The Mandie Collection (73 page)

The stranger seemed more and more frightened, apparently convinced he was surrounded by a whole tribe of Indians. “Hey, you!” he shouted at Phineas. “Call off these confounded Indians. Tell them we want to leave.”

Phineas wriggled on the cold snowy ground to free himself from the ropes that bound him. “Do you think they're going to let us leave when they can see you're my enemy and that you've tied me up like this?” he scoffed. “Don't forget. They're my friends. If you don't release me, they'll come and get you in a few minutes.”

The stranger limped around in circles for a while, evidently trying to think of some way out of his predicament. Without a word, he pulled a knife from his belt and slashed the ropes that bound Phineas.

Limbering up his wrists and ankles, Phineas finally managed to stand up. But just then, another arrow whizzed through the air and lodged in the tree behind the stranger, clipping his hat.

“Tell them to let us leave!” the stranger yelled, stomping around on his bad leg.

Phineas looked around and then let out a loud Indian yell as Uncle Ned grabbed the stranger from behind. Suddenly, scores of Indians came out of the bushes and surrounded the stranger, taking his gun and knife away from him.

“Thank the Lord!” Phineas shouted. “And thank you, Uncle Ned!”

The girls ran forward and met Joe coming from the other side. “Go!” an Indian voice shouted.

The young people looked up to see Ben walking toward them, his eyes wide with fright, and a young Indian brave pushing him forward with an arrow poised at his back.

Ben's legs buckled beneath him, and he fell to the ground, begging for his life. “Please, I ain't done nothin,' ” he pleaded. “Please!”

Uncle Ned ran to Ben's rescue. “Redbird, leave,” he commanded. “Ben friend of Papoose.”

Redbird smiled and reached down to help Ben up. Ben rolled away from the young Indian, and managing to get to his feet, he ran to where Mandie and Celia were standing.

Mandie glared at the stranger. “You are the man who stole food from the grocer and caused Mr. Phineas to be blamed for it, aren't you?” she asked as Uncle Ned tied the stranger's hands behind him.

“What are you white folk doing with these Indians?” the stranger asked.

“I'm part Cherokee myself,” Mandie answered, “and these Indians are my friends.”

Joe stepped forward to help Uncle Ned. “Come on, mister,” he said in a deep, important-sounding voice. “We've got a rig not far from here. We're taking you to town.”

The stranger protested. “I've got a bad leg,” he complained. “I can't walk. Besides, my horse is in that old barn over there.”

“You're not riding a horse,” Joe ordered. “You'd only run away. You're going in the rig with us.”

Uncle Ned called to the oldest Indian there, the head of the group. “Mumblehead, get horse. Tie to rig,” he ordered. “Redbird, get braves. Carry bad man to rig. Hurry!”

Mumblehead disappeared while two young Indians stepped forward and picked up the stranger, carrying him to the rig as the others followed. Soon Mumblehead returned with the horse.

“Mr. Phineas, thank goodness we found you in time,” Mandie said as they walked along. “Uncle Ned always knows what to do.”

“How did you find the man?” Joe asked.

“I watched the store and sure enough, he came back to steal more,” Phineas replied. “He stole a bag of beans and escaped before the grocer could catch him, but I followed him. His horse had thrown a shoe, so he was trying to walk,” he explained. “He couldn't go very fast. Then when he turned in here off the road, he happened to look back and see me. There weren't enough bushes for me to hide in.”

“Weren't you afraid of him?” Celia asked.

“I suppose so, but I was mad, too,” Phineas said, “because he was committing crimes I was being blamed for.”

“I can see why Mr. Simpson thought y'all were the same person,” Mandie commented. “He's short like you, and he has a bad leg.” “Well, we don't exactly look alike,” Phineas protested.

They got the stranger safely secured in the rig and tied the horse behind it. Uncle Ned thanked his Indian friends and told them goodbye as he and the others drove off.

The stranger moaned and groaned all the way, and the young people kept a close watch on him.

Finally Mandie spoke up. “What's wrong with you?” she asked.

“There's lots wrong with me,” the stranger replied. “This here leg has got a bullet in it, for one thing.”

Mandie gasped. “A bullet?”

“Who shot you?” Joe demanded.

