CHAPTER XII.
BOB BEGINS WORK ON A FAKE CELL.
About noon, the hunchback brought Bob's dinner to him, and two hours later, King opened the door, saying, "Well, son, I guess I've got all you'll need, and now I want you to get to work at once."
"All right, I suppose I might as well begin now as any time."
"Now, let me tell you something," continued King, as they started down the stairs. "I know all about electricity and storage batteries and I'm going to watch you every minute, and if you try to fool me and don't make that cell right, I give you fair warning that it'll be the worse for you."
Bob made no reply, but thought to himself, "If you can catch me before the thing is done and tested, you're a good deal smarter than I think you are." He fully realized that he was taking a desperate chance, for he knew that the cell, as he was going to make it, would not work, for he had tried one like it while he and Jack were experimenting. But he had made up his mind not to give the secret away, trusting that an opportunity to escape would present itself before he had finished. He had also resolved to work as slowly and to take as long a time about it as he dared.
King led the way down to the laboratory and showed him the things he had bought. It would be tiresome to relate Bob's work in detail, and we shall tell about only those parts that are necessary to the story.
He managed to use up that afternoon and the greater part of the next day making one cap, but about four o'clock he had to declare that part of the work done.
"Now, what's next?" asked King.
"We'll have to make another cap to go with this one."
"Are they both alike?"
"No, this one is positive and the other will have to be negative. We'll begin on that one in the morning."
"Not much we won't," almost shouted King. "We'll start it right now, and we ought to have it done by twelve o'clock tonight. I believe you're loafing on the work anyway."
"Believe what you please," said Bob, mad clear through, "but I'll tell you right now that I'm not going to work any more today, and what's more you can't make me either."
"Can't, eh, we'll see about that," snapped King, coming toward Bob with clenched fist.
Now, when Bob was real good and mad, he could be as stubborn as a mule, and he was in exactly that condition now, regardless of consequences. So, when King raised his fist as if to hit him, he stepped back, saying in a firm tone, "You hit me just once, and I won't do another bit of work on that thing if you kill me for it."
King dropped his fist, and the two looked each other in the eyes for a full minute without speaking. "You'll work tonight or you'll get no supper," he finally threatened.
"Get no supper, eh?" snapped Bob. "If I get no supper tonight, there'll be no cell made tomorrow, just remember that," and then, as King did not at once reply, he continued, "Now see here, no one yet, except my parents, ever made me do a thing I'd made up my mind not to do, and I've made it up good and hard, right now, and you can't make me back down. You've got me in your power, and I suppose you can put me out of the way if you want to, but that won't get you the cell, so what are you going to do about it?"
King realized that he was licked, and gave in, with as good grace as he could muster. "All right," he growled, "have your own way."
Bob was much relieved when he realized that he had won, for although he had put up a bold front, he had by no means felt as confident as his looks indicated. He spent the next forenoon getting the copper cylinder and the tank ready for the electrolysis, telling King that he had decided not to make the other cap till the cylinder was done, although he could easily have done the work in an hour. After dinner he dissolved the lead nitrate in water, poured the solution into the tank, and adjusted the cap.
"Have you a piece of platinum foil?" he asked King.
"What do you want that for?"
"Why, you see I make this cylinder the positive pole of the circuit and have to have the platinum for the negative."
"All right, I guess I can find a piece," he replied.
Bob hoped that he couldn't, and, as a matter of fact, he could have used a piece of copper just as well, but, he thought, "if he will only go out after some and leave me here, I might find a way to escape." But, to his disappointment, it was soon forthcoming, and putting it in place he was soon obliged to acknowledge that he was ready to turn on the current.
"How much do you want?" asked King.
"One and four-tenths volts and six tenths of an ampere," replied Bob.
As the current was turned on, King watched the cylinder closely, and soon he could see that a dark brown powder was collecting on the outside.
"Hold on a minute," said Bob, "I forgot to insulate the outside of that cylinder. Have you a piece of rubber tubing, large enough to slip on over it?"
"I guess so, but it seems to me that you are all the time forgetting something or other."
The correction was soon made, and the cylinder returned to the bath. After the current had been running about half an hour, King purposed that they take the cylinder out and see if they were getting any results, as they could not see the inside of it while it was in the tank. Glad of any delay, Bob readily assented, and as soon as it was removed, it was seen that a very small amount of the powder had coated the inside.
"Humph," growled King. "It's mighty slow. Won't it go faster if we use more juice?"
"Yes," replied Bob, "but it will be too loose and spongy." This was the truth, as he had found by experiment, and he was very glad that this part of the work would have to go slowly, whether or no. When supper time came, King proposed that they leave the current running all night, but Bob wouldn't hear to it.
"No," he said, "I must be here to watch it, for I know what to expect if it don't pan out, and much depends on how that peroxide of lead is deposited. Either you turn off the current or I quit."
King knew from past experience that it would be useless to threaten and grudgingly yielded the point. "Shall we take the cylinder out?" he asked.
"Of course," replied Bob, "I thought you knew something about this kind of work."
King muttered something about wanting to make sure, and leaving the laboratory they went up to supper.
That night about ten o'clock, as Bob was lying on his bed trying, as usual, to think of some way to escape, he heard the key turn in the lock and the hunchback entered.
"Mr. King sent me up to tell you to go to sleep good and early for he's going to call you at five o'clock."
"Oh, he did, did he?" returned Bob. "Well, you just tell him that I'll go to sleep when I get good and ready and not a minute before. Do you get that?"
While speaking, he had got off the bed and gradually approached the hunchback. As he finished, he suddenly grabbed him round the neck, and before the dwarf had time to defend himself, he was hurled to the far side of the room. Bob made a quick dash for the door and in an instant had it closed and locked behind him. Quickly, he turned and darted down the stairs, but before he reached the next floor, he heard the man shouting and pounding on the door. "I must hurry," he thought, taking the next flight three steps at a time. He had reached the lower floor and was unlocking the front door, when a door at his left flew open and both King and Reed rushed out.
