ection of the front hall. "'N' whatever
you got, you got 'em bad. Now you stop right where you air 'n' tell me
whatever you got. 'Taint likely its measles, fer you've hed them three
times, 'n' whoopin' cough ain't 'them,' it's 'it,' 'n'--." Mrs. Case
paused and gasped--horrified. "Fer lan' sakes, Willie Case, you come
right out o' this house this minute ef you got anything in your head."
She made a grab for Willie's arm; but the boy dodged and reached the
telephone.

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

Mrs. Case sank into a chair, prostrated by the weight of her emotions,
while Willie took down the receiver after ringing the bell to attract
central. Finally he obtained his connection, which was with Jonas Prim's
bank where detective Burton was making his headquarters. Here he learned
that Burton had not returned; but finally gave his message reluctantly
to Jonas Prim after exacting a promise from that gentleman that he would
be personally responsible for the payment of the reward. What Willie
Case told Jonas Prim had the latter in a machine, with half a dozen
deputy sheriffs and speeding southward from Oakdale inside of ten
minutes.

A short distance out from town they met detective Burton with his two
prisoners. After a hurried consultation Dopey Charlie and The General
were unloaded and started on the remainder of their journey afoot under
guard of two of the deputies, while Burton's companions turned and
followed the other car, Burton taking a seat beside Prim.

"He said that he could take us right to where Abigail is," Mr. Prim
was explaining to Burton, "and that this Oskaloosa Kid is with her,
and another man and a foreign looking girl. He told a wild story about
seeing them burying a dead man in the woods back of Squibbs' place. I
don't know how much to believe, or whether to believe any of it; but
we can't afford not to run down every clew. I can't believe that my
daughter is wilfully consorting with such men. She always has been full
of life and spirit; but she's got a clean mind, and her little escapades
have always been entirely harmless--at worst some sort of boyish prank.
I simply won't believe it until I see it with my own eyes. If she's with
them she's being held by force."

Burton made no reply. He was not a ma