CHAPTER XV
THE CAPTURE—CONCLUSION
"The mischief!" cried Bob.
"Schoolhouse burning up!" echoed Sammy. "That's big news."
"Come on, fellows!" ordered Frank, making a rush down the road.
"Don't wait for me," said Tom. "I'm too fat to run fast."
"Say, I don't see any blaze," spoke Bob.
"No, but look—everybody is putting for the schoolhouse!" cried Sammy.
This was true. In the dim dusk they could see men, women and children rushing in the direction of the schoolhouse. They could hear the man who had told the news, and others, shouting nearer to the center of the village.
The news seemed to spread like wildfire. Just as the boys joined the procession hurrying to the schoolhouse, they caught the echo of a great clanging and clatter.
"They've got the hose-cart out," said Bob.
"The schoolhouse is on fire!" cried Sammy.
"Sure enough," added Frank.
They were now in full sight of the school building. From one end a great volume of smoke was pouring out of the windows. Then, just as they bounded over the fence, one of a dozen men already come upon the scene, ran at a door and kicked it in.
At once the flames came out in a sheet. Some one shouted for buckets. Bob knew where there was one under the school building, in use when people drove to the school and wanted to water their horses. He got it out quickly and ran to the pump.
"Help me, Frank," he called.
Frank and Sammy took turns in pumping. Bob ran with the pail to a man at the broken-in door. The man threw the water inside and Bob went back after more water. Then two men arrived with buckets from the nearest house, and soon half a dozen pails were in use.
Men took the place of the boys and crowded them out of service, but they had done their part.
"What's that, now?" spoke Bob, as, rounding the building, they came to the little addition to the main school building, used as a storeroom.
"Why," shouted Sammy, "there's some one inside!"
"It looks so," spoke Frank, in wonder. Bang, clatter, crash!—the rear window of the storeroom was smashed out from inside. A man leaped into view. He must have been sleeping in the place, and the fire must have started between the storeroom and the schoolhouse door. He could not get past it, and had broken out that way.
The flames showed the man plainly. He was a stranger to Fairview, and had a green patch over one eye. As he jumped from the window he stumbled and fell to the ground. He was on his feet at once. Then he started to run away from the spot.
"Say, I know him!" cried Bob.
"Who is it?" asked Frank.
"One of the robbers!"
"You don't say so!" spoke Sammy.
"Stop that man—stop that man!" yelled Bob at the top of his voice.
He and his friends ran after the fellow. The rascal's way was blocked, and he was caught and held by two men who had heard Bob's cries.
"Aha! I who are you?" demanded one of the captors.
"I'm only a poor tramp. Went into the schoolhouse to get warm."
"He's one of the men who robbed Mr. Haven's jewelry store," declared Bob, excitedly.
"Is that so!" exclaimed the man's captor.
"Yes, it is."
"Bob, here comes the marshal," spoke Frank just then.
"And the hose-cart," added Sammy.
Bob ran to meet the marshal. He told much that made the officer very anxious to take the man with the green shade over one eye in charge. The hose-cart men soon attacked the fire, which had been caused by some hot coals falling on the floor from the big stove in the schoolroom. Soon the blaze was put out.
"You stay with me, Bob," said the marshal, keeping tight hold of his prisoner. "I want to question this fellow. You seem to know more about him than any one else."
The marshal led the man to the nearest house. Its owner took them into a sitting-room.
"Now, then, Bob," said the marshal, "you are, sure this is the man you saw with two satchels the night you told me about?"
"Yes, sir, I am," replied Bob.
"My man," asked the marshal, "what did you do with those satchels?"
"I'm not going to get myself into trouble by telling," replied the robber, sullenly.
"You're in pretty bad trouble already, if you only knew it," said the marshal.
"Well, supposing I tell?"
"It will be the easier for you."
"I didn't break into the jewelry store."
"Who did?"
"My partner."
"Very well, tell us where he is, and about those satchels, and we'll make it as light for you as we can."
"Is that a bargain?"
"It is."
"All right," said the man with the green shade over his eye. "I dropped them under the pump platform into the schoolhouse well."
"Mr. Ward," said Bob, quickly, to the marshal, "send for a well-cleaner, and see if he is telling the truth."
"Say, Bob, the whole town is talking about you," spoke Frank Haven.
"Are they?"
"Yes."
"I should think they would!" cried Sammy Brown. "Why, you've done the biggest thing ever done in Fairview."
"Oh, pshaw!" said Bob, flushing up, "you're making too much of nothing."
"Nothing?" echoed Frank. "Do you call it nothing saving my father from ruin, Bob Bouncer?"
"Have I done that?"
"Father says so, and he sent us down to bring you right up to the house."
"What for?" asked Bob.
"He wants to pay you that reward."
"Well," replied Bob, "he simply can't do it. Do you suppose I'd let the father of my best chum pay me for what any boy would be glad to do? I guess not, Frank Haven!"
"He wants to see you, anyway, so you've got to come along."
"That's a fact," put in Tom Chubb. "No getting out of it, Bob."
The others surrounded Bob and marched him down the street. A dozen people met him and shook hands with him. They met Minnie Grey, who called Bob "a hero," and cried, as she always did when Bob met with "good luck," as she called it. Little crippled Benny Lane cheered Bob with a dozen hurrahs as they passed his home.
The satchels had been found in the schoolhouse well, and only a few pieces of jewelry were missing. The captured robber was now in jail, and the marshal and his men were looking for his partner.
It came out that the tramp had heard Silas Dolby tell about the lost key to the jewelry store, and had found it in his garden. He had been given shelter in the old miser's barn, because Mr. Dolby was afraid to refuse him, he was such a rough, ugly fellow.
When the boys reached Frank's home, Mr. Haven came out and met them. He grasped both of Bob's hands, all smiles, and as happy as he could be.
"Well, Bob," he said, "I suppose you've come for that reward?"
"Not a cent of it, Mr. Haven," replied Bob, firmly.
"I have decided to give you one hundred dollars, Bob. The balance, I suppose, should go to the marshal and his men."
"Mr. Haven," said Bob, "my father told me that if I took so much as a cent from a good neighbor like you, he'd invite me out to the barn with a strap."
"Why, the town would mob him if he laid a finger on its hero!" declared Mr. Haven.
"All right," laughed Bob, "but you know I must obey my parents."
Mr. Haven was silent for a moment or two. He looked over the four fine-spirited lads in a proud and kindly way. Then he said:
"Well, Bob, as you won't have the reward, I shall go to work on a new plan. I intend to have the loft of the old barn fixed up nice and tidy for a clubroom for you and your friends."
"Oh, father, that will be fine!" cried Frank.
"Famous!" echoed Sammy.
"I shall spend the hundred dollars getting you the best gymnasium outfit it will buy," added Mr. Haven.
"Hurrah!" shouted Tom Chubb.
"Vacation until they fix up the schoolhouse, and that grand gymnasium to think of!" said Sammy Brown. "Say, fellows, we're having the finest time on earth!"
Then the boys gave three rousing cheers for Frank Haven's father, and started out on a new round of healthy fun and adventure, as will be related in the next volume of this series, to be called, "Fairview Boys at Camp Mystery; Or, The Old Hermit and His Secret."
"We are bound to have lots more of fun and excitement," said Bob Bouncer.
And they did.
THE END