The Blue Grass Seminary Girls' Vacation Adventures Part 28

Jimmy breathed a sigh of relief, and sank into a chair. He was still there when Jones returned.

"Decided to make the best of your lot, eh?" said Jones, noticing that, apparently, the lad had given up.

"I guess I'll have to," was Jimmy's reply.

"I'm glad you are that sensible. I don't want to use force unless it is necessary."

Now Jimmy bethought himself it would be a good plan to temporize with his captor.

"Look here, Jones," he said, not deigning to use the prefix, "Mr.," "I have been thinking. Why can't we get together on this thing?"

Jones laughed amusedly.

"So you are going to try that on me," he said. "It's too late now, son, and I am too old a bird to be caught like that. Think you can fool me, eh, and then go back and tell Willing all about it. No. You had your chance and you refused; and to tell the truth, I am glad of it. I will be money ahead."

Half an hour later d.i.c.k returned.

"What luck?" asked Jones.

"The best," was d.i.c.k's reply. "My uncle said he would be glad to keep him. And he'll guard him carefully, never fear."

"That is settled then. Now how about getting him there?"

"Well, I would say that the thing to do is to get a closed carriage.

It's still light, you know, and if he made a break we might have trouble, for some one would be sure to see us."

"A good plan. Better go now and get a carriage."

d.i.c.k again turned toward the door. Jones called after him.

"And do the driving yourself."

Fifteen minutes later d.i.c.k returned and announced that the carriage was at the door. Jones turned to Jimmy.

"Now," he said harshly, "I want you to understand that I will stand no nonsense. Make a false move when you go out the door, or utter a sound, and I'll hit you over the head with this," and he displayed an evil-looking cane.

Jimmy made no reply, and went through the door between Jones and his companion.

At first Jimmy had thought of flight, but the nearness of his captors made this impossible. He took his seat without a word, and soon was being driven away.

Before a small frame house, at the far end of town, upon the very brink of the creek, d.i.c.k pulled up, and Jones and Jimmy alighted. As they approached the house, an old man came to meet them.

"And is this the boy I am to guard?" he asked.

"It is," replied Jones.

"Well, I'll guard him," was the reply, and the old man bared his ugly teeth in a snarl.

He took Jimmy by the coat collar, and twisted it until the boy gasped.

"Get in the house there, you!" he commanded.

Jimmy obeyed. Jones climbed back into the carriage and was soon being driven away. The old man followed Jimmy closely, snarling at every step.

CHAPTER XVII.-THE LONG SEARCH.

"I wonder what is detaining Jimmy?"

It was Mr. Willing who spoke. Mr. Willing, Mr. Ashton, young Wolfe, Shirley and Mabel were still seated at the supper table.

"I can't understand why he wasn't back hours ago," declared Mr. Willing.

"That's the trouble with boys, you can't depend on them. He has probably stopped to play somewhere."

"I don't believe Jimmy would do that," said Shirley. "Besides, he knows that he will have to guard Gabriel to-night."

"Perhaps," said Mr. Ashton, "that is the reason he is in no hurry to return. The chances are he has had enough of that job, after his experience last night."

"I don't believe Jimmy is that kind of a boy, father," said Mabel.

"Nor I," spoke up young Wolfe. "He strikes me as a brave and true lad.

Perhaps something has happened to him."

"And what could have happened to him?" demanded Mr. Willing. "He knows the way home, and if he couldn't get here, certainly he should have sense enough to telephone."

"I don't know what to think," said Shirley.

It was Mabel who finally guessed the answer to the mystery.

"Maybe Mr. Jones has waylaid him," she suggested.

Shirley sprang to her feet.

"My gracious!" she exclaimed. "Why didn't we think of that before? Of course, that is what's the matter. What shall we do?"

"Be quiet, Shirley," said her father. "In the first place, we do not know that that is the reason. And in the second place, even if we did there is nothing we could do to-night. And perhaps Mabel's theory is all wrong. Jimmy is likely to come strolling in any time."

"I believe Mabel is right," said Leonard. "From what I have heard this man Jones would stop at nothing. As Jimmy is not here, I'll volunteer to sleep in the stable to-night."

"But I cannot permit that," said Mr. Willing. "You are my guest. I--"

"Nevertheless," Leonard interrupted, "I am going to sleep there. The chances are that the conspirators will not be active again to-night, but it is always best to be prepared."

"Well," said Mr. Willing, "I won't say no if you insist. I'm sure that I shall rest easier, for if anything should happen that Gabriel could not run in the Derby--"

He broke off. "Thank you," he added.