The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1909-01-15
"And the cockeyed barnY- inqutrec

structure tnat rrOnted on the read.
You're right" said Mrs. Knapp
with a laugh. Cant you make out
that funny little window at the end
there?"
l looked more closely at the build |
ing. In the dim light Of the stars the
coat Of whitewash that covered It
made 1t possible to trace the outlines
Of a window in the gable that fronted
the road. Some freak of the builder
had turned it a quarter Of the way
around, giving 1t a comical suggestion
of a man with a droop to his ave..
And the iron cow" l asked.
Stupid! a pump, of course" re-
piled Mrs. Knapp, with another laugh.
Now see If there is a lane here by
the barn"
A narrow roadway just wide enough
for a single wagon joined the main
road at the corner of the building.
Then drive up 1t quietly" was Mrs.
Knapp's direction.
Just beyond the barn | made out the
figure Of the pump in a conspicuous
place by the roadside and felt more
confident that we were on the right
road.
The driver swore in an undertone
as the hack lurched and groaned in a
Doggy series of ruts, and a branch
whipped him in the face. l was forced
to give a grunt myself, as another
slapped my sore arm and sent a sharp
twinge of pain shooting from the
wound till it tingled in my toes. Dicky,
protected between us, chuckled soft.
ly. l reflected savagely that nothing
spells a man for company like a mis-.
taken sense Of humor.
Suddenly the horses stopped so
short that we were almost pitched out.
Mrs. Knapp raped on the carriage
door and l opened it.
Have you come to the bars?" she
asked presently.
81 guess SO. We've come against
something like a fence"
well, then, " she replied, when we
get through, take the road to the left.
That will bring us to the house"
You are certain?"
THAT is what Henry wrote in the
cipher beneath the map. The house
must be only a few hundred yards
away"
The bars were there, and l lifted the
wet and soggy boards with an anxious
heart. Were we, after all, so lear the
hiding place? And what we're we to
find?
On a sudden turn the house doomed
up before us and a wild clamor of dogs
broke the stiffness of the night.
Il hope they are tied" l said, with
a poor attempt to conceal my misgiv.
ings.
We'll have a lively time in a quar-
ter of a minute IL they aren't" laughed
Dicky, as he followed me.
But the baying and barking came no
nearer, and L helped Mrs. Knapp out
of the carriage. She looked at the
house closely.
This is the place." she said, in an
unmistakable tone of decision. 1--WE
must be quick. 1 wish something would
quiet those dogs; they will bring the
whole country out"
1t seemed an hour before we could
raise any one, but 1t may not have
been three minutes before a voice
came from behind the door.
who's there?"
ut is L. NJ. H." said Mrs. Knapp;
then she added three words of gibber.
ish that 1 took to be the passwords
used to identify the friends of the boy.
At the words there was the sound
of bolts shooting back and the heavy
door opened enough to admit us. AS
we passed in, it was closed once
more and the bolts shot home.
Before us stood a short, heavy-set
man, holding a candle. His face, which
was stamped with much of the bull.
dog look in it, was smooth shaven ex.
cept for a bristling brown mustache.
He looked in luiringly at us.
'Is he here-the boy?" cried Mrs.
Knapp, her voice choked with anx.
iety."
YES" said the man. "Do we move
again."
"At once" said Mrs. Knapp, in her
tone Of decision.
ut will take ten minutes to get
ready" said the Come this
way"
l was left standing alone by the door
in the darkness, with a burden lifted
from my mind. We had come in time
The single slip Of paper left by Henry
Wilton had been the means, through
a strange combination Of events, tc
point the way to the unknown hiding
place of the boy.
In a few minutes the wavering light
of the candle reappeared. Mrs. Knapp
was carrying a bundle that I took tt
be the boy, and the man brought
valise and a blanket.
TITS all right" said Mrs. Knapp
"No-I can carry him-I want to carry
him."
The man opened the door, Their
closed and locked it as I helped Mrs
Knapp into the carriage.
Have you got him safe?" asked