"What's all this?" demanded King; then as he saw who it was, he sprang forward and grabbed Bob by the shoulders and roughly yanked him back. "So you thought you'd give us the slip, did you? How'd you get out of that room?"
Poor Bob's heart sank as he realized that his attempt was a failure, and he made no reply.
"We'll soon find out," said King. "Come on now," and he made Bob precede him up the stairs.
"You miserable runt," he shouted, as he unlocked the door and saw the dwarf. "What does this mean?"
"Gee," replied the latter, "he jumped me so quick, I didn't know what was up before he was out of the room and I was locked in."
"Don't blame him," broke in Bob, "it wasn't his fault."
"Well, the next time I send you up here, just deliver your message through the door, do you understand?"
"I certainly do. I won't give him a chance to get hold of me again," declared the dwarf, rubbing his arm.
Bob was much cast down as they went out. "But I won't give up," he thought as he was undressing. "But, confound it, I've got to do something pretty soon for I'm not going to make that job pan out nearly as long as I thought I could."
Before he slept that night, he had resolved upon a bold stroke for liberty, which he was resolved to put into execution at the very first opportunity.
About eight o'clock the next morning, Bob realized that his chance had come. King was watching the cell while he was standing about three feet to one side. Suddenly, Bob drew back his right arm and before King could defend himself, he struck. The blow was a jim dandy, as Bob afterward expressed it. It caught King fairly on the jaw and he went down like a log, knocking over the tank as he fell. Bob quickly leaned over him and took the key of the laboratory from his pocket, where he had seen him put it several times.
"Now, if I can only get out," he thought as he unlocked the door and stole softly up the stairs.
CHAPTER XIII.
BOB'S ESCAPE.
Bob's heart beat wildly as he crept up the stairs, for he had resolved to let no one stop him if he could help it, knowing that it would go hard with him if he again fell into King's hands. He reached the top of the flight without hearing any one and quickly passed through the dining room to the front hall, and for the second time since his imprisonment, he was at the front door. The hall had a vestibule and just as he succeeded in getting the inner door open he heard a key turn in the outer door, and before he had time to dodge back, it swung open and Reed entered.
Coming thus suddenly face to face, it would be hard to say which was more at a loss what to do, but as soon as he could speak, Reed gasped, "You?"
"Yes, me," answered Bob, "and if you don't step aside and let me pass, some one is going to get hurt and don't you forget it."
"Where's Jim?" Reed demanded, shutting the door.
"What's left of him is down stairs, and I rather guess he'll stay there a while."
As Bob had taken the precaution to lock the door of the laboratory after he came out and had the key in his pocket, he felt that he had little to fear from that quarter for a time at least, even if King had come to.
"Your little game is up," he continued, "and you might as well step aside and save trouble and perhaps your head as well."
"Think so?" sneered Reed, and Bob saw him reach his hand back toward his hip pocket and before he was able to spring forward, he was looking into the barrel of a .32.
"Now, my young friend, I rather guess you will reconsider your conclusion. I don't want to hurt you, but I'd much prefer putting a bullet through you to letting you get away. Now, about face and march down to the laboratory again, and no monkey shines, or this here gun will be apt to go off, for when I get excited, my finger gets twitchy, and remember, if it does go off, the bullet will come out of the end that's pointing at you."
All this had probably not taken over a minute, but during that time, Bob had been doing some quick thinking and had resolved that, gun or no gun, he was not going to lose this chance. They passed out into the dining room, Reed following Bob at a distance of perhaps six feet. Reaching the door, at the head of the stairs, Bob pretended that he was trying to open it.
"It seems to be locked," he said, "Guess the wind must have blown it shut."
"Well, hold on a minute, I've got a key in my pocket."
Bob turned and saw that Reed had lowered the revolver a little as he searched his pocket for the key. It was the chance he wanted. Like a flash he leaped, and before the startled man could raise his arm, his wrist was seized and given a powerful twist, which sent the revolver spinning to the other side of the room. Reed, maddened to the point of frenzy, struggled with all his strength, and he was no mean antagonist, but Bob knew that he was fighting for his liberty, if not for his life, and fought as he had never fought before. Round the room they struggled, knocking over the chairs as they fought. Once the man got the boy down on his back, and with his hand on his throat, began to choke him, but Bob managed to squirm over, and, getting to his knees, flung one arm round Reed's neck, and giving a powerful twist made him lose his hold. Both quickly rose to their feet and stood facing each other, panting for breath. Suddenly, catching sight of the revolver on the floor near his feet, Reed made a move toward it. But the movement gave Bob the chance he wanted, and, springing forward, he swung his right arm with all the strength he could muster. His fist landed squarely on the man's right eye, and he went down in a heap. He was not knocked out, but the blow gave Bob time to grab up the revolver, and by the time Reed was on his feet again, he took his turn at looking down the barrel.
"Now, my old friend, I guess I'll have to ask you to recognize that conclusion you spoke of a few moments ago. This thing don't look quite so good at that end, does it? Give my regards to your friend below, if you can get enough life in him to accept them."
So saying, he backed out of the room into the hall, still pointing the revolver at the man, who stood looking daggers at him, but not daring to move, and this time reached the street without mishap.
"Whew!" he thought, as he slipped the revolver into his pocket, "that was some exciting time while it lasted. Well, I'm free at last and I'll take mighty good care that they don't get me again. Wonder which way I'd better go?"
Although well acquainted with a good part of Boston, as he looked about him he had no idea in what part of the city he was, except that it was one of the poorer districts.
Coming to the harbor front, he turned toward the south, judging that the ferry was in that direction. He had gone but a few squares, when he heard the cry of fire, and glancing down a side street which led to the water's edge, he saw a number of men and boys running toward an old house near the water and about a square from where he was standing.
