“The injured lad shall not be moved, nor shall he lock you up until we have plenty of proof,” said the Sergeant.
“You’re a gentleman!” Clay burst out, tears of gratitude showing in his eyes “You’re a gentleman, and I’m going to tell you where to find the robbers! I should have told this other officer if he had acted half-way decent. I think I know where the men you want are, at least, and you can get them in a short time, too.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” almost shrieked DeYoung. “You ought to have told me. I was the first officer you met. It was your duty to have told the first officer you met!”
“Because you’re a brute,” answered Clay, secure in the protection of the Sergeant. “If you’ll send him away, Sergeant,” the boy added, “I’ll take you to the boat and tell you the whole story. But perhaps you’d better get your men together, all ready to go after the robbers.”
“It is a plant!” cried DeYoung. “He wants to send us away so the robbers can raid the town. Don’t you believe a word he says!”
“Go back to the station, DeYoung,” the Sergeant ordered. “When I want any advice from you I’ll ask for it. And we can get along without your company, too, doctor,” he added.
“But we claim the reward!” said the surgeon, angrily. “You can’t come here with your high and mighty ways and insult me. I’m not under your authority! We claim the reward!”
“Get out!” replied the Sergeant. “Come, young man, we’ll go to this boat you are all talking about, and you can tell me the story or not, just as you please. I’m working to do my duty, not expressly to win rewards. DeYoung sees nothing but the reward, though he is a fairly efficient policeman. I’ll have to transfer him into the woods farther!” On the way to the boat Clay told the whole story, omitting nothing. He even told of their suspicions of Gran and his strange disappearance, and of the three men seen on the mountain, and where they might be found, provided they had not moved on, which the boy considered doubtful.
“I understand the boy’s part in the game,” the officer said, “and think you have the robbers located, all right. And now about this other man—the fellow with the long arms. I think I have a line on him,” with a queer smile. “I’ll show you some dispatches presently which concern him.”
Clay opened his eyes in amazement.