“Oh, yes, I’m sure I would,” he replied, positively.
“But see here, if you saw him do what he did, you must have guessed he’d emptied the pocketbook before he got rid of it!” blurted the victim.
“I have cut my eye-teeth, let me tell you, my bantam,” said Mr. Jones; and the crowd laughed as it was recalled that the other had confessed to being a poultry dealer, so that the application seemed very pat. “I recognized the game immediately. Once ’on a time I found three empty pocketbooks on my own person after being in a crush in the city, where pickpockets were as busy as bees.”
“Then why didn’t you do something to have the rascal apprehended, may I ask?” demanded the other indignantly. “If you saw all you say, and let the thief walk away, you become a party to the crime after the fact, sir!”
“Softly now, my bantam, no names if you please,” said Mr. Jones, without displaying any annoyance. “One of the reasons why I was late in arriving on the scene here lay in the fact that I did consider it my duty to keep track of that slick rascal, and see where he went. I followed him.”
“Then perhaps, sir, you can take us to where he may be found; unless, in the meantime, he’s managed to leave the Fair grounds?” continued the victim; naturally eager to recover his lost funds, if it were possible.
Again did Mr. Jones give that odd little chuckle of his. Hugh began to believe the big friendly man must have a card up his sleeve which he meant to play when it suited him.
“I shall be pleased to have you accompany me,” said Mr. Jones, “and particularly the Chief here and these Boy Scouts who have been so gallantly standing up for one of their number unjustly accused. Listen, my friend: I followed the thief to the building in which there have been built a number of closets intended for the clothes of the men who were working on the grounds before the Fair opened. He entered one of these, to conceal his ill-gotten plunder, I reckon. Well, I just closed the door, and put a fine big section of joist against it in such a way that mortal man couldn’t push it aside. Unless someone has let him out, we’ll find him still there. Come along, everybody!”
There was an immediate rush on the part of the crowd; the Chief striding on ahead with Mr. Jones, the man who had lost his money, and a cluster of the Boy Scouts, including Hugh, Arthur, and the delighted Andy, following closely.
As they entered the building referred to, Hugh saw with considerable pleasure that there was a stout section of joist leaning against one of the closet doors. Striding forward, they soon filled that end of the building, with more late comers trying to push in, so that they might see what it was all about.