Young Auctioneers: or, The Polishing of a Rolling Stone

CHAPTER XVI.
THE CONFIDENCE MAN

“By Jove! look at that!” cried the man, in a low tone, as he picked up the pocket-book and surveyed it. “That’s a find, isn’t it?”

“It is, indeed,” returned Matt. “How much is there in it?”

“Come with me and I’ll see,” said the man, and without waiting for Matt to offer a reply, he caught the boy by the arm, and forced him through the crowd to an open spot behind a large tree.

“I would like to know who lost this,” went on the man, as he opened the flap of the pocket-book, and gazed inside at the contents. “By Jove! look at that pile of bills!” he went on, as he turned the pocket-book around so that Matt might catch sight of what certainly did look like twenty-five or thirty bank bills tucked away in one of the pockets. “Must be a hundred dollars or more in it.”

“The owner of that pocket-book will miss it,” returned Matt. “You ought to make an effort to find him.”

“Of course! of course!” assented the man heartily. “I don’t want to keep anybody’s money – not if I know it is theirs. Let me see if there is a card in it.”

He turned the pocket-book around and put his fingers first in one pocket and then another.

“Not a blessed thing but that pile of bills,” he went on. “Now, isn’t that strange?”

Then he suddenly drew from his vest pocket a gold watch and looked at it.

“Quarter to three!” he exclaimed in a startled tone. “And I must catch the three o’clock train for Baltimore! I haven’t time to look up the owner of this pocket-book, valuable as it is.”

“You might take a later train,” suggested Matt.

The man shook his head.

“No, I have an engagement in Baltimore immediately upon the arrival of this train which I would not miss for a dozen such pocket-books.”

“Then you’ll have to take the money with you.”

“I wouldn’t feel just right about doing that,” returned the man with a bland smile. “I would feel like a thief. I’ll tell you what I will do,” he went on smoothly and earnestly. “Give me twenty dollars, and you take the pocket-book. Perhaps you won’t be able to find an owner, and then the money will all be yours, and if you do find an owner, he will certainly offer more of a reward than twenty dollars.”

“I take the pocket-book?” said Matt, considerably surprised by the offer.

“Yes; I really can’t wait, and I do not feel satisfied to take that money with me.”

“But, supposing I do not find the owner, do you not want part of the money?”

“No; you can keep it all.”

This certainly seemed a very liberal offer, and had Matt had less experience of the world at large, he might have accepted on the spot. But the apparent open-heartedness of the stranger only served to make him more cautious.

“Let us count the money and see how much there is in the pocket-book,” he remarked, hardly knowing what else to say.

“No, I haven’t time to do that,” said the stranger hastily. “As it is, I have now barely ten minutes in which to get to the depot. If you want to accept my offer, give me the twenty dollars, and I’ll run for the depot.”

And the man moved around as if in the greatest hurry of his life.

“I haven’t twenty dollars with me.”

“Indeed! I thought you looked like a well-to-do young man – ”

“I have twelve dollars – ”

“Well – let that do, but be quick!”

And the stranger held out his hand for the amount.

“Never mind,” remarked Matt, struck with an idea which he resolved to carry out if he went into the scheme at all. “I’ll take the money from the pocket-book, and if I find the owner I will tell him how I came to do it.”

“No; don’t you touch the contents of the pocket-book!” exclaimed the stranger, hastily snatching the article in question from Matt’s hand. “That would not be right!”

“Yes, but I will make it right with the owner, if I – ”

“I can’t wait any longer for that train!” cried the stranger, and without another word he placed the pocket-book into his coat-pocket and disappeared into the crowd.

For the instant Matt stared after him, and then a light burst upon the boy’s mind.

“He is a confidence man and was trying to swindle me!” he murmured to himself. “If that pocket-book contained much it was a single dollar bill on a pile of green paper! How lucky I was not to jump at his offer when he first made it!”

As soon as he had reached this conclusion, Matt made after the man. But the crowd was too thick and too large to find him, and after a quarter of an hour’s search the young auctioneer gave it up.

It was now getting late, and as soon as he was satisfied that the confidence man was gone, Matt hurried along on his errand.

He found that the lady who had purchased the goods had just reached home. She had heard of the brown bear episode, and insisted upon Matt giving her the particulars, which he did. She was very much interested in his story, and after she had heard how the affair terminated she plied him with questions concerning the auction business.

“You may think me very curious,” she said at length. “But the reason I ask is because my only son, Tom Inwold, ran away with a traveling auctioneer about three months ago.”

