“Certainly not,” cried the boy. “We intend to 215 put you where you will not be able to steal any more for some time to come.”
“Arrest me?” exclaimed Paul Barberry, in great alarm. Evidently he had not thought such a thing at all likely.
“Yes,” put in Andy. “And unless you do as we wish you to it may go mighty hard with you.”
“But I’ll stick to it that I bought the turn-out,” returned the corn salve doctor, trying to put on a bold front. “You’ll have to prove that you didn’t make the sale. I won’t be bulldozed.”
“Get a rope and bind him, Matt,” said Andy, paying no attention to the last remark. “We’ll take him to the nearest police station. I suppose there will have to be some papers made out before he can be taken back to New Jersey.”
The young auctioneer sprang into the wagon and soon brought forth a long and stout rope. Paul Barberry watched these preparations with an anxious face, and when Ramson stepped forward to aid in making him a close prisoner he began to wilt.
“See here,” he said, addressing Andy and Matt, “I don’t want to be locked up. It would injure my reputation to a great extent. I am willing to admit that I have done wrong, but I—I—did it by mistake. I haven’t felt well for several days, and my 216 head has been affected, that’s the whole truth of the matter. When I get those spells I don’t know what I am doing.”
“He’s a good one at crawling,” remarked Ramson in disgust. “He’ll get over the spells when he’s locked up.”
In spite of his protestations and pleadings, Barberry was tightly bound and fastened to the rear of the wagon. Then Billy, who had had quite a rest, was harnessed up once more, and with Matt on the seat and Ramson going on ahead to pick the way, they started off for the village, Andy keeping in the rear to see to it that their prisoner should not escape.
The way was dark and uncertain, but the tall mountaineer proved a good and careful guide, and at the end of an hour and a half the worst part of the journey was over. They entered the village just as the town clock was striking one.