Detective Burton was at the county jail in Oakdale
administering the third degree to Dopey Charlie and
The General when there came a long distance telephone
call for him.
"Hello!" said the voice at the other end of the line;
"I'm Willie Case, an' I've found Miss Abigail Prim."
"Again?" queried Burton.
"Really," asserted Willie. "I know where she's goin' to
be all night. I heard 'em say so. The Oskaloosie Kid's
with her an' annuder guy an' the girl I seen with the
dead man in Squibbs' woods an' they got a BEAR!" It
was almost a shriek. "You'd better come right away
an' bring Mr. Prim. I'll meet you on the ol' Toledo road
right south of Payson, an' say, do I get the whole reward?"
"You'll get whatever's coming to you, son," replied
Burton. "You say there are two men and two women—are
you sure that is all?"
"And the bear," corrected Willie.
"All right, keep quiet and wait for me," cautioned
Burton. "You'll know me by the spot light on my car—I'll
have it pointed straight up into the air. When you
see it coming get into the middle of the road and wave
your hands to stop us. Do you understand?"
"Yes," said Willie.
"And don't talk to anyone," Burton again cautioned
him.
A few minutes later Burton left Oakdale with his two
lieutenants and a couple of the local policemen, the car
turning south toward Payson and moving at ever accelerating
speed as it left the town streets behind it and
swung smoothly onto the country road.
