"Why, of course it does!" returned the men.
A thunderbolt from the sky at that moment would not have taken Andy and Matt more by surprise than did this statement. Paul Barberry's assurance actually staggered them, and neither could speak for the moment.
"That outfit belongs to you?" cried Matt at length.
"That's the biggest falsehood I ever heard in my life!" burst out Andy. "You know very well that everything there belongs to us."
"I know no such thing," returned Barberry coldly. "I bought the outfit from you, and you know it. These gentlemen know it also."
And he waved his hand toward his companions.
"Certainly, we know all about it," said one of the men.
"Yes, we saw the money paid over," added the second fellow.
Matt and Andy looked at each other. Each knew very well that the other had never made any bargain for the sale of the turn-out and stock. The whole scheme was one of the corn doctor to get possession of their belongings.
"See here, Barberry, there is no use for you to talk in this fashion," went on Matt, as calmly as he could, although he was worked up to the top notch of excitement. "You know very well that you are asserting that which is not true. The outfit belongs to us, and you haven't the shadow of an interest in it. You stole it from the Phillipsburg freight depot, and----"
"Stop that!" blustered the corn salve doctor. "How dare you call me a thief, boy?"
"That is what you are, and nothing less. If you----"
"Do you hear that, fellows?" interrupted Barberry, turning to the two men.
"You want to keep a civil tongue in your head, boy!" cried one of the men sharply. "Calling a man a thief is a serious business."
"And being a thief is still more serious," replied Andy. "Perhaps you fancy you can bluff us, as the saying is, but you are mistaken. This turn-out is ours, and we are here to claim it. If you molest us in the least we will hand you all over to the police."
"We can stand up for ourselves," returned the man with a deep scowl. "We are three to two, and we are armed."
"So you would use force to retain our property, eh?" said Andy.
"We do not admit that it is your property."
"But it is. Now let me tell you something. We stopped at the village just north of here, and got the assistance of nearly a dozen men. They are scattered about, and should you attempt to molest us I shall give them a signal----"
