CHAPTER XV.
THE NIGHT-HAWKS IN ACTION.
BEFORE Tom’s arrival on the common, the Night-hawks had been debating a knotty question. For nearly three weeks, the society had been inactive, not a single exploit having been performed to add to their glory; and one of the members, becoming weary of the monotony, had studied up a plan to “put a little life into the boys.” The scheme he proposed rendered it necessary that some one should run considerable risk; and the trouble among the Night-hawks had been occasioned by the effort to decide who that some one should be.
It was proposed to present ’Squire Thompson—a crusty, nervous old gentleman, whom all the boys delighted in teasing—with some of his own fruit and vegetables. The ’squire lived in the village, but he owned a farm about two miles back in the country, and it was there the vegetables grew. In order to convey their present from the farm to the village, it had been proposed to “borrow” the ’squire’s horse and wagon; and it was when the question arose, who shall be the one to go into the stable and harness the horse that the trouble began.
The Night-hawks were all delighted with the idea; but the difficulty was to find a boy courageous enough to do the dangerous part of the work. They were quite willing, and even eager, to engage in the sport, but they did not like the idea of going into a man’s stable after night, and “borrowing” his horse and wagon. It was a common saying among the members of the society, that “’Squire Thompson slept with one eye and both ears open;” besides, he kept two fierce dogs, and the chances were not one in ten that they could harness the horse, hitch him to the wagon, and escape without disturbing either the dogs or some member of the ’squire’s family. It had at first been suggested that the commander should appoint some one to do the work; but the boys would not agree to this, neither would they allow the “forlorn hope” to be selected by ballot. In short, the scheme was in danger of being abandoned, when Tom’s arrival showed the Night-hawks a way out of their difficulty. He was “just the man they wanted;” for he was “the strongest and bravest fellow in the party, and wasn’t afraid of any thing.”
“Well, Tom, what do you think of it?” asked Johnny Harding, after he had explained the scheme, and described, in glowing language, the astonishment and vexation ’Squire Thompson would experience when he awoke the next morning and found his wagon before his door, loaded with onions, cabbage, peaches, and green pumpkins. “Wouldn’t it be gay?”
“Yes,” answered Tom, “it would be glorious. But who is to get the horse and wagon?”
“Why, you are, of course!” answered Johnny. “If you refuse, it will be the first time since we organized our society. You see, it’s rather a difficult job, and no one but a very brave, strong, and skillful fellow should be allowed to undertake it; for it isn’t every boy that can go into a man’s stable, harness a horse, and bring him out, without awakening some one. I acknowledge that I can’t do it, but I know you can.”
“Yes, Newcombe,” chimed in several of the Night-hawks, “you’re the only man in the party that we can trust. You know just how it ought to be done.”
But Tom, just then, thought differently. He did not believe that he was the bravest and most skillful member of the society, neither did he like the idea of being obliged to secure the horse and wagon for the expedition, for he knew there was danger in it. But still, the thought of refusing to attempt it, never once entered into his head—that would injure his reputation, for it would show the Night-hawks that their grand commander was not half as brave as they had imagined him to be. So, summoning up courage, he replied, desperately: