ROBBERS.
"You're a coward!" exclaimed Tom, shaking his fist at the frightened
beagle, and forgetting in his anger that this was the first time the
animal had ever refused to yield ready obedience to his slightest wish.
"I'll trade you off for the meanest yellow cur in Bellville, and hire a
cheap boy to steal the cur. Come back here and see what there is in the
cabin, I tell you!"
"Don't scold him," interposed Joe. "I don't much like the idea of
venturing in there myself, but here goes."
As he spoke he drew back the hammer of his rifle, and, with steady,
unfaltering steps, walked into the cabin, little dreaming of the
astounding things that were to grow out of this simple act.
Tom and Bob promptly moved up to support him, but the sequel proved
that it wasn't necessary, for there was no one in the cabin to oppose
them.
When Joe announced this fact, which he did as soon as his eyes became
accustomed to the darkness, so that he could see what there was in
front of him, Tom wanted to know where the robbers were, but that was a
point on which his companions could not enlighten him.
"They have gone off on a plundering expedition, of course," continued
Tom, "and there's no telling when they will be back. We don't want to
let them catch us here."
"And neither do we want to leave until we have found out something
about them," answered Joe. "Come in here, one of you. I have discovered
a lot of plunder of some sort, and if we give it an overhauling we may
be able to find out who it belongs to, and what brought them here. The
other had better stay outside and keep watch."
Tom volunteered to stand guard, and so Bob went into the cabin. It was
large enough to accommodate half a dozen men, he found when he got into
it, but the "shake downs," which were spread upon the floor at the
farther end of it, indicated that probably not more than two or three
persons were accustomed to seek shelter there.
Bob had not been gone more than a minute when he called out to his
friend at the entrance:
"Say, Tom, here's our grip-sack."
Tom was amused as well as surprised. He and Bob had made that letter
up all out of their own heads, and with not the slightest suspicion
in their minds that there was anything to be found in that particular
gorge, except, perhaps, a solitary grouse or two, which had hidden
there to get out of the way of the shooters who made their headquarters
at the Beach, and yet they had located a concealed habitation, and
described at least one of the things that were to be found in it.
It was a little short of wonderful, and again Tom asked himself if such
a thing had ever happened before.
"Has it got a false bottom in it?" he inquired.
"Don't know," answered Bob. "Here it comes. Examine it yourself, if you
can open it, and let us know what you find in it."
The valise was locked when it left Bob's hand and went sailing toward
the entrance, but the force with which it struck the rocks burst it
open, giving Tom a view of its contents.
While he was taking a look at them, Joe and Bob were giving the cabin a
most thorough overhauling, tearing the beds to pieces, and peering into
every dark corner they could discover, and at every turn they found
something to strengthen them in the belief that they had stumbled upon
a den of thieves, sure enough.
In the way of provender, they found a whole ham, a bushel of potatoes,
and an armful of corn; and Joe declared that the last two must have
been stolen the night before, because the dirt was not dry on the
potatoes, and the husks on the ears of corn were perfectly fresh.
"Mr. Hallet's fields furnished those things, and I should not wonder
if the ham came from his smoke-house," said Joe. "But what could have
been their object in stealing these sheets and pillow-cases? Campers
don't generally care to have such things around, because they can't be
kept clean."
"Don't you think they used them to dress up their ghost?" inquired Bob.
"That dummy out there under the bushes has got a sheet on."
"So it has," replied Joe. "I'd give something to know what it was that
suggested to them the idea of scaring folks away with that thing. They
must know that everybody can't be frightened by white scare-crows. What
is it? Found a false bottom in that grip-sack?"
"Or the twelve thousand dollars in bills, and three hundred in gold?"
chimed in Bob.
These questions were addressed to Tom Hallet, who just then called
attention to himself by uttering an exclamation indicative of the
profoundest amazement.
By way of reply he shook a handful of greenbacks at them, and then
dropped it to pick up a large roll of postage stamps. By the time they
got out to him he had exchanged the stamps for two elegant gold watches.
"This grip-sack is full to the brim of valuables, money, and
securities," said Tom, in a scarcely audible whisper, "and I--stop your
noise!" he added, turning fiercely upon Bugle, who just then uttered a
sound that was between a whine and a bark, and came running from the
foot of the path where he had laid himself down to wait until the boys
were ready to leave the camp. "Shut your mouth, you coward!"
The beagle crowded close to his master's side, in spite of the efforts
the angry boy made to push him away, looked toward the path, and whined
and growled, and exhibited other signs of terror and excitement.
With a warning gesture to his companions, Joe moved farther away from
the cabin, and stood in a listening attitude.
In a second more, he turned about, jumped back to the valise and began
throwing the things into it in the greatest haste.
