Read Online Escape to Witch Mountain by Alexander Key - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Alexander Key
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duty. When you get in trouble you got to take your punishment—an' from what I hear you're in plenty trouble.” The chief glanced at the doorway as the gaunt man in overalls appeared. “Milt,” he went on, “this young feller wants to make a long-distance call. You're the mayor. What d'you think?”
“If I remember the law, Ben, he's allowed to make one call. So, if he's got the money to pay for it…”
“I have the money,” Tony said quickly.
“Not so fast,” said the chief. “There's a sort of complication, Milt. I didn't want to mention it outside, but Washington's paying a reward for this pair.”
“Eh? How much?”
“One thousand dollars.”
Tony sucked in his breath, and he heard the mayor whistle softly. Would Lucas Deranian actually pay that much to catch them? But of course he would. After all that had happened there was no question of it. Yet it was a shock to suddenly realize how very much the man wanted them, and the steps he would take to find them.
“That sort of changes things,” the gaunt man in overalls said slowly. “If they're wanted that bad, it sounds as if they're mixed up in something pretty big. All it would take is one call out of here tothe right person, an' first thing you know they'd have a lawyer here with a writ, an' you'd have to release them.”
Tony glared from one to the other. “Does that mean you're not going to let me make my phone call?” he demanded.
The short man nodded, and said quietly, “That's right, son. If they want to let you make phone calls in Washington, that's their business. My duty is to keep you here till the deputy comes to get you.”
“You're not thinking about your duty,” Tony retorted angrily. “All you care about is that thousand dollars. And you're making a mistake, because the person who's paying it—”
“That's enough out o' you, son.” The short man's voice was still mild, but there was a narrowing of the eyes and a thinning of the mouth that warned Tony of the uselessness of saying more.
He had wanted to call Father O'Day, but now he realized it had been mainly for the assurance of hearing the voice of the only friend he and Tia had. Actually, there was nothing Father O'Day could do, except to inform Augie Kozak of what had happened. They were on their own here. The only wise thing was to stop arguing, and take it easy until tonight. Then they could slip out and head for the Kozak place.
They'd had little rest for two nights, and Tia, he saw, was drooping with fatigue. Even so, he was not surprised to find that she seemed oblivious of their predicament, and that all her attention was on the distant bear cage. She was watching it through the window and whispering silently, “You poor things! But just wait— I'll get you out of there.”
“Don't be a dope,” he cautioned her in the same quiet voice. “We won't have time to worry about bears when we leave here. Don't you realize the spot we're in?”
Her only answer was a stubborn lifting of her chin. Oh, he thought, on top of everything else, we've got bears to think about…
“Ben,” the man in overalls was saying, “what's the story on these two? Did Washington call you direct?”
“Yeah, but I got word from Winston-Salem first. Lemme lock 'em up an' I'll tell you about it.”
Tony made no protest as they were searched, but he asked if he could keep his harmonica. The request was denied, and all their possessions were locked in a cabinet behind the desk. Then they were hustled past the corridor door and each thrust into a cell.
Feeling lost without his harmonica, he peered about him in disgust. The place was filthy, but at least it had an upper bunk that seemed a trifle less dirty than the lower one. He swung wearily up to it and stretched out, and could have fallen asleep instantly if he had not heard Ben Purdy talking.
The chief had lowered his voice, but it was easy for Tony to hear him even with the corridor door closed.
“It was like this, Milt.
“If I remember the law, Ben, he's allowed to make one call. So, if he's got the money to pay for it…”
“I have the money,” Tony said quickly.
“Not so fast,” said the chief. “There's a sort of complication, Milt. I didn't want to mention it outside, but Washington's paying a reward for this pair.”
“Eh? How much?”
“One thousand dollars.”
Tony sucked in his breath, and he heard the mayor whistle softly. Would Lucas Deranian actually pay that much to catch them? But of course he would. After all that had happened there was no question of it. Yet it was a shock to suddenly realize how very much the man wanted them, and the steps he would take to find them.
“That sort of changes things,” the gaunt man in overalls said slowly. “If they're wanted that bad, it sounds as if they're mixed up in something pretty big. All it would take is one call out of here tothe right person, an' first thing you know they'd have a lawyer here with a writ, an' you'd have to release them.”
Tony glared from one to the other. “Does that mean you're not going to let me make my phone call?” he demanded.
The short man nodded, and said quietly, “That's right, son. If they want to let you make phone calls in Washington, that's their business. My duty is to keep you here till the deputy comes to get you.”
“You're not thinking about your duty,” Tony retorted angrily. “All you care about is that thousand dollars. And you're making a mistake, because the person who's paying it—”
“That's enough out o' you, son.” The short man's voice was still mild, but there was a narrowing of the eyes and a thinning of the mouth that warned Tony of the uselessness of saying more.
He had wanted to call Father O'Day, but now he realized it had been mainly for the assurance of hearing the voice of the only friend he and Tia had. Actually, there was nothing Father O'Day could do, except to inform Augie Kozak of what had happened. They were on their own here. The only wise thing was to stop arguing, and take it easy until tonight. Then they could slip out and head for the Kozak place.
They'd had little rest for two nights, and Tia, he saw, was drooping with fatigue. Even so, he was not surprised to find that she seemed oblivious of their predicament, and that all her attention was on the distant bear cage. She was watching it through the window and whispering silently, “You poor things! But just wait— I'll get you out of there.”
“Don't be a dope,” he cautioned her in the same quiet voice. “We won't have time to worry about bears when we leave here. Don't you realize the spot we're in?”
Her only answer was a stubborn lifting of her chin. Oh, he thought, on top of everything else, we've got bears to think about…
“Ben,” the man in overalls was saying, “what's the story on these two? Did Washington call you direct?”
“Yeah, but I got word from Winston-Salem first. Lemme lock 'em up an' I'll tell you about it.”
Tony made no protest as they were searched, but he asked if he could keep his harmonica. The request was denied, and all their possessions were locked in a cabinet behind the desk. Then they were hustled past the corridor door and each thrust into a cell.
Feeling lost without his harmonica, he peered about him in disgust. The place was filthy, but at least it had an upper bunk that seemed a trifle less dirty than the lower one. He swung wearily up to it and stretched out, and could have fallen asleep instantly if he had not heard Ben Purdy talking.
The chief had lowered his voice, but it was easy for Tony to hear him even with the corridor door closed.
“It was like this, Milt.
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