"The only thing that I see, is you cannot make a fire here. At least, if you did, the smoke might be seen," added Warren; and Mr. Charlton smiled.
"We can do without the fire, my kind young friend," he said. "I shall manage here very well. But now do you all go, for you are nearly wet through, and I fear that you may suffer some ill effects, and you all look tired to death, too. Shake hands with me, and be off."
"We shall manage to let you know soon, sir, how things go," said Ralph, "and we will bring more food and things. Good-bye, sir, and keep up a good heart."
"Good-bye, and good-bye and God bless you, my own dear son." And the father and son embraced.
Then the three lads dashed away, making for home as fast as they could; and though Warren wondered what his people would think of him for being so late, nothing could persuade him to refrain from going back to Mr. St. Clive's, just to see how things had gone.
If ever three boys were tired and wet and cold, Ralph and his chums were when they once again arrived at Mr. St. Clive's; but for all that, they were three delighted boys, for they had succeeded in their mission, and Mr. Charlton was safe.
They found that the police had been and gone, and were none the wiser for their visit. Mr. St. Clive had received them readily, and told them that he certainly had employed an old gardener, but that the man had left his employ only a short time before they came, and that he could give them no information about him.
It was highly distasteful to an honourable gentleman like Mr. St. Clive even to say anything which, while strictly true, had yet the qualities of a lie, but in this case he was forced to do so. He could not give the poor man up to justice--a man whom he honestly believed to have been wrongly convicted--especially after having received him and sheltered him so long.
But when Elgert and Dobson heard that the search was unsuccessful, oh, how angry they were! They had come back with the constables, and Mr. St. Clive turned to them and spoke very sternly.
"So it appears that I am indebted to you two young gentlemen for this visit," he said. "First of all you trespass upon my grounds; then you take upon yourselves to give this information to the police; and now you have come back uninvited. Kindly oblige me by taking yourselves off; and understand that if I find you on my grounds again, I shall not have the slightest hesitation in horsewhipping the pair of you!"