Dave Porter at Oak Hall/Chapter 8
CHAPTER VIII
DAVE MAKES A NEW FRIEND
"He has gone!" gasped Dave. The movement had come so unexpectedly that for the instant he was dazed.
"After him!" cried the chief of police, and ran for the window, while the other officer ran outside.
Dave followed to the street, and then ran into an alleyway leading to the rear of the automobile establishment. He was just in time to see the escaping individual turning a corner beyond. Then the man leaped a fence and made for a freight yard a short distance further away.
"Where is he?" asked the policeman, coming up, followed by the chief.
"Gone among those freight cars," answered the youth.
All leaped the fence, and scattered among the cars. But the fleeing man had gained on them and it was impossible to locate him.
"I'll go back and take care of that valise," said the chief of police. "Jackson, you had better continue the hunt."
"Yes, sir."
"You can come with me," went on the head officer, to Dave, and both walked back to the automobile establishment. Here they found the proprietor of the place, full of curiosity over what had occurred.
"A thief, eh?" said he. "And this is his booty," and he pointed to the valise.
"We'll soon make sure," said the chief, and he pried the bag open. A quantity of silver and of gold-plated ware was exposed to view. Much of the ware had a fancy M engraved upon it.
"This is Senator Morr's stuff, sure enough," said the chief. "I hope we have the whole of it."
"Perhaps the table ware is here," answered Dave. "But didn't he take some other things—diamond rings?"
"He did, but they are not here."
"Then he must still have them."
Between them, the chief and Dave carried the heavy valise to the station house. Then another policeman was summoned, and sent out to aid Jackson in his attempt to round up the escaped criminal.
"I'll have to ask you to stay here as a witness against that fellow," said the chief to Dave. "It was shrewd of you to expose him as you did."
"How long will I have to stay here?"
"That will depend. I'll send word to Senator Morr at once."
The matter was talked over, and a telegram was sent to the senator. This had hardly been done when a youth of about Dave's age came into the station house.
"I want to know if it's true that our house at Hemson has been robbed," he said, somewhat excitedly.
"Who are you?" asked the chief.
"I am Roger Morr, the son of Senator Morr."
"It is true, the house was robbed. We have just recovered this valise full of stuff."
"Well, I never!" cried Roger Morr. "How did it all happen?"
The senator's son was told and he turned quickly to Dave with a warm smile on his handsome face.
"That was clever of you," he said, with an emphatic nod. "You caught him on the fly, didn't you?"
"Yes, but he got away," answered Dave. He smiled, too, for there was something about the other boy that pleased him, he was so frank and open.
"What else did he get?"
"Some diamond rings, I believe. We are not sure yet."
"I hope those policemen run the rascal down," went on Roger Morr. "Such a fellow ought to serve a term in prison."
"They ought to be able to locate him. I don't see how he can get out of town when the railroad is blocked."
"That's so. I was on that train that is stalled, too. Where were you bound? I was going to Oakdale Junction."
"I was going there too. I am bound for Oak Hall, a boarding school located back of Oakdale."
Roger Morr opened his eyes widely and stared at Dave.
"Oak Hall! Just my destination. You must be a new student. I don't remember seeing you last season."
"Do you go to Oak Hall?" queried Dave, with equal interest. "I am glad to meet you."
"I suppose there will be a lot of new fellows there this season," continued Roger Morr. "Where did you say you came from?"
"Crumville."
"Do you know Ben Basswood?"
"Yes, indeed. He is one of my closest friends."
"I know him quite well, and Sid Parsons, too," continued the senator's son. "Wasn't it queer we should fall in with one another in this fashion? Do you know anybody at the Hall?"
"Not a soul."
"Then I'll have to introduce you. You'll find that we have a rattling good lot of fellows there, and a few who are not so good, too," added Roger. "Do you play football?"
"No, yet I think I might learn. But I am going to the academy to get an education," went on Dave, soberly.
"Of course—we all go for that, and let me tell you right now that I don't believe in shirking my studies. But I love football and baseball, too, and also rowing."
"I like baseball, although I never got much chance to play. You see, I'm from a farm."
"A farm? You don't look much like a—a farmer's boy," and the senator's son gazed at Dave critically.
