Part 39 (1/2)
”And we think he did,” returned Dave.
There was a sudden silence after this. Each boy was busy with his thoughts. Dave felt particularly light-hearted.
”This ought to clear Phil and the others,” he reasoned. ”And they can come back to school without delay and finish the term and graduate.”
Having packed up his things, Nat got out his bicycle and prepared to ride back to Oak Hall, and the others did the same.
”Going to give me that drawing?” asked the money-lender's son, just as he was ready to start off.
”No, we are going to turn it over to Doctor Clay,” said Roger.
”All right, have your own way,” growled Nat.
As in coming to the cabin, the money-lender's son took the lead in the return to Oak Hall. Dave and Roger kept close behind and occasionally spoke of the happenings in guarded tones. When the school was reached all left their bicycles in the gymnasium.
”Going to Doctor Clay now?” demanded Nat.
”We might as well,” said Dave. ”The sooner he knows of this, the better for everybody.”
”All right.”
Doctor Clay was somewhat surprised to see the three boys, dusty and tired-looking, enter his private office. He listened with close attention to their tale of visiting the cabin and encountering the wild man, and looked completely astonished on learning that the man was Nat's uncle.
”I am sorry for you, Poole,” said he, kindly. ”But such things will happen and you must make the best of it. It is not your fault.”
Then Dave and Roger told of the finding of the old magazine with the drawing and writing, and Doctor Clay shook his head sorrowfully.
”Too bad! Too bad!” he murmured.
”But this clears Lawrence, Ba.s.swood, and Beggs,” cried Dave. ”And it clears Roger and myself.”
”Yes! yes! so it does, Porter!”
”Don't you believe it, Doctor Clay!” cried Nat, leaping to his feet.
”It does nothing of the sort! That paper is no kind of evidence at all!” And thus speaking, the money-lender's son glared defiantly at Dave and Roger.
CHAPTER XXII
AFTER THE RUNAWAYS
”Why, Nat, what do you mean?” demanded Dave.
”I mean just what I say!” declared the money-lender's son. ”This is a frame-up, nothing more! I understand it all now, although I didn't at first.”
”What do you mean by 'a frame-up,' Poole?” demanded Doctor Clay.
”I mean that they took this magazine and the drawing to the cabin, that is what I mean, Doctor Clay. They found out somehow that my--er--that the wild man was there, and they got up this scheme to make it look as if he had blown up the hotel,--and they did it just to clear their cronies and themselves.”