CHAPTER XXIII
THE MINSTREL SHOW
Ned, Bob and Jerry, hearing this talk, wondered greatly. What could itmean?
“Come down out of there!” cried Mr. Martin. “Come down out of myhaymow, and tell me what you mean! What are you after, anyhow?”
“We want to catch that crooked-nosed man,” answered Jerry. “We didn’ttell you before, but we think he is a thief.”
“Well, I come pretty near _knowing_ you are!” was the grim retort.“Come down here!”
There was no choice but to obey, and rather puzzled as to what it allmeant, and why Pug Kennedy should come to make such an accusation, thethree chums slid to the barn floor from the haymow. They might misstheir chance of catching the crooked-nosed man, but it could not behelped.
“There! What’d I tell you?” exclaimed Pug, pointing to Ned, as thechums faced the now angry farmer. “If those aren’t egg stains I’llnever eat another bit of chow!”
Too late Ned realized what his accidental slipping into the hen’s nestmeant. The evidence was damaging against him. The whites and yolks ofthe eggs dripped from his hands, and there were stains on his uniform.
“Ha! Caught you, didn’t I?” exclaimed the farmer. “Now you’ll pay forthis!”
“We’re perfectly willing to pay for the damage we accidentally did toyour eggs,” answered Ned. “I believe I broke half a dozen, possiblymore. But it was while I was crawling around, trying to get thecrooked-nosed man, who was escaping.”
“It’s a good story, but it won’t wash,” laughed Pug Kennedy. “They wereafter your eggs, farmer, and that’s the truth.”
“I believe you, and I’m much obliged to you for telling me. It isn’tthe first time I’ve been robbed by soldiers out on a hike, and I saidthe next time it happened I’d complain. I’m going to. You’ll come withme before your officers, and see what happens.”
“Oh, that’s all nonsense!” exclaimed Jerry. “We admit we broke some ofyour eggs by accident, and we’re willing to pay, and pay well for them.We didn’t intend to steal!”
“I should say not!” chimed in Ned, wiping his hands off on some hay.
“I don’t know what you might do,” was the answer. “I only know whatI see--egg stains. You might have sneaked into the barn if I hadn’tseen you. And when I did notice you, you told me some story about acrooked-nosed man to make it sound natural.”
“But there is a crooked-nosed man,” insisted Bob.
“Course there is,” said the farmer. “I admit that. But he isn’t such anunusual man. For all I know you may have seen him driving in with mywagon--he’d been to town--and you made up that story about wanting tosee him.”
“Yes, we did see him driving,” admitted Bob. “And then we thought----”
He stopped. He realized that appearances were against him and hischums, and that any explanation they might make, especially after Ned’smishap with the eggs, would seem strange.
“First I thought you were all right, and really did want to see myhired man,” went on the farmer. “But when this other soldier came andsaid he’d seen you go into my barn, and had heard you talking aboutgetting eggs for a good feed, why, I realized what you were up to.”
“Did he tell you that yarn about us?” asked Jerry, looking at Pug.
“He did. And it’s the truth.”
“Well, it isn’t the truth, and he knows it!” cried Ned. “He’s takingthis means of getting even because of what he thinks we did to him. Allright! Let it go at that. We’ll go before the officers with you. We’renot afraid! We’ll tell the truth.”
“You’d better!” declared Mr. Martin. “You wait till I hitch up and I’lltake you back to camp. This soldierin’ business is all right, and I’min full sympathy with it. But it isn’t right to rob farmers, and yourofficers won’t stand for it.”
“We didn’t intend to rob you,” said Jerry. “And while you are actingthis way that man, who may be a desperate criminal, is escaping. Ifyou are bound to take us before our officers, at least look after thecrooked-nosed chap.”
“Oh, I can lay hands on him when I want him,” said the farmer, and thenNed, Bob and Jerry realized how futile it was to argue with him.
“It’s too bad!” murmured Bob, as they drove back to the camp in thewagon, Pug declining to accompany them, saying he would walk.
“Yes, it is tough,” agreed Jerry. “Just when we were about to get holdof Crooked Nose! If he’s the one you think he is, Bob, he’ll take thealarm and skip.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of. Hang Pug, anyhow! What’s his game?”
“Maybe he made the accusation against us to cover up some trick of hisown,” suggested Ned, in a low voice so the now unfriendly farmer wouldnot hear. “Pug had some object in coming away from camp, and it wasn’tto follow us, for he didn’t know what we were going to do.”
“I don’t believe he did,” assented Jerry. “But he must have followedus, and when he saw us go into the barn he made up his mean mind tomake trouble for us.”
This was the only explanation the boys could think of, and they had tolet it go at that.
The three chums had to stand no little chaffing and gibing when theywere brought back to camp in practical custody of the farmer. It wasnot uncommon for the lads, on hikes and practice marches, to raidorchards and hen roosts, and punishment was always meted out to theoffenders, while payment for the damage done was taken from their pay,and their comrades jumped to this as the explanation of the presentpredicament of Ned, Bob and Jerry.
“But this accusation is unjust!” said Ned, when they were taken beforetheir captain. “It’s all a mistake.”
“Well, let’s hear about it,” said the officer somewhat wearily, forthere had been several cases of raids on this march.
Thereupon Mr. Martin told his story of having been informed by Kennedyof the alleged intentions of the motor boys. And he told of having seenthem slide down from his haymow, one of them bearing unmistakableevidence of eggs on his person.
“I know it looks queer,” said Ned.
“It certainly does,” agreed the captain, grimly.
But he was a just man and he listened to the boys’ story. He seemedsomewhat surprised at the mention of the crooked-nosed man, but he madeno comment, and when all was said he gave his judgment.
It was to the effect that as the boys had affirmed on their honor assoldiers and gentlemen that they were telling the truth, he could notbut believe them. At the same time it was evident that they had donesome slight damage, and had put the farmer to some inconvenience inbringing them back to camp, and it was only fair that they should pay.Having already offered to make payment, they were very willing to dothis.
So the incident was ended, and the farmer, convinced that he was in theright, and jingling in his pocket a good price for the broken eggs,went back to his home.
So, much to their regret, the boys lost trace of Crooked Nose, or JimWaydell, as the farmer had called him. They could not look for thesuspect again that night, and the next morning they had to march awaywith their comrades.
“But when we get back to camp we’ll take a day or so off on furloughand come back here and see if we can land him,” declared Bob. “We’renot sure enough of his identity, on such casual glances, to cause hisarrest on mere information. We’ve got to get him ourselves and find outmore about him.”
“We’re with you!” said Jerry, heartily.
The practice march was a success from a military standpoint, though itshowed up some weak spots in the organization. But that was one of theobjects.
For several days after the return of the army there were light drillsto enable the boys to recover from the strenuous exercise. Then oneevening Bob, in a state of some excitement, came hurrying into the Y.M. C. A. quarters, looking for Ned and Jerry.
“What’s up now?” they asked. “Have you seen Crooked Nose again?”
“No, but our company’s going to give a minstrel show, and the committeehas asked me if we three wil
l take part in it.”
“A minstrel show?” repeated Jerry.
“Yes, black up and everything!” exclaimed Bob. “It’ll be fun! Let’s doit!”