A League of Three: Boy's Detective Stratagems — page 29: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

<< LLU \ _diarism is a serious charge, and the country people, when A LEAGUE OF THREE. oy gone into the shanty and they came forth tramps. ‘The men carried plenty of lanterns and our hero asked : sin “What does this mean?” “What does it mean?” “That’s what I asked.” “J reckon you know what it mea the ‘lay’ for you fellows.” “There is a mistake here,” said Madie. Our hero had discovered that the men were farmers, and he also discerned that they were after the two tramps, and he realized thatit was a piece of hard luck that he had been caught in the company of the two rascals. 3s | reckon there is no mistake,” said the farmer who ap- peared to be the spokesman. Lhe two tramps took in the situation, and they proved themselves to be heartless wretches, as see spokesman said : “That’s our leader. We’ s innocent, we is. That’s the feller who set fire to the barn: yes, he did. We’s inno- cent, we is; we tried to stop him; yes, we did.” “Yes, we did,” chimed in tramp namber two. “You miserable rascals, how dare you?” cried Madie ns. We’ve been ou indignantly. “Oh, yes; he was just lamming us for going against him. We were arguing on his wickedness and we didn’t hurt him, but he’s got us into this trouble. Yes, he did it; he’s the one who set fire to the barn.” Madie realized the full danger of his position. Incen- they catch an incendiary, are severe with him. Madie knew the two tramps would swear against him, even to tarn State’s evidence and save themselves at his expense. If he were once brought before an official he would probably be sent to jail. He thought quickly; he musf Ser (ECOMNMUCELOONO<