CHAPTER XX
DETECTIVES IN TROUBLE
While the sheriff and the boy were talking, Katz and Cullen cametramping angrily into the cavern. They stood regarding the sheriff andhis deputies with scornful glances for a moment and then, ignoring thementirely, strolled up to where Will was standing.
"You are under arrest," Katz said.
"What for?" asked Will, as the others gathered around him.
"For participating in the escape of a fugitive from justice."
"Where is the fugitive from justice?" asked Will.
"I can't place my hands on him at this moment," was the arrogant reply,"but I'm going to know where he is before I permit these men to depart.I've stood about all the impudence I care to."
"What's that making all that noise?" called Tommy, from the fire.
The two detectives turned toward the boy.
"You are under arrest, too!" Cullen shouted.
"Why don't you take some one of your own size?" asked Tommy. "Why don'tyou go on and arrest some of these men?"
"I'll do that if it's necessary!" Katz exclaimed. "And look here," hewent on. "I command you all to assist me in the capture of a fugitivefrom justice named Warren W. Wagner, as escaped convict who is wanted inChicago for the crime of murder!"
"Do you think this Wagner person is here?" asked Seth.
"I haven't a doubt of it," was the angry reply.
"Then, like a good little boy, you chase out and find him."
"I'll find him quick enough," retorted Katz, advancing toward the spotwhere Wagner lay. "I'll find him too quick to please most of youfellows! Perhaps you can tell me who this man is."
The Boy Scouts gathered about the detective and Chester even sprangforward as if to defend his father from the officer's touch. It wasSheriff Pete, however, who prevented the actual arrest of the escapedconvict at that time.
As the two detectives moved forward, attempting to brush the boys rudelyaside, the sheriff seized Katz by the shoulder and swung him over toSheriff Gilmore. Then he grabbed Cullen by the scruff of the neck andsent him spinning into the arms of Seth.
"What do you fellows mean by coming here and taking possession of ourcamp?" he thundered. "I'll teach you to get fresh around here! Put thehandcuffs on the fellows, boys!"
One of the wounded outlaws raised himself from the floor and chuckledviciously as the two men were adorned with the manacles.
"Say," Katz exclaimed, trying to move toward the outlaws, "how did youget here? I've a great mind to put you both under arrest for yourtreatment of me a few hours ago."
"You're under arrest yourself!" laughed the outlaw pointing to thehandcuffs. "You're a pretty skate to talk about arresting me."
"I protest against this, sir," exclaimed Katz, turning to Sheriff Pete."I am Joseph J. Katz, detective of Chicago, and this is Edward E.Cullen, my associate. We are here under protection of the laws of yourstate, in quest of a fugitive from justice and I protest against thisoutrage."
"Where are your extradition papers?" demanded the sheriff.
"We don't usually get extradition papers until we get the man," scoffedKatz. "You ought to know that, if you're an officer."
"I mean your authority from the Governor of Illinois," said Sheriff Peteangrily.
"You can wire to the Chief of Police at Chicago, and see if what we sayis not true," Katz answered.
"But your papers," insisted the Sheriff.
"They were to be forwarded to us," replied Katz.
"I don't believe they're detectives at all!" Tommy cut in.
"I don't think they have any authority to make arrests," Will said, witha sly wink at the sheriff. "If they have, where are their badges?"
"They were stolen!" shouted Katz. "These Boy Scouts took mine, and thosetrain robbers, who seem to be under arrest now, took Cullen's."
"You want to look out when you come down into Wyoming," said the sheriffwith a chuckle. "I've known Chicago detectives to come down here andhave their socks stolen off their feet!"
"Aw, they ain't detectives," argued Tommy. "They belong to this bunch oftrain robbers. I saw 'em talking with the robbers not very long ago. Youjust ask these robbers if these two men don't belong to their gang."
As Tommy spoke he turned to where the two robbers lay and gave a verygrave and significant wink.
"They belong to our gang, all right enough," one of the outlaws stated,remembering various indignities they had received at the hands ofdetectives.
"That's a lie!" thundered Katz.
"Lie nothing!" replied the outlaw. "These fellows brought in two burrosloaded with provisions for us, and we haven't been able to get to themyet. If you go back in the valley to the west, and travel north a fewmiles, you'll find where the burros and provisions are hidden away."
