He found Keith waiting below the barn, with his pony tied to a fence.  On the other side of the fence lay the railroad track, which skirted the back of Mrs. MacIntyre’s place for over half a mile.

“Do you see that hand-car?” asked Keith, pointing with his riding-whip to one on the track.  “The section boss let Malcolm and me ride up and down on it all afternoon one day this winter.  Some workman left it on the switch while ago, and while you were up at the barn I got two darkeys to move it for me.  They didn’t want to at first, but I knew that there’d be no train along for an hour, and told ’em so, and they finally did it for a dime apiece.  As soon as I rescue Lloyd I’ll dash down here on my pony with her behind me.  Then we’ll slip through the fence and get on the hand-car, and be out of sight around the curve before the rest get here.  They won’t know where on earth we’ve gone, and it will be the best joke on them.  It’s down grade all the way to the section-house, so I can push it easily enough by myself, but I’ll need your help coming back, maybe.  S’pose you cut across lots to the section-house as soon as I start to the barn, and meet me there.  It isn’t half as far that way, so you’ll get there as soon as we do.”

“All right,” said Jonesy.  “I’m your kid.”

“You should say, ‘’Tis well, Sir Knight, I fly to do thy bidding,’” prompted Keith.

Jonesy grinned.  He could not enter into the spirit of the play as the others did.  “Aw, I’ll be on time,” he said; then, as Keith untied his pony, started on a run across the fields.

The Lady Lloyd had not finished her repast when her rescuer appeared, but she put the plate down on the hay to await her return, and obediently climbed down the ladder he placed for her.  They reached the fence before the banqueters knew that she had escaped.  Flinging the pony’s bridle over a fence-post, when they reached the edge of the field, the brave knight crawled through the fence and pulled Lloyd after him, tearing her dress, much to that dainty little lady’s extreme disgust.

By the time the king and his guard were mounted in pursuit, on the other pony which stood in waiting, the runaways were in the hand-car.  It moved slowly at first, although Keith was strong for his age, and his hardy little muscles were untiring.

“Isn’t it lovely?” cried Lloyd, as they moved faster and faster and swept around the curve.  “I wish we could go all the way to Louisville on this.”  The warm March wind fanned her pink cheeks, and blew her soft light hair into her eyes.

Jonesy was waiting at the section-house, and waved his cap as they passed.  “We’re going on, around the next bend,” shouted Keith, as they passed him.  “Whoop-la! this is fine, and not a bit hard to work!”

“What will the wicked queen think when she can’t find us?” asked Lloyd, laughing happily, as they sped on down the track.

“She’ll think that I am a magician and have spirited you away,” said Keith.