Part 3 (1/2)
Opening the trunk he found it empty. The lock seemed in good condition. He made a pile of the bills, and depositing them in this receptacle, locked the trunk and put the key in his pocket.
Now for a place of concealment.
Harry came out of the shed, and looked scrutinizingly around him. Not far away was a sharp elevation surmounted by trees. The hill was a gravelly formation, and therefore dry. At one point near a withered tree, our hero detected a cavity, made either by accident or design.
Its location near the tree made it easy to discover.
With a little labor he enlarged and deepened the hole, till he could easily store away the box in its recess, then covered it up carefully, and strewed gra.s.s and leaves over all to hide the traces of excavation.
”There that will do,” he said, in a tone of satisfaction.
He had reserved for possible need fifteen dollars in small bills, which he put into his pocketbook.
John Fox had heard the news in the post office, and started off at once for the scene of danger.
”How'd they hear of the washout?” he asked, puzzled.
”I heerd that a boy discovered it, and signaled the train,” said his neighbor.
”How did he do it?”
”Waved a shawl or somethin'.”
”That don't seem likely; where would a boy find a shawl?”
His informant looked puzzled.
”Like as not he borrowed it of Mrs. Brock,” he suggested.
Mrs. Brock was the woman living in the small house near by, so that the speaker's surmise was correct. It struck John Fox as possible, and he said so.
”I guess I'll go and ask the Widder Brock,” he said. ”She must have seen the train, livin' so near as she does.”
”I'll go along with you.”
The two men soon found themselves on Mrs. Brock's premises.
”Good-mornin,' Mrs. Brock,” said John Fox.
”You've come nigh havin' a causality here.”
”You're right there, Mr. Fox,” answered Mrs. Brock. ”I was awful skeered about it, for I thought my Nancy might be on the train. When the boy run into my yard----”
”The boy! What boy?” asked Fox, eagerly.
”It was that boy you are guardeen of.”
”What, Harry Vane?” e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Fox, in genuine surprise.
”Tell me all about it, Mrs. Brock.”