CHAPTER XX.
THE COUNTERFEIT BANK NOTE.
When they arose in the morning the train was speeding over the prairie,and Dick could hardly be pulled away from the window long enough to goto breakfast with Stella and Mrs. Graham, so great was his delight atbeing in the "really and truly" wild West.
When they were all back in the car again, Ted, for the first time,noticed a large man, flashily dressed, who wore a flaming red necktie,and who evidently thought himself irresistible to the ladies.
He walked up and down the aisle on the slightest pretext, ogling everypretty woman in the car, and Ted was getting very tired of it,especially as once or twice he had the impertinence to stop and lookinto the stateroom in which Stella and Mrs. Graham were sitting.
"I'll take a fall out of that fellow if he keeps up that sort of thingmuch longer," said Ted, who was sitting beside Kit.
"I was thinking of the same thing," said Kit. "He makes me tired. Iwonder what he is, anyway?"
"He has the make-up of a gambler or a saloon keeper," answered Ted. "Hebetter keep away from me if he knows when he's well off."
At a town farther down the line a young lady entered the car, and took aseat directly in front of Kit, who was alone, Ted having gone to thefront of the train to consult the conductor about a mistake that hadbeen made in their tickets.
Presently the flashy man with the red necktie spied her and saunteredpast her down the aisle. In a few moments he came back, twirling hisblack mustache, which evidently was dyed, and casting glances at theyoung lady.
Stopping in front of her, he said:
"Is this seat taken, lady?"
The young lady looked up, and answered coldly:
"No, sir; but there are plenty of other seats in the car which areunoccupied."
"This one looks good to me," said the fellow, with a smile which wassupposed to be very fetching.
Without further excuse he plumped himself down in the seat beside her,and threw his arm familiarly over the back of it, at the same timehitching closer to her.
Then he tried to draw her into conversation, but she turned from him andlooked out of the window.
But he persisted, and she showed that his attentions were annoying her.
Kit watched the proceedings, and was boiling with anger, but he did notfeel that he had the right to interfere until the young lady showed byher manner that she desired assistance.
Presently the man said something to the young lady in a low voice thatseemed to arouse her anger, for she rose hastily to her feet, her faceburning.
"Let me pass!" she said.
"Don't leave me like this," said the fellow, blocking the way with hisknees. "Sit down. We'll soon be good friends. You'll find me a goodfellow."
"I insist, sir, that you allow me to pass," said the girl, growing pale,her voice rising a little.
Kit could stand it no longer. He reached over and tapped the fellow onthe shoulder.
"Allow the lady to pass," he said quietly.
The hawk turned his head and sized Kit up. This did not take much time,for Kit was small and slender, his black eyes being the largest part ofhim, proportionately.
"What the deuce have you got to do with this?" he sneered, lookingsavagely at Kit.
"Just enough to make sure that you do it," said Kit, rising.
"Well, I don't allow no pups like you to interfere with me. You sit downan' let this gal an' me attend to our own business, er I'll bend you an'tie you into a knot an' throw you out of the window."
Kit did not reply, but he reached over and got the fellow by the coatcollar and jerked him into the aisle, and, twisting him around, plantedhis toe between his coat tails with a force that sent him halfway downthe length of the car.
"You're on the wrong train," said Kit. "The cattle train is on the othertrack."
The fellow soon regained his balance, and came rushing back like acharging bull.
"You little snipe!" he roared, "I'll kill you for that."
But as he got near Kit dodged into the space between the seats, and asthe fellow rushed past, carried on by the momentum of his run, Kit swungat him with his right fist.
It caught the fellow back of the ear, and the force behind the blow, aswell as the rate at which he had been coming, sent him headlong betweentwo seats, where he lay crumpled up like a rag.
The commotion had attracted the attention of Bud and Ben, and they wereby Kit's side in a moment.
"Need any help?" asked Bud.
"Not a bit," replied Kit. "I'm not very large, but no man of that sortcan call me a pup."
The fellow lay where he fell, and Bud warned away several passengers whowanted to go to his assistance.
"He's all right," he said. "A crack like that never injured any onepermanently, but sometimes it wakes them up ter ther foolishness ofinsulting a lady when ther broncho boys are around."
Kit lifted his hat to the young lady.
"Pardon me for making a disturbance," he said. "I don't think you'll bebothered again."
The young lady was profuse in her thanks, and resumed her seat.
Presently the fellow on the floor got up and sneaked into another car,without looking again at either Kit or the young lady.
"Hello, Kit! What was it all about?" asked Ted entering the car.
"Oh, I never could stand for red neckties, nohow," answered Kitapologetically.
When the train stopped for dinner they all trooped into the stationdining room, and secured for themselves a long table, around which theysat like a big and happy family.
As Ted and Kit were walking along the platform toward the dining roomTed suddenly halted and stared at a man who was leaning against the wallof the station.
"By Jove, I believe it's him!" he muttered.
"Who's him?" asked Kit.
"The express robber, Checkers," answered Ted. "And yet I'm not sure. Ifit is him it's one of the best disguises I ever saw. Look at your friendof the red necktie hurrying up to him. By Jove, they're a good pair! Iwish I could hear that fellow in the checked suit speak."
"That fellow will get caught up yet if he persists in wearing checkedsuits," said Kit. "It seems to be his badge, or a disease with him."
"I suppose that's why they call him Checkers," said Ted. "I wish I knew.I'd take a chance at arresting him."
At that moment the man in the checked suit looked up and caught Ted andKit staring at him.
