CHAPTER XXII
THE ROUND-UP
Meanwhile at Camp Sterling, Saturday and Sunday passed uneventfully forJimmy's bunkies. Following Retreat on Monday afternoon Bob was called tothe company post-office to sign for and receive a special deliveryletter. He rushed back to barracks in a state of jubilant excitement.Calling Iggy and Roger to him, he read it to them just above a whisper.It was from his newspaper friend in Chicago. He had gone out to look upEldridge on the same day he had received the letter. It had been notrouble to gather information concerning the man. He had gone straightto the given address, and inquired for Eldridge, pretending to be an oldacquaintance who had lost track of him. He had been received by theman's sister and by adroit questioning he had learned much. Eldridge, itseemed, had been a prescription clerk in a drug store until shortlybefore his enlistment.
Obtaining the name of the druggist from the sister, he had later thatday visited the store and learned that Eldridge had been discharged byhis employer for reasons which the druggist declined to state. Hecharacterized Eldridge as a sneak and unreliable. The writer of theletter ended by saying that he hoped the data would be of use to Bob inhelping to clear Schnitzel.
"I've found out now the thing I wanted to know most. It's a safe betthat Eldridge furnished the poison list. A prescription clerk would ofcourse understand a lot about poisons and their effects. He'd be prettysure to know typing, too. Most medicine labels are typed."
"What shall you do about it?" asked Roger. "Put it up to Eldridge he'lljust deny it."
"I shan't stop at him. I'm going to the K. O. after mess to-night. WhatI've discovered isn't much but it may help some. _He'll_ send forEldridge and maybe get out of him what I couldn't. I'm going out now toget a paper before every last one of 'em is gobbled up."
So saying, Bob tucked his letter into his pocket, grabbed his hat andhurried off to the canteen. Stopping to glance at the newspaper he hadjust purchased, he vented a wild whoop, waved it over his head and racedfor barracks.
"Oh, Glory! Blazes has done it!" he caroled, regardless of the noise hewas making. "Just listen to this: 'Corporal Blaise Leaps Off a MovingTrain after Deserter.' _What_ do you think of that? Oh, you Blazes!"Bob pranced about, flapping the paper.
"What's the latest?" called a man from across the squad room. "Has Billcommitted suicide?"
"Not yet. Come over and bring your friends. This is too good to keep."
Two minutes afterward, surrounded by curious soldiers, Bob read to themthe story of Bixton's attempt to desert, and of the star part Jimmy hadplayed in his capture. What elicited a fresh volley of astonishedejaculations from the listeners, however, was: "Bixton has alsoconfessed to the placing of a bottle of powdered glass in the suitcaseof Private Franz Schnitzel, the Camp Sterling alleged poisoner, who isnow awaiting trial for the murder of two of his comrades. Schnitzel wason kitchen detail when the tragedy occurred. The bottle of powderedglass and a list of poisons found in his suitcase linked him sosuspiciously with the poisoning as to cause his arrest. Bixton confessedto having done this to be revenged on Schnitzel for past wrongs at thehands of the latter. He denied, however, all knowledge of the list ofpoisons."
Call to mess cut the rest of the reading short.
Leaving his precious paper and mess kit with Roger, Bob set sail forheadquarters the moment he had finished eating. There he was obliged towait some time as Major Stearns, being only human, was at dinner, afact which Bob had not stopped to consider. Eventually he was usheredinto the presence of the K. O. and proceeded to regale the major with astory that continually brought the K. O.'s favorite "Humph!" to hislips. When he had finished he went back to barracks well pleased,leaving the letter from his Chicago friend in the major's possession.
Surprise, however, had not run the gamut for that night. Shortly beforeTattoo a guard detail marched into Company E squad room and arrestedEldridge. The latter was undoubtedly more surprised than anyone else. Inreading the account of his bunkie's downfall he had been signallyrelieved to find that he had not been implicated in the suitcase tangle.He was confident that Bixton would never betray him and thus believedhimself quite safe.
What greatly interested the three Khaki Boys was how soon Schnitzelwould be freed. They were fairly sure that Eldridge would not stand outlong against the grilling he was due to receive. Add his confession toBixton's and it left no more evidence against Schnitzel than there hadbeen against the rest of the kitchen detail held at the time of thepoisoning and afterward exonerated of all suspicion. It was, as Bobjoyfully declared, "a safe bet" that "Schnitz" would soon be back inbarracks with "a smiling face and a clean record."