The Argosy for May — page 182: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

AN ENTICING 1 mentioned it to Miss Meredith, when we had an opportunity to exchange a ‘few words alone. “ T’ve got an idea,” I announced. “Is it a good one?” she asked eagerly. “ Well, I think it will work. Listen, and 1’ll explain it to you. You've heard, of course, of shipwrecked _ mariners, stranded on desert islands, getting news of their predicament to the outside world by enclosing messages in glass bottles which they cast into the sea?” “ Yes,” she assented eagerly. “Well, I intend to follow their ex- ample,’ I went on. “I have managed to get hold of a small glass bottle.” “ But I don’t see how that could be done,” she exclaimed. ‘‘ We haven’t any sea to throw a bottle into; and bottles won't float on land, you know. If you threw it on the ground, nobody would be likely to discover it.” ‘I don’t intend to throw it on the ground,’ I answered. “Look, Miss Meredith. Do you see that little brook there?”’ . I pointed to a tiny stream which ran past the rear of Shady Bower Farm. “That stream must wend its way to some creek or river around here,” I went on excitedly. ‘I was studying it this morning. Luckily for us, it has been swollen by recent “rains;. and, small though it is, it ought to have enough current to carry away a small bottle. I am going to put a message in a little class bottle, and throw it into the brook. If we areAucky, it will be carried out into deeper water and finally to the river, and somebody will pick it up and hurry .to our rescue.” “Oh, how very clever of you!” she exclaimed, clapping her little hands. ‘“T do hope that you will succeed! If you get me out of this horrid place, I shall never forget you, Mr. Colling- wood.”’ These words made me more than ever determined not to fail. I wrote on a piece of paper, with my fountain pen, the following stirring mes- sage! Help! Help! Help! Whoever reads this, get men and guns and hasten to Shady Bower Farm, Meritville, Greene County. We are kept prisoners here by 12 A PROSPECT. 369 farmer Snookins, who has gone insane. There are nine of us, and we have been imprisoned here for weeks. Don’t fail to come well armed, for Farmer Snook- ins is armed to the teeth, and he has six savage boarhounds. For Heaven’s sake don’t fail us in our hour of need, or our blood will be on your head. Hurry! Hurry! Hurry! Help! Help! Help! “I .guess that is strong enough,” I remarked, eying my work with satisfac- tion. I rolled the paper tightly, and placed it inside a small bottle which had contained toothwash. Then I jammed the cork in so snugly that the bottle was thoroughly water-tight, and threw it into the brook. Miss Janet Meredith and L observed with much satisfaction that there was just enough current to the tiny stream to carry the bottle away. We watched .that improvised bearer of our forlorn hope until it drifted out of sight. Then we both sighed, and walked slowly away. “I do hope that somebody finds it and reads that message,’ Miss Meredith remarked fervently. 3 My emotion was too great to permit of words. I squeezed her little hand sympathetically, and noticed with de- light that she did not appear to resent it. All that day we wondered and wor- ried. Every time our eyes met, each could see that that little bottle and its precious contents were uppermost in the other’s thoughts. We said nothing to our fellow pris- oners about what we had done. Of course, if my plan was successful, we would all benefit by it; but there was no use in taking them into our con- fidence at present. ‘That evening Farmer Snookins sum- moned us all into the barn. There was something about his man- ner which filled me with terror. His eyes were bloodshot and rolling. His mouth worked spasmodically. His coun- tenance, ordinarily sinister, now looked positively fiendish. When we were all assembled before him, he stood there regarding us with a leer of triumph, rubbed his palms. to- gether in a satisfied way, and gave vent to several chuckles, the sound of which made my blood run cold. 1OOOL< (C@ (CO)