Tommy drew nearer to the outlaw and under pretense of picking somethingfrom the floor whispered in his ear:
"We'll see that you get a year off your sentence for that. We've justgot to get rid of these imitation detectives."
"I don't believe you can make it stick, Katz," the other outlaw criedout, apparently in a very serious tone, although there was a wrinkle ofhumor about his grim mouth. "When we started out to rob the UnionPacific train you promised to see that we got provisions, and you didn'tkeep your word!"
The eyes of the two detectives stuck out, as Tommy afterwards expressedit, far enough to hang a coat and hat on. They almost foamed with rageas they stamped about the cavern, still linked together with the steelhandcuffs.
"We're being jobbed!" Katz shouted.
"It's a frame-up!" echoed Cullen.
"Frame up nothing!" laughed one of the outlaws.
"Do you mean to say," said Sheriff Pete, turning to the two prisoners,"that these two men who claim to be detectives are actually connectedwith your gang?"
"That's what we'll swear to!" declared one of the outlaws.
"Two years off for that!" chuckled Tommy in a low tone.
"I tell you it's a frame up!" shouted Katz. "It's a dirty trick to getus out of the state without arresting this fugitive from justice."
"I'm sorry boys," Sheriff Pete said to them, with official gravity,although there was a twinkle in his eyes, "but under the circumstances,it's my duty to take you to Lander and give you a hearing before thegrand jury. Personally, I have my doubts as to the truth of the chargesmade against you, but at the same time I've got to take ministerialcognizance of them. I'm sorry, but it's my duty."
"And in the meantime," yelled Cullen, "these Boy Scouts will get thisfugitive from justice out of our reach!"
"I don't know anything about that!" said the sheriff, "but if they tryto do anything of that kind, I'm afraid they'll succeed."
"Well," Gilmore, the Sweetwater sheriff said, "I presume we'd better bemoving along with the prisoners. If it's true that these two allegeddetectives, who now turn out to be train robbers," he added with aglance at the boys, "have a camp with plenty of provisions at the northend of the next valley, we'd better take the whole bunch there and getthe provisions and pack the whole outfit over to Lander with us."
"Are you going back to camp now?" asked Sheriff Pete, turning to Will.
"Just as soon as Tommy gets filled up on bear steak, I think we'd betterbe moving."
Sheriff Gilmore and the deputies now started away with the fourprisoners and the boys watched them sliding and scrambling down theslope to the gully.
Will reached out and took Sheriff Pete by the hand.
"You're a brick!" he said. "You not only know how to do things, but youknow how to do them right. If you ever come up to Chicago, don't forgetto call on Lawyer Horton, and he'll tell you where we are."
"I'll not fail to do so," the sheriff answered, "but, in the meantime,"he went on, "it ought to take about a week or two for these detectivesto establish their innocence, eh?"
"I should say about two weeks," replied Will. "And see here," the boywent on, "I hope you won't be too hard on those train robbers. They'repretty decent fellows
after all."
"They're the first men that ever held me up!" laughed the sheriff.
"Forget it!" exclaimed Will.
"Oh, I don't lay that up against them!" the sheriff replied. "Afterall," he continued, "they were careful not to injure any one on thehold-up they're accused of, and I don't think they'll get more than fiveor six years."
The officers and the boys parted with feelings of mutual regret. Theyhad not had much faith or confidence in each other at first, but in theend each group knew the worth of the other. The parting between the boysand Seth was particularly heartfelt. Although Sheriff Pete had beentrying to reach information he sought in his own way, the deputy hadfaced him down when he believed that the boys were to be lynched. Therewas many a good laugh after that, in the room of the Sheriff at Lander.
When at last the boys reached their camp and the two men who had broughtthe escaped convict down had disappeared, Sandy came creeping out fromunder a pile of blankets in one of the tents.
"What do you know about that?" asked Tommy, pointing to the boy.
Sandy yawned and rubbed his eyes.
"Say, what time is it?" he asked.
"Four o'clock!" replied Will.
"Is it yesterday or today?" asked Sandy.
"It's the day after tomorrow!" grinned Tommy.
"Don't get funny, now," Sandy advised. "Whatever day it is, I've beenasleep ever since you boys went away."