Jerry Hopkins, lying in the haymow and looking down at the men and listening to them, could hardly believe his senses. At last it was all clear to him. Before him was the crooked-nosed man who had been seen in Cresville the night of the tenement house fire. And now, by his own admission, there was the man who had set the blaze so the robbery could be carried out with less fear of detection. As to the third man, Jerry did not know what to think. His mention of “Pug” seemed to link him with the bully, Kennedy, but this yet remained to be proved.

“Anyhow, I’m sure of one thing,” decided Jerry, as he looked back into the dark mow, and could detect no movement that would indicate his chums were awake. “Crooked Nose is the man who robbed old Mr. Cardon, and the other chap is the one who set the fire. They’re both guilty by their own admission. But where is his other money if these fellows didn’t get it? And the brooch and the watch? I wonder if they could be in the ruins?”

[238]

Jerry was thinking quickly. There was much to do if he hoped to capture the three men and fasten their crimes on them. First he must awaken some of his companions, and let them listen to the incriminating talk.

Jerry crawled to where his two friends were sleeping. He first awakened Ned, and clapped a hand over his mouth to silence any sudden exclamation of surprise.

“What is it?” Ned demanded.

“Crooked Nose!” whispered Jerry. “Keep still! I think we have them!”

Bob was harder to arouse, and inclined to make more noise, but at length the three motor boys, leaving the other soldiers sleeping in the hay, had crawled to the edge of the mow and were looking down on the three men gathered about the shaded lantern. The discussion was still going on.

“Why don’t you wait?” begged the crooked-nosed man, who had given his name to Mr. Martin as Jim Waydell. “Why do you want to spoil things now?” and he addressed the fellow who had displaced the coat, which had been adjusted again, however. “Why don’t you wait?”

“Because I’m tired of waiting,” was the growled-out answer. “I want some coin. I set the fire. You robbed the Frenchman. It was fifty-fifty with the risk. Now let it be the same with the coin.”

[239]

“But I tell you I haven’t got much coin left,” declared Crooked Nose. “We missed the biggest bunch of it, and what I got——”

“Give me half of what you got then!” growled the other.

“I can’t. I had to spend some——”

“Don’t talk so loud!” warned the man whose face was in the shadow. “First thing you know some one may hear us, and then——” He shrugged his shoulders, as though no words were necessary.

“Great Scott!” whispered Ned to Jerry. “Is it possible we have stumbled on the very men we wanted?”

“More a case of them stumbling in on us,” Jerry answered. “Listen to what they are saying.”

It was the same argument over again, one man demanding money and the other trying to pacify him without giving it.

“What are we going to do?” whispered Ned.

“Get ’em, of course,” Jerry replied in the same low voice. “Do you think we three can manage them alone—each one take a man?”

“Sure!” declared Ned. He and his chums were in excellent physical condition, thanks to their army training.

“Well, then let’s jump on ’em. Take ’em by surprise,” advised the tall lad. “We can slide[240] down from the hay and grab ’em before they know what’s up. We’ve heard enough to convict them now. It was the very evidence we needed.”

“Better wake up the other fellows so they can stand by us in case of trouble,” advised Bob, and this was decided on. While the two men were still disputing, and their companion waited, Ned, Bob and Jerry silently roused their sleeping comrades, briefly telling them what the situation was.

“We’ll slide down and grab ’em,” said Jerry. “They don’t appear to be armed, but if they are we’ll take ’em by surprise before they can get their guns. You stand by with your rifles, fellows. I guess the sight of the guns will be all that’s needed. All ready now?” he asked Ned and Bob in a whisper.

“WE’LL SLIDE DOWN AND GRAB ’EM,” SAID JERRY.

“All ready!”

The boys had drawn back to the far end of the haymow to make their plans, so their whispers would not penetrate to the ears of the men. But there was little danger of this, as the storm outside was making too much noise.

The three chums from Cresville now worked their way to the edge of the haymow. The men were still below them, Crooked Nose and his companion angrily arguing, while the other man had risen. For the first time Jerry and his chums had a glimpse of the face.

[241]

“I’ve seen him somewhere before,” decided Jerry.

But there was no time then for such speculation. The men must be caught.

Poised on the very edge of the haymow, Jerry and his chums waited a moment. They were going to jump down the ten feet and rush at the men. There was a litter of straw below them which would break the force of their leap.

“Go!” suddenly whispered Jerry.

Three bodies shot over the edge of the haymow, landing with a thud on the barn floor. The men, hearing the noise and feeling the concussion, turned quickly. A sudden motion of one again displaced the coat over the lantern, so that the scene was well lighted.

“They’ve got us!” yelled Crooked Nose, and he made a rush, but Jerry Hopkins caught him in his long arms.

“Get out the way!” shouted the man who had been begging for a division of the spoils, as he headed for Ned like a football player trying to avoid a tackle. But Ned was used to such tactics. He downed his man hard, the thud shaking the barn.

Bob did not have such luck. His man crashed full into him, knocked Bob to one side and then disappeared in some dark recess of the barn.[242] Chunky, somewhat dazed, rose slowly and tried to follow.

Meanwhile Jerry and Ned were struggling with the two men they had caught. The outcome was in doubt, for the prisoners were desperate. But the advent of the other soldiers sliding down from the haymow with rifles ready for use, soon settled the matter.

“Surrender!” sharply ordered Jerry.

“Guess we’ll have to,” sullenly agreed the crooked-nosed man.

“Now find the other fellow,” Jerry ordered, when the men had been tied with ropes, which had been found in the barn.

But this was more easily said than done. Using the lantern and their electric searchlights the boys hunted through the barn, but the third man was not to be found.

“He got away,” said Bob regretfully.

“Oh, don’t worry,” returned Jerry consolingly. “We got the two main ones, anyhow. And maybe these fellows will have something on them to tell who the other fellow was.”

The prisoners did not answer, but they looked uncomfortable.

“Well, this is a good night’s work,” declared Jerry, when he and his chums had a chance to talk matters over. “We’ve got the robber a............