him to hush, and waited. I could hear
nothing, but I knew there must be good cause for his actions.

At last I could stand it no longer. I dared not open the door, but I
seized one corner of the dry-goods box, drew myself up, and hobbled to
the window, regardless of the pain. Going straight for the town, a
quarter of a mile away, were a dozen men on horseback. I could see by
their trail that they had passed within fifty yards of where I was.

CHAPTER IX

More of a strange Christmas: I make Kaiser useful in an odd Way,
together with what I see from under the Depot Platform.

I think Kaiser was the best dog that ever lived. When I looked out of
the window, what with seeing the men and with the pain which shot
through my leg from my ankle, I sank down on the floor in a kind of
faint. How long I lay there I know not, but when I came to Kaiser was
standing over me licking my face. When he saw me open my eyes and move
he uttered a sort of a whine, half like a cry and half like a little
laugh, and began wagging his tail. I put my arms around his neck and
drew myself up so that I was sitting on the floor. At this he began to
bound about and bark as if he would say, "Cheer up, Jud; this is bad
luck, but we will get through yet!"

The pain in my ankle was half killing me, and suddenly it drove me
desperate. I seized my foot in my hands, drew it up into my lap, and
gave it a wrench that was like to break it off. I felt something crack
inside, and half the pain stopped. "I've fixed it!" I cried to Kaiser,
and tried to get up, thinking I could walk; but I went down in a heap,
and saw that, though it was better, I was still far from walking. The
ankle was swelled to twice its right size; but I felt sure that it
must now improve.

I made Kaiser stop his fuss and pulled open the door. I could just
make out the horsemen going along the grade almost to the town. I
crawled to the hay, and thought a long time. In the first place, I
knew the fires were all out and that the new snow had covered all
traces of any life about the town. The robbers would find the place
deserted and would go to work upon the safe. How long it would take
them to open it I did not know, but one of the many things I now
regretted was that, while fooling around with my tunnel, I had
neglected to take out and hide the tools that were in Beckwith's
blacksmith shop, as I had intended to do; for with these I did not
think it would take the men long to brea