BACK TO THE VILLAGE.
"Never mind, let them go," said Andy, as he saw the mountaineer make a
movement as if to follow the retreading pair. "I do not think that
they have any of the stolen things in their possession."
"But they ought to be locked up," insisted Ramson. "Such thieves ought
never to be allowed their liberty."
"I agree with you, but as matters stand, we cannot bother to follow
them just now."
"Maybe this fellow will tell us who they were. I didn't get a square
look at them," went on the mountaineer, who felt sore to think the
pair had gotten away thus easily.
"Yes, I imagine we can learn from Barberry who they are," put in Matt,
as he caught the pretended doctor by the arm. "Don't you try to run,"
he added.
Paul Barberry appeared greatly disconcerted. He had not expected this
sudden turn of affairs, and he knew not what to say or do.
"March him up to the wagon and light the other lantern," said Andy. "I
see the fire is going out."
"I'll soon fix that," returned Ramson, and he threw on some dry twigs,
causing the fire to blaze up merrily. "They were making themselves
quite at home."
"What are you going to do with me?" asked Barberry sullenly, as he
found himself surrounded, with no hope of escape.
"Before we answer that question we wish to ask a few on our account,"
returned Andy. "Now tell us who your companions were."
"A couple of tramps I picked up in Phillipsburg."
"Tramps?"
"That is what I call them. They were bound for Easton to sell prize
packages of toilet soap."
"Fakirs, like yourself," put in Matt. "How did you come to pick them
up? Were you afraid to steal the outfit alone?"
"I didn't say I stole the outfit."
"No, but you did, nevertheless. Now, how did you happen to fall in
with those fakirs?"
"Will you let me go if I tell you?"
"Certainly not," cried the boy. "We intend to put you where you will
not be able to steal any more for some time to come."
"Arrest me?" exclaimed Paul Barberry, in great alarm. Evidently he had
not thought such a thing at all likely.
"Yes," put in Andy. "And unless you do as we wish you to it may go
mighty hard with you."
"But I'll stick to it that I bought the turn-out," returned the corn
salve doctor, trying to put on a bold front. "You'll have to prove
that you didn't make the sale. I won't be bulldozed."
"Get a rope and bind him, Matt," said Andy, paying no attention to the
last remark. "We'll take him to the nearest police station. I suppose
there will have to be some papers made out before he can be taken back
to New Jersey."
The young auctioneer sprang into the wagon and soon brought forth a
long and stout rope. Paul Barberry watched these preparations with an
anxious face, and when Ramson stepped forward to aid in making him a
close prisoner he began to wilt.
"See here," he said, addressing Andy and Matt, "I don't want to be
locked up. It would injure my reputation to a great extent. I am
willing to admit that I have done wrong, but I--I--did it by mistake.
I haven't felt well for several days, and my head has been affected,
that's the whole truth of the matter. When I get those spells I don't
know what I am doing."
"He's a good one at crawling," remarked Ramson in disgust. "He'll get
over the spells when he's locked up."
In spite of his protestations and pleadings, Barberry was tightly
bound and fastened to the rear of the wagon. Then Billy, who had had
quite a rest, was harnessed up once more, and with Matt on the seat
and Ramson going on ahead to pick the way, they started off for the
village, Andy keeping in the rear to see to it that their prisoner
should not escape.
The way was dark and uncertain, but the tall mountaineer proved a good
and careful guide, and at the end of an hour and a half the worst part
of the journey was over. They entered the village just as the town
clock was striking one.
"If you want the man arrested you had better take him directly to
Justice Harwig's house," said Ramson. "He does all the law business in
these parts."
So to that individual's cottage they turned, and Matt sprang from the
wagon and used the old-fashioned knocker vigorously. A long silence
followed, and then a window upstairs was raised and a head adorned
with a nightcap was thrust out.
"What's wanted?"
"We've got a criminal for ye, judge," called out Ramson. "The fellow
as run away with that auction turn-out."
"A criminal, eh? All right, I'll be down in a minnit!"
The head disappeared and the window was closed. Five minutes passed
and then a light appeared in a wing of the house, and the justice
opened the door to what he termed his office.
"Now, what's it all about?" he asked in a sleepy voice.
All hands entered the place, Andy and the mountaineer leading Paul
Barberry, who looked anything but comfortable. The prisoner was
marched up before the justice's desk, and the others ranged themselves
alongside of him, while Justice Harwig, a very pleasant man, made
himself comfortable to listen to what all hands might have to say.
The hearing was a short one, and at its conclusion Paul Barberry was
marched off to the village lock-up, the justice stating that he would
notify the Phillipsburg authorities, so that they could get the
necessary papers and take him away.
Barberry did all he could to beg off, offering at the last moment to
pay a fine equal to the amount of money in his pocket--eighteen
dollars. But neither the justice nor the others would listen to this.
Had he not made the fight, Matt and Andy might have had some pity on
him, but they were but human and could not so easily forget the blows
they had suffered at the hands of the thieves.
It was not deemed worth while to send out any one to look for the two
men who had escaped, and after Barberry was safe in jail the young
auctioneers drove over to the tavern and put up there for the night.
Ramson accompanied them, and before parting with the mountaineer they
paid him the reward that had been promised, for which he was very
thankful.
On the following morning Matt and Andy lost no time in starting back
for Easton, telling Justice Harwig that they would report to the
authorities in Phillipsburg whenever wanted. They found that the
turn-out had suffered no damage by being stolen. The new goods which
had been in the cases had been stored away in some confusion, but Andy
soon straightened this out.
"I tell you we can consider ourselves very lucky to get out of this so
nicely," he said, after he had finished his work and knew all was
right. "As it stands, we will be out hardly a cent."
"Yes, we were lucky," returned Matt. "But we wouldn't have been had we
taken that freight agent's advice and remained on the other side of
the Delaware."
"Well, no doubt he'll be glad to learn that we have recovered the
goods. It saves him something like seventy-eight dollars."
"We will lose the best part of to-day's trade, for we won't be able to
get back much before two or three o'clock."
"Never mind, the city is full of people, and we ought to do best in
the evening," replied Andy.
It was a cool, clear day, and although both were rather tired from the
adventures of the night before, they enjoyed the drive back to Easton.
At first Andy drove, while Matt took it easy on the goods in the back
of the wagon, and when half the distance was covered the partners
changed places, so that by the time the store they had previously
hired was reached, both were sufficiently rested to go ahead with the
duties on hand.
They lost no time in transferring the stock to the store shelves,
after which Andy drove off with the wagon and found a stable where the
turn-out might be put up during their stay. Matt arranged the stock on
the shelves, and made a great window display. The red flag was hung
out, and inside of an hour afterward business was in full swing.