Skippy got the lantern down from the hook on the side wall. He took it over to the window and set it down firmly on the sill, then spread out the neatly folded note-paper and began to write:
“After the accident we rode and rode—through woods and every place, I don’t know where. It was eight or nine o’clock when we got here, a terrible lonesome house with swamp and woods all round. It’s got bars all inside on the windows so we can’t get out. A boy named Timmy Brogan went with him tonight so a feller named Frost (his pal) is here with us now. There’s three kids besides me and maybe by the time you get this two will be gone. Anyway, boss, all I can tell you about it, is Frost said this house used to be in a village but the village burned down all round it. So instead of building up the village again the people moved twenty-five miles away near a railroad—that was seventy-five years ago. Frost says it’s the house that people forgot and he says nobody knew about it but a nit-wit hermit that died last year. So this is all I know about where I am. I get headaches kind of from it being so hot in this house with all the shutters closed too, but outside of that, I’m all right. Devlin’s terrible mysterious and queer acting boss and the kid that went tonight said he was a worse man than ever you think. Anyway, I hope I can give this to somebody soon so you can find out where we are and help us.... Skip”....
Nickie was still a patient sentinel and he smiled encouragingly. Skippy took heart and folded up the note and wrote outside:
“To Whoever Gets this Will they Please send this to the Manhattan World, New York City ... thanks.... And keep this a secret or else we’ll be taken away and won’t get helped!”
Below it, he added:
“To the Editor of the Personal Column.... An Answer to Boss’ in Friday’s paper, August 19....”
He put down his pencil and folded the note still smaller. Then he got one of his shoes and slipped the paper inside of the loose lining. After that, he nodded to Nickie and putting the light out they crawled into bed.
“Devlin’ll be takin’ one of us to go through that doctor’s examination business soon’s he gets back, Nickie,” Skippy whispered. “Whoever he takes, will take that note ’cause it’ll bring us help if we wait our chance an’ slip it to somebody we think we can trust. We’ll pass somebody going back an’ forth to the doctor’s office an’ it’s better if it’s a lady.”
“Yeah, an old lady,” Nickie murmured, thinking wistfully of his good aunt. “Them you can trust.”
“For two reasons we shouldn’t give it to the doctor,” Skippy warned. “Devlin might get wise, an’ besides the doctor might be workin’ with Devlin. So we gotta be careful, huh?”