The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1922-01-26

wnisfoost pocket -Lef ~ ,ras, t6st
none o. his pals come n to look for
him"
minute later be stood % only 70
~ down again abruptly. a. his legs
gave wy. They we're unmbed and
stiff with the hours he had spent IN the
same position. and for : while he could
a. nothing bat rub them with hls
hands. TIN the blood returned and be
could feel once more
Then. slowly and painfully. he tot
tered across 70 the others and SCI them
free as well They mere in an even
worse condition than he had been
and Il seemed a. n Algy would never
be able % stand again. so completely
dead vas his body from the waist
downwards. But ~ length. after what
seemed an eternity 10 Drummond. who
realized only too well that should the
gang come IN they we're almost rs help
less ~ their present rendition as n
they were SIN hound In their chairs
the other two recovered
I IAN III now Good We've got 20
think what we're going 10 do for we're
not out Of the wood yet by two or
three miles"
Lets get the door open" remarked
Algy. "and explore"
Cautiously they SWING II open, and
stood motionless. The house was IN
absolute silence: the hall was de
serted
switch out the light" whispered
Hugh. wen wander round"
They crept forward stealthily In the
darkness, stopping every now and then
10 listen. But no sound came to their
ears II might have been house Of
the dend
Suddenly Drummond. who was In
front Of the other two, stopped with a
warning hiss A light was streaming
ont from under door AT the end Of
passage and. as they stood watching
II, they heard a mans voice coming |
from the same room. Some one else
answered him and then there was
silence once more.
Al length Hugh moved forward |
again. and the others followed. And |
II was not until they got quite close 10 |
the door that strange, continuous |
noise began TO be noticeahle--a noise
which came most distinctly from the
lighted. room. II rose and fell with
monotonous regularity; at times II re-
sembled brass band-at others II
died away to a gentle murmur And
occasionally II was punctuated with n
strangled snort.
"Great Scott" muttered Hugh ex-
citedly the whole boiling bunch are
asleep. or III eat my hat"
Then who was il spokeT said Algy.
AT least TWO of EN- are awake right
enough"
And as II in answer to his question,
there came the voice again from In
side the room.
"Wal MIR. Darrell, | guess we can
pass on. and leave this bunch
With one laugh of joyful amazement
Hugh flung open the door, and found
himself looking from the range of a
yard into two revolvers.
81 don't know how you've done II,
boys" he remarked, but you can put
those guns away hate looking at
them from that end"
what the devil have they done to
all your dialsY said Darrell, slowly
lowering his arm.
wen leave that for the time," re-
turned Hugh grimly, as he shut the
door. There are other more pressing
matters to be discussed"
He glanced round the room. and
slow grin spread over his face. There
were some twenty of the gang, all of
them fast asleep. They sprawled gro
tesquely over the table. they lolled in
chairs they lay on the floor, they hud-
died In corners And. without excep-
ton, they snored and snorted.
"A dandy bunch" remarked the
American, gazing at them with salts
faction. Then he turned to Drum
mond "Say now. Captain, we've got
a lorry load of the boys outside; your
friend here thought we'd better bring
'em along. So it's up to you to get
busy"
"Mullings and his crowd" said Oar
rell. seeing the look OF mystification on
Hughs face.
For few moments Drummond
stood, deep In thought; then once
again the grin spread slowly over his
face. Get the boys in. Peter: and
get these Jumps of meat carted out TO
the lorry. And. while you do II, Wen
20 upstairs and mop up"
THREE.
Even in his widest dreams Hugh
had never imagined such a wonderful
opportunity. To be In complete pos
session Of the house with strong
forces at his beer and call, was state
Of affairs which rendered him almost
speechless
keep your guns handy" whispered