BOUND FOR SASSAFRAS SWAMP
When Landy Smith settled the matter in this convincing fashion, the
rest of the scouts showed more or less interest in the outcome.
"That proves one thing," asserted Toby; "Hen Condit is up here, all
right."
"It proves a whole lot of things, according to my opinion," added Lil
Artha as he nodded his head in a way he had of emphasizing his remarks;
"it tells us Hen is in bad company, for the second fellow must be the
man he was seen with the other day in Hickory Ridge town."
"According to my notion, fellows," said Mark, seriously, "the hand of
that same unknown man stands back of all poor Hen's troubles. Until
that party was seen in this part of the country, Hen didn't seem to
have a single worry. He was always as light-hearted a chap as you
could find in a week of Sundays."
"What under the sun can it mean?" queried Landy, looking distressed;
because, truth to tell, he and the missing scout had been getting quite
fond of one another lately, and the shock had told upon Landy much more
than any other boy belonging to the Wolf Patrol.
"I tell you what I think," ventured Ted Burgoyne just then; "that man
mutht have hypnotized Hen. I don't thee how elth he could make him do
whatever he wants. Yeth, I even believe he forced Hen to wite that
letter. Needn't laugh, Lil Artha, I've been reading it all up lately,
and there are thome queer happeningth along the line of hypnothism."
"Elmer, how about that; do you believe in it?" asked Lil Artha, who was
known to be pretty much of a scoffer in his way.
"I decline to commit myself--just yet at any rate," laughed the patrol
leader. "I confess that queer things do happen, and a fellow who
always refuses to believe because he doesn't understand is silly. But
we do know this unknown man has some kind of influence over our chum;
what it is we're going to find out before we're many days older."
"I like to hear you say that, Elmer," cried Landy, "because I just seem
to believe the thing's more'n half done when you put _your_ hand to the
plough. I can't help but think how poor Hen must be feeling right now,
after getting himself in such a fix."
"How about those tracks we started out to find?" asked Toby just then.
"We'll give another look before closing shop," replied the patrol
leader. "Just fetch the lantern over, Johnny; they'd be apt to head
away from the barn."
It was really in the direction of the near-by swamp that they now
commenced to look. The wisdom of Elmer's figuring was soon made
manifest, for they quickly ran across what they were looking for.
"Here you are," said Elmer, "and now get busy, Landy."
"Yes, drop down on your marrow-bones and see what you make of the
footprints," Lil Artha told the fat scout.
Now Landy had had fair training in certain kinds of work associated
with scout-craft. He had even taken numerous lessons in following a
trail, though giving poor promise of ever being a shining light in that
respect.
"Please hold the lantern closer, Johnny," he said, as he thrust his
nose down near the ground; "yes, here's a footprint as clear as
anybody'd want to see; and I sure ought to know the person who made the
same."
"Tell us why, Landy?" asked Elmer, with a pleased smile.
"That's an easy thing to do, Elmer. You see that diagonal mark across
the toe of this impression--well, that's caused by a patch on the left
shoe. All right, Hen Condit had just such a patch put on his shoe a
week ago last Saturday."
"You know that for a fact, do you, Landy?" questioned the patrol
leader, who did not want any guessing about this business.
"Why, I sat there all the time the cobbler was working at the same,
having accompanied Hen to the shoemaker's shop," continued Landy.
"What's more I joshed him about the fine and dandy track he made every
time he stepped in some half-hard mud that day after he left the shop.
Oh! I'm as sure of this footprint as I am that my name's Landy Smith."
"Well, then, we've had double evidence," spoke up Ted Burgoyne; "and I
gueth that ought to thettle the matter. Ith our Hen that was dragged
up by the heelth. Elmer, will it pay uth to try and follow the trail?"
"Hardly just now, at any rate, Ted," the other told him. "We might aim
to do something of the kind in the morning. But even here it looks as
if they headed for the swamp. That's a point to remember, boys."
Perhaps several of the scouts were just as well satisfied. The idea of
starting out on a trail that might soon take them into a dismal swamp,
and at midnight in the bargain, with a cloudy sky overhead, did not
appeal very strongly to Landy, Toby and Chatz.