"Guess I'll see what's doing," he thought as he turned and started to run down the street.
Coming opposite the house, which stood somewhat apart by itself, he saw that it was a three-story frame structure, and the flames were already visible through the windows of the first floor, while smoke was pouring from those of the first and second stories.
"It won't last ten minutes," said a man standing next to him, "the walls will fall in before the fire engine gets here."
"Are the people all out?" asked Bob.
"Dunno, guess so. Don't see any one, do you?"
But, at that moment, a figure appeared at a front third-story window and shouted for help. At the sound of the voice, Bob's heart almost stopped beating, and shading his eyes with his hand, he gazed eagerly upward. "It can't be possible," he thought, "but that was Jack's voice sure as guns, and what's more, it looks like him." Just then, the boy gave another wild cry for help.
"My soul, that's Jack," he groaned, "sure as fate. Quick," he shouted, "where's a ladder?"
The cry was taken up by the crowd, and in a minute, a man pushed his way through the crowd, carrying a fairly long ladder. Eager hands seized it and raised it toward the boy, but alas for their hopes, it reached only to the middle of the second story window, too short by nearly eight feet. Bob gave a groan, but just then he saw a store on the opposite side of the street, and rushing across, he darted in. "A coil of rope," he shouted, but there was no one there. Just at that moment, however, a man rushed in, and hearing Bob's cry, darted to the back part of the store, to return almost instantly, dragging about twenty feet of rope after him. Snatching the end of the rope from his hand, Bob rushed back across the street rapidly coiling it as he ran. By the time he reached the foot of the ladder the smoke and flames were pouring from the windows in great clouds and the entire front of the house was tottering.
"Can't do it," shouted a man, "it'll fall before you can get up."
"I'm going to do it anyway," muttered the boy as he started to ascend.
The heat was terrific, and the smoke nearly choked him, but he fought his way upward rung by rung. It seemed that he would never reach the top, as the rungs of the ladder were so hot they fairly blistered his hands and the walls threatened to fall at any moment, but he did it, and bracing himself by putting one foot through the ladder, he grasped one end of the rope in his right hand, holding the coil in his left.
"Now, Jack, catch it," he shouted.
"Great guns, Bob, how'd you get here?"
"Never mind now, catch this rope," and he threw it up toward the window with all the strength he had left, which was not very much. By rare good fortune Jack caught it.
"Quick, now, fasten it to something, this wall won't last much longer."
Jack disappeared for what seemed to Bob a long time, but at last he saw him at the window again.
"I've got it," he shouted.
"All right, now, come down while I hold this end."
Jack swung himself from the window and came down the rope hand over hand and soon had his feet on the top rung of the ladder.
"Now, quick, we haven't a second to lose," cried Bob, as he started to descend. "Are you all right?"
"Sure thing, look out, I'm coming," shouted Jack.
By this time several of the rungs were on fire, and two or three broke as Bob stepped on them, but he managed to keep his hold, and, reaching the ground, looked up to see Jack half way down. But, now the ladder was so weakened that, as the boy stepped on to the next rung, it swayed and broke fairly in two, and at that instant, the entire front of the building fell in with a tremendous crash.
Jack, however, was safe. He had felt the ladder, as well as the wall, going and had managed to throw himself backward away from the burning building. He fell only about eight feet and landed on his feet unhurt. Running quickly back, away from the intense heat, the two boys hugged each other in a frenzy of joy, while the crowd set up a great shout of gladness.
"You saved my life, old man, but for mercy sakes, how did you get here?"
"It's too long a story to tell now," replied Bob, "let's try to get out of this crowd."
Although many tried to detain them, the two boys managed to slip away just as a fire engine, with a great ringing of bells, dashed on to the scene.
CHAPTER XIV.
ON THE KIDNAPPER'S TRAIL.
The two boys were pretty well tired out from the strain through which they had just passed and they both had several bad burns on their hands, which, now that the excitement was over, began to assert themselves. They had not walked far when they saw a small park, where were some benches, and Jack proposed that they sit down and rest up a bit. As he knew that Bob had been taken to Boston, naturally the latter was the more surprised of the two on seeing his brother there, and as soon as they were seated on a bench Bob said:
"Now, Jack, tell me all about it, quick, and then I'll give you an account of my racket."
So Jack, starting from the time Bob disappeared, told him all that had happened. When he reached the point where we left him, he said:
"I tell you what, Bob, when I found that those rascals had varmoused and left me locked in that burning house, I was scared. I pounded on the door and yelled till I was hoarse and when no one came I was about ready to give up. By this time the room was pretty full of smoke, and my eyes smarted so that I could hardly keep them open and the floor was so hot, that I had to fairly dance, and it was getting hotter every minute. I had managed to get my clothes on by this time and started to see if I could kick a hole in the door, but it was too strong and I could make no impression on it."
"Couldn't you cut a hole in it with your knife?" asked Bob.
"I thought of that, but I had lost my knife somewhere. Well, just as I thought that all hope was gone, I remembered that there was a hole about two feet square in the ceiling at one end of the room. It was fully eight feet from the floor, but I took the cot and leaned it against the wall and managed, by climbing up on it, to reach the edge of the opening and climb up through. I found myself in an empty room running the entire length of the house. There was a stairway at the other end and I ran to it, but the smoke was pouring up in clouds and I could see that the stairs were ablaze and the room below full of fire, so I didn't dare to risk it. I thought then it was all up with me, but it was a little cooler up there and I managed to get one of the front windows open, and you know the rest. I tell you, Bob, old man, you never looked so good to me as you did coming up that ladder with the rope in your hand. I think I should have jumped in another two minutes. But, now tell me all about yourself. Where have you been and how did you get away?"
Then Bob gave him a full account of his adventures and when he told how he had hit Reed on the nose, Jack said, "Good enough for him, wish I'd been there." Then, when Bob had finished, he asked, "But why do you suppose Reed pushed me overboard? It must have been he."
