CHAPTER XXIX
HOOKER MONTGOMERY'S REVELATION
"What do you want?" demanded Nat, and his voice trembled a little, for he realized that he was cornered.
"In the first place, I think you'll have to restore Phil's missing gym. shoe," remarked Dave dryly. "How about it, Phil?"
"That's so," answered the shipowner's son.
"I've got the shoe in my closet," growled Nat. "It dropped out when I was packing the box. I'll get it now."
"No, you don't!" cried Shadow. "You can get the shoe any time. We will settle the rest of this affair before you leave."
"I—er—I don't understand?" stammered the money-lender's son. "You've got your shoes back. What more do you want? Can't you stand for a joke?"
"Not that kind of a joke, Nat. You put me in a false light—made everybody think I had walked off with the shoes in my sleep—and you made the whole crowd buy new shoes. We ought to make you pay that bill."
"I won't pay a cent! You—you've got the new shoes."
"Well, you've got to settle with me anyway," went on Shadow, firmly. "You can take your choice of two things. If you won't explain to the whole crowd how the thing happened, and won't apologize to me, why I'm going to give you a sound thrashing, that's all."
"Humph!"
"No 'humph' about it. You can take your choice."
"I won't apologize to you, or to anybody."
"Then you'll get a sound thrashing, Nat Poole."
"I am not afraid of you!"
"You won't apologize?"
"No!"
"Very well, then. Remember, I am going to give you the thrashing of your life the very first chance I get," declared Shadow, and then, without another word he left the "den," and Dave and Phil went with him.
"Are you going to do what you just said, Shadow?" questioned Phil.
"Indeed I am! I'll teach him that he can't put off his dirty tricks on me!" declared the sleepwalker.
"When will you meet him?"
"I don't know. I'll lay for him some day when he goes to town."
"He'll keep out of your way most likely," declared Dave.
"Never mind, I'll catch him some time," declared Shadow, grimly.
A little later the missing shoe was returned to Phil. Nat Poole showed himself only during class hours, and it was plain to see that Shadow's threat had scared him. He and Bolton talked of "squaring up" with Dave, Shadow, and the others, but nothing came of the discussion.
"You are not afraid of Hamilton, are you?" asked Bolton of Nat.
"Of course I ain't!" cried the money-lender's son.
"Then why don't you challenge him to a regular fight?"
"Why, I—er—that is, it wouldn't do," stammered Nat. " Shadow would be just mean enough to let one of the teachers or the doctor hear about it, and I might be expelled. My father has been very strict lately, so I don't dare do anything to worry him. But if he attacks me I'll defend myself, don't you fear!" added Nat, boastfully. It may be added here that Nat and Shadow met the very next afternoon, back of the boathouse, and though the money-lender's son tried to get away, Shadow pounced upon him and knocked him down, and ended up by blackening Nat's left eye, and making his nose bleed. Later on, Nat tried to "square himself" with his friends by stating that Shadow had attacked him while he was feeling sick, but it is doubtful if anybody believed this statement.
By Wednesday the storm cleared away, and the air became clear and bracing. Word was sent in from Rockville that, unless another storm followed, the ice on the river would be cleared off for the game of hockey as scheduled.
"Well, we must get into practice," said Dave, and that very afternoon a portion of the river near the Oak Hall boathouse was scraped clear, and the seven got to work, under the eyes of Mr. Dodsworth and Andrew Dale.
"Rockville will do its best to win," said Roger. "If for no other reason than to wipe out the football defeat."
"And we must do our best to down 'em!" cried Dave.
"I am going for a sleigh ride to-morrow," announced Phil. "I've hired a big sleigh from Oakdale, and I want the whole bunch to go."
"Bully for Phil!" cried Ben. "A sleigh ride will suit me first-rate."
"Where will you go?" asked Shadow.
"I thought of going to Hopperville and back. That is about as far as we can go between four o'clock and ten. I'll telephone to the Hopperville Hotel to have supper ready for us."
"Phil, you're a brick!" cried Roger.
"Will the doctor let us go?" asked Ben.
"Yes, I asked him before I hired the sleigh."
The thought of a sleigh ride was a pleasant one, and Phil had little difficulty in making up a party of eight, including Roger, Dave, and Ben.
"It will be moonlight," said Dave. "And that will make the riding extra fine."
It was a merry crowd that climbed into the big sleigh on the following afternoon. The turnout was filled with straw, so that they might keep warm, and was drawn by four good horses.
"Now then, let her go!" cried Phil, and the driver cracked his whip, and they were off, the envy of all the students who had been left behind.
The road to Hopperville lay through Oakdale and Rockville, and as each town was passed the boys set up a cheer and blew the horns that had been brought along. Some folks cheered them in return, and just as they were leaving the town where the military academy was located, some cadets rushed from around a corner and pelted them with snowballs.
"Never mind!" yelled Roger, as he dodged. "You'll get yours next Saturday!"
