fer the house when I steps in an' grabs my ol' shot gun.I hollered at 'em not to come a step nigher 'n' Iguess they seed it wa'n't safe monkeyin' with me; so they skidaddled.""Which way did they go?" asked Burton.
"Off down the road yonder; but I don't know which way they turned at the crossin's, er ef they kept straight on toward Millsville."Burton asked a number of questions in an effort to fix the identity of some of the gang, warned Jeb to tele-phone him at Jonas Prim's if he saw anything further of the strangers, and then retraced his steps toward the car.Not once bad Jeb mentioned the youth who had purchased supplies from him that morning, and the reason was that Jeb had not considered the young man of sufficient importance, having cataloged him mentally as an unusually early specimen of the summer camper with which he was more or less familiar.
Willie, on the contrary, realized the importance of their morning customer, yet just how he was to cash in on his knowledge was not yet entirely clear.He was al-ready convinced that HOW TO BE A DETECTIVEwould help him not at all, and with the natural suspicion of ignorance he feared to divulge his knowledge to the city detective for fear that the latter would find the means to cheat him out of the princely reward offered by the Oakdale village board.He thought of going at once to the Squibbs' house and placing the desperate criminals under arrest; but as fear throttled the idea in its infancy he cast about for some other plan.
Even as he stood there thinking the great detective and his companions were entering the automobile to drive away.In a moment they would be gone.Were they not, after all, the very men, the only men, in fact, to assist him in his dilemma? At least he could test them out.If necessary he would divide the reward with them! Running toward the road Willie shouted to the departing sleuth.The car, moving slowly forward in low, came again to rest.Willie leaped to the running board.
"If I tell you where the murderer is," he whispered hoarsely, "do I git the $50.00?"Detective Burton was too old a hand to ignore even the most seemingly impossible of aids.He laid a kindly hand on Willie's shoulder."You bet you do," he replied heartily, "and what's more I'll add another fifty to it.
What do you know?"
"I seen the murderer this mornin'," Willie was gasp-ing with excitement and elation.Already the one hun-dred dollars was as good as his.One hundred dollars!
Willie "Goshed!" mentally even as he told his tale."He come to our house an' bought some vittles an' stuff.Paw didn't know who he wuz; but when Paw went inside he told me he was The Oskaloosie Kid 'n' thet he robbed a house last night and killed a man, 'n' he had a whole pocket full o' money, 'n' he said he'd kill me ef I told."Detective Burton could scarce restrain a smile as he listened to this wildly improbable tale, yet his profes-sional instinct was too keen to permit him to cast aside as worthless the faintest evidence until he had proven it to be worthless.He stepped from the car again and motioning to Willie to follow him returned to the Case yard where Jeb was already coming toward the gate, having noted the interest which his son was arousing among the occupants of the car.Willie pulled at the detective's sleeve."Don't tell Paw about the reward,"he begged; "he'll keep it all hisself."
Burton reassured the boy with a smile and a nod, and then as he neared Jeb he asked him if a young man had been at his place that morning asking for food.
"Sure," replied Jeb; "but he didn't 'mount to nothin'.
One o' these here summer camper pests.He paid fer all he got.Had a roll o' bills 's big as ye fist.Little feller he were, not much older 'n' Willie.""Did you know that he told your son that he was The Oskaloosa Kid and that he had robbed a house and killed a man last night?""Huh?" exclaimed Jeb.Then he turned and cast one awful look at Willie--a look large with menace.
"Honest, Paw," pleaded the boy."I was a-scairt to tell you, 'cause he said he'd kill me ef I told."Jeb scratched his head."Yew know what you'll get ef you're lyin' to me," he threatened.
"I believe he's telling the truth," said detective Bur-ton."Where is the man now?" he asked Willie.
"Down to the Squibbs' place," and Willie jerked a dirty thumb toward the east.
"Not now," said Burton; "we just came from there;but there has been someone there this morning, for there is still a fire in the kitchen range.Does anyone live there?""I should say not," said Willie emphatically; "the place is haunted.""Thet's right," interjected Jeb."Thet's what they do say, an' this here Oskaloosie Kid said they heered things las' night an' seed a dead man on the floor, didn't he M'randy?" M'randy nodded her head.
"But I don't take no stock in what Willie's ben tellin'
ye," she continued, "'n' ef his paw don't lick him Iwill.I told him tell I'm good an' tired o' talkin' thet one liar 'round a place wuz all I could stand," and she cast a meaning glance at her husband.
"Honest, Maw, I ain't a-lyin'," insisted Willie."Wot do you suppose he give me this fer, if it wasn't to keep me from talkin'," and the boy drew a crumpled one dol-lar bill from his pocket.It was worth the dollar to escape a thrashing.
"He give you thet?" asked his mother.Willie nodded assent.
"'N' thet ain't all he had neither," he said."Beside all them bills he showed me a whole pocket full o'
jewlry, 'n' he had a string o' things thet I don't know jest what you call 'em; but they looked like they was made outen the inside o' clam shells only they was all round like marbles."Detective Burton raised his eyebrows."Miss Prim's pearl necklace," he commented to the man at his side.
The other nodded."Don't punish your son, Mrs.Case,"he said to the woman."I believe he has discovered a great deal that will help us in locating the man we want.