“Ran away?” repeated Matt.

“Yes; he got into a difficulty in school, and when I insisted that he apologize to his teachers, he grew angry and left the house.”

“How old was he?”

“Tom was fifteen last May.”

“He was very young to become an auctioneer,” smiled Matt. “I am hardly old enough for the business.”

“He has made a friend of this auctioneer – who used to stand up in a wagon and sing songs, and then sell cheap jewelry – and he went off with him one Saturday, when I thought he had gone to New York with his uncle.”

“And doesn’t he want to come back?” asked Matt, deeply interested.

“I have never heard of him since he went away.” Mrs. Inwold put her handkerchief to her eyes to dry the tears which had started. “One reason I wished these goods delivered was because I thought I might get a chance to talk to you about Tom. You intend to travel from place to place, do you not?”

“Yes, madam; we shall remain here but a few days.”

“Then, perhaps, in your travels you may run across Tom. If you do I wish you would tell him to send word home. He ought to come home of himself, but I suppose he won’t do that, he is so headstrong.”

“I should think he would prefer a good home to traveling around with a cheap jewelry man,” was Matt’s comment, as he looked around at the comfortable house Mrs. Inwold occupied. “I know I would.”

“Boys do not always know what is best for them,” sighed the lady. “Tom generally had his own way, and that made him headstrong. He is my only son, and as his father is away most of the time, I suppose I treated him more indulgently than was good for him.”

“You have no idea where he and the jewelry man went?”

“Not the slightest. I notified the police and sent out several detectives, but could learn nothing. The detectives told me that the jewelry man was little better than a thief, and always covered his tracks when he left a city, so that his victims could not trace him up.”

“That’s most likely true. But I trust you do not take my partner and me for such fellows,” added Matt honestly.

“No; you look like a young gentleman, and the other young man was one, too, I feel sure.”

“We try to do things on the square. We never willfully misrepresent what we sell – as many do.”

“That is right, and if you keep on that way you will be bound to prosper. No one ever yet gained much by resorting to trickery in trying to get along.”

Mrs. Inwold talked to Matt for quite awhile after this, and promised to come down to the store and buy several other articles of which she thought she stood in need. It was nearly five o’clock when the boy left the mansion.

“A very nice lady,” thought Matt, as he hurried back to the auction store. “I hope I meet her son Tom some day. I’ll tell him how she feels about his going away, and advise him to return home without delay. My gracious! you wouldn’t catch me leaving a home like that in order to put up with the hardships of the road!”

CHAPTER XVII.
THE STORM

That evening Matt and Andy were kept busy until nearly eleven o’clock selling goods to people that came from the circus. They put up nearly every kind of article on their shelves, and only about half the stock remained unsold when they finally closed and locked the doors.

“That circus was a windfall to us!” exclaimed Andy. “We would not have done half as well had it not been in town.”

“Maybe it would be a good idea to follow up the circus,” suggested Matt. “That seems to draw out the people more than anything else I know of.”

“We will follow the circus as much as we can, Matt. But there is one thing I must do first.”

“And what is that?”

“Take the first train back to New York in the morning and buy more goods. Some of our best sellers are entirely gone.”

“Then go by all means,” returned Matt quickly.

“But can you get along alone?”

“I guess so. If I can’t I’ll lock up till you get back.”

“All right, then. Now let us go over the stock and I’ll make out a list of what’s wanted.”

“Let us figure up what we have made,” returned Matt quickly, for he was anxious to know what the exact amount would be.

“Very well; I would like to know myself.”

On a sheet of paper they had kept a record of every article sold, with the price. Opposite these, Andy, who was more familiar with their cost than Matt, placed the amount of profit on each. Then with his partner leaning over his shoulder, he added the column up.

“Thirty-one dollars and a quarter!” exclaimed Matt, as he surveyed the result of Andy’s calculations. “Did we really make as much as that?”

“We did. Of course we must take out our personal expenses and Billy’s keep. That amounts to four dollars and a quarter nearly.”

“That still leaves twenty-seven dollars for one day’s work. At this rate we’ll get rich fast.”

“We must not expect such luck every day, Matt. Remember, to-day was circus day. We will have rainy days, and days spent in traveling, during which we will not take in anything, while our expenses go on just the same.”

“But it’s a good thing we didn’t have that kind of a start, Andy. We would have been ‘busted’ otherwise.”

“You are right there,” returned Andy.

