The Hilltop Boys

g through space and then he struck on his back and went slidin

bank, narrowly missing great rocks, stumps of fallen trees and clum

ver, was the fact that he had not lost his footing through his

ely useless for he had not seen him and had not known of

s the identity of this person and it seemed as if he must have turned thi

d nor how long he was in descending, the only thing that was definite being

istance, he was suddenly brought up sharply by his feet striking a great mass of moss, decayed wood and rich

he contact but quickly realized that he was not hurt alth

s trousers had many holes in them but he was alive and evidently not seriously

ump he would have gone into the water whi

much as was possible at the moment, he too

dge wide enough for him to make his way, here and there obstr

vine by climbing and he might by following the path come to t

the woods and the ravine and the brook and he set off, therefore, with n

t, now having to make his way through tangled bushes, now scrambling over rough stones and occasionally being turned aside by grea

ly half a mile although the difficult

ess easy for travel than at first although it was wider and evidentl

the path and reach the road when he saw something half in the

y by its looks, the part on the ground being deep i

n him that here was a

plunder stolen from the bank or fro

creek and then back and it at once occurred to Jack that they had not gone to the bridge for nothing and that here was something that they

ite steep, the boy rested on one knee, took hold of a st

d considerable of a tug was required to d

to aid him, he drew the bag farther up on the bank and th

this he loosened with some little trouble on account o

ash box, a bundle of letters, a package of bills and a thick en

x, the first thing that attracted his

om the bank after all. What is this? Bunch of registered mail for the little p

th the cord, Jack now made his way toward the end of th

it either to the station or up to the Academy. It will be a considerable tug to get it up the hill and

idge to hide the bag when he heard the sound of a car comin

zed it as the little runabout belonging to Di

o see you," he called, stepping o

ll right, of course? I was very

for Percival s

en down the bank and I scarcely expected to see you alive again. As q

len down the bank?" asked Jac

ou look it

d you th

y said they had seen you fall and had

id you s

going there to meet y

ened, did they tell you? Did

y. I heard a scream and hurried on. Then I

was thrown down the bank. It was not an

h of the two did

did it. However, never mind that now. C

f his car and

sited the bag, uncovered it by throwing off

here, a few paces away. Wh

the least id

cket of registered letters for our offic

found i

he bank and hal

d it ge

want to be found with it on them I suppose. Probably

xamined the

ll of

we do with

can take it to the bank. I don't wan

" laughed Dick, "but I am glad you are alive. Are you hurt any? N

ruised but I don't think there is anything serious the ma

demy. Here, don't you lift it. I can do it b

alarm about my having

ould speak to the doct

think for the present

hich one of those fellows it was that pus

ve you ever wi

to co