WRONGLY ACCUSED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 21036, 21 November 1931, Page 4 (Supplement)

WRONGLY ACCUSED.

HI By ALICE A. KENNY. |jg|

CHAPTER VI. " Ooh. Ooh! just in time!" gasped Alan, rolling over among his friends. "Golly! I am glad to bo out of that." " I thought of tho rope," cried Bill. " Wasn't it a good thing I brought tho rope." " 00-oh! I'm falling " howled the youth. * The boys now gave serious attention to his' plight, and discussed him rather as if he wcro out of hearing. " His belt must bo jolly strong," said George. " Shall wo go and get someone ? ' " Lower tho rope. Please lower the rope," begged tho helpless youth. " i\ly belt's giving." " It's such a long, strong rope," said Bill, " wo could lower him right down to the floor." "Doesn't ho howl!" remarked Alan. " He's got old Ballard's watch and his money. I saw him with them." Fred was manipulating tho rope. He leaned over and spoke firmly. " Look here—if we rescue you will you swear to give back old Ballard's gold watch that you stole?" "I never did steal it!" I' Well you can stay there then until the bobby comes. Will you swear?" " I never took anything." " But I saw you looking at them in tho shed," exclaimed Alan. " Will you swear to give them back?" repeated Fred. " All right. I swear I'll give everything back, I swear I will." "Don't pull him up," said Georgo nervously. " He'll start hitting us." " We'll bo ready for him if he does. We can't let him hang there until he drops. I could see shafts and wheels and things down there." Fred carried the rope far enough back to take a turn round a projecting beam and then went back and lowered it down through the skylight. " You must all keep away from the hole and haul hard on tho rope," he said. •' I'll come back and haul too as soon as it is on him. He'll bo able to help himself up as soon as he has the rope to hold on to." Eagerly the boy clawed at the strong nooso Fred sent dangling down to him. His face appeared wild and pale as he looked up. He put it under his arms, tightened it and gave a tug on the rope that made Fred stagger. " You get back and haul now," he cried, nimbly freeing himself and seeming to leap up on to the beam from which he had been hanging. Fred and the other boys went down the roof at a run, tho rope sawing on tlie edge of the skylight. They felt the weight of tho youth and were half afraid that they could not lift him, but in a few seconds his hands were clutching at the side of the hole, and he scrambled out into safety, panting, and swearing, with tears on his cheeks. He groaned and closed his eyes, lying fla.t as if exhausted. Fred took the rope off him and be sat up and began fumbling in his pocket.

Tho boys thought ho was about to restoro tho stolen goods to them, but instead ho took out a cigarette with trembling fingers. Ho had not yet expressed his gratitudo. He rose and began to walk down the roof. Tho boys accompanied liim. Ho stopped on tho edgo of tho low lean-to where they had climbed up. "What do youso want?" he asked offensively. "Who ar o you following?" " Wo want tho things you look off old Ballard's launch, so ho'll know wo didn't steal them. You swore you'd give them back if wo pulled you up." Tho ragged youth laughed at them. "Do you think I'm that soft," ho asked jecringly. " You clear out! go on, or I'll pretty soon make you." He was swaggering again as if no had never yelled with fright. Ho jumped off tho low roof and paused to 1 light a match. The boys stood on the edge of tho roof and watched him, at a loss what to do.A slight breeze blew his match out, and he swore. He moved close to a stout post, relic of some vanished erection, and lighted his cigarette in the shelter of it. Inspiration came to Fred. He had been playing with the rope mechanically, making a slip knot and enlarging the noose. As the thief looked up with a leer at the four boys, and blew out a puff of smoke, tho heavy rope thudded upon his shoulders, encircling him and the post. It was over his arms, and before lie could duck from it Fred yelled and dragged it tight. Everybody yelled at once, and all the boys tumbled off the roof in a flash. Boys and rope were in rapid motion. They raced round the post hauling with a good will and coil after coil tightened round the plunging captive until he could plunge no more. A short dialogue took place in which the prisoner's pari was a mere monotonous pleading, threatening, or swearing. " You've just done yourself in," said Alan, " you should have kept your word.'' " You see what you get for trying to slip us up after we rescued you." said Fred. " One of us had better go down and tell them we've found him," suggested Bill. " George can, he's the youngest," said Fred. " The rest of us are needed to guard him." " I'm not going, they mightn't believe me," objected George, who did not want to meet his father singly. They were all sitting on the low edge of the roof like a row of sparrows when Mr. Collins and Mr. Richardson suddenly appeared at the side of the clearing. "With them was a large man who thev had no' difficulty in recognising. Ballard had carried out his threats and laid an information. The boys on the roof were plainly visible to the new comers, but not the prisoner tied to his stake. "What are you boys doing up here?" said Mr. Collins sternly. " Come clown out of that. Come here at once." (To be concluded.)