By seven o’clock on the following morning he was on the way to New York, leaving Matt to open the store alone. This the young auctioneer did, and as trade was very quiet, Matt spent the time in cleaning up such goods as had been handled, and tidying up generally.

Compared with the day before, the street was almost deserted, but during the noon hour, when people were going to and coming from dinner, Matt managed to start up a sale which lasted until nearly two o’clock, and by which he disposed of over three dollars’ worth of goods at a good profit.

It was nearly seven o’clock when Andy returned. He had rushed matters in New York, but had bought several bargains, especially one in imitation cut glassware, which, when it arrived the next day, made a pretty showing in the window.

They remained in Plainfield two days longer, and then loaded their wagon once more and started on the road. They made brief stops at Bound Brook and Somerville, doing fairly well at both places, and then, just ten days after leaving the city, struck Flemington.

At this latter place they again came across Menville’s circus, and as a consequence did a big day’s business. They intended to leave Flemington on the day following, but after talking the matter over decided to remain until the following Monday.

“On Monday morning you can strike across the country for High Bridge alone, if you will,” said Andy. “I can take another trip to New York, and buy more goods and have them shipped direct to that place, or else on to Phillipsburg, which shall be our last stopping place in New Jersey.”

To this Matt agreed, and on Saturday night all was made ready for an early morning start on Monday. Sunday was a quiet day for both, although they attended divine services, and took a long walk among the farms outside of the town proper.

“By creation! but it looks like a storm,” exclaimed Andy, on Monday morning, as he jumped out of bed and aroused Matt.

“Well, if it rains we will have to make the most of it, I suppose,” returned the boy philosophically. “It’s a pity we haven’t any umbrellas to sell!”

“There! I’ll put them on the list at once!” cried Andy, with a laugh. “I declare, Matt, you are getting to be more of a business man every day.”

“If I am it’s because I have such a good partner for a teacher, Andy.”

“Oh, nonsense,” returned the young man, but nevertheless considerably pleased to learn that Matt appreciated his efforts. “You are as bright as any one on the road.”

When they went down to the dining-room of the hotel at which they were stopping it certainly did look like rain. Yet there was a brisk breeze blowing, and several expressed themselves as certain that it would pass around to the north of them.

Less than half an hour later Andy was on his way to the depot to catch a train, and Matt hurried to the stable where Billy and the wagon were.

“I’ll get to High Bridge just as soon as I can,” he said to himself. “I have no desire to be caught in a thunder-storm on a strange country road.”

“You may get a bit wet, but that’s all,” remarked the stable-keeper, as he saw the boy glance at the heavy clouds scurrying across the sky. “That there storm, if it comes, which is doubtful, won’t last half an hour.”

With this reassurance, if such it could be called, Matt saw to it that all was in good condition, and sprang upon the seat. He had made careful inquiries concerning the road, so that he might not go astray – a thing easy to do in most parts of the country – and in a short space of time he was out of the town and on the turnpike.

Had it been a pleasant day the boy would have enjoyed that drive thoroughly, for it was through a most beautiful section of the country. On both sides of the road were broad fields, dotted here and there with patches of woods and bushes. Several brooks were also crossed, and at one of these he stopped for a few minutes to watch a trio of boys fishing.

But then the sky seemed to grow darker suddenly, and somewhat alarmed, Matt whipped up Billy. The wind died out utterly, and the air grew close and sultry.

“That means a heavy thunder-storm and nothing less,” thought Matt. “I wish I was near the journey’s end instead of only about half through with it.”

Presently came a sudden and quite unexpected rush of wind, and a second later a heavy dash of rain, which drove almost into the boy’s face.

Matt at once stopped driving, and adjusted the rubber blanket in front of his seat. This was no easy job, for the wind kept increasing in violence. He had barely completed the work when there came a crash of thunder, and then the rain came down harder than ever.

“I wish I could find some shelter,” he muttered to himself. “I would willingly pay to be allowed to drive into some barn until this was over. I hope none of the stock gets wet.”

Matt tried to peer about him, but he could not see far, owing to the sheets of rain which fell all around.

“We’ll have to stick to the road until something comes in sight, Billy,” he said, addressing the shivering horse. “Get up old boy, and step lively.”

Thus addressed, the animal started on once more. But the rain prevented him going as fast as before. The ground was very heavy, and the road in spots was covered with water which had not time to run off, so heavy was the downpour.

Presently they came to where the road ran through a heavy bit of timber. Here it was almost as dark as night, and the branches of the trees, laden with water, hung down so low that many swept the wagon as the turn-out went by.

