SUSPICION.
“Not—not the man?” muttered Piper, still staring at the unconscious
captive. “Why, he must be the man—he must be! He can’t be anybody else.”
“He’s not the one I talked with,” reiterated Hooker. “I never saw him
before. That man was larger, taller, better looking.”
“Wait a minute,” said Sleuth, thrusting his hand into his pocket and
bringing out a clipping from a newspaper. “Here’s the description of
James Wilson. About twenty-six years of age, five feet ten inches in
height, weight one hundred and sixty pounds, hair slightly curly, eyes
blue, teeth white and even.”
“Doesn’t come within a thousand miles of fitting this fellow,” asserted
Hooker. “This man is thirty-five, if he’s a minute. He doesn’t stand
more than five feet seven or eight, and he won’t weigh a pound over one
hundred and forty-five. His hair is coarse, black and bristly. Can’t see
the color of his eyes, but look at those teeth! You’d never call them
white and even, would you?”
“I should say not,” acknowledged Piper, in a tone of profound regret.
“This isn’t Gentleman Jim, but it must be one of his pals. Do you
realize what that means, Roy?”
“It means that we’ve caught the wrong bird and won’t get our fingers on
that reward money,” sighed the other boy regretfully.
“It means,” said Sleuth grimly, “that Fred Sage was concerned in
assisting to escape a member of that gang, to whom he is in no way
related. It means that he’s an accomplice. There would be an excuse for
his aiding his brother, but not for rendering assistance to any other
member of the gang. It looks pretty bad for Fred.”
“I can’t believe it,” muttered Roy—“I can’t believe he’d make himself
the accomplice of criminals.”
“I don’t want to believe it, but what else are we to believe?”
“I hope he can explain.”
“_I_ hope he won’t have to.”
“Look out, Pipe, this fellow is coming round.”
The man’s breast heaved, and a faint groan issued from his lips,
following which his eyelids fluttered a bit and then lifted slowly. He
lay there staring dumbly at the two boys, each of whom menaced him with
a loaded pistol. For the time being he did not seem to realize what had
happened.
“It’s no use to try to kick up,” Piper stated warningly. “We’ve got you,
and we’ll have to plug you if you try any tricks.”
Slowly comprehension seemed to creep into the man’s brain, and presently
he made a weak effort, as if trying to sit up, but fell back with a
smothered cry that ended in a groan.
“It’s pretty tough,” said Piper; “but you’ll have to make the best of
it, my man. Fellows engaged in your line of business have to take their
medicine when they run afoul of calamity. What’s your name?”
Until Sleuth had repeated this question three times the man made no
attempt to reply. After the third demand he growled falteringly and
harshly:
“None of your business.”
“Thanks,” said Piper. “I guess your picture is in the rogues’ gallery
somewhere, and your identity will be learned all right when you’re
placed on trial. We’ve disarmed you so you can’t make any sort of a
fight of it, and we’re going to take you back to Oakdale. Our great
regret is that you’re not Gentleman Jim.”
The man looked at them queerly. “Who’s Gentleman Jim?” he growled.
“Bluff,” said Piper—“pure bluff. He’s your pal, and, doubtless, the
leader of the gang who broke into the Oakdale bank last night and blew
open the vault. Poor job, that. It’s tough to be pinched without ever
having lifted a dollar from that bank.”
“You’re a wise young brat!” sneered the man.
“Hark!” exclaimed Hooker at this moment, rising quickly to his feet. “I
hear voices. It must be some of the searchers.”
“I hope so,” said Sleuth, who likewise could hear the sound of voices,
evidently approaching. “I’ll keep this fellow covered, Roy. See who they
are.”
It proved to be a posse headed by Constable Abel Hubbard. From this
armed body of men the captive had fled, having discovered them ahead of
him in the woods. Hooker, seeing and recognizing the men, raised a shout
that brought them hurrying to the gully, and soon the two boys were
vainly trying to answer a score of questions hurled at them
promiscuously.
“Well, I swan to man!” spluttered Constable Hubbard when he presently
understood the situation. “I swan to man, if these two younkers ain’t
ketched one of the rascals! That’s purty clever work for boys, feller
citizens.”
