“Then Axtell and I will remain on guard, while you go to town and arrange for their apprehension—say, just as they come off the Severn bridge. When you return, we can release them.” 167
“What if they don’t cross the Severn—what if they scent our game, and keep straight on to Baltimore? They can abandon their team, and catch a Short Line train at a way station.”
“Then the Baltimore police can round them up. I’m for chancing it. They’ve lost Parmenter’s letter; haven’t anything to substantiate their story. Furthermore, we have a permit for the Chairman of the Naval Affairs Committee and friends to camp here. I think that, now, we can afford to ignore them—the recovery of the letter was exceedingly lucky.”
“Very good!” said Macloud—“you’re the one to be satisfied; it’s a whole heap easier than running a private prison ourselves.”
Croyden looked the other’s horse over carefully, so he could describe it accurately, then they hitched up their own team and he drove off to Annapolis.
In due time, he returned.
“It’s all right!” he said. “I told the Mayor we had passed two men on the Severn bridge whom we identified as those who picked our pockets, Wednesday evening, in Carvel Hall—and gave him the necessary descriptions. He recognized the team as one of ‘Cheney’s Best,’ and will have the entire police force—which consists of four men—waiting at the bridge on the Annapolis side.” He looked at his watch. “They are there, now, so we can turn the prisoners loose.”
Croyden and Macloud resumed their revolvers, 168 and returned to the tent—to be greeted with a volley of profanity which, for fluency and vocabulary, was distinctly marvelous. Gradually, it died away—for want of breath and words.
“Choice! Choice!” said Croyden. “In the cuss line, you two are the real thing. Why didn’t you open up sooner?—you shouldn’t hide such proficiency from an admiring world.”
Whereat it flowed forth afresh from Hook-nose. Bald-head, however, remained quiet, and there was a faint twinkle in his eyes, as though he caught the humor of the situation. They were severely cramped, and in considerable pain, but their condition was not likely to be benefited by swearing at their captors.