CHAPTER XXVI
THE WOUNDED MEN
"Well, what do you make of that?" asked Ned, as they watched their hostdisappear inside the big structure.
"Didn't that call come from there?" asked Bob.
"Sure," assented Jerry. "And Mr. Rossmore ran out there as soon as heheard it. He must have gone from the cellar by the outside door."
"What do you suppose he ran out to the barn for in the rain?" asked Bob.
"Because he has something there that needs his attention," decidedJerry. "We heard the yell, out he rushed, and he went suddenly.Whatever he has out there he doesn't want us to see; that's evident."
"We'll see if we can't discover it," suggested Ned. "I don't like thelooks of things around here. Shall we tell Mr. Rossmore why we'relooking for the other airship, Jerry?"
The tall lad shook his head.
"Why not?" persisted Ned. "Don't you recall what he said when he caughtsight of us?--something about it being 'another one of th' critters.'That looks suspicious."
"There are a lot of things that look suspicious," agreed the widow'sson, "but we can't solve them that way. We must be as foxy as thisfarmer is, that is, if he is trying to play foxy; keep our eyes open,listen with both ears, and we'll see what happens. Meanwhile say aslittle as possible, let him think we are falling in with his ideas, andhe may betray himself. Here he comes back. Don't let him see that we'vebeen watching."
Mr. Rossmore must have known that his trip to the barn had beenobserved, for instead of coming in through the cellar, the way he hadgone out, he came in by the back entry of the kitchen.
"I had to go out in the barn--I've got a sick horse there," heexplained. "Maybe you boys heard him neighing."
"We heard some noise out that way, but the storm made such a racket wecouldn't be sure," spoke Jerry.
"Yes, it was my horse. He's in a bad way."
"I shouldn't think you'd keep him in a barn that was in danger oftumbling down," remarked Ned, with a wink at his chums.
"Oh, I don't know as the barn is going to fall right away. Still it'sbest to be on the safe side with folks. Now I'll go ahead and get upthe victuals. If you hear any more noises from the barn--well, don't goout there, that's all. That horse might get loose and hurt you."
"We won't," promised Jerry. "Not in this rain."
For it was pouring harder than ever, though the thunder and lightningwere not so severe. Mr. Rossmore was drenched by his trip to thebarn, but he did not seem to mind. In a short time he had set out asubstantial meal, Bob offering to help, of which services the farmeravailed himself.
"Isn't there any blacksmith shop nearer than ten miles?" asked Jerry,after the meal. "That's too far to go in our airship with a brokenbrace. If we can't find one nearer we'll have to make temporary repairsourselves."
"Well, it might not be quite ten miles," said the farmer, in what theboys thought was an eager tone. "In fact perhaps it isn't more thanthree or four. I guess you could get there all right. When are yougoing to start?"
"In the morning," answered Jerry, for it was now unusually dark,because of the heavy clouds overhead.
"Oh, then you're calculating on staying here all night," spoke thefarmer. "Well, now, I'm sorry, but you see I've only got one bed--thatis I've got more, but they've been taken down to be painted, andthey're not dry. The bed clothes have gone to the wash woman's too. Infact that's why my wife went away. We're sort of house cleaning, andthe only bed fit to use is a couch I sleep on."
"Oh, we wouldn't think of troubling you!" interposed Jerry. "We'll goaboard the _Comet_ and sleep there. We always do. We have plenty ofbunks." The more he saw of the queer man the less he liked the idea ofspending the night under his roof.
"Oh, if you've got your own accommodations it's all right," went on Mr.Rossmore. "I can give you plenty of victuals."
"That's good!" exclaimed Bob, involuntarily.
"We have plenty of things to eat, too," went on Jerry, who felt agrowing distrust of the farmer, "though we are much obliged for whatyou have given us. We'll go aboard our craft now, I think, and in themorning we'll see if we can get to the smithy."
"Well, it's quite a bad break," remarked Jerry a little later when,as they were all on the airship, he and his chums had made anotherinspection of the fracture. "There must have been a flaw in the steel.I don't believe we'd better risk going on to the blacksmith shop."
"What will you do?" asked Ned.