"I lived on a farm for years, but now I live with Mr. Oliver Wadsworth, who owns the jewelry works at Crumville."
"Oh, yes, I've heard father speak of him. What class do you expect to enter—or don't you know."
"I hope to get in the next to the graduating class."
"That's the very one I am in." The senator's son gazed at Dave again. "Do you think you can make it? I hope you can. But let me tell you, Dr. Clay is very particular. He shows no favors to anybody."
"I don't expect any favors. I have been studying hard. You see, I used to live with an elderly man who was once a college professor, and he gave me lessons every day, winter and summer. Both Professor Potts and myself now live with Mr. Wadsworth."
"I see. Then perhaps you'll get in our class, and that will be jolly," added Roger Morr.
It was now almost noon, and after a little more conversation the senator's son invited Dave to dine with him.
"I was going to dine at Oakdale Junction," said Dave.
"Oh, come with me," insisted Roger. "I don't want to eat alone—I never do if I can help it. Besides, I want to show you that I appreciate what you have done for our folks. Just wait till father gets here, I guess he'll want to do something, too."
"I wish we could find that thief."
"Yes, but where are we to look for him? He'll make the best possible use of his time to get away," added Roger.
He led the way to a first-class restaurant, and there ordered an elaborate meal. It was more than Dave expected and he was frank to say so.
"Don't worry, you won't get such a spread when you get to Oak Hall," answered Roger. "They set a substantial table, but the doctor doesn't believe in ruining a pupil's digestion."
"Is the doctor a nice man?"
"One of the best you ever met. All the better class of boys like him very much."
"I thought he didn't have any boys that weren't good."
"Oh, they all come from pretty good families, but two or three of them try to fly pretty high, and one or two are regular bullies."
"I don't think I'll let anybody bully me," answered Dave, shortly.
"The worst bully at the Hall is Gus Plum. He's pretty rich, and he has an idea he can lord it over nearly everybody. I have never run up against him very much, but some of the others have. You want to look out for him."
"I shall."
"There is another boy you want to look out for too, and that's Chip Macklin. He's a little fellow and a regular sneak. He toadies to Gus Plum all the time, and he'll get you into trouble if you don't take care."
"It's a wonder somebody doesn't give the sneak a thrashing."
"Oh, he has been thrashed half a dozen times, and once the boys ducked him in the river, in the winter time, but it never did any good; Chip was worse after it than before. I guess more than three-quarters of the boys wish Gus Plum and Chip Macklin would leave the school."
By this time the dinner was being served, and both boys fell to eating with such appetites as growing lads usually possess. There were ox-tail soup, cutlets, peas, potatoes, and sliced tomatoes, and also coffee and chocolate pudding, and each enjoyed all that was set before him.
"Have you any particular chum at Oak Hall?" asked Dave, during the meal.
"I think a good deal of Phil Lawrence. He's a big fellow, and considered the head of the school, although he is rather quiet. He's a fine scholar, Phil is, and one of the best baseball players you ever met. There are a whole lot of others I like pretty well, too. I'll introduce you when we get to the Hall."
As soon as the meal was finished, the senator's son paid the bill, and then the two returned to the police station. Jackson, the policeman, had come back, and he announced that positively nothing whatever could be learned of the escaped criminal.
It was only a short while after this that a carriage drawn by a pair of spirited horses dashed up to the station house, and a man alighted. It was the same individual Dave had seen in front of the white house which had been robbed.
"That's my father," said Roger.
Senator Morr came in quickly, and wanted to know all about what had taken place, and the chief told him as much as he knew.
"This is the boy who spotted the rascal, father," said Roger, pointing to Dave. "His name is Dave Porter, and just think, he is bound for Oak Hall like myself!"
"Glad to know you, Porter," said the senator, and shook hands. He was a big man, with a florid, pleasant face. "I only wish you had hung on to that thief."
"I wish that myself," answered Dave, with a smile. "But when he started he went like a flash."
"No doubt. Well, he had to leave the silver and gold-plated ware behind, anyway."
"What else did he take?"
"Two diamond rings, and a diamond brooch, besides a masonic charm which I prized very highly. The jewelry was worth probably eight hundred dollars."
"That's certainly a loss."
"Exactly. Oh, we must catch that fellow, sooner or later," added Senator Morr.