Frank Roscoes Secret | Page 7

we to do?" asked the member of the trio who had first spoken.
"We're to stay here until the rest of the crowd arrives, and watch what happens. But the main thing is to capture Ned."
All unconscious of the change in the conspirators' plans, and congratulating themselves on the success of their method in guarding against surprise, the members of the nine and their friends began assembling one by one in the barn, as it grew dusk.
Most of them were on hand, and the tables, which were boards placed across saw-horses, had been spread with the good things to eat.
"Where's Ned?" asked Bart, as he noticed that the toastmaster was not yet present.
"He and Frank are coming together," replied Fenn. "Better take a look out, fellows, and see if you can spot any of the enemy."
Several boys mounted to the hay loft and looked out of the small door formerly used to take fodder into the barn. The watchers reported the coast clear.
They came down, and were standing about the table, waiting for Ned and Frank, who were the only absentees, when a loud cry came from the direction of the cow stable door.
"Rescue! Rescue! Darewells to the rescue! They're kidnapping Ned!"
"That's Frank's voice!" cried Bart. "Come on, fellows! They've played a trick on us and they've got Ned!"
CHAPTER IV
NED HEARS STRANGE TALK
There was a rush for the stairs leading from the barn down into the cow stable. The nine and their friends fairly jammed the narrow passageway, so eager were they to get outside.
"Easy!" shouted Bart. "We'll never get down this way! One at a time!"
The boys could hear the sounds of a struggle. There were confused cries, and the shuffling of many feet.
"Hurry! Hurry!" cried Frank.
At last Bart, Fenn and a few others managed to reach the outside small door, and rushed into the disused cowyard. There they saw a confusion of black forms. There were two knots of struggling boys.
One knot was grouped about Frank, and the other around Ned. From both groups came shouts and cries and the sounds of conflict, though it was all in fun, and there was no evidence of anger.
"To the rescue!" yelled Bart, making for one crowd. He was followed by several of his companions and then, others of the nine, and their friends, sailed in to help Frank, since Bart had tackled Ned's assailants.
But with the advent of the boys from the barn there appeared reinforcements of the enemy. The rescuers were fairly surrounded by a throng of the Upside Downs, who were shouting and laughing, and fairly overwhelming the ball players and their companions.
Suddenly the group surrounding Frank seemed to break apart. The members of the first year class, who had been pulling and hauling him this way and that, drew off. At the same time a cry sounded.
"This way, First Years!"
Off through the darkness, out of the cow-yard, moved a mass of boys.
"We've beaten them off!" cried Bart exultantly.
"Yes but they're taking Ned with them!" shouted Frank.
Only a few of the members of the nine heard what he said, so great was the shouting and confusion. Frank tried to make himself understood. He ran toward Bart, but several of the Upside Down boys got in his way and prevented him. When at last he was able to make Bart understand what had happened the group surrounding Ned was out of the yard.
"We must get them!" yelled Bart as he caught Frank's meaning. "Come on, fellows!"
There was a rush for the gate, but when Bart and his friends reached it they found it was fastened. All the Upside Down boys had disappeared. A dark mass of them could be seen hurrying across the fields, seeming to bear some burden in their midst.
"They've got Ned!" cried Bart. "After them!"
"Wait!" shouted Fenn. "Maybe it's only a trick to get us away from the barn, so they can steal the dinner!"
"That's so!" agreed Bart, much excited. "Are you sure they have Ned, Frank?"
"Sure! We both came in together, and they grabbed us. But it was Ned they wanted, because he was to be toastmaster. They must have gagged him, as I didn't hear him yell."
"What had we better do?" asked Bart.
"Some of us stay here to look after things and the rest try to get Ned," suggested Fenn.
"They're five to our one," objected Frank.
"That's nothing! We've got to get Ned! They'll have the laugh on us if we don't," said Bart.
There was a hasty consultation and the dinner party was divided into two forces. Some were left on guard, while the others set off on a run after the Upside Down boys.
But the delay had given the assailants the very chance they needed to get a good start. When the pursuers set off across the fields the captors of Ned were out of