhere thatyou will lead."
"All right, sir; I hope I shall soon be able to prove all that I havestated."
"I hope so," replied he, in a tone which assured me that he did notexpect anything of the kind.
I led the way across the flat roof, and at the next block we mountedthe ridge-pole of the pitch roof. Mr. Bogart cautioned me to move withcare, so as not to disturb the inmates of the houses beneath us. I wassoon in position to see the bright light streaming up from the tenementto which I had been decoyed by the villains.
"That's the house," said I, pointing to the light.
"Did you come up through that scuttle?" he asked.
"No, I came up over the top of the luthern window."
"Impossible!" exclaimed he, glancing at the window.
"It is true; and I suppose I shall have to go in that way," Icontinued; and I explained minutely how I had made my exit from thechamber.
"Lead on. We will examine the house," said Mr. Bogart.
On a nearer approach to the roof of the gambling-house, I discoveredthat the glass scuttle was open, and I concluded that Lynch and Blairhad been upon the roof in search of me. When I reached the opening Ifound a ladder conveniently placed for my descent, if I chose to availmyself of its aid. I looked down into the entry,
where the gas-lightstill blazed cheerfully. The door of Lynch's room was open, and I coulddistinctly hear the voices of my late captors.
"They took me into that front room," I whispered to my doubtingcompanion.
"This looks a little as though your story was true," said Mr. Bogart.
"Will you follow me down this ladder?"
"No, not yet. I wish to get a little better idea of what these fellowsmean. Are you afraid of them?"
"No; not a bit," I answered, raising the poker which I had picked upwhere I left it on the roof.
"Will you go down alone?" he asked.
"Yes, if you desire it."
"I will keep the run of you, and see what is done. If you get intotrouble with them, just whistle as loud as you can, and I will joinyou."
"But suppose they take away the ladder?"
"Then I will go down as I came up, and enter the house by the frontdoor. Don't be afraid of anything."
"I'm not afraid."
"I will be near you. I want to know what these fellows mean to do. Ifthey close the door, I will go down the ladder into the entry."
Suddenly my companion appeared to have become very enthusiastic in thebusiness upon which we were engaged. Though he did not say so, I wassatisfied that he was convinced of the truth of my statement.
"What shall I do?" I asked, rather puzzled by the tactics of thedetective.
"Do whatever they wish you to do; but don't let them know that you havebeen off the roof since you escaped.
"Why not?"
"I cannot stop to explain now; only I don't think these rascals havetaken all this trouble with you for fifty or a hundred dollars; andthey mean to use you as a cat's paw for something else."
"I know they do," I replied, in a whisper. "They want the fifteenhundred dollars in gold, for which I hold a note signed by Mr.Gracewood."
"No matter now," said he, impatiently. "Go down, and give them all therope they want."
"Shall I give them the note, which I have in my pocket?"
"I haven't heard about the note. If you had told me the whole storybefore now, I should have known better what to do."
We retreated a few paces from the skylight, and I told him all aboutthe note and the object of Lynch. I assured him that Mr. Rockwood wasthe legal heir of the property.
"The note is of no consequence then," said Mr. Bogart. "Give it tothem, but don't indorse it, and I will see that it is returned to you.We have them now. They can't escape us. Now, go down, and let them havetheir own way, but with some show of opposition."
I descended the ladder, and stood before the open door of the chamber,when I saw Lynch, with his feet on the table, smoking. Morgan Blair satopposite him. They discovered me as soon as I landed in the hall, andmade haste to place themselves between me and the stairs, in order tocut off my escape. As I did not wish to escape, I gave them no troublein this direction, but entered the chamber.