CHAPTER V
THE ODD MAN
“We’ve got to get him!” cried Jerry to Ned.
“Sure thing! He’ll be burned to death in there in less than a minute!What’s he mean about Crooked Nose?”
“Hanged if I know! But don’t stop to ask questions. Go on up. I’ll beright after you. We’ve got to get him. Stand firm, Bob!” Jerry yelledto his chum at the foot of the ladder.
“Right!” answered the stout one, making his voice heard above thevarious noises of the fire.
Up the ladder went Ned and Jerry, pausing a moment as they got to thepoint where they could look into the room. The smoke had blown away forthe time being.
“There he is!” cried Ned, pointing to a figure huddled on the floor.
The two boys leaped into the room, taking big gulps of fresh air tohold in their lungs as long as possible, for they saw that the wind wasblowing the smoke into the room again.
They caught hold of the old man. He appeared to be a Frenchman, thoughhe spoke good English. The boys lifted him up, and this seemed torestore his scattered senses.
“Wait! Wait!” he murmured. “My money! I must get my money. And thatjewelry! Crooked Nose got some of it, but I hid the most. He shan’thave it! I must save it. In the iron box! Get it for me! Don’t letCrooked Nose have it!”
“He’s raving!” said Ned.
“Don’t talk! Save your breath!” mumbled Jerry, doing just what hewarned his chum against. “Catch hold and----”
He did not finish, but nodded in the direction of the open window. Theroom was lighted by the reflection of flames outside. Ned understood,and, taking hold of the old man’s legs one of which seemed to becrippled, while Jerry supported his head, they carried him to thecasement.
Jerry got out first, while Ned held the old man, who kept mutteringsomething about “Crooked Nose,” and “money and jewelry.” The boys paidlittle attention then, though the time was to come when the incidentwould be brought back to them in a startling manner.
Once again on the ladder, Jerry called:
“Now work him out till he hangs over my shoulder like a sack of flour,Ned. I can carry him down that way. He isn’t heavy. Hold him steadyuntil I give the word.”
“All right,” answered his chum, and then the two proceeded to save theold man. Ned shifted the burden until it rested on the window sill. TheFrenchman was either unconscious now, or incapable of motion, for hewas as limp and inert as Jerry could wish, and he was easier to handlein that way. Getting him over his shoulder, as he might a sack offlour, Jerry started down the ladder with his burden.
Ned gave one last look around the room where the old man seemed to havelived all alone. There was a bed in one corner, and a stove in theother, with a few poor possessions.
“I don’t see anything of Crooked Nose or a box of money, or jewelryeither,” murmured Ned. “I guess he was out of his head through fear. Imight take another look, but----”
Just then there was a sound indicating that a large portion of thestructure had fallen in. This was followed by such a burst of flame andsmoke into the room that Ned was almost trapped. He made a dive for thewindow and got out on the ladder. Down it he hurried, after Jerry andhis burden, and he was not a moment too soon, for an instant later theflames burst from the window in a volume sufficient to have overwhelmedany one who had been in the apartment.
“Just in time,” murmured Ned, as he came to the ground, a few secondsafter Jerry reached it.
Willing hands took the burden of the old man, and he was carried to aplace where volunteer nurses and a physician worked over him.
By this time the tenement house was a mass of flames. The fire involvedthe end where the old Frenchman had lived, and there was no hope ofsaving it. The place was like a tinder-box, and soon after Jerry andNed had left it the roof at that end fell in.
Quickly the fire burned itself out, and then came the problem of caringfor the unfortunates who had lost nearly everything, and who werehomeless. Kind friends and neighbors took in such as they could.
“How’s our Frenchman?” asked Ned of Jerry, as they were about to goto their automobile and depart for home, since the high point of theexcitement had passed.
“I don’t know. We might take a look.”
A policeman directed them to a near-by store, where several firemenand spectators had been treated for cuts from glass or partial smokesuffocation, and there the boys found the old Frenchman. He was acripple, with a stiff left leg, and had suffered much from shock. Hewas in great distress of mind.
“These are the boys who brought you down the ladder, who saved you,”said a doctor, pointing to Ned and Jerry.
The man murmured something in his own expressive language, and then, asif realizing that the boys could not understand very well, though theyknew some French, he said, in English:
“I can never thank you enough! You saved my life! But tell me, did yousee Crooked Nose or my iron box of money and jewelry?”
“No,” answered Jerry gently. He thought the old man was still wanderingin his faculties.
“Who is Crooked Nose?” asked Ned.
