The Tomahawk. [volume] (White Earth, Becker County, Minn.) 1903-192?, 1916-05-11

! "Mr. and Mrs. Farley, Rev. Mr.. Prem
tice," said Average Jones in introduce
ticn.
1.-THE strangers in the wagon?" asked
the clergyman quickly.
"The same" admitted the woman
briefly.
Rev. Mr.. Prentice turned upon Far
ley. why did you want to steal my
boy away" he demanded.
Didn't want to. Had to-" replied
that gentleman succinctly.
Lets do this in order,' suggested
Average Jones. "The principal actors
story first. Speak up, Bailey
Don't know my own story" said
the boy with a grin. "Only part of it.
Mrs. Farley's been awful good to me,
takin' care of me an all that But she
wouldn't tell me how l got hurt or
where I was when l WOKE up"
NATURALLY. Well, we must piece it
out among us. Now, Bailey, you were
working over your reel when you
| looked out of your window and saw q
queer light over at the Tuxall place"
That's what" corroborated the
boy. "A kind of flame shot up from
the ground. Then it spread little.
Then it went out. And there were
people running around it,"
"Ah! Someone must have got care
less with the OIL" observed Average
Jones.
"That fool Tuxall!" broke in Farley
with an oath. ut was him gummed
the whole game"
"Mr Tuxall, I regret to say re-
marked Average Jones, 'has left for
parts unknown, so the Harwick au-
thorities inform me, probably foresee-
ing charge of arson
"Arson?" repeated Rev. Mr.. Prentice
in establishment.
"Of course. Only oil and matches
could have made barn flare up, after
Bailey, to continue. You ran across
the fields to the Tuxall place and went
around-let me see; the wind had
shifted to the northeast-yes; to the
northeast of the barn and quite dis
lance away. There you saw man at
work in his shirt"
observation-disclosures" said the
boy in measured tones. Where were
you hiding, Mr.. Jones?"
mot behind the tree there. any
way" returned the Advisor with
chuckle. There is a tree there, I
suppose?"
Eyes; and there was something alive
tied up in it with rope"
well, not exactly alive" returned
Average Jones, though the mistake is
a natural one."
II tell you, know" persisted Bailey.
"While Mr.. and Mrs. Farley were
wcrkin' over some kind Of box, I
Skinned up the tree"
BOLD young adventurer! And what
did you f1nd?"
zone of the limbs was shakin' and
thrashin' 1 crawled out on it.
guess it was kind O. crazy in me, but
I was goin' to find out what was
what If broke my neck. There was a
rope tied to it, and some big thing up
above pullin' and jerkin' at it, tryin' to
get away. Pretty soon, Mr. and Mrs.
Farley came almost under me. He
says: is Tuxall all ready?' and she
says: He thinks we ought to wait
half an hour. The street'll be full of
folks then Then he says: Well, I
hate to risk it, but maybe it's better
Just then, the rope gave twist and
euyiv,rir' on0
knocked me right off the limb. I gave
yell and then landed. Next knew
I was in bed. And that's ALL
"Now I'll take up the wondrous tale"
said Average Jones. "The Farleys, nat
urally discounted by Bailey's abrupt
and informal arrival, were in guam
Diary. Here was an inert boy on their
hands. He might be dead, which would
be bad. Or, he might be alive, which
would be worse, If they left him"
"How 500" asked Rev. Mr.. Prentice.
"Why, you see," explained Average
Jones, they couldn't tell how much
he might have seen and heard before
he made his hasty descent. He might
have enough information to spoil their
whole careful and elaborate plan"
"But what in the world was their
plan?" demanded the minister.
"That comes later. They took off
Bailey's coat and waistcoat, perhaps to
see if his back was broken (Farley
nodded), and finding him alive, tossed
/ his clothes into the buggy, where Far
| ley had left his own, completed their
necessary work at top speed, and left
the final performance to Tuxall. One
of them conceived the idea Of tossing
Bailey's clothes upon the seabeach to
establish false clue of drowning, I'M
til they could decide what was to be
done with him. In carrying this out
they made the mistake which lighted
up the whole trail"
'Well, I don't see it at ALL" said
Farley glumly. How did you ever get
to us?"
Average Jones mildly contemplated