[Illustration: TREASURE TROVE]
"Hurry up, all of us!" said he in a thrilling whisper. "The men
are coming down the path. I don't know whether or not they have
seen anything to arouse their suspicions, but they are moving very
cautiously, and talking in low tones. There you are," he added, when
all the things that Tom had taken out of the valise had been crowded
promiscuously into it again. "Grab it up and run with it before Bugle
gives tongue to let them know that we are here. Bob and I will cover
your retreat."
Tom lost not a moment in acting upon this suggestion. In less time than
it takes to tell it, they had all disappeared in the bushes.
Tom made good time toward the first bend in the brook, hoping to get
out of sight before the men had opportunity to discover that their camp
had been disturbed during their absence, and he accomplished his object.
As soon as he passed the first bend, and left the camp out of sight,
Tom turned into the bushes and scrambled up the bluff, his watchful
guard following close behind him.
Knowing full well that the robbers were thoroughly armed, and that
it would be an easy matter for them to bushwack them during their
retreat, the boys did not relax their vigilance in the slightest degree
when they reached the top of the cliff, and neither did they neglect to
cover their flight by making use of every tree, rock and bush that came
in their way.
The experience they had gained in stalking the wild game of the hills
stood them in good stead now, and so stealthy were they in their
movements that the dry leaves that covered the ground scarcely rustled
beneath their tread.
Tom held a straight course for Joe's cabin, which was the nearest haven
of refuge, but no sooner did he get a glimpse of it than he came to a
sudden halt, and motioned to Joe to hasten to his side.
"What's the matter?" asked Joe. "There are no enemies in front of us, I
hope."
"Did you forget to close and lock your door when you left home this
morning?" inquired Tom.
"Of course I didn't. I took particular pains to-- Now can anybody tell
me what that means? The door is standing wide open, as sure as I live."
"Has Mr. Warren got two keys to that lock?" queried Bob.
"Not that I know of," answered Joe.
"Then that open door means this," continued Bob: "While we were
prowling about the robbers' camp, they, or some of their kind, seized
the opportunity to come here and see what you--"
Joe waited to hear no more. Without giving his friends a hint of his
intentions, he ran toward the cabin at the top of his speed, hoping to
corner somebody there, and cover him with his rifle so that he could
not escape. But in this he was disappointed.
It was plain that some one had been there while he was gone, for
the window was open, as well as the door, and the cabin was in the
greatest confusion. It had been ransacked as thoroughly as Joe and his
companions had ransacked the robbers' camp. Knowing that he could not
do the matter justice in English, the young game-warden leaned on the
muzzle of his rifle and said nothing.
"Who did it? Anything missing? This is a pretty state of affairs, I
must say!" were a few of the exclamations to which Tom and Bob gave
utterance, as they crowded into the cabin and took a hurried survey of
things.
Had it not been for Dan's encounter with the ghost on the previous day,
Joe would have thought at once that his brother was the guilty party;
but he did not suspect him now, because he knew that Dan would not dare
to come up there alone to take revenge upon him for his refusal to
admit him to a full partnership in his business. Silas was afraid to
come up there, too; and even if he were not, it wasn't likely that he
would do anything of this kind, because he wanted Joe to stay there and
earn the hundred and twenty dollars, so that he could take it away from
him.
"If the blame doesn't rest with Hobson or some of that clique, it rests
with the men to whom that grip-sack belongs," said Joe, confidently.
"I don't know whether they have stolen any of my things or not. I must
look them over first."
Tom offering to assist him in his work, Bob volunteered to stand guard
over them, adding:
"It begins to look to me as though this thing of playing game-warden
has its drawbacks, as well as going to school. Tom and I thought we
were going to have the finest kind of times up here this winter,
growing fat on grouse and squirrels, and enjoying the freedom of
camp-life; but I have my doubts. We came here only yesterday morning,
and just look at the fuss we have had already. What is it, Joe?"
"Do you see my shotgun anywhere, either of you?" asked Joe in reply. "I
am afraid it is gone. Yes, sir, it has been stolen," he added, after
he had looked in every place where so large an article could find
concealment. "I wish they might have left me that; but they didn't, and
with it they took my game-bag, powder-flask and shot-pouch. I know that
the whole outfit isn't worth any great sum; but I worked hard for it,
and somehow I don't like to lose it."
"I should say not," exclaimed Tom, who would hardly have exhibited
greater anger if his fine double-barrel had been carried off by the
thieves. "Look here, fellows," he added, suddenly, "that grip-sack was
found on Mr. Warren's grounds, and I suppose we ought to hand it over
to him, hadn't we? Well, then, shall we tell him about the ghost, or
shall we skip that?"
Bob and Joe didn't know how to answer this question. They hadn't
thought of it before.