CHAPTER XXI.

AN IMPORTANT DISCOVERY.

A cry of horror arose on every side, heard even above the crash of falling walls, as one after another of the doomed buildings went down.

“Dick Burns and Lemuel Akers are under the timbers!”

Then a rush was made, in spite of smoke and flames, and the two boys were dragged to a place of safety.

A dash of cold water revived Dick, and he was soon on his feet again, suffering nothing more serious than a big lump on his forehead.

Lemuel Akers had been hurt in the chest.

“Call Dr. Hoymark, somebody! He is in the crowd!”

The cry for the doctor soon brought that medical gentleman to Lemuel’s side.

He directed that several men carry the big boy to the drug store. Here Lemuel was placed on a couch, and the doctor went to work on him, while a number of men, including Mr. Johnson and Simon Pepper, stood around.

With a sharp pair of scissors the doctor cut open Lemuel’s shirt. Then he asked somebody to help him remove the boy’s coat and vest.

Simon Pepper stepped forward, and the two went to work. Hardly were the garments removed than the watchmaker gave a gasp of astonishment.

“Mine!”

“What’s that?” asked Dr. Hoymark.

“Look! look! my chains and my pins!” howled Simon Pepper.

He seemed to have suddenly lost his reason. He was tearing open a package which had dropped from Lemuel Akers’ breast.

“Your chains and pins!” said Lawyer Burns.

“Yes! yes! Oh, the rascal! He must have been the thief, and not Joe Johnson!”

“You have struck it, Pepper,” responded the lawyer quietly.

Simon Pepper opened the package and spread the contents on a near-by counter. There was about half the amount stolen from the shop.

“I will tell you where you can find nearly all the rest,” said Lawyer Burns.

“Where?”

The lawyer started to tell about the pawnbroker in the next town, when Lemuel came to his senses and sat up.

“What--is--the--matter?” he asked slowly.

And then, seeing Simon Pepper, his hand stole to his breast.

“I have found you out!” howled the watchmaker. “You thief! And you tried to put it off on Joe Johnson!”

He was even more angry than he had been at our hero, and with far greater reason.

“Gently,” interposed Dr. Hoymark. “Remember he is suffering.”

And then he thrust the jeweler aside until he could attend to Lemuel. In his dismay at being found out, the tall boy forgot all about his bruises. He let the doctor fix him up, and then, putting on his coat and vest again, sneaked off without a word of thanks to any one.

“An ungrateful boy,” murmured the doctor.

“And a thoroughly bad one,” added Lawyer Burns.

The news soon spread and reached the ears of all the town people.

Nearly every one said it was no surprise. All had believed Joe innocent from the start.

It was thought that Lemuel had used the empty house as a place to hide the jewelry, and when the row caught fire had gone in to get the booty out.

In the meanwhile the fire had burned itself out. Men and boys worked heroically, and nothing burned but the row, although quite a high wind was blowing.

Much praise was given to Mr. Johnson for what he had done for Joe’s enemy.

Lawyer Burns at once took steps toward having the case against Joe quashed. In this he was successful, and a couple of days later every one knew that Joe was free from the shadow which had been cast over his fair name.

Then came a big surprise. Lemuel Akers had been arrested. No one had gone his bail, and he had been placed in the town jail, a primitive and rickety affair, which had once been a carpenter’s shop.

From this place of confinement the thief had escaped, and no one knew where he had gone.

The town authorities took the matter in hand, but without results. Lemuel was missing and that was as far as the single constable who did the work on the case could get.

It is possible that his folks knew where he was, but if they did, they did not let on.