But here the adventure was to end for the time. The boys, instinctively aware that the men believed they were beyond observation, now were eager to see which road of a fork beyond would be followed and they were not greatly surprised when the travelers turned in at the gate of the farm house and knocked at the door. A light appeared at the entrance, a large figure loomed in the doorway, a few words were exchanged in voluble German; then the door closed.
“They’re friends of Shultz, by jimminy!” Clem exploded.
“They are, you bet! That big fat slob of a saloon keeper was in the door,” Don added.
“Let’s go home. We can look into this further, but later,” Clem advised and the boys almost reluctantly retraced their steps.
[CHAPTER III]
Bang
Christmas festivities at Lofton, like those in nearly every live town in the United States, were such as to engross the attention of the youthful population, especially the rehearsing for Christmas Eve carols. The plans for home enjoyments, the doing up of packages, procuring and trimming of trees and many other happy duties kept both boys about their widely separated homes very busy.
Clem Stapley lived in the mansion on a hill overlooking the town and the mills. Don Richards dwelt in a big house on the main street. In the days following—the Sunday and Monday preceding Christmas—the lads saw each other but once, and then only to exchange a few words. These had been in effect that if the suspected strangers were up to any mischief here they would probably defer it until after Christmas, and now spend the time having a beer-fest with fat old Shultz. Clem thought more probably that the men had gone away again, or would soon go, but Don believed otherwise; he had been reading of German propaganda and plots against munition factories and ships, and with a mind keen for gathering facts and making deductions, he felt, half instinctively, that there must be an evil purpose in these men stopping in this town where the large factory was turning out war materials for the Government. It was almost with a conscientious protest that he turned now to the immediate business of Christmas gaieties.
And the jolliest day of the year came on with its usual zest and pleasure, and went quickly by. Late in the afternoon Don and a younger brother, to try new skates, went out to the pond not far from the Galaville road and as they were returning, just at dusk, they observed three men standing on a high knoll just above the road and looking off toward the town, one pointing, with out-stretched arm, from time to time. The figures could be clearly seen against the sky: one, a short fellow, apparently with whiskers, one a slender, tall chap and the other big, paunchy, heavy-set. It did not require much imagination to identify them as Shultz and his two guests—the Germans of the train.