Accordingly, they turned back, heading for the friendly barn,
attracted, doubtless, by fond memories of those comfortable beds in the
sweet hay.
"How about the bulldog, Johnny?" asked Elmer, as they reached the barn
entrance.
"I'm meanin' tuh git Mose up yonder, and tie him tuh the tree," replied
the boy. "Them turks hes gut tuh be looked arter, if I hes tuh stay up
all night tuh do the trick. An' lemme tell yuh, Elmer, I kin make up
another trap jest as cunnin' as any ole fox. I'll git 'em yit if so be
they keep hangin' 'raound these parts."
"I believe you would, Johnny," assented the other, who realized that
the bound boy was displaying several good traits that would carry him
along through the world once his time of bondage with the farmer was up.
There being no reason why they should keep away from their sleeping
quarters any longer, the seven scouts entered the barn.
"Wow! but it's plumb dark in here, though!" protested Lil Artha, after
he had knocked his shins twice against some projection, and even
slammed into a post that chanced to be directly in his way.
"We'd better stand still for a little while, so as to let our eyes get
used to the gloom," suggested Elmer; "it's always that way when you
step into one of the moving-picture places, you remember; but a few
minutes later you can see all around you. Better waste a little time
than a lot of cuticle."
"Just so," grunted Lil Artha; "already half an inch of skin has been
barked off my shin, and my nose is swelling where I banged the same
against that awful post."
"Well," remarked Toby, whose ankles had not been bruised and who
consequently could even think to joke about the matter, "it's probably
the first time then Lil Artha was ever left at the post. But I can see
a heap better already."
All of them found that their eyesight soon became accustomed to the
gloom; and that it was not so very bad after all. They had just
managed to reach the place where their traps were left, and started
burrowing in the hay again, when Elmer called their attention to
certain suggestive sounds outside.
"That must be Johnny and the bull pup going past on the way to the
turkey roost," ventured Mark, as they plainly caught a whine, and then
a low growl that was vicious enough to make one's blood turn cold.
"If those fellows should be reckless enough to come back to make a
second try for young turkey," Landy was saying, as though he could not
keep his mind from grappling with Hen Condit and his troubles, "they'll
be some surprised when that ferocious old Mose grabs them by the legs,
and holds on like everything."
"For one, now," admitted Toby, "I'd want to be excused from any session
with the big white teeth of Mose that stick out from his lower jaw.
But if you asked me my opinion I'd say one scare a night was as much as
any ordinary chicken thief could put up with."
"Nothing doing," muttered Lil Artha, showing that he, too, was of the
same mind as the companion scout.
At least it was very evident none of the boys expected being disturbed
again in their slumbers, for they went about settling down as though
they meant to enjoy a good long session.
"Don't wake me too early, mother dear," Toby was heard to say, half to
himself, "for to-morrow won't be the first of May, and I'm not to be
the queen of the occasion either. So please let me have my snooze out,
everybody."
Nothing did occur to disturb their slumbers which doubtless were
additionally sweet after that one break.
Elmer had them all up when he considered that it was right and proper.
True, the sun was only peeping above the horizon, and the birds still
twittered amidst the shrubbery near by; but Elmer knew what great hands
farm people are about getting up betimes, and he did not wish to keep
Mrs. Trotter's breakfast waiting for any sleepy-heads.
The grumbling ceased as if by magic the moment he mentioned that word
"breakfast," and Lil Artha immediately announced himself as being
wide-awake.
"H'm! seems like I could even smell the batter cakes frying right now,
fellows," he told them, with a smack of his lips. "Notice that I scorn
to give them the well-known name of flapjacks on this festive occasion,
because we're going to eat at a regular table, under a hospitable roof;
and it's only when in camp that wheat cakes are called flapjacks."
"A rose by any other name would smell as sweet," chortled Toby.
"Yes, but if you kept calling it an onion you'd soon think it didn't,"
affirmed Lil Artha; "but say, do you reckon that bell was meant for us?
