oward the Half Way
House.

"Look out for Bess Thornton," said Jim Ellison, who had accompanied
them. "She and the old woman are here now for the winter, keeping house
for Witham."

"She won't let on, if she comes out," said Tim.

But they saw nothing of her. Tired out with her day's work, the girl had
gone to bed and was soundly sleeping.

They arrived presently at a little plot of grass in front of the inn,
from the centre of which there rose up a lofty flag-pole. It had been
erected by some former proprietor, for the patriotic purpose of flying
the American flag; but, to Colonel Witham's thrifty mind, it had offered
an excellent vantage for displaying a dingy banner, with the
advertisement of the Half Way House lettered thereon. This fluttered now
in a mournful way, half way up the mast, as though it were a sign of
mourning for the quality of food and lodging one might expect at the
hands of Colonel Witham.

A dim light shone in the two front office windows of the inn, but the
shades were drawn so that they could not see within. Other than the
lamplight, there seemed to be a flickering, uncertain, intermittent
gleam, or variation of the light, indicating probably a fire in the open
hearth.

The boys waited now for a moment, till Henry Burns, who had volunteered,
went quietly up toward the hotel, to reconnoitre. He came back
presently, saying that there was a side window, shaded only by a blind,
half-closed on the outside, through which he had been able to make out
old Granny Thornton and Colonel Witham seated by the fire.

"Run up the pumpkin," he said; "I'll go back there again and keep watch.
If Witham starts to come out, I'll whistle, and we'll cut and run."

He went back to the window, and took up his place there.

"Cracky!" exclaimed Young Joe; "who's going to shin that pole? It's a
high one. Wish I hadn't eaten that last piece of pie. How about you,
Tim?"

"I can do it," asserted Tim, stoutly.

"Nonsense!" exclaimed Harvey. "There's the halyards. What more do you
want? You cut a hole through the pumpkin, George, clear through the
middle, so we can pass an end of the rope, and I'll see that it goes up,
and stays."

The pumpkin being duly pierced, one free end of the halyard was passed
through the hole. Then Harvey proceeded to tie a running knot, through
which he passed the other free end of rope. They took hold with a will,
and hoisted. Quickly, the golden pumpkin was borne aloft; when it
brough