Ralph noticed that his mother did not appear to
be very well, and presently he asked her about it.
"I have a pain in my side, Ralph," she said. "But I imagine it will get
better by morning."
The two retired early. Ralph, worn out by his day's travels, soon fell
asleep.
It was nearly two o'clock in the morning when Mrs. Nelson called him.
"It is too bad, Ralph," she said. "But I cannot stand it any longer."
"What is it, mother, the pain in your side?" he asked, springing up.
"Yes. It is growing worse, and I must have something for it."
"Shall I go for Dr. Foley?"
"You may go to his house. Tell him what is the trouble, and ask him to give
you a plaster or some liniment for it."
"I will. You are not afraid to stay alone while I am gone?"
"Oh, no, only hurry as fast as you can."
"I will," replied Ralph, quickly.
In a few minutes he was in his clothes and on the way. Dr. Foley lived on
the other side of the village, and the boy ran in the direction as rapidly
as he could.
Ralph had to pass the building in which the post office was located. He was
within a hundred feet of the place when suddenly a muffled explosion
reached his ears.
"Hallo, what's that?" he cried to himself, and stopped short.
At first no sound followed the explosion. Then came hasty footsteps, and in
the semi-darkness of the early morning he saw two men and a boy run from
the post office building and hurry in the direction of the lake.
It was too dark to distinguish more than the forms of the persons and note
that they each carried a satchel. In a few seconds they were out of sight.
"Something is wrong," thought Ralph. "What had I best do?"
Half a minute later several men rushed out on the street and toward the
post office building. Ralph mingled with the crowd. It was not long before
the truth of the matter was revealed. The post office safe had been blown
open and robbed.
CHAPTER XVIII.
ABOUT A POCKET-KNIFE.
Ralph was as much interested as any one else in the fact that the Westville
post office had been robbed. He mingled with the crowd in his eagerness to
learn the particulars.
But, being a boy, he was pushed aside by the men, and no attention was paid
to the story he had to tell about the two men and the boy he had seen
running away.
Then the thought of his mother suffering at home rushed into Ralph's mind.
What would she think of his long absence?
"Robbery or no robbery, I must go to the doc
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