Cab and Caboose | Page 7

force of Rodman's right arm sent him staggering
back. It would have laid him on the floor, had not several of the fellows
caught him in their arms.
He was furious with rage, and would have sprung at Rodman had he
not been restrained. As it was, he hissed through his clinched teeth, "I'll
make you suffer for this yet, see if I don't."
Immediately after delivering the blow, Rod turned, without a word, and
began putting on his clothes. The fellows watched him in silence. A
minute later he was dressed, and stood in the doorway. Here he turned
and said:
"I am going home, fellows, and I shall wait there just one hour for an
assurance that you have faith in me, and do not believe a word of this
horrible charge. If such a message, sent by the whole club, reaches me
within that time, I will undertake to prove my innocence. If it does not
come, then I cease, not only to be your captain, but a member of the
club."
CHAPTER IV.
STARTING INTO THE WORLD.
As Rod finished speaking he left the room and walked away. He had
hardly disappeared, and the fellows were still looking at each other in a
bewildered fashion, when a message was sent in. It was that President
Vanderveer, who was distributing the prizes for the several races out in
front of the grand stand, was ready to present the Railroad Cup to
Rodman Blake, and wanted him to come and receive it. Then
somebody went out and whispered to the President. Excusing himself
for a moment to the throng of spectators, he visited the dressing-room,
where he heard the whole story. It was hurriedly told; but he
comprehended enough of it to know that the cup could not, at that

moment, be presented to anybody. So he went back, and with a very
sober face, told the people that owing to circumstances which he was
not at liberty to explain just then, it was impossible to award the
Railroad Cup at that meeting.
The crowd slowly melted away; but before they left, everybody had
heard one version or another of the story told to President Vanderveer
in the dressing-room. Some believed Rod to be innocent of the charge
brought against him, and some believed him guilty. Almost all of them
said it was a pity that such races could not be won and lost honestly,
and there must be some fire where there was so much smoke; and they
told each other how they had noticed from the very first that something
was wrong with Snyder Appleby's wheel.
Major Appleby heard the story, first from President Vanderveer, and
afterwards from his adopted son, who confirmed it by displaying the
side of his face which was swollen and bruised from Rodman's blow.
Fully believing what Snyder told him, the Major became very angry.
He declared that no such disgrace had ever before been brought to his
house, and that the boy who was the cause of it could no longer be
sheltered by his roof. In vain did people talk to him, and urge him to
reflect before he acted. He had decided upon his course, and the more
they advised him, the more determined he became not to be moved
from it.
While he was thus storming and fuming outside the dressing-room, the
members of the wheel club were holding a meeting behind its closed
door. Did they believe Rodman Blake guilty of the act charged against
him or did they not? The debate was a long and exciting one; but the
question was finally decided in his favor. They did not believe him
capable of doing anything so mean. They would make a thorough
investigation of the affair, and aid him by every means in their power to
prove his innocence.
This was the purport of the message sent to the young captain by the
club secretary, Billy Bliss; but it was sent too late. The members had
taken no note of time in the heat of their discussion, and the hour
named by Rodman had already elapsed before Billy Bliss started on his

errand. The fellows did not think a few minutes more or less would
make any difference, though they urged the secretary to hurry and
deliver his message as quickly as possible. A few minutes however did
make all the difference in the world to Rod Blake. With him an hour
meant exactly sixty minutes; and when Billy Bliss reached Major
Appleby's house the boy whom he sought was nowhere to be found.
Major Appleby and his adopted son walked home together, the former
full of wrath at what he believed to be the disgraceful action of his
nephew, and the latter secretly rejoicing at it.