THE CAPTURE OF THE TRAMP
It was indeed Kiddy Leech who had applied for assistance at the home
of Aaron Masterson. The tramp had taken it for granted that Snap and
Shep had started for the camp on Firefly Lake and would make no
further effort to bring him to justice.
"What nerve!" whispered Shep. "What shall we do?"
"Let's capture him. I'll go outside, and you can remain in here."
So speaking, Snap caught up his shotgun, which stood near the kitchen
door, and slipped out of the entrance to the woodshed. From there he
ran around the corner of the house, coming up behind Kiddy Leech.
"Out o' work, eh?" Aaron Masterson was saying. "Wot's your trade?"
"I'm an electrical worker," answered the tramp. "The factory I worked
in shut down, and I can't get a thing to do anywhere."
"Humph! Well, I reckon we can give you a meal," answered the farmer.
"Come in."
"Thank you very much," said the tramp, and followed through the
doorway. Then Aaron Masterson noticed Snap with the shotgun.
"Hullo, how did you git out there?" he cried.
Kiddy Leech turned swiftly and he started on beholding the young
hunter.
"Wha--what do you want?" he stammered.
"Go on in, Leech," answered the leader of the Gun Club, firmly. "If
you try to run away I'll surely shoot you."
"What does this mean?" demanded Aaron Masterson.
"This is the rascal who ran off with our outfit, Mr. Masterson,"
answered Snap.
"And we mean to make him a prisoner," added Shep. "Kiddy Leech, don't
you dare to resist, or it will be that much worse for you."
The tramp was caught between two fires, as it were, and did not know
what to do. As we know, he was a good deal of a coward at heart, and
the sight of the shotgun in Snap's hands made him quake.
"Don't shoot me!" he whined. "Please don't shoot me!" And he held up
his hands in token of submission.
"So you are the pesky rascal the lads was a-tellin' me about," said
Aaron Masterson, sternly. "Nice doin's, I must say!"
The door was closed and locked, so that Kiddy Leech might not make his
exit in a hurry. The tramp was in a decidedly perplexed frame of mind
and blamed himself roundly for not having been more careful.
"What are you going to do with me?" he asked, as he stood in a corner.
"We are going to hand you over to the police," answered Snap. "It is
no more than you deserve."
"I didn't mean no harm,--indeed, I didn't!
"I suppose you think it no harm to steal!" said Shep, sarcastically.
"I wasn't stealing your things."
"You were!"
"No, I wasn't. I was--er--only going to hide 'em on you."
"You went a mighty long way to do it," said Snap, coldly. "Where were
you going to hide them, at the second-hand shop or the pawn-broker's?"
"I'm telling the plain truth. Why, I never stole a thing in my life!"
exclaimed Kiddy Leech.
"Not even when you ran away from our camp that first time," said the
doctor's son. "How can you expect us to believe you? It is a waste of
breath on your part."
"If I can prove that it wasn't my doings--that is--that I am not the
responsible party, will you let me go?" demanded Kiddy Leech, eagerly.
"We want to hear your story first," said the doctor's son.
"If this here feller stole them things, as you say he did, the best
thing to do is to tote him off to the lock-up," interposed Aaron
Masterson. "He's evidently tryin' to make up a slick yarn so as to git
off."
"Aaron, you can't take him to the town jail to-night, it's too late,"
said the farmer's wife. "Remember, the travelin' is powerful bad, too."
"Then I reckon we can tie him up in the barn till mornin'," answered
her husband, with an inquiring look at the two young hunters.
"We can do that," said Snap. "But first we might listen to what he has
to say."
"You won't let me go--if I tell you something very important?" asked
Kiddy Leech.
"Not yet."
"All right then, I won't say a word," answered the tramp, and a set
look came over his somewhat besotted face.
He realized that he was in a serious situation and made up his mind
that Ham Spink and Carl Dudder must help him out of it. He knew the
two boys were well-to-do and reasoned that their parents would do
almost anything to keep their sons out of jail.
"Going to tie me up in the barn and starve me to death, eh?" he said
sourly. "I wouldn't treat a dog that way."
"If we keep him all night I suppose we can give him a little something
to eat," said Mrs. Masterson, relenting.
"Sit down there and eat," commanded her husband and pointed to a
chair. Kiddy Leech dropped into it and was given a fair supper, for
which, it must be confessed, he had little relish. Several times he
acted as if he wanted to talk, but as often changed his mind.
"I'll make them young dudes get me out of this," the tramp told
himself. "Maybe their folks will pay me handsomely to keep mum and
take what's coming to me. That's their way of doing."
The supper over, Aaron Masterson lit his lantern and led the way to
the barn. Here the tramp had to submit to having his hands bound
behind him, and then he was placed in a large harness closet. The
closet was fairly warm, so there was little danger of his taking cold.
"Now, you keep quiet until morning," said Aaron Masterson, as he threw
in several blankets.
"Do you think he can break out of the closet?" asked Snap.
"I'll fix it so he won't want to," answered the farmer.
When Snap and Shep had come he had tied up his dog. Now he released
the animal and brought him into the barn.
"Watch, Rover, watch!" he said, pointing to the closet, and the dog
gave a sniff and a short bark, and then lay down in front of the
locked door.
"My dog is here--don't try to get out," called Aaron Masterson, to the
tramp. "If you do--well, I won't be responsible, thet's all!"
"Mighty kind," growled Kiddy Leech, and that was all he said.
After that the farmer and the two young hunters returned to the house
and talked the matter over for a full hour. It was decided to take
Kiddy Leech to the Riverside jail the first thing in the morning. Then
Snap was to go home and tell his father of what had occurred, and Shep
was to take the news to the camp on Firefly Lake.
The two boys were given a comfortable room in which to sleep. It felt
more than good after "bunking around" in camp and forest, and despite
the excitement of the tramp's capture, they slept well.
"Hi! boys, got up!" they heard Aaron Masterson call, at about six
o'clock.
"Oh, dear, I wish he'd let us sleep an hour longer," grumbled the
doctor's son.
"Remember, we are to take that tramp to the lock-up this morning,"
answered Snap.
"Boys, are you awake?" went on the farmer. "I've got news for you!
Thet tramp's got away!"