"Of course it was," answered Bob, "there's no one else who would do it except King and it couldn't have been he, for he was with me at the time. I suppose he saw you, and thinking you might make trouble for them, he probably thought he would dispose of you."
"I guess that's about the way of it, leastwise, that's the way I figured it out. Hello, there's a cop; suppose we ask him where we are."
They soon learned that they were only about a half mile from the station, and as they were well rested, they decided that they would go there and take the train for their Uncle Ben's in Winthrop.
Reaching the station, they found a train about to leave, and in less than a half hour, they were getting off at Winthrop Beach. Uncle Ben's house was but a few minutes' walk from the station and soon they were ringing the bell, and their Aunt Lucy answered it.
"Why, it's Bob and Jack," she cried as she saw them. "Where did you come from? My, but I'm glad to see you," and without giving them time to speak, she grabbed one in each arm and gave them a good hug and kiss.
"Where's Uncle Ben?" asked Bob as soon as he could get the question in.
"He had to go to the bank, but I expect him out on the next train, as he said he was only going to stay a little while. But there, I'll bet you haven't had any lunch and are as hungry as two young bears. Come right in and we'll have something to eat in less than no time."
"How are all the folks?" asked Aunt Lucy, as they sat down.
"Fine and dandy," replied Jack, "but my goodness, Bob, we must call them up right off. Can I use the 'phone, auntie?"
The 'phone was in the front hall and Jack was gone some little time, but at last he returned. Just as they began to eat, the door opened and Uncle Ben entered the room. He was no less delighted to see the boys than Aunt Lucy had been, and the meal was a merry one. The boys said nothing regarding their adventures till the lunch was over, then Bob said:
"Uncle Ben, we've got quite a long story to tell you."
"Is that so? Well, fire away."
So Bob began and told them all about their adventures. He was interrupted many times by expressions of horror and indignation from Uncle Ben and Aunt Lucy.
"Well, of all the happenings," declared Uncle Ben, when he had finished. "Say, Bob, do you think you can find that house where they had you?"
"Yes, I think so. It was in East Boston, 54 Uhl street. I noticed the number of the house and the street as I ran out."
"That's in one of the worst sections of the city," declared Uncle Ben. "Now, boys, if you are not too tired we must take the next train to the city and report this to the police, and we may be in time to catch them. The scoundrels, they must be caught and punished if possible; it's not safe to have them at large."
Both boys declared that they were not tired, and, as the next train left in about fifteen minutes, they started at once.
In a short time they reached East Boston and took the ferry across.
"It must have been here that I went overboard," said Jack as they were about half way across, and he shuddered as he looked down at the water. "I wouldn't want to go through that again."
"I should say not," said Uncle Ben. "Oh, by the way, Jack, you didn't see either of those fellows round the house after the fire, did you?"
"No, I never thought a thing about them."
"Well, they ought to be found and locked up, for they undoubtedly intended to rob you, and were probably going to make your father pay a big sum of money."
"Yes, I guess that's so," agreed Jack, "but then they saved my life and I'd rather call it square."
"Well, if that's the way you feel about it," said Uncle Ben, "we won't say anything to the captain about them."
Reaching the other side of the harbor, they lost no time in getting a car, which took them to State street, where was the police station of which Uncle Ben's friend was captain.
"Is Captain Long in?" he asked a sergeant, who was sitting at the desk as they entered.
"I think so, sir, please wait a moment and I'll see." Touching a bell on his desk, he ordered the attendant to see if the captain was in his office.
"Right, sir," said the man going out.
He was back in a minute, and telling them that Captain Long would see them at once, conducted them through several rooms into his private office.
"Why, hello Ben," greeted a large broad-shouldered man, wearing the uniform of a police captain, as they were ushered into the room. "Come to give yourself up?"
"Not just yet, Harry. These are my two nephews from Maine," he said, introducing the boys, "I think likely you've seen them around my house, but I guess you've never met them."
The captain expressed himself as pleased to know them, and then motioning them to sit down, asked:
"Now, what can I do for you?"
"Well, Harry," answered Uncle Ben, "these two youngsters have been through enough to turn your hair gray." Then turning to Bob, he said: "Tell him your story as quickly as you can, for every minute may count."
So, for the third time that day Bob gave an account of his kidnapping, only this time he made it as brief as possible. The captain said nothing till he had finished, but they could see that he was not losing a word.
"Give me as careful a description of those two men as you can," he ordered, and Bob obeyed.
"This is indeed serious," said the captain, turning to Mr. Golden when Bob had finished. "I'll bet you my cap that the smaller of the two men is Jim the Penman, and if that's right, he is one of the most wanted men in the country today. Why, there's a reward of $10,000 for him, and that other fellow may be Oily Joe; they have worked together a good bit and are two of the most expert counterfeiters in the world. The two of them have given us a lot of trouble. I'm mighty glad you came to me, although I'm afraid it's too late, as they've probably skipped, but we'll make a try for them and it's possible we may be on time."
He touched a button on his desk, and an officer entered.
"Have the patrol out at once with six of the best men available," he ordered, "Report to me here. Let's see," he said, as the man saluted and retired, "you said 54 Uhl street. That's over across the ferry."
In less than two minutes a knock sounded and at the captain's "come in," six uniformed policemen entered. Quickly, he explained the situation to them and gave his orders.
"The driver will let you out about two squares this side of the house, and I'll be there by the time you are, and tell you how to arrange things."
He gave them the address and saluting, they left the room.
"Don't lose a minute," he shouted as the last man went out.
"Now," said Captain Long, turning to Mr. Golden and the boys, "don't you want to come along with me in my car?"
"We sure do," cried both boys together, and even Uncle Ben seemed no less anxious.
"All right then, this way," and he led them out to the street.
