“Well, you’re a gentleman!” angrily murmured Jerry, who had received the full impact of the odd character. “Didn’t even say: ‘Excuse me!’ did he?” asked Ned. “Nothing like it. He must be going to catch a train!” Bob, who was just behind his chums, turned quickly and looked after the man. “Did you see him?” he asked. “Did I _see_ him. I _felt_ him!” declared Jerry, with a rueful laugh. “And did you notice?” went on Bob, in some excitement. “Notice what?” Ned inquired. “His crooked nose! It was all on one side of his face. Say, fellows, maybe that’s the man who tried to rob the old Frenchman!” exclaimed Bob in a tense whisper. CHAPTER VI FIRST CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS Jerry and Ned looked at Bob quickly, and then darted glances after the man who had so rudely pushed out of the door, almost upsetting Jerry on his way. “Did he really have a crooked nose?” asked Ned. “He sure did! I had a good view of his side face, and his nose looked as though he had been a football player most of his life, and had fallen on his nose instead of on the pigskin.” Ned darted out to the sidewalk, and looked up and down the street. He came back to report. “The man, Crooked Nose or not, isn’t in sight,” he said. “But if you think it’s worth while postponing the meal----” “No, don’t!” hastily begged Bob. “Maybe after we caught up to him it wouldn’t be the right man.” “I’m inclined to agree with you there,” said Jerry. “We have only this Frenchman’s word for it, and there is probably more than one man with a crooked nose in Cresville. We can’t go up to the first chap we meet who’s decorated that way and accuse him of taking money and jewelry or setting fire to a house. It won’t do.” “No,” assented Ned. “We might properly call him down for his manner of colliding with us, but that isn’t criminal. I guess we’ll just have to let him go, and second Bob’s motion to hold a grub-fest. I have an appetite, even with all the smoke I swallowed.” “Same here,” said Jerry. “That Frenchman may have been dreaming. But he tells a funny story, and Crooked Nose, as we’ll call him until we think of a better name, did seem to want to get off without being recognized.” “He actually seemed afraid of us,” went on Ned. “He came out of here like a shot as soon as he saw us. I’m sure there’s something wrong about him, and there may be more in the Frenchman’s story than has yet come out.” “We can go and see him to-morrow,” suggested Jerry. “But we’d better look after Professor Snodgrass a little now. He may be at one of our houses expecting us; that is, if he hasn’t found a new colony of bugs.” So the boys proceeded with their meal, talking meanwhile about the events of the night. “I wonder how the patriotic meeting made out?” asked Ned. “We can pass there on our way home,” said Jerry. “I guess there will be plenty of such from now on, since Uncle Sam has decided to take a fall out of the Kaiser.”