The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1877-07-05
push. and you must pitch -iHand help me.
vii: you do its' ~ sss;


VIII you do it ~
= COT, course / will answered Rob,
+sturdily, in spite Of his misgivings.
4" We'd better be to work, or they'll be
down before we're ready for 'em - 7t.1
4 They turned the trap-door up, against
the. partition, then. they dragged up the
ladder and carried it into the wood shed,
then johnnie laid one or two light, thin
strips Of pine across ths= opening in the
fioor. and Rob, spread the carpet over ?
them. One of their mothers fiat irons on /,
each corner held it out smoothly, so that
any one not in the secret would never have
supposed that there was no floor untier.i
Hark they're comingi'' said John I,
ME, taking his place. behind the door;
!" Now, for my sake, Rob, don't you gA
scared, and help me if there's any trouble
~ Ou be there at the table.n Ftfdls s'Fss 70
The men came down the. ladder, each
one with a bag Of corn on his back. s,i,r-,,t
:, I" Sqpper's ready" said Rob, going to
heels OF the other to prevent their being
su.e 81 tie hind findermost' Il % man shs' dhiscoysfing
the trap his comrade had fallen into be-
fore he WIS into it himself ,liNf'f7 80 -
b When they were both on the threshold,
Rob stepped one side, and tine. foremost
man put out his foot and supposed he
was safe in putting it down. But when
he did so he discovered his mistake.
Down went the carpet and he with it, and
his scomrade stumbled over him. but
clutched at the edges of the opening in !,
such away that he must have prevented
himself from falling into the cellar, where
the other had brought up with terrible
thud, and a volley of fearful oaths, if Rob
had not seized one of the fiat irons and
given him several unmerciful blows about
the head, while Johnnie crowded the
trap-door down upon him, and threw his
whole weight upon it. As he had moth.
ing to stand upon, and could get no firm
hold of anything, he had to let 60 his
clutch and drop after his comrade. The
boys dragged the wood box upon the trap
door. and felt that they had trapped the
thieves a, -. =
"How pale you are!o said Rob, draw
ing long breath. '' - % 1sF
"I didn't know I got so excited, ran. 3
swered Johnnie. H.' feel just as weak as >,
. a baby now" e-t 7,iF fe.sf os,i .Ess,-.
= " You're sure they can't, dig out?,
said Rob, as he shuddered at the sound Q
Of oaths and curses coming up from the
cellar, iva1g Yls'i'sssodi brs yis.siis tStf g..
? "Oh, yes,n answered Johnnie; !, :. YOU
know how many loads of stones we put
in the walls, and the. logs and dirt out
side. They couldn't get out in week.
Z The boys hadn't much of an appetite
fol, supper, you may be,s sure. While they
were debating about what it was best to
do, they heard a rumble of wheels at the
door, and - iafe Ae Eau
4 "Father's come ~ cried Rob, and away
both Of them ran. Sure enough, their fa-
ther had come!
The boys began to tell their adventure iii
such an excited way that for some time
Mr.. Kent couldn't understand what they
were talking about. When he did, he was
almost as much excited as they were.
stMercy On us! Well all be killed!'
cried Mrs. Kent, frightened half out of
her senses. .sPll never put foot inside of
that house while them mems in that cell
lar! Dear me! What did possess them
boys to do such an awful thing? / felt
| know they'll murder every every soul of
us before morningp' =s1. e5rG
But they didn't Mr.. Kent went after !,
Mr. johnson, and with his assistance the
thieves were captured, and taken to the
village where Mr.. Kent had been to mill. .
1t was found out afterward, when they
came to trial. that they belonged to a
gang of horse thieves, and the corn they
iiau seUreJeu IN swamp not lar OH.
Johnnie and Rob were heroes for long
time after that, and you will hear the
story Of how they caught the thieves tola
in that neighborhood now, if you happen
to visit it.-Eben e. Rerford, in In-Door-a
uod D,u .rs, ~ ff.+- = Ii. y s3fl. ~ =