The Night-hawks were not at all particular as to the nature of their “present,” for whatever articles came first to their hands—such as shovels, rakes, hoes, sticks of wood and chips—were seized and thrown into the wagon. But still there was room for a few vegetables, and presently a boy appeared with his arms filled with onions, followed by two or three loaded with green pumpkins, and Johnny Harding brought up the rear, bringing a goose, which he had captured after a long race.
“O, now, let him go!” exclaimed Tom. “Don’t bring him here. He’ll arouse every body within a mile around.”
“No fear of that,” replied Johnny, confidently. “I’ll carry him in my arms, and every time he tries to make a noise I’ll choke him.”
This suggested a slight change in the original programme, for all the Night-hawks now turned their attention to the ’squire’s live stock. Some climbed over the fence into the barn-yard, and endeavored to capture one of the calves, others attempted to run down the remainder of the geese, and the result was that, in a very few moments, all the dogs in the neighborhood had been aroused, and were barking vociferously.
“Our game is up now, boys,” said Johnny. “Let’s be off, or we’ll have the Philistines down on us. I wish we could have caught two or three of those calves, and the rest of the geese. However, we have got as large a load already as this old horse can pull. All aboard, fellows! Drive on, Tom.”
The retreat from the farm was easily accomplished, and as soon as the Night-hawks were satisfied that they were out of danger, they began to indulge in speculations as to what ’Squire Thompson would say when he found what a present they had brought him; and Tom declared that he would like to be “hidden behind a tree somewhere, so that he might hear all the ’squire had to say about it.” Had he known what was to happen before he got through with his night’s work, it is probable that he never would have given utterance to this wish. But Tom was not as happy as he pretended to be. He was thinking of a most unpleasant task he had yet to perform, and that was to put the horse and wagon where he had found them. This was a particularly dangerous piece of work, and he would have been glad, indeed, could he have thought of some plan to shift the responsibility upon the shoulders of some body else.
“Boys,” said he, after thinking the matter over, “I propose that we don’t put the wagon back in the yard. Let’s leave it outside the gate.”
“O, no, Newcombe,” replied Johnny, quickly, “that would spoil it all. In order to do the business up nicely, we must put every thing back where we found it.”
“But just look at the risk I shall run,” said Tom. “You must remember that the wagon is loaded, and that I can’t pull it from the pasture to the barn. It’s too heavy.”
“Of course it is. You will have to drive right into the stable-yard.”