“What slow and stupid dolts these country lawyers are!” said Mr. Touron, angrily, to himself. “That foreclosure should have been made a week ago, and the whole affair settled, and Mr. Markle should have bought the property in my name, as I directed him. I will go down there myself. There may be time yet to finish up the matter.”
When Emile heard that his father was going to Boontown he asked that he might go with him. He had not told his father anything about the affair with the gun, having explained his sudden departure by saying that he had heard that he would be attacked by the boys from Hyson Hall if he stayed there any longer. But he had taken care to relate the treatment he had received from Phœnix Poole and Susan, and he hoped that, by his father’s influence, these outrages might be made to offset the little affair on the road.
He also had a morbid desire to see if the gun were still between the mattresses of the bed. He would make some pretence to go to the room he had occupied, and if the gun were still there he would, at all hazards, get it away and drop it into the river.
Perhaps they would stay at Boontown all night, and then he would have a good chance. What he would do or say if he should not find the gun where he had left it, he did not consider.
When Mr. Touron and his son arrived at Boontown they found that they were in time. Mr. Harrison, who had heard of their arrival, hurried to Mr. Welford’s office to know if the boys’ money had been received.
But, although Phil and his two friends had been with Mr. Welford in the morning, and had arranged for the equal division of the salvage-money, with the proviso, which was agreed upon in writing by the parents of Chap and Phœnix, that all the money should for the present be placed at Phil’s disposal, nothing had been heard from the railroad company. No cheque had been received.
There was nothing surprising in this, as such things are generally not done in great haste; but the delay, under the circumstances, was very unfortunate.
But Mr. Welford was anxious to do whatever he thought he ought to do in this matter, and he and Mr. Harrison went around to Mr. Markle’s office, where the Tourons were.
Here there was soon a stormy scene. Old Mr. Touron would listen to nothing that Mr. Welford or Mr. Harrison said, and insisted that matters should be instantly settled.
He complained loudly of the treatment received by his son, and of the negligence and delay of Mr. Markle. At last Mr. Harrison spoke up.