"Make a new brace here. We can build a sort of forge out of stones andheat the metal enough I guess. I can make a temporary repair, that willlast until we can get to a machine shop."
"Then we'll stay on at this place a little longer, eh?" asked Bob.
"Yes, until to-morrow afternoon anyhow."
"That will give us a chance to do some investigating," decided themerchant's son. "I want to see inside that barn."
"So do I," agreed Jerry, "but we'll have to be careful how we go aboutit. I guess Mr. Rossmore will be on the lookout."
"He doesn't go to bed with the chickens, at any rate," observed Bob."He's got a light in the kitchen, and seems to be moving about, if theshadow on the curtain goes for anything."
It was evident that the farmer was up and about, for the moving shadowwas visible until nearly midnight. By this time the storm was over, andour heroes, who had been waiting up for a chance to make at least atour outside the barn, had about decided to go to bed.
Jerry could not get to sleep, though he was soon made aware by theheavy breathing of Bob and Ned that they were slumbering. But the talllad was thinking of many things. At last, after tossing restlessly onhis bed for some time, he got up and partly dressed.
"I think I'll take a turn outside," he thought. "Maybe I can get in thebarn now, if that suspicious farmer is asleep."
But Jerry's hopes were doomed to disappointment. He had no sooner gonea few paces toward the forbidden barn than a hail came from the nowdarkened house.
"Who's there?" called the voice of the farmer.
"It's me--Jerry Hopkins," was the reply.
"Oh--do you want anything--any of you boys sick?"
"No, I--I was just looking out--I couldn't sleep. I'm going back now."
"Oh--all right," was the noncommital answer.
"No use trying that--he's on guard," mused Jerry as he got back intobed. "I'll have to wait."
The tall lad told his chums the next morning of his experience, andthey agreed that there was something very strange about the matter.They got an early breakfast in the _Comet_, and at once set to workmaking a temporary forge to weld a new brace.
"I thought you were going to the blacksmith's," remarked the farmer, ashe saw what they were doing.
"We concluded it wouldn't be safe," replied Jerry. "No objection tomaking a fire here, is there? We'll keep it inside the stones, and notset the barn afire."
"Oh, that--that's all right," said the farmer with an obvious effort."But don't go in--that horse is dangerous."
All that morning the boys worked hard at the new brace. They had itnearly finished and were getting ready to attach it. In the meanwhileMr. Rossmore had been hovering about them, never very far away, andalways keeping between them and the barn, which structure he enteredseveral times, taking with him bottles of medicine.
"We'll never get in there," grumbled Ned.
"Take it easy," advised Jerry. And then, most unexpectedly, theirchance came. A man who was driving past in the road called to Mr.Rossmore, who was hoeing in the garden near his house. The farmer,after a quick glance at the boys, who were busy over their forge,hastened to the fence, and soon was in earnest talk with the horseman.
"Now's our chance!" exclaimed Ned. "Jerry, you slip over to the barn.Rossmore can't see you from where he stands. I'll hang your coat onthis stake, and Bob and I will crowd up around it so it will look as ifall three of us are here at the fire. Go ahead and be quick about it."
Jerry saw that the plan was a good one. With a quick glance to assurehimself that Mr. Rossmore was
still at the fence, the tall lad hurriedtoward the barn. The big front doors were locked, but Jerry ran aroundto the back, and there found a portal open. It was the work of but aninstant to slip inside.
At first, coming in out of the bright light, he could see nothing. Thenhis eyes became accustomed to the darkness. He moved forward, and ashis feet echoed over the rough boards the lad was startled by a call:
"Who's there?" asked a voice.
"Where are you?" inquired Jerry in turn. He heard some sharp whispers,and then, before he could move, a door was thrown open. It gave a viewof a large, light harness room, but it was not the sight of horsetrappings that attracted Jerry's attention.
Lying on a cot in the room was a man whose head was done up inbandages, while holding the door open was another wounded man leaningon a crutch. The latter caught one view of Jerry, and then the doorwas slammed shut with a bang. At the same instant there sounded thatloud cry that Jerry had heard once before. His blood was chilled as theechoes vibrated through the old barn.