THE CAPTURE OF THE HOBO YEGGMEN
Long practice had made the scouts adepts at this sort of work. They
could creep up on an unsuspecting sentry almost as cleverly as those
copper-colored natives of the American woods whom all Boy Scouts copy
when studying woodcraft.
Then again the piles of snow helped, as well as hindered, them more or
less. But except for that column of blue wood smoke drifting lazily
upward over the cabin there was really no sign of life about the
place.
Paul, Tolly Tip and the others of the scouting party soon reached the
rear of the shack. They could easily see where the two tramps had
actually worked to close up most of the chinks between the logs, to
keep the bitter cold air and the driving snow out of their refuge.
Men of their sort would never think of staying for a week or two
amidst such barren surroundings so long as there remained a warm
county jail ready to accommodate them with free lodging--that is,
unless they had a good reason for wanting to avoid civilization.
Paul, believing that they had set that fire and robbed Mr. Briggs'
safe, could understand just why they remained here in seclusion. They
doubtless feared suspicion may have been pointed in their direction,
and that something of a search was being indulged in looking to their
ultimate capture.
As soon as they arrived close to the walls of the shack the boys
searched for some crevice through which they might gain a view of the
interior.
Several managed to dig peep-holes by detaching the frozen mud that the
tramps had plastered over open chinks. They applied their eyes to such
crevices, and first of all discovered a blazing fire. Then a movement
on one side drew their attention to the taller vagrant sitting quietly
smoking his black pipe as though quite contented with his lot of
idleness, so long as his wants were fairly well supplied.
It happened that the wind had gone down, and there brooded over the
snowy forest a deep silence. This fact allowed the listeners without
to catch the sound of voices inside the hut, for one of the tramps
talked heavily, and the other had a high-pitched voice that carried
like a squeaking fife.
What they were saying just then instantly riveted the attention of the
listeners, for as though by some strange freak it had an intimate
connection with the object of the scouts' coming to the spot.
The shorter man seemed to have been doing some work on his injured
hand, for he was now carefully wrapping a fresh rag around it. At the
same time he was grumbling because of the pain his injury gave him.
"I never knowed how bad a burn was till now, Billy," was the burden of
his complaint. "I've been shot and hurted in every other way, but this
here's the fust time I ever got licked by fire. It's a-goin' to be the
last time too, if I knows it."
"Any fool had ought to know better'n to play with fire," the other
told him between his teeth as he sucked at his pipe. "I reckons that
ye'd been wuss hurt nor that if I hadn't slapped a pail o' water over
ye, and put ye out. Gotter stand fur it, Shorty, till the new skin
comes along. A burn is wuss nor a cut any day."
"I on'y hopes as how it's well afore we skip outen this hole," the
sufferer went on to say, still unappeased. "If we git in a tight hole
I'd need both my fins to do business with. A one-handed man ain't got
much chance to slip away when the cornfield cops make a raid."
"They ain't goin' to bother us any! Make up yer mind to that same,
boy," continued the tall vagrant, complacently. "When the time comes,
an' the weather lets up on us a bit, why, we'll jest flit outen this
region by the back door. I'm only mad as hops 'bout one thing."
"Yep, an' I know what it be, 'cause ye been harpin' on that subject
right along, Billy. Yer disapp'inted 'cause the old man didn't have a
bigger haul in his cracked safe."
"Well, that's what ails me," admitted the other in a grumbling way.
"We'd a been fixed fur a year to come if only he'd had a good wad
lyin' low, 'stead of a measly bunch of the long green."
"Better luck next time, Billy, say I," continued the shorter tramp, as
he finished fastening the soiled rag about his left hand and wrist.
It can be easily understood that Paul had heard quite enough by this
time. There was not the slightest doubt in the world that Billy and
his partner had been guilty of setting fire to Mr. Briggs' store, and
had also broken open his ancient safe to extract whatever amount of
money happened to be in it at the time.
