WITH THE BURGLARS.
It is well to look in upon Sam during his enforced vigil of Wednesday
night.
For at least two hours after the burglars had departed he thought of
nothing save that he would soon be killed, and, perhaps, devoured by
wild animals. Then the pain in his jaw and limbs became so great, owing
to the tightly bound cords and his inability to move, that his
sufferings overcame the fear to a certain extent, and he had not even
the poor consolation of being able to give vent to an audible groan.
Notwithstanding the mental and bodily torture he did sleep occasionally
during the night, which appeared to be of twenty-four hours' duration,
and never had he heard a sweeter sound than when his captors approached,
the hum of their voices reaching him before the noise of their
footsteps.
The burglars were laden with packages of what appeared to be
merchandise, and by the faint light of the coming day Sam could see
that they looked heated and tired.
"Well, how's our detective?" Long Jim asked, with a laugh, as he threw
himself on the ground by the boy's side. "Has he decided to arrest his
victims, or will he give them a little show of leaving the country?"
As a matter of course Sam could not make any reply; but the expression
in his eyes must have told of the suffering which he was forced to
endure, for Phil said, as he began to untie the rope holding the gag in
place:
"There's no need of keepin' him trussed up any longer, an' I reckon
it'll be a relief to have a chance to use his tongue once more."
Even when he was free the prisoner was unable to do more than roll upon
his side. His limbs were so stiff and cramped that he had no power over
them, and he could not have risen to his feet just at that moment if his
life had depended upon it.
Jim seemed to think all this was very comical, for he laughed loudly at
the prisoner's helplessness, and suggested that if he intended to follow
the business of a detective to practice remaining in one position in
order to avoid such a complete collapse when fortune should again be so
unkind to him as she had been in this particular case.
When the burglar's mirth finally ceased the two men lighted their pipes,
and proceeded to enjoy a season of repose after so much fatiguing work,
while Sam was left to recover as best he might.
Fully half an hour elapsed before he succeeded in crawling to the brook
where he quenched his thirst, and then his one desire was for sleep.
Stretched out on the ground within a few feet of his captors the
blissful unconsciousness of slumber came upon him, and the sun was high
in the heavens before he awoke.
Long Jim was seated on the turf, his back against a tree, and a quantity
of food spread out in front of him; but Phil was not in sight.
"Well, it strikes me you've been takin' things mighty comfortable," the
man said, with a grunt. "Don't give yourself so far over to a life of
pleasure as to forget that I promised to give you the greatest floggin'
of your life before we part, for then you won't be so much surprised
when it comes."
The sight of the food caused Sam to realize how very hungry he was, and,
regardless of the subject introduced by Jim, he asked, timidly:
"Can't I have somethin' to eat?"
"I don't think you can, my son. In the first place you haven't earned
it, an' then, again, my partner an' I may need all the grub we've got on
hand."
Then, as if reconsidering his determination, the man selected two small
crackers, tossing them to Sam as he cut a slice of boiled ham for
himself.
"That's more'n you deserve," he said, as the prisoner began to devour
them eagerly; "so don't count on gettin' another bite to-day."
Sam literally devoured the food, and then went once more to the brook to
wash down the dry repast.
It seemed as if the crackers increased rather than satisfied his hunger,
and he watched Jim eagerly as the latter finished a generous meal of
meat, cheese, and hard-boiled eggs.
The burglar lighted his pipe, and paid no attention to the hungry boy,
who now had ample time for reflection.
He remembered that this was the important day of the fair, and pictured
to himself Teddy and Dan at their work enjoying themselves at the same
time they were making money. Then he thought of what he might be doing
if the detective fever had not taken so firm a hold upon him, and,
despite all efforts to prevent it, the tears coursed down his cheeks,
plowing wide furrows in the dirt with which his face was encrusted.
This painful revery was not prolonged. Shortly before noon Phil came
into the hiding-place, his face wearing an expression of entire
satisfaction.
"I reckon we needn't be afraid any one will be here lookin' for us now
our detective has been drowned," he exclaimed.
"What's up?" Jim asked.
"Hazelton, the fakir, has been arrested for the burglary at Peach
Bottom, an' men are draggin' the creek to find the body of the boy who
worked for the Davis Boat Company."
Sam actually shuddered at the thought that people were looking for his
corpse, and it gave him an "uncanny" feeling, this idea that he was
numbered with the dead.
"When was the arrest made?" Jim asked.
