either one of us could yell, 'cause he had us by the
neck, an' he was powerful strong. 'Chuck 'em in here an' I'll tend to
'em,' said the driver. Next thing we knowed we was in the front of the
sleigh, an' the whole outfit was off like a runaway. They said they'd
kill us if we made a noise, an' we didn't. I wish I'd'a' had my rifle,
doggone it! I'd'a' showed 'em."

"They drove like thunder out to'rds Boggs City fer about two mile," said
Bud, who had been silent as long as human nature would permit. "'Nen
they stopped an' throwed us out in the road. 'Go home, you devils, an'
don't you tell anybody about us er I'll come back here some day an' give
you a kick in the slats.'

"Slats?" murmured Anderson.

"That's short fer ribs," explained Bud loftily.

"Well, why couldn't he have said short ribs an' been done with it?"
complained Anderson.

"Then they whipped up an' turned off west in the pike," resumed Bud. "We
run all the way home an' tole Mr. Lamson, an' he--"

"Where was Rosalie all this time?" asked Anderson.

"Layin' in the back seat covered with a blanket, jest the same as if she
was dead. I heerd 'em say somethin' about chloroformin' her. What does
chloroform smell like, Mr. Crow?"

"Jest like any medicine. It has drugs in it. They use it to pull teeth.
Well, what then?"

"Well," interposed Roscoe, "Mr. Lamson gave the alarm, an' nearly
ever'body in town got out o' bed. They telegraphed to Boggs City an' all
around, but it didn't seem to do no good. Them horses went faster'n
telegraphs."

"Did you ever see them fellers before?"

"No, sir; but I think I'd know 'em with their masks off."

"Was they masked?"

"Their faces were."

"Oh, my poor little Rosalie!" sobbed old Anderson hopelessly.

CHAPTER XVI

The Haunted House

Days passed without word or sign from the missing girl. The marshal
haunted the post-office and the railroad station, hoping with all his
poor old heart that word would come from her; but the letter was not
there, nor was there a telegram at the station when he strolled over to
that place. The county officials at Boggs City came down and began a
cursory investigation, but Anderson's emphatic though doleful opinions
set them quite straight, and they gave up the quest. There was nothing
to do but to sit back and wait.

In those three days Anderson Crow turned greyer and older, although he
maintained a splendid show of resignation. He had made a perfunctory
offer of rewa