CHAPTER IV
DAVE DASHAWAY’S HIDEOUT
The old cracked school bell back at the Warner place awoke the echoesfar and wide as Dave ran on. As he came to the corner of the roadleading past the home of his friend, Ned Towner, he paused for a momentto take breath and estimate the situation back of him.
The bell had by this time ceased its loud clangor. Dave saw lightsappear beyond the house. He fancied, too, that he heard voices in thedistance. It was not yet very late, and he guessed that, if only out ofcuriosity, some of the neighbors would appear upon the scene.
“There’s somebody coming from the other direction.” He spoke quickly,jumped the ditch, and plunged in among the clump of underbrush just intime to avoid three running forms hurrying down the road.
“It’s the Bolger boys,” said Dave, peering forth from his covert.
“Hustle, fellows,” the oldest of the trio was urging.
“Yes, there’s some kind of a rumpus up at the Warner place,” added asecond voice.
“Hope it’s a fire,” piped in a third, reckless voice. “That would make aregular celebration, after the airships.”
Dave, from what he overheard, judged that the Bolgers were on their wayfrom the village when attracted by the commotion at the Warner farm.Others might soon appear, Dave mused, and struck out across a meadow. Heknew that it would be risky to go into the village or nearer to it. In avery short time, thought Dave, his guardian would have the sheriff andhis assistants looking for him.
The lad thought rapidly. He planned that if he could reach the switchingyards of the railroad, he might get aboard some freight car and ridesafely out of the district. He ran along a wide ditch which lined theBolger farm, intending to leap it at a narrow part and cut thence acrossa patch of low land to the railroad tracks.
“O—oh!” suddenly ejaculated Dave, and fell flat, the breath nearlyknocked out of his body.
He squirmed about, wincing with a severe pain in one ankle, andwondering what had tripped and still held him a prisoner.
“It’s a trap,” said Dave, as he got to a sitting position andinvestigated. “It’s a muskrat trap set by the Bolger boys, I guess.”
The blunt edges of the trap, which was secured by a chain to a stakedriven into the ground, did not hurt him particularly. It was the severewrench, the sudden stopping, that had caused the trouble. Dave pried thetrap loose and got to his feet.
“Hello, this is serious,” he spoke, as he found that he could notprogress without limping, and then, only very slowly.
Dave looked about him with some concern. The commotion in the directionof the Warner place was increasing. He fancied he heard the hoofs of ahorse coming down the road.
“It won’t do to linger here,” he said. “They would be sure to find me. Idon’t believe I can get to the railroad with this foot. I have certainlysprained my ankle.”
Dave had done nothing of the kind, but he did not know it at the moment.The moon was shining full and high. He looked about him for some hidingplace.
He limped along the edge of the ditch, despairing of being able to crossit. Suddenly a suggestive idea came to him as he made out the home ofhis friend, Ned.
“If I can manage to get to the barn on the Towner place, I know where tohide safe enough,” he mused.
His foot hurt him dreadfully, but he kept on, got past the rails of thepasture enclosure, and came up to the barn at the end away from thehouse and the road. The loft door was open, and cleats ran up on theoutside boards. Dave sunk down all in a heap in among the freshsweet-smelling hay. The pain left him as soon as his weight was removedfrom his foot, but he was quite exhausted from the efforts he had made.
The boy rubbed his foot ruefully and listened to distant sounds floatingon the night air. Finally he crept over to the corner of the barnfartherest away from the opening leading to the lower floor. There wasno danger of any one coming to that spot. There was a broad crack in theboards there, and Dave could look out towards the road.
Dave caught sight of a horseman dashing along the highway in thedirection of the village. Then he made out the three Bolger boysreturning to their home. A little later two men appeared. One of themwas leading a horse.
“It’s Mr. Warner and our nearest neighbor, and they’ve got old Dobbinwith them,” said Dave.
He saw his guardian go to the front of the Towner home. A light appearedinside, and in a few minutes Mr. Towner came around the corner of thehouse with Mr. Warner. The horse was led up to the barn.
“I’m sorry Dave has run away, Mr. Warner,” Mr. Towner remarked.
“Oh, we’ll catch him,” replied Dave’s guardian. “A bad boy, sir, a verybad boy.”
“Why, I never thought that.”
“But he is. He broke into my desk, and has stolen money and otherproperty of mine.”
The listening Dave fired up at this bold and false accusation. He washalf minded to go down into the yard and face his accuser with the proofof the falsity of his charge.
“If you’ll just let me take any old rig to hitch up Dobbin to, it’ll bean accommodation,” went on Warner. “That runaway rascal maliciouslysmashed the wheel of my only wagon this evening.”
Mr. Towner pulled a light vehicle out of a shed, and Dobbin was hitchedup. Silas Warner and his neighbor drove off, and Mr. Towner went back tobed.
Dave was worried and disturbed for a long time, even after things hadquieted down. In his present crippled condition he did not dare ventureoutside. He was snug and safe for the time being at least, and finallyhe dropped off into a sound sleep.
