The officer and his companion were unnecessarily rough and insulting to me, I thought; but when I consider the exceedingly bad reputation which I had made, I am not much surprised. I was dragged out of the boat, my legs soused into the water, and my elaborate toilet—made in view of the fact that I was to face Miss Emily Goodridge during the excursion—was badly deranged.
Of course Emily and Flora screamed when I was pulled out of the boat; but I could hardly help laughing, in spite of my mishap, when I saw Sim Gwynn standing on the seat of the boat so as to exhibit his bow legs to the best advantage, with the stupid stare of wonder and terror on his face. The boat was floating down the river with the current, bearing my companions away from me.
"Row back to the hotel, Sim, and tell my brother I have been taken up," I shouted.
"Hookie!" responded Sim.
Before I could say any more, my savage captors, with as much parade and violence as though I had been a grizzly bear, dragged me to the wagon in the road, in which sat Captain Fishley. I was satisfied that Sim, after he recovered his senses, would be able to conduct the boat in safety to the hotel, and I did not worry about my companions.
"Well, Buck Bradford," said my old tyrant, "you are caught at last."
"Yes, I am caught at last," I replied; for I had resolved to put a cheerful face upon the matter.
"What have you done with the money you stole from the letter?" he demanded, gruffly.
"I didn't steal any money from the letter. You will have to ask Ham Fishley what has become of that money."
"He seems to be dressed better than he was. I suppose he laid it out for fine clothes," added the constable.