How heavy it was! But just as Leon was going to take it he heard the sound of horses’ hoofs up Mr. Smith’s lane. His horses heard it, too, and raised their heads to see what was coming.
“Father, father, they are coming back!” he faltered. “Can’t you find the other one?”
“Yes, here it is. Now,[Now,] you get on your horse and ride for dear life and I will stay behind. I will keep them from overtaking you.”
Leon was on his horse in a moment, the other valise was passed up to him, and in another second he was flying down the road. Mr. Sprague was close behind him, but before they had gone far they heard some muttered ejaculations from the horsemen, followed by the command:
“I declare, there is that Sprague.[Sprague.] Halt! I say halt!”
But Leon and his father were not given to halting. Their horses went faster than ever, and by the time Smith—for he was one of the party—had lingered to look at the pig-pen, they were far out of sight. Then followed a volley from their carbines—not one or two of them—but from a dozen which proved that Smith had found more than one man to assist him. But all the balls went high or wild, and Mr. Sprague and Leon got safely off. They crossed the bridge, travelled rapidly along the road that led to Mobile, and by ten o’clock the next day had the money safely in the bank. On the next day but one Mrs. Sprague came along. She told a pretty thrilling story about what had happened to her since Mr. Sprague left. Smith was so mad to think they had got away with the money that he burned her house over her head, and did not even leave her a negro cabin to go in to.
The hidden fortune safe at last.
Here we will leave Leon Sprague, only stating that he came on to Clayton, where Mr. Sprague had some friends, who gave him a cordial welcome. They purchased a neat little house which had been deserted by its owner during the war, and as they now lived there six years it began to look very home-like. He made the acquaintance of Bob Nellis almost as soon as he got into town, through him learned of the academy at which the latter was preparing for college, and went with him and entered his name on the books when he went there next term. Of course he was in the lowest class, but he studied his books night and day, and the result was very soon apparent. In two years he was up with boys of his own age.
We said that Joe Lufkin had not forgotten the raid he was going to make on that watering place the time he talked of stealing all the jewels. He made it, and perhaps we shall see what came of it. His son Hank got a boat about this time; and what he did with it, and how it took Joe Lufkin almost two hundred miles to sea, shall be told in “The Cruise of the Ten-Ton Cutter.”