ON THE TRAIL
As the eager freshmen peered out at the approaching wagon the suppressed
excitement threatened to break all bounds. "Let's stop him and get the
canes," suggested Hawley in a whisper.
"No. What'll be the good of that? It'll be better to follow up the wagon
quietly, and then if we can find out where they put the canes, maybe a
little later we can get them away without the sophs knowing anything
about it. Don't you see we'll be making it all the worse for them."
"We don't _know_ that the canes are in the wagon," suggested Foster.
"Of course we don't, and it's all the same whether we try to find out
now or follow it up and find out a little later."
"Phelps is right about it," said Hawley. "If the canes shouldn't be
found in the wagon, we would be making fools of ourselves if we stopped
it, but if we let it go on and follow it up we'll be all the better."
Meanwhile the wagon itself had passed the place where the boys were
concealed, and groaning and creaking had begun the ascent of the
opposite hill. Only the driver was to be seen, and his appearance and
actions were unmistakable. He was a farmer and well advanced in years,
and if he was aware of the contest that was being waged between the
rival classes in Winthrop it was evident that he had no share in the
excitement.
"How'll we do it, fellows?" inquired Hawley anxiously. "He'll get away
before we get our eyes open, if we don't look out."
"Let's follow him," said Will Phelps quickly. "We mustn't go in a bunch,
but string out. But we mustn't be so far apart that we can't hear if one
of us calls or whistles."
"Come on, then," said Foster. "You go ahead, Will, and we'll come along.
You're a runner, and if the old fellow begins to start up his horses you
can follow him better than any of us can. But we'll have to do our
best."
Quickly the suggestion was adopted, and Will ran swiftly along the road
until he discovered the wagon not far in advance of him. It was moving
at the same monotonous pace as when it had passed the hiding place of
the boys. Will Phelps, when he came within a hundred yards of the wagon
he was following, decreased his own speed and endeavored to keep close
to the fences by the roadside, so that he would not be seen by the
driver if he should chance to look behind him.
They were soon within sight of Winthrop, and the shadowy towers of the
college buildings could be discerned in the distance. It was long past
midnight, and the only lights that could be seen were those of the
twinkling stars and the occasional flash of the moonlight when the
broken clouds that were moving across the face of the sky parted
sufficiently for the face of the moon to be seen.
Suddenly Will was aware that the wagon had stopped at a corner where a
road or street that led to the lower part of the village joined the road
that led past the college buildings. He darted behind a huge tree that
grew close to the roadside, and eagerly peered forth to discover what
the next move of the farmer would be. He could see that some one
approached the wagon, and after a brief delay climbed up on the seat
beside the driver and then the team started on once more. Will was
keenly excited by this time, and his suspicions were confirmed that the
canes were indeed in the wagon before him. He was eager to follow
swiftly, but he quickly decided that it would be wiser to wait until
Hawley came up to the place where he himself was waiting and explain to
him the change in the direction of the party they were following.
The huge form of Hawley soon appeared, and impatiently Will ran out into
the road to meet him. "They've turned in here," he said excitedly, "and
you must stop here and tell the fellows. I'll run on ahead and find out
where the wagon goes."
Quickly Will darted across the fields and soon came into the lower road.
The wagon could be seen not far in advance of him, and was still moving
at a slow pace from which it had not varied since it first had been
seen. It was evident that the sophs were either indifferent or
absolutely confident, Will could not determine which. For a moment his
heart misgave him. What a plight he would be in if it should appear that
he and his classmates had been following a purposely designed trick of
their rivals. The thought was by no means reassuring, but there was no
time afforded for reflection, for the wagon he was following even then
turned into a lane that led to a farmhouse and barns that were not far
from the road. The climax had almost been reached and it would be soon
known what the issue was to be.
Will waited now for his classmates to join him. The wagon could not
escape, for the lane came to an abrupt end in the yard, and if it should
turn back it could not pass the place where he was waiting without being
seen.
It was not long before Hawley joined him, and, as he approached, Will
said: "They've gone down this lane. Somebody was waiting here and has
gone with the driver. There may be a good many others down there by the
barn for all that we know. What do you think we'd better do?"
"There's a haystack out there by the barn," said Hawley, pointing to a
stack of some kind that could be seen in the rear of the nearest barn.
"If you could only get behind that you could see what was going on."
"I can, all right enough. But where will you fellows be? I may need your
help if I get into trouble."
"I don't know. We won't be far away. Whistle if you want us and we'll
make a break for you. Don't let them see you," he added warningly, as
without waiting to reply, Will started at once, running swiftly along
the ground near the crooked rail fence that extended the entire distance
between the main road and the farm buildings.
He was convinced that he had not been seen when at last he gained the
shelter of the haystack, and, crouching within its shadows, he peered
forth at the wagon and the group of four men that were standing near it.
