Show The House oF the thc Three Ganders By Irving Bacheller Copyright by br Irving Tic Service CHAPTER Continued V-Continued 7 We We found them them today Where are the they Weve eve got ot em cm Let us have hn a n look at nt them No No sir sir-ee We e aint goin to show v dIstrict em to o attorney to an anybody bocy till tl we see tile the lies lie's up at RII KII dare pond huntin deer eleer One of ns Is gain up there tomorrow to find him They went out of and has has- hastened toward the bridge When the boys arrived ed In AmIty Dam they saw a lI light ht In the study windows s of the tile doctor They ran rang Ills his doorbell The doctor gave ave them thema a hearty welcome They told hIm him of their success We have ha made quite a n step to- to toward toward to toward ward time tile truth said the lie doctor Shad will go Into the woods to take these things to Colonel make Blake tomorrow Yes sir was Shads Shad's answer I sU suggest est that you leave Ica those thIngs In my care said saki the doctor I want to take them with wIlh me mc Shad answered I advise against It but you are ure entItled to have ha It your way oc oc- occurs occurs curs to me that Hubbards Hubbard's store has become a n point of some Interest There re you ou will remember Bumpy bought his Ills rubbers I wonder If somebody had learned of the exact shape and size of the rubbers Dumpy Bumpy had hud bou bought ht You know rubbers are rather They hey stretch Suggest to the time dis dis- district district I attorney that he lIe go to Hub Hub- Hubbard's hub hub- hubbard's bards bard's store and find out If he can who bought rubbers of that size and shape on or before the tenth of November ember People do not forget Dumpys Dumpy's calls They'll be sure to remember nil all about the time rubbers they sold him The doctor walked with wIlh the Joys boys to Miss l house and left them at nt the time door Miss was the only lady In the village who took boarders She had agreed to take Shad nt at four dollars a week weck If it he would sleep p with Bony and promise to tobe tobe tobe be a n good boy She rather enjoyed the mothering and correcting and bullying of these two boys She was often threatening to send them away but would have ha wept If It they had left her Site She had a curious In- In Interest interest In Interest terest In their talk and perversity per They were weary and soon asleep I Shad was up at ut six lie got hl his breakfast then put some clothing In to Bony's Bons small pack basi basket ct lie was vms ready to take the stage stase going coins i south at nt seven se o'clock The sun I I shone warm out of a clear sly sky It softened the surface of the time frozen road and antI Improved the wheeling They reached South Bolton Dolton the end of time the stage line at eleven o'clock Shad went to Hubbards Hubbard's store At a desk sat a n well dressed well young lady luny She Slie turn turned ell from Crom her task as ns the boy entered Immedi Immediately ably Shad recognized her She was time the girl whom he and Bony Dony had 1 7 f lr n t Youre a Looking Good Boy Doy Said the Girl Where Are You Going Goina I seen at fit the tha door of Dumpys Dumpy's shack shock one one the Sunday Sunday the girl with the haughty manner the handsome eyes e and the glowing red cheeks Shet She t was much stouter than she had been Go Good d morning 1 she said with no change e In her countenance What can I 1 do for you I believe e you know v Bumpy Drown Brown Shad Shat began Well what If I do she nn- nn answered an answered coldly told Shad of his purpose She laughed In the time unemotional fash fash- fashion fashion ion of Bump Bumpy's s parrot and asked re- re remember remember re remember I Dir Dlf you think that we can cun member the time numbers of oC all nil the lie rub rub- rubbers rubbers rubbers bers we sell soil and the time names of time the themen themen I men that buy them That's Impossible E sible Ible In were Impossible Many lany things South Bolton Dolton It was teas a n little ham hamlet the big JIg woods let et In the edge of There were no more than forty or living Il In Its huddle of fifty pc people pe small houses hous B I PRECEDING EVENTS ragged end and t starving a boy ay of about n Is found In n the lh lb woods lId and befriended by o IS camping party Ho has hu n lied fled from his hl hi brutal il father Bat Bal B l Fed and nd in clean clothes the th boy who gives elves his hi name nam III as Shad Sheridan U Es lent Bent on way to Canton witha with wilh a letter to Colonel Coonel B Blake ke The Th colonel his hia hi wile wife manner and their youn young daughter T Ruth are ar Impressed by the th boys boy's boy manner He H Secures a situation In th the village to of 01 Amity Amily Dam Dom and end becomes become withA with A n youth of his age Bony Bony and od Bumpy Dumpy Brown Brow tinker a ered by the straitlaced AS a drunkard because became of hie hi periodic lapses lepse from fro strict With Bony Shad Is II a visitor to the pIcturesque shack shuk which Drown Brown cAli calla home ic known In the I th vicinity nil IU the th Fun Shop Bat Dat comes cornu co coi to Amity Dam i to take tak hi his son con back b ck to his hi own dissolute life We but Is overawed overawed by by Colonel make Blake who Is the attorney and id his father passes passe out of Shad Shads Shad's life