Chapter XXIX: Something of a Confession

“I want to get hold of that fellow with the flat nose!” cried Andy to his chums. “I don’t care so much about the others.”

“We are with you, Andy,” answered the young major.

“We are bound to catch him sooner or later,” added Pepper.

The tramps had a start of at least a hundred yards and lost no time in trying to escape. The fellow called Flatnose made for a dense patch of woods behind the spring and was soon lost to sight. But the cadets heard him as he crashed and plunged through brushwood and over rocks, and slowly but steadily they drew nearer to the rascal.

“You might as well stop!” cried Andy. “We are bound to catch you.”

“If you come any closer somebody will git hurt,” called back the tramp roughly. “You ain’t goin’ to catch me, not much you ain’t!”

“Do you think he’ll dare to shoot at us?” asked one of the cadets.

“No,” answered Jack. “I believe they are all cowards.”

On and on plunged the tramp, with the boys after him. He was now ascending a small hill. Beyond, the cadets knew, was a cliff, fringed with brushwood.

“Wonder if he knows about the cliff?” said Pepper.

“He must—since he has been in this neighborhood so long,” answered Jack. “But if he doesn’t he may take a nasty tumble.”

“Maybe he is hoping to make us take the tumble,” came from Andy.

This was a trick the tramp had in mind, and reaching the edge of the cliff, he darted to the right and crouched down under some thick bushes.

The cadets ran on at full speed until they neared the cliff and then slowed up. They peered over the edge of the height into the little valley below but could see no one.

“He’s around here somewhere,” declared Jack, and just then saw a bush that had been caught back switch itself into place. He leaped into the direction.

“Here he is, fellows!”

“Where?” asked Andy and Pepper in a breath.

“Under a bush. Come out of that!” Jack added to the fugitive.

“I ain’t comin’ out,” whined the tramp. He was out of wind and crestfallen.

“If you don’t come out, we’ll kick you out,” answered Andy, and then he shook his stick at the fellow. “Come out of that, and be quick about it.”

The tramp looked at the acrobatic youth and he gave a little gasp. Evidently he recognized Andy.

“I ain’t done nuthin,” he grumbled. “I’m an honest fellow, I am.”

“You certainly look it,” answered Jack. “Come, get up.” And he, too, raised his stick as if to hit the rascal over the head.

“Don’t—don’t strike me!” was the cry. “I’ll come out! But I ain’t done nuthin’.”

Very reluctantly the tramp crawled out from under the bushes and faced the boys. When Andy looked at him his eyes fell.

“I guess you know me,” said Andy, sternly.

“You? I ain’t never seen you before.”

“Oh, yes, you have. We met in the jewelry store in Cedarville one evening.”

“Not me. You’ve got the wrong man.”

“No, you are the fellow. And after we met at the jewelry store you attacked me on the road, threw me off my bicycle, and robbed me.”

“No, I didn’t!” cried the tramp, but his manner showed that he was much dismayed by the accusation.

“What I want to know is, What did you do with the things you took from me?” continued Andy.

“Didn’t I say you had the wrong man?”

“Will you give up the stuff or not?”

“Say, I ain’t——”

“Answer my question.” And Andy raised his stick as if to hit the fellow on the head.

“I—I ain’t got the stuff,” cried the tramp in alarm. “Don’t hit me. I—I turned the stuff over to Levi, the fence.”

“Levi, the fence?” queried Andy.

“A fence, in criminals’ language, is a receiver of stolen goods,” explained Jack. “Where is this Levi?” he asked.

“Over in Albany. He was in Cedarville when I give him the goods. He promised me twenty dollars, but I only got five. He ought to be pinched,” went on the tramp, meaning by “pinched” he should be arrested.

“You come with us,” said Andy, and between them the cadets marched the tramp back to the camp in the hollow.

At the hangout they found that four of the tramps had been caught and made prisoners. The others had escaped, and what became of them nobody found out.

“I have heard of that fellow Levi,” said the deputy sheriff. “He has been wanted for some time. I think the Albany police are now after him.”

Seeing it would be useless to conceal matters longer, the tramp called Flatnose made a full confession, in which he told of attacking Andy just as had been supposed. He had found the tree limb in the woods near the road, and had thrust it out from the bushes just when the bicyclist was passing.

“I got scared when you didn’t come to your senses,” he said. “I didn’t mean to do nuthin’ but knock you into the road an’ take the things.”

“Well, that was enough,” said Andy, grimly. “But I must say I am thankful I wasn’t killed.”

“These men are all rascals,” said Rossmore Ford. “They are petty thieves, and they have terrorized the women and children for several miles around. We’ll see to it that they all get what they deserve.” And it may be added here that every one of the tramps was sent, later on, to jail. At the camp were found ample proofs of how they had been robbing not only henroosts and sheepfolds, but also houses and barns. The butcher and the farmers were glad to see the rascals rounded up, and the deputy sheriff was proud of the part he had played in the affair.

“We’ll look out for your things,” said the deputy to Andy. “And as soon as we get them we’ll let you know.”

It was not deemed necessary for the cadets to help get the tramps to the Cedarville lock-up and so, after bidding the men good-bye, the boys started off in the direction where the new camp of the school runaways was to be located.

“I’ll wager Reff Ritter was mad when he found the horse and wagon and all those things gone,” said Pepper.

“He’ll do his best to find our new camp,” answered Jack. “Perhaps he’ll want to fight next.”

“If he does, I reckon we can give him all he wants,” said Andy.

