CHAPTER V
A DETECTIVE AND A ROBBER
Half way back to the camp, Sandy crouched down at the sound ofapproaching footsteps.
"I'll bet that's Tommy trying to give me a scare," was the boy'sthought.
He listened intently for a moment, without hearing a repetition of thenoise, and started on again.
"If I thought that really was Tommy," he mused, "I'd arrange a neatlittle surprise for him. He's always up to his tricks."
The sound of heavy breathing came to his ears directly, and, not havingthe least doubt that the approaching figure was that of his chum, hewaited for an instant until the labored breathing seemed to be passingthe spot where he stood and leaped forward.
Much to his amazement he struck a pair of broad, muscular shouldersinstead of the slender shoulders of his chum and felt himself in thegrasp of a pair of powerful hands.
"What are you prowling around in the night for?" was asked.
Sandy pulled away at the hand which was smothering him and taking thehint, his captor released him for a moment.
"I can't talk with my mouth and nose all stopped up!" returned the boy."What did you want to go and do that for?"
"What are you prowling about in the night for?" repeated the other.
Sandy thought he recognized the voice as that of Katz, the plain-clothespoliceman who had lied on the previous evening regarding his residenceand his calling.
"I might ask the same of you," replied Sandy, mopping his face with hishandkerchief. "What are you prowling around for?"
"Keeping an eye on your camp," replied the other gruffly.
"What for?" demanded Sandy.
"Because you're suspicious characters."
"You're Katz, aren't you?" asked Sandy.
"Who told you that?" snarled the other.
"John Johnson," was the reply.
"I recognized him as one of Horton's men," declared Katz.
"That's what he is!" Sandy answered.
"What has Horton got to do with you?"
"That's some more of our business!" replied the boy.
"Now, look here," the detective said in a moment, "we're here, as youprobably know by this time, in search of an escaped convict. We havepositive information that he is hiding somewhere in this district. Wehave brought in plenty of supplies, and intend to remain here until wefind him. He's a slippery fellow, but we'll get him yet."
"That doesn't interest me any," suggested Sandy.
"But I'm going to interest you in just about one minute!" declared Katz."The boy who stole my property and left your camp in the night is likelyto return there at any time. We want that boy. Will you help us get him?If you don't, you're likely to get into trouble yourselves."
"I guess there isn't much chance of his coming back to us!" Sandyanswered. "I guess you know that yourself."
"You know who he is?" ask the detective.
"We've been told," was the reply, "that he is the son of the man you'rehunting for, but we don't believe it."
"Well, we've made up our minds that he is," Katz went on, "and we'vealso made up our minds to watch your camp until the boy shows up again.I'll teach him to steal my badge of authority!"
"When you catch him," Sandy requested, "just let us know. We want to seehim ourselves. Will you do that?"
"I guess you'll see him before we do," replied Katz, gruffly. "And now,if you don't mind," the detective went on, "I'll just go over to thecamp with you and see what the other boys say about him. And while I'mthere, you might make me a couple of cups of coffee. I'm a long distancefrom my camp and quite hungry."
Notwithstanding the impudence of the request, the boy consented to thearrangement and the two were starting away together when the sound ofapproaching footsteps was heard.
"Gee whiz!" exclaimed Sandy. "This deserted country seems to me aboutlike the corner of State and Madison streets tonight. There's alwayssome one walking around in the dark."
"Suppose we wait and see who it is," suggested the detective.
Now, Sandy had an idea that one of the persons approaching was Tommy andthat the other might possibly be Chester Wagner. He had no notion ofassisting the detective to get his hands on the boy, and so hung backwhen Katz would have stepped forward to intercept those who wereadvancing toward him. Thinking this an attempt to break away, Katzcaught the lad by the arm and held fast to him while the others went by.
Sandy was certain that he heard Tommy's voice as the two passed, but wasnot certain that he recognized the voice of his companion in the lowreply which was made. The boy realized that he must have occupiedconsiderable time in his return to camp, after leaving his chum.
"And so, one of your chums was prowling around in the darkness, too,"snarled the detective. "Who is that person with him?"
"I don't know," answered Sandy.
"Yes you do know, too!" gritted Katz, "You just came from that directionyourself, and you probably left the two together when you came away."
"You're off there," Sandy answered.
"I'll tell you what I think," the detective went on, "and that is thatyou boys have been out after that Wagner kid. I believe he's going intothe camp with your chum right this minute. Anyway, I'll take you in andfind out about it."
As the two advanced toward the campfire they watched in vain for the twofigures which had gone on ahead.
"You walk in there and see whether that boy thief is there or not,"commanded the detective. "And remember," he went on, threateningly,"that I'm waiting here in the darkness with an automatic revolver in myhand, so you'd better not attempt any funny business!"
When he reached Tommy's side he saw that the boy was frying bacon andeggs and making coffee. The large skillet used by the boys contained atleast half a dozen eggs and about half a pound of breakfast bacon.
"Where's your friend?" Sandy asked in a whisper.
Tommy laid a finger on his lips as a request for low-voicedconversation. All the time he kept busy with the skillet.
"He's back there watching us with a loaded automatic in his hand,"whispered the boy. "I wish one of the boys would get up and put a bulletthrough his head. That's what he deserves!"
"Who is it?" whispered Sandy.
"One of the train robbers!" was the startling reply.
"Where'd you get him?"
"He geezled me out here on the slope!"
"And came in with you and ordered his dinner?"
"That's it!" was the reply.
Sandy sat down on the grass beside the fire and chuckled until he wasred in the face. Tommy almost permitted the bacon to burn while hewatched his chum with wide-open eyes.
"If that train robber should send a bullet out this way, you wouldn'tthink it so funny!" Tommy declared. "He's a mighty suspicious fellow. Hewouldn't permit me to wake any of the boys to help get supper."
"Look here," whispered Sandy, "I've got that imitation detective outthere waiting for me to tell him whether Chester Wagner is here or not.He says he's hungry, too, and insists that I give him a night lunch. NowI'll tell you what we'll do," the boy continued. "I'll go and steer thedetective up against the train robber, and we'll see what he'll do."
Before Tommy could reply, Sandy was away in the darkness, whistlingsoftly to the detective.
"Say," he said, when Katz came lumbering into the edge of theillumination, "the boy isn't there, but I've got good news for you, justthe same. The man who went in with my chum is one of the train robbersthe cowboys are in search of. There's ten thousand dollars rewardoffered for him, and all you've got to do is to walk in there, hold agun to his head, and march him off to Green River. You ought to give mehalf the reward, though," the boy added, "for you wouldn't have caughthim only for me."
"All right," whispered the detective in a shaking voice. "I'll creepback into the shadows and come up from behind. When you go back, pointwith your hand to where he is. I'll be right there with a gun on him inhalf a minute!"
"All right," replied Sandy, and the detective disappeared fro
m view.
Then the boy walked back to Tommy's side and explained what sort ofcircus there would be there in about a minute.