“I guess I might as well come clean, or I'll die from this leg,” the stranger said. “My name is Kent Stagrene. I robbed that bank in Charlotte, and the guard shot me,” he confessed, beginning to moan again. He bent down to hold his leg; then he looked up. “I got away with the money, though.”

Mandie did some quick thinking. Taking the key Ben found out of her pocket, she showed it to the stranger. “Is this the bank?” she asked.

He reached for the key, but she held it back.

“Where did you get that?” Kent Stagrene asked angrily. “That's the key to the strongbox I took.”

“Then where is the money?” Joe asked.

“I don't have it anymore,” he said, turning pale. “Someone else stole it from me.” Within seconds he passed out.

Uncle Ned tapped Ben on the shoulder. “We take stranger to doctor man,” he said.

Ben headed for Mrs. Taft's house.

CHAPTER TWELVE

AN ANGRY MOB

By the time Ben pulled the rig into Mrs. Taft's driveway, it was pitch dark.

Ella greeted them at the front door and ran to the parlor. “They's home, Miz Taft, and they's got some man wid 'em,” she reported. “Looks like he's hurt.”

“Go tell Dr. Woodard,” Mrs. Taft ordered, hurrying to the front hallway. “He's up in his room, getting his coat. It's so late that he was about to go out looking for them.”

Uncle Ned and Ben carried the still-unconscious man through the doorway. Mrs. Taft stepped back. “Who is that?” she asked shakily. “What's wrong with him?”

“He's been shot,” Joe volunteered.

Mrs. Taft began to sway slightly as though she were about to faint.

“We didn't shoot him, Miz Taft,” Ben assured her. “Dis de man whut rob de bank in Charlotte. De bank guard done shot him.” Ben and Uncle Ned laid the man on the floor in the hallway. “A bank robber!” Mrs. Taft cried.

“He need doctor man,” Uncle Ned said.

Phineas and the girls gathered around Mrs. Taft.

“Thank goodness, you're back, Phineas,” Mrs. Taft said.

Dr. Woodard came hurrying into the hallway, followed by Ella, who stayed to see what was going on.

“Dr. Woodard, this is the bank robber and Mr. Simpson's thief all rolled into one,” Mandie explained. “He confessed everything to us.”

The doctor quickly knelt down to examine the stranger's leg. “It's pretty bad,” he said, looking up at Mrs. Taft. “Do you have anywhere we can put this man? Even though he is a criminal he needs medical attention fast.”

“Why, yes, I suppose he can be put in an empty room in the servants' quarters. Can you get him upstairs that far? The rooms are on the third floor,” Mrs. Taft answered. “He'll be away from us up there.”

“We can manage,” Dr. Woodard said, standing up.

“We take,” Uncle Ned said and motioned for Ben to help him pick up the unconscious man.

They moved slowly up the stairs carrying the criminal. Everyone stood watching. Dr. Woodard followed, giving directions.

“Ella, show them an empty room up there and then bring some coffee and cocoa to the parlor,” Mrs. Taft told the maid.

The Negro girl hurried to pass the group on the stairs to direct them to a room.

The young people and Phineas removed their outerwear and left it in the hall, then followed Mrs. Taft into the parlor.

Seated by the roaring fire in the parlor, the young people related their adventures, and Phineas filled in with his as Mrs. Taft listened. Ella brought in hot coffee and hot cocoa and served it.

“The man said his name was Kent Stagrene,” Mandie said, pulling the key from her pocket. “I showed him this key that Ben found in the church. He said it belongs to the strongbox he stole from the bank. Then he said somebody else stole the strongbox from him. So I think the man and woman we saw in the church that day must be the ones who robbed him.”

Everyone agreed.

Suddenly Mandie caught her breath. “Mr. Phineas!” she said excitedly. “I just happened to remember something. I'm pretty sure the newspaper said there was a reward for the capture of the robber. You can get that money!”

“I didn't capture the robber,” Phineas objected. “He captured me. Y'all captured the robber.”

Mrs. Taft spoke up quickly. “They're right, Phineas,” she said. “You found the man and went after him. Besides, these young people don't need the money. And I'm sure you could use it to get back on your feet.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Taft, but I still think they are the ones who actually captured the man,” Phineas replied.

“We'll see about that,” Mrs. Taft said with a twinkle in her eye.