The sky was much overcast and it looked as if it might rain at any moment. This caused the cadets to increase their speed, and soon they were past the spot where the first camp had been located.

“Hello, look there!” cried Pepper, presently, and pointed among the trees.

“It’s Gus Coulter!” answered another cadet “What is he doing here?”

“They must be looking for us already,” exclaimed Jack.

All ran up to Coulter, to learn that he was alone—some others who had been with him having scattered to look for the new camp of the crowd under the young major.

“See here, Coulter, I want to talk to you!” cried Jack, grabbing the cadet by the arm. “Come here, boys!” he added, to his friends.

Thus caught alone, Coulter was much frightened and when the young major began to talk to him he trembled in every limb.

“What do you want?” he faltered.

“I want to talk to you, Coulter.”

“What about?”

“About a certain talk you had with Reff Ritter.”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“Well, you will know before I am done with you.”

“You let me go,” said Coulter, uneasily. “You haven’t got any right to detain me in this fashion.”

“Well, I am taking the right,” answered the young major sturdily. “I want you to understand——”

Jack got no further, for with a sudden twist and a push Gus Coulter freed himself, leaped through the crowd, and dashed away.

“After him!” yelled Pepper. “He mustn’t get away like this!”

“I reckon we can catch him,” put in Andy, and then all of the cadets started in pursuit of the fleeing one.

Coulter was badly scared—why he could not exactly tell—and he ran like a deer. But the others kept on his track.

“There he goes!” cried Jack, as the running lad darted behind a heavy clump of bushes.

The next instant there arose on the air a wild cry of dismay and alarm.

“Oh, dear! Help me, somebody!”

“He’s in trouble!” said Andy.

“Go slow—or somebody else may get into trouble, too,” cautioned the young major.

Slackening their pace, the crowd approached the clump of bushes and passed around to one side. They then saw what had caused Coulter to cry for assistance.

On the other side of the bushes was a big swamp hole, filled with muck, dead leaves and water. In his anxiety to escape Gus Coulter had plunged into the swamp hole and was now up to his waist and rapidly sinking.

“Ge—get m—me out, somebody!” he gasped. “Quick, or I’ll—I’ll go down an—and be smothered!”

The others saw that Coulter’s plight was serious and something must be done to save him.

“I’ve got it!” cried Andy, as he looked around. “I reckon I can get him out.”

“How?” questioned Pepper.

“Wait—I’ll show you.”

The acrobatic youth ran to a big tree growing close to the edge of the swamp. He climbed up with marvellous rapidity, and then worked his way out on a branch that grew over Coulter’s head.

“Good for Andy!” cried Jack.

“If only the limb will bend down far enough,” added Pepper.

Soon the acrobatic youth was close to the outer end of the limb. He bent down, but his hand did not come within a foot of Gus Coulter’s reach.

“I—I can’t ma—make it!” gasped the boy below. His face was full of abject fear.

“Wait a minute,” answered Andy.

He turned over, and the next moment was hanging from the limb by his feet, which he had crossed one over the other. Thus he was able to reach Coulter with ease.

“Look out, Andy, that you don’t go down, too,” cautioned Jack.

“And take care that the limb doesn’t break,” added Pepper.

Slowly but surely Andy began to draw poor Gus Coulter from the muck. It was a severe strain on the acrobatic youth, and his muscles stood out like whipcords, while his face, from hanging down, became purple. The tree limb bent low, until the outer leaves swept the swamp hole.

“I don’t think he’ll make it,” was the comment of one of the cadets, but even as he spoke there was a sucking sound and up came Coulter, and the tree limb bounded several feet higher.

“Hurrah! He’s got him!” yelled Pepper, and his cheer was echoed by the others.

Both boys in the tree were somewhat out of breath and they did not descend at once. Finally Andy slid down and Coulter followed.

The lad who had the accident presented a most woebegone appearance. He was covered with black muck up to his armpits, and some of the muck was on his hands and face. Now that the danger was over the others had all they could do to keep from laughing at the unfortunate one.

“Coulter, you can thank Andy for saving your life,” remarked Pepper.

“I—er—I wouldn’t have tumbled into the hole if you hadn’t chased me,” grumbled Coulter.

“And we wouldn’t have chased you if you hadn’t tried to run away,” came from the young major.

“You had no right to stop me.”

“As I said before, I am taking the right, Coulter. I want you to confess something.”

“Me? I haven’t done anything.”

“You know what Reff Ritter did. I heard you talk it over.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean just this,” answered Jack, and then spoke about the talk he had heard between Reff Ritter and Coulter concerning the use of the French headache powders.

“Now I want you to tell the truth, Coulter,” said the young major, finally. “Who put those powders into my drinking water? Answer, or I’ll give you the biggest thrashing you ever had in your life!”

“Don’t—don’t hit me!” cried the cadet.

“Then answer—and tell the strict truth.”

“Reff Ritter. But if he learns I told on him he’ll hammer me to death,” added Coulter, with a very white face.

And then he told the particulars, just as Ritter had given them. All of the cadets present listened with interest. When Coulter had finished Jack caught him by the shoulder.

“Now get out!” he cried. “Go back to Ritter, and don’t you show your face near our camp!” And Coulter lost no time in disappearing.

Five minutes later the cadets came in sight of the new camp. As they entered the clearing Pepper gave a gasp.

“Look! There is Captain Putnam!”

“You are right,” answered Jack. “Now we’ve got to face the music!”