“All right, but are you sure there’s a hotel at Jericho?” said Nelson.
“No, but Bill will tell us, I guess.”
“On to Bill’s!” said Dan wearily.
So they turned to the right and made toward the nearest farmhouse, a half mile distant. It proved on nearer acquaintance to be a prosperous-looking, well-kept place, with acres and acres of land to it and a big white house flanked by a much bigger red barn. They made their way up a lane under the branches of spreading elm trees, and knocked at the front door. Presently footsteps sounded inside and the portal swung open, revealing a thickset elderly man, whose morose, suspicious face was surrounded by a fringe of grizzled beard and whiskers.
“Well?” he demanded.
“Good evening,” said Bob. “Could you let us have something to eat, sir? We would be glad to pay for it.”
“This isn’t a hotel,” said the man.
“Oh, then you aren’t Mr. William Hooper?”
“Yes, that’s me. Some one send you here?”
“Yes, sir. We met a man down at Locust Park who said he was sure you’d – ”
“What was his name?”
“Er – what was it, Dan?”
“Abner Wade,” answered Dan promptly.
The name exerted a remarkable effect on Mr. William Hooper. His face flushed darkly and his hands clinched. Bob fell back from the doorway in alarm.
“Abner Wade, eh?” growled Mr. Hooper. “Abner Wade sent ye, did he? I might have known it was him! Now you make tracks, the whole parcel of ye! If you ain’t outside my grounds in two minutes I’ll set the dog on ye! Here, Brutus! Here, Brutus!”
“Et tu, Brute!” muttered Dan as he fled down the path.
At the gate they brought up, laughing, and looked warily back for the dog. Much to their relief he wasn’t in sight.
“Don’t believe he’s got any dog,” said Tommy.
“Don’t see why he should have,” said Dan. “He’s ugly enough himself to scare anyone away.”
“I’d like to see that Abner Wade just about two minutes,” said Nelson. “Nice game he put up on us!”
“Yes. Old Bill hates him like poison, evidently,” answered Bob. “He’s an awful joker, Abe is!”
“What’ll we do?” asked Tom.
“Foot it to Jericho, I guess,” said Bob. “It’s only about a mile.”
Tom groaned dismally.
“When I get back,” said Dan darkly, “I’ll bet I’ll tell that doctor of mine what I think of his old walking!”
“Here’s some one coming,” whispered Nelson. “Let’s light out.”
“It’s a woman,” said Bob. “Guess it’s the old codger’s wife. Let’s wait.”
She was a stout, kind-faced woman, and her hurried walk from the house had left her somewhat out of breath.
“Boys,” she gasped, “I’m real sorry about this. And I guess you didn’t mean any harm.”
“Harm?” echoed Bob. “No’m, we just wanted some supper and were willing to pay for it. A man down at Locust Park – ”
“Yes, I know. That was the trouble. You see, Abner Wade and my husband ain’t been on speaking terms for ten years and more. Abner sold William a horse that wasn’t just what he made it out to be; it died less’n a week afterwards; and William went to law about it, and Abner kept appealing or something, and it ain’t never come to a settlement, and I guess it never will. If you hadn’t mentioned Abner Wade I guess it would have been all right. I’m real sorry.”
“Oh, it’s all right, ma’am,” Bob hastened to assure her. “I dare say we can find something to eat at the hotel in Jericho.”
“There isn’t any hotel there, far as I know,” said Mrs. Hooper, shaking her head.
Dan whistled softly, and even Bob looked discouraged.
“I guess it’s the cold, cold ground for us to-night,” said Dan. “If I only had a ham sandwich – !”
Mrs. Hooper cast a glance up the lane.
“Maybe you boys wouldn’t mind sleeping in the barn,” she suggested doubtfully.
“Indeed we wouldn’t,” said Bob.
“That would be fun,” assented Nelson.
“Anyway, I don’t see what better you can do,” said the woman. “It’s a good five miles to Samoset, and I don’t know of any hotel nearer than that. You go around here by that wall and cross over to the barn back of the garden. You’ll find the little door at the side unlocked. There’s plenty of hay there, and I guess you can be right comfortable. As soon as I can I’ll bring you out some supper.”
Tom let out a subdued whoop of joy, and Dan did a double shuffle in the grass.
“It’s mighty good of you,” said Bob warmly.
“Yes’m; we’re awfully much obliged,” echoed Nelson.
“We’ll be mighty glad to pay for it,” Dan chimed in.
“Well, I guess there won’t be anything to pay,” said Mrs. Hooper with a smile. “Now you run along, and I’ll come soon as I can. William’s kind of worked up, and I guess he’d better not know about it. I want you to promise me one thing, though.”
“Yes’m. What is it?” asked Nelson.
“Not to light any matches.”
“Yes, we promise.”
“All right. Run along now, and keep out of sight.” Mrs. Hooper nodded good-naturedly, and turned back toward the house. Dan struck a dramatic attitude.
“Supper!” he cried.
“Shut up, and come along,” said Bob.
“Well,” said Dan, “I guess here’s where we get the laugh on Abe. Only – well, if I ever have a chance to square things with him – !”
Words failed him, and with a sigh he followed the others down the road for a distance, over a fence, and so along a wall that skirted the truck garden. The little door was unlocked, as Mrs. Hooper had said it would be, and they stumbled into the twilight of the big barn. The only sound was the occasional stamping of a horse and the steady crunch-crunch of the cattle.
“Fortunate beasts,” whispered Nelson.
Overhead the mows were filled with fragrant hay, and near at hand a ladder led up to it. From a window high up at one end of the building a flood of red light entered from the sunset sky.
“Shall we go up there now?” asked Nelson.
“No. Let’s stay here until we get something to eat,” said Bob.
So they made themselves comfortable, Dan and Nelson finding seats on some sacks of grain, and Bob and Tom climbing into the back of a wagon and sprawling out on the floor of it, hands under heads.
“I’ll bet no one will have to sing me asleep to-night,” said Dan with a luxurious sigh. “Just wait until I strike that hay up there!”
Conversation was desultory for the next half hour, for all four of the boys were dead tired. Tommy even dropped off to sleep once, though he denied the fact indignantly. It seemed a long while before Mrs. Hooper appeared, but when she did, her burden more than atoned for the period of waiting. She carried a big tray, and it was piled high. There was cold mutton, a pitcher of hot tea, milk, stacks of bread and plenty of butter, preserved pears, a whole custard pie, and lots of cake. Tom was almost tearful. Mrs. Hooper set the tray down on a box and disappeared into the harness