CHAPTER XX.
HUMPY.
"I might break the window," thought Rufus; but it occurred to him atonce that the noise would probably be heard. Besides, if there was anyone in the room below, he would very likely be seen descending from thewindow. If this plan were adopted at all, he must wait till evening.Meanwhile some other way of escape might suggest itself.
The room was of moderate size,--about fifteen feet square. A cheapcarpet covered the floor. A pine bedstead occupied one corner. Therewere three or four chairs, a bureau, and a bedstead.
Rufus sat down, and turned the matter over in his mind. He couldn't makeup his mind what Martin's business was, but decided that it wassomething unlawful, and that he was either employed by Smith, orconnected in some way with him. It seemed to him probable that hisstep-father, in waylaying him and stealing the tin box, had acted underthe direction of Smith, and that probably the box was at that verymoment in the possession of the superior villain.
"If I could only find the box and escape with it," thought Rufus, "thatwould set me right with Mr. Turner."
But there seemed little chance of that. It did not seem very probableeven that he could escape from the room in which he was confined, muchless carry out the plan he had in view.
While he was thinking over his situation, the key turned in the lock,and the door was opened. Rufus looked up, expecting to see Martin; butinstead of his step-father there entered the boy already referred to asHumpy.
Humpy carried in his hand a plate of meat and vegetables.
"Here's your dinner," he said, laying the plate down, while he lockedthe door behind him.
"Look here, Johnny," said Rufus, "you served me a mean trick."
Humpy chuckled.
"You came in just as innocent," he said. "It was jolly."
"Maybe it is, but I don't see it. You told me a lie."
"Didn't you find the man you was after?" said Humpy.
"You told me he was sick."
"So he is. He's in delicate health, and couldn't go to business to-day."
"What is his business?" asked Rufus, a little too eagerly.
Humpy put his thumbs to his nose, and twirled his fingers with a grin ofintelligence.
"Don't you wish you knew?" he said tantalizingly.
"Do you know anything about the tin box?" asked Rufus, seeing that hisformer question was not likely to be answered.
"Maybe I do."
"It's in this house."
"Oh, is it? Well, if you know that, there's no use of my telling you."
"I can't make much of him," thought Rufus. "He's a young imp, and itisn't easy to get round him."
He looked at Humpy meditatively, and it occurred to him whether it wouldnot be well to spring upon him, snatch the key, release himself from theroom, and dash downstairs. So far as the boy was concerned, this planwas practicable. Rufus was much his superior in strength, and couldmaster him without difficulty. But, doubtless, Martin and Smith werebelow. They would hear the noise of the struggle, and would cut off hisflight. Evidently that plan would not work. Another suggested itself tohim.
"Johnny," said he, "don't you want to make some money?"
Here he attacked the boy on his weak side. Humpy was fond of money. Hehad already scraped together about twenty dollars from the meagre pay hereceived, and had it carefully secreted.
"Of course I do," he answered. "How'm I to do it?"
"I'll tell you. That tin box contained property of value. It doesn'tbelong to me. It belongs to Mr. Turner, the banker. I was trying torecover it when you got me to come in here this morning. Now what Iwant to say, is this. Get that tin box for me, and help me to get awaywith it, and it'll be worth fifty dollars to you."
Fifty dollars! Humpy's eyes sparkled when he heard the sum named; butprudence came to his aid, fortified by suspicion.
"Who's a-goin' to pay it?" he asked.
"Mr. Turner."
"S'posin' he don't?"
"Then I will."
"Where'd you raise the money?"
"I'm not rich, but I'm worth a good deal more than that. I'd rather payit out of my own pocket than not get back that box."
But if Humpy was fond of money, he had also a rude sense of honor, whichtaught him to be faithful to his employer. He did want the money, andthen there was something in our hero's look that made him pretty surethat he would keep his promise. So he put away the seductive temptation,though reluctantly.
"I aint a-goin' to do it," he said, doggedly.
"Perhaps you'll think better of it," said Rufus, who, in spite of theboy's manner, saw the struggle in his mind. "If you do, just let meknow."
"I've got to be goin'," said Humpy, and, unlocking the door, he wentout, locking it again directly.
Rufus turned his attention to the dinner, which he found of goodquality. Despite his imprisonment, his appetite was excellent, and heate all there was of it.
