just about the
man he most wanted to see. It had dawned on the boy's mind that his
sister and Ruth had gotten into trouble, and he must find help for them.

The street of the village was dark. This was one of the nights when the
moon was booked to shine, but forgot to! The town fathers evidently lit
the street lights only when the almanac said there was to be no moon.

Tom removed one of the headlights and found his way to the door of the
cottage next to the smithy. There was neither bell nor knocker, but he
thundered at the panel with right good will, until he heard a stir in a
chamber above. Finally a blind opened a little way and a sleepy voice
inquired what he wanted.

"Are you the blacksmith, sir?" asked Tom.

"Huh? Wal! I should say I was. But I ain't no doctor," snarled the man
above, "and I ain't in the habit of answering night calls. Don't ye see
I ain't got no night bell? Go away! you're actin' foolish. I don't shoe
hosses this time o' night."

"It's not a horse," explained Tom, near laughter despite his serious
feelings. "It's a motor-car."

"Naw, I don't shoe no ortermobile, neither!" declared the man, and
prepared to close the blind.

"Say, Mister!" shouted Tom. "Do come down. I need you----"

"If I come down thar, I won't come as no blacksmith, nor no mechanic.
I'll come as the constable and run ye in--ye plaguey whipper-snapper!"

"All right," cried Tom, fearing he would shut the blind. "Come down as
constable. I reckon I need you in that character more than any other."

"I believe ye do!" exclaimed the man, angrily. "If you air there when I
git on my pants, you'll take a walk to the callaboose. None o' you young
city sports air goin' to disturb the neighborhood like this--not if I
know it!"

Meanwhile, Tom could hear him stirring around, tumbling over the chairs
in the dark, and growling at his boots, and otherwise showing his anger.
But the boy was desperate, and he stood still until the man
appeared--tin star pinned to his vest.

"Wal, by gravey!" exclaimed the blacksmith-constable. "Ain't you a
reckless youngster ter face up the majesty of the law in this here way?"

Tom saw that, after all, the constable was grinning, and was not such an
ill-natured fellow, now that he was really awake. The boy plunged into
his story and told it with brevity, but in detail.

"Why, I see how it is, youngster," said the man. "You're some scart
about your sister and that other girl. But mebbe nothing's h