Dave Porter on Cave Island Part 16

"Hey, you let me alone!" growled the burly fellow. He was ragged and unshaven and evidently a tramp.

"Where did you come from?" went on Dave, and he continued to hold the man, while the train moved off.

"Wot business is that o' yours?" was the sulky return. "Wot did yer make me miss that train for?"

"You'll find out in a minute or two," answered our hero, and just then Officer Anderson came running up.

"Got somebody, have you?" he panted.

"I guess he is only a tramp," was Dave's reply. "But we may as well hold him and see what he has got to say."

"It's Applejack Joe," said the policeman, as he eyed the prisoner. "We warned him out of town this morning. What was he going to do, steal a ride?"

"I think so. I caught him making for the trucks of a baggage car."

"That's Joe's favorite way of riding," chuckled the policeman.

"I can't see why that young feller had to stop me," growled the tramp.

"You folks wants me to git out, an' when I start yer hold me back."

"Why didn't you go this morning, if you were told to go?" asked Dave.

"Say, I don't move as swift as some folks. Wot's the use? Take yer time, is my motter."

"Where have you been for the last three or four hours?" asked the policeman.

"Where have I been? It won't do you no good to know, cap'n."

"Well, you tell us, just the same," said Dave. "I want to know if you have seen any other men sneaking around town to-night. If you have, it may pay you to tell me about it."

"Provided we can land on those other chaps," put in the officer.

"Oh, I see; somethin' wrong, hey?" And the tramp leered unpleasantly.

"Want to pull me into it, mebbe."

"You are pulled in already," answered Officer Anderson.

"Oh, don't arrest me, an' I'll tell you everything I know!" pleaded Applejack Joe. He had once been in the Crumville jail in winter and found it very cold and uninviting, and he wanted no more of it.

"What do you know?" questioned Dave. "Answer quick. There has been a big robbery here, and if you can help us to catch the men maybe you'll get a reward."

"Reward? Say, I'm your huckleberry, young man. Wot do I know?" The tramp rubbed his unshaven chin. "Yes, that's them, I'm sure of it," he murmured, half to himself.

"Who?" demanded Dave, impatiently.

"Them two fellers I see down at Casterbury's stock-farm this afternoon.

They had a bag wot looked suspicious to me, an', say; did they use dynamite, or somethin' like that?"

"They did!"

"Then that's them! Cos why? Cos when they walked past where I was hidin', I heard one of 'em say, 'Be careful o' that, we don't want it to go off an' git blowed up.'"

"Two men?" came from the policeman. "Did you know them?"

The tramp shook his head.

"Never set eyes on 'em before. But I see 'em after that, down back of that jewelry works over there," and he threw up his hand in the direction of Mr. Wadsworth's place. "Say, is that the place they robbed?" he continued, with some show of interest.

"Yes," answered Dave. "Now tell me how those fellows looked."

"I can't tell yer that, exactly, fer my eyesight ain't none too good, I git so much smoke an' cinders in 'em from the railroad. But they was kinder young fellers, I think, and putty good educated-not common fellers like me. Somethin' like yerself. An' they was dressed putty good, long overcoats, and soft hats wot was pulled down over their faces."

"Did you hear them speak any names?" asked Officer Anderson.

"Nary a name."

"Have you seen the two men during the last hour or so?" asked Dave.

"No, ain't see 'em since I spotted 'em back of the jewelry factory. That was about seven, or maybe eight o'clock."

"Did they go into the works then?"

"No, they just stood by the back fence talkin'. I thought they had somethin' to do with that new buildin' going up there, so I didn't think nuthin' more about it."

"I see. Well, Joe, I guess you had better come with us for the present,"

went on Dave. "We'll want your testimony."

"It ain't fair to arrest me!" whined the tramp.

"We won't call it arrest," went on Dave, before the policeman could speak. "You'll be detained, that's all, and I'll see that you don't lose anything by it."

"All right then, if that's the way you're goin' to put it," answered Applejack Joe resignedly. "But I hope you'll see to it that I gits something to eat an' a warm place to sleep."

"I'll remember," returned our hero.

There seemed nothing now to do but to return to the jewelry works and this Dave did, taking the tramp and the officer with him. When they arrived they found the chief of police there, with two officers. The chief was questioning Mr. Wadsworth and the distracted manufacturer was telling what he knew about the crime that had been committed.

The arrival of those from the depot, and what the tramp had to tell, put a new face on the matter. One of the officers said he had seen the two strangers with the tool-bag, but had put them down for traveling salesmen visiting Crumville on business.

"They are undoubtedly the guilty parties," said the chief. "The only question is: Where did they go to?"

"Well, they didn't take that twelve-fifteen train," answered Dave.

"Then they either got out of town by the use of a horse or an auto, or else they are here yet," said Mr. Wadsworth. "Oh, catch them! Catch them if you can! I must get those jewels back! I'll give a big reward for their safe return."

"Have you heard from Phil or Roger yet?"

"No, Dave."