CALL OF THE CLUB.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 235, 3 October 1936, Page 16 (Supplement)

CALL OF THE CLUB.

After the excitement of seeing the pets was over the children were rather at a loss to know what to do, until May suggested that she would like to ride over to the branding enclosures of the rustlers. This was acclaimed a gopd idea, and it was' decided that they Slifruld have a game of rustlers when thg'y arrived there. May said that she would like to- ride Tony, and so Will rode Darky, and it was agreed that they could be the rustlers seeing they were mounted, and the rest of the children were the police force. Ten minutes brought them to their destination, and one with any imagination could almost see the wild men quickly changing the brands of the horses at dead of night.

zJt was a picturesque spot with a little two-roomed cabin, which was supposed an underground room, but it had never been found, so the people believed that it was only a rumour. The children started off on their game, fh<3 police force counting five hundred to" ~ give the two rustlers time to get avvay and hide.

May and Will rode some little distance down a bridle track, and then dismounted and tied their horses to a tree. Th6y then set off through the trees at a steady pace, side .by side. It was their intended idea to double" back to the ( ,cabin and so find a suitable hiding plfee. aithey were making their way through a very shady and dark place in the wood, when two rough looking men stepped from the thicket and said to the boy and girl that if they moved an inch or said one word they would shoot them immediately. The girl and boy were so amazed at being held up in such a manner that they couldn't if they had tried make a move or call for help. The men at once proceeded to gag their captives and tie their hands securely behind their backs. The children did not struggle, as they knew it was useless, and besides by nightfall they would be missed at home and then, no doubt, some one would come to search for them. The men roughly grabbed them by the shoulders and marched them along in front of them, making straight for the cabin as quickly as possible. They entered the cabin by a back entrance, and once inside the dimly lit room, one of the burly men lifted up a cjeverly concealed trapdoor and ordered the boy and girl into the dingy room below, where a small lantern was burning. The boy and girl scrambled down as best they could, but it was very diflicult, as their hands were still tied behind their backs, and when one has to get down a steep ladder it is not very easy. One of the men followed them down and removed their bonds, telling them that if they tried any capers it would he worse for them, and he said that as he knew they were curious to know who they Jthe men) were, he may as well tell them that they were Tim White and Bed Jake, the horse rustlers, but instead of horse thieving this time they were going to kidnap people and demand ransom for them. When he had told the children this he went up the ladder, and dragging it up behind him, shut the trapdoor and locked it from the Other side.

The children • having nothing else to do, acquainted themselves with their prison, which was a very small "room, with one broken chair; a small table, on .Which stood the lantern and a loaf of 'bread. A bundle of straw lay in one corner and a few old sacks completed the furnishin . of the roon».

Every now and then they felt a strong draft of fresh air coming into the room, and wondered where it could come from, as if there was any means of escape they would devise a plan of doing so. In the meantime the other children, after searching nearly every part of the small wood and only finding the tethered horses, were greatly puzzled as to where May and Will had got to, and as it was Hearing four o'clock, and there was milking to be done at home, they decided to leave them to come home themselves, having no doubt that they would overtake them on the road home. But no sign of the missing pair was seen on the road, or at the farm, I and the children told their parents about it. Mr. and Mrs. Adair decided to wait and see if they came home, and after the milking was done if they were not there to go and have another look for them. ■While the rest of the faiu.ly were at the milking and Mrs. Adair was busy preparing tea in the kitchen, a welldressed gentleman came up to the door, and when Mrs. went to see who was knocking, ho handed her a letter and hurriedly took his departure. Mrs. Adair opened the letter with a puzzled frown on her forehead, and went a trifle white when she read the contents, which were as follow: — "With - regard to the boy and girl which you have missed from your house, they a£e quite safe and will be returned to you at 12 o'clock mid-day to-morrow on receipt of £500 (in notes) to be left

in a packet in your letter box at 9 a.m. to-morrow. Failing this the boy and girl will be shipped abroad. If any police are seen in the vicinity of your home we will not bother to collect the ransom, hut straight away disappear with boy and girl.—T.W., R.J." After. Mrs. Adair had recovered sufficiently from the fright she had got, she ran out to the gate, but there was no sign of anyone. She then hastily went down to the milking sheds and told Mr. Adair and the children what had happened to May and Will. It was quite a miserable family that sat down.to tea that evening and hardly a word was spoken all through the meal. Mr. and Mrs. Adair retired to the sitting-room to discuss the matter and the children wandered gloomily about. In their little prison room May and Will sat almost as miserable, as they now knew what was to become of, them, and as they knew that £500 is a very large sum to lose, they were trying their very best to think of some means of escape. They both decided to again search the room and examine everv

little nook and cranny, and so satisfy themselves that there wasn't any place by which they could get out of the room. They started off with very despondent thoughts, until a smothered cry from Will brought May, with hopes arising, to his side. Ho then showed her a crack in the wall, which was so slight, but through which the air was coming that they had felt before, that they had passed it several times in their former searches, which w'ere not very thorough. Will took out his pocket knife and slid the blade into the crack, and they found to their jty that it went right round a large piece ef stone in the shape of a door. They both pushed, but all to no avail, when suddenly Will, who was running his hand over the surface of the stone, touched a small knob, which was so small that it was very difficult to see in the dim light. On pushing the knob again they heard a faint click, and then, to their amazement, the door swung out, and they found themselves looking into a tunnel, which wasn't very long, for they could see the darkening sky through an opening at the other end. They then put up some straw in the porner, under the sacks, and made it like two people sleeping, so that if the men happened to take a glance in they would think that the boy and girl were still there. This done, they crept out into the passage and pushed the door shut behind them. They made their way together along the short passage and in no time found themselves in the open air. On taking their bearfhgs they were glad to find that they had come up among the old branding enclosures, and after looking carefully around to see that no one was on the look-out, they smartly ran to the main road, where they decided that May should go on home to the farm, while Will went to the village to tell the police; so they set off.

When May reached the farm they were so pleased and surprised to see her, and all immediately began asking her where Will was and how did they get out? May told them the whole story, and by the time she had finished, up rode twelve mounted police, with Will among them. Mr. Adair at once joined them, to see if they could catch the notorious men, which they did in due time, catching them quite unawares in the cabin.

Next day May and Will were presented with £5 •rich for notifying the police as to the whereabouts of the horse thieves, and May declared that it was the most adventurous holiday she had ever had. ,