at eleven o'clock mcclure and his men staggered out of swale's joint. for half an hour they prowled the streets, alarming the village with their wild whoops. at twelve they scrambled into their grain wagon and tore down the main street at a furious pace. out to smithers they raced, a roistering company of drunken fools.
ned and easy, posted among the poplars in the grove north of the barn, saw them ride into the barnyard. in the light of the moon the two men could see them tumbling out of the wagon, sprawling over each other, noisy and ill-humoured.
"i see rob at the heads uv the horses," said easy. "he niver goes home whin he's rale well pickled."
"we've got the whole crew at home, then," whispered ned. "we are in luck. come, let us round up the boys."
slipping quietly away, they arrived at their own caboose.
andy and the rest were awaiting them. briefly ned rehearsed his plans and was gratified to find them primed and ready to the last detail. in a few moments they set out for mcclure's caboose. they carried planks, ropes, hammers and spikes, while easy murphy brought up the rear with his huge span of grays. the team was shrouded in great dark blankets with black nets covering their light heads. each man was masked with his bandanna handkerchief, giving the marauders the appearance of a gang of bandits or a lynching posse.
at the edge of the grove they paused and listened intently. not forty yards away stood the caboose with its crew of quarrelsome men. a confusing dialogue of altercations was in progress. after a time the men settled into their bunks, where the bibulous debate was drowsily maintained, finally simmering to the thick-tongued harangue of one persistent individual.
at a signal from ned the valley outfit crept noiselessly upon their unsuspecting prey. arrived at the caboose they made a swift survey. the farmstead was quiet. smithers and his men were sound asleep. no interruption from that quarter. the caboose was the usual midget bunkhouse, a rectangular box on truck chassis with a bow roof. at the tongue end was a door. in the other end near the roof was a tiny window, too small for the exit of a man's body. andy and his men stole around to the rear of the caboose. striking one end of the plank solidly into the ground, they placed the other against the middle of the door. two men held it in place while two swung their weight on it, holding the door shut as with a vise. mcclure and his men were trapped. quickly a stout plank was placed across the top of the door and nailed with five-inch spikes to the corner posts. another plank was nailed similarly across the bottom, perfectly sealing the caboose.
by this time a commotion had arisen within. snoopy bill could be heard shaking the men and dragging them out of their bunks. above the tumult soared mcclure's heavy voice, disclosing in the angry vehemence of his curses a swift conclusion as to the identity of the assailants. outside in the moonlight frolicked the masked figures. the excitement was intense. at ned's desire all audible speech was to be suppressed. easy murphy was in his element and wanted to holler.
"be the ghost uv me grandfahthurr!" he whispered to jean benoit. "'tis the happiest hour since oi left owld oireland."
amid ill-suppressed laughter the freak proceeded. backing his horses to the tongue, easy speedily hitched on and pulled out of the barnyard. long before smithers and his men could wake and realize what had happened the big grays had spirited away the caged crew, surrounded by the triumphant body-guard of valley threshers.
urging his horses to a trot, easy turned into the west road and bowled along merrily over ruts and stones to the fierce accompaniment of the pandemonium from within. once a head unwisely protruded itself through the small opening only to receive a smart rap and to be instantly drawn in.
"head across the northwest cut," directed ned. "we'll run them up on bald hill, where they can get a good view of the lake."
when the brow of the cut was reached easy reined in his horses.
"shall we cross be the thrail," said he in a loud whisper to ned, "or shall we bounce sthraight on over the rocky road till dublin?"
"give them the rocky road," was ned's grim response.
"begobs, yer a darlin'!" cried easy, with a muffled whoopee as he swung the grays off the prairie down the side of the cut.
then began a half-mile of rocking and tossing, pitching over hillocks, boulders, badger holes and stumps, the caboose lurching about like a ship in a heavy sea and thoroughly churning up its human contents. the little bunkhouse became hideously vocal as execrations came forth, vengeful chorus from its tormented interior. easy's eyes seemed to have uncanny vision for holes and hidden logs and jolting rocks, while the big grays, alarmed by the outrageous tumult, snorted wildly, plunging through everything with irresistible force.
the weird passage of the gulch was at length accomplished, winding up on the windy skull of bald hill.
"they'll have a very fine stretch of the valley to look into from here," said andy with a grin, as his eyes took in the sweep of the hill.
"indade, 'tis rale illigint," said easy. "rob wull be chargin' a nickel a pape from the bay window above."
"unhitch the grays, easy," said ned, his eyes darting mischief. "we are not going to leave the caboose here. the fun is about to begin."
ned's remark was cryptic. "if we are not going to leave them here, why unhitch?" was the query in every mind.
"ah, ned! 'tis a darlin' i said ye wuz!" exclaimed easy, seized by a sudden inspiration. he had tumbled to ned's dark design. "ye wull be afthur shootin' the shoot wid our frinds in the packin'-box?" was his sly guess.
"hats off to our little boss!" cried andy softly, shaking with laughter.
"by gar, dat cabooze yump on de lake lak beeg eggspress! ha!" jean forthwith "went up" venting his ecstasy in a series of handsprings.
when he came down he did what the rest were doing. he took a swift, keen glance at the hill. the slope fell rapidly away, dropping evenly hundreds of feet to the sandy shingle of the beach over a quarter of a mile away. through a wide gap in the shore bluffs could be seen the silver shimmer of the waves. there could be but one end to the proposed flight of the caboose,—the cold, white bosom of the lake.
with deliberate thoroughness the valley men made their preparations. the horses unhitched, the tongue of the caboose was roped high and locked firmly so that it could have no side swing. then the men took their places about the wheels and rear.
"just a minute!" whispered ned. "one of you lads had better pull a watch on this thing. this old bus is in for her record run."
a chorus of subdued laughs rose above the noise emanating from the interior of the doomed vehicle.
"shoulders to the wheels!" was ned's low order. "now, all together! send her a-kiting."
every man got down with a will and a smothered yo-heave started the caboose down the slope. with a final united shove they sent it away from their hands in mad career toward the lake. down the hill it sped, swaying in its course like a drunken man, but heading straight for the water. in fearfully accelerated speed it shot over the short sand beach and crashed in the gleaming waves. carried along by its great momentum it charged the lake like a racing motor-boat, throwing a huge prow wave as it ran into the deep water. weighted with its heavy truck and human freight it sank almost half-way to the roof before coming to a standstill.
while the caboose sped down the hill the perpetrators of the deed watched its flight in breathless interest. as it plunged into the water a cheer roared down the hillside.
meanwhile in desperate rage and no small alarm mcclure with his gigantic strength had torn a hole in the roof and thrusting his shoulders upward broke through and climbed out just as the car came to rest in the bed of the lake. looking up the moonlit hill he could plainly see the group of men crowning its height and caught the cheer that swept down. no word, however, escaped him. thoroughly sobered, the full significance of the daring lark burst upon him, sealing his lips. there were times when rob mcclure was unexpectedly silent. reaching down he helped his men one by one out to safety. soon the roof was black with men.
"dey some leetle drown rat!" exclaimed jean benoit, shaking with laughter at the sight. "what dey goin' to do?"
through the quiet air came the answer. it was mcclure's voice.
"i guess there is nothing else for it," said he.
instantly came the sound of a splash. other splashes followed and then could be seen a straggling line of dark figures plunging through the surf.
"now let them have it," cried ned.
with all the vigour of seventeen pairs of powerful lungs they lifted cheer after cheer.
"enough!" cried ned at last. "this beats a fight. we have licked the whole gang without anybody getting mussed up. the cold water will help to sober them."
a moment later bald hill was bare.