It was dark by the time Hopperville was reached and all of the boys were glad enough to jump out of the sleigh and go into the hotel to warm up before sitting down to supper. The horses and the turnout were taken around to the stables.
The hotel was located on a corner, and across the side street was another hotel—a resort that did not bear a particularly good reputation. It had a bar attached to it, and it was whispered that sporty men often went to the resort to gamble.
The reading-room of one hotel faced the other, and as Dave, Roger, and Phil entered one apartment they noticed that the one across the way was lit up, and that the window curtains had not been lowered. Then Dave gave a sudden cry of surprise.
"Look at that man over there, Phil!"
"Why, it is Doctor Montgomery!" answered the shipowner's son.
"Montgomery!" cried Roger. "I thought he had cleared out from these parts."
"I am going over to talk to him," said Dave.
"Want us to go along?" came from both of the others.
"You might as well."
"Say, why don't you scare him?" suggested Phil. "If you do that, you may get him to tell all about the plot against you."
"Oh, I'll do that—don't fear," answered Dave.
As supper would not be ready for half an hour, the three lads excused themselves, and hurried across the street. They found Hooker Montgomery still alone, reading a sensational newspaper.
"Well, doctor, how are you?" said Dave, coolly, as he dropped in a chair beside the so-styled physician.
"Why—ah—who—ahem!—where did you come from?" stammered Hooker Montgomery. He was so taken back that he knew not what to say. He had not dreamed that Dave and his chums would visit Hopperville, which was somewhat out of the regular line of travel.
"I guess you didn't think I'd find you," continued Dave.
"Were you—ahem!—looking for me?" asked the doctor, weakly. And now the boys noticed that he looked more dissipated than ever, and that his garments were decidedly shabby.
"See here, Doctor Montgomery, I am not going to beat around the bush with you," said Dave, sternly. "You played me a mean trick, and you know that I can put you in prison for it."
"Why, I—ahem!—I—that is"
"You kidnapped me, and that is a serious offense."
"No! no! I did nothing of the sort!" cried the man, and his face showed actual misery. "Oh, Porter, don't blame me for it! I made a big mistake! I was a fool to listen to those others! But I needed money—times were very hard and they said it was only a schoolboy trick—that is, that is what they said first. But afterwards" The pretended doctor did not finish.
"Who said it was a trick?"
"Those two young men, Merwell and Jasniff. They were angry at you because of something of which I know nothing. They wanted to get you in their power for a lark—that was the story they first told. They promised me twenty dollars if I would aid them—and I never got a cent—not a cent!" added Hooker Montgomery, almost tearfully. "Oh, don't prosecute me! I am down and out! My practice has been ruined—some folks even want me arrested for practicing without a state certificate—and those rascals never came to my aid! And after all I did for them!"
Dave was a good judge of character, and he saw at once that Hooker Montgomery was assuredly in a pitiable condition. Drink had made him lose his practice and his ability to induce people to buy his medicines, and now he had relied upon Merwell and Jasniff to aid him, and they had failed to do so. Evidently the man was not so much of a rascal as he was weak-minded.
"So Merwell and Jasniff promised to pay you if you aided them?" said Dave.
"Yes."
"But you got me to come to your boardinghouse."
"So I did, but it was those two fellows who put me up to it."
"Where did Shime come in?"
"Oh, he only furnished the auto for a consideration. He was under Jasniff's thumb—and now he is down and out, too."
"You say it was the plot of Jasniff and Merwell to get me in their power. Why did they want to do this?"
"If I tell you, Mr. Porter, will you—ahem!—will you prosecute me?" asked Hooker Montgomery, tremblingly.
"I may prosecute you if you don't tell me."
"As I said before, I didn't understand their plot at first. They said it was only a schoolboy trick. But it was not,—as I found out later. It was a villainous plan to get you into serious trouble."
"What trouble?"
"I don't know all of the particulars, but I know some. From that old stone building you were to be taken to some town near by. I heard them say something about breaking into a jewelry factory, and you were to be drugged and left in the factory. I think they were going to make it appear as if you had broken into the factory, and that an explosion to blow open a safe had stunned you."
"Can that be true?" burst from Roger.
"What cold-blooded plotting?" was Phil's comment.
"I can't give you any details, for I was—ahem!—sick at the time and did not quite understand," went on Hooker Montgomery, and Dave reasoned, and rightfully, that he had been under the influence of liquor. "Of course, they'll deny the whole thing. But that is what they plotted to do to you."
"Where are Merwell and Jasniff now? Do you know?"
"Yes, they are in this town. That is why I came here—to see them and get some money, if I could, for I am dead broke. But they wouldn't see me."
"Here!" cried Dave, in astonishment. "Where?"
"At the residence of one of Merwell's relatives, on the other side of town. Do you want to see them?" And a sudden look of interest dawned in Hooker Montgomery's fishy eyes.
"I do."
"Going to have it out with them?"
"Yes."
"Good for you, sir! I'll show you where you can find them!"