lile While Shad Is Ie visiting Bumpy Brown a Il girl rl young younK end and nd pretty comes come In- In in y In-y quirini for Brown Shad Slad applies himself to his neglected education H He the tbt and love for Ruth takes taku a strong holdon hold bold on his heart The com com- community corn com Is con Ul convulsed cd by en an attack made nade on the Perry family In which Oscar Perry erry the tb father his daughter Mrs Doolittle wi wife wit I of Cyrus Doolittle Doolittl prominent prominent nent citizen ar are re shot hot and wounded Circumstantial evidence points point to ton Bumpy Drown Brown as III the assailant llant end and he is arrested Shad Is convinced of 01 his friends friend's Innocence end and determines to f prove It Statements by Cyrus Cyru Doolittl Doolittle and his bl hi stepson Robert Royce strengthen the case cane e against atin t Brown Drown Shod loses lose his Job JobI And goes sees to liv live liv with wilh Bony Cony at et Miss The Th two boys boy find lind disguises the th murderer had worn Colonel Blake takes tallU talie an active Interest In the ca woe cas Youre Toure a n good looking good boy said the girl Where are arc you rou going Into the woods above Mose Iose St Germains Germain's Why dont don't you OU stop here n while Were We're goin going to have ha u a dance and n a port party nt ut our house Im sorry jorry but I 1 ha have e to see fC a 1 iman man who Is IJ at ut Kildare pond pontI to- to toda today to today day da he said saltI Is there a lI er livery stable In the place les Ies 1 es Its It's just across the time street I Ill run over o there a n minute lie he said as he left her r Shad made a Lar bargain aln with the man to drive him to Iose 1 lose St S1 Germains Germain's Immediately after dinner Ho He returned to store sat down dawn there and ate n a apart part of his bis luncheon The horse and bu buggy y arrived and he set out with the livery lI man manon manon manon on a n ten-mile ten ride up the sa sand nil plaIns to the house of Muse Mose St Ger- Ger Germain Germain maln main The famous guide was nt at home lIe He had left Colonel Blake lale and Jud Judge e Swift In the woods They were hunting Mose drew a n diagram of the trail for Shad to take with him This Is Isa Isa Isa a reproduction of It save time the names a a A 0 3 Camp 0 n Abandoned Lumber b Camp Campor or orX orv X v RocK V M- M 2 ul enter o u Y Pond Diagram Canoe St-GermaInS St through h deep deepU dc p Woods to U Kildare Pond I He lie told the boy to go straight to Center pond where he lie would find St S1 GermaIns GermaIn's canoe Then he was W to cross to a n bl big rock In the time far edge of the pond beyond whIch he would find time the trail to Kildare Ile He Mose would take the long trail around the pond Shad Stint set out on time much trav tray traveler traveled eler cled trail lie Ile found the walling wailing canoe and could see the rock of which Mose fose had hatI spoken about a quarter of a n mile awa away on time the far shore Ills treasures wrapped In his sweater were now In the pack haslet basket This he deposited In time the bow A skillful he lie rl through a n border of pads lily antI and out Into the clear wn water ler He was well beyond time the middle middie of the pond when a n shot from from the shore behind him shattered the silence of the deep vale and antI Oiled filled It with echoes Shad jumped A huh huh- bul bullet let had hall whizzed by his Ills head bead and struck the water beyond him and on Its Us surface It tinn lIall conic come from some point on nn n the shore he hud had left n lilt hit cast east of him A thought lashed flashed through h hIs braIn He lIe le lung flung flun hIs Ills feet over o the thc stern and dropped Into th thaler the water aler and none too quickly lr Another hall had whizzed through the air above nho him In a n rush of sound Ing In up he seized the gunwale and keeping time the c canoe between him anti the direction cUon whence the shot hall had come swam with his Ills free arm The shooting censed ceased The man whose had bad been aimed at nt him wits no doubt seeking a n more favorable point of attack Shad with the skill of a lad had whose cradle one onema ma may almost sa say had been a n canoe In water made swifter progress I than his enemy had thought pos pos- possible sible He lie got ot beyond the rock antI and ashore seized his hits pack pact basket hasket and crept Into the thicket dragging It beside him Now Kow covered he arose nrose thrust hl Ills his arms through time the haslet basket straps rind and ran He lIe was about a amile amile amile mile and find a half from Center pond when he be came to the abandoned lumber camp on Mose lose St GermaIns GermaIn's chart It stood In n a little clear clear- clearing In lug ing Ills HIs clothes drained and warmed by his exercise were he be- beginning be beginning ginning to dr dry The first drops of oC oCa ofa a cold rain were falling CallIng oCI I I Night was coming on lie He could just dimly see the time outlines of the log structure He knew that Its roof covered with tarpaper tar would protect him It did In n a moment the air nir seemed to be filled with the downpour tIo of cold water Shad stood by one of the window low embrasures looking out at the storm The rain turned to sleet and stopped suddenly The clouds passel