“Not a soul inside, not even poor Bill. How he managed to let those cussed boys get him is more than I can make out,” muttered Green to the tramps. His words were quite distinguishable to Dick, for a gentle breeze was blowing in his direction, over which the voices of the men were carried as though on a telephone wire.
“Well have a score to settle with those birds aforelong,” growled one of the tramps. “But anyway, Bill can’t be much good when he lets a bunch of boys take him off. Can’t we get him bailed out?”
“Don’t see how. I’m out on bail myself, and it took nearly every penny I had to do that. Besides, I ain’t any too well liked by the law and order folks around here, and ’tisn’t likely they’d take my bail for him. We’ll have to do those two jobs alone tonight, and that will give us some money to work with and we’ll see then what can be done.”
“Speaking of jobs, which will we take first, the store or the bank?” asked one.
“Guess we better take the store first and get that over with; then it’ll be pretty late and we can take our time with the bank,” answered Green. “Say we get to the store at midnight; everyone’ll be in bed then. Look here, it’s getting hot outside, and it’s cooler in the house. Bring that jug inside with you,” and Lafe turned and went into the house, followed by the others.
Light instantly broke over Dick. That was the reason for the friendliness between the tramps and Lafe Green. They were evidently plotting to break and enter the store and the bank. Green knew nothing of this branch of criminality, and had in some way become acquainted with the tramps and had gone partners with them in this nefarious expedition.
Dick wished that they had stayed out on the porch and further discussed their plans. He knew it would be foolhardy to try and approach the house with the three of them there, for one might be at a window and they could easily seize him. He had not brought his rifle with him, but left it at Denton’s.
Still he had all the information that was necessary, and winding his way across the hay field, got out of sight of the house and then legged it for town as fast as he could go. He was puffing when he reached the village, and he stopped to get his breath. As he stood in the shade of an arching elm, the village constable came by and hailed him.
“Got any more tramps up your sleeve?” he asked facetiously.
“No, I got something better than that this time,” answered Dick. “I have three bank robbers for you.”