Will waited now for his classmates to join him.  The wagon could not escape, for the lane came to an abrupt end in the yard, and if it should turn back it could not pass the place where he was waiting without being seen.

It was not long before Hawley joined him, and, as he approached, Will said:  “They’ve gone down this lane.  Somebody was waiting here and has gone with the driver.  There may be a good many others down there by the barn for all that we know.  What do you think we’d better do?”

“There’s a haystack out there by the barn,” said Hawley, pointing to a stack of some kind that could be seen in the rear of the nearest barn.  “If you could only get behind that you could see what was going on.”

“I can, all right enough.  But where will you fellows be?  I may need your help if I get into trouble.”

“I don’t know.  We won’t be far away.  Whistle if you want us and we’ll make a break for you.  Don’t let them see you,” he added warningly, as without waiting to reply, Will started at once, running swiftly along the ground near the crooked rail fence that extended the entire distance between the main road and the farm buildings.

He was convinced that he had not been seen when at last he gained the shelter of the haystack, and, crouching within its shadows, he peered forth at the wagon and the group of four men that were standing near it.  He was positive that one was Mott, but his greatest surprise came when he perceived a horse and sleigh in the barnyard which he instantly recognized as the very ones with which Foster and his two classmates had gone to Coventry Center.  He reached forward and strove to hear what was being said, for the little group were conversing eagerly but in tones so low that Will was unable to hear a word.  He could see what was done, however, for after a brief delay the four men turned to the wagon, several sacks were lifted from their places in the load, and then two other sacks were taken from the wagon and carried by Mott and another man into the barn.  Several minutes elapsed before Mott came forth again, and when he did he was alone.  The sophomore stopped for a moment with the men, handed some money to the farmer, and then he and the fourth man, whom Will fancied he recognized as another sophomore, climbed into the sleigh and at once started back up the lane, the runners of the sleigh screeching as they passed over the bare places as if they were doing their utmost to alarm the neighborhood and to protest against what was being done.  The farmer too, soon followed and passed up the lane, but his departure was of slight interest to Will, who was puzzling himself about the man who had entered the barn with Mott and had failed to reappear.  To Will’s mind there was but one explanation, and he was eager to confer with his own classmates, but he dared not leave his hiding-place for fear that the man in the barn might come forth and depart without being seen.