His car, a powerful two-seated machine, stood in front of the station house, the chauffeur dozing on the front seat, but he sprang to activity as he heard the captain's voice.
Quickly, they entered the machine, Captain Long giving the direction to the driver, and just as they started, the patrol whizzed by, the horses at full gallop.
CHAPTER XV.
THE COUNTERFEITER'S DEN.
They passed the patrol just as they reached the ferry and all crossed together. Reaching the other side, the machine soon distanced the patrol, and, after running for about ten minutes, the captain told the driver to stop and the car drew up at the curb.
"The place is only two squares away," he explained, "and we'll wait here for the patrol."
It came dashing up in a few moments and the men got out.
"Now, two of you go round by Clear street, and come up by the back way," ordered the captain, "and two more go up Clover a couple of blocks and then turn down Front, which will bring you to the front of the house. The rest of you wait here a few moments, and then go straight there and we'll follow about a square behind. Now, don't make any noise till we are all there, but if you see any one leave the house, arrest him at once."
Four of the men saluted and started off in the directions ordered, and, after waiting five minutes, the other two left, followed a moment later by the captain and the Goldens. Arriving at the house, they found the four officers there.
"Are the others round back?" asked the captain.
"Yes, sir," answered one of the men.
"See any one?"
"No, sir."
"All right then, you wait here and I'll ring the bell." This he did, but no one answered the summons.
"Guess they've skipped," said one of the men.
After ringing several times, Captain Long said:
"Two of you stay here and the rest of us will go round to the rear, and see if we can get in without smashing a door, and," he added, "keep an eye on those side windows."
They found the two officers waiting at the rear.
"Seen anything?" asked Captain Long.
"Not a thing," was the reply.
They found the back door locked with the key on the inside, and, remarking that he guessed they would have to break a window, the captain took a small diamond glass cutter from his pocket and scratched a circle about six inches in diameter on the window pane, just above the catch. A quick push shoved it in, and reaching his hand through, he soon had the window open.
"Now, Bill," he said, turning to one of the men, "you jump in and unlock the door."
"In a minute they were in the house, and passing through to the front door, admitted the others. Leaving one man on guard at the front door, another at the rear, while a third was stationed in the middle room, the rest made a thorough search of the upper part of the house. But, to their disappointment, they found no one. They returned to the first floor and the captain said:
"Now we'll go down to the basement."
Bob found the room looking about as he had left it earlier in the day, except that King was no longer there. He showed them the cylinder, on which he had been at work, and which he found lying on the floor. They made a careful search of the room, but found nothing of an incriminating nature and were about to return upstairs, when Jack, had been looking over a desk in one corner of the room shouted:
"Come over here a minute, I believe I've found something."
He had noticed a piece of paper lying partly concealed, under one corner of the desk and had moved it slightly to get the paper without tearing it, when he noticed a break in the flooring, and on moving the desk a little farther, he saw a small ring in the floor.
"I believe there's a trap door here," he declared as they came over to where he was.
It was but a moment's work to shove the desk out of the way, and sure enough, there was a trap door about two feet square. One of the officers took hold of the ring, and a second later they were gazing down into a pitch-black hole. Captain Long kneeled down and flashed the light from an electric torch into the space below.
"Jove," he shouted, "here's a find sure enough; I'm going down and the rest of you follow."
It was a large room about twenty feet long by twelve feet wide. The walls were of brick, and so far as they could see, there was no break in them. The room was lighted by several incandescent electric lights, which one of the men had turned on. Looking around, they found that the room contained an electric furnace, such as is used for melting bullion, a small printing press, and several other pieces of machinery, which the captain recognized as pertaining to the making of counterfeit money. They also found several dies for stamping quarters and half dollars, as well as a number of plates for printing bills of ten and twenty dollar denominations. Several pounds of lead and copper, together with a smaller amount of silver and gold was also found.
"I'm mighty sorry that we didn't get the rascals," declared Captain Long, "but this find is well worth our while."
He started to mount the ladder, telling the others to follow him, when a very astonishing thing happened. Suddenly the trap door banged down and at the same time the lights went out, while a mocking laugh sounded from above. Quickly, the captain sprang up the ladder, and bracing himself, pushed with all his strength against the door, but it did not so much as budge.
"We're trapped, sure as fate," he said, as he gave it up and came down the ladder. "Where do you suppose those fellows were hid all the time?"
"They probably had some secret hiding place which we didn't find," declared Mr. Golden.
"I guess that's about the size of it. Here, Bill, I guess you and Fred are the strongest, you two get up on that ladder and see if you can make any impression on that door. I wonder how, in the name of all that's funny, they have fastened it, for I didn't see any lock on it."
The two officers did as ordered, but in spite of their most strenuous efforts, they could make no impression on it. They did, however, make a most decided impression on the ladder, for suddenly it broke near the middle, and the two came tumbling down in a heap. Fortunately, they were not hurt by the fall and laughed as they picked themselves up.
"Well, we're in a pretty fix, sure enough," declared Captain Long. "I should have left one of you on guard, but I never thought of those fellows being in hiding there after the way we searched the place. It's a good thing I left word at the station where we were going, but the rest of the force will sure have the laugh on us."
"Say, do you smell anything?" suddenly asked Bob.
"Seem's though I do," replied two of the officers sniffing.
No one spoke for a moment and then Captain Long said:
"My God, men, that's coal gas and it's getting stronger every minute. Those devils have turned it in here somehow. Quick," he almost shouted, "we've got to get out of here at once or we'll all be dead men in less than ten minutes."
By this time the odor of the gas was very strong and was rapidly getting stronger. Several of the officers were equipped with electric torches, and using them, they made a hurried search of the walls to see if by chance there was any opening which they had overlooked before, but nothing of the kind could they find.
"Gee, but I'm getting sleepy," said one of the men.
"We'll all be worse than sleepy in about a minute," groaned another.
"Well," spoke up Mr. Golden, "It's hard to die penned up like this, but if it's God's will, let us meet it like men."
