Messenger No. 48 Part 18

At the rear of the house next to the barn was a pile of fuel prepared for the stove, and near by were two water barrels.

"There is enough around to prevent them from seeing me if I crawled out to the barn, and I'm going to do it to-night, whether Mr. Harvey is willing or not," he said to himself as he ascended the stairs.

All the men were on guard; but nothing suspicious had been seen.

"There is no need of their showing themselves, and I question if more than one is on guard," Harvey said in reply to the boy's question.

"I want to do something," Jet said, and then he explained the plan he had formed. "There must be an outlet from the barn at the back, and even if there isn't I can get through all right in the darkness."

"We can't stay idle while those fellows are carrying off their goods,"

the detective said after some thought, "and I believe I will go with you. We'll leave the others here a while, and see what it is possible to do."

Jet would have preferred to make the attempt alone, but he could say nothing against the officer's decision, and the latter at once began to make his plans.

The two men from Albany were told what was to be tried, and cautioned to keep the house well guarded during the absence of the others.

"Above all things have your eyes open for the prisoner," Harvey said warningly. "It is of the utmost importance that we hold him, and you must shoot the fellow rather than let him give you the slip."

A series of signals were decided upon so that the defenders might know when their comrades were coming back; the weapons were carefully examined to make certain they were in good working order, and then there was nothing to be done but await the coming of night.

All hands were both hungry and thirsty; but since nothing could be done to relieve their wants no one complained.

When the night had fully settled down Harvey laid his hand on Jet's shoulder to signify that he was ready, for the prisoner was to be kept in ignorance concerning their movements, and the two, followed by one of the other detectives, descended to the kitchen.

"Barricade the door as soon as we go out," the leader whispered, "for it isn't impossible that the men have crept nearer the building since sunset."

"Suppose you should meet them before getting out of the house?"

"Then we must fight alone, unless you can aid us from the upper window, for I would rather get the worst of it than to let that fellow escape.

Follow me, Jet, and don't attempt to go ahead."

Harvey opened the door softly, dropped to his hands and knees, and crawled into the yard.

Jet copied every movement, and the two worked their way toward the barn, stopping every few feet to listen for some sound from the enemy.

All was quiet as the grave, and not even so much as the rustling of the leaves broke the stillness.

The barn door was not fastened, and Harvey pulled it open a short distance, rising to his feet as he gained the entrance.

A moment later the two were in the building groping their way from one point to another in the hope of finding a place of exit.

Now Harvey stopped for a final word.

"If it should happen that those fellows on the outside get the best of me, make every effort to escape."

"Not at the cost of leaving you alone."

"At any price, so that you can telegraph in my name for more men to be sent up."

"Do you want the inspector to know it?"

"No; wire the chief of police at Albany, and wait at the first station you reach for them to come. Here is money."

He handed Jet what seemed like quite a large roll of bills, and then advanced in the darkness once more.

By good fortune rather than skill he found, a moment later, that for which he was seeking.

A small window, used for throwing out offal, was before him, and through this he crawled, turning, as he gained the outside, to a.s.sist Jet.

They were now in the shadow of the building with a cleared s.p.a.ce of about twenty yards to be traversed before they could gain the shelter of the trees.

Again the detective dropped to his hands and knees, Jet following his example.

Silently and cautiously they crept across the opening; but just as they were half way it seemed to Jet as if a solid sheet of fire lighted up the clearing, and the reports which followed were almost deafening.

The enemy had expected exactly the move which was being made, and were counting on killing their foes.

Fortunately the bullets had pa.s.sed over the heads of the two reclining figures, and Jet was about to leap to his feet when Harvey said sternly:

"Stay where you are, and give them a dose!"

At the same instant he began firing his revolver, aiming at the place from which the flash of weapons had been seen.

Jet did as he was bidden until his weapon was emptied, and then he saw Harvey leap to his feet and run at full speed diagonally across the opening.

He did the same, loading the weapon as he went, and just as both reached the fringe of foliage the detective fell before the fire of those in the woods.

"Are you hurt?" Jet whispered as he knelt by the side of his friend regardless of the danger.

"They have put a bullet through my leg, and I reckon that does me up."

"Let me try to get you back."

"It can't be done, my boy. Remember what I told you, and start at once."

"But I don't want to leave you here?"

"You must; our only hope is that you can reach a telegraph station.

Run the best you know how while I give them something to occupy their attention."

Jet hesitated no longer.

It seemed cruel to desert a wounded friend; but the order had been given, and he could not refuse to obey it.

Harvey discharged his weapon rapidly, and the boy ran at full speed in the opposite direction fearing he would never again see in life the man who had promised to befriend him.