"Now, don't ye reckon that mebbe, seein' the man at a distance like an' being as you was expectin' to see Jervice an' the big man, you might just imagined they was what you saw?"
"No, sir. It wasn't possible to be mistaken. We were near enough so we could both see the man very clearly."
"Well; this other fellow, now; the one you never had seen before? What did he look like?"
"Big man," said Chick-chick. "Over six foot. Black hair, no hair on his face. I got good look once and face was all one side like this, it was."
Chick-chick drew his face to one side in a peculiar manner. Mimicry was one of his talents.
"That's the feller," said the sheriff. "If you saw him that's the gang. That was Black Coventry to the letter. There ought to be two more of 'em and the gang would be complete. You can show us the way, can you?"
The sheriff had one of his deputies with him at the hotel. He deputized two active young farmers who were present and the four started on horseback following Chick-chick's motorcycle.
They found Mr. Newton waiting at the roadside near the camp. Chick-chick began an introduction but the sheriff interrupted.
"Oh, I know Captain Newton. Remember when ye was Captain of Battery A—let's see, twelve years ago, that was. Come along of us, Captain. Ye're just the man we need an' we're short handed, anyway."
"I've no horse," objected the scoutmaster.