BY THE LIGHT OF A LANTERN
All the rest of the day David and Hugh kept a close watch on Black
Bill’s every movement.
Towards evening they noticed a boy leading out his big black horse,
saddled and bridled.
“He’s going out!” said Hugh. “We must follow him. You stay here and
keep watch on the camp, and I’ll follow him on Danny’s bike.”
Creeping off to their secret _cache_, Hugh found the bicycle, and was
on the road with it just as Black Bill rode out of the field. It was no
easy thing to keep him in sight, and yet keep far enough behind not to
attract his attention. However, Hugh managed to do it.
To his surprise he found they had returned to the village. Here Black
Bill dismounted and left his horse at the inn. Then he turned in
through the big gates of the Hall. At the gates he met the village
policeman, and together they walked up the drive.
Black Bill’s interview with the Squire we described before.
“That’s rum,” said Hugh, as Black Bill came out of the study, a nasty
grin on his face. “What ever could he want to say to Mr. Ogden?”
In a few words Hugh explained to Bill that he and David would not be in
that night, but he did not say where they were, in case Bill should be
questioned by the grown-ups. Then, mounting his bicycle, he set out,
once again, to follow Black Bill.
It was nearly dark when they arrived back again at the camp. Hugh was
frightfully hungry, and was glad to find that David had fetched some
food from the old cistern, and their coats, and a few other things.
They had supper, and then decided to take it in turns to curl up in the
ditch and sleep, one of them keeping watch.
The last of the summer dusk had been swallowed up in darkness, when
David, who was taking the first watch, suddenly strained every nerve to
hear and see. Yes--it was Black Bill, softly leaving his caravan, and
moving towards the gate!
Waking Hugh, David hurriedly put on the haversack containing all the
things the detectives might need. Then the two boys crept out after
Black Bill, making no sound with their rubber shoes on the grass.
“Notice carefully the way we are going,” whispered Hugh, “or we shall
never find our way back.” For Black Bill was climbing over gates,
crossing fields, and following small paths. At length he reached what
looked like a deserted and rather ramshackle cowhouse, standing in the
corner of a field. The roar of a train told them that they were near
the railway, and the glint of red lights far away beyond the trees,
told them a station was about half a mile distant.
Stepping up to the shed Black Bill rapped on it a peculiar knock. The
door was immediately opened, and he entered. The door was softly shut,
again, after him.
“Let’s creep round,” whispered Hugh, under his breath, “and see if
there is a window or anything we can listen through.”
They crawled round to the back of the shed, and, to their joy, saw
that there was a hole in the wall of the shed, where some boards had
slipped. Under this hole chanced to be a big pile of soiled straw and
hay. Climbing softly up on this the Cubs crouched down, keeping their
heads low.
“It’s quite safe to light up,” they heard Black Bill say. “No one ever
comes this way; there’s no fear of being discovered or overheard.”
There was the sound of a match being struck and a lantern being
lighted. Cautiously the Cubs peered through the hole, and found
themselves looking down on two men, seated with their backs to
the hole. The man who had opened the door to Black Bill was a
sneaking-looking individual, with a foxy face and mean little eyes. By
the light of the lantern they could see the eager expression on his
face, and the ugly grin on that of Black Bill. Strange shadows danced
in the flickering, yellow light, and a feeling of horror came over the
Cubs.