CHAPTER XXXVII.—THE CAPTURE OF GRISWOLD.
“What will you do with him?”
It was Broxton who asked the question.
He and Griswold, with whom he had struck up an acquaintanceship by accident, sat in the little cabin of the steam tug which was flying down Lake Michigan at her utmost speed.
The rascally fellow referred of course to Leo, who still lay bound in the dark locker.
“I’ve got a good mind to tie a weight to his neck and heave him overboard,” growled Griswold.
“It won’t do to let him go free, that’s certain. He would have us both locked up at the first chance.”
“Certainly.”
“Who was with him on the wharf?”
“I don’t know.”
The two rascals talked the matter over for some time, but could come to no conclusion regarding the young gymnast.
They wished to get him out of the way, but hardly dared to undertake such a high-handed proceeding before the captain and crew of the tug.
“I have it,” said Griswold, half an hour later. “See that town over there?”
“Yes.”
“Let us tie up there. I’ll go ashore and hire a close coach and drive it myself. We can take him inside and——”
He did not finish, but his half-drunken companion understood.
Their victim should never get away from them alive.
The tug captain was given orders, and soon a landing was approached.
After tying up Hank Griswold hurried ashore. He procured a coach with difficulty, and it was some time before he appeared on the box, whip in hand.
Then the two men went to the locker, intending to drag Leo forth, gag him, and roll him up as though he were a bundle of clothes.
“Gone!” burst from Griswold’s lips.
He spoke the truth. The locker was empty.
“How did he manage it?” queried Broxton, in deep perplexity.
Griswold looked dumfounded for a moment. Then he grated his teeth in rage.
“Fools that we are!” he shouted. “To forget that he is a gymnast. Why, he must have freed himself within a minute after we locked him in.”
“By thunder! that’s so. But how did he get out of the locker?”
“I don’t know.”
“The door was locked, wasn’t it?”
“Yes.”
An examination followed, but the two men could not solve the mystery connected with Leo’s escape.
We will let our reader into the secret.
As Griswold said, the boy slipped from his bonds with ease.
This done, he lit a match he had in his pocket and began an examination of his cramped prison.
The sides of the locker were solid, but in the flooring a board was loose, and he pulled it up.
Underneath was a small opening and into this he crawled. The board was put in place again, and finding a nail, Leo succeeded in fastening it.
Crawling around in the dark and wet the young gymnast soon came to an opening leading up near the engine-room of the tug.
He came up, and finding a sheltering nook proceeded to secrete himself.
He could easily have dropped overboard and swum ashore, but by so doing he would have lost track of the rascals he had determined to bring to justice.
After leaving the locker Griswold and Broxton made an examination of the tug from end to end.
Several times they came close to where Leo was lying, and he fairly held his breath until they passed on.
At last the two rascals gave up the hunt in disgust.
“He has slipped us,” said Broxton. “Better return that coach and move on.”
This was done and soon the steam tug was ten miles away.
A landing was made that night at another place, and the two evil-minded men put up at the leading hotel.
Leo had followed them ashore and now he felt he had them just where he wanted them.
He hurried to the nearest telegraph office and sent a message to Carl to come on at once.
This done, he called on the chief of police, and a long talk followed.
Without delay the party, accompanied by two policemen, hurried to the hotel at which the rascals were stopping. They ascended the stairs and Leo knocked on the proper door.
“What’s wanted?” came from Hank Griswold.
“There’s a fire next door,” said Leo in an assumed voice. “Please dress and leave the hotel as soon as possible.”
“A fire!” came from Broxton, as he leaped out of bed.
In three minutes the two men had their clothes on and then they threw open the door.
“Who—what—Leo Dunbar!”
The men were dumfounded at the sight of the young gymnast, Carl and the police.
“The game is up,” cried Leo. “Officers, arrest them.”
“You rat!” cried Griswold.
He struck Leo in the face and then tried to dash past the youth.
He was successful, and reached the stairs before the policemen could stop him.
Like a flash Leo recovered and made after the man.
As he reached the top of the stairs Griswold struck the bottom steps.
Whizz! Leo took a flying leap and landed on the rascal’s shoulders.
Down went the fellow in a heap. He gave a groan and then a yell of pain.
“You have broken my leg!” he screamed. “Oh, my ribs are all caved in!”
He spoke the truth in one particular—his left leg was broken and he was unable to make further resistance.
In the meantime Carl and the policeman had captured Broxton and handcuffed him.
A little later, before the guests in the hotel could ascertain the cause of the disturbance, the two prisoners were taken to jail.
Then Barton Reeve appeared on the scene.
“I am satisfied Griswold was hired to attack me,” said Leo.
“Can’t you get him to confess?”
“He pretends it is all a mistake.”
“Let us both talk to him.”
“Oh, wait; I wonder if the police searched him,” went on the young gymnast suddenly.
“We can soon find out,” rejoined Barton Reeve.
They questioned the captain in charge. Yes, Griswold had been searched, and his stuff, quite a heap, lay in a lump on a near-by desk.
There was some money, a knife, several keys and a notebook. Leo began to search through the notebook. He uttered a wild cry.
“Look here!” he ejaculated.
He had found an entry concerning the money Griswold was to get from Nathan Dobb for his dastardly work.
“Come with me,” he went on, and led the way to Hank Griswold’s cell.
At first they could not make the rascal talk at all.
But after awhile Griswold began to think he was in a terrible dilemma.
“Look here, supposing I confess,” he said, “will you be easy on me?”
“Perhaps I will,” replied Leo. “One thing is certain, I won’t be easy if you don’t confess.”
“I was coaxed into this job,” growled the villain.
“And who coaxed you to do it?” asked Leo quickly.
“Nathan Dobb, the squire at Hopsville.”
“Why does he want to get Leo out of the way?” questioned Barton Reeve.
“So as he can keep the thousands coming to the boy,” was Hank Griswold’s reply, which filled Leo with astonishment and pleasure.