The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1883-08-30

til late this evening. 1t just happens
so. Couldn't l take your message for
uncle? Leo, be still, tell your
you're very kind, my dear boy"
said the unknown gentleman. looking
at his watch and backing out of the
summer-house gracefully, ''but I won't
trouble you. / should prefer riding
over from my place tomorrow evening.
Please tell your good uncle that Mr..
Alexander Kingbolt, he will remember
my name, called on business, and will
see him tomorrow evening. if possible,
at eight. Goodbye" And Mr.. Alex
ander Kingbolt, whistling sweetly
There's one more river to cross, step
ped into light buggy standing with
out the gate. Another gentleman sat
in it. and the two rode away, talking
rapidly.
The afternoon shadows grew long;
the twilight closed in; Ford and Leo sat
together, the boy with his hand on the
dogs head. Both began to feel some
what lonesome, at least, Ford did. Why
in the world did not the phaton come
toiling up the steep mountain roadP
Halloa! white owl tluttered across the
lawn into an acacia.
Ford had long desired to ascertain
that particular owls private address.
He dashed after it, and Leo bore him
company. Up through the dark gar
den bird, boy and dog sped. Presently
Ford slipped and fell. He uttered a
cry when he rose and found that he
could put his left foot to the ground on
ly with pain that sickened him, so
severely had his fall strained it.
Very slowly and painfully Ford
limped into the garden again. his un-
lucky foot feeling more miserable every
step. All at once he looked through the
trees and saw lights in the dining-room
of his uncle's house.
Major Pepper and Aunt Helen were
back, doubtless much disturbed to
know where in the world Ford and
Leo had gone, or since what hour of the
day.
AS he drew nearer the closed shutters
he caught the sound of low, strange
voices, the faint clink of hammer.
Could it be possible that anything was
amiss? Ford was frightened, but pru-
dent.
'.Leo," said he very softly, but al
most sternly, to the dog. whose ears
were on the alert, too. ''lie down."
Leo obeyed.
Forgetting his painful foot in his
breathless excitement, Ford crept down
along the back of the house. The voices
came clearly from within. "And we'd
better be quick about it," somebody
was saying.
A robbery it surely was. Ford turned
the blind and looked within the dining
room. A lamp was lit The safe where
in Major Pepper usually kept his papers
and any large sum of money he happen
ed to have in the house for day or so,
was rolled out to the middle of the room.
Over it leaned a tall, well-dressed man,
impatiently directing another man, who
knelt before it, and was working at
he had evidently brought for the pur-
pose.
Ford caught sight of profile, and the
sound of Zone more river to cross,
whistled very gently. The man work
ING at the safe door was Mr.. Alexander
Kingbolt. An exceedingly frightened
boy was Ford Bonner.
so, then, they cannot possibly get
over the bridge?n said Mr.. kingbolt,
plying his chisel.
s'A1l the planks are up and hid away
till we 90 down, tell you replied the
other, s.and red lantern hung across
II"
1.-The bridge" Ford knew al once,
must mean a narrow, rough structure
across the stream just before the road
from town wound up the mountain.
They're likely on their way around
by the other one. It'll take them till
midnight.
There was a pause. Then said Mr..
Kingbolt, out of heath, ''Where do
you suppose that boy and the dog
are?n
''Lost on the mountain, dare say.
But if they come back before we get
through, we can fix them somehow.
Ford slipped from below the window.
The boy understood all. Many houses
in the town had been robbed lately.
The gang" had in some way learned
that Major Pepper was occasionally
obliged to keep large amounts OF money
in his lonely country house. They had
chosen their day carefully, made or else
altered their plans that very morning,
thanks to Ford own politeness in an
swering Mr.. Kingbolt's questions. By
a trick they had sent Major and Mrs.
Pepper around by their longest route
for home The whole thing was a
hastily, but cleverly, planned scheme.
And Ford could do nothing-alone; the
nearest houses in the village two miles
up the mountain; his swollen foot!
Had he forgotten Leo? The thought
darted into his confused mind like a
flash. He leaned forward into ray of
light, and gently drew out his pencil,
and the envelope, still undirected, in
which was his letter to Harry North.
He managed to control his excite
ment and terror enough to scrawl upon
it,
There are burglars in our house. Come
q0''A' '''i''0 FORD BONNER
The envelope was secured by Ford 8
shoe-string to the grayhound's neck
..Be very quiet, Leo" he kept whisper.
ing, almost beseechingly, as he led the
dog as well as he could down the far
side of the garden, along the fence, and
some distance up the road, lest Leo
should bark.
''Quick, Leo! to the post-o1flee--to
the post-officer' he cried, tremblinely,
pushing and pointing the dog off
Leo refused to GO. He did not un-
derstand all this mystery. Ford felt for
a stick and shook it at him. Leo bound
ed away silently up the steep. Ford fell,
half sat down, on the grass.
He never knew how long it was be-
fore he was started from his stupor by
hearing stealthy steps approach down
the road He strained his young eyes
to make out n dozen tall figures moving
noiselessly toward his hiding place.
They were the astonished men from the
village, reused from their circle of gos-
sip around the stoop OF the store by
Leo's advent and extraordinary excite
ment.
The letter had been discovered at
once by Amzi's brother himself, who,
like the rest, with stockings drawn over
his boots, headed the party. Ford in
tercepted them and made his hurried
explanation.