Part 38 (1/2)
”Who---where---” asked Chief Simmons, excitedly.
”Right here!” came the voice. ”Hold your lights on me!”
Two flash-lights at once centered their rays on the speaker, and Dave Darrin bounded forward into the light.
”So you two have been working this thing as side partners, have you?” asked Chief Simmons harshly. ”Great Scott, how you've fooled us, then! Like everyone else, we believed you two boys to be straight. Tell me,” commanded Simmons dryly, ”is Editor Pollock in this store-robbing gang, too?”
”Ask Mr. Pollock yourself,” Dave flung back.
”I will, when I get time,” retorted Simmons. ”Grab Darrin and put the irons on his wrists, too!”
CHAPTER XXIV
Dave Gives Points to the Chief of Police
”You clumsy bungler!” spoke Dave Darrin hotly. ”Chief, I demand the right to speak to you for a moment.”
”After you're ironed and taken to the station house,” snapped Mr. Simmons.
”Chief, you're not afraid to step aside with me and listen to about ten words?” demanded Darrin scornfully. ”And if you don't---if you go on in your bull-headed way---you'll be the scorn of the town by morning. Why don't you hear what I've got to say, instead of letting precious seconds slip by. Come! Over this way!”
There was something so commanding in Darrin's voice and manner that Simmons concluded to listen for a moment.
Keeping his flash-light turned on Darrin, the chief of police followed Dave. Darrin whispered something in the big man's ear.
In another moment the two were whispering together animatedly.
”Why didn't you come to the point before, Darrin?” demanded the chief gruffly.
”Great Scott, didn't I, as soon as I could postpone your mania for having me loaded down with police chains?”
”Yet how do I know you're telling me anything like the truth?”
”If I'm lying, you can find it out very quickly, can't you?” demanded Darrin. ”But come along, or you'll be too late. Oh, why do all the biggest slow pokes in creation get appointed to the police force?”
”Come along with me, Delmar,” ordered Chief Simmons, turning to one of his policemen. ”The rest of you stay here---though you can pa.s.s on into the open air. Then wait there for us.”
”Don't you waste any time on worry, d.i.c.k,” Dave called back.
Prescott laughed easily. Whatever Dave had discovered, or thought he had, Darrin's chum was quite content now to await the result of all that enthusiasm.
”We must not make much noise,” cautioned Darrin, as he led the way swiftly, though on tiptoe. ”We don't want to scare the other people cold until we have them cooped so that they can't get away.
But you'd better be ready, in case they're desperate enough to try shooting!”
Up the street, to the head of another alley way, Darrin led the swift chase.
”Now, softer than ever,” he whispered, over his shoulder, without halting.
A moment later Dave halted before two stone steps that led down to a bas.e.m.e.nt junk shop.