Following this statement he turned somewhat savagely upon Hooker, to whose side he quickly stepped.
“You’re to blame,” he snapped in a low tone. “You forced me into this sooner than I intended.”
“_I_ did?” muttered Roy, astonished. “How?”
“You broke your pledge to me. You forgot your solemn oath. I suspected that you might, and, fortunately, I had my eyes open. I saw you skin up here to tell Sage, and I lost no time in notifying the constable and getting him to bring an armed party to search these premises.”
“I’ll bet they don’t find anything,” said Hooker. “I hope not. If they don’t, it will take some of the swelling out of your head.”
“Time is val’able,” announced Abel Hubbard sagely, “so we’ll begin s’arching right away. We’ll take the stable fust, and then we’ll go through the house. Git at it, boys,” he commanded, with a wave of one pudgy hand.
The men started to obey, but before they could really begin the door of the little granary at one side of the stable swung open, and a man stepped out into view.
“If you’re looking for me,” he said coolly, “you needn’t go any further; but let me state right here that I was in no way concerned in that attempted bank robbery.”
“The man I met in the woods!” burst from Hooker’s lips.
“Gentleman Jim, or I’ll eat my hat!” exulted Piper. “Nab him, men! He’s desperate! Don’t let him play any tricks!”
Immediately the man, who was indeed the mysterious stranger with whom Hooker had conversed, was covered by several loaded guns and commanded to throw up his hands, an order which he disdainfully obeyed.
“It won’t be necessary to shoot,” he said. “I sha’n’t offer the slightest resistance.”
“Keep him kivered,” fluttered Constable Hubbard—“keep him kivered till I put the irons on him!”
Producing a set of old-fashioned manacles, the excited constable bunglingly snapped them upon the wrists of the man.
“There!” he breathed in deep satisfaction; “we’ve got _you_, all right. By golly! that boy Piper is a wonder.”
“Constable,” said Sleuth, remindingly, “you mustn’t forget that it was solely through information supplied by me that Mr. James Wilson, _alias_ Gentleman Jim, was captured. I shall lay claims to the reward offered for him.”
“I guess you’ll git your share of it, if he’s the feller you think he is.”