CHAPTER XXVIII.
BACK TO THE VILLAGE.
"Never mind, let them go," said Andy, as he saw the mountaineer make a movement as if to follow the retreating pair. "I do not think that they have any of the stolen things in their possession."
"But they ought to be locked up," insisted Ramson. "Such thieves ought never to be allowed their liberty."
"I agree with you, but as matters stand, we cannot bother to follow them just now."
"Maybe this fellow will tell us who they were. I didn't get a square look at them," went on the mountaineer, who felt sore to think the pair had gotten away thus easily.
"Yes, I imagine we can learn from Barberry who they are," put in Matt, as he caught the pretended doctor by the arm. "Don't you try to run," he added.
Paul Barberry appeared greatly disconcerted. He had not expected this sudden turn of affairs, and he knew not what to say or do.
"March him up to the wagon and light the other lantern," said Andy. "I see the fire is going out."
"I'll soon fix that," returned Ramson, and he threw on some dry twigs, causing the fire to blaze up merrily. "They were making themselves quite at home."
"What are you going to do with me?" asked Barberry sullenly, as he found himself surrounded, with no hope of escape.
"Before we answer that question we wish to ask a few on our account," returned Andy. "Now tell us who your companions were."
"A couple of tramps I picked up in Phillipsburg."
"Tramps?"
"That is what I call them. They were bound for Easton to sell prize packages of toilet soap."
"Fakirs, like yourself," put in Matt. "How did you come to pick them up? Were you afraid to steal the outfit alone?"
"I didn't say I stole the outfit."
"No, but you did, nevertheless. Now, how did you happen to fall in with those fakirs?"
"Will you let me go if I tell you?"
"Certainly not," cried the boy. "We intend to put you where you will not be able to steal any more for some time to come."
"Arrest me?" exclaimed Paul Barberry, in great alarm. Evidently he had not thought such a thing at all likely.
"Yes," put in Andy. "And unless you do as we wish you to it may go mighty hard with you."
"But I'll stick to it that I bought the turn-out," returned the corn salve doctor, trying to put on a bold front. "You'll have to prove that you didn't make the sale. I won't be bulldozed."
"Get a rope and bind him, Matt," said Andy, paying no attention to the last remark. "We'll take him to the nearest police station. I suppose there will have to be some papers made out before he can be taken back to New Jersey."
The young auctioneer sprang into the wagon and soon brought forth a long and stout rope. Paul Barberry watched these preparations with an anxious face, and when Ramson stepped forward to aid in making him a close prisoner he began to wilt.
"See here," he said, addressing Andy and Matt, "I don't want to be locked up. It would injure my reputation to a great extent. I am willing to admit that I have done wrong, but I—I—did it by mistake. I haven't felt well for several days, and my head has been affected, that's the whole truth of the matter. When I get those spells I don't know what I am doing."
"He's a good one at crawling," remarked Ramson in disgust. "He'll get over the spells when he's locked up."
In spite of his protestations and pleadings, Barberry was tightly bound and fastened to the rear of the wagon. Then Billy, who had had quite a rest, was harnessed up once more, and with Matt on the seat and Ramson going on ahead to pick the way, they started off for the village, Andy keeping in the rear to see to it that their prisoner should not escape.
The way was dark and uncertain, but the tall mountaineer proved a good and careful guide, and at the end of an hour and a half the worst part of the journey was over. They entered the village just as the town clock was striking one.
"If you want the man arrested you had better take him directly to Justice Harwig's house," said Ramson. "He does all the law business in these parts."
So to that individual's cottage they turned, and Matt sprang from the wagon and used the old-fashioned knocker vigorously. A long silence followed, and then a window upstairs was raised and a head adorned with a nightcap was thrust out.
"What's wanted?"
"We've got a criminal for ye, judge," called out Ramson. "The fellow as run away with that auction turn-out."
"A criminal, eh? All right, I'll be down in a minnit!"
The head disappeared and the window was closed. Five minutes passed and then a light appeared in a wing of the house, and the justice opened the door to what he termed his office.
"Now, what's it all about?" he asked in a sleepy voice.
All hands entered the place, Andy and the mountaineer leading Paul Barberry, who looked anything but comfortable. The prisoner was marched up before the justice's desk, and the others ranged themselves alongside of him, while Justice Harwig, a very pleasant man, made himself comfortable to listen to what all hands might have to say.
The hearing was a short one, and at its conclusion Paul Barberry was marched off to the village lock-up, the justice stating that he would notify the Phillipsburg authorities, so that they could get the necessary papers and take him away.
Barberry did all he could to beg off, offering at the last moment to pay a fine equal to the amount of money in his pocket—eighteen dollars. But neither the justice nor the others would listen to this. Had he not made the fight, Matt and Andy might have had some pity on him, but they were but human and could not so easily forget the blows they had suffered at the hands of the thieves.
It was not deemed worth while to send out any one to look for the two men who had escaped, and after Barberry was safe in jail the young auctioneers drove over to the tavern and put up there for the night. Ramson accompanied them, and before parting with the mountaineer they paid him the reward that had been promised, for which he was very thankful.
On the following morning Matt and Andy lost no time in starting back for Easton, telling Justice Harwig that they would report to the authorities in Phillipsburg whenever wanted. They found that the turn-out had suffered no damage by being stolen. The new goods which had been in the cases had been stored away in some confusion, but Andy soon straightened this out.
"I tell you we can consider ourselves very lucky to get out of this so nicely," he said, after he had finished his work and knew all was right. "As it stands, we will be out hardly a cent."
"Yes, we were lucky," returned Matt. "But we wouldn't have been had we taken that freight agent's advice and remained on the other side of the Delaware."
"Well, no doubt he'll be glad to learn that we have recovered the goods. It saves him something like seventy-eight dollars."
"We will lose the best part of to-day's trade, for we won't be able to get back much before two or three o'clock."
"Never mind, the city is full of people, and we ought to do best in the evening," replied Andy.
It was a cool, clear day, and although both were rather tired from the adventures of the night before, they enjoyed the drive back to Easton. At first Andy drove, while Matt took it easy on the goods in the back of the wagon, and when half the distance was covered the partners changed places, so that by the time the store they had previously hired was reached, both were sufficiently rested to go ahead with the duties on hand.
They lost no time in transferring the stock to the store shelves, after which Andy drove off with the wagon and found a stable where the turn-out might be put up during their stay. Matt arranged the stock on the shelves, and made a great window display. The red flag was hung out, and inside of an hour afterward business was in full swing.