Part 26 (1/2)
”Hu, not particularly pleased over the turn affairs seeuilty and he may not be
I rather think you had better hold this young fellow for awhile yet”
”Just as you say”
”Youauctioneer ”But if you want to get all of your stuff back you had better follow up this Yedley”
”I'll do that,” returned the constable ”I have an idea I can find out where he has gone to He has several old hang-outs here, and most likely he'll be at one or another of them”
”Are any of the places close at hand?”
”He used to put up at a shanty back here in the woods,” was the slow reply ”It is possible he has struck for that place--or else for Bill Voegler's barn”
”Supposing we three make for the shanty without delay?”
The ed on solely by the desire to recover his goods and not to clear Matt, consented to accompany the others to the place the constable had named
It was a dark and lonely road the trio had to travel But Jackson knew the ell, and to avoid suspicion, put out the light He cautioned them not to make any noise, and so, as silently as Indians, they filed along, Jackson first and Marvelling last, with the young auctioneer between thee of a bit of woodland, surrounded on three sides by corn-fields Here Jackson called a halt
”The shanty is not two hundred feet froate,” he whispered
The constable glided out of sight, and five minutes of silent suspense followed
”It ain't likely he'll find anything,” gru but a wild goose chase”
”Wait,” returned Matt ”Heauctioneer broke off short, for at that instant several loud exclamations reached their ears
”Surrender, Yedley!” they heard Jackson cry ”Surrender, in the name of the law!”
”Who told ye to come here?” yelled the voice of an old man ”Git out an' leave -- Hullo! he's gone! Stop hi of a shanty door, and then a crashi+ng in the bushes Footsteps ca stood
”He's co auctioneer ”Let us stop him!”
”You stop hily man to deal with”
And as the old fellow in question appeared in sight, the store-keeper dropped down behind the rail fence, leaving Matt to face Joe Yedley alone
This the young auctioneer did without hesitation