Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1904-04-13
A VINEYARD VENDETTA
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silence, even when both he and his
companion were led, bound and
wriggling, down past the end of the
vineyard to the deserted house.
Barry was indulging in a choice Sc
lection Of expletlves and Wedrell could
hear him roundly scoring his captors,
but an cutlery in this spot could not
avail to any visible extent.
Evidently the gang had some we'll.
defined object in view, for 1t headed
In the direction of the broken doorway.
During all this time Wedrell had at
tempted to see enough Of those about
him to distinguish their clothing or
features, but the darkness thwarted
him. Even when they were led down
to the last room-the kitchen-at the
back Of the old house, and candle
lighted, the captors were clever enough
to tie heavy cloths over the eyes of the
two boys, thus cutting off any loophole
of escape or discovery.
Wedrcll saw the dull glow of the
candle somewhere in the room; he
heard shufiling feet within reach of
his twitching legs as some one tried
maliciously to pinch him.
"Ouch" bawled an agonized voice.
Wedrell had kicked out with one
well-shod foot and caught the sneak
squarely in the stomach, doubling him
ur like a jack-knife. At the same mo-
ment Wedrell exerted every whit OF
strength in his back and shoulders; tho
poorly tied cords snapped and in an
other minute he was free, the bandage
whipped from his burning eyes.
Fletcher! Nokes! Daulton! vloss!
Noddy!" he shouted, the last-named,
his spectacles awry on his nose, lay
wrlggling and moaning on the floor
from the kick so lately administered.
Barry, still bound md blindfolded,
stood against the wall directly oppo-
site.
1t did not take Wedrell the flash of
nj. eye to determine his course. While
the other boys were smarting under
their surprise, Wedrell's knife, saving
upon the cord chat held Barry pris-
oner, freed him before they recovered.
, 'Now, then. little Of their own
medicine, Barry!' he roared, darting
out into the middle of the floor His
sweeping glance of the kitchen took in
every detail, the tallow dip burning on
a window ledge, the one broken chair,
the long door that led down to cellar,
wide open at the other end, of the
apartment.
Barry was not sleepyhead; cadets
who knew anything about him ut all
knew that he could throw the hammer
farther than any boy in the college,
except, perhaps, Wedrell himself, and
it was no chlld's play to face those
hattering-ran arms. W
PooS Noddy had not managed to
clear the floor; there We're four against
two.
FLETCHER nsettered Nwedrel' In that
intensely exciting moment before the
two FLASHED; I'm about to give you
a good thrqshing If it's in me; l think
you deserve it." =
That worthy may or may not have
deserved it, but the thrashing did come
and the big bully went in heap to the
floor, with one bruised eye that would
certainly be decorated with black on
the following day. Wedrell's first hard
blow from the shoulder had caught
him in the right place.
Barry in the meanwhile had done
just what Wedrell could have wished
Attacked one Of the other boys. but
another came at him pellmell. In the
mad melee, which took all three to the
end Of the room before they knew it,
Barry pushed both forward and down.
4 ward. His adyersaries lost their bal.
ance and were tumbled feet first down
the open cellar doorway.
"Goodr' shouted Wedrell. NOW for
this one, Barry"
During his breathing spell Barry wit.
messed laughable sight.
Wedrell's iron hand, gripped in the
, collar Of the sole remaining fighting
representative of that midnight ven.
delta, fairly lifted him from his feet
, and sent him spinning like rag doll
down after his unfortunate brothers In
the cellar. Fletcher had staggered to
his feet, but Wedrell made short work
of him, and he, too, was most impolite.
~ precipitated down the slippery
stairs.
. NO time to waste with you, Nodly,''
the boy chuckled, gasping for breath;
! 1--WE must get back to the academy to.
night" With that he slid luckless
grooming Noddy down with his com.
rades.
1.-THE door, quickw lie called tc
Barry.
There was an iron chain and catch
upon it and the door was unusually
strong, being n portion Of the oak
floor. Snap! went the catch in its place
just MS thunderous pounding of irate
fists threatened to push 1t upward.
TOO late!" called Wedrell. "A pleas
ant night, fellows. Now, Barry" he
went on hIrriedly, 1--WE must get bacl,
! to the barracks as quickly as we can
! OF reveille will catch us out. A narrow
) escape that: someone must have spied
on us, and Fletcher, ,(the scamp
thought he would do bright thing
the idea was to lock us in the old house
and to leave us there. Old Ken would
have raised particular Cain in the
morning and Fletehers Joy would
: have been complete. AS it is now, the
tables have been turned I'll leave
word with Flemming at the store tc
have them released some time during
the day. and they can't bring us into i,
without getting themselves still deeper
: in the mire. Oh, just imagine n night
r in that lonely cellar"
1T makes me SILVER to think of it,
replied Barry, with a grimace.
No protests, no threats, no plendlngs
would avail; Wedrell solemnly took the
candle and, with Barry close at his
heels, marched out, to leave the kitch
eli blank, black hole at the end OF
the hall.
1t was beginning to redden in the