imself. "That bridge ain't been built
yet, and I don't reckon Hobson means to have it there. He is going to
bust it up some way or 'nother, and I'm just the man to help him, if
he'll pay me for it. Everybody is getting rich 'cepting me, and I ain't
going to be treated this way no longer!"

Silas was so completely carried away by Joe's plan for making money
without work that he could think of nothing else. He forgot how
determined and vindictive Dan was, and how easy it would be for him to
place a multitude of obstacles in his way, but Joe didn't.

The latter knew well enough that Dan intended to make trouble if he were
left out in the cold, but what could be done for so lazy and unreliable
a fellow as he was? That was the question.

While Joe was turning it over in his mind, he led the way through Mr.
Warren's gate and up to the porch, where he found his employer sitting
in company with the sheriff and both Uncle Hallet's game-wardens. The
deputy was in an upper room, keeping guard over the other prisoner.

Of course, Tom and Bob, who were greatly surprised as well as delighted
to see Joe and his party, wanted to know just how the capture of robber
number two had been brought about, and while Joe was telling the story,
the sheriff marched the captive into the house and turned him over to
his deputy.

Then he came back and sat down; but he did not put his hand into his
pocket and pull out the reward, as Silas hoped he would.

"This has been a good day's work all around," said Tom, who was in high
spirits. "The next time there is any detective work to be done in this
county, Bob and I will volunteer to do it. We can catch more criminals
by sitting still and writing letters, than the officers can by bringing
all their skill into play."

The sheriff laughed, and said that was the way the thing looked from
where he sat.

"The fun is all over now," continued Tom, "and to-morrow we will go to
work in earnest. You will be on hand, of course?"

Joe replied that he would.

"By-the-way," chimed in Bob, "did this robber of yours have a gun of any
description in his hands when he was captured?"

"No."

"Then, Joe, you and I are just that much out of pocket. The guns are
gone up."

"What has become of them?"

"They are out in the hills somewhere," answered Bob. "When the robbers
made up their minds that they had better let me go, one of them had my
gun and the other had yours; but the robber Brierly captured says th