“But can’t this be settled here, officer?” asked Adoniram nervously, knowing that any such delay as this would ruin their plans for an early start after the Silver Swan.
“No, sir; the robbery was committed in Rhode Island—it must be tried there,” replied the officer, with a crafty smile.
Adoniram handed the warrant back in utter bewilderment; but at that juncture the door opened again, and Caleb Wetherbee himself stumped in.
“Hey! what’s this?” the old seaman demanded, seeing instantly that something was up.
Old Arad tried to shrink out of sight behind the officer’s back as he viewed Caleb’s fear inspiring proportions.
“This is my dear Uncle Arad, Caleb,” Brandon hastened to say, “and he has come all the way from Rhode Island to arrest me and take me back.”
“For what?” cried Caleb, aghast.
“For robbing him; so he says. Isn’t he kind?”
Brandon was fairly furious, but he trusted in the old seaman to get him out of his relative’s clutches.
“Robbing him!”