Paul drew back and touched each one of his companions in turn. They
knew just what the gesture he made signified. The time for action had
come, and they were thus invited to take part with him in the holding
up of the desperate pair.
That the tramps belonged to this class of wandering criminals there
could not be the least doubt after hearing snatches of their
conversation. This affair of Mr. Briggs' store was apparently but one
of many similar episodes in their careers.
The little party now proceeded to creep around to the front of the
shack. They knew, of course, that the door had been repaired and that
it was also closed tightly, but Paul hardly believed they would find
any difficulty in pushing it open.
Arriving at the point that was to witness their sudden attack, Paul
marshaled his followers in a compact mass. He meant to imitate in some
degree the flying wedge used upon the football field with such good
effect.
Tolly Tip was given the post of honor in the van. This was done partly
because of the fact that he was a man, and the boys felt the tramps
would be likely to feel more respect for a company of invaders led by
a grown-up.
After the woodsman came Paul and Jud. Jack, Bobolink and Tom Betts
formed the base of the triangle which was to push through the opening
with all possible speed, once the door had been thrown open.
Even though they found it fastened by some sort of bar or wooden pin,
Paul had arranged in his mind just how such fastenings could be broken
without trouble. He had noted quite a good-sized log lying near by,
used by the vagrants in their seclusion to chop their firewood on. And
Paul had decided that this log would make an admirable battering ram.
The door was old and feeble, so that one good slam would doubtless
hurl it back, and give them free ingress.
There was no need of all this display of energy, however, for upon
investigation Paul discovered that he could easily move the door, once
he got his hand on the wooden latch.
He only waited to make sure that the others were ready, and then fell
back into his pre-arranged place, leaving to Tolly Tip the honor of
opening the way.
When the woodsman felt a hand jab him in the short ribs he recognized
this as the signal from Paul for which he had been waiting. He
immediately threw the door back with such violence that it crashed to
the floor, its weak hinges giving way under the strain.
In through the opening the whole six of them poured. The boys' hunting
guns were instantly leveled in the direction of the astounded tramps,
who started to scramble to their feet, but, cowed by the display of
force, sank back again in dire dismay.
"Hold up your arrms!" roared Tolly Tip, just as he had been instructed
to do by the scout-master.
Both hoboes made ludicrous haste to elevate their hands as far as they
could. In the excitement of the moment, having only caught glimpses of
khaki uniforms, they imagined that a detachment of the State militia
had been called out to search the woods for the firebugs guilty of
trying to destroy Mr. Briggs' establishment in Stanhope.
By the time they realized that five of the invaders were only boys it
was too late to attempt anything like defiance. Besides, those
shotguns and rifles, even when held in boyish hands, had just as grim
a look as though gripped by grown-up warriors.
"Jud, you've got the thongs I supplied!" called out Paul, "so get
busy, with Jack to help you, and tie their hands behind them. Slip
those mitts on before you do it, because we've got a long way to go,
and it would be cruel to have their fingers frost-bitten on the road
to Stanhope."
The men dared not offer any objections, though they kept using strong
language, much to the disgust of some of the scouts.
"Paul, tell them that unless they close their mouths and quit that
swearing we'll gag them both," said Jack, unable to endure it any
longer.
"I was just about to say that when you took the words out of my
mouth!" declared the scout-master, indignantly. "I've got a couple of
gags ready here, made for the occasion. If you know when you're well
off, you fellows, keep still, and accept your fate like men. You're
only going to get what you deserve after all."
"It was a bad day for you both when you struck Stanhope," said Jud,
with one of his tantalizing grins. "I only wish I knew the tramp
signs, so I could write a warning on every fence outside the town so's
to keep other hobo yeggs away."
Having accomplished the object of their mission without any trouble
they now went back to join their comrades, who were anxiously waiting
for the signal Paul was to give in case their help was needed. And
great was the disappointment of Bluff, Sandy, Frank, Spider and Phil
when they found that they had been left out of the game.