Chapter 7 A TOUCH OF EXCITEMENT

One morning in the second week of school, Bucephalus, the coachman, assistant cook, head waiter, butler and general factotum of the Hilltop institution, quite astonished the boys by a bit of news he brought and gave them a touch of excitement they had never expected.

Bucephalus waited on the table at breakfast and then went to the station at the foot of the hill and brought back the mail, delivering it some little time before the morning session began.

This morning when the boys came to get their letters the general factotum said excitedly:

"I done pring de letters, what dey was of dem dis mo'nin' but ef dey was any come las' night yo' won' get 'em 'cause de post-office was buglariously entahed some time in de night an' letters an' stamps an' money done took o't."

"The post-office robbed?" cried the boys as Bucephalus began distributing the letters he had in his pouch.

"Yas'r an' de station an' de spress office an' mo' dan dat de post-office on de river was visited, too, in de same buglarious fashion an' a big lot o' pussonal property misappropriated by de nocturnal malefactors. Dey done said dat dey was abo't to call on de bank but got skeered off."

"So, they robbed the Riverton station and post-office as well, did they?" asked Harry. "Have they any notion as to who did it?"

"Wall, Ah reckon ef dey did dey would have apprehended dem by dis, Master Harry. All dey know is dat de malcomfactors done come in a auto an' went away in a hurry."

"Did the same fellows rob both places?"

"Ah reckon dey did and done went to de bigges' place fust. Down at dis station de postmaster and station agent, bein' one an' de same, as you' am aware, was woke up by hearin' de noise an' come a runnin' to stop de robbery. Dey was an exchange of compliments in de way of pistol shots an' de robbers took deir leave an' as much else as dey could get away wif an' struck fo' de nex' town below."

"Then the agent saw them go?"

"Yas'r an' dey took de wrong road at fus an' was headin' fo' de little creek what runs into de river o't'n de ravine jus' back o' here. De agent tried to catch 'em an' done telephoned to de river station but de wiahs was cut. Den de robbers done turn de oder way an' got off, goin' like de wind an' all."

The boys were naturally excited over this piece of news and during the day more was heard which greatly added to the touch of excitement they had already received.

After school Dick Percival, who had a little runabout which the doctor allowed him to keep in the barn, came to Jack and said:

"I am going down to the station to learn some more of this affair of last night. Will you come along? We won't be away more than an hour and I have already obtained permission to go."

"Certainly. I want to hear more about it myself and would enjoy the ride very much."

"All right then, I'll get it out and we'll go at once."

Jack went to the barn with Dick and showed great interest in the little car, so much so in fact, that Dick said:

"You seem to be interested. Do you know anything about cars?"

"Oh, yes," returned Jack, quietly.

"Would you like to run it down to the station?"

"Yes," and both boys got in and Jack ran it out of the shed and toward the road.

As they passed the school buildings they saw Peter Herring and some of his cronies standing together, Herring saying quite audibly:

"There's Percival and his chauffeur. I guess that's what he was before he came here and we gentlemen have to associate with him. H'm! just an auto driver mixing in with gentlemen! It's a shame."

Jack did not seem to have heard and gave all his attention to the car, managing it so well that Dick was astonished and said to himself:

"He handles the thing better than I can do it myself. It's a wonder how many things that boy can do. He may have driven a car, but what of that? That's no disgrace."

When they were out of sight of the buildings and going at a good speed down the hill Jack said quietly:

"I used to drive a motor truck with fruit to the railroad station and steamboat landing. Most shippers use horses but my man had a big motor truck and I used to drive it. That's how I know about cars."

"That's all right," laughed Dick. "You are a constant surprise to me. I am all the time finding out the things you can do. Don't mind that fellow Herring. Honestly, I feel safer with you at the wheel than if I were driving myself."

"I have had to do some pretty awkward driving. You know the Hudson River hills? We have some hard ones up my way and I have driven a car down them without an accident."

"There's where your cool head comes in. I wish I had it."