He was positive that one was Mott, but his greatest surprise came when
he perceived a horse and sleigh in the barnyard which he instantly
recognized as the very ones with which Foster and his two classmates had
gone to Coventry Center. He reached forward and strove to hear what was
being said, for the little group were conversing eagerly but in tones so
low that Will was unable to hear a word. He could see what was done,
however, for after a brief delay the four men turned to the wagon,
several sacks were lifted from their places in the load, and then two
other sacks were taken from the wagon and carried by Mott and another
man into the barn. Several minutes elapsed before Mott came forth
again, and when he did he was alone. The sophomore stopped for a moment
with the men, handed some money to the farmer, and then he and the
fourth man, whom Will fancied he recognized as another sophomore,
climbed into the sleigh and at once started back up the lane, the
runners of the sleigh screeching as they passed over the bare places as
if they were doing their utmost to alarm the neighborhood and to protest
against what was being done. The farmer too, soon followed and passed up
the lane, but his departure was of slight interest to Will, who was
puzzling himself about the man who had entered the barn with Mott and
had failed to reappear. To Will's mind there was but one explanation,
and he was eager to confer with his own classmates, but he dared not
leave his hiding-place for fear that the man in the barn might come
forth and depart without being seen.
For a half-hour he waited but the stillness of the night was unbroken.
He was becoming chilled and he dared not remain longer where he was. At
last he decided to return to the place where he had left his own
classmates and report to them what he had seen.
Hastily withdrawing from his shelter he ran swiftly across the fields
until he came to the corner, and then whistling softly was rejoiced when
he perceived his friends rise from the ground in an angle of the crooked
fence and advance to meet him.
"Is that you, Will?" said Foster in a low voice. "We didn't know what
had become of you. What's up? What's wrong?"
Will hastily described what he had seen and then said, "I'm dead sure,
fellows, that that soph has been left in the barn to watch those canes."
"Why didn't you run away with the horse and sleigh?" inquired Hawley.
"I did think of trying it. But I made up my mind that even if I should
succeed in doing it, it would give the whole thing away. They'd know
that we'd found out where they had hidden our canes and there wouldn't
be much use in our trying to get them again. Now we know where they are
and the sophs don't even know that we know."
"You mean you think they don't know that we know," suggested Foster.
"I know it!" asserted Will positively. "Now what shall we do?"
"Put straight back to the barn, tie up the soph and take the canes away
with us," said Hawley promptly.
"I've thought of that," replied Will. "But do you think that's the best
plan? If we take the canes away we may lose them, for St. Patrick's Day
isn't till day after to-morrow, you know. If this soph, I don't know who
he is, has been left as guard he'll be relieved, and if they find he's
gone and the canes too, why it'll be all the harder for us."
"What do you suggest, Phelps?" inquired Hawley.
"How will this do? Some one of us can creep back there into the barn and
keep watch the same as the soph is doing. He can be relieved in the
morning and then some one else can take his place. If anything happens
in the barn he'll be pretty likely to know it, and if anything doesn't
happen then we can get up a good-sized crowd and go down there to-morrow
night and get the canes. We can distribute them among our fellows and
then the next morning every fellow in the class can march into chapel
with his cane."
"Good! Good! That's the idea!" said Hawley warmly. "Who'll go down in
the barn and be guard for the night?"
"Who's got the most cuts to spare?" inquired Will.
"I have," said Foster promptly. "I have taken but four."
"Then I should say you were the one to stand guard to-morrow," said
Will. "I'll go to-night myself," he added. "Come down just before it's
light in the morning, and come to the door in the rear of the barn. Rap
three times softly, and then if that doesn't work, whistle, but not too
loud."
There was some demurring on the part of his classmates, each of whom
demanded for himself the privilege of taking the first watch, but Will
insisted, and then somewhat reluctantly he was left to make his way back
to the barn and all the others soon returned to the dormitories.
When Will Phelps arrived at the rear door of the barn he discovered that
it was locked on the inside and he was unable to gain an entrance there.
He was fearful that to enter by the front door would be but to proclaim
his presence, but at last he perceived that there was an entrance by a
small door that was partly open above the roof of the little lean-to on
the side of the barn. Carefully he climbed up on the roof and cautiously
made his way to the door. He peered within but it was dark and at first
he was unable to discern anything. He waited until his eyes became
somewhat accustomed to the dim light and then saw that there was a bare
floor before him and that adjoining it was the haymow.
With his utmost care he stepped inside, and his fears increased when he
discovered that the loose flooring creaked and groaned beneath his feet.
With every step he halted and listened intently. It seemed to the
excited freshman that he never had heard such sounds as those boards
emitted that night. So slowly and cautiously did he proceed that it
seemed to him that hours must have elapsed before he succeeded in
gaining the border of the low mow. Even then he halted and listened
intently, but not a sound broke in upon the oppressive stillness that
pervaded the barn.
He next carefully and cautiously stepped over into the mow. A faint
glimmer of light came from one corner and there he concluded the ladder
must be which led to the floor below. If he could gain a place near
that, he assured himself he would be able to know if anything occurred
below, and at the same time he himself would be secure from observation.
Once more he slowly and with the utmost care began to creep forward, and
at last he stretched himself at full length upon the hay and peered down
through the opening. It was too dark to permit him to see much and not a
sound could be heard.
Satisfied that he had been successful he resigned himself to his watch.
The long hours dragged on until at last Will found it almost impossible
to keep himself awake. Desperately he strove to keep his eyes open, but
his feeling of drowsiness increased until at last it overpowered him and
the weary freshman was fast asleep.
He was rudely awakened by sounds that came from the room below. He sat
quickly erect, and though the light was clearer now he at first could
not collect his thoughts sufficiently to show him where he was. Quickly,
however, as the sounds from below became louder, it all came back to
him, and he ran to the ladder and peered through the opening. What he
saw evidently startled him, for instantly he threw himself upon the
ladder and almost leaped to the floor below.