Part 25 (1/2)
”Now go on,” he directed his companion. ”I'll squelch the young wildcat.”
”You won't! Help! Police-pol--”
The man had Pep down between his knees. He was cruelly brutal, squeezing him down out of view from the street and choking him into silence. Pep gave up all hope now. He was silenced and helpless. The machine made several turns to baffle pursuit, if anyone should follow, and started down a winding road leading into the country.
”Now you sit still there and keep your tongue quiet or I'll do worse for you next time,” growled his captor, lifting Pep to the seat and holding to one arm.
”Why don't you pitch him out?” demanded the man acting as chauffeur.
”We're past the hue and cry now.”
”Not from a fellow with his sharp wits,” retorted the other. ”He'd find the first telephone, double-quick. He's made us a lot of trouble. I'll give him a long walk home for his meddling.”
They were going at such a furious rate Pep knew that even if they pa.s.sed anyone his shout would be incoherent and borne away on the wind. At any rate they were secure from pursuit except by an automobile like their own.
He foresaw the fate of the little tin box-carried away with its precious contents by these criminals, himself abandoned in some lonely spot to find his way back home as best he might. A desperate resolve came into Pep's mind, as glancing ahead he caught the glint of water. At the end of a steep incline a bridge spanned a small river. Pep got his free hand ready. Just as the front wheels of the machine struck the first timbers of the bridge, his hand shot out for the tin box in its pillow case covering, lying on the cus.h.i.+on between himself and his captor.
It was all done quick as a flash. A grab, a whirl, a splash, and the hurling object disappeared beneath the calm waters just beyond the outer bridge rail. The man beside Pep uttered a shout. He was so taken aback at the unexpected event that he relaxed his hold on his captive.
His cry had startled his companion at the wheel, who took it as a signal of warning of some sort, and he instantly shut down on speed. It was Pep's golden opportunity. Before the man beside him could prevent it, he made a nimble spring out of the machine, landed on the planking of the bridge approach, stumbled, fell, and then, as a crash sounded, dived into a nest of shrubbery lining the stream.
Pep did not wait to look back to trace the occasion of the crash. He heard confused shouts and knew that the two men had gotten into some trouble with the automobile. A light not over a hundred feet distant had attracted his attention. Pep darted forward. He ran into a barbed wire fence, then he crawled under it, and on its other side made out a farmhouse. The light came from the doorway of a big barn, where two persons, a man and a boy, were just unhitching a horse from a light wagon.
”Mister!” cried Pep breathlessly, running up to the men, ”two thieves had wrecked their automobile right at the bridge. They have stolen a lot of money and jewelry. They tried to carry me away with them.”
”Run for my gun, Jabez,” ordered the farmer, roused at the sensational announcement. ”Maybe they're the fellows who broke in here last week when we were away at a neighbor's.”
The boy ran to the house. He soon reappeared with a clumsy double-barreled shotgun over his shoulder.
”Arm yourselves,” directed the farmer, taking the weapon in one hand, the lantern in the other.
His son picked up a rake and handed a pitchfork to Pep. Then the boys followed the farmer as he strode towards the road.
The moonlight showed a wrecked automobile lying where it had been driven into a little clump of saplings-breaking them off two feet from the ground-and wedged in among the splintered branches. Evidently the amateur chauffeur had in his excitement made a turn at the wrong moment.
”Where's your robbers?” demanded the farmer.
”They saw us coming and have run away,” declared Pep. ”Mister, I want you to help me further and I will pay you for it.”
”What doing?” inquired the man.
”As I told you, those men had stolen a lot of valuables. They were in a little tin box. Just as we were pa.s.sing over the bridge here I saw my chance to outwit them. I flung the box into the river.”
”What!” exclaimed the farmer.
”Sounds like a fairy story,” remarked his son skeptically.
”You find some more help, so if those fellows show themselves we can beat them off or arrest them,” observed Pep, ”and I will prove what I have told you and pay you well for your trouble.”