University of Virginia Library

26. CHAPTER XXVI
NODDY NIXON CORNERED

As late as it was Jerry found his two chums anxiously waiting for him.

"Well?" asked Ned.

"Here is something," replied Jerry, showing the box which he had concealed under his coat. He told how he had found it and the three chums examined the contents curiously.

"What had we better do?" asked Bob.

"I'll tell you what I think," spoke Ned. "We ought to tell father. He will know what to do."

Mr. Slade was plainly surprised at some of the disclosures made, for, though he knew most of the circumstances, he was not acquainted with all of them. The boys had forgotten many details in their previous recitals, and, of course, the finding of the box was the latest occurrence.

"I must say you boys have sifted this thing out pretty well," said Mr. Slade. "You have great deal more information than have the police."

"What had we better do about it?" asked Jerry. "You see we are at a sort of stand still now."

Mr. Slade thought for a few minutes.

"Here is what I would do," he said at length. "I would contrive to have a talk with Noddy Nixon, all three of you. I understand he is a sort of bully, but if the three of you are together there is nothing to fear from him.

"Once you get him alone somewhere you can tell him just what you know, and show him how everything points to him as the person who robbed the mill. It may be that the information will overwhelm him, and he will own to everything. Again, he may be innocent of everything, and able to explain all of his acts satisfactorily. In that case you will be glad that you made no public complaint."

After a little thought the boys voted this was the best thing to do. They arranged to send Noddy a note asking him to meet one of them in a secluded place the next day, and all three chums promised to be on hand.

Early the next day the three boys met again. In accordance with the arrangement of the night before, Jerry had sent a note to Noddy, asking the bully to meet him near the old wind mill.

"Come, for the matter is of great interest to you," the note had said, and Jerry had signed no name. Ten o'clock was the hour set, and quite a while before that time the three boys were at the dilapidated structure.

"I think you two had better stay inside," said Jerry to Bob and Ned. "But remain where you can see and hear everything. I'll be out here when Noddy comes."

It was a few minutes after ten when Jerry saw Noddy coming up the path that led to the main mill entrance. No sooner had the bully caught sight of Jerry than he started, and seemed about to turn back.

"Don't go!" called Jerry. "Did you get my note?"

"Did you write that?"

"I certainly did."

"What's it all about?" growled Noddy. "If you're fooling me you'll wish you hadn't."

"I guess you won't think it's much like fooling," replied Jerry. "In the first place, have you ever seen this before?"

He suddenly held out the wooden box he had found hidden in the mill. At the sight of it Noddy started.

"Where—where did you get it?" Noddy, gasped.

"Right here, in this mill," was the answer. "I took it out of a hole in the floor last night, right after you had been here. It has some papers in it from the Judson mill."

Noddy started again. His face was pale, and he trembled. His hands twitched nervously.

"What—what else?" he whispered.

"You might as well tell everything," said Jerry. "Ned saw you coming from the mill on the night of the robbery with this box under your arm. You said it had fish bait in it. We know how thick you were with Bill Berry, and how he tried to have the blame cast on Ned. And we know something else."

"What?"

"That you paid a bet to Paul Banner shortly after the robbery."

"Supposing I did?"

"Just this, we have—or, rather I have—one of the bills you gave to Paul."

"Well, what of that?" asked Noddy, trying to maintain a brave air.

"Only this. It was a ten dollar bill, issued by a state instead of a national bank, and it had the initials H. R. C. on it in red ink. We have learned that this bill was paid to Mr. Judson on the afternoon before the robbery, that it was placed in the box—this box—that was stolen from the safe."

"Supposing some one gave that bill to me be fore I gave it to Paul?" asked Noddy.

"If you can prove that it will be a good thing for you," Jerry went on. "We have no desire, Noddy, to fasten this on you, but Ned must be cleared and the robbery mystery ended. Tell me—who gave you the queer bank bill?"

But Noddy kept silent.

"On the night of the mill fire," Jerry went on, "we found the hammer and chisel that were used to cut the safe open, and also the dark lantern. If anything more is needed, Bill Berry will—"

"If Bill Berry tells that he saw me in the mill—!" cried Noddy, and then he stopped.

"We may need Bill's testimony," Jerry said. "You see we have nearly everything, Noddy. What have you to say?"

Noddy said nothing for a few minutes. He seemed ill at ease. Then he burst out:

"I may as well confess! You cubs have spied on me to good advantage. I had to take that money! I needed it to pay my debts. I heard Tom Judson say it was in the safe that afternoon. I knew the old iron box was easy to crack. I had no trouble to get in, and I began work. When I was almost through I looked up, and saw Bill Berry looking in at me. I offered to go shares with him if he would keep quiet, and he did. Then, after a while he said another man, a chum of his, had seen me also, and I had to give him money. He would have shot me if I hadn't. It was one night in a lonely house."

Jerry nodded. He well remembered that night.

"Then," went on Noddy. "Bill suggested throwing the blame on Ned, because he was around the mill that night. It didn't work, however. Now, I guess the game is up. What are you going to do?"

"We'll have to consider," Jerry replied.

"We? Who is we?" asked Noddy.

"Bob, Ned, and myself."

"Are they here?"

"They heard it all. We needed several witnesses," was the answer.

"Give me one day more," pleaded the bully. "I may be able to pay the money back then."

"I'll see what the others say," replied Jerry. "Come out, Ned and Bob."

The two boys came from their place of concealment. Noddy did not appear to notice them.

"You heard what he said," spoke Jerry. "What do you say?"

"One day more will do no harm," said Bob, who felt a little compassion for Noddy, unfriendly as the bully had always been.

"All right," said Jerry, and Ned nodded in assent to the stout boy's proposal. "We will say nothing for another twenty-four hours, Noddy. Meet us here at this time to-morrow and we will decide what is to be done."

"I will," replied Noddy as he hurried away.

"Well, I'm glad that's over," remarked Jerry. "I hated to do it, but I felt it ought to be done. Now to go and tell Mr. Slade that Noddy has confessed, and see what's to be done to-morrow."