ARRESTED ON SUSPICION.
As Rod started on his quest for assistance the riderless horse, which had
begun to nibble grass by the roadside, lifted his head with a snort that
brought the lad to a sudden halt. Why not make use of this animal if he
could catch it? Certainly his mission could be accomplished more quickly
on horseback than on foot. He started gently toward it, holding out his
hand and speaking soothingly; but the cautious animal tossed its head and
began to move away. "How much he resembles Juniper," thought Rod. "Here,
Juniper! Here June, old fellow!" he called. At the sound of his name the
horse wheeled about and faced the lad in whose company he had recently
undergone such a thrilling experience. The next instant Rod grasped the
animal's halter, for it had neither saddle nor bridle, and Juniper was
evidently recognizing him.
As the young brakeman was about to leap on the horse's back it occurred
to him that the leather bag, which was undoubtedly filled with valuable
plunder from the rifled express car ought not to be left lying in the
road. No, it would be much better to carry it to a place of safety. With
this thought came a recollection of the pistol shots so lately fired by
the man at his feet. Would it not be well to disarm him lest he should
revive and again prove dangerous before assistance could be found and
brought to the place. Rod believed it would, and, acting upon the thought,
transferred two revolvers from the train-robber's pockets to his own.
Then, after dragging the still unconscious man a little to one side beyond
danger from any wagon that might happen along, the lad slung the heavy
satchel over his shoulder, scrambled on to Juniper's back and galloped
away.
The road was a lonely one, and he rode more than a mile before reaching
a farm-house. Here the excited lad rapped loudly on the front door and
shouted. No one was yet astir, and several minutes passed before an upper
window was cautiously opened and a woman's voice inquired who was there
and what was wanted.
Rod began to explain his errand; but after a few words the woman called to
him to wait until she could come down, and then slammed the window down.
To the young brakeman's impatience the ensuing delay seemed an hour in
length, though in reality not more than five minutes elapsed before the
front door opened and the woman again appeared.
"Now, what were you trying to tell me about men dying in the road?" she
asked sharply.
As Rod was about to reply there came a sound of galloping horses and a
shout from the place where he had left Juniper fastened to a fence post.
"There he is!"
"Now we've got him!"
"Throw up your hands, you scoundrel!"
"Don't you dare draw a pistol or we'll fill you full of holes!"
These and a score of similar cries came to the ears of the bewildered lad
as half a dozen horsemen dashed up to the front gate, and four of them,
leaping to the ground, ran towards him while the others held the horses.
He was too astonished even to remonstrate, and as they seized him he
submitted to the indignity as quietly as one who is dazed.
The woman in the doorway regarded this startling scene with amazement.
When in answer to her eager questions the new-comers told her that the
young desperado whom she had so nearly admitted to her house was a
horse-thief, who, but a short time before, had stolen the animal now
tied to her front fence, at the point of a revolver from the man who was
leading him to water, she said she wouldn't have believed that such a mere
boy could be so great a villian.
"It's the truth though," affirmed the man who acted as spokesman. "Isn't
it, Al?"
"Yes, siree," replied Al, a heavy-looking young farm hand. "An more 'n
that, he fired at me too afore I'd give up the 'orse. Oh, yes, he's a bad
un, young as he looks, an hangin' wouldn't be none too good for him."
"I did nothing of the kind!" cried Rod, indignantly, now finding a chance
to speak. "This is an outrage, and----"
"Is this the fellow, Al?" asked the spokesman, interrupting the young
brakeman's vehement protest.
"Of course it is. I'd know him anywhere by that bag slung over his
shoulders, an he's got pistols in his pockets, too."
"Yes, here they are," replied the leader, thrusting his hands into Rod's
coat pockets and drawing forth the two revolvers. "Oh, there's no use
talking, young man. The proof against you is too strong. The only thing
for you to do is to come along quietly and make the best of the situation.
Horse thieves have been getting altogether too plenty in this part of the
country of late, and we've been laying for one to make an example of for
more 'n a week now. Its mighty lucky for you that you didn't tackle an
armed man instead of Al there, this morning. If you had you'd have got a
bullet instead of a horse."
"But I tell you," cried Rod, "that I took those things from a man who was
flung from that horse back here in the road about a mile. He is----"
"I haven't any doubt that you took them," interrupted the man, grimly,
"the same as you took the horse."
"And I only made use of the horse to obtain assistance for him the more
quickly," continued Rod. "I left him stunned by his fall, and he may be
dead by this time. He will be soon, anyway, if some one doesn't go to him,
and then you'll be murderers, that's what you'll be."
"Let us examine this bag that you admit you took from somebody without his
permission, and see what it contains," said the man quietly, paying no
heed to the lad's statement. So saying, he opened the satchel that still
hung from Rod's shoulders. At the sight of its contents he uttered an
exclamation of amazement.
"Well, if this don't beat anything I ever heard of!"
The others crowded eagerly about him.
"Whew! look at the greenbacks!" cried one.
"And gold!" shouted another.
"He must have robbed a bank!"
"There'll be a big reward offered for this chap."
"He's a more desperate character than we thought."
"A regular jail-bird!"
"There's blood on some of these bills!"
"He ought to be tied."
This last sentiment met with such general approval that some one produced
a bit of rope, and in another moment poor Rod's hands were securely bound
together behind him.