Part 40 (1/2)

The boy thus addressed paid not the slightest attention to the irate coachman, but advanced to the carriage door. He seemed to have something the matter with his arm that would evidently have given him a good deal of bother had his mind been on anything but the desire to attract Mr. King's attention.

But that gentleman, violently jolted by the sudden pull-up of the horses, not being in the best frame of mind, called out testily, ”Bless me, what is the man stopping for? Drive on, Thomas,” and looked directly over his head.

Seeing which, the boy clambered up the carriage step and hung on with one hand, but so much determination was in his eyes that old Mr. King fumed out: ”Make the scoundrel get down, Jasper.”

”What do you want?” asked Jasper, trying to make it as pleasant as possible, before the more summary treatment set in.

”I've got to speak to him,” said the boy. Thomas, gathering up the reins in one hand and the whip in the other, looked around with fury in his eye.

”Shall I give him a lick?” he asked.

”No, no,” said Jasper hastily, ”keep quiet, Thomas.”

”I've nothing to say to you,” cried Mr. King in his most pompous way, and with a stately wave of his hand, ”so take yourself off, boy.”

”Father--” began Jasper, in a distressed tone.

”And be quick about it.” The old gentleman fairly roared it out. ”Thomas, drive on.”

That functionary, with a very dissatisfied expression that he hadn't been allowed to use his whip when he got it all ready so nicely, now cracked it at the horses. The boy, with one hesitating glance at Jasper, slid off the carriage-step down to the street, and yelled defiantly up into Mr. King's face as the brougham spun off:

”I was going to tell you where your boy is.”

”Father!” exclaimed Jasper, with a white face, ”he must know where Joel is.

Thomas, _Thomas, stop!_” For Thomas, having no other way to vent his vexation, took it out in driving as fast as possible, so he didn't hear what was going on in the coach.

”Eh?” Mr. King was saying in bewilderment. At last Jasper succeeded in getting his wishes known, and once more the horses were jerked back, for the summons was quick and sharp.

By this time the boy was off, and although Jasper peered this way and that, he could see nothing of the old blue cap that had adorned the head thrust over the carriage door.

”He knows something about Joel, Father, you may depend,” persisted Jasper; ”we must find him.”

Frick, who had been ready to cry, all huddled down in his corner, now sat straight, for it didn't seem to be just the time for tears, and in a minute he had scrambled past Mr. King, and hopped out.

”I'm going to find him,” came back on the air, as he shot off.

”Do you wait here, Father,” said Jasper, following him, and leaping out, ”and we'll get the boy.”

But the boy, quite willing to tell whatever story there was on his mind when he jumped on the carriage step, was now of a different mind, and he ran like a deer, first down one street then another. At last, finding himself pursued by some one not at all inclined to easily give up the chase, it suddenly dawned on him that his blue cap might possibly be a means of tracing his course. So he twitched it off and tucked it under his well arm. This made it more difficult for Jasper, whose footsteps were fast gaining on him, to follow him accurately, and for the first time a horrible moment came to the pursuer when he thought that after all the boy might escape; but Frick, who had seen Jasper's nimble progress around a corner, ran down a side street, then across a garden, and came plump into the face of the boy.

”Here he is,” cried Frick, the breath almost knocked out of him by the encounter. He had grasped whatever he could first lay his fingers on and held to it firmly. It proved to be the arm for which the boy had not appeared to have much use.

Once caught, the boy gave a groan, then started to run. Frick being smaller, it might be an easy matter to shake him off, even with only one available arm.

”No, you don't get away this time,” said Frick, for the tall boy had him in hand now, and was marching him back to the carriage at a pace much more comfortable for all concerned. ”What have you to tell us?” he was being asked.

”I would have told you then,” said the boy doggedly. He couldn't help but show some suffering in his face, and Jasper, looking down to see its cause, found one arm hanging in a very peculiar manner. ”You've hurt your arm,” he said abruptly. ”Frick, take care”--to the boy, not at all particular what he took hold of if he only got a good grip.

”Well, he shan't get away,” said Frick decidedly, nipping up the end of the jacket nearest to him.

”How did you hurt your arm?” asked Jasper. Despite all his anxiety about Joel, and an awful feeling that in some way an accident had occurred that had enveloped them both, he looked into he face beneath him with real concern.