Chapter XLII: Sallie and Her Cousin

Nick Carter looked at the woman in silence for a few minutes, and then he asked:

“What was the object of your father trying to hold me down on the ground? I have no money, and he would not get anything of value from the few papers that I have in my clothes?”

“First of all, let me tell you that he ain’t my father, nor my husband; he is just an ordinary fourth cousin. He did not want to rob you at all, but I suppose that he wanted to stop you robbin’ somebody else.”

“Oh, he took me for a robber?” asked Nick. “Do you think that I am a robber?”

“No, I don’t think that you are a robber. I think that you are one of them fellers that goes around looking fur robbers,” was the woman’s startling reply.

“What makes you think that?” asked Nick.

“Oh, that was easy. I knew that as soon as I saw you.”

“But how did you know that I was an officer?”

“Why, when your coat flew back I saw your badge, and that is how I told.”

“Why did you not tell your cousin to let up on me, if he is an honest man?”

“I suppose that I had ought to have done it, but he has been so much on the bragging line lately that I thought that I would see if he could really rastle. You looked like a husky chap, and I saw a chance to test him,” responded the woman, with a laugh.

Nick’s attention was now called to the man that he had thrown over into the pool of water.

The fellow had crawled out and was coming for Nick.

“I suppose you think that I am a durned fool. I was pretty hasty when I saw you,” he said.

“You were a bit hasty,” assented the detective, “but I think that you got as good as you gave, and so we will call it even.”

“Yes, I think, Mr. Officer, that you gave him a good deal better than he gave you, and I am right glad, as it will keep his mouth shet for a while,” put in Sallie.

“Women has too much to say in this day, so you had better take a reef in your jaw,” growled the fellow, as he scraped the mud off of his clothes.

Nick, upon questioning the man, found that he lived on a farm a few miles from Brooklyn, and that he had passed the scene of the murders each day as he went to market with his produce.

He had been going to market that evening, so that he would get a better price for his things, and had heard the pistol shots. When he did, he hurried his horses until he was almost to the spot where the fight took place, and then he concluded that it would be safer to go ahead on foot and find out what was going on.

It was the noise of his horses that had frightened Hall and his gang.

“You see that, when I came up into the road and saw you bending over the body of that fellow there, I thought that I had captured the man that had committed the murders that have stirred up the country round here, and I concluded that I would take him into the city and turn him over to the police.”

“If you live so near the scene of the murders you must know something about them, or, at least, you have heard some of the folks around talk of them, so tell me what you know,” said Nick.

“Yes,” assented the fellow, “I have heard some talk of the murders, and lots more about the robbers who are making life miserable for the people around here.”

“How is it that you are not afraid of them?” asked Nick.

“Because the people around here know that I am pretty husky myself, and that when I get my money for the stuff that I sell in the city I put it in the bank.”

“Then some of the other people who live around here have not been so fortunate as you?” asked Nick.

“I should say not. There was Farmer Grout, who was robbed of over three hundred dollars, night before last; they took his gold watch and chain, too.”

“Did Grout report the matter to the police?”

“He? No, he was too scared, and, besides, the people around here are so terrified that they would rather submit to any loss than have the ill feeling of the desperate band that is making things so hot around Astoria for the people that pass the woods near the automobile repair shop of Jack Weeden.”

“Well, I suppose that Weeden knew of the robberies, then?” asked Nick.

“I didn’t say that he did, did I?”

“No, you did not say that he did, but don’t you think that he did?” persisted Nick.

“I would hardly like to say that, as Weeden has the reputation of being an honest man.”

“I don’t think that he is as good as folks think,” put in the woman Sallie.

“Shet up,” said the farmer, “you women talk too much, and your tongues often get you and your folks into a lot of trouble that you needn’t get into. I don’t know much about the man,” he added, to Nick.

“I guess that this fellow is about as scared of the man Weeden as are the rest,” thought Nick.

“It seems that you, Miss Sallie, are not afraid of this man that seems to have inspired the community with such dread.”

“You can just bet that I am not scared of him, and Harry Block knows it as well as any of the rest of them,” said Sallie.

“And pray who is Harry Block?” asked Nick.

“That is my name,” spoke up the farmer; “but I wouldn’t pay attention to what she says, as you ought to know that wimmenfolks talks too much; they are very undescreet.”

“My, what a long tail our cat has got all of a sudden,” said Sallie scornfully.

“Will you shet your mouth?” growled the farmer; “you talk too gosh-darned much, I tell you.”

“I know a darn sight more about it than you want me to tell.”

“Won’t you please keep quiet?” the man growled. “Are you going to Brooklyn?” he asked, turning to Nick, who had been listening attentively to the conversation.

“Yes, I am going to Brooklyn, but I would like to hear more about this man that your cousin seems to know so much about.”

“Do you suspect him of robbing that man the other night?”

“He might have had a hand in it if he did not do it himself,” said Nick.

“Well, seein’ as Sallie appears to know all about it, I would suggest that she tell you what she knows; she is so all-fired smart,” said the farmer sullenly.

“Ain’t you ashamed of yourself!” exclaimed the woman. “Why don’t you be honest and tell the detective all about it? That is the only manly thing to do. There is no harm in telling him what you know, as you had nothing to do with it, and it may help him run down the people that he is looking for.”

“Did you ever see such a woman in your life? She will be saying next that I am the man that did the robbery, myself. Bless me, if I would marry a woman like you for a million dollars.”

“Ha, ha! that is funny. You forget that you have been asking me to marry you every day for the last ten years, and that I have always told you that I would sooner marry a tadpole than you,” said Sallie.

“Well, let’s go up the road, as we are only losing time standing here and listening to the chatter of that fair cousin of mine.” Saying which, Block took the lantern from Sallie’s hand, and, motioning to Nick to follow, led the way up the road.

What was the reason of the farmer not wanting to talk about Weeden?

Was it because he was afraid of him, or was it possible that he, too, was mixed up with the gang and afraid to talk?

“I will get this man to talk before I am through with him, or my name is not Nick Carter,” said Nick to himself, as they reached the wagon.