Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1918-03-01

place were of a hard, vicious class,
and no one of the members of the band
relished the environment and compan
ionship. They were crowded upon a
little platform In one corner of the hall
and began their program as the place
began to fill.
The start was noisy, it's progress
turbulent and finally riotous. About
eleven o'clock there was a vast clamor,
a ring formed and a fist fight came
off. 1t was followed by a regular duel,
shots, fifteen minutes later quelled only
by the police.
81 am disabled" announced Barnaby
dismally to his fellow band members.
"See."
One of the stray bullets had gone
through the head of the big bass drum
and had come out on the other side.
The leader went in search of the pro-
prietor of the place to make complaint
and demand damages. This phase of
the situation was adjusted, but Barn
ably declared his beloved instrument
to be out of commission.
"Why should l stay around here?" he
questioned the leader. "This crowd
will keep you here until morning. L
could get a train in an hour"
'"That will be all right, Barnaby,"
assured the leader. "You had better
not try to get out of the building
through that unruly mob, though.
They'd like nothing better than to use
your big drum for a football"
''There is a door behind the plat
form. I will go that way" said
Barnaby.
His cherished instrument was bulky
and awkward to handle, being nearly
half as big as himself, but he managed
to get it through a narrow doorway,
down q corridor and then he lost him.
self in the great rambling barn Of a
place. He finally reached a lower
floor and was making his way towards
a real open door, when a feeble piping
voice reached his hearing.
"Mister, won't you get me some wa
ter to drink? I'm so thirsty"
'Who are you? Where are your"
challenged Barnaby, and then by the
light of a spluttering oil lamp at the
end of the passageway, he made out
a door with a small wicket in it, and,
pressed against this, was a white,
scared face.
"Some bad men stole me away from
home and have shut me in here" quav-
cred the imprisoned child. 'They
haven't given me anything to eat or
drink since morning. Oh, please help
me, won't you?"
Now in a flash Barnaby Glinn COM
pretended that he had come across the
kidnapped child his fellow bandman had
read about in the newspaper. He vas
sure of it, as he peered closer. Flax
en- hair, blue eyes and an ear disfigured
In some accident-yes, here was the
missing child for whom a reward of
five thousand dollars was offered.
But not for a moment did this fact
influence honest, sympathetic Barnaby
Glinn just now. The pitiful appeal in
face and voice of the poor little cap
tive aroused within him indignation
compassion, all his innate manliness.
He tried the door, he estimated its
strength, he took from his pocket a lit
tie case containing tools used in adj
justing and repairing his big base
drum. He applied them to the pur-
pose in view, to force the door, and he
succeeded.
little mite" he told his charge, "you
are to do just what I tell you"
"Yes, sir. oh, yes, sir" %quavered the
child eagerly.
Because, if you don't, those wicked
men you tell about will catch both of
us and never, again may we see
home and friends"
II will do just what you say" declar,
ed the trembling child, and Barnaby
Glinn began to unscrew the head of his
big base drum.
He was putting, painting and perspir-
ing when he reached the little railway
station. There he had to wait for an
hour, for the train was late. He no
ticed several men come to the place
and excitedly scurry about it. He
smiled inwardly, rs from some words
they dropped he knew that they were
looking for some one who had run
away with their charge.
Barnaby got home well on towards
three o'clock. He made so much noise
coming up the steps and getting into
the house that his boarding mistress
came downstairs.
"You look all done up, Mr.. Glinn,"
she said. "Had a hard night of 1t, /
suppose. / am going to get you a
hot cup of coffee"
"For two" spoke Barnaby, in his
usual terse way. "And a little lunch"
For two" repeated the landlady
vaguely.
IF you please. Once, when 1 went
to play at a country barn dance, ]
brought back q turkey"