Part 13 (1/2)
”You don't s'pose there'll be any danger 'bout the cows drinkin' here, do you?” Eliza inquired anxiously. ”They do drink here, you know, and in the summer, when the water's low, they often wade right in. If they was to----”
She stopped.
”I never thought of that,” Jane said in a discouraged tone. ”Oh, my land, what are we going to do with it?”
She let the bag sink to the ground and, straightening herself up, confronted her sisters. ”We've simply got to get it off our hands before Martin gets back.”
”Oh, yes, yes!” pleaded Mary, affrighted. ”Do something with it, Jane, no matter what. I never could stand it to have it carted back to the house and hidden there. 'Tain't safe. Besides, in these days of German spies, 'twould be an awful thing to be found on us. S'pose the house was to be searched. We never could make the police believe how we came to have it.
They might take us and shut us all up in prison--Martin and all.”
Her voice shook with terror.
”I guess they wouldn't go arrestin' us, Mary,” declared Jane soothingly.
”Still, I agree with you that it's just as well for us to be clear of such a thing; let me think.”
While she stood meditating her two sisters watched her with perturbed faces.
”Ellen Webster's cows don't come up to this end of the pasture much, do they?” she remarked at last.
”No. Leastways I've never seen 'em here,” replied Mary.
”Then why don't we sink the bag just across the wall?”
”On her land?” gasped Eliza.
”It wouldn't do any harm,” argued Jane. ”She never comes up here, nor her cows nor horses either. We'll climb right over and dump the thing in.
That'll settle Martin's ever finding it, an' everythin'.”
”But s'pose----” Eliza objected once more.
”Oh, 'Liza, we can't stay here s'posin' all day!” Jane declared decisively. ”We got to put this bag somewheres, an' there ain't any spot that ain't got some out about it. We must take a chance on the best one we can find.”
”I'm frightened to death!” wailed Eliza.
”So'm I!” Mary echoed. ”Oh, Jane!”
”No matter. Pull yourself together,” ordered Jane sharply. ”You two take a hold of the bag an' bring it along, while I climb the wall.”
Ellen, stooping behind the elderberry bushes, held her breath. She saw Jane clamber over the barrier and help Mary and Eliza to mount it and lower the sack into her hands; then, just when the three invaders were all ready to drop their mysterious gray burden into the stream, she stepped noiselessly into the open and said loudly:
”What you doin' in my brook?”
A cry rose from the two more timorous Howes, and even Jane paled a little.
”What are you sinkin' in my brook?” repeated Ellen.
No answer came. Angered by their silence, the woman stepped nearer.
”What you got in that bag?” she demanded sternly.
Still there was no reply.