CHAPTER XVIII.
AN EXPOSURE, AND WHAT FOLLOWED.
Frank Pemberton was just finishing his supper when he heard a well-known whistle outside of his gate, and lost no time in answering the boyish call. Outside he found a lad named Charlie Crown awaiting him. Charlie was about Frank's age. He was a cripple and could not play ball or other games, but took a great interest in the athletic sports.
"What's up, Charlie?" asked Frank, as he met the cripple near the gate.
"I want to see you," was the low answer. "I've got something to tell."
"All right, fire away," answered Frank, and walked away from the gate with the other boy.
"I want you to promise that you won't tell anybody first," went on Charlie. "The reason I ask is, because I don't want to get into trouble."
"I shan't get you into trouble if I can help it, Charlie."
"It's about those lost uniforms and other things that belong to your baseball club."
"What about them?" and now Frank was all curiosity.
"They are really gone, aren't they?"
"Yes."
"Well, I was down near Hatfield's lumber yard this morning, and I heard something that I didn't think much of just then, but I think more of it now."
"What did you hear?"
"Something that was said between Sidney Yates and Billy Fram." And then the cripple related the conversation recorded in the previous chapter.
"Put everything in the cistern?" cried Frank. "They must have meant the cistern back of the carpenter shop."
"Is there one there?"
"Yes."
"Then that must be it."
"I'll go and find out at once."
"You won't say that I told you, will you?" asked Charlie, anxiously. "If Sidney heard of it he'd hammer the life out of me the first chance he got."
"I'd like to catch him at it," returned Frank, with flashing eyes. "If he ever lays his hands on you just you let me know. But I won't mention you if you'd rather have it that way."
Fearful that he might be suspected of exposing the plot, Charlie declined to go to the carpenter shop, so Frank started off alone. On the way he picked up Matt and Fred, and at the shop Link joined them.
"We'll have to get a lantern to look into the old cistern," said Link. "It's as dark as pitch down there. What a mean thing to do!"
A lantern was procured and lit, and the crowd of boys hurried to the cistern and raised the lid.
"Put the lantern on the end of a pole," suggested Frank. "We can't see anything unless it is close to the water."
"I think we can get the whole cistern top off," added Link. "That will help so much more."
With the top removed, and the lantern lowered on a pole, it was not long before they discovered one of the uniforms floating around in the water. This they fished out with a clothes pole having a nail at the end, and several other uniforms and a catcher's mask followed.
"This was the plan," cried Link. "It beats anything I ever heard of for meanness. We ought to have Billy Fram and Sidney Yates arrested!"
"What we want to do first is to make sure that all of the things are here," came from Matt. "Keep on fishing, boys!" And the way he said this caused a brief laugh.
They did keep on fishing, and in the end brought out all of the uniforms and nearly all of the rest of the club outfit. Several gloves could not be gotten and these were left at the bottom of the cistern for the time being.
"These suits are a sight to see," declared Link. "They must be washed and dried before we can use them."
"They certainly have got to be washed," returned another of the boys.
"I've got a plan!" cried Frank. "Let us march to Mr. Yates' house and show him just what was done. We can take the wet outfit with us."
This was agreed to, and Mr. Darrow, who had come out of the house to aid them, said he would go along.
It was quite a procession that lined up on the board walk of the Yates' home, which stood some distance back from the street. Frank rang the bell and Mr. Yates himself answered the summons.
"What's this?" cried the mill superintendent. "A surprise party?"
"If it is, it's a disagreeable one, Mr. Yates," said Frank. "We want to show you what sort of a trick Sidney has been playing on us—he and that Billy Fram."
"What are you doing with those wet clothes?"
"Sidney had Billy Fram steal them from our clubroom and throw them into Mr. Darrow's cistern."
Of course Mr. Yates was astonished, and at first he would not believe what was told him. Sidney had gone out, but came back in the midst of the interview.
"See here, what does this mean?" demanded his father, catching him by the ear. "Answer me, did you do this?"
"Oh!" screamed Sidney. "Don't! I—I didn't do nothing!"