“He is a villain!” exclaimed the Frenchman, whose name, some one said,was Jules Cardon. “He is a villain who tried to rob me of all I had. Hegot some of my money and some of the jewelry, but the rest I put in theiron box and locked. Then I hid it. But the fire came and I could notfind it. Then I remember no more. But if you find Crooked Nose you willcatch a great scoundrel, and perhaps find my money and the preciousjewelry.”
“Is Crooked Nose a man?” asked Jerry.
“Yes. He came to see me this evening. He knew me in France--many yearsago. He demanded money. I would not give it to him, and he said hewould take it, or he would---- Well, he made threats. I hid most of themoney and the jewelry, but I forgot where I put it when the fire came.Oh, was it burned?”
“Well, if it was left in there I should say it was,” replied Jerry, ashe looked at the glowing ruins. “Nothing much left there.”
“But maybe Crooked Nose took it,” suggested Mr. Cardon. “He is avillain.”
“What’s his name?” asked Bob.
The crippled old Frenchman shook his head.
“It would be of no use to tell you,” he said. “He changes his name toooften. Crooked Nose, I call him. He can’t change that!”
The old man seemed much improved, bodily, but his mental anguish waspitiable. Again and again he implored to be allowed to go back and lookfor his money, but of course this could not be. What was left of theruins was a mass of blazing wood.
Then, when he seemed to think that all was lost, the old man becamecalmer, and told a more connected story.
The old Frenchman was an engraver by trade and had worked for manyyears in New York, doing fine engraving for some leading jewelers. Thenhe had become crippled by an accident and had moved to Cresville forhis health. In Cresville he had managed to pick up considerable workfrom the local jewelers, doing the engraving on rings, watches, andsilver and gold ware for them.
“I have much jewelry to engrave!” he said, with a sorrowful shakeof his head. “I have a fine gold watch, and a silver tea set, and amagnificent diamond brooch, and other things. Now--where are they?” andhe shrugged his shoulders despairingly.
“Gee, that will be a big loss for somebody!” remarked Ned.
Just before the fire broke out the old Frenchman had had a visitor.This, as he explained, was a “queer stick of a man with a very crookednose.”
“He got it in a fight in France many years ago,” said Mr. Cardon. “Ihad not seen him in a long time. How he found me and my money and thejewelry I do not know. But he threatened, and would have hurt me, had Inot given him some. But I hid the most of it, and then the fire came.It came after Crooked Nose went out. Maybe he set the blaze. He waswicked enough. Oh, my money is lost--and that jewelry I was trustedwith!”
“It is if it was in there. But maybe that fellow you call Crooked Nosegot it,” suggested Jerry. “You can
have a look in the ruins after theycool.”
There was nothing more the motor boys could do, and, learning that someof the neighbors would care for the old Frenchman, they got ready togo home.
“Hadn’t we better go back and see what has become of ProfessorSnodgrass?” asked Bob, as they reached their automobile.
“Well, it might be a good plan,” agreed Jerry.
“Some of the bugs he is after may have carried him off,” suggested Ned,with a laugh.
They started for the place where the runaway fire horses had beencaught by Mr. Snodgrass.
“This has been what you might call a ‘large’ evening,” remarked Jerry,as he guided the car.
“Somewhat juicy,” added Ned.
“Speaking of juicy reminds me of a broiled steak,” put in Bob. “What doyou say to a little supper? I’m hungry.”
“For once I agree with your gastronomic suggestion,” replied Jerry.“What say, Ned?”
“I’m with you. Let’s include the professor if we can find him.”
They reached the scene where they had last observed their friend, buthe was not in sight. The horse lay there, having been shot to end itssuffering, and then the boys went on into town.
There they telephoned to their people that they were all right andwould be home later, at the same time mentioning the fact thatProfessor Snodgrass was in town, and would probably call if he did notget on some bug-hunting chase that kept him out all night.
As the boys entered a restaurant they almost collided with, or, rather,were fairly run into by, a man who seemed in great haste. He acted ina peculiar manner, turning his face aside as if to escape observation,and hurried on out.
“Well, you’re a gentleman!” angrily murmured Jerry, who had receivedthe full impact of the odd character.
“Didn’t even say: ‘Excuse me!’ did he?” asked Ned.
“Nothing like it. He must be going to catch a train!”
Bob, who was just behind his chums, turned quickly and looked after theman.
“Did you see him?” he asked.
“Did I _see_ him. I _felt_ him!” declared Jerry, with a rueful laugh.
“And did you notice?” went on Bob, in some excitement.
“Notice what?” Ned inquired.
“His crooked nose! It was all on one side of his face. Say, fellows,maybe that’s the man who tried to rob the old Frenchman!” exclaimed Bobin a tense whisper.