Part 25 (2/2)

”Jabez, go and wake up the two hired men,” directed his father.

”I'm a pretty good swimmer and diver,” said Pep, after the boy had gone on his errand. ”Is the water very deep?”

”Six or eight feet.”

”Then the rake will help me,” said Pep, proceeding to disrobe. He was stripped of his outer garments by the time the boy Jabez had returned with two sleepy-looking men. He was in the water at once. First he probed with the rake. Then he made a close estimate of the spot where the box was likely to have landed and took a dive.

Pep came to sh.o.r.e and rested for a few minutes. Then he resumed his labors. After a long time under water his head bobbed up. He uttered a shout of satisfaction and waved aloft the tin box, its dripping covering about it.

”All right,” he hailed.

”A good deal in it, I suppose?” spoke the farmer, curiously regarding it.

”Yes, there is,” replied Pep. ”Hold it, please, mister, till I get my clothes on. I want you to take me to Seaside Park right away-two of you and the shotgun. If you'll do it you can charge your own price.”

”That's fair,” nodded the farmer.

He got the rig in the barn ready and told the two hired men they could go back to their beds. They seemed, however, to have roused from their sleepiness. Pep had told of a big fire in town, and that had influenced them to accompany the crowd, ”just for the fun of the thing,” as they expressed it.

Jabez drove, Pep holding the rescued box, the farmer between them with his shotgun ready for action. They saw nothing, however, of the robbers.

The latter seemed to have decamped. If they were lurking in the vicinity, the sight of superior numbers kept them from making any demonstration.

As they got nearer to the town the glare of the distant fire was noted, and young Jabez whipped up the horse and made good time. The building on fire was pretty well consumed, but the fire department had saved adjoining structures. Pep directed Jabez to drive to the Wonderland by the rear route. He noticed that the living rooms were lighted up.

”Wait here for a minute,” directed Pep to those in the wagon, das.h.i.+ng up the steps of the playhouse with his precious box.

CHAPTER XXII-A BIG REWARD

Pep burst in upon his friends filled to the brim with excitement. His impetuous nature antic.i.p.ated a great welcome as he felt that he had done a big thing. As he crossed the threshold of the living room he found that his friends had apparently just returned from the scene of the fire.

Frank and Randy were at the sink was.h.i.+ng the grime from their faces. As Pep learned later, they and Jolly and Vincent had been busy saving what goods they could from the burning building. Jolly was brus.h.i.+ng the cinders from his coat with a whisk broom. Vincent was applying some court plaster to a burn on the back of his hand.

”There!” exclaimed Pep, planking the package down upon the table with a flourish. ”It's been some trouble, but I got it.”

”h.e.l.lo, Pep,” said Jolly. ”Got what, may I ask?”

Pep felt rather hurt at the cool way in which his return was greeted. He did not realize that his friends were in ignorance of the burglarious event of the hour, and his own sensational experiences. He had just been missed and all hands supposed that he was lingering at the scene of the fire.

”Why, the box, of course,” almost snapped Pep.

”What box?” questioned Randy.

Pep gave the wetted pillow case a jerk, freeing it of its enclosure, and the little cash box was disclosed.

”That box, of course,” he announced. ”What's the matter with you fellows? I guess you've been asleep while people have been stealing from you!”

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