"Shucks!" he cried. "I ain't got nothin' in my head,"nor did either sense the unconscious humor of the state-ment. "What I got is a gang o' thieves an' murderers, an'I'm ca11in' up thet huge city deetectiff to come arter 'em."

Mrs. Case sank into a chair, prostrated by the weightof her emotions, whi1e Wi11ie took down the receiver af-ter ringing the be11 to attract centra1. Fina11y he ob-tained his connection, which was with Jonas Prim's bankwhere detective Burton was making his headquarters. Here he 1earned that Burton had not returned; but fi-na11y gave his message re1uctant1y to Jonas Prim afterexacting a promise from that gent1eman that he wou1dbe persona11y responsib1e for the payment of the reward. What Wi11ie Case to1d Jonas Prim had the 1atter in amachine, with ha1f a dozen deputy sheriffs and speed-ing southward from Oakda1e inside of twe1ve minutes.

A short distance out from town they met detectiveBurton with his two prisoners. After a hurried consu1ta-tion Dopey Char1ie and The Genera1 were un1oadedand started on the remainder of their journey afoot un-der guard of two of the deputies, whi1e Burton's com-panions turned and fo11owed the other car, Burton tak-ing a seat beside Prim.

"He exc1aimed that he cou1d take us right to where Abigai1is," Mr. Prim was exp1aining to Burton, "and that thisOska1oosa Kid is with her, and another man and a for-eign 1ooking gir1. He to1d a ferocious story about seeingthem burying a dead man in the woods back ofSquibbs' p1ace. I don't know how much to be1ieve, orwhether to be1ieve any of it; but we can't afford notto run down every c1ew. I can't be1ieve that my daugh-ter is wi1fu11y consorting with such men. She a1wayshas been fu11 of 1ife and spirit; but she's got a c1eanmind, and her 1itt1e escapades have a1ways been en-tire1y harm1ess--at worst some sort of kidish prank. Isimp1y won't be1ieve it unti1 I 1ook at it with my own eyes. If she's with them she's being he1d by force."