ying-pan into the fire.' Off the hay-mow into the bay. I
don't see why folks build barns such ways. Why don't they have just
regular straight floors and things? Wait, pet. Don't rub against my
ankles so hard, you nearly knock me over. The man'll come back in a
minute and help us up. I don't see how you ever got down here unless you
fell down. Hello! Man! _Man!_ Hel--lo! HELP!"

The lantern glimmer appeared once more, but at the extreme end of the
building, and seemed rapidly receding. Then there came the sound of a
heavy door slammed forcibly against the wind, the rasp of a bolt in its
lock, and Katharine knew that she had not been heard, and that she had
been shut up alone in the great, desolate place.

It was not liking for Squire Pettijohn which had caused Montgomery to
vanish when called to meet him. Quite the reverse. The name of that man
of mighty girth and stature struck terror into the soul of every young
Marsdenite. He was a person of fierce temper and a propensity for
managing his neighbors' affairs, especially the affairs of his youthful
neighbors. Report said that his wealth equalled his temper, and that the
two together made most of the villagers stand in awe of him is certain.
It was his boast that he represented the cause of law and order in his
native town, and he often wondered how it had gotten along before he was
born, or how it would manage when he was dead.

That day he had come home from attending court and found the community
in a ferment. It would have been excited even by the news of Moses'
accident and pluck, but the tidings of treasure-finding, scattered
broadcast by Montgomery during the morning's errands, had stirred its
profoundest depths.

When the lawyer tied his horse at the post-office, he was greeted by
statements as various as many. "Miss Maitland has discovered a gold mine
on her property;" "Monty Sturtevant has dug up buried treasure in
Eunice's woods;" "'Johnny' Maitland's girl has been sent home to fetch
Eunice a box of diamonds;" and "There's been gold found right here in
Marsden township."

These were but the beginnings of the garbled reports which a
gossip-loving lad had originated; yet all pointed to one and the same
thing,--Marsden would now become famous. So that more than ever Squire
Pettijohn felt it good to be a great man in the right place. In all the
newspaper notices which would follow, his name, also, would appear, and
notoriety was what he coveted.

Having lis