The Mandie Collection (14 page)

Mandie suddenly realized she was at a dead end. As far as she could tell, she would have to go through that room to get out. Maybe if she put out the lantern, she could sneak between the tall stacks of boxes to the door on the other side of the room.

She was already shivering and shaking from her cold, wet shoes and skirts, and now fright added more to her trembling. Then she remembered she didn't have any more matches, and if she put out the lantern, how would she see her way beyond the room and out of this building? It was sure to be dark wherever that door led. Maybe she could shield the lantern light with her cloak as she slipped between the boxes. And she would have to be awfully quick and awfully quiet before the man saw her.

Mandie stared across the room at the open door on the far side. Suddenly she got a glimpse of Celia as she stooped behind a large box near it.

Gaining courage from knowing her friend was there, Mandie gathered up her wet skirts, shielded the lantern, and moved carefully through the nearby doorway. She tried to stay hidden behind the tall stacks of boxes as she crept into the room and headed toward the other door. She was nearly halfway across the room when the man turned and saw her. She stumbled in her wet skirts and, trying to hold on to the lantern, rushed for the far door. But the man was too quick.

“Whoa there,” he said, grasping the back of her cloak and yanking her to a halt. “Now, just where did you come from?”

“I'm going home, mister. I'm lost,” Mandie quickly replied, frantically trying to think of a satisfactory answer.

“I'll say you're lost,” the man growled, still holding her cape.

Mandie glanced toward her friend, and Celia signaled that she was going for help. She quickly went back through the door.

“If you'll just let me go, mister, I have to go home now,” Mandie told the man, trying to keep her voice from shaking in fear.

“You are not going anywhere right now till I find out how you got in here,” the man insisted. He frowned as he bent to stare into her face.

“I . . . I . . . fell in, mister, I fell in,” Mandie answered, trying to wrestle free from his grasp.

“Fell in, huh? That's just not possible, miss. No way you could have fallen in here,” the man argued, gathering up more of her cloak in his hands. “Now, I don't want no nonsense. I am asking you one
more time, how did you get in here?” He gave her a little shake with her cloak.

Mandie almost dropped the lantern in her fright. “There's—there's a hole up in the street, and I fell through it,” she quavered. She took a deep breath and made herself look straight into his dark eyes.

He squinted at her and replied, “No hole up in the street. I know that. Now, tell me quick, how did you get in here?”

“I can show you,” Mandie insisted, still staring into his face in order not to seem afraid. “It's in the street up there. I stepped on something. It flipped, and I fell through into a whole lot of water. Then I walked a long ways and found that window over there and this room.” She pointed toward the window.

The man frowned, scratched his whiskers, and said, “You'd better tell me the truth. I'm going to keep you here until you do.”

Then a familiar voice behind them said, “Nerlin Snow, you let her go! I told you I'd turn you all in if you don't straighten up and give back all the stuff you all have stolen.”

Mandie turned her head and couldn't believe her eyes. April Snow was standing in the doorway.

“Oh, now, April, we just hadn't got around to it yet,” the man whined, still holding on to Mandie's cape.

April walked across the room, slapped the man's hand, and forced him to let go of Mandie. Whirling Mandie around by the shoulder to look at her, April said, “Now, you get on back to school. I can take care of him.”

Mandie's thoughts whirled as she tried to figure out the situation. April had called the man Snow. “Thank you, April” was all she could think to say.

“Now, cousin, don't be so hasty in your actions,” the man complained to April.

April whirled to face him. “Cousin, my foot. I don't claim kin with your kind. After all, you are only about a thirteenth cousin,” she retorted, placing her hands on her hips. “Where are the rest of your friends?”

“They're not here right now,” the man she called Nerlin Snow replied.

“I suppose they are out stealing more,” April said. “You promised if I'd go buy those writing tablets for you to list what belongs to whom, you'd give everybody their stuff back.”

“You know the law would grab us in a minute if we's dumb enough to do that,” Nerlin said.

Mandie stood there listening, wondering what was going on.

April suddenly stomped her feet again and moved closer to Mandie. “I told you to go, get gone, hightail it. Get out of here. Understand?” she shouted.

