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Page 12
"They'll never catch us now," he muttered. "They'll never
catch us!"
But even as he spoke there grated harshly the creak of rusty
chains on a cogged wheel, the rattle of a brake. The black
figure of a man with waving arms ran out upon the draw, and
the draw gaped slowly open.
When the car halted there was between it and the broken edge
of the bridge twenty feet of running water.
At the same moment from behind it came a patter of feet, and
Winthrop turned to see racing toward them some dozen young men
of Fairport. They surrounded him with noisy, raucous,
belligerent cries. They were, as they proudly informed him,
members of the Fairport "Volunteer Fire Department." That
they might purchase new uniforms, they had arranged a trap for
the automobiles returning in illegal haste from New Haven. In
fines they had collected $300, and it was evident that already
some of that money had been expended in bad whiskey. As many
as could do so crowded into the car, others hung to the
running boards and step, others ran beside it. They rejoiced
over Winthrop's unsuccessful flight and capture with violent
and humiliating laughter.
For the day, Judge Allen had made a temporary court in the
clubroom of the fire department, which was over the engine
house; and the proceedings were brief and decisive. The
selectman told how Winthrop, after first breaking the speed
law, had broken arrest and Judge Allen, refusing to fine him
and let him go, held him and his companions for a hearing the
following morning. He fixed the amount of bail at $500 each;
failing to pay this, they would for the night be locked up in
different parts of the engine house, which, it developed,
contained on the ground floor the home of the fire engine, on
the second floor the clubroom, on alternate nights, of the
firemen, the local G. A. R., and the Knights of Pythias, and
in its cellar the town jail.
Winthrop and the chauffeur the learned judge condemned to the
cells in the basement. As a concession, he granted Miss
Forbes the freedom of the entire clubroom to herself.
The objections raised by Winthrop to this arrangement were of
a nature so violent, so vigorous, at one moment so specious
and conciliatory, and the next so abusive, that his listeners
were moved by awe, but not to pity.
In his indignation, Judge Allen rose to reply, and as, the
better to hear him, the crowd pushed forward, Fred gave way
before it, until he was left standing in sullen gloom upon its
outer edge. In imitation of the real firemen of the great
cities, the vamps of Fairport had cut a circular hole in the
floor of their clubroom, and from the engine room below had
reared a sliding pole of shining brass. When leaving their
clubroom, it was always their pleasure to scorn the stairs
and, like real firemen, slide down this pole. It had not
escaped the notice of Fred, and since his entrance he had been
gravitating toward it.
As the voice of the judge rose in violent objurgation, and all
eyes were fixed upon him, the chauffeur crooked his leg
tightly about the brass pole, and, like the devil in the
pantomime, sank softly and swiftly through the floor.
The irate judge was shaking his finger in Winthrop's face.
"Don't you try to teach me no law," he shouted; "I know what I
can do. Ef MY darter went gallivantin' around nights in one
of them automobiles, it would serve her right to get locked
up. Maybe this young woman will learn to stay at home nights
with her folks. She ain't goin' to take no harm here. The
constable sits up all night downstairs in the fire engine
room, and that sofa's as good a place to sleep as the hotel.
If you want me to let her go to the hotel, why don't you send
to your folks and bail her out?"
"You know damn well why I don't," returned Winthrop. "I don't
intend to give the newspapers and you and these other idiots
the chance to annoy her further. This young lady's brother
has been with us all day; he left us only by accident, and by
forcing her to remain here alone you are acting outrageously.
If you knew anything of decency, or law, you'd----"
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