d only a
little while ago I got word that the same man is peddling stuff in
Franklin. I hitched up, as soon as I could, intending to go to Franklin
and have him arrested. But this pesky axle had to break, and now I can't
go on. It's the only rig I have, too. I heard that the fellow intends
to go out on the noon train. Then I may never hear of him again."

"Can't you telephone?" asked Mr. Blackford.

"There's no 'phones around here, and if I did it would be hard work to
hold him. There'd have to be a warrant, and I'd have to swear to a
complaint. My mere word over the wire wouldn't be enough, I'm afraid.
And it's near noon now. I don't know what to do."

Ruefully he gazed at his disabled carriage.

"I have it!" cried Mollie. "Come in the auto with us. We have room for
one more, with a little crowding. We can get you there before noon, and
perhaps you can have the man arrested."

"Good!" cried the swindled farmer. "I'll do it!"

CHAPTER XXIII

"THAT'S THE MAN!"

"What will you do with your horse and carriage?" asked Mr. Blackford,
when the girls had made different seating arrangements to accommodate
Mr. Bailey, the farmer. "It won't do to leave it on the road; will it?"

"No, I'll have to fix that some way. We can't very well take it along
with us. But here comes Jim Bates. He'll look after my nag for me. Hi,
Jim!" he called as a man came driving past in a dilapidated wagon, drawn
by a bony horse, "Jim, jest look after my outfit; will you? Maybe you
can leave it in Pierce's barn until I come back. That isn't far. Pierce
is away, but his wife will let you, I guess."

"Where you goin'?" asked Jim. His horse had stopped of its own accord,
it seemed.

"Goin' in to Franklin."

"In that there machine?"

"Yep."

"Gittin' sort of stylish; ain't ye?"

"Mebbe. But I had an accident, and these young ladies was kind enough to
offer me a lift."

"In a hurry?"

"I sure am. I'm after that swindler. Heard he was in Franklin."

"Git out! Feller that sold you the interest in that patent soap?"

"Yep. That's how I was swindled," he explained to our friends. "This
faker come along with a wonderful soap. It would take the spots out of
everything--even the sun, he said. It did do good work when he
manipulated it. Well, I was foolish enough to give up some of my
hard-earned savings for the secret of how to make the soap. I bought the
stuff he told me, but the soap was a failure. He swindled me. Now I'm
after hi