Part 44

"With your permission, we will search you," said Croyden. "Macloud, if you will look to Mr. Smith, I'll attend to Hook-nose. We'll give them a taste of their own medicine."

"You think you're damn smart!" exclaimed Hook-nose.

"Shut up!" said Croyden. "I don't care to shoot a prisoner, but I'll do it without hesitation. It's going to be either perfect quiet or permanent sleep--and you may do the choosing."

He slowly went through Hook-nose's clothes--finding a small pistol, several well-filled wallets, and, in his inside waistcoat pocket, the Parmenter letter. Macloud did the same for Bald-head.

"You stole one hundred and seventy-nine dollars from Mr. Macloud and one hundred and eight from me," said Croyden. "You may now have the privilege of returning it, and the letter. If you make no more trouble, lie quiet and take your medicine, you'll receive no further harm. If you're stubborn, we'll either kill you and dump your bodies in the Bay, or give you up to the police. The latter would be less trouble, for, without the letter, you can tell your story to the Department, or whomever else you please--it's your word against ours--and you are thieves!"

"How long are you going to hold us prisoners?" asked Bald-head--"till you find the treasure? Oh, Lord!"

"As long as it suits our convenience."

"And luck is with you," Hook-nose sneered.

"At present, it is with us--very much with us, my friend," said Croyden. "You will excuse us, now, we have pressing business, elsewhere."

When they were out of hearing, Macloud said:

"Doesn't our recovery of Parmenter's letter change things very materially?"

"It seems to me it does," Croyden answered. "Indeed, I think we need fear the rogues no longer--we can simply have them arrested for the theft of our wallets, or even release them entirely."

"Arrest is preferable," said Macloud. "It will obviate all danger of our being shot at long range, by the beggars. Let us put them where they're safe, for the time."

"But the arrest must not be made here!" interposed Croyden. "We can't send for the police: if they find them here it would give color to their story of a treasure on Greenberry Point."

"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."

"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, 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.

"Just listen to him!" said Croyden, as Hook-nose took a fresh start. "Did you ever hear his equal!... Now, if you'll be quiet a moment, like your pal, we will tell you something that possibly you'll not be averse to hear.... So, that's better. We're about to release you--let you go free; it's too much bother to keep you prisoners. These little toy guns of yours, however, we shall throw into the Bay, in interest of the public peace. May we trouble you, Mr. Axtell, to remove the bonds?... Thank you! Now, you may arise and shake yourselves--you'll, likely, find the circulation a trifle restricted, for a few minutes."

Hook-nose gave him a malevolent look, but made no reply, Bald-head grinned broadly.

"Now, if you have sufficiently recovered, we will escort you to your carriage! Forward, march!"

And with the two thieves in front, and the three revolvers bringing up the rear, they proceeded to the buggy. The thieves climbed in.