With scarcely an exception they agreed that it was, and Sleuth and Roy
were showered with congratulations.
“We’re rather glad you turned up, constable,” said Piper pompously. “It
relieves us of the trouble of marching this poor wretch back to the
lockup. We’ll turn him over to you with the understanding that we’re to
receive the reward, in case there’s one offered for his apprehension.”
After a time the prisoner was lifted to his feet and boosted out of the
gully, to be marched away toward town by the rejoicing posse. The
shortest route was pursued, which led them down across the fields to the
Barville road and thence into Lake Street.
Piper and Hooker followed.
The appearance of the party in the village created a great sensation;
but when the citizens were informed that Sleuth and Roy had effected the
man’s capture, the sensation was even greater. The boys were plied with
questions. Hooker felt like running away, but Piper seemed to enjoy it
all hugely, and was tireless in describing how the man had been trailed,
although, for some reason, to the relief of his companion, he avoided
mentioning Fred Sage or speaking of the telltale pool of blood upon the
floor of Andrew Sage’s stable.
The captive was confined under guard in the village lockup, and a doctor
was called to give his injury proper attention.
The boys could not learn that anything further in connection with the
bank robbery had transpired. Several armed posses were still searching
in the vicinity of Oakdale, and the surrounding country and towns had
been warned by telephoning, which made it seem most improbable that the
associates of the captured burglar could escape.
“I’m going home for breakfast,” Hooker finally announced.
“I’ve just discovered that I’m hungry myself,” said Sleuth.
At a street corner, having gotten away from the crowd, they paused a
moment. Piper, who had borne himself with no small amount of pride
beneath the eyes of the townspeople, now betrayed a disposition to be
somewhat downcast and gloomy.
“Look here,” said Roy, “I took special notice that you didn’t mention
Fred Sage in connection with the matter. You dodged that, and so I kept
still, too.”
“I was in hopes you’d follow my lead, Hook. Forgot to warn you until it
was too late.”
“But what’s your idea in shielding Sage, if you think he’s guilty?”
“Is he guilty?”
“Why, you know it certainly seems that——”
“It seems so,” nodded Piper; “but, still, I can’t bring myself to
believe that our respected schoolmate and comrade would make himself the
accomplice of criminals. I had this thing figured down to a fine point,
Roy, but I’m willing to admit that my calculations were decidedly upset.
I don’t want to make any charges against Fred until I talk with him face
to face.”
“I’m glad,” breathed Roy—“I’m mighty glad of that. I thought you were
absolutely positive. I own up it does look queer for Fred, but perhaps
he can explain. I’m sure he can. I’ll go to him——”
“No, you won’t,” interrupted Sleuth sharply. “You keep away from him,
Hooker. You let me do this. You’d make a mess of it. There are other
features of this affair that puzzle me a bit. For instance, there are
the missing securities. Queer business that a bank vault which was only
partly broken open should be discovered short to the extent of twenty
thousand dollars in negotiable securities.”
“Haven’t you any theory at all, Sleuth?”
“Only one. As long as I’ve trusted you this far, I may as well go the
limit. Swear silence.”
“All right.”
“Cross your heart.”
“Here goes.”
“Then listen,” whispered Sleuth, after an unnecessary glance around, as
if to make sure no one was within earshot. “I’ve never had much
confidence in that smug, smooth-faced, canting cashier, Timmick. I know
Urian Eliot trusts him, but I wouldn’t. I thought he acted queer while I
was watching him in the bank after the attempted robbery was
discovered.”
“By Jove!” cried Hooker. “I’ve always said he was a sneak. I told Sage
so myself. You’ve hit it—I’ll bet you’ve hit it, Sleuth!”
“Not so loud! Cautious! cautious!” warned Piper. “Now don’t forget your
oath. Don’t breathe this suspicion to a soul. If the robbers didn’t get
those securities last night, and it’s a certain fact that they didn’t,
someone removed them from the vault at an earlier date. The
investigation by the president and the directors led to the discovery
that they were gone.”
“Timmick did it,” said Hooker. “He’s the man.”