Dick was marched along the road to a field, lifted over the fence, and
compelled to tramp it through the sodden turf and high grass. At length
they reached another fence and he was lifted over that, too. The grass
wasn't so tall in this meadow, but it was high enough to keep his shoes
and stockings well soaked. They passed downhill here into a wood, and
through the wood to another meadow, and across the meadow to a road,
a narrow branch one, and along the road to a small weather-beaten
picket gate, in the center of a picket fence, which admitted them to
a ruinous-looking plot of ground, in the foreground of which stood a
disreputable-looking two-story house, with a light shining from one of
the windows. Dick was marched around the house to a crazy barn in the
rear. The door, held by a hasp and staple, was opened and he was pushed
in, followed by the man, Parker dropping the bags on the floor. Parker
fumbled about on a beam till he found a match, with which he lighted
a lantern. Then he got a piece of rope and with it Dick was bound to
a post on which some odd pieces of harness were hanging. The men then
conferred in a low tone. Finally, after Bulger had examined Dick's
bonds to make sure that he was well tied, the men took the bags up and
left the barn, after blowing out the light, and secured the door after
them.
For the next half hour Dick worked hard to get free from the post. He
twisted and pulled and shoved his arms this way and that, stopping
occasionally to rest himself. Perseverance, they say, will conquer in
the end; at any rate, it did in Dick's case, for at the end of thirty
minutes he pulled one of his hands out of the bonds. The other soon
followed, but still he wasn't free, for the rope around his chest held
him close to the post. Even though his hands were free, he could not
reach the knot that held him a prisoner. However, that did not greatly
matter, for he managed to work his right arm to the front so he could
put his hand in his pocket and pull out his knife. He had to put it
behind his back to open it, but once that was done all he had to do was
to crook his arm and begin sawing at the rope. The blade was sharp so
the strands were quickly severed, and he stepped away from the post,
free at last. The next thing was to get out of the barn. He tried the
door, but that was beyond him. Then he felt his way around the walls
in the dark, stumbling over various obstacles in his path. He found a
place at the back where the boards appeared to be loose. He struck at
one with his heel and it began to give way. Encouraged by this, he kept
at it and in a short time detached the end of the board. He succeeded
in knocking out a second board, and ripping both off, made a hole
sufficiently large for him to crawl through. He knew where the road was
and he started for it, taking care to give the house a wide berth.
There was a light in the room he judged was the kitchen, and he
believed the two men were there, drying their clothes. He climbed over
the picket fence, and when he stood in the road the problem of where
it led to struck him with some force. He would have to follow the road
in one direction or the other, and he had no idea at all where he would
fetch up at. The night was dark and the strangeness and uncertainty of
his situation made him feel all at sea. He started down the road at
random, hoping he would meet with a house where, if the inmates were
up, he could get information that would enable him to reach Carlin. He
saw the lighted windows of a house up the road and decided to go there
and make his inquiries. As he approached the gate he saw three men
standing there talking. Two of them seemed to be rural policemen. They
looked at him as he came up.
"Is this the road that runs into the Carlin road?" he asked the party
generally.
"Yes," replied the well-dressed third person, who was evidently
connected with the house.
"Would you favor me with the time?"
"It is about ten o'clock."
"Thank you, sir; now maybe you'll tell me whether this house was robbed
this evening just before the thunderstorm?"
The three looked at Dick with some surprise and curiosity.
"Yes, it was," replied the gentleman. "How did you learn about it?"
"From the two thieves themselves."
His reply created something of a sensation.
"You learned the fact from the thieves?" said the gentleman.
"Yes, sir."
"Pray, who are you, young man? You seem to be a stranger in this
vicinity."
"I am a stranger. My name is Dick Darling. I live in New York, and
am employed by Roger Bacon, wholesale dealer in watches, jewelry and
silverware. I was sent with a package to Mr. Goodrich, of Springville,
a few miles from here, this afternoon, but after delivering it I
found that the accommodation train for Jersey City, which stops at
Springville at six-fifteen, had met with an accident which put it out
of business, and being anxious to get home, the agent told me that if
I walked to Carlin, six miles north, I could catch the next express,
which stopped there at seven-thirty-eight. I started to walk, and got
on all right till I came to where the road joined another, this one,
in fact. I took this one by mistake and it brought me out here, away
from Carlin, though I did not know at the time that I was going wrong.
Then the thunderstorm came on and I took refuge in the vacant house up
yonder."
Dick then went on to describe the arrival of the two rough characters
with a bag each, and how not liking their looks he retreated to another
room, from which spot he overheard them speaking about the robbery they
had committed, and what their plans were for the immediate future.
Then he told how they discovered his presence in the house and made a
prisoner of him, and after questioning him closely they took him over
to the house where the man named Parker lived, where they locked him
up in the barn, after tying him to a post to make sure he wouldn't get
away; but he had made his escape in spite of their precautions, and
found his way over to that road, his object being to reach Carlin and,
after reporting the robbery and all the facts connected with it, take
the first train he could get for home. Dick's story interested the
gentleman, whose name was Mason. They said they would go and arrest the
thieves, while Dick was to stay at Mason's house until they came back.
This plan was carried out.