The Wall Lake Mystery

Chapter 40: Lying in Wait

I made to follow the others outside, but Mrs. Kelly stopped me on the doorstep. "Best of luck to you all and I'll make up some warming drinks if you'd like, once it's all over."

"I suspect we shall take you up on that offer," I replied. "Thank you."

The Kelly's barn was, like their house, just large enough for its intended purpose. Kelly held a lamp aloft and showed us around the little building. There was a hay loft above, stalls for three cows (only two of which were occupied currently) stalls and troughs for half a dozen pigs, and a variety of tools for planting, harvesting, gardening, and everything in between. A skittish cat or two also resided there, and the family's horse and carriage were kept near the back.

"We ought to keep the necklace and such near the barn door, I'd say," said Kelly. "So we can see them but they can't see us."

"Yes," Holmes agreed. "I believe that basket will serve our purpose best." He pointed to one near the tools.

"Sure," replied Kelly, retrieving it. He placed it in the front corner nearest the small door (to the right of the barn's main door) and took the jewels from a pocket of his denim overalls into the basket.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jack grin at the thought of Mrs. Blomberg's precious gems in this humble wire basket. It would be a fairly obvious place to look, but not obvious enough for a trap to be suspected.

Holmes rubbed his hands together with excitement or perhaps due to the cold. "Excellent. The moment they find the necklace, we'll have eyewitness proof it was their reason for breaking into the barn. So the moment one or the other picks something up is our moment to strike. Mr. Kelly, be prepared to light your lantern when that moment comes."

"Right," said Kelly, "as for hiding places, who's the most nimble of us besides Jack here?"

"Probably Holmes," I replied.

Holmes shrugged. "I am agile enough for my profession."

"You and Jack can hide in the loft," said Kelly. "As for the rest of us, there's two empty stalls and room for two behind the carriage. I think that ought to keep us out of sight long enough."

"I can take a stall," said Sheriff Sweet. "I grew up on a farm; the smell's nothing new to me."

"Still, I'll take the one by the hogs," said Kelly.

"Cow stall it is," replied the Sheriff."

Lawler turned to me. "Guess we're the lucky ones behind the carriage."

"Wouldn't say it's that lucky," replied Kelly with a grimace. "There's not much room back there. But you fellas are the skinniest of the lot, save maybe Holmes or Jack."

Holmes glanced at his watch. "A quarter past six. A train from Sac City to Wall Lake arrived five minutes ago. If they aim to run early, Crowe and Wright are on it. We best take our positions and put out that lamp."

Soon Lawler and I were sitting in the small space between the carriage and the wall. I set my doctor's bag between us, hoping I would not have need of it tonight. A cold draft wafted through cracks in the boards and I could neither see nor hear any of the others. I do not know how long we waited in this way, but it was one of the most uncomfortable vigils I can recall. I was cold and stiff, and the thick scents of hay and livestock assaulted my senses with each breath while anticipation made my heart hammer with unceasing rapidity, exacerbating the dull pain in my chest. Lawler's quick breaths told me that he was in the same state of dreadful excitement.

After the long, indeterminable period, I heard a quiet squeaking noise as the smaller door opened ever so slowly and a dim light shone before two dark figures, stepping softly into the barn, accompanied by a dull tapping noise. In the near-silence, their whispers carried across the barn. I peered around the carriage.

"They likely left the goods nice 'n handy!" said one, who I was fairly certain to be Crowe. The light began to shake a little.

"Calm yourself, Kid," said Wright, through gritted teeth. He was walking with a stick, I realised; hence the tapping noise. "You're giving me a headache." The light steadied, presumably due to Wright grabbing the lamp.

"I told you to quit calling me that," Crowe hissed.

"Yeah, well I've been sitting in a jail cell for two full days. I can call you 'jackass' all the livelong day and be pretty damn justified. Besides, something doesn't seem right here."

Did they suspect a trap? I shrunk as far as I could back into the complete darkness behind the carriage and for a moment, I forgot to breathe.

"Just shut your trap and look around," Crowe returned. "Besides, if it wasn't for me, you'd still be in jail."

Wright muttered something indistinguishable, and the only sound was the footsteps of our adversaries and the occasional noises from the cows or pigs.

"Hey Crowe!" came Wright's voice. "They put the stuff in an egg basket."

The Sheriff sprang from his hiding place, shouting, "Halt in the name of the law!"

Several shots rang out, someone swore loudly, and the barn was plunged into darkness.

Silence fell. Lawler and I crept out of our hiding place and I stepped toward the front of the barn. I heard a shuffling noise near where Crowe had been a moment earlier and made for it, tackling him and knocking a gun out of his hand. As we hit the ground, I heard a yell and crash beside me and felt a stinging pain in my side.

A moment later, the barn was bathed once more in yellow light. Holmes held a lantern aloft several paces away. Nearer to hand, a frustrated Kelly was cursing his own lamp, which had not lit properly during the fracas.

I looked down to see Wright unconscious beneath me with his knife caught in my clothing.

"He's escaping!" Kelly shouted angrily from behind me. "What're we waiting for?"

"Mr. Kelly," said Holmes. "Watson and I must borrow your horses."

"I've got two horses here as well," said Lawler. "And Wright's must still be outside."

I sat up and carefully unbuttoned enough layers to see that the wound was long and shallow; it was not serious, but it was a good deal bloodier than it might have been. I hurried back to my doctor's bag and bandaged my wound while Holmes surveyed the barn.

"Nice tackle," the Sheriff groaned. I glanced up to see that Jack, face bright red, was hauling the lawman to his feet.

"I'm so sorry! I thought you were Crowe," said Jack.

"Watson, there is blood on this knife," said Holmes.

"Just nicked me a bit, that's all," I called. "I won't be a moment."

I quickly finished the job by wrapping bandaging around my entire chest to keep the rest in place and buttoned my torn shirt, waistcoat, jacket, and overcoat. The layers were likely the only thing that kept Wright from striking any deeper.

Kelly quickly saddled his two horses and Jack guided Wright's horse inside the barn.

"You two have helped enough," said the Sheriff to the Kelly's, once they had finished. "Many thanks."

"We've only got the three saddles," said Lawler.

"You fellas go on," said the Sheriff. "I'm not so agile anymore."

Kelly opened the large door of the barn as Holmes, Lawler, and I mounted our horses and we rode off into the night.