"Oh, what'll my poor wife and babies do?" groaned the man who had spoken before.
But little more was said. Bob got hold of Jack's hand and whispered:
"It'll be an easy death, old man."
"I know," replied Jack. "I'm not afraid, but I do wish we could see the folks."
The deadly gas was rapidly getting in it's work, and three of the officers were already stretched on the floor, while the others were breathing heavily. Bob's head was swimming and he knew that he would be unconscious in another moment. He stretched himself out on the floor, putting one arm around the neck of Jack, who was already lying down. The other arm he stretched out along the floor, and as he did so, suddenly his fingers felt an iron ring. Hardly knowing what he did, he began to pull on it. To his surprise, he felt it give, and summoning all his remaining strength, he rose to his knees and gave a quick yank to it. A trap door opened, letting in a rush of cool fresh air. It partially revived him and he shouted.
Only Mr. Golden and the captain were conscious, and they dragged themselves, as quickly as possible, to the opening.
The inrush of air had cleared the gas away from the open door somewhat, and Mr. Golden had strength enough to whisper:
"You and the captain go down the hole quickly and I'll try to pass the others down to you."
Quickly lowering himself over the edge, Bob found himself in a passage way about three feet wide where the air was perfectly fresh, and coming through with a strong draft. He felt much stronger at once. In an instant, the captain had followed him, dragging Jack with him.
"I'm afraid we'll never be able to get them all out," he gasped, "but this draft is carrying the gas out and it's not so bad as it was."
Mr. Golden succeeded in dragging two of the men to the opening, where they were grabbed by Bob and the captain, and dragged a few feet along the passageway. But now his strength gave out, and as Bob grabbed the third man and pulled him through, Mr. Golden fell unconscious half way through the opening. The captain caught him and dragged him through and Bob said:
"I'll get the rest."
Without waiting for a reply, he lifted himself through the opening, an electric torch in his hand. The gas had been driven out so that it was not so very bad, and he soon succeeded in getting the last man out. As he again lowered himself through the opening, he closed the trap door after him. Jack and three of the men, as well as Mr. Golden had, by this time, somewhat revived, and in a short time two others came to and were able to sit up, but the last one brought out still lay as one dead.
"Now, let's see where this passage leads to," said Captain Long, "but two of you stay with Ed and keep moving his arms up and down and I guess he'll come round all right."
The rest started forward, by the light of their torches, and after walking about a block, they came to a flight of stone steps. Mounting these they found themselves in the kitchen of an old house, which seemed to be deserted.
"Two of you fellows go back and get the rest and we'll wait here," ordered Captain Long.
In a short time they returned with the others. The man called Ed had revived, but was not able to walk, and two of the officers had carried him through the passageway.
"We were certainly fortunate to get out of that alive," declared Uncle Ben, solemnly.
"Indeed we were," agreed Captain Long. "If Bob hadn't hit on that ring just when he did, we'd all been past help by this time." Then, turning to the officers, he asked, "How are you fellows feeling now?"
All declared that they were all right, with the exception of Ed, who was still pretty weak.
"All right then, one of you take him to the patrol and the rest of us will go back to that house and see if we can find those fellows this time."
CHAPTER XVI.
BUT THE BIRDS HAD FLOWN.
As they were on the way back to the house, Jack turned to Bob, who was walking beside him and said:
"I hope to goodness that our adventures for today are about through. I tell you what, coming so near to death twice in one day is a bit too strenuous to suit me."
They soon reached the house and entered by the front door, which they found unlocked, with drawn revolvers. The room smelled strongly of gas, but they quickly opened the windows, and it was soon nearly all driven out. They searched the house as before, but with no success and finally came to the laboratory. Here the gas was pretty bad, but one of the officers soon found where it was turned on and shut it off. They were, however, unable to find the secret hiding place of the counterfeiters, although they searched for some time. At last the captain said:
"Well, I guess we'll have to give it up for now, but I'm going to leave two of you men here to keep watch, and I'll send some one to relieve you as soon as I get back to the station." Then, turning to Mr. Golden, "We might as well be going now, I'm not going to have that stuff down there removed till tomorrow."
On their way back Bob said that they must take the night train for home, as their parents would be anxious to see them, but Uncle Ben said:
"Your Aunt Lucy and I intended to run down to Skowhegan in a few days anyway, and if you'll wait till morning, we'll all go together in the car. We'll telephone as soon as we get back to the house and then we'll get an early start tomorrow. What do you say?"
The boys eagerly agreed to this plan, and by the time it was settled they were at the ferry where they said goodby to Captain Long.
The latter went at once to the station house and sent out a general alarm for the apprehension of the counterfeiters, but we will say here that they were not caught.
On their way to Winthrop, Uncle Ben asked the two boys to say nothing to Aunt Lucy regarding their narrow escape, as it would worry her, and they promised to be careful and not let it out in her hearing.
It was nearly suppertime when they reached home, and Jack at once called up his father and told him of their plans, while Bob gave his aunt an account of their afternoon's trip, carefully avoiding, however, any mention of their being locked in the counterfeiter's den.
"It's too bad they escaped," she said when he had finished.
Uncle Ben then told her of their plans for the morrow, and she said she guessed she could get ready in time, although it was pretty short notice.
As the boys were very tired after such a strenuous day, they were in bed before nine o'clock.
"We want to be off by six o'clock," shouted Uncle Ben, as they went up stairs, "and I'll have to pull you out by five."
"All right," answered Jack, "we'll be ready."
After they were undressed they did not forget to kneel down by the bed and thank their heavenly Father for His care over them.
"George, but this has been some exciting day," declared Jack as he tumbled into bed, closely followed by Bob. "I don't think I would care to go through that mess again."
"I should say not," agreed Bob, "we might not get off so lucky next time. I don't believe we'll ever be any nearer death again, till our time comes, than we were this afternoon."
