Part 46 (1/2)

”Eh, what? A prisoner?” cried the sheriff. ”Where is he?”

”Tied up good and tight inside the car. Tell me where to take him, will you?”

”Hum! Well, I guess you better take him over to my office first and we'll look into this,” said the sheriff. ”It's right around the corner.

I was just going home.”

The county official got into the car and the other men followed on foot, anxious to see what was going on. In less than a minute they reached the sheriff's office and several lamps were lit and the chauffeur was brought in.

It took quite some time for d.i.c.k and Sam to make themselves clear and get Sheriff Fells to move. The driver of the big touring car was questioned, and then placed in charge of the keeper of the lock-up.

”Maybe you'll get off easy, if you turn state's evidence,” said one of the men present. ”You'd better do it, too, for this is a serious case.”

”I'm willing to tell all I know,” growled the prisoner. ”I was led into this before I knew what was going on.”

”We're going to use the car to round up the others,” added d.i.c.k.

”Go ahead, I don't care. It don't belong to me anyway--I hired it from my boss.”

”Then we'll settle with your boss,” said Sam.

One of the men present was a constable and another a special policeman, and both said they would go along with the sheriff and the boys. The posse went well armed, for d.i.c.k had warned them that some of the rascals to be rounded up were desperate characters.

”We don't want any of them to get away,” said the oldest Rover boy. ”We want to make each one a prisoner.”

”Don't you worry, young man, they won't get away from me,” answered the sheriff. ”I used to be on the New York force before I moved out here, and I know that cla.s.s of scoundrels. I know that old stone house, and when we get there we'll fix a plan to bag every one of 'em.”

All were soon in the touring car, and once more d.i.c.k put on the speed.

They ran so fast it made the constable chuckle.

”Gee whizz!” he murmured. ”We're exceedin' the speed limit, Sheriff!

Don't you think I'd better hop out an' arrest the bunch?”

”'Necessity knows no law,'” quoted the county official. ”Just the same, young man, don't you land us head up in a ditch!” he added, to d.i.c.k.

The boys were on the watch, and presently saw the field from which they had come and steered into it. Then they ran into the woods and brought the car to a standstill just where it had been before.

”Now, I think you had better be as quiet as possible,” said d.i.c.k.

”Right you are,” returned the sheriff, and gave orders to his men to that effect.

As silently as so many ghosts the posse and d.i.c.k and Sam hurried along the woodland trail in the direction of the old stone mansion. Soon they came in sight of the place. As they did so Tom came to meet them.

”Anything new?” questioned d.i.c.k, in a whisper.

”The men folks are in the sitting room of the place,” answered Tom.

”In the sitting room? As late as this? Wouldn't you think they'd retire,” said Sam.