Part 7 (1/2)

CHAPTER V

AT THE RAILROAD STATION

”See anybody, Sam?”

”n.o.body that looks like that man, Spud, but there is Mr. Sanderson's horse with the cutter.”

”Yes, I spotted those right away. Look how the poor nag is heaving. He must have been driven almost to death.”

”That may be. Although we got here almost as quickly as he did. But he may have been used quite some before this trip,” returned Sam; and this surmise was correct.

The two boys, with the policeman, had done their best to catch the departing train and have it stop, but without avail. When they had reached the depot the last of the cars was well down the line, and soon the train had disappeared around a curve of the roadbed.

”What's the matter, Ike? What are you after?” queried the freight agent, as he came up to the policeman.

”We are after the man who was driving that cutter yonder,” explained Sam. ”Did you see him--a big fellow with a heavy overcoat and with a fur cap pulled down over his forehead?”

”Why yes, I saw that fellow get aboard,” answered the freight agent. ”I was wondering what he was going to do with his horse. He didn't even stop to put a blanket over the animal.”

”That fellow was a thief,” explained Sam. ”I wonder if we can't have him captured in some way? What is the next station the train will stop at?”

”Penton.”

”How far is that from here?”

”About six miles.”

”And after that?”

”She'll stop at Leadenfield, which is about six miles farther.”

”Then I'll send a telegram to Penton and another to Leadenfield to have the train searched and the man arrested if he can be spotted,” said Sam; and a few minutes later he was in the telegraph office writing out the messages. He described the man as well as he could, but realized that his efforts were rather hopeless.

”Maybe Songbird could give us a better description,” he said to his chum; ”but as Songbird isn't here, and as we can't get him on the telephone, we'll have to do the best we can.”

The policeman was, of course, anxious to know some of the details of what had occurred, and when the boys told him that their college chum had been knocked senseless and robbed of four thousand dollars he was greatly surprised.

”It's too bad you didn't get here before the train started,” he observed. ”If you had we might have nabbed that rascal and maybe got a reward,” and he smiled grimly.

”We don't want any reward. We simply want to get that four thousand dollars back,” returned Sam. ”And we would like to put that fellow in prison for the way he treated our college chum.”

”What will you do with the horse and cutter?”

”If there is a livery stable handy, I think I'll put the horse up there,” answered Sam. ”He is evidently in no condition to be driven farther at present. I'll notify Mr. Sanderson about it.” And so it was arranged.

A little while later, after the two boys had walked around to the police station with the officer and given such particulars as they were able concerning the a.s.sault and robbery, Sam and Spud started on the return to the Bray farmhouse. When they arrived there, they found that Dr.

Havens and Dr. Wallington had come in some time before. By the directions of the head of Brill the physician from Ashton had given Songbird a thorough examination and had treated him with some medicine from his case.