CHAPTER IV
STARTING HANK RIGHT
"He's alive, all right!" was the announcement of Frank presently.
"I hear water close by. Hold on, and I'll get some," said Will hurryingaway.
Even Jerry was desirous of helping as best he could. He took hold withFrank, and the insensible Hank was carried alongside the road, to wheresome grass grew, and offered a softer resting place.
Had it been a friend who was thus in need of succor, they could hardlyhave shown more energy in attending to his wants.
"He's coming to," said Bluff after Frank had sprinkled the scratchedface with some of the cold water.
There was a deep sigh, then Frank saw that the fellow's eyes had opened,and were surveying him with a troubled stare.
"Feeling better, Hank?" he asked quietly.
"Oh, I'm all right, I reckon. What brought you fellows here? Where amI, anyhow? Did I just drop off that motorcycle? No. I remember, now.Flimsy took the last cent I had while I lay in the road. The meanestskunk I ever met up with. If ever he crosses my path again I'll get evenwith the cur," he growled, sitting up and holding a hand to his head.
"What happened to you, Hank? Why were you lying in the road? Did youhave a fight with that tramp printer?" asked Frank, suspecting thetruth.
"Yes. I told him I was sick of keeping with him. He's a bad one, andsome fine day he'll land in the stone jug. He scared me the way hetalked. I started to tramp back home, and he kept nagging me all the wayhere. In the end he made me so mad I just tackled him. That was what hewanted. Why, he put me to sleep the easiest way you ever saw. I justremember him fumbling in my pockets before he hoofed it."
"Well, it was a lucky thing for you, Hank, after all. If you'd kept withthat rascal you'd soon have been just like him. Did you say you meant togo back home now?"
"That's what I meant to do, but he's fixed it so I can't," muttered theother, grinding his teeth in fury.
"How's that?" pursued Frank, believing there must be a story back ofhis words.
"He took the ten dollars I stole from my dad. I won't never dare facehim and say I lost it. I thought I could put it back in the bureaudrawer, and he'd never know. I'll have to foller that Flimsy, and makehim give it back."
"You can't do that for he'd only laugh at you, and perhaps beat youagain."
"The thief ought to be arrested," grumbled Bluff indignantly.
"That would blow the whole thing, you see, and dad he'd know I grabbedit. I'm gettin' all I ought to have, I reckon. P'raps I might earn thatten some way, and hand it over. If I could only get another job aschauffeur it'd be all right," Hank Brady was mumbling to himselfdejectedly.
"Perhaps you can," said Frank quickly. "I remember, now, that our manhad to go away suddenly the day before yesterday. Look here, Hank! Doyou really mean to do the right thing now? Have you had your lessonpounded into you?"
"I sure have. Never again for me, I give you my word. I guess my folkshas been worried some on my account, but they don't need to any more.I've reformed, I have. I'm goin' to walk a straight line after this."
The fellow spoke as though he meant it, and Frank believed he coulddetect the ring of sincerity in his voice.
"All right. Shake hands on that, Hank. Don't you forget it, that you'llfind plenty of fellows willing to give you a lift, just as quickly assome others want to give you a drag down. It all depends on where theother chap is standing himself. You come and see me to-morrow, sometime. I'm Frank Langdon, and my father is the president of the FirstNational Bank."
"This is mighty white of you, fellers," muttered the other, apparentlyashamed.
"You can never pay it back to us, Hank, but some time pass it along;hold out a helping hand to some other poor chap in trouble. I guess ifyou know how to run a car decently you will get the job, if I speak tomy dad. Now, another thing--that ten dollars you wanted to put back, wasit in one bill?"
"Two fives," replied Hank, catching his breath.
"Then perhaps we can fix it up. I've got one here. Jerry, can you helpme out?" asked Frank, who believed in doing the whole thing, once hestarted.
"Just happen to have it, by good luck," replied the other cheerfully.
"Say! that's too much, fellers--an' after I played that mean trick,too!"
"Don't worry about that. I'm not giving you this, Hank, only loaning itto you. You can pay it back out of your first month's salary. Here youare, and don't think for a minute that you're getting the best of allthis. We're enjoying it, in our own way, more than you ever can. See youto-morrow, then. Good-night, Hank!"
