SHANGHAIED!
"We ought to answer that signal," declared Harry. "Maybe there's a Boy
Scout needs help in the next room."
"Remember your motto," cautioned Arnold. "Be Prepared for trouble and
for enemies as well as to help someone."
"We haven't had much chance to help anyone so far today," asserted
Harry. "This may be just the chance to take the knot out of our
neckties, so I'm going to take a chance. We can't afford to be too
careful. If we were in trouble, we'd want help."
"That's so," admitted Arnold. "Go to it, then. I'm with you."
"Let me roll over and get on my feet and I'll slap, slap, slap on the
floor with my foot," declared Harry. "That'll be easy."
"Why don't you whistle 'Bob White,' at him?" queried the other.
"Because we're not allowed to use the call of another Patrol. If he's a
Bob White, he can't in reason howl like a wolf or bark like a dog or
slap, slap like a beaver. You understand that."
"Sure I do," admitted Arnold, "but I overlook things sometimes."
Harry now succeeded in rolling over onto his face and from that
uncomfortable position rose to his feet. He balanced himself against the
wall while he raised one foot and gave three distinct slaps on the floor
with the sole of his shoe. Both listened sharply.
"Bob, Bob White," came the answering call through the partition.
"Who's there?" called Harry in a voice trembling with excitement.
"Bob White, St. Louis," came the muffled reply.
"Good gracious," was Harry's startled comment. "Bob White, St. Louis.
Then they've got Jack and Tom and Frank cooped up here."
"That's awful," groaned Arnold. "What shall we do?"
"If it is really a Boy Scout, we'd better try to help him."
"If we only were not tied. How can we get loose?"
"There's only one way that I can see," stated Harry. "If you will rise
to your feet so that I can get at your hands with my teeth, I'll try to
untie that rope that holds you. Then you can untie me."
"But that isn't a rope," protested Arnold. "That's a snake skin and it's
off the snake that nearly struck you. You wouldn't think of biting on
that. You just couldn't do it. I couldn't."
"That's what I thought, so I suggested that I do it."
"What do you mean?" flashed Arnold. "I guess I can do anything you can.
I've never been stumped yet and I shall not begin now."
"Never mind the argument, let me get at your bonds."
"Not yet. I'll untie yours, but you're not going to untie mine with your
teeth. Tom got kicked in the jaw, Jack got shot and you got your wrists
cruelly burned on this trip. It's no more than fair that I should have
some of the discomforts of this experience."
"Well, then, hurry up. That fellow may be in trouble."
But a few minutes were required for the boy with his strong, white teeth
to so loosen the knot hastily tied by Lopez as to render possible the
free movement of Harry's arms. After swinging his hands vigorously a few
moments to restore circulation, Harry then performed a similar office
for his chum, but not, however, with his teeth. The experience was
almost too much for Arnold, who for a time threatened to be ill from the
suggestion of biting the thongs.
When both were freed they next gave their attention to the lad on the
opposite side of the partition. Their signals had been constantly
answered with the plaintive, "Bob, Bob White." "This door's locked on
the other side," declared Harry, after trying the latch. "I'll bet it's
got a bar across."
"Then the only thing to do is to batter down the partitions," declared
Arnold. "Is it lath and plaster, or just boards?"
"They don't need to use plaster in this warm country."
"Well, then," Arnold continued, "We'll have to knock a hole in the
boards. What can we get for a battering ram?"
"Here's this bench. It's heavy and solid. Let's try it."
Not many blows of the bench swung in the strong arms were required to
batter loose enough of the partition to permit the boys to crawl through
into the next compartment. There they found a boy of about their own
age. He was dressed in a khaki uniform and medals and badges on his
jacket proclaimed him a Boy Scout. Prominently displayed were merit
badges proclaiming that he had attained proficiency and qualified for
the honors of Signaling, Seamanship, Camping and Stalking.
"Hello, here. What's this?" cried Harry, who was first through the
opening. "Why, this poor Bob White is tied hard and fast."
"Sure enough," was Arnold's comment. He followed fast on Harry's heels
and was at the prostrate boy in a moment. It was a short task to free
the lad of his uncomfortable fetters and help him to his feet. "Sure
enough," repeated Arnold. "Poor Bob White."
Their ready sympathy proved almost too much for the stranger.
"Won't you come over and visit us?" was their invitation.
"Thanks, I'll be glad to do so," was the reply.
"I was just a bit lonesome in there, to tell the truth. I'm better now."
"What shall we call you other than Bob White?" asked Harry.
"My name is Charley Burnett," answered their new friend. "I belong to
the Bob White patrol of Boy Scouts in St. Louis."
"And you came down the Mississippi in a launch called the 'Spray,' and
were set upon by a gang of thugs and pirates!" cried Arnold. "How am I
for a mind reader or clairvoyant?"
"You're just fine," declared Charley following the lads into the front
room. "I wish I were half as good. I certainly do."
"What would you do if you were?" inquired Harry.
"I'd go into a trance and see if I could locate my chum."
"You don't have to do that," declared Arnold. "Just cross my palm with a
piece of silver and I'll locate him for you," he added with a laugh.
Then pretending to take an imaginary piece of money from Charley, he
went on, "Your chum is on a boat called the 'Fortuna.' He is in the
hands of friends who wish him well. He has been seeking diligently for
you but cannot find you. Where have you been?"