They whizzed around one sharp turn and another, down steep grades and along level stretches at a rapid pace, going smoothly, however, and with never a jar or a jolt and reached the little station in an incredibly short time, Percival being delighted at the masterly manner in which his companion had handled the car.

There was a knot of men and boys around the station and the agent was telling the story of the robbery of the night before for the fiftieth time.

"Anything new, Jones?" asked Percival.

"Not much. There's a lot of stamps missing and a package of registered mail what I hadn't opened. I can't tell what was in it. Maybe much and maybe little. The fellows went over the creek by the bridge and on, 'stead of coming back as folks said. Guess they knew where they was going. Smart fellows them."

"Did you see them plain enough to know them again?"

"Guess I did, one of 'em, anyhow. He had a big white mustache and black eyebrows and hair. Guess his mask must have dropped off."

"How many were there in the car?" and then Dick saw that Jack seemed greatly agitated about something and stopped short.

"Two, that's all. They got some money out of the drawer and dropped a package near the bridge. Guess they was in a hurry. Smart trick that, cutting the telephone wires. I couldn't get connection with no place, up or down. This morning, though, I heard that they broke into the office at Cedar Bush and got fifty dollars in stamps besides some money. Guess they was making a trip of it."

"Did they make a good haul at Riverton?"

"Guess they did and it was lucky they didn't get more. They got into the bank all right but was scared away before they got much."

"Buck said they got nothing from the bank."

"Well, they did but not all they might have. Folks don't want to say too much down there."

"I'd like to show you the country around here, Jack," said Dick. "Jump in. There are all sorts of stories about this affair and we won't get the truth of it for some time. I'll show you the creek and the bridge and you may get an idea of the risks these fellows ran unless they knew the region well, which I imagine they did."

They took the road for a quarter of a mile back from the station and then saw the banks of the creek ahead of them.

An eighth of a mile farther on the road turned sharply and ran along the creek but at a short distance from it, making a sudden turn again at the end of two or three hundred yards and crossing where the banks were steep and high and the creek itself quite tumultuous.

"This is the same creek that you reach from the ravine back of the Academy in the woods," said Percival. "The banks there are quite high and rough. There is a descent from here to the river and there the creek does not make much trouble. Here, however it is all the time roaring and tumbling. They tell a number of stories about it. During the American Revolution it had considerable fame I believe."

"It makes stir enough now to call attention to itself at any rate," laughed Jack. "It certainly is a noisy little stream. Here is where the robbers crossed over? I can see auto tracks close to the rail. They did go over and back, Dick, although the agent says they did not."

"The stories are greatly confused and you won't find out what really happened for some time, I don't think. That man with the white mustache and black hair ought to be readily recognized. If he is a professional some ought to know him."

"Yes, probably they will," and Dick once more noticed that his companion seemed agitated.

He asked Jack to turn and go back as he did not feel quite equal to the task, the road being a bad one so Jack took the wheel and got them back to the station with little trouble.

Stopping here a few minutes and listening to the talk but learning nothing new, they went through the little village, made a few trifling purchases and then returned to the Academy, Jack managing the car and quite exciting Dick's admiration by the cool manner in which he took the trying hills, sharp turns and steep ascents.

"I'd like to have you with me whenever I go to the station, Jack," Dick said. "I fancied I could run a car anywhere but you can beat me all to bits. Herring can say what he likes but a fellow that can run a car as steadily and coolly as you can is good enough to associate with the president himself."

"I am glad you like it," said Jack, smiling, "but long use has made me well accustomed to our Hudson valley hills and I really do not mind them nor think them so bad as a stranger would."

The story of the robbery was added to the next day and many conflicting accounts were related so that one could not readily find out what was true and what was not.

The man that Jones had seen was identified as a former prisoner in one of the State institutions but whether he had escaped or had served his term was very much in doubt.

On the second afternoon succeeding Jack's visit to the station he was taking a stroll through the woods in the rear of the Academy, expecting Percival to join him, the two often taking walks together.

He suddenly observed that he was quite near to the bank of the ravine and was about to turn when all at once a form flew out of the bushes close at hand, rushed violently against him and sent him in an instant off his feet and down the steep incline.

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