Part 37 (1/2)
”What were the folks in the auto doing?”
”Da was a-waitin' fo' one of de men to fix up de wheel. De rubber on de wheel dun got busted.”
”I see. And what were the men in the auto, and the girls, doing?” went on d.i.c.k, quickly.
”Say, boss, I don't want no trouble, 'deed I don't! I didn't do nuffin!
I jess looked at' em, dat's all. An' dat one man he said he'd mak me suffer if I opened my mouf 'bout wot I saw,” explained the aged colored man, in a trembling voice. ”I'se an honest, hard-workin' man, I is! I works fo' Ma.s.sah Sheldon fo' sixteen years now, an' he'll dun tole yo'-all I'se honest, an----”
”All right, I believe you are honest,” answered d.i.c.k, in a kindlier tone. ”But those men are rascals, and we want to catch them. They carried those two girls off against their will.”
”Dat's wot I was suspicioned of, boss, fo' de young ladies was a-cryin'
hard an' wanted to git out, an' de men wouldn't let 'em. I wanted to do sumfing fo' 'em, but the men tole me go mind my own business, or git my haid busted, so I drove on.”
”How many men were there?”
”Three men, 'sides de man wot was a-mendin' de busted wheel.”
”The doctor and Crabtree and Sobber!” murmured Tom.
”Or Koswell and Larkspur,” added Sam.
”How far away from here is that place?” went on d.i.c.k.
”About a mile an' a half, sah. But the road am putty stony an' rough, sah.”
”Can a fellow ride horseback on those horses?”
”Yo' might, sah, if yo' had a saddle. But da ain't no saddle. Is yo'-all thinkin' of goin'----”
”We'll take those horses,” cut in d.i.c.k, shortly. ”Now, don't worry, we'll pay you well for using them, and see that they come back safely.
We have got to save those two girls, and we'll put those men in prison if we can.”
The old colored man was so amazed that he was all but bewildered. He did not want to let the horses go, but the boys gave him no choice in the matter. They unharnessed the steeds, and took the blankets on the wagon seat for saddles.
”Sam, I guess Tom and I had better go on ahead,” said d.i.c.k. ”You can follow on foot, if you want to, and you can come, too, if you wish,” he added, to the colored man.
”Say, ain't you afraid ob gitting shot, or sumfing like dat?” asked the driver of the wagon.
”Maybe we can do a little shooting ourselves,” answered d.i.c.k, grimly.
”Is yo'-all armed?”
”We are.”
”Den I'll follow on foot, wid dis young gen'men,” said the colored man.
He was afraid that if he did not follow he would not get the team back.
Once on horseback, d.i.c.k and Tom did not linger. Along the rough, hill road they sped, urging the bony steeds along as best they could.