CHAPTER XX
A SECRET IN SIGHT
"Mr. Prenter," asked Tom suddenly, "is there anything about which you wishto see me just now?"
"Not particularly," replied the treasurer. "Only, in view of latedevelopments I'm going to remain about for the next few days, unless youorder me out of the house. I want to be close to the trouble."
"Then, if I'm not needed," gaped Reade, "I'm going to turn in and steal alittle sleep. I need rest."
"As I'm going to stay up to-night, Tom, and keep you company through thedark hours, I'm for the bale of lint, too," announced Lieutenant Prescott.
"At what hour shall I call you?" asked Harry.
"At eight o'clock to-night," answered Tom.
Refreshed by a few hours' sleep Tom and Dick were called, to find theirsupper ready. Nicolas stood behind their chairs, attentive to their needs.
Mr. Prenter remained out on the porch, but Harry sat at table with hisfriends.
"Has Mr. Bascomb put in an appearance here?" Tom inquired.
"No," said Hazelton briefly.
"He certainly has wound up my curiosity," murmured Tom. "Why on earthshould he bail out Evarts?"
"Probably because Evarts asked him to," suggested Dick.
"But why should he want to please Evarts in such a matter?"
"Well, you know," hinted Harry, "we've heard that Evarts is some sort ofrelative to Mr. Bascomb."
"But the rascal has been working to ruin this company," Tom protested,"and Mr. Bascomb is the trusted president of the company."
"Yet _is_ Mr. Bascomb really fit to be trusted?" Prescott propounded.
"Mr. Prenter seems to think so, and he is a capable judge of men," Tomrejoined. "It is the combination of all these circumstances taken togetherthat makes me so curious over Mr. Bascomb's being willing to bail thefellow."
"Oh, well, it's too much of a puzzle for us," said Harry, shrugging hisshoulders. "All we've got to do is to keep our eyes open and faithfullyguard the property that is entrusted to our care. However, I'm growingsour and sore. Here I've got to go to bed presently, and you and Dick aregoing to be prowling about all night. You'll have all the excitement,while I'll be in bed."
"You seem to forget," Tom reminded him, "that the last big excitement tookplace in the daytime, during your shift. Dick and I may have a lazy night,and you may have the air full of wreckage to-morrow in broad daylight."
They chatted a little while with Mr. Prenter, outside, and then Dick roseat Tom's signal.
"We must be starting," said Reade. "I don't know just what we're goingto do to-night, but we have miles to cover I'm afraid."
"Being an army officer, Dick, you've got a pistol, of course," suggestedHarry hopefully.
"I've a brace of them," nodded the army man.
"Good!" cheered Harry.
"But both of them, unloaded at that, are in my trunks at Mobile," laughedDick, whereat Tom chuckled. Harry Hazelton was much inclined to want tocarry a pistol in times of danger, but Tom didn't believe in any suchhabit.
"I thought soldiers went armed," muttered Hazelton ruefully.
"Only when on duty," Dick informed him.
Nicolas wistfully watched Reade out of sight. The Mexican had been orderedto remain at home to-night, and on no account to think of following hisemployer. That didn't at all agree with the faithful fellow's wishes.
"They'll be sure to get into some trouble, Senor Hazelton," Nicolassaid mournfully. "I should be on their flank, watching over them."
"You don't know Gridley boys," laughed Harry, "if you don't understandthat Dick Prescott and Tom Reade, together, are a hard team to beat."
In the meantime Tom led the way down to the camp of workmen. Readestopped to speak with one of his reliable negroes, whom he found softlystrumming a banjo under a tree.
"Are there any visitors in camp to-night who shouldn't be here?" asked Tom.
"I doan' beliebe so, boss," replied the colored man. "Dem gamblers an'bootleggers ain' done got bail yet, has they, sah?"
"I don't believe they have," replied Tom. "There are no others of theirkind here, then?"
