第25章

Of course I am interested principally in finding Miss Prim--her father has engaged me for that purpose; but I think the arrest of the perpetrators of any of last night's crimes will put us well along on the trail of the missing young lady, as it is almost a foregone conclusion that there is a connection between her disappearance and some of the occurrences which have so excited Oakdale.I do not mean that she was a party to any criminal act; but it is more than possible that she was ab-ducted by the same men who later committed the other crimes."The Cases hung open-mouthed upon his words, while his companions wondered at the loquaciousness of this ordinarily close-mouthed man, who, as a matter of fact, was but attempting to win the confidence of the boy on the chance that even now he had not told all that he knew; but Willie had told all.

Finding, after a few minutes further conversation, that he could glean no additional information the de-tective returned to his car and drove west toward Mills-ville on the assumption that the fugitives would seek escape by the railway running through that village.

Only thus could he account for their turning off the main pike.The latter was now well guarded all the way to Payson; while the Millsville road was still open.

No sooner had he departed than Willie Case disap-peared, nor did he answer at noon to the repeated ringing of the big, farm dinner bell.

Half way between the Case farm and Millsville de-tective Burton saw, far ahead along the road, two figures scale a fence and disappear behind the fringing black-berry bushes which grew in tangled profusion on either side.When they came abreast of the spot he ordered the driver to stop; but though he scanned the open field carefully he saw no sign of living thing.

"There are two men hiding behind those bushes," he said to his companions in a low whisper."One of you walk ahead about fifty yards and the other go back the same distance and then climb the fence.When I see you getting over I'll climb it here.They can't get away from us." To the driver he said: "You have a gun.If they make a break go after 'em.You can shoot if they don't stop when you tell 'em to."The two men walked in opposite directions along the road, and when Burton saw them turn in and start to climb the fence he vaulted over the panel directly op-posite the car.He had scarcely alighted upon the other side when his eyes fell upon the disreputable figures of two tramps stretched out upon their backs and snoring audibly.Burton grinned.

"You two sure can go to sleep in a hurry," he said.

One of the men opened his eyes and sat up.When he saw who it was that stood over him he grinned sheep-ishly.

"Can't a guy lie down fer a minute in de bushes wid-out bein' pinched?" he asked.The other man now sat up and viewed the newcomer, while from either side Bur-ton's companions closed in on the three.

"Wot's de noise?" inquired the second tramp, looking from one to another of the intruders."We ain't done nothin'.""Of course not, Charlie," Burton assured him gaily.

"Who would ever suspect that you or The General would do anything; but somebody did something in Oakdale last night and I want to take you back there and have a nice, long talk with you.Put your hands up!""We--."

"Put 'em up!" snapped Burton, and when the four grimy fists had been elevated he signalled to his com-panions to search the two men.

Nothing more formidable than knives, dope, and a needle were found upon them.

"Say," drawled Dopey Charlie."We knows wot we knows; but hones' to gawd we didn't have nothin' to do wid it.We knows the guy that pulled it off--we spent las' night wid him an' his pal an' a skoit.He creased me, here," and Charlie unbuttoned his clothing and ex-posed to view the bloody scratch of The Oskaloosa Kid's bullet."On de level, Burton, we wern't in on it.

Dis guy was at dat Squibbs' place wen we pulls in dere outen de rain.He has a pocket full o' kale an' sparklers an' tings, and he goes fer to shoot me up wen I tries to get away.""Who was he?" asked Burton.

"He called hisself de Oskaloosa Kid," replied Charlie.

"A guy called Bridge was wid him.You know him?""I've heard of him; but he's straight," replied Burton.

"Who was the skirt?"

"I dunno," said Charlie; "but she was gassin' 'bout her pals croakin' a guy an' trunin' 'im outten a gas wagon, an' dis Oskaloosa Kid he croaks some old guy in Oak-dale las' night.Mebby he ain't a bad 'un though!""Where are they now?" asked Burton.

"We got away from 'em at the Squibbs' place this mornin'," said Charlie.

"Well," said Burton, "you boes come along with me.

If you ain't done nothing the worst you'll get'll be three squares and a place to sleep for a few days.Iwant you where I can lay my hands on you when Ineed a couple of witnesses," and he herded them over the fence and into the machine.As he himself was about to step in he felt suddenly of his breast pocket.

"What's the matter?" asked one of his companions.

"I've lost my note book," replied Burton; "it must have dropped out of my pocket when I jumped the fence.Just wait a minute while I go look for it," and be returned to the fence, vaulted it and disappeared be-hind the bushes.

It was fully five minutes before he returned but when he did there was a look of satisfaction on his face.

"Find it?" asked his principal lieutenant.

"Yep," replied Burton."I wouldn't have lost it for anything."Bridge and his companions had made their way along the wooded path for perhaps a quarter of a mile when the man halted and drew back behind the foliage of a flowering bush.With raised finger he motioned the oth-ers to silence and then pointed through the branches ahead.The boy and the girl, tense with excitement, peered past the man into a clearing in which stood a log shack, mud plastered; but it was not the hovel which held their mute attention--it was rather the figure of a girl, bare headed and bare footed, who toiled stub-bornly with an old spade at a long, narrow excavation.