“Ugh! I wish we were out of this!” muttered Matt, as he tried in vain to pierce the gloom ahead. “You must find the road, Billy, for I can’t see it – ”

A terrific crash of thunder drowned out the last words. Billy sprang forward in alarm, and away went the wagon over rocks and decaying tree trunks.

“Whoa!” shouted Matt. “Whoa, Billy, whoa! You have left the road, old boy! Whoa!”

But now a blinding flash of lightning lit up the scene, and then came another crash of thunder, even louder than before. Billy reared up, and then came down with a leap. On the instant he was off, like a rocket, over bushes, logs and rocks, dragging the swaying and creaking wagon after him!

CHAPTER XVIII.
A “HOLD-UP.”

For the time being, Matt, on the seat of the heavily-laden wagon, felt certain that the entire turn-out must come to grief, and that very soon. Billy, thoroughly frightened by the thunder and lightning, was straining every nerve to make his way through the woods, despite brush, stones, and fallen trees.

Between the flashes of light the way beneath the trees was almost totally dark. The rain swept this way and that, and Matt, standing up on the foot-rest, was soaked to the skin.

“Whoa, Billy, old boy! Whoa!” he called again. “You are all right!”

But the scared horse paid no attention to his call. His nerves seemed to be strained to their utmost, and on he plunged, dragging the wagon along with bumps and jolts, which more than once threatened to land the young auctioneer out on his head.

Realizing that something must be done quickly if he would save the wagon from becoming a total wreck, Matt resolved upon a bold move. He tied the reins to the dashboard, and then, with a swift jump, cast himself upon Billy’s back.

For the instant the horse, worse frightened than before, tore along over the uneven surface at a greater rate of speed than ever. The wagon struck a rock, and seemed about to lurch over upon its side. But it righted, and seeing this, Matt began to talk to the horse, patting him in the meanwhile upon the neck in an affectionate way.

This show of kindness soon had more effect upon Billy than anything which had previously been done. The animal slackened his speed gradually, and then, as there came a brief lull in the storm, stopped short, almost winded, but still inclined to go on at the first sign of further danger.

As soon as Billy had come to a halt Matt sprang to the ground. A tree the boy had feared they would collide with was close at hand, and to this he tied the horse, making sure that the halter should be well secured; and for the time being, the danger of being wrecked through a runaway was over.

But the trouble was by no means past. The storm still kept on, the lightning being as vivid as ever, and the thunder causing Billy to tug violently at the strap which held him. It was with a shiver that Matt wondered what the consequence would be should that particular tree be struck by lightning.

To prevent Billy doing damage to the wagon by twisting in the shafts or by kicking, Matt unharnessed him and pushed the wagon back a few feet into a somewhat open space. Here the rain came down heavier, but he felt safer than in close proximity to the tree.

Feeling that nothing was to be done until the storm should abate, Matt climbed into the wagon again and protected himself as well as he could with the rubber blanket and the lap-robe. The back shade of the wagon was down, and he was glad to see that so far the stock inside had sustained no damage.

A half-hour dragged along slowly. Several times the storm appeared upon the point of clearing away, but each time the clouds settled down heavier than before, until under the trees it was as black as midnight.

Matt wondered how far he was from the road, and if there were a farmhouse anywhere at hand.

“If I could reach a house of some sort it wouldn’t be so bad,” he murmured to himself. “But being out here alone isn’t any fun, that’s certain.”

At last the clouds seemed to scatter for good. A fresh breeze stirred the trees and bushes, and ere long the rain ceased, although the drops still came down from the heavily-laden branches overhead.

As soon as he felt certain that the sky was brightening to remain so, Matt untied Billy, and harnessed him to the wagon once more.

“Now, Billy, we’ll get back to the road just as fast as we can,” he said to the horse. “And I trust that you will never run away again in that fashion, old boy.”

On all sides arose bushes and rocks, and, although the road might be close at hand, Matt thought it best to return the way they had come. He wished to take no more chances, feeling that it would be the easiest thing in the world to get lost, or to run the turn-out into some hollow or hole from which it would be next to impossible to extricate it.

But to return by the route they had come was itself no easy task. In his terror, Billy had dragged the heavy vehicle over several very uneven places, full of stumps and rocks, and now the animal, still somewhat exhausted, had all he could do to move back over the trail which had been left.