Mandie stepped back. “Yes, I know you did, April, but I might ought to stay to help you. Maybe—”

“I don't need any help,” April interrupted firmly.

Mandie glanced beyond April to the door behind her. Celia was standing there with Uncle Ned. Tommy Patton hovered in the background. She breathed a huge sigh of relief.

April whirled again and saw the group in the doorway. “Come on in,” she said. “This is one of the thieves who's been stealing all over town.”

As Uncle Ned stepped into the room, Nerlin moved between two stacks of cartons. Tommy rushed in and went straight to Mandie. “I'm sorry,” he apologized. “They had the school locked up, and I was late getting out. So I missed you.”

“Thanks for coming anyway, Tommy,” Mandie told him, trying to straighten her soggy skirt and cloak as she set the lantern on the floor.

Uncle Ned walked straight up to Nerlin where he was trying to hide between the boxes. “Why you steal?” he asked the man. “Big Book say do not steal.” At least a foot taller, he stopped and stared down at the man.

“Oh, not one of them preacher kind of Indians!” Nerlin moaned, trying to stay out of Uncle Ned's reach.

“Nerlin Snow, you were raised by the Bible, just like I was,” April jumped into the conversation. “You know it does say you should not steal, so don't get all ignorant all of a sudden.” Then looking up at Uncle Ned, she said, “He is one of the thieves. There are two more that I know of. I warned him I would turn him in. He's not going to disgrace the name of Snow. But you all beat me to it. So tie him up,
Uncle Ned, and just wait. The others will probably be in here before long. This is their meeting place.”

Uncle Ned nodded down at April and said, “You a good girl.”

Tommy came forward with a coil of rope and handed it to Uncle Ned. “Here, Uncle Ned, I'll help you tie him up, and then we can wait for the others.”

For once in her life, Mandie was practically speechless. She thought of all the ill feelings she'd had toward April, and all the pranks April had pulled on her. And now here was an April Snow she had never seen before.

“Thank you, April,” Mandie said again to the girl.

“Yes, many thanks, April,” Celia finally spoke from the other side of the group.

April frowned at Mandie and said crossly, “Thanks for what? I haven't done anything to be thanked for. I just don't want any lawbreakers even slightly connected to my family name.”

Uncle Ned and Tommy approached Nerlin, and since the man was backed into a corner, he finally just stood there and allowed the old man to tie his hands behind his back.

“That is not going to do you any good, you know,” Nerlin said threateningly to Uncle Ned. “I have two friends who will be along shortly, and the odds will be against you then.”

Uncle Ned did not reply but finished tying the man's hands.

Mandie had a sudden idea. She stepped up to the man and asked, “Now, tell me which box has my grandmother's silver set in it. I want to take it back to her. Right now.” She stomped her foot and glared at him.

“How do I know where your grandma's stuff is? I didn't pack all these boxes,” Nerlin said angrily.

“I want it right now,” Mandie repeated, her voice firm.

“More'n likely it's done gone off on the train,” Nerlin said offhandedly, spitting on the floor.

“On the train?” Mandie was shocked. “You'd better hope it hasn't, or you're going to be in deep trouble.”

“When go on train?” Uncle Ned asked the man. “What went?”

“Several days ago we took some boxes to the depot,” he grumbled.
“They were supposed to be put on the train the next day,” Nerlin replied. “So, you see, some of it is long gone.”

“Where did it go on the train?” Mandie quickly asked.

“Who knows? I'm not the only one handling all this stuff, you know,” Nerlin told her.

April stepped forward and stomped on the man's foot. “Stop lying, Nerlin,” she said. “You didn't send anything off on the train. I've been watching. Now, where is Mrs. Taft's silver set? Tell her. Tell her
now
.”

“How do I know what's in all these boxes?” Nerlin yelled back at her. “I didn't pack all of it.”

“Then we unpack all the boxes,” Uncle Ned told him. “We find it.”

“Oh yes, Uncle Ned, let's do,” Mandie quickly agreed.

April spoke again. “You'd better tie his feet. He'll run away.”