Hastily calling the attention of the man with the red necktie to them,he hurried around the corner, and the other followed.
Ted ran to the corner of the station, but all he could see of either wasthrough a swirl of dust as the motor car in which they were riding flewup the street.
"By crickey! I'll bet anything that was Checkers," grumbled Ted. "I'malways too late to get to him. But next time I'll take a long chancewith him."
The train pulled into Green River at eight o'clock that night, and theyall went to the leading hotel, and Ted registered them as coming fromthe ranch.
During the evening the boys mingled with the crowd in the hotel lobby,talking cattle, and met many of the representative women of the section.
They were out after a bunch of stockers, and promised to be in theneighborhood for several days and to visit the ranches and look over thestock.
One of the men whom they met was introduced to them as Colonel Billings,ranch owner and speculator in cattle.
He was a middle-aged man of most pleasant features--benign,good-natured, and yet shrewd. He dressed well for a cowman, and from hispink, bald crown and gray chin whiskers down to his neat shoes, helooked the part of the prosperous business man.
"I have a lot of stock such as I think you boys need out at my ranch,"he said to Ted, when he learned that they wanted to buy. "I'd like tohave you bring your party out to the place and stay several days as myguests. You would then have plenty of time to look the stock over, andif you like them I'm sure we can strike a bargain."
Ted thanked him and promised to go out to
look at the stock, but as forthe invitation for the whole party to stop at the ranch, he would haveto consult the wishes of the party. He rather liked the colonel, whowas, apparently, bluff and sincere.
As Ted was on his way to the bank which had issued the bill which he hadfound in the haunted house, he stopped suddenly. He had just seen ayoung woman enter a store hurriedly, and look at him over her shoulderas she did so. She it was who had slipped the note of warning into hispocket in the Union Station, in St. Louis.
Evidently she was trying to avoid him. But why? He wanted to thank herfor that kindly service, and, quite naturally, he had some curiosity toknow who she was.
Without apparently hurrying he followed her into the store, and lookedaround for her. She was not in sight, and he walked up and down theaisles between the counters, but could not find her.
Then he observed that there was a back door to the store, which openedonto an arcade. She had escaped him through that, and Ted looked up anddown the arcade. At the far end, where it opened out into the publicsquare, a carriage stood, and a young lady was getting into it.
It was the young lady of the subtle perfume and the note.
In a moment she was gone.
He was not far from the bank, and giving the young woman no morethought, for he was sure he would see her again, for she seemed to bemixed up in his fortunes in some manner, he made his way to thefinancial institution and asked for the president.
"You will find Mr. Norcross in his private office at the end of thecorridor," said the clerk.
At the door of the office Ted found a colored messenger, who stopped himand asked his business.
"Is Mr. Norcross in his office?" asked Ted.
"Yes, sah, but he is busy," answered the messenger.
"Well, take my card in to him, and tell him I would like to see himwhen he is at leisure."
The negro went away, and in a few moments returned to say that Mr.Norcross would be glad to see Mr. Strong presently.
While Ted waited he stood looking out of the window into the street. Thedoor behind him opened, and he turned.
Walking rapidly down the corridor was the man with the pointed beard,whom he had seen in the Union Station in St. Louis give the signal tothe girl who had slipped the note into his pocket.
Ted stared after him. The mystery of the note was getting thicker. Buthe would try to think it out later.
He found Mr. Norcross an elderly, but active man.
"What can I do for you, Mr. Strong," said the banker, referring to Ted'scard.
"I come to you for information concerning a recent robbery and themurder of an express messenger in an express car in St. Louis," saidTed.
"In what capacity do you come?"
"As an officer of the government."
"Oh, ah, rather young for such work, aren't you?"
"Pardon, but that has nothing at all to do with it. I am a deputy UnitedStates marshal, and have received instructions to examine into certainmatters regarding the recent robberies from express trains in this partof the country."
"I suppose you have your credentials as an officer."
"I think I can convince those who have the right to know that I am whatI profess to be."
"Very well. I meant no offense, but there have been so many violentthings done out here, that naturally a banker desires to at least knowsomething of his callers. What can I do for you?"
"Did your bank make a shipment of currency to the East, last week?"
"Yes, sir, that is a well-known fact."
"What was the amount?"
"Forty thousand dollars. It was to meet some paper which was due in St.Louis."
"And it was stolen from the express car?"
"Yes. The express company has reimbursed us for it."
"What sort of currency was it?"
"Mostly of our own issue."
"Do you recognize this bill?"
Ted took from his pocket the counterfeit bill of the bank, and handed itto the president, who looked at it a moment and handed it back.
"Yes, that is one of the bills. The money sent was all in that series ofnumbers."
Ted picked the bill up, and put it in his pocket.
"Here, you mustn't take that," said the president. "That is the propertyof the bank. Give it to me. The express company will need it forevidence."
"Then I will keep it. It will be safer with me."
A suspicion had entered Ted's mind, which was strengthened by theconduct of the president, who was white-faced and trembling.
"From your examination of the bill, you are positive that it was one ofthose shipped to St. Louis?"
"I am not certain, of course, but as I said, it is within the series ofnumbers which we sent. Why do you ask?"
"Because it is a counterfeit."
The president sank down in his chair. He had suddenly become pale, andwas trembling like a leaf.
"What will you take for that bill, young man? Name your own price," saidMr. Norcross.
"It is not for sale, and you have not money enough to buy it," repliedTed Strong.