"I doan' beliebe so, sah."
Tom and Dick strolled through the camp, but all was quiet there. Many ofthe men were outside their shacks or tents, smoking and waiting forturning-in time to come.
"Looks as orderly as a camp-meeting," declared Lieutenant Prescott. "I'mglad to see, Tom, that you're for the decent camp every time."
"The decent camp is the only kind that contains efficient workmen forengineering jobs," Reade answered dryly.
Presently they strolled out of camp, on the farther side. This was whatthe young engineer really wanted to do---to vanish suddenly, in a fashionthat would not be likely to be noted by hostile eyes. Now Reade and hisarmy chum proceeded softly, and without words. Through the deep woods Tomwas heading for the spot where he had found the magneto.
Sambo Ebony was at large, and Tom believed that other things than themagneto had been concealed at this spot. If Sambo intended any furtherassaults on the retaining wall he would be quite likely to come this way.So here Tom Reade was resolved to remain and watch, even if he had to putin most of the night there.
Behind some bushes he and Dick found a hiding place looking out upon thescene of the late conflict with "Mr. Ebony."
Without even whispered conversation time dragged slowly. More than an hourdragged by, and both watchers were beginning to feel decidedly bored.
At last, however, footsteps came that way. Both watchers crouched lowerand waited.
The new-comer approached the place rather uncertainly. At last, however,he stood revealed. Tom Reade felt like yelling in his utter astonishment.
For President Bascomb, of the Melliston Company, now stood before them.After a glance about Mr. Bascomb walked slowly up and down, as though hewere waiting for some one.
Dick, of course, did not know Mr. Bascomb. However, as Tom kept silentthe young soldier did the same.
"What on earth can Bascomb be doing here?" Tom wondered. "Is he, too, oneof the conspirators? It is unbelievable! Yet with what speed he obeyedEvarts's summons to come and bail him out! It makes me feel like a sneakto be here spying on the president of the company that employs me---and yetthere's something here that certainly must be looked into!"
Fifteen minutes more dragged by, with Mr. Bascomb walking impatiently backand forth, occasionally heaving a deep sigh or catching at his breath.
"Our worthy president is much excited, at any rate," Reade said to himself.
Finally steps were heard, both by Bascomb and by the pair who watched him.Then another man came upon the scene.
"Evarts, why on earth did you send for me?" demanded Mr. Bascomb, as thedischarged foreman came up.
"Because I knew you'd be here---you don't dare do otherwise," was thesneering reply.
"Try not to be impudent about it," advised Mr. Bascomb mildly. "As youmay remember, I've had to stand a lot from you."
"And not as much as you might have to stand, either, if I took it into myhead to make matters lively for you," jeered Evarts harshly. "Remember,man, you'll do as I want you to do."
"I'm willing to do what I can for you," replied the president. "But---"
"Now, don't throw any of your 'buts' at me," broke in the dischargedforeman, roughly. "You failed me in one thing---you didn't make Reade takeme back on the job, as I told you to do."
"I couldn't," pleaded Mr. Bascomb. "Prenter stood with Reade and wasagainst me."
"You're the president of the company, aren't you?" Evarts demandedsullenly.
"Yes; but Prenter is a bigger man in the company, and he has more influencewith the board of directors. If Prenter came out against me, and persuadedthe other directors that I was a bad asset for the company, they'd act onPrenter's suggestion and remove me from the presidency."
"Humph!" jeered Evarts. "Then what would your directors do if they knewthat---."
"Stop!" begged Mr. Bas
comb hoarsely, "Don't say a word further, man!Sometimes even the leaves on the trees have ears. Don't breathe a word ofwhat you were going to say just now."
Even in the dark the two concealed watchers could see that Bascomb wasglancing about him nervously.
"Now, what is up?" gasped Tom inwardly. "What part has Mr. Bascomb beenplaying in this mystery that he's so afraid of having become public?"