"I guess you're right there," then suddenly, "Say, Bob, do you suppose we've seen the last of those two fellows?"
"Hard to tell, but I sure hope so. I'd feel a good bit better if we'd caught them this afternoon."
"Same here," came sleepily from Jack.
They were too tired to talk any longer and were soon fast asleep.
They were still sleeping soundly, when a little before five o'clock, their uncle awoke them.
"It's too bad to wake you, boys," he said, "but breakfast is almost ready, and we've got to be off in about an hour."
They were soon dressed and running downstairs found a hearty breakfast awaiting them, to which they did full justice.
Mr. Golden's car was a big roomy Lozier, and by six o'clock they were off. They took the chauffeur with them, although the boys, taking turns, drove the greater part of the way. They reached Portland by eleven o'clock, and stopped there for dinner. When nearly to Waterville, about twenty-five miles from the cottage, a tire blew out, but as this was their only mishap, they did not complain, and a new one was quickly substituted. The run up from the latter city was made in a little over an hour, and they reached the cottage shortly after six o'clock. The boys were greeted as heroes by their parents and the girls, and there was great rejoicing over their safe return, old Mike coming in for his share, the tears fairly rolling down his cheeks as he grasped their hands saying:
"Begorra and I always did say you byes had more lives nor a cat, and all ways were sure to land on your fate."
While eating supper, Bob and Jack in turn, gave a full account of their adventures, except that they said nothing about being so nearly killed by gas, and their mother's face paled as she realized how nearly she had lost one, if not both of her boys. When they had finished, their father said:
"We must keep a sharp lookout for those rascals, although I hardly think they will dare to show up here again."
"Say, dad," asked Jack, "where's that detective?"
"We haven't seen or heard from him since you left," answered his father.
Uncle Ben agreed with his brother that the boys should be very careful, saying:
"There's been a lot in the papers about those fellows, that is if they're the ones we think they are, and they have a reputation for daring that has seldom been equaled."
"Well," remarked Bob, "I hope they keep away, as I've had all of their company that I care about for a while at least."
"Same here," agreed Jack, "but I say, it's mighty funny what's got that Sharp detective."
He had hardly spoken when the doorbell rang, and as the maid opened it the detective walked in. When he saw Bob his eyes stuck out, as Jack after expressed it, as large as saucers.
"Well, I'll be blowed," he cried, "where in the world did you come from?"
And then the story had to be told over again.
"Well, I'll be blessed," uttered the detective, when they had finished, "Guess I'm getting too old for a job of this kind. Here I've been working night and day, and have scoured the country for a distance of twenty miles in every direction, and didn't get a smell, and you," turning to Jack, "find him first whack off the reel."
"I didn't find him," declared Jack, "He found me," and he added, "it was a mighty lucky find for me."
Mr. Sharp seemed very much downcast, but Mr. Golden assured him that he was sure that he had done all that any one could have done.
"You, of course, didn't know that he had been taken to Boston, and the two boys meeting as they did was a coincidence, which wouldn't happen twice in a thousand years. No, you needn't reproach yourself in the least."
After this the detective felt much better, but remarked that it was the third time in his twenty years as a detective that he had been beaten.
Uncle Ben then proposed that they take a run across the lake in the Sprite and get their trunk, which they had sent by express, and which ought to be at the hotel. The women folks decided that they wouldn't go, so Mr. Golden, Uncle Ben, Mr. Sharp, who wanted to catch the night train for Boston, and the two boys, composed the crew.
"So that's the wonderful cell that all the trouble has been about, is it?" asked Uncle Ben, as they started. "Well, it certainly is a big thing and I'm proud of you boys."
On the way across, they told Mr. Golden of their narrow escape in the counterfeiter's den, and why they had kept silent about it at the table. He shuddered, as he realized how near death they had been and said that they had done just right in not letting their mother and aunt know about it, and Mr. Sharp declared that he was going to take up the search for them as soon as he got to Boston.
They obtained the trunk, and saying goodby to the detective and wishing him good luck, started back for the cottage, which they reached about nine o'clock, and, as they were all tired, they soon retired for the night.
The boys spent the next day sailing on the lake with the girls, while their father and uncle went down to Skowhegan, having some business to attend to. Late in the afternoon the four young people went fishing and, in a short time, caught a good mess which they had for supper.
That night, as the boys were getting ready for bed, Jack suddenly said:
"I say, Bob, what's the trouble with fitting up our motorcycles with electric motors and running them with the cells?"
"Just the thing! Wonder why we didn't think of that before."
"Huh, that's easy, guess we've had our minds fairly full of something else, lately."
"That's a fact, we have," agreed Bob, "We'll go down on the wheels, first thing in the morning and see what we can do. I guess likely we can get the motors at Watson's, and if we can make it a go, we'll have some bikes."
Right after breakfast the next morning, they got their motorcycles out and in less than fifteen minutes, were in Watson's store in Skowhegan. Fortunately, he had two small motors, of ten horsepower each, on hand, which seemed to the boys to be just what they wanted, and asking him to send them up to the house at once, they were soon in the laboratory hard at work.
"You start on a couple sets of caps, Jack, and I'll get the electrolysis apparatus going and fill a few cylinders," Bob had said as soon as they got there. By noon, Jack had the caps done, as he had everything at hand to work with and knew how to do it, and by five o'clock, they had taken the engines apart and had the wheels all ready for the installation of the motors.
"Come on now and get washed up," called Bob, as he shut down the dynamo and took out two cylinders, which, he was pleased to see, were full. "That's eight we've filled today, but come get a move, we must catch that five o'clock car or we'll be late to supper."
Edna and May met them at the wharf, in the Sprite, and by six-thirty they were eating supper and telling the family about their day's work.
CHAPTER XVII.
THE NEW ELECTRIC MOTORCYCLE.