The youth awoke to find the sun shining through the half-open hay door.He crept over to it as he fancied he heard some one moving about in theyard below. Dave was gratified to find his foot in much improvedcondition over the night previous. It was still a bit lame and stiff,but he could bear his weight upon it without flinching.
“Glad the ankle isn’t sprained or broken,” he told himself cheerfully.“I believe I could walk with it, and maybe try a run, if I had to.”
He was much refreshed by his sleep, but both hungry and thirsty. Hisface brightened up considerably as he heard some one clucking in thechicken yard, and glancing down recognized Ned Towner.
Dave did not know who might be in the stable below or in the vicinity.He leaned towards the loft door and gave a low but distinct whistle. Itwas one he and his chum used often in signalling one another.
“Hello!”
Ned Towner dropped the pan out of which he was throwing corn to thechickens. He looked about him in a startled way. Then he came out of thepoultry yard, trying to locate the source of the call.
“It’s Dave,” the lurker in the hay loft heard him mutter. “No oneelse—Dave.”
“S—st!”
Dave had shown his face and waved his hand from the door aperture.
“Dave!” repeated Ned, in still further wonderment.
“Yes, it’s me,” responded Dave in a hurried, cautious tone of voice.“Anybody else about?”
“Not a soul.”
“All at breakfast?”
“Yes.”
“Come up here, will you?”
“You bet I will, and mighty glad to see you,” cried Ned, with vim andsincerity. “Now then—what?”
Reaching the loft Ned challenged his friend, curious and excited, as ifhe expected that Dave would have a great story to tell.
“You know what has happened,” said Dave.
“That you ran away last night—yes. They are talking about nothing elsein the house yonder. Say, tell me about it, for I know old Warner’s taleis all bosh.”
“The robbery end of it is, you can rely on that,” replied Dave, and herecited briefly his adventures and misadventures since they had lastmet.
“Say,” cried Ned, when Dave had concluded his story, “you just stick toyour plan.”
“I intend to,” answered Dave sturdily.
“If ever you go back, or they g
et you back, life will just be unbearableto you. Old Warner has branded you as a thief, and he’s mean enough tokeep the advantage. Tell me, how can I help you?”
“Well, of course I’m pretty hungry,” said Dave with a laugh.
“I’ll fix that end of it,” promised Ned. “Just wait till father and thehired men get off to work in the field, and I’ll see that you get afirst-class breakfast.”
Ned had to leave his friend just then, for some one was calling him fromthe house. A few minutes later Dave saw Mr. Towner and his hired mencome to the stable, hitch up two teams and drive over beyond the treeslining the yard.
In half-an-hour Ned came up through the inside of the barn. He produceda package done up in paper, and then took two bottles from his pockets.
“Hot coffee, cold water, biscuits, some bacon, gingerbread and two hardboiled eggs,” he reported.
“Why, this is just famous,” declared Dave with zest.
“Here’s a book, too. Say, it will just suit your fancy,” added Ned,bringing the volume out from under his coat. “It’s a great story. I gotit down at the library yesterday. I thought of you when I picked itout.”
“What is it called?” inquired Dave, his mouth full of good food.
“‘Modern Wonders of the Air’—up to date, too. It tells all aboutballoons and early airships. Too scientific for me, but I’ll bet it willbe easy as A. B. C. to you.”
“I don’t know about that,” said Dave, “but it will be right welcome. I’mthinking I had better keep hidden away for today, anyhow.”
“I should say you had,” assented Ned forcibly. “Why—but I haven’t had achance to tell you until now.”
“What about?”
“Two of our hired men saw the sheriff and old Warner early thismorning.”
“Are they still looking for me?”
“The officers and your guardian were out till daylight, scurrying aroundthe country in every direction. The sheriff’s men have driven to threeor four neighboring towns. They are watching the railroad depot, andthere isn’t a soul in town who isn’t on the lookout for you.”
“I suppose that Mr. Warner has made me out to be a regular boy villain,”suggested Dave, looking serious.
“He has, but your friends know better. And soon as you are away safe andsure, I’ll just make it my special business to face old Warner down withthe real facts. You’re not thinking of leaving this hide-out in thedaytime, Dave?”
“I dare not take the risk of being seen now.”
“Then make yourself comfortable till I come home from school at noon,”said Ned.
Dave felt immensely better after his breakfast. He had a true friend toaid him and keep him posted, a safe hide-out, and an interesting book toread. Dave stole down to the lower floor of the barn after a spell andtook a dip in the water trough. Then he resumed his comfortable couch onthe sweet-smelling hay, and for two hours was engrossed in reading.
With what he knew, and what he desired, and the way circumstances seemedto be leading him, Dave felt that he was destined to soon know a gooddeal more than he did about air sailing.
He got to planning his course of flight when he started out again. Thenhe fell to dreaming, went to sleep, and had the delicious sensation ofbeing aboard of a real airship, himself a full-fledged aviator.
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