"Last night. Old Nathan from the Run says the fakir turned over a lot of
money to the boy who was goin' to buy your cane-board, an' it looks very
much as if he would be locked up with the man whom people believe is his
partner."
"Nothin' said about what the cubs saw at the barn?"
"Not a word."
"Then we can count on havin' the balance of this week in which to leave
the country."
"As much as that, if not more. Another load will get the stuff together;
but I've been thinkin' we'd better bury it here, an' not try to move a
thing for a month or two."
"In that case we'd be obliged to take that specimen along," and Jim
pointed with a contemptuous gesture toward Sam. "It wouldn't do to let
go of him while there was a chance of his givin' the game away."
"I'll 'tend to that part of it, an' guarantee he won't be in condition
to make us much trouble," Phil said so confidently that Sam began to
shake as with an ague fit, for it seemed positive to him this burglar
had decided upon his murder.
"If things were so comfortable like why don't you try to make a dollar,
for I reckon there's a big crowd at the fair?"
"The grounds are packed; but it ain't exactly safe to do much business,"
and Phil told of the assault upon Hazelton. "The whole boilin' of 'em
now think everybody's tryin' to work some swindle," he added, "an' the
consequence is that it would go hard with any feller who should slip up.
We've done enough for one week, an' I'd rather not take chances till
this stuff is off our hands."
"Do you count on goin' back agin to-day?"
"What's the use?"
"I only asked, for you're managin' this whole thing now."
"My idea was to sneak up alone to-night; take on the balance of the
stuff, an' then lay low till Saturday evenin', when we'll make the big
break."
"It's goin' to be mighty dull business sittin' here with nothin' to do,"
Jim replied, in a tone of complaint.
"I don't see how we can fix it much quicker, unless we go to-morrow,
while there are so many around."
It was evident Jim did not relish the idea of leaving everything to his
companion, and the latter so understood the expression on his friend's
face, for he said, angrily:
"You're cookin' up some foolish scheme now, an' in spite of all I can do
to prevent it we'll probably succeed in gettin' nabbed before matters
are arranged as they should be."
"Oh, you're too smart, that's what ails you. Take all the soft snaps,
an' leave me here to suck my thumbs without even the chance of movin'
around."
"If you think it's sich a snap to row up there an' back, why don't you
try your hand."
"That's jest what I'm willin' to do. Anything's better'n stayin' here,
an' I'd like you to have a taste of it."
Sam, who was expecting each moment to see the thieves come to blows,
understood at once that this arrangement did not please Phil; but he
made no further objection than to say:
"If you wasn't so blamed careless I'd like to have you do a share of the
hard work; but it's ten to one you'll contrive to let everybody know you
are there."
"I may not be so all-fired smart as you think you are, but I ain't quite
a fool. Why, I've managed bigger things than this when you was around
beggin' for something' to eat, 'cause you was too chicken-hearted to do
this kind of work."
"You'd better not say too much; I've stuck by you when worse men would
have a' given you the cold shake, an' don't intend to take any guff,
especially since I've had sich hard work to get us out of the scrape you
jumped into."
"I shall talk, an' if you don't want to listen, there are plenty of
places to lay off in outside of this."
Then the two thieves glared at each other several moments in silence,
and finally Phil said, with a mirthless laugh:
"We won't fight till this job is finished. Go an' get the balance of the
stuff, an' we'll make a break whenever you are ready; but after one pull
up an' back there'll be somebody besides me who'll think it hard work."
Then, in order to heal the breach which had opened between them, Phil
produced a suspicious looking black bottle from his pocket, and handed
it without comment to his partner.
"Why didn't you bring this out before, an' then, perhaps, the business
would 'a' looked different?" Jim growled, as he drank long and deep;
"but it won't make any difference about my goin' up the creek."
"That's all right; I'm satisfied."
As the two men began to drink a great hope sprang up in Sam's heart that
they would become so stupefied by the liquor that he might make his
escape. They had not thought it necessary to replace the bonds
which had cost him so much suffering, and at the first signs of
unconsciousness he resolved to make one dash for liberty, either by
taking to the boat, or attempting to make his way toward the fair
grounds on that side of the creek.
There was no such good fortune in store for the prisoner, however. The
men drank themselves into the most friendly humor, and then the supply
of liquor was exhausted.
After advising Jim not to start until sunset, Phil lay down to sleep,
and Sam thought it wise to feign slumber also, lest the wakeful burglar
should take it into his head to administer the promised flogging in
order to pass the time more agreeably.