CHAPTER XXVI.
ANOTHER CAPTURE.
Roy Hooker, interrupted in the midst of his narrative by the appearanceof the constable and the posse, was not a little startled, but hisdismay was nothing compared with that of Fred Sage. For a few momentsfollowing the assertion of Abel Hubbard Fred apparently found itimpossible to speak, although he made an effort to do so. Recovering hisvoice presently, he falteringly and huskily cried:
“One of the bank robbers here? It’s impossible, Mr. Hubbard! You’recertainly mistaken.”
“Maybe so,” admitted the constable, rolling a quid of tobacco into hisplump cheek; “but we’ll see about that. I received notice that he washere from a certain young feller that’s showed himself rather wise andslick by ketching one of the bunch.”
“By which,” said a voice, as Sleuth Piper stepped forward, “the worthyofficer refers to me.”
“You!” gasped Fred, resentment mingling with his alarm. “You! I mighthave guessed it! You’ve got a grudge against me, Piper, and you’ve madeall sorts of trouble for——”
“I positively disclaim any personal animosity,” interrupted Sleuth. “I’msimply doing my duty, that the ends of justice may be attained. I willadd, Sage, that I’m mighty sorry to see you involved.”
Following this statement he turned somewhat savagely upon Hooker, towhose side he quickly stepped.
“You’re to blame,” he snapped in a low tone. “You forced me into thissooner than I intended.”
“_I_ did?” muttered Roy, astonished. “How?”
“You broke your pledge to me. You forgot your solemn oath. I suspectedthat you might, and, fortunately, I had my eyes open. I saw you skin uphere to tell Sage, and I lost no time in notifying the constable andgetting him to bring an armed party to search these premises.”
“I’ll bet they don’t find anything,” said Hooker. “I hope not. If theydon’t, it will take some of the swelling out of your head.”
“Time is val’able,” announced Abel Hubbard sagely, “so we’ll begins’arching right away. We’ll take the stable fust, and then we’ll gothrough the house. Git at it, boys,” he commanded, with a wave of onepudgy hand.
The men started to obey, but before they could really begin the door ofthe little granary at one side of the stable swung open, and a manstepped out into view.
“If you’re looking for me,” he said coolly, “you needn’t go any further;but let me state right here that I was in no way concerned in thatattempted bank robbery.”
“Clarence!” gasped Fred Sage.
“The man I met in the woods!” burst from Hooker’s lips.
“Gentleman Jim, or I’ll eat my hat!” exulted Piper. “Nab him, men! He’sdesperate! Don’t let him play any tricks!”
Immediately the man, who was indeed the mysterious stranger with whomHooker had conversed, was covered by several loaded guns and commandedto throw up his hands, an order which he disdainfully obeyed.
“It won’t be necessary to shoot,” he said. “I sha’n’t offer theslightest resistance.”
“Keep him kivered,” fluttered Constable Hubbard—“keep him kivered till Iput the irons on him!”
Producing a set of old-fashioned manacles, the excited constablebunglingly snapped them upon the wrists of the man.
“There!” he breathed in deep satisfaction; “we’ve got _you_, all right.By golly! that boy Piper is a wonder.”
“Constable,” said Sleuth, remindingly, “you mustn’t forget that it wassolely through information supplied by me that Mr. James Wilson, _alias_Gentleman Jim, was captured. I shall lay claims to the reward offeredfor him.”
“I guess you’ll git your share of it, if he’s the feller you think heis.”
“He’s nobody of the sort,” excitedly asserted Fred Sage. “He’s in no wayconnected with the bank robbers. You’re making a dreadful blunder.”
“Then what’s he doing, hiding here?” questioned Hubbard incredulously.“Mebbe you can explain that.”
“Yes, yes,” faltered Fred, “perhaps—I can.”
“Don’t try it,” implored the prisoner quickly. “It won’t do any good,Fred; they wouldn’t believe you. I should have gone away yesterday andsaved you all this trouble.”
“It’s awful,” choked young Sage—“awful for you! Oh, what made you comehere at all!”
“Simply because I was a fool and couldn’t keep away,” was the bitteranswer.
“This ain’t no place to chin it over,” said the constable sharply. “It’smy business to lodge this here gent in the lockup, and I’m going to doso jest about as quick as I can.”
“Wait a minute,” pleaded Fred. “My mother doesn’t know. She’s in thehouse. Doubtless she’s in terror now because of all these armed menaround the place. Wait two minutes, until I can go inside and preventher from looking out of the window when you take Clar—this man away.Won’t you do that much, Mr. Hubbard?”
“I don’t see no reason why I shouldn’t. Go ahead, young feller, andsoothe down your mammy. I’ll give ye jest two minutes, and then we’llmarch this feller off to the caboose.”
Flinging a final resentful look at Piper, Fred hurried into the house.Sleuth, preening himself proudly, could not refrain from giving Hookeranother jab.
“You did a good thing for yourself, Hook,” he sneered. “By going back onme, you cut yourself out of any share in the reward money. We’ve got thefeller who calls himself James Wilson; there’s no doubt about that.Furthermore, you must have observed that Fred called him Clarence, whichfully confirms my deduction that Clarence Sage is not dead, although anunknown man was buried under that name.”
“It looks as if you’re right, Pipe,” admitted Roy sadly; “but losing ashare of the reward don’t hurt me half as much as knowing what thismeans to Fred and his folks.”
“Time’s up,” announced Constable Hubbard, snapping shut the case of hissilver watch and dropping it into his pocket. “Come on, Mr. Crook;for’ard, march!”