Part 6 (2/2)
”Come on Mark,” he said.
CHAPTER VI
ON A RUNAWAY TROLLEY
”Are you going to leave?” asked Mark.
”Certainly. There is no use staying here and getting mixed up in something that Englishman thinks we have done. It's easier to go away quietly and let him find out his mistake.”
”All right,” agreed Mark. ”I wonder who he is, anyhow?”
”He thinks he owns the earth, whoever he is,” returned Jack.
”He's some sort of a special detective traveling with Lord Peckham's party,” explained the doorman. ”He told us a lot about himself last night after you boys went to bed. He came back to inquire how early the judge would be here.
”He went on to tell how some English anarchists have vowed to kill Lord Peckham because he foreclosed a lot of mortgages on some poor people in Ireland where he owned property,” added the doorman. ”There was some sort of explosions in the hotel, near where Lord Peckham had his rooms.
Maybe it was a bomb and, maybe ag'in it was only the boiler. Anyhow, this detective jumped to the conclusion that anarchists had done it, and he thinks you are responsible. But you'd better be goin' now. It's gettin' daylight.”
So Mark and Jack, with what scanty clothes they had, and carrying their valise, went quietly out of the back door of the police station.
”We'd better go to the machine shop for the rest of the stuff,”
suggested Mark, ”and then we can take the first trolley we see and get back to the professor.”
Through quiet side streets the boys made their way toward the machine shop. They were somewhat amused to think how they had fooled the detective, but they would not have felt so jolly had they seen the roughly dressed man who had darted after them as soon as they left the police station.
”I'll get you yet,” the man muttered. ”You needn't think to escape with the aid of these bloomin' American police.”
The lads found the machinist just opening his shop though it was quite early. The pieces of apparatus were finished and, after paying for them Mark put the parts in the valise.
”Quite a fire in town,” observed the machinist.
”Yes,” answered Mark, not wis.h.i.+ng to get into a long conversation.
”Heard the hotel was blowed up by anarchists and that the police are after 'em,” proceeded the man.
”I believe I did hear something like that,” admitted Mark. ”I guess we'll be going.”
He signalled to Jack, and the two hurried out of the shop. As they did so, the trampish-looking man glided from behind a tree where he had been hiding and took after them.
”Say,” exclaimed Jack, ”I forgot we haven't had any breakfast yet.”
”That's so,” said Mark, rubbing his stomach and making a wry face.
Near by was a bakery, and there the lads got some coffee and rolls which tasted fine. When they finished their simple meal a trolley came past and they ran to catch it. So did the man who had been following them, but this person bore no resemblance to the spruce little detective who had wanted to arrest the boys.
”A couple of hours now and we'll be back at the cabin,” spoke Mark. ”My, but I must say we have had strenuous times since we started away!”
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