"Wot yeou fellers doin' here?" he demanded.
"Come here with the light—one of our party has fallen into the cistern!" cried Dave.
"Into the cistern, eh? Mebbe it serves him right. Ain't got no business in my barn," answered the farmer, as he came closer.
"We ran in because your dogs came after us," explained Roger.
"An' where did yeou come from? Ye don't belong around here, I know."
"We came from the train—it's off the track," said Dave. "But help us get this boy out first and then we'll explain."
"Train off the track? Well, I snum!" cried the farmer. Then he set down the lantern and aided in bringing Nat Poole to the flooring of the barn. "Putty cold, I'll bet a quart o' shellbarks," he added, grinning at the lad's wet and shivering figure.
"Can't we get him into the house by the fire?" asked Ben. "We'll pay you for your trouble."
Now if there was one thing Shadrach Mellick loved, it was money, and at the mention of pay he was all attention. He asked a few questions, and then led the way out of the barn and towards his house. The dogs wanted to follow, but he drove them back.
"Their bark is worse nor their bite," he ex-
