The City of Fire

ite houses with their green blinds, the maples with their clear cut leaves, the cosy brick school house wide winged and friendly, the vine clad stone church, and the

devotion fled through his fourteen-year-old soul as he regarded it idly. Down there was home and all his interests and loyalty. His eyes dwelt affectionately on the pointing spire and bell tower. He loved those bells, and the one who played them, and under thei

well weathered box that blended into the mountain side unnoticeably, and did not spoil the view. The agent's cabin was hidden by the trees and did not count. But Pleasant View was important as a station because it stood at the intersection of two lines of thread like tracks that slipped among the mountains in different directions; one winding among the trees and about a clear mountain lake, car

r. This was Billy's harvest time. He could sometimes make as much as fifty cents or even seventy-five if he struck a generous party, just being generally useful, carrying bags and marshalling babies. It was important that Billy should earn something for it was

y himself stood in the shelter of several immense packing boxes piled close to the station. It was a niche just big enough for his wiry young length with the op

n on the early Lake train from the Hotel and had to be transferred to the New York

muscles in the swarthy cheeks move as the man mouthed a big black cigar. But Billy was not interested in the new freight agent, and remained in his retreat, watching the brilliant sunshine shimmer over the bl

was aware of a

w back like a turtle to his shell and listened. The rail was beginning to sing decidedly now and the telephone inside the grated window suddenly sat up a furious ringing. Billy's eye came round the corner

ng? You don't say! Some big guy? Say, that's good news at last! Get on th

ind the boxes just in time to miss the heavy one coming out with an excited air, an

her train, which arrived promptly, securing a double seat for the fat woman with the canary, and the poodle in a big basket, depositing the baggage of a pretty lady on the shady side, making himself generally useful to the opulent looking man w

glance through the grated window where the telegraph instrument was clicking away sleepily, but no one was there. Then a stir among the pines below the

o a break in the undergrowth. Like a young mole burrowing he wove his way under branches the larger man must have turned aside, and so his going was as silent as the air. Now and then he could hear the crash of a broken

himself softly into a group of cypress and held his breath. Softly he parted the foliage and peered. The man was down upon his knees before a rough box, holdi

e any quicker, lots of passengers. L

gutteral burst out and became distinct, and gradually eno

at catch ... Tonight!... Got a bet on to

unded shady, but what was the

ower machine? Wreck it of course, but he might get killed and wh

he ground again

nk. They'll get there about eight o'clock. Beat him to it by an hour anyway, maybe more. Now it's up to you to look after details. Get anyone you want to help till Shorty and L

way? Is there enough in it to pay for the risk? You know kidnapping ain't any juvenile demeanor. I didn't promise no such stuff as this when I said I'd take a hand over here. Now just a common little hold-up ain'

ll ready-you know where-and never a soul in all the world would suspect. It's far enough away and yet not too far-. You'll make enough ou

you say

, son of the big Shafton,

blended with the

say? How mu

otes on him. Uncle has a big estate on Long Island, plenty more mill

es you think he'll come this w

p close to the family, see? Guy's goin' down to Beechwood to a house party, got a bet on that he'll make it before daylight. He's bound to pass your mountain soon after midnight, see? Are you go

d over with dried grass and branches. He examined it all very carefully, pried underneath with his jack knife, discovered the spot where the wire connected, speculated as to where it tapped the main line, prospected a bit about the place and then on hands and knees worm

at. Just what Billy Gaston did it for, perhaps he did not quite know himself, save that the lure of hanging round a mystery was always great. Moreover it gave him deep joy to know that he knew something about this man that the man did

ing of other matters, but Billy still hung around. He had a hunch that he might be going to make merchandise in s

up and frowne

ped threateningly, "What

amusedly as from

any odd jobs I could get,

red the man with an eloquent wave toward the majestic

ne who enjoys the scenery. The third time he rounded the curve by the freight agent the man looked up with a

know how to keep

ed him with in

said at last. "If anybody

so full of possible meaning. The keenest searching revealed nothing i

a five lo

the boy promptly, "

, ten

rcled the station again while the man stoo

at you want, the earth wi

Billy doggedly, lowering his eyes to

the distant mountain thoughtfully,

ow you're efficie

e," came back the boy quickly. "C

esides, how much had he overheard? Had he been around when the station telephone rang? Kids

t'night at eight o'clock sharp. It's mebbe an al

t do

el by your side and act like you had a fall an' w

garded h

shoot

of cash. You see that man's got some money that ou

antly, "An' whatcha gonta d

ve him a s

fer a few days where he won't see his friend

gray eyes to two slits. "An' h

looked u

ound twenty-five, and it's twenty bucks more'n you deserve. Why off in this deserted pl

mounted sideways and slid along t

alled over his shoulder as he swun

dive after him and

aid gruffly, "You said you wanted a job an' I'm being squar

ed green bill with a sli

n less'n half, such a shady job as this looks, but make it a ten an' I'll close with ya. If ya don't like it ask

e bills upon him. He had seen a light in that boy's eye tha

iled handkerchief, and stuffed it indifferently into his alread

the road and coasted down the road below the tunnel toward Monopoly, leaving Sabbath Valley glistening in the sunshine off to the right. With all that money i

grimy cap in his hand and scratched hi

e devil! Now I don't know what he'll d