Guns and Snowshoes; Or, the Winter Outing of the Young Hunters Part 36

"Go on in, Leech," answered the leader of the Gun Club, firmly. "If you try to run away I'll surely shoot you."

"What does this mean?" demanded Aaron Masterson.

"This is the rascal who ran off with our outfit, Mr. Masterson,"

answered Snap.

"And we mean to make him a prisoner," added Shep. "Kiddy Leech, don't you dare to resist, or it will be that much worse for you."

The tramp was caught between two fires, as it were, and did not know what to do. As we know, he was a good deal of a coward at heart, and the sight of the shotgun in Snap's hands made him quake.

"Don't shoot me!" he whined. "Please don't shoot me!" And he held up his hands in token of submission.

"So you are the pesky rascal the lads was a-tellin' me about," said Aaron Masterson, sternly. "Nice doin's, I must say!"

The door was closed and locked, so that Kiddy Leech might not make his exit in a hurry. The tramp was in a decidedly perplexed frame of mind and blamed himself roundly for not having been more careful.

"What are you going to do with me?" he asked, as he stood in a corner.

"We are going to hand you over to the police," answered Snap. "It is no more than you deserve."

"I didn't mean no harm,--indeed, I didn't!

"I suppose you think it no harm to steal!" said Shep, sarcastically.

"I wasn't stealing your things."

"You were!"

"No, I wasn't. I was--er--only going to hide 'em on you."

"You went a mighty long way to do it," said Snap, coldly. "Where were you going to hide them, at the second-hand shop or the p.a.w.n-broker's?"

"I'm telling the plain truth. Why, I never stole a thing in my life!"

exclaimed Kiddy Leech.

"Not even when you ran away from our camp that first time," said the doctor's son. "How can you expect us to believe you? It is a waste of breath on your part."

"If I can prove that it wasn't my doings--that is--that I am not the responsible party, will you let me go?" demanded Kiddy Leech, eagerly.

"We want to hear your story first," said the doctor's son.

"If this here feller stole them things, as you say he did, the best thing to do is to tote him off to the lock-up," interposed Aaron Masterson. "He's evidently tryin' to make up a slick yarn so as to git off."

"Aaron, you can't take him to the town jail to-night, it's too late,"

said the farmer's wife. "Remember, the travelin' is powerful bad, too."

"Then I reckon we can tie him up in the barn till mornin'," answered her husband, with an inquiring look at the two young hunters.

"We can do that," said Snap. "But first we might listen to what he has to say."

"You won't let me go--if I tell you something very important?" asked Kiddy Leech.

"Not yet."

"All right then, I won't say a word," answered the tramp, and a set look came over his somewhat besotted face.

He realized that he was in a serious situation and made up his mind that Ham Spink and Carl Dudder must help him out of it. He knew the two boys were well-to-do and reasoned that their parents would do almost anything to keep their sons out of jail.

"Going to tie me up in the barn and starve me to death, eh?" he said sourly. "I wouldn't treat a dog that way."

"If we keep him all night I suppose we can give him a little something to eat," said Mrs. Masterson, relenting.

"Sit down there and eat," commanded her husband and pointed to a chair. Kiddy Leech dropped into it and was given a fair supper, for which, it must be confessed, he had little relish. Several times he acted as if he wanted to talk, but as often changed his mind.

"I'll make them young dudes get me out of this," the tramp told himself. "Maybe their folks will pay me handsomely to keep mum and take what's coming to me. That's their way of doing."

The supper over, Aaron Masterson lit his lantern and led the way to the barn. Here the tramp had to submit to having his hands bound behind him, and then he was placed in a large harness closet. The closet was fairly warm, so there was little danger of his taking cold.

"Now, you keep quiet until morning," said Aaron Masterson, as he threw in several blankets.

"Do you think he can break out of the closet?" asked Snap.

"I'll fix it so he won't want to," answered the farmer.

When Snap and Shep had come he had tied up his dog. Now he released the animal and brought him into the barn.

"Watch, Rover, watch!" he said, pointing to the closet, and the dog gave a sniff and a short bark, and then lay down in front of the locked door.

"My dog is here--don't try to get out," called Aaron Masterson, to the tramp. "If you do--well, I won't be responsible, thet's all!"

"Mighty kind," growled Kiddy Leech, and that was all he said.

After that the farmer and the two young hunters returned to the house and talked the matter over for a full hour. It was decided to take Kiddy Leech to the Riverside jail the first thing in the morning. Then Snap was to go home and tell his father of what had occurred, and Shep was to take the news to the camp on Firefly Lake.

The two boys were given a comfortable room in which to sleep. It felt more than good after "bunking around" in camp and forest, and despite the excitement of the tramp's capture, they slept well.

"Hi! boys, got up!" they heard Aaron Masterson call, at about six o'clock.

"Oh, dear, I wish he'd let us sleep an hour longer," grumbled the doctor's son.

"Remember, we are to take that tramp to the lock-up this morning,"

answered Snap.

"Boys, are you awake?" went on the farmer. "I've got news for you!

Thet tramp's got away!"