"He had it done, and we can prove it," answered Frank.
"I—I didn't do it!" Sidney was so scared he lost his head. "Billy Fram did it! Oh, let me go, please do!"
"Yes, but you paid Billy Fram to do it," put in Link. "You needn't deny it, for we can prove everything."
"Did Billy tell on me?" whined Sidney. "If he did I'll—I'll——"
"So you did have something to do with it, eh?" cried Mr. Yates. "A fine piece of business for you, I must say!"
"Billy did it. I didn't do it!"
"Yes, but you hired him to do it, and when it was done you paid him money, too," came from Frank. "You ought to be in jail this minute!"
"I am going to get at the bottom of this," said Mr. Yates, in a hard voice, which made his son shiver. "Sidney, you ought to be ashamed of yourself." He turned to the boys and Mr. Darrow. "Where is this Billy Fram?"
"Here he is!" came a voice from the rear, and two of the club members, who had slipped off after the little rascal, marched up with the lad between them.
"It wasn't my fault!" sniveled Billy Fram. "Sidney said he had a right to do it—that the club hadn't treated him honestly. I wouldn't have done it on my own account nohow! It's all his fault!" And then he began to bellow loudly.
"You shut up, or I'll give you something to cry for," said Frank. "Now tell the whole thing, and tell it straight, too."
Thoroughly frightened, Billy told his story, excusing himself in every possible way. Mr. Yates listened closely and put a number of questions to the lad.
"It seems to me, Mr. Yates, the least you can do is to have these suits cleaned and dried for us," said Frank.
"I'll certainly have that done, boys—or you can have it done and I'll pay the bill. Take them to Kolish, the tailor, if you wish."
The matter was talked over, and in the meantime Sidney was sent up to his room. The boys allowed Billy Fram to go, but he was warned to keep his distance or they would make Lakeport too hot to hold him. He sneaked off like a whipped cur, and then the club members went off to hunt up the tailor, who did all sorts of odd jobs outside of making new clothes.
"I'll wager Sidney catches it," said Link, on the way, and he was right. Sidney received one of the hardest thrashings ever given to him, and his spending money was cut off for a month.
The tailor when roused up said he would go to work that very night on the uniforms and do his best with them. Frank remained two hours to help him, and as a consequence by nine o'clock the next morning the suits were washed, dried and pressed, and looked almost as good as new. The bill amounted to eight dollars, and this Mr. Yates paid without a murmur.
The boys had arranged to go to Brookside in a big stage, and it was a jolly crowd of twenty-six that occupied the turnout. Another stage followed and also several carriages, while a number of folks went up to Brookside by the lake steamer and in naphtha launches.
When they arrived at Brookside they were escorted to the baseball grounds by the members of the rival club, who did all in their power to make our young friends comfortable.
"They believe in treating us better than the Excelsiors did," was Harry's comment. "I guess we are going to have a good game."
"They certainly look to be in the best of condition," answered Fred. "That Roy Willetts has a splendid arm for pitching."
George Dixon was the captain of the club and he played shortstop. He was a curly-headed fellow and full of fun.
"Sorry, Joe, but this is the day you are not to get a run," said he, coming up on the field.
"Don't be so sure about that, George," answered Joe. "It would be a poor score if it read 0 to 0."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean it's a sure thing that you won't get a run. I'm not so certain of my own club."
"Oh, come off!" George Dixon began to laugh. "Well, I hope we have a good square game all around, don't you?"
"I certainly do."
At the last minute Walter Bannister had been unable to play on the nine and Augustus De Vere was put in his place.
"I don't like the substitution," said Link to Bart.
"Neither do I, but I suppose Joe feels he ought to give Gus a chance. He's always blowing about what he can do."
"I'd rather have Teddy Dugan in the place."
"So would I, or even Lanky Suttervane."
Practice was soon over, and the umpire went out into the field. The toss-up gave Lakeport the choice of innings and they sent Brookside to the bat. Then the umpire called out, "Play ball!" and the contest was begun.