Bright and early the next morning found the boys hard at work again. They were very skillful at this kind of work, and by three o'clock the motors were clamped in place, the cylinders installed and everything ready for a tryout. The current was turned on by twisting the left-hand grip and, as that controlled the entire running part, it was very simple.
"My goodness, Bob," said Jack, as he straightened up, after making the last connection, "I'll bet these machines don't weigh more than half as much as they did before."
"No, I guess they don't. These motors are very light compared with the gasoline engines, and they're what made the most of the weight. Now, let's take them out on the road and see how they'll go."
Wheeling the machines out by the basement door, they were soon on the road in front of the house.
"Well, here goes," cried Jack, jumping into the saddle and giving the grip a slight turn.
Off he went up the road, followed a moment later by Bob. The wheels ran perfectly and with no noise except the low humming of the motors, which could be heard, but a few feet away. They were going at about twenty-five miles an hour and were using but a small part of their power.
"Say, old man," shouted Bob, as he rode up beside his brother, "this is going some, eh?"
"It sure is," was the reply. "It beats the old gasoline engines all to pieces. I wonder how fast they will go?"
"Shouldn't wonder if they would hit a hundred, but there's a good stretch, let's let 'em out a little and see what they'll do."
Slowly twisting the grips, they increased their speed till Bob declared that they were going fully a mile a minute, which he declared was plenty fast enough for him. But, even then they had not used nearly all their power. They were delighted with the result of their work, and as they slowed down, Jack said:
"This must be about the next thing to flying."
"I guess it is," agreed Bob, "but next summer if father'll let us, we'll do some real flying. I say, son, do you realize what these cells will mean to an airplane? Just think of the great decrease in weight and the increase in power."
"Sure thing," replied Jack, no less enthusiastically, "but we better be getting back now."
They had ridden some five or six miles out into the country and were passing through a piece of woods, but now brought their wheels to a stop just after rounding a curve in the road.
"Yes, I guess we had better be getting back," agreed Bob, "It's nearly four now," he added, looking at his watch. "Let's see how long it takes us; we ought to make it in about eight minutes."
They had just started to mount their wheels, when they heard a shrill cry and the rapid pounding of a horse's hoofs, and before they had time to ask themselves what it was, a light carriage, drawn by a spirited horse going at full gallop, dashed round the curve. The carriage, which was swaying from side to side of the road, held a young girl, and it was evident that she had lost control of the horse. So quickly had it happened, that the boys barely had time to get their wheels out of the way as the horse dashed past.
"It's Evelyn Nason," gasped Bob, as he recovered his wits, "and did you see one of the reins was broken? Come, we've got to catch her."
They quickly mounted their wheels and turned on the power, but Bob's wheel failed to respond. With a cry of dismay he got off, shouting to Jack, who was already some distance away.
"Something's wrong with my wheel; go after her."
But Jack was out of hearing and without looking back, he faced after the runaway, which was dashing down the road in a cloud of dust. He knew that about a mile farther on, there was a very steep hill, at the foot of which ran a wide brook, and here the road made a sharp turn before it led over a narrow bridge. The bridge was a high one, as the stream ran through a deep gully, and unless the turn was made safely, he knew that horse and carriage would be dashed over a stone abutment to the stream, several feet below, as there was only a very flimsy fence by the roadside at this point. All this ran through Jack's mind as he raced along, and he realized that if he was to do any good he must catch the team before it reached the top of this hill. Turning on still more power, he was soon almost flying along the road, and in a short time was alongside the carriage.
As he passed it, he stood up in the saddle, leaning forward, his hands still grasping the handle grips. He was now opposite the horse's head, and quickly shutting off the power, he straightened up, stood on the saddle, and leaped with all his might for the head of the maddened brute. His leap was true and he caught the bridle near the bit with both hands and hanging on with a bull-dog grip, gradually brought the horse to a stop right on the brow of the hill.
"I—I guess you had better get out now," he gasped, still holding the horse by the bridle.
The girl, who was about fifteen and very pretty, obeyed.
"Oh, Jack," she cried, as she got on to the ground, "I never was so scared in my life, and you have saved me. If Prince had gone down that awful hill I'd have been killed sure."
"I guess it's more than likely, Evelyn, but how did it happen?"
"Why, just before I got to that turn in the road, where you were, Prince shied at a piece of paper that blew across the road, and I yanked on the reins. One of them broke and, of course, after that I had no control of him, and I didn't know what to do. I set out to jump, but he was going so fast that I didn't dare to."
By this time, Bob had ridden up, having located the trouble with his wheel, which was only a wire that had slipped from a connection.
"You got him, did you, Jack, old fellow? I knew you'd do it if any one could," he shouted, as he dismounted.
"Indeed he did," said Evelyn, "and it was the bravest thing I ever saw. Why, he stood right up in the saddle and jumped! I never saw anything like it."
They found that a buckle where the rein was fastened to the bit had given way, and by means of some stout cord, which Bob had in his pocket, it was soon temporarily repaired.
Evelyn Nason was a friend of the Goldens, and the two families were very intimate. Jack had long been her particular hero, and now, more than ever; it was natural that she should think there was none like him.
"You'll have to drive me back, Jack," she now declared, "I'm so nervous I'd never dare to drive back alone."
"All right, wait till I turn him around."
The horse, which now seemed quiet enough, was soon turned, and Evelyn and Jack got in the carriage. Bob mounted his wheel, and holding Jack's by one hand, started off ahead.
Mr. Nason was on the porch waiting for them. He had seen Bob riding home with Jack's wheel, and naturally had asked him where his brother was, and Bob told him what had happened.
As her father helped Evelyn out of the carriage, tears came into his eyes as he kissed her, saying:
"Bob told me all about it, dear."
"Oh, papa, Jack saved my life. Wasn't he splendid?"
"My dear boy," cried Mr. Nason, as he grasped Jack's head, "you saved my little girl and I shall never forget it. It was a very brave act."