They left the fellow standing there, quite dumb. He had tried to answerthem as they rode off, but not a sound could he utter.
"Talk to me about the queer things that crop up with us, will you!"laughed Jerry as he kept close at Frank's heels. "Did you ever reallyhear the equal of that, now?"
"Oh, it's an old story. The only decent thing about it is the fact thatof his own free will Hank was breaking away from his evil associationsand heading back home, when he met with this last trouble. I say,Bluff!"
"Hello, Frank! What is it?" came from the rear, where the partyaddressed was following in the wake of his chums.
"How about Hank? Do you know if he ever played chauffeur half-waydecent? I'd hate to risk the pater's neck with a greenhorn."
"Come to think of it, he used to run old Cragin's car for quite sometime. Had an accident, and was discharged; but some people said Hankwasn't to blame; that it came about because the old man was too stingyto buy the right kind of tires, and always picked up job lots."
"Glad to hear it. He won't have that fault to find with the governor.Well, here we separate, fellows. To-morrow morning, at the boathouse,about eight, to lay our plans and arrange for the trip to the city."
With a cheery good-night the chums separated, and each headed for hishome.
In the morning they once more came together, and for some hours therewas an earnest talk, during which many ideas were put forward, and ordergradually took the place of chaos.
A knock at the door took Frank thither, for he suspected who the visitormight prove to be, as he had left word at home to send Hank Brady there,if he called. Hank was now decently dressed, and his face did not lookso very bad, though it bore a number of scratches.
"All right, Hank. I'm going with you to the bank. My father knows allabout it, for I thought it best to start square, so that you need notfear about his finding out anything about your past," he said, shakinghands with the other.
"And he don't give me the shake on that account?" asked Hank eagerly.
"Of course he doesn't. He even said that what we did was right, and thathe could look back to a day in his boyhood when a kind word started himalong the straight and narrow path. My dad's the right sort, Hank. Servehim decently, and you'll never want a better friend. But at the sametime he hates deceit, and will not put up with a sneak. You've got thechance of your life to make good."
"And I'm going to make good, all right, or bust tryin'. I'll never getover the white way you fellers acted with me, never, if I live a hundredyears!" said Hank in a broken voice.
Frank took him over to the bank, where Mr. Langdon was favorablyimpressed with his looks, and engaged him, after he had learned what heknew about the running of a car. Hank had worked in a garage for a year,and this knowledge was invaluable to him in his business as a chauffeur.
That afternoon Frank and Bluff started for the city, with a list ofthings they believed should be purchased before they went forth upontheir journey. Bluff had in mind a wonderful hunting-knife, with anivory handle, a picture of which he had seen in the catalogue of asporting goods house, and he was secretly determined to possess such amagnificent tool.
"The time might come when a fellow would have only his trusty bladebetween himself and death, and then you just bet he wants a good one.Think of a big grizzly trying to hug you! Where would your little knifebe, then? You'd soon wish you had that Cuban machete that hangs on thewall of your father'
s den, Frank," he said, when the other expostulatedwith him about purchasing such a murderous-looking weapon.
And Bluff did buy it, too. All the way home he kept tabs on thatpackage, and often, when Frank was not looking, he would go throughcertain gestures with it gripped in his hand, as though practicingagainst that day when the aforesaid grizzly and he would have theirlittle heated argument for supremacy.
Jerry, too, either felt shocked at the enormous size of the wonderfulhunting-knife, or else pretended to be. He shrugged his shoulders inthat scornful way he had, and turned his back on the prize Bluff haddrawn.
"What else could you expect of a man who goes after quail with a Gatlinggun? Why, the poor innocent grizzly will faint dead away at sight ofthat cavalry sword. It gives me a cold chill just to look at it," heobserved.
Bluff only laughed.
"Rank envy eating up your soul, that's all, my boy. Wait till you see mein action with that razor-edged tool. I'll have you all turning greenwith envy yet," he said, fondling the ivory-handled weapon ere he thrustit back into its sheath.
The days dragged along. Will counted them, and each night heaved a sighof relief that they were a notch nearer the time of departure. Finallythe last night arrived, and their coming tour was to be marked by alittle gathering at the home of Frank, which was intended to be in theway of a send-off.