“He’s somewhere about the barn, with a lantern,” replied the woman, regarding him with some curiosity.
“I’ll find him then,” said Jack.
As he approached the barn, he saw a man with a lantern come out, leading a horse. Near the door, which he left open, he set down the lantern in the yard, and disappeared with the horse around a corner of the barn.
“He’s just going to the pasture bars,” thought Jack. “He’ll be back in about two minutes.” His resolution began to waver. “I wish I had waited till morning! Maybe ’t isn’t too late now. I’ll just slip into the barn, anyway.”
He slipped into the barn accordingly, and seeing, by the light of the lantern that shone in, a pile of clean straw in one corner, the idea occurred to him that it would make a very good bed. He couldn’t help laughing as he lay down and covered himself with it, thinking, “This is a joke I guess the joker himself would relish!”
The man presently returned, took up the lantern, looked into the barn as if to see that everything was secure, closed a door leading to an adjacent stable, and then retired, shutting the barn door after him and fastening it with a padlock.
“There’s been a boy here for you; have you seen him?” said the cheerful-faced woman when he reached the house.
“I’ve seen no boy, and I don’t want to see another for a fortnight,” replied the man, humorously; “I’ve had enough of boys! What sort of a boy?”
“He had his hat over his eyes, but he looked to me just like that Hazard boy.”
“Jack? That’s too rich! Ha, ha, ha! The idee of Jack’s giving his friend Sellick a call! Ha, ha, ha!” laughed the merry constable.