“Surrender!” sharply ordered Jerry.
“Guess we’ll have to,” sullenly agreed the crooked-nosed man.
“Now find the other fellow,” Jerry ordered, when the men had been tied with ropes, which had been found in the barn.
But this was more easily said than done. Using the lantern and their electric searchlights the boys hunted through the barn, but the third man was not to be found.
“He got away,” said Bob regretfully.
“Oh, don’t worry,” returned Jerry consolingly. “We got the two main ones, anyhow. And maybe these fellows will have something on them to tell who the other fellow was.”
The prisoners did not answer, but they looked uncomfortable.
“Well, this is a good night’s work,” declared Jerry, when he and his chums had a chance to talk matters over. “We’ve got the robber and the firebug, and I guess we can help get back most of the Frenchman’s money and maybe the gold watch and the diamond brooch. They are back in the fire ruins, I imagine.”
By turns Ned, Bob and Jerry explained to their companions the reason for capturing Crooked Nose and the other man, relating the story of the fire in Cresville some months back.
There was little sleep for any one the rest of that night. A guard was posted over the two prisoners, when a search had failed to reveal the missing third man, and in the morning, after a hasty breakfast in the old barn, the march back to camp was made. The storm was over.