"I must keep up my strength at any rate," he said to himself; "I mayneed it."
Meanwhile, as there was no longer anything to dread, Rufus being aprisoner, Martin went out in the service of his employer.
"Now," thought he, reflecting with satisfaction on his signal triumphover Rufus, "if I only knew where Rose was, I'd go after her, and herbrother shouldn't get hold of her again in a hurry. He's got enough todo to take care of himself."
This was pleasant to think about; but Martin had not the least ideawhere Rose was, and was not likely to find out.
Meanwhile something happened in the counterfeiter's den, which wasdestined to prove of advantage to Rufus.
Smith sent Humpy out on an errand. The boy was detained unavoidably, andreturned an hour later than he was expected. Smith was already in anill-temper, which the late return of his emissary aggravated.
"What made you so late?" he demanded, with lowering brow.
"I couldn't help it," said Humpy.
"Don't tell me that!" roared Smith. "You stopped to play on the way; Iknow you did."
"No, I didn't," said Humpy, angrily.
"Do you dare to contradict me, you villanous little humpback?" screamedSmith. "I'll teach you to do it again."
"I'LL TEACH YOU TO DO IT AGAIN."]
He clutched the boy by the collar, and, seizing a horsewhip, brought itdown with terrible force on the boy's shrinking form.
"Let me go! Don't beat me!" screamed Humpy, in mingled fear and rage.
"Not till I've cured you," retorted Smith. Twice more he struck thehumpbacked boy with the whip, and then threw him on the floor.
"That's what you get for contradicting me," he said.
The boy rose slowly and painfully, and limped out of the room. His facewas pale, but his heart was filled with a burning sense of humiliationand anger against the man who had assaulted him. It would have been wellfor Smith if he had controlled himself better, for the boy was not oneof the forgiving kind, but harbored resentment with an Indian-liketenacity, and was resolved to be revenged.
He crawled upstairs to the small attic room in which he usually slept,and, entering, threw himself upon the bed, face downward, where he burstinto a passion of grief, shame, and rage, which shook his crooked formconvulsively. This lasted for fifteen minutes, when he became morequiet.
Then he got up slowly, and, going to a corner of the room, lifted up aboard from which the nails appeared to have been drawn out, and drewfrom beneath a calico bag. This he opened, and exposed to view amiscellaneous collection of coins, which he took out and counted.
"Twenty dollars and nineteen cents!" he said to himself. "I've beenmore'n a year gettin' it. That boy offers me fifty dollars,--most threetimes as much,--if I'll get him the tin box and help him to escape. Isaid I wouldn't do it; but he hadn't struck me then. He hadn't called mea villanous humpback. Now he's got to pay for it. He'll wish he hadn'tdone it;" and the boy clenched his fist, and shook it vindictively."Now, how'll I get the box?"
He sat on the bed thinking for some time, then, composing hiscountenance, he went downsta
irs. He resolved to assume his usual manner,in order not to excite Smith's suspicion.
Smith had by this time got over his rage, and was rather sorry he hadstruck the boy so brutally, for he knew very well that Humpy might provea dangerous enemy. He glanced at Humpy's face when he came downstairs,but saw nothing unusual.
"Oh, he'll forget all about it," he thought to himself.
"Here's ten cents, Humpy," he said. "Maybe I struck you too hard. Go andbuy yourself some candy."
"Thank you," said the boy, taking the money.
"I've another errand for you."
He told what it was.
"Go and come back as soon as possible."
Humpy went quietly, and returned in good season.
About five o'clock, Martin not yet having returned, Smith directed himto carry up our hero's supper. There was a little exultant sparkle inthe boy's eye, as he took the plate of buttered bread, and started to goupstairs.
"So it's you, is it?" said Rufus, on the boy's entrance. "Where isMartin?"
"He aint come in yet. Do you want to see him?"
"No, I'm not particular about it."
Humpy stood looking earnestly at Rufus while he was eating the bread andbutter. At length he said, "I've been thinkin' over what you said to meat dinner-time. Shall I get the fifty dollars certain sure if I do whatyou want?"
"Yes," said Rufus, eagerly. "Get me the tin box, and help me to escape,and the money shall be yours."
"Honor bright?"
"Honor bright."