CHAPTER XXV
FROM RANCH TO RICHES
Bob asked many questions about his father on the ride to Red Top, learning that he had died from pneumonia; that his mother had died soon after Bob was born, and that it had been his father's dying request that he be sent to New York, where he could grow up and receive the education he himself had been denied. But their arrival at Red Top put an end to their conversation and they turned to the matter at hand.
As the citizens saw Bob's pursuers return captives they were amazed, and when they learned the reason they expressed in no uncertain terms their anger at having been made to chase an innocent boy.
At the jail, the forged deed and other papers that were to be used in stealing John Ford's ranch away from him were found on the prisoners and were filed away to be used against them at the trial.
To one or two of his firm friends, the ranchman introduced Bob, and sincere were their expressions of delight both at meeting him and in knowing that he was to come into his own. Ford, however, swore them to silence, for there were some of the townsfolk who had supported Dardus in his lawsuit, and neither the ranchman nor Bob wished a word of his presence to leak out till they had perfected their plans for bringing the dishonest guardian to book.
"But your boys know it, John, and so do the prisoners," asserted one of these friends.
"My boys won't talk about it," declared the ranchman. "I'll see to that. If the prisoners do, you all can say the story is absurd, probably another of their plots to steal another ranch."
This decided, the grizzled plainsman summoned his cowboys, explained the situation briefly, and offered them a year's wages for their silence, which they promised when Bob added his entreaties.
But to prevent any possible miscarriage of their plans, Bob wrote his discoveries to Mr. Nichols, mailing the letter before he left Red Top. These details attended to, Ford borrowed a horse for Bob, and they set out for the home ranch, which they reached in due course.
Leaving Merry Dick on Bob's station, Ford and Bob rode on to Fairfax, where they held a long consultation with the station agent, at which it was decided that Bob and the ranchman should both go on to New York to obtain restitution from Len Dardus. And, with much hurrying, they prepared to leave Fairfax the next night.
Thomas asked and obtained permission from Mr. Nichols for the east-bound limited to stop at the way-station, and when Higgins and the others saw the ranchman and Bob on the platform, they were consumed with curiosity.
"Kidnappin' John?" asked Higgins of Bob.
But no satisfaction did he receive, the boy replying:
"My sentiments about answering questions haven't changed since the first morning we met, Mr. Higgins."
And while the others were laughing at their crony's discomfiture, the train arrived and the two travelers boarded it, with the well wishes of the agent ringing in their ears.
At Kansas City Mr. Nichols joined them, saying he had decided to go on to New York, where they would meet Mr. Perkins, both being determined to bring Bob into his own.
A happy party they made, Bob recounting his experiences, Ford adding his dry comments, and Mr. Nichols enjoying the boy's development and manliness.
As they were rehearsing the story for the twentieth time, Mr. Nichols asked:
"Have you learned, Bob, who the man with the scar is?"
"What sort of a scar?" demanded the ranchman, before the boy could answer. And as Bob described it, he exclaimed:
"That's Knuckles, your father's old foreman!"
"Good. I'll find him and take him back with me," returned Bob; "that is, if things come out right."
"Don't worry about that," smiled Mr. Nichols knowingly. And when they arrived in New York and met Mr. Perkins, these words were explained, for Bob's patrons had set detectives at work and had learned all there was to be learned about Len Dardus, even to the banks in which he kept his money, and how much he had.
After holding a consultation and marshaling their evidence, it was decided to call in two members of the city detective force, and upon their arrival, the party set out for the grocery store where Bob had passed so many unhappy days.
No one was about when the six men entered, and, leaving Bob alone, the others withdrew to the corners of the store where the shadows practically hid them.
The proprietor had heard the footsteps, however, and shuffled from his private office.
No farther did he get than the threshold before he saw and recognized Bob.
"You!" he gasped, turning pale. "What do you want here?"
"I want the money you have stolen from me, Len Dardus! I want my father's ranch in Red Top back. I want you to say you lied when you said my father was crazy when he died!"
The tone in which the boy spoke was cold and bitter. Yet, instead of terrifying the storekeeper, it caused him to laugh as he exclaimed: "You can't blackmail me, you ungrateful young wretch! Get out of here, before I call the police! I steal your money, indeed! Insanity seems to run in the Chester family!"
"Do you think so, Len Dardus?" demanded the ranchman, suddenly emerging from the shadow.
"John Ford!" gasped the storekeeper, his bravado deserting him at the sight of this friend of Bob's father.
"Yes; John Ford," retorted the ranchman in a voice that cut like steel. "You remember when you won your lawsuit with that will you forged? I told you I should trap you some day. That day has come!"
At these words, the others stepped forth.
From one to another, Dardus looked, then demanded in a terrified voice:
"What—what do you want?"
"We want justice for Bob Chester," said Mr. Perkins.
"We want you to give him every cent you have in bank except the five hundred dollars you had when Horace Chester died. We want you to sign this paper admitting that you forged the will bequeathing you the ranch in Red Top. We want you to acknowledge you lied when you told Bob his father was insane."
"And if I refuse?"
"You go to jail, and we take the money and ranch."
"But I have no money," whimpered Dardus.
"Lying won't help you. We know every cent you have in bank and where it is. Here's the confession, sign it first."
Glancing from one to another, the storekeeper seemed to seek an avenue of escape.
"Officers, if this man does not sign this paper within two minutes, arrest him," exclaimed Mr. Perkins.
Quickly the detectives moved one to either side of Len Dardus.
"All right, I'll sign," he moaned, sinking into a chair.
And, after reading the words admitting his guilt, he affixed his name.
"Now, tell Bob you lied to him about his father."
"Horace—Chester—was—not—insane."
"Good, I am glad you are reasonable. Now, come with us in our automobile and withdraw the money you have in the banks."
Realizing resistance was vain, Dardus obeyed.
At each bank the boy's benefactors compared their private notes with the amounts the storekeeper withdrew, and, when the task was ended, Bob had fifty thousand dollars in addition to the ranch.
As they emerged from the last bank, however, they did not take the storekeeper into their car, but left him standing on the steps, the picture of woe.
"Now, we'll have a good dinner," announced Mr. Nichols.
During the meal the men who had been so kind to Bob asked him what he intended to do.
"Go back to the ranch and live with John Ford," was the boy's ready reply.
"Yes. We're going into partnership," added the grizzled plainsman.
"And whenever you want a rest or some hunting, there'll be two ranches at your disposal," chimed in Bob, to the railroad magnates.
Before the boy returned to the West, he gave a hundred-dollar bill to Nellie Porter, the waitress who had befriended him, and he also found Knuckles, who was overjoyed to resume his position as foreman of the Chester ranch.
The firm of Ford & Chester prospered. Many times did Mr. Perkins and Mr. Nichols, as well as Jack Foster, the reporter, visit the partners, continuing to exercise a kindly interest in their welfare, and especially the welfare of Bob Chester.
THE END