Of course, Tom and Bob, who were greatly surprised as well as delighted to see Joe and his party, wanted to know just how the capture of robber number two had been brought about, and while Joe was telling the story, the sheriff marched the captive into the house and turned him over to his deputy.
Then he came back and sat down; but he did not put his hand into his pocket and pull out the reward, as Silas hoped he would.
“This has been a good day’s work all around,” said Tom, who was in high spirits. “The next time there is any detective work to be done in this county, Bob and I will volunteer to do it. We can catch more criminals by sitting still and writing letters, than the officers can by bringing all their skill into play.”
The sheriff laughed, and said that was the way the thing looked from where he sat.
“The fun is all over now,” continued Tom, “and to-morrow we will go to work in earnest. You will be on hand, of course?”
Joe replied that he would.
“By-the-way,” chimed in Bob, “did this robber of yours have a gun of any description in his hands when he was captured?”
“No.”
“Then, Joe, you and I are just that much out of pocket. The guns are gone up.”
“What has become of them?”