“No run, tied to wall,” the old Indian said.

Mandie walked around the man. The rope tying his hands was looped around several hooks on the wall behind him.

April glanced at the rope and nodded.

“Let's get all these boxes opened,” Tommy said, pulling at the lid of one on the top of a stack.

Uncle Ned and Tommy lifted the boxes to the floor so Mandie and Celia could examine the contents. April crossed her arms and stood by the doorway, watching them.

The boxes contained all kinds of silver sets, silverware, jewelry, costly vases, and other expensive items. Pretty soon enough boxes had been emptied that there was hardly room to walk.

“Why don't we put some of this back in the boxes?” Mandie suggested, surveying the huge pile. “The only thing I want to find is Grandmother's silver set, and we know it's not in the boxes we've emptied.”

“Yes, careful,” Uncle Ned agreed, returning some of the items to a box he had searched.

“This might take all night,” Tommy said with a big sigh. “Can't we make that fellow tell us which box Mrs. Taft's set is in?” He stared at the man.

“How many times do I have to tell you, I don't know what's in all those boxes. I didn't pack all of them,” Nerlin retorted.

Uncle Ned straightened up and looked at Tommy. “Need search train,” he said. “May be there.”

“But, Uncle Ned, he said they took boxes to the train several days ago. Wouldn't it be gone by now?” Mandie asked.

“Train man promise lawman he hide, not put on train,” the old Indian explained.

Mandie smiled and said, “Oh, I'm so glad. But are you going to search the train station tonight?”

Uncle Ned smiled. “Braves wait to search depot,” he said.

“Oh, I just remembered, Uncle Ned,” Mandie said quickly. “Where is my uncle John? He went off with you to help search.”

“He search. See him soon,” Uncle Ned told her, glancing at Nerlin, who was listening.

“So you haven't found my partners yet,” Nerlin sneered. “Better hope they don't find you.”

Mandie wondered where his partners really were. They might be dangerous. Uncle John could be harmed. As she thought about this, she quickly helped return the merchandise to boxes. But Uncle Ned's young braves were with Uncle John. He was bound to be safe wherever he was. She then looked at April Snow, still standing by the doorway. She knew she couldn't always trust the girl, and now she frowned as she reviewed the events of the night. April seemed to be honest about this, but could she really be trusted?

April, as though reading Mandie's thoughts, said, “I wouldn't lie about anything as serious as this, whether you believe me or not. And I don't really care what you think.”

Uncle Ned, Tommy, Celia, and Mandie all straightened up to look at April. And just as they did, two burly strangers appeared in the doorway with guns at the ready.

The taller one spat on the floor and demanded, “What's going on here?”

No one said a word. They had all been caught unawares, even April. Mandie quickly glanced at Uncle Ned. He had laid his bow and arrow down in order to help with the boxes. Tommy stood there
motionless with his fists clenched. Celia was holding on to a box to keep from collapsing in fright.

Nerlin finally broke the silence. “I told you they'd be along. You didn't believe me. I guess you do now.”

April jumped in front of the two men, blocking their way into the room. “Put your guns away,” she told them. “Your game is over.”

The man who had first spoken quickly shoved April, causing her to fall to the floor. “Out of the way,” he growled. “Ain't no game over till it's over.”

He and his partner advanced into the room, both training their guns on the group. Mandie breathed hard to keep from fainting. She felt Celia clutch her hand and whisper, “Our verse.”

“Yes,” Mandie whispered back. Together she and Celia recited their favorite Bible verse, “What time I am afraid, I will put my trust in Thee.” Mandie squeezed her eyes shut to concentrate. Suddenly she felt Celia give her hand a sharp tug.

Mandie opened her eyes and looked toward the two angry men. She saw what Celia was trying to signal her about. There in the doorway stood at least six young Cherokee braves with Uncle John.

At first the outlaws were unaware of the other men. Then Nerlin spotted them and yelled, “Behind you!”

As the two men swung around, the braves burst into the room and everything went wild. Mandie and Celia crouched together behind one of the large boxes. Tommy jumped into the fight with the men. They soon captured the two crooks.