At her coming, he fled under the couch out of reach.
Rupert picked up the desk. "Nothing much," he laughed. "Just torn all
that lining loose, as I had planned to do."
"What is this?" Ricky disentangled a small slip of white from the torn
and musty velvet. "Why, it's a piece of paper," she answered her own
question. "It must have been under the lining and Satan pulled it out
with the cloth."
"Here," Rupert took it from her, "let me see it."
He scanned the faded lines of writing. "Val! Ricky!" He looked up, his
face flushed with excitement. "Listen!"
"Gatty has returned from the city. The raiders calling themselves
the 'Buck Boys' are headed this way. Gatty tells me that Alexander
is with them, having deserted the plantation a week ago. Since his
malice towards us is well known, it is easy to believe that he
means us open harm. I am making my preparations accordingly. The
valuables now under this roof, together with the proceeds from the
last voyage of the blockade runner, _Red Bird_, I am putting in
that safe place discovered by me in childhood, of which I have
sometimes spoken. Remember the hint I once gave you--By Our Luck.
Having written this in haste, I shall intrust it to Gatty--"
"That's the end; the rest is gone." Rupert stared down at the scrap of
paper in his hand as if he simply could not believe in its reality.
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