“What’s that you’re saying?” snapped the officer. “What kind of a fairy-story have you invented? You’re a couple of students, and I’m onto your game. You fellows are forever making trouble. Give me that pistol.”
“Sure,” growled Brad, handing over the weapon. “You’re welcome to it.”
“Perhaps you’d better take this knife, also, officer,” said Dick, picking up the knife and holding it out to the policeman. “You may find a little blood on the handle, and it strikes me that there’s a man’s finger lying there on the ground. Perhaps you’ll want that.”
The cop bent over and stared in amazement at the bloody human digit which lay on the ground.
“So help me, it’s a finger!” he gasped, as if unable to believe his eyes. “What’s it mean? How—why—when——”
“As long as you’re determined to arrest us,” said Dick, “we’ll explain to the sergeant at the station house. Of course, you won’t believe our fairy-story about a holdup.”
“By Jupiter! I’ll believe anything now!” cried the policeman. “Tell me about it.”
While they were telling him, several citizens from the neighboring houses come out and surrounded them. One, a timid, nervous man, substantiated their statements, shamefacedly acknowledging that he had rushed out immediately after the first shot, and had witnessed the encounter between the lads and their assailants.
“I didn’t feel like dipping in,” he said, “so I jest stood back and looked on. It was the hottest fight I ever witnessed. By Jove, these young fellers did put up a fearful scrap! There was four against them, and I don’t know but more than that. I saw four myself. I tried to holler ‘murder’ when one of the masked men got this young feller down and lifted a knife to stab him. Couldn’t seem to make a sound. Then I saw the other chap grab up a pistol and shoot. The fellow with the knife gave a howl and then jumped to his feet. I could see blood running off his hand when he held it up in the light. When he took to his heels, the fellow with the pistol banged away at him, but he kept on running. I’m ready to swear to every word of this statement.”
The policeman now sought to obtain a description of the holdup men from the boys. Of course, this description was vague and unsatisfactory, as the masks of the ruffians had prevented Dick and Brad from seeing their faces.