Part 48 (2/2)

”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 a.s.suredly 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 boarding-house.”

”So I did, but it was those two fellows who put me up to it.”

”Where did s.h.i.+me 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.”

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