Part 32 (1/2)

”Yes, O K, sir, though a bit nervous,” Jack acknowledged.

”Keep cool and we'll soon have them where we want them. As they are going in to supper first we'll not leave the boxes till then. That'll give us just the opportunity we want to look around and arrange things nicely.

”s.h.!.+ Here they come!”

”Catch hold,” said Watts. Jack heard the detective's box slide out, an ”Up!” from Watts, the staggering steps of the men across the barn floor, and a thud as the box was dropped.

At what then immediately followed Jack for a moment doubted his senses.

It was the voice of Watts saying quietly and coldly, ”Now my clever friend in the box, kindly come out!”

They _had_ heard Boyle's exclamation when the box had fallen!

Scarcely breathing, Jack listened. Would the detective give himself up without a--

There was a m.u.f.fled report, instantly a second, louder, then silence.

”Will you come out now?” demanded Watts.

To Jack's horror there was no response. Watts repeated the order, then called on his companion for an axe, and there followed the sound of blows and splintering wood.

”Now haul him out.”

Terror-stricken, Jack listened. Suddenly there came the sound of a scramble, then of a terrific struggle.

The detective was all right! It had been only a ruse! Uttering a suppressed hurrah Jack began hurriedly undoing the fastenings of his door, to get out to the detective's a.s.sistance. Before he had opened it, however, there was the sound of a heavy fall, and a triumphant shout from Watts. Promptly Jack paused, debated a moment, and restored the fastenings. He would wait. Perhaps they would bind Boyle and leave him in the barn.

A moment later Jack regretted his decision. Through the knot-hole he saw the detective led by, his arms bound behind him, and one of the freight-robbers on either side.

The voices and footsteps died away in the direction of the house, and Jack fell to wondering what he should do. Before he had decided he heard the voices of the men returning. Apprehensively he waited. Had they any suspicion of his presence in the second packing-case?

While he held his breath and grimly clutched his revolver, they slid his box to the rear of the wagon, lifted it out, and deposited it on the barn floor.

”Going to have a look at it? Make sure it hasn't some live stock in it too?” inquired the second man.

Jack's heart stood still.

”No; it's all right,” declared Watts confidently. ”We'll have supper first.” And to Jack's unspeakable relief they pa.s.sed out and closed the barn door. Listening until from the house had come the slamming of a door, Jack once more freed the fastenings within the box, slipped the board aside, again listened a moment, and crawled forth.

As he stood stretching his cramped limbs, he glanced about. A tier of what looked like bolts of cloth in the moonlight beneath one of the barn windows caught his eye. He stepped over.

It was silk--silk such as he had seen in the warehouse at Claxton!

Instantly there came to Jack a startling suggestion. As quickly he decided to act upon it. ”They may never 'catch on,'” he told himself delightedly, ”and in any case it will give me a good start back for the railroad, for help.”

Glancing from the barn window, to make sure all was quiet in the direction of the house, he drew his box into the moonlight, took out the parcel containing the telegraph instruments, and proceeded to remove the hooks and b.u.t.tons, and all other signs of the ”door.” Then quickly he filled the box with bolts of silk from the pile beneath the window.

That done, he found a hammer and nails, and m.u.f.fling the hammer with his handkerchief, as quietly as possible nailed the boards into place.

Triumphantly he slid the box to its former position on the floor.