Oh! where's my other shoe; they pinched me, so I took 'em off in the
middle of the night, and the left one has gone and hid in the hay."
"Mebbe the rats got away with it, Lil Artha," suggested Landy,
wickedly; "I'm certain I heard 'em squeakin' all around here; and they
like shoe for breakfast."
It turned out, however, that there was no damage done; the missing
foot-wear was soon discovered under a wisp of hay, and quickly the tall
scout crept out in the wake of his six comrades.
A second time the bell was heard, and at that they all started on a run
for the rear of the house, where several tin basins, and some soap, as
well as clean towels announced that the farmer's good wife had gotten
things ready for them.
Lil Artha had guessed right; perhaps his keen scent had discovered the
odor of pancakes in the air, for they were in plain sight, several
pyramids of the golden beauties, with a pitcher of real maple syrup,
and plenty of fresh butter to go with the same.
Mrs. Trotter may only have had three little girls of her own, but she
certainly had been brought up in a family where there were boys,
because she knew so well what their weaknesses were.
What with three fried eggs apiece, guaranteed strictly home-grown and
fresh; a great rasher of sweet ham, also a product of the farm; coffee,
with genuine cream in the same, a dish of oatmeal, and then those
steaming stacks of cakes, it was a wonder some of those scouts were not
completely foundered.
Elmer had more or less difficulty in coaxing Lil Artha away from the
table. The elongated scout could hardly breathe, he was so full; but
he heaved many a sigh as he noticed that a fresh plateful of those
unexcelled pancakes had just been put on, with no one left to do them
justice.
Shaking his head sadly, Lil Artha finally managed to get on his feet
and leave the dining-room. His last look back spoke volumes; it said
as plainly as anything those wonderfully expressive words: "though lost
to sight, to memory dear;" and probably never again in the course of
human events would Lil Artha equal the astounding record he made that
same morning of thirteen pancakes straight.
Elmer knew they would have a big day ahead of them, and was really
anxious to get started. He had made arrangements with the farmer and
his wife to supply such provisions as they could conveniently carry
along with them for a couple of days, while they were combing the big
Sassafras Swamp in hopes of coming across the two parties they sought.
If the Chief of Police in Hickory Ridge, with others to help him,
should put in an appearance, Elmer hoped they might be given such
information as lay in the power of Mr. Trotter.
"We are not hoggish, you must know, Mr. Trotter," he told the farmer,
as they were making their last preparations before starting forth;
"much as we want to be the ones who will round up these two lurkers in
Sassafras Swamp, if the police come to take a hand in the chase we wish
them every luck. Yes, and what's more we stand ready as true scouts to
lend them a helping hand."
"All we want," added Ted, seriously, "ith a chance to athist our chum
Hen. We believe him to be under thome influence, and tho we're bent on
breaking hith chains."
Each of the seven boys had a certain load to carry besides his rubber
poncho, and his pack was supposed to hold the extra food supplies as
well. Some people on seeing what these consisted of might imagine the
swamp hunters meant to spend a very long time in their search; but then
such persons would in that way betray their gross ignorance as to what
a growing boy's appetite amounts to. They were taking no chances of
starvation; and two whole days meant at least three times that many
full meals, with sundry bites in between.
From what Elmer had learned through Johnny Spreen, it was possible to
navigate a fair portion of the swamp with a boat. They had several
flat-bottomed skiffs that were used for that purpose, usually by the
boy in his fur-hunting expeditions during the fall and winter seasons.
Unfortunately, things were so much behind at the farm that Johnny could
not be spared to accompany them. Elmer had hinted at this, not because
he feared his own ability to get around, but because Johnny's being
along would save them much precious time.
When the scout leader had soaked in all possible information the bound
boy was capable of delivering, he believed he was in a fair way to
master the situation. If Hen and his unknown captor were still hiding
anywhere in the big swamp, Elmer fancied they could be found. What was
going to happen after that event came about, of course, he could not
say just then.
They made their way along for some distance until near the place where
the three flat-bottomed skiffs were kept tied up. It was here that
Johnny made a sudden discovery that gave them all a little thrill.