A MOMENT OF EXCITEMENT.
“Now we’ll see who is master here!” cried Mr. Norton, after he had
succeeded in rendering me powerless.
“What do you intend to do?” I asked in alarm.
“Never mind; you will find out quick enough, never fear.”
Saying this, Mr. Norton dragged me into the mill, and up the stairs
into the grain-bin.
“Now stay there until you free yourself,” he said harshly. “And
remember that I am not to be overcome by a boy like you.”
“You are a villain,” was all I could say in return.
“Perhaps so; but I won’t have you talking to me like that,” he returned.
And raising his heavy boot, he gave me a kick in the side that caused
me to cry out with pain.
“Now good-by to you,” he went on. “You will never see me again.”
“I trust I never shall,” I replied bitterly.
In a moment he was gone and I was left to my own reflections. I heard
him tramp around down-stairs for several minutes, and then all became
silent.
No sooner had he left me than I began to tug at the ropes that bound
me. But Mr. Norton had done his work well, and at the end of five
minutes I found myself as secure as ever.
I was lying flat on my back, and found it impossible to rise. For a
while I thought to raise my voice, and did so several times, but then
ceased under the impression that no one was within hearing distance.
A rat came out of his hole and scrambled over my legs. This startled
me, and I raised quite a racket which made him disappear in a hurry.
Ten minutes passed, and all was as silent as before. Would I have to
lie there until morning, or longer, and leave the three robbers to
escape? It seemed more than likely.
Presently I thought I heard a sound at the door of the lower mill room.
I listened intently and was sure I was not mistaken.
“Help! help!” I cried at the top of my lungs.
The sound stopped, and I repeated my calls.
“Who is that?” cried a voice.
“It is I, Reuben Stone.”
“Where are you?”
“Up in the grain-bin.”
“Are you alone?” was asked; and now I recognized Ford’s tones.
“Yes, Dan; come up and untie me.”
At once there was a tramping on the stairs, and then Ford appeared,
carrying one of the mill lanterns.
“Why, Reuben, who put you here?” he exclaimed, as he bent down and
freed me.
“Mr. Norton.”
“Your uncle? Why I thought he had sneaked away to Hillsburg.”
“So does everybody else,” I returned, as I jumped to my feet. “But he
was here less than half an hour ago with those other two thieves.”
“You don’t tell me! Where have they gone?”
“They have a boat up in the cove above. They are going to some point on
the lake.”
“Phew! Lucky I came along.”
“Yes, Dan, lucky for me. What brought you?”
“Well, I got to thinking that it wasn’t right to let the mill stand
alone, and I told mother I was going over and take possession for you
till everything was straightened out.”
“Thank you, Dan; it’s a good deal to do, and so late at night too. Do
you know what I have a mind to do?” I added suddenly.
“What?”
“Follow these men. I know they are the three robbers, and even if one
of them is my uncle, I want them brought to justice.”
“Have you got a boat?”
“Yes; the Catch Me. Mr. Markham has straightened everything out, and
the boat is mine.”
“Good! Well, if you go after them, I will go along. It isn’t safe for
you to go alone.”
“Thanks. I would like to have you along first-rate.”
“Where is your boat?”
“Down at the dock.”
“I didn’t see her as I came up.”
“She is there――unless Mr. Norton took her,” I added, with a sudden
sinking of the heart.
“I’m positive there was no boat there when I came up, for I looked for
the regular mill sloop.”
By this time we had gone down-stairs. I rushed outside and down to the
pier. Sure enough the Catch Me had disappeared.
I gave a groan as I made the discovery. Ford shook his head.
“Mr. Norton is a bad man and no mistake. He’s the kind of a relative
that no one wants,” he exclaimed decidedly.
“You are right, Dan. I would rather be alone in the world ten times
over than have him for my uncle. How my father ever took up with him
in the West I cannot imagine.”
“Perhaps he hid his real nature when he was with your father,”
suggested Ford. “Smart rogues can do that very easily, you know.”
“He didn’t deceive me much. I didn’t like him from the start.”
“Nor I. But you know your father was a very easy-going man.”
“He never wrote to me about Mr. Norton,” I returned; and then to change
the subject, which was so disagreeable to me, I went on, “but the
question is now, what is best to do?”
“I don’t know. Suppose we take a look up and down the shore for the
boat. He most likely went off with those other men and merely sent the
Catch Me adrift.”
“True. We will make an examination. You can go down the shore, and I
will go up. The signal to come will be a whistle, or in case of danger
the hoot of an owl.”
This was agreed to, and we separated at once. I started along the shore
very slowly, keeping my eyes open, and stopping often to scan the
darkness that overhung Rock Island Lake.
At length I reached the spot where the boat belonging to the thieves
had been lying. It was gone, and not a trace of where.
I, however, for some reason, decided that the trio had embarked for
Rock Island. Perhaps I was mistaken, but I thought that the most likely
place for such men to seek. The island was a wild and rocky place, and
provided they could get enough to eat and drink, they could stay there
a month without the authorities discovering their hiding-place.
As I walked on, I wondered what Andy Carney had had to do with the
whole affair, and what had become of the fellow and the stuff he had
taken from the mill. I was particularly anxious about the valise, and
the letters he had said it contained. I was sure they related in some
manner to my affairs, and if I had them would not have hesitated to
read them on the spot.
At length I reached the place where the shore became marshy, and then I
concluded to retrace my steps, satisfied that nothing could be gained
by proceeding farther.
I had hardly decided on this point before I heard Ford whistle, not
once, but several times.
I turned, and picked my way back as fast as I could.
Ford continued to whistle, and I answered him.
“Rube! Rube!” he shouted.
“I’m coming!” I returned.
“Hurry up!” he shouted. “Hurry! hurry!”
“I’m coming as fast as I can,” I cried, and I pressed forward as
quickly as the rocks and the undergrowth would permit.
“Something is the matter,” went on Ford. “We must have help as soon as
possible.”
“What’s up?” I asked, as I bounded into the clearing that surrounded
the mill.
“The mill is on fire! Just look at that end of the roof and the top of
the shed!”
I started, and did as directed. Sure enough it was as Ford said. The
building was afire in two distinct places!
“Mr. Norton did that!” I burst out.
“I believe you. He meant to burn you up alive. What a scoundrel he is!”
“What can we do, Dan?” I asked, with my heart in my throat as I thought
of the destruction of the mill portion of my father’s estate. “Can we
put it out?”
“Put it out! I guess not. Just look at those flames, getting bigger and
bigger every minute! I am afraid Mr. Norton did his work so well that
the old mill is doomed!”
“We must put it out!” I cried. “We can’t let the mill go down in this
fashion. We must get water and a ladder or something, and put the fire
out.”
“I’ll do anything you say, Rube, but I don’t think you can. Better try
to save some of the things in the rooms.”
“No; I’m either going to save the mill or nothing,” I returned with a
grim determination.
And I dashed off to see what I could do towards subduing the flames,
which were each instant growing more fierce and destructive.