CHAPTER XXIV
FROM A GARRET WINDOW
"This is getting interesting!" whispered Tom.
"I should say so," murmured Dick.
"That must have been what was bringing Belright Fogg down to New YorkCity."
"It looks like it."
"Well, if he is mixed up in this he can get pinched with the rest ofthe rascals."
"Right you are."
After that the boys listened to more of the talk between the brokersand Josiah Crabtree. From what was said it was easy to guess that theplotters expected to make quite a large sum of money out of their evildoings.
"But you have got to get Rover's signatures to those papers," saidJesse Pelter.
"We'll do it!" cried Josiah Crabtree. "Even if we have to starve himinto it."
"I hope those boys didn't come after the schooner," muttered Japson.
"I reckon Captain Rodney will know how to throw 'em off the scent,"returned Crabtree.
"We were lucky to find that automobile at the tavern," went on Pelter.
Some more talk followed and then Japson exclaimed:
"Why can't we make Rover sign those papers now? Maybe we can scare himinto it."
"We might try," answered his partner, slowly.
The men arose and Japson lit a lantern, for he knew it was dark in thegarret. Then, one behind the other, they filed out into the hallwayand went upstairs.
"They are going to find out something pretty soon!" chuckled Tom.
"Come on, let us follow 'em, Tom," answered his brother. "I've got anew idea."
"What is it?"
"Perhaps we can lock 'em in that garret until help arrives."
"Just the cheese, Dick! I remember there was a lock on the door,--andmaybe we can fasten it in some other way, too--so they can't breakout."
"They can't get out by the windows--they are too high from theground."
By this time the three men were mounting the garret stairs. They hadto pass around a pile of furniture to get to where Anderson Rover hadbeen kept a prisoner.
"Quick now!" cried Dick, as the men disappeared from view. He closedthe garret door and turned the key in the lock. "Get a chair or two,Tom, so we can wedge the door fast."
Tom understood, and ran into a nearby room, to bring out a squaretable. The stairway to the garret ran from a right angle of the wall,so that the table could be stood up against the door, with the bottomof the four legs against the wall opposite. Some books chanced to behandy, and the lads were able to place these against the wall underthe feet of the table legs, thus wedging the door fast.
"Now I reckon they'll have their own job getting out!" cried Tom,grimly.
"Go to a front window and watch the road," ordered his big brother."If you see any help coming, call them."
Tom at once departed, to station himself at the window of one of thefront bed chambers. By this time a clattering of feet could be heardon the garret stairs.
"He has locked the door on us!" came a cry in Jesse Pelter's voice.
"How did he get free?" asked Japson. "I thought we tied him good."
"He cut the ropes!" cried Josiah Crabtree. "But how he got hold of hisknife to do it, I can't guess."
Dick had to smile to himself. Evidently the rascals thought his fatherhad liberated himself and turned the tables on them.
"Hi, Rover! Are you out there?" called Jesse Pelter. "If you are youhad better unlock that door."
To this call Dick did not answer.
"He must have run away!" exclaimed Japson. "Break the door down! Wemust catch him!"
"That's the talk!" added Josiah Crabtree, in great excitement.
"Touch the door at your peril!" cried Dick, sharply. "I am armed and Iwill stand no nonsense!"
"Who is that?" asked Japson.
"That wasn't Rover's voice," added his partner.
"I think I know who that is," answered Josiah Crabtree, and his voicecommenced to tremble. "Dick Rover, is that you?" he called, faintly.
"Yes. Don't you dare to touch that door, Crabtree," replied Dick.
"Is it Dick Rover?" questioned Pelter.
"Yes."
"Anderson Rover's oldest son? The one who was in the rowboat with theothers?"
"Yes."
"Then we have been followed after all!" shouted Japson, hoarsely. "Wehave been trapped!"
"You've hit the nail on the head," called out Dick. "Now, don't touchthat door, or it will be the worse for you."
"Is he alone?" whispered Pelter.
"No, I am not alone!" answered Dick. "Hi, Tom, am I alone?" he called.
"Not much!" answered Tom. "We are all on deck here, and all armed. Youjust sit still and suck your thumbs until the officers come," headded, dryly.
"The officers!" shrieked Josiah Crabtree, and was so overcome that hesank down on one of the steps of the stairs.
"See here, Dick Rover," said Jesse Pelter, after a pause. "Let us seeif we can't--er--patch this up somehow."
"You can do your patching-up after you are in jail, Mr. Pelter."
"If you have me arrested, boy, you will be sorry for it!" growled thebroker.
"We can ruin your family, and disgrace your father," added Japson."Better let us go and fix this up without the police."
"No, I am going to have you locked up," replied Dick, determinedly."As to what charge will be brought against you, I'll have to consultmy father about that first."
"You lock us up and you'll get nothing out of us!" growled Japson. "Wecan ruin your family, and we'll do it!"
"Can't we get out another way?" asked Josiah Crabtree, in a whisper.
"I don't think so," said the owner of the house. "We can go up andlook around."
All returned to the garret floor and walked to one window and theother. The distance to the ground was all of twenty-five feet, too farfor any of them to risk a drop.
"We might make a rope of these old blankets," suggested Jesse Pelter."Talk to Rover at the door while I try it."
His partner went back to the door, while the others commenced to makea rope by tearing a blanket into strips and tying the ends together.The back window was raised and the rope lowered.
"Nobody in sight!" cried Crabtree, looking down. "Oh, I trust we canget away from them!" He saw a term in prison staring him in the face.
"Don't lose any time!" cried Japson. "Here, tie the end fast to thatold bed. Now let me get out!"
"I'll go first!" cried Josiah Crabtree, and shoved the broker aside.With trembling hands he grasped the improvised rope and slipped out ofthe window.
In the meantime Dick commenced to suspect that all was not right andcalled to Tom.
"Go below and outside and look at those windows," he said. "If theytry to drop, shy some stones at 'em!"
"I will!" answered Tom, and ran down the stairs three steps at a time.He looked up at the front of the house but saw nothing unusual. Thenhe dashed to the rear.
"Hi! stop!" he called out, as he saw Josiah Crabtree dangling justunder the garret window. "Get back there, or I'll fire at you!" Andlooking around, Tom saw a sharp stone and picked it up.
As he did this there was a sudden tearing sound, and the blanket-ropeparted at the point where it passed over the window sill. JosiahCrabtree uttered a wild yell of terror and clutched vainly at the silland the clapboards under it. Then he came tumbling to the ground,doubling up in a heap as he did so. Tom expected him to arise and run,but he lay still where he had fallen.
"He's hurt, seriously hurt!" muttered the youth. "Maybe he's killed!"