passed The moon was peerIng I through the treetops In the east cast Shall Shad had stepped toward the door ready to go on his way when he saw sa n n man with multi a n rIfle ride on his bis shoulder shoulder der stealthily approaching the camp He lIc seemed a n man of prodigious tons ious hl size bigger size bigger er than anyone any one Shad Shull knew c The boys boy's heart beat fast The Thc stranger er crossed n a wide wale path of moonlight that cut the shadows As he be did so Shad observed that Ills his face was covered co with a n hand hantI- handkerchief kerchief The man was entering the doorway when Shall Shad leaped through n window opening In the rear of the thc shack and ran A conviction had come to the thebo bo boy that he lie was the man who had hatI been shooting at nt him Else why did he cover his face Shad reached the trail and ran like n a scared deer lIe Ile was soon nt at his destination amile a n mile or so farther on lie He felt sure and with good reason that he had seen time the murderer of Oscar Perry CHAPTER VI The Robbers and the Revolver WHEN Shad arrived Mose l St V Y Germain who had reached Kit Kit- dare pond poud before the storm began was serving supper to Colonel Blake and Judge Swift Im wet said Shad as ns he went and stood by the stove I had hatI to todo todo todo do some swimming and there was wasn wasa wasa n a lot of water In the bushes Come right upstairs Ive I've plenty of clothes for you ou said Colonel Blake Soon Shad was seated at nt the sup sup- supper supper supper per table In dry clothes and slip slip- slippers slippers pers Tell TeU us what happened to you and why you are arc here said time the Colonel Shad began at nt the Ule high point In do dohis his adventures Some Somebody bod shot at nt me when Iwas I Iwas Iwas was out on Center pond The bul- bul bullet bullet bul bullet let almost took the time end off oft my nose I was I slipped out Into the water Another bullet whizzed above me I got the slant of em when they hit the time water I knew about where the time shooting came I from I made for the time canoe and hid myself behind It and towed It n ashore hore I ran up the trail like Ii a scared buck I knew why that man was shoving lead lend at me He lIe want wanted ed to get me an nn the things In that pack basket before I 1 could see you What have you got there the colonel asked asked- asked Shad told of what he and Bony Dony hall had learned of time tile man under time the brimmed broad broad brimmed brImmed hat hastening down the road to of thick their searching for and finding the hid hid- hidden hidden den handkerchief and hats bats of the group of men amen at the time hotel and of Bon Bony's s boastful words wortIs In t their presence of Doctor Gorses Gorse's suggestions regarding the revolver er md and the rubbers of the big man roan who followed him to the time lumber camp Shad Shat proudly unwrapped the packages in his basket and antI laid then them before the astonished cers of the law Colonel Blake drew aI aBenson's a aBenson's aI I Bensons Benson's o 1 I Marioo a i ii i i h Island j 11 ii Li where i BrownS Brown'S I t hat was cove Y 0 found 1 a r I f ferr err y yI I I I II and x xE Ii E o c i A I i iI Doo l iI I 1 Neu I Amity Ity W Dam I chart of time the road and river from to Amity Dam reproduced herewith and antI with Shads Shad's help lo- lo lo located Gated Browns Brown's cove and the time points where the hats and the handkerchief chief were found Looking at the time chart the judge saId The handkerchief and slouch hat were found where Brown Drown might have ha hidden them them In going to his boat We Browns Brown's must keep mo motive the live In mind Yes but I have not been quite satisfied with Browns Brown's motive saId the district attorney The sheriffs report and my own observation atlon antI and time the evidence c of this boy IndIcate that flint he die Ii Is a harmless and lovable old chap chaD of a rather admIrable spi Shad Shari told the story of the miss miss- missIng mis-hIng mis In Ing rin ring lie added why I am nm here Well boy your heart and your work ork are a n credit to you said the colonel You have faced me around Judge this Is no such easy problem as ns we thought We have ha to look for a n deeper man than the tinker antI and a deeper motive than mere resentment It Is extremely Improbable that two bullets could have been aimed directly at nt the boy h accident If It the time man nt at time the lie old lumber camp was n a benighted hunt hunt- hunter hunter hunter er why has he not shown up here lie He came out of time the lie trail from Cen- Cen Center Cen Center ter pond pontI It lends leads directly to food and shelter in this camp The judge e asked Assume that he was trying to kill the boy why would he be have ha followed him to the theold theold theold old lumber camp After cIrcling the pond he would have known that he was too far behind the boy to catch him Yes but he may have ha thou thought ht that Shad was wounded and losin losing blood and nd going slowly or lying dead In the trail If It be tie saw him topple out of the canoe It w rould have been his Ills natural Inference that he had lind lilt his mark I do not like this touch of m mystery Some one seems to see sec in one or more of these three articles a source of danger for himself They were |