ut there by the barn," said Hawley, pointing to a
stack of some kind that could be seen in the rear of the nearest barn.
"If you could only get behind that you could see what was going on."

"I can, all right enough. But where will you fellows be? I may need your
help if I get into trouble."

"I don't know. We won't be far away. Whistle if you want us and we'll
make a break for you. Don't let them see you," he added warningly, as
without waiting to reply, Will started at once, running swiftly along
the ground near the crooked rail fence that extended the entire distance
between the main road and the farm buildings.

He was convinced that he had not been seen when at last he gained the
shelter of the haystack, and, crouching within its shadows, he peered
forth at the wagon and the group of four men that were standing near it.
He was positive that one was Mott, but his greatest surprise came when
he perceived a horse and sleigh in the barnyard which he instantly
recognized as the very ones with which Foster and his two classmates had
gone to Coventry Center. He reached forward and strove to hear what was
being said, for the little group were conversing eagerly but in tones so
low that Will was unable to hear a word. He could see what was done,
however, for after a brief delay the four men turned to the wagon,
several sacks were lifted from their places in the load, and then two
other sacks were taken from the wagon and carried by Mott and another
man into the barn. Several minutes elapsed before Mott came forth
again, and when he did he was alone. The sophomore stopped for a moment
with the men, handed some money to the farmer, and then he and the
fourth man, whom Will fancied he recognized as another sophomore,
climbed into the sleigh and at once started back up the lane, the
runners of the sleigh screeching as they passed over the bare places as
if they were doing their utmost to alarm the neighborhood and to protest
against what was being done. The farmer too, soon followed and passed up
the lane, but his departure was of slight interest to Will, who was
puzzling himself about the man who had entered the barn with Mott and
had failed to reappear. To Will's mind there was but one explanation,
and he was eager to confer with his own classmates, but he dared not
leave his hiding-place for fear that the man in the barn might come
forth and depart without being seen.

For a half-hour he waited but the stillness of the ni