After a while Dr. Woodard and Uncle Ned joined the others in the parlor.

“Is the robber going to live?” Mandie asked as the two men sat down.

“I think so,” the doctor replied. “But he has a bad wound. He should have gotten medical help right away after it happened. Uncle Ned and Ben filled me in on all the details.”

“What are we going to do with him, Dr. Woodard?” Mrs. Taft said uneasily.

“Well, we left Ben watching him for now to make sure he doesn't try to get away if he regains consciousness,” the doctor replied. “But we'll have to notify the sheriff that he's here.”

“Will the sheriff take him away and put him in jail?” Joe asked.

“I don't think so—not in the condition he's in,” his father explained. “I imagine the sheriff will just let him stay here until he is out of danger. Then he'll move him.”

“What will they do to him?” Celia inquired.

“That will be up to the bank in Charlotte,” Dr. Woodard told her. “Our sheriff will probably send him back to the sheriff in Mecklenburg County.”

“I never dreamed there would be so much danger,” Mrs. Taft said wearily, “or I never would have agreed for these young people to go looking for Mr. Simpson's thief.”

Before long, Ella appeared in the doorway to announce that supper was on the table.

In the dining room, they continued discussing the matter as they ate. The young people hardly ate anything, however, because they were too excited. Mrs. Taft said she was too nervous to eat, knowing she had a
bank robber in the house. But Phineas, Dr. Woodard, and Uncle Ned made good headway into the delicious food set before them.

Mrs. Taft changed the subject. “How was Hilda when you were up there a while ago?” she asked Dr. Woodard.

“She's not doing very good,” he said, shaking his head. “Is she conscious?” Mandie asked.

“No, I don't think so,” the doctor replied. “She just lies there—doesn't open her eyes or respond in any way.”

Ella rushed into the dining room and ran to Mrs. Taft. “De sheriff man, he be here,” she said. “He want to see you and de doctuh in de parlor.”

Mrs. Taft glanced at Dr. Woodard in alarm.

The doctor took charge. “Ella, please tell him we'll be there in a few minutes.”

Ella quickly left the room.

“What does he want?” Mrs. Taft asked. “Phineas, you'd better get out of sight. Mr. Simpson may have sent him for you.”

Dr. Woodard laid down his napkin and stood up. “That won't be necessary, Phineas,” he said. “We'll just tell him the truth. We have the man upstairs that he's looking for.”

Mrs. Taft followed Dr. Woodard out of the room into the parlor. Sheriff Jones was sitting by the fire. He rose to greet them. They all sat down to talk while the young people hid outside the parlor door, watching and listening. Phineas stayed in the dining room.

The sheriff started the conversation. “Sorry to bother you, Mrs. Taft, but—”

“Did that Mr. Simpson send you here?” Mrs. Taft interrupted. “Well, yes, ma'am, he did,” the sheriff admitted. “He told me you have the man who robbed his store, right here in your house.” “Of all the nerve!” Mrs. Taft exclaimed.

“I think I can explain, Sheriff,” Dr. Woodard said. “You see, Mr. Simpson thought the man stealing food from his store was a man who is a friend of ours, whom we've known for years. This man's name is Phineas Prattworthy, and he has been living over on the Nantahala Mountain. But it so happens that we know for sure that Phineas is not guilty because we found the man who really stole from Mr. Simpson. He's upstairs. I've just removed a bullet from his leg.”

The sheriff looked startled. “A bullet from his leg?” he asked. “Who is this man? Did Mr. Simpson shoot him?”

“No, Mr. Simpson didn't shoot him,” the doctor said. “It seems this man also robbed a bank in Charlotte and was shot by a guard.”

“That bank robbery last week in Charlotte?” the sheriff asked in disbelief. “You have the man who did it right here in this house?”

“Yes, we do. That's what I've just been telling you,” the doctor insisted. “And he's the same man who stole Mr. Simpson's groceries.”

The sheriff jumped up. “Where is he? I need to see about moving him to the jail!” he said excitedly.

“It's impossible to move him,” the doctor warned. “He let that leg get infected, and right now he's barely hanging on. But if you want to see him, I'll be glad to show you where he is.”

“All right,” the sheriff agreed.

When the two men made their way up the stairs, the young people came back into the parlor and sat down. Dr. Woodard and the sheriff returned a short time later.