Matt led the horse, and on more than one occasion had to place his shoulder to the rear end of the wagon to help over a particularly bad spot. Thus they moved on, taking half an hour to cover a distance which had previously been traveled in less than half that time.

“Thank goodness, we are out of that at last!” exclaimed Matt, as the road finally appeared in sight. “Now to see if any damage has been done.”

The young auctioneer made a minute examination of every bolt and spring, as well as of the running gear and harness. He was overjoyed to find everything still in good order, despite the rough usage to which it had been put. The wagon body was scratched in a dozen places, but this could be easily remedied.

The rubber blankets were put away, and the lap-robe left fluttering in the rear to dry, and then Matt once more resumed his lonely journey in the direction of High Bridge.

The heavy rain had left the road deep with mud, and through this Billy plodded slowly along, Matt not having the heart to urge him to a greater speed, knowing well that the faithful animal was doing as well as could be reasonably expected of him.

“As soon as we reach High Bridge I must find a good stable for Billy, and change my clothes,” thought Matt. “And something hot to drink won’t go bad, either. Ugh! I am chilled clear to the bone!”

And he gave a shiver that was as genuine as it was uncomfortable.

The road now led downward and around a bend, where was situated another heavy bit of timber. As Matt approached the wood he saw some distance back from the road a shanty built of rough logs and boards, and thatched with weather-beaten shingles and bits of old tin and oil-cloth. There was a rude chimney upon the outside of the rear of this shanty, and from this a thin cloud of smoke was issuing.

“Humph! here is somebody’s home, but a very poor one,” thought Matt. “I shouldn’t wonder but those inside got a pretty good soaking, by the looks of things.”

At first the young auctioneer determined to stop, but upon second thought, he concluded to go on, satisfied that no accommodations worthy of the name could be had there.

“If I can’t strike something better, I’ll keep right on to High Bridge,” was his thought, and he was just about to urge Billy on once more, when the door of the shanty opened and a man came out.

The man was apparently fifty years of age, and rough in looks. His beard was long, as was also his hair, and both seemed to be much in need of shears and brush. His clothing and his face were dirty, and altogether he presented a decidedly ill-favored appearance.

“Hullo, there, stranger!” he called out. “Where bound?”

“Bound for High Bridge,” replied Matt as he drew rein. “How many miles is it?”

“Not many,” was the rather indefinite reply. “Suppose you got cotched in that storm, eh?”

“Yes, I got the full benefit of it.”

“It was a heavy one, no mistake about that. What sort of a turn-out have you got there?”

“An auction goods wagon.”

“Carrying stuff around the country to sell at auction?”

“Yes.”

“I see. Say, maybe you’ve got something you would like to sell me,” and the man, after speaking to some one in the shanty, stepped up closer to the turn-out.

“Perhaps I have, but it’s pretty well packed up,” returned Matt, who was not at all taken by the man’s manner. “We’ll be open at High Bridge this evening, or to-morrow, if nothing happens.”

“We? Got somebody else with you?”

“Not on the wagon, but I have a partner.”

“I see. What line of goods do you carry?”

Matt named over a number of articles. The man’s eyes brightened as he listened.

“Let me have a pair of suspenders,” he said. “I need them worst way. And if you’ve got a good pocket-knife I’ll patronize you so much more. Drive up in the back of the house and tie fast anywhere.”

“Excuse me, but I would prefer getting to High Bridge. I am wet to the skin, and I want to change my clothes.”

“That’s all right, young fellow. We’ve got a fire inside, and you can dry yourself there just as well as not.”

“But my horse – ”

“I’ll take care of the horse. I’ve got a shed a bit back of those bushes. Come on in; what are you afraid of?”

Thus urged, Matt sprang from the wagon seat to the ground. As he did so he noted a look of satisfaction gleam upon the man’s dirty face, and he saw the fellow wave his hand toward the shanty’s one window. He turned swiftly in the direction, and was in time to see two equally repulsive heads dodge aside out of sight.

Only for a second did the young auctioneer hesitate. Then something warned him to beware of danger, and he turned again to the wagon and placed one foot upon the shaft step.

“Hi! what are you going to do?” cried the man, in surprise.

“I guess I won’t stop,” returned the boy. “That storm does not seem to be quite over, and I do not wish to catch a second dose.”

“But you will stop, sonny!” exclaimed the man, with a sudden change of manner. “Hi, Jake! Baldy! Come out here and help me manage this young fellow!” he went on, in a louder tone.

The other men at once rushed from the shanty, and in a trice Matt was surrounded.