"Who is he?" several asked.
"Charles Garton, head of the firm of Garton & Tracey. I think you all have heard of him. It was he who rounded up that bunch of Government grafters last year and forced them to disgorge their ill-gotten gains."
"Sure, sure, we know him," was the cry. "Hurrah for Garton! He'll settle with Hen Hawkins all right."
Seeing that his words were having the desired effect and that the crowd was slowly dispersing, Douglas turned to Jake and told him to come home. Without a word the latter obeyed, and together the two crossed the field to the main road. Once there, Jake's tongue became unloosened.
"Where did ye drop from, John!" he asked. "I didn't know ye was anywhere around."
"I came from the city on the afternoon train, and when your wife told me what was going on, I hurried to the wharf as fast as possible."
"An' did ye see it all?"
"Only the dip in the frog-pond, but I could easily guess the rest."
Douglas did not go home with Jake, but parted from him at the road leading to the professor's house. He wished to see Nell, as he had many things to tell her.
He received a hearty welcome, and felt very much at home as he sat by the professor's side and told him about his visit to the city, and of his return to Rixton just in time to see Ben's plunge into the frog-pond.