"Well," laughed Charley, amused at the joke, "I've been sailing around
and around and around. Most of the time I have been on a shrimping
schooner on the Gulf. This morning the men aboard of her said that I was
dangerous, so they were going to put me out of the way. They brought me
here and tied me up. That's all."
"Didn't you whistle 'Bob White,' at us when we were coming into the
harbor here?" inquired Harry breathlessly. "I know you did."
"Maybe I did," admitted Charley. "I whistled 'Bob White,' at all
possible and impossible times until they threatened to kill me."
"The brutes. I almost believe they'd dare do anything."
The tender sympathy that was evident in the tones of his new found
friends proved almost too much for the fortitude of the late captive. It
was only with a great effort that he restrained the tears.
"Well," at length Harry decided, "if you lads are rested, I move that we
get busy, break out of here and go back to the--"
A heavy footstep sounded on the gallery outside the door. Lopez and
Doright entered through the door. Doright carried a tin pail. He was
followed by Lopez with one of the boys' automatics in his hand. His face
darkened instantly when he saw the lads.
"You sure are tough customers," declared he. "I guess, Doright, youall
better go get them old slave chains. They won't break them."
"Yaas, Sir, Boss," replied the negro hastening away.
"If you're hungry, better get at that grub while you got the chance,"
offered Lopez. "In a minute that nigger'll be back with the irons, and
then you won't be runnin' around loose."
Urged on by their hunger the boys lost no time in attacking the tin
pail. It contained but "grits," a small hominy, cooked with a piece of
bacon, yet never it seemed to the lads had they tasted better food. Only
the merest crumbs remained when Doright entered bearing an armful of
clanking chains. These he threw on the floor.
"Make 'em fast," ordered Lopez, keeping the muzzle of his automatic
pistol ever trained on the group before him. "Put them leg irons on good
and tight. Make sure of your work this time."
Obediently the negro clamped the irons tightly about their ankles. Then
drawing a longer chain through the leg irons he lifted a board from the
floor to pass the long chain under a heavy hewn joist.
A padlock securely fastened the ends of this longer chain and thus the
boys were shackled beyond hope of releasing themselves.
"Now, just to make sure, we'll leave Doright on guard and he'll have a
gun in his hand. He likes to shoot, too. And he knows how."
Never had the voice of the outlaw sounded so coarse and disagreeable as
now when hope seemed gone. His villainous face lighted with evil triumph
as he surveyed the plight of his captives.
"Looks like old times," he gloated, "only now you boys are wearing irons
that have graced the leg of many a slave. And there's a black boy
guarding the white boys now. That's funny."
Throwing back his head he gave vent to peal after peal of laughter.
"What are you expecting to do with us?" inquired Arnold, who was longing
to get at the throat of his jailor.
"Well, Wyckoff hasn't decided yet," replied Lopez. "He has found out
that it's a mighty uncomfortable job keeping prisoners and feeding them.
He couldn't keep this other boy on the schooner for it was too public.
When you came chasing into port, he got scared. I was uncomfortable,
too. If you had hailed me then, I guess I'd have let you take the boy
off the schooner. When we got Wyckoff, though, he said it wouldn't do.
Youall will never have a chance at the Treasure."
"No? Just wait and see what happens," taunted Arnold. "They say there's
many a slip between the cup and the saucer. Watch us."
"You are right, I'll watch you," declared the outlaw. "When we let you
go this time, you'll say Good Bye for keeps."
"You can't let things come any too swift for us," boasted Harry. "We are
from Chicago, and if you've ever been on a Halsted street trolley at six
o'clock of an evening, you'll know what we live on. Send along your hard
times. We eat those things."
"Maybe," gritted Lopez. "You boys better sharpen your teeth."
With this he left the cabin with instructions to Doright to watch the
boys and not permit any talking or communication.
Doright was at least faithful to his trust. After one or two attempts
the boys gave over trying to engage the negro in conversation. Becoming
cramped in their sitting positions, they shortly stretched themselves on
the floor and presently were fast asleep. Awakened later by a rough hand
on their shoulders, they sat up in bewilderment. The chains on their
legs soon apprised them of their location and surroundings. Lopez stood
over them.
"Unlock 'em, Doright," he commanded. "Get the hand irons on 'em first
and watch out, for they're tricky. They may get you."
The boys were marched out of the little cabin and down to the river,
where they boarded a boat under the direction of Lopez.
Doright at the oars had plenty of work to pull the craft with its heavy
load. At last they approached a vessel lying at anchor in the stream.
Lopez's hail brought an answer immediately.
"Up you go," commanded the outlaw to the boys, as Doright loosened the
shackles. "Over the rail with you now and no monkey work."
So deeply loaded was the schooner--a large three-masted vessel--that the
boys had little difficulty in reaching her rail and vaulting it.
Arriving on deck they found an officer and two or three members of the
crew standing ready to receive them.
"Well, here are the three men you wanted," stated Lopez to the officer.
"I had hard work gettin' them, but they wanted a vessel bad so I signed
'em on. Now to settle up if you please."
"Take these men forward, Johnson, and break 'em in," commanded the mate,
passing some money over to Lopez. "Get a jump on 'em."
A tug took the schooner in tow. As she passed the shipyard Charley
whistled, "Bob White." The mate's fist descended on his head.