“That's a splendid way to fasten a door,” whispered Harry. “I got the idea from Mr. Johnson, a commercial traveler, who used to come to father's house. He said that if you take a chair or a strong cane,—anything in fact that will go under the latch and rest on the floor at a sharp angle,—it will defy any effort to open the door short of bursting it in.”
“All right,” answered Jack; “let's have short talks and quick business.”
Then they opened, and very softly opened, the window, and with their shoes in their hands stepped out on the roof of the shed. Creeping along the roof they reached the chimney without making a sound, and found the place that was “built up in steps like” and facilitated their descent to the ground.
There they sat down and put their shoes on, and then they moved in the direction of the barn. But just before reaching it they heard voices that made them pause. After listening a moment they sought shelter behind a broken cart that offered a friendly place of concealment.
A group of five men on horseback came up and drew rein within a few feet of where the youths were lying. They talked in low tones, but loud enough to be distinctly heard, and both Harry and Jack perceived that one of the voices belonged to their host.
“We'd better get their horses out first and saddle'em,” said Mr. ———(we 'll call him Jones, but that was n't his name or anything like it), “and then you won't have to do it afterwards. I can help you now, but could n't when the young Yanks are looking on.”
“All right, squire,” was the answer, and with that all slid down from their horses. The bridles were placed in the hands of one who appeared to be the youngest, as he certainly was the smallest, of the party, and the others proceeded to bring out and saddle the horses of Harry and Jack.
When this had been done Mr. Jones suggested that all the horses should be tied to the fence close to the barn, so that Billy, the man who had been holding the five steeds, could be free to help them in case there was occasion for anything. This was agreed to, and Billy was left to watch outside while the rest of the party entered the house. Mr. Jones was to retire to bed and thus give the capture the aspect of something that had been done against his will. In case of any outside alarm, Billy was to strike against the barn-door three times; it had been proposed to fire a shot from his rifle, but on careful consideration it was thought the other signal would answer just as well and be less suspicious to ears for which it was not intended.
The four disappeared in the direction of the house, and from their place of concealment Harry and Jack surveyed the scene and formed their plans. Having nothing else to do, the five horses of the guerrillas were inclined to quarrel with the two strange ones, and the disturbance they made gave our friends an opportunity to whisper easily to each other, without danger of being overheard by Billy.
“We must watch our chance,” said Harry, “and jump on his shoulders so as to bear him to the ground before he can call out for help.”