A Good Deed A Day

Northern Advocate, 28 February 1939, Page 2

A Good Deed A Day

Bill, the troop leader of the Scouts at the little village of Brent, was roaming through the old ruins of the manse when he heard someone approaching. Quick as thought he jumped behind a pillar, and from there to a big cleft in the wall. Thus secluded he saw three men approaching. They were big men, strong and rough from outward appearances. One he recognised as the stranger who had come to the village some' days ago. but the other two he had not seen before. They stopped just near by where he was hidden. His heart leapt into his mouth. He had been seen. No! They were ignorant of his presence,* and sat down on some of the concrete slabs with which the place was littered •• ‘Bout time me boss was hero," growled one. after they had sat in silence for some time.

"Ye% usually is late," grumbled another, while the third sat and scowled in silence. Bill did not know what to do. He knew that he should not be there, but it was too late to get out now. The silence was suddenly broken by a sharp noise which he could not at first make out; it sounded like someone striking a piece of iron against the wall. “Ah! At last,” exclaimed the one who had previously been silent. The noise grew louder, until suddenly a man appeared. He was small and muscular, perfect in every limb, but his left arm, which terminated in a steel hook, evidently in place of a hand which had been lost at some previous date. This, Bill concluded, must have accounted for the noise he had heard. They wasted no time with idle chatter-, taut began immediately with the business which had called them to meet in such a strange outlandish place. “Is everything ready?” asked one of the men, evidently in no good humour of the delay. “Yes, answered the newcomer curtly. “And wait until you are spoken to, in future.” Tire man thus addressed, grunted, while his companions smiled. “Yes, everything is set. Number 1, you shall get the girl. She will be alone at her home—Carlton Avenue. Number 2, you shall proceed to the point, and be ready with a boat, manned and unfastened, prepared to take the girl immediately she is brought. Number 3, you shall be on board the schooner and have her ready for immediate departure, and wait to receive the boat containnig the girl. Go.” The three men disappeared, and the chief went back the way he had come. As the clanging died away, Bill racked his brains. It was evident that someone was in trouble, someone was to be kidnapped, but who? And why? Through his mind

flashed all the stories ho had read about kidnapping, and what had always been the motive?—money. Ah! the scoutmaster who lived at Carlton Avenue was the wealthiest man in the village, and it was well known that his only daughter was very dear 1o him.

Bill rushed out of the ruins and along to his home as fast as ho could. To throw open the door of his shed and got his bicycle was the matter of a minute, and soon he was speeding towards Carlton Avenue. The police station caught his eye, so. jamming on the. brakes, he jumped off. risking a nasty fall, and rushed up to the station. At the door he met one of the officials, with whom he spoke excitedly. After a fairly long conversation lie remounted, his bicycle, and contiruued his chase to Carlton Avenue, his eyes blazing with excitement. That night Number 1 crept into the house and located the living room, where he was pleased to find Betty sitting with her back to the door, apparently much engrossed in a book. Seeing no danger he crept behind her, threw a cloth over her head, and, picking her up, rushed uot, but not to freedom, right into the levelled revolvers of two policemen. Number 2 waited in his.boat. At last two figures appeared, then stepping out to assist them he received a sharp blow on the head, and fell. Number 3 waited in readiness on the schooner, a small boat approached, and a man clambered up the ladder. Number 3 gave him his hand to help him on board, but received a violent pull which threw him into the bottom' of the boat. Thus were they caught, in what had seemed to them the moment of success. And, what is more, our friend Bill had saved a girl from danger, thus, doing his daily good deed. You can imagine for yourself what happened when, the scoutmaster found who it was who had saved his daughter.