THE SIEGE BEGINS
The unexpected appearance of the three strangers stupefied Ned, but Bug
turned like a flash and started to run. Two of the men instantly
overhauled him and threw him roughly to the ground, while a third
hastily opened the slide of a dark lantern that was strapped to his
waist and cast a flood of light upon the scene.
Ned uttered a gasp of amazement. The man with the lantern was Mose
Hocker.
The recognition was mutual.
"You here!" cried Hocker in a pained voice. "I didn't expect this. Is it
possible that you lads came down to my cabin and stole the gun and the
boat? I wouldn't have believed it of you without the evidence of my own
eyes."
"And this here's the same feller I had locked up in the smoke house,"
exclaimed one of Bug's captors. "I'll bet he don't steal any more
chickens for a while."
Ned stood pale and agitated before his accuser--quite at a loss for
words to explain.
"I'm sorry for you," resumed Hocker, "but I must do my duty an' hand
you over to constable Jeffries. Where are the rest of your party?"
The words came with a rush now as Ned eagerly denied his guilt and
explained away the incriminating circumstances.
Then, while the others clustered about him, he commenced the story at
the beginning, and went through with it thread by thread.
His excitement caused him to speak a little inarticulately; and he
missed a few details, but by adroit cross questioning his hearers
obtained a clear understanding of the whole situation--starting with the
rescue of Bug's brother and ending with the events that had recently
transpired at the mill.
Ned was so anxious to procure Bug's release that he quite forgot his
suspicions of a few moments before--namely, that Bug was equally guilty
with Moxley of the theft of the boat and the gun.
"Won't you let him go?" he pleaded. "It's all a mistake. He had nothing
to do with stealing those things from the farmer. He was doing all he
could to help us."
But Hocker had formed his own opinion after hearing Ned's story, and so
had constable Jeffries and Mr. Zinn, the farmer.
"I'm mighty glad to know you lads ain't guilty," said Hocker, "and I ax
your pardon for my wrong suspicion. As for this fellow, I ain't so sure
about him. I don't doubt that he's really been trying to get you chaps
out of a scrape though, and I promise you he'll get full credit for it.
Meanwhile we'd better make sure of him--just as a matter of form, you
know."
He nodded to Jeffries and the latter slipped a pair of bracelets on
Bug's wrists.
Ned was surprised and indignant. He saw no reason for such a step.
"Don't be worried, lad," remarked Hocker soothingly. "He may be turned
loose later on. You see I can't afford to let the guilty parties escape
after the hard chase they've given me. Why, Jeffries and I have been
scourin' all along the creek in a buggy. We happened to strike Zinn's
farm this evening, and stopped fur information. Zinn told us he had a
man locked up in the smoke house, but when we went to look the fellow
was gone.
"I suspected it was the party I wanted, an' knowin' that in that case
the boat couldn't be far away, we hurried down to the creek. And it's
well we did for your sake as well as mine. The next thing is to rescue
the lads and capture the rascal. We had better be quick or he will take
alarm and leave the mill."
"Moxley is the fellow's name, is it?" said the farmer. "It has a kind of
familiar ring to my ears."
"I know the man," spoke up Jeffries. "Dude Moxley he goes by, but that
ain't his real name. He comes from a good family up the valley, and was
well educated when a lad. Drink ruined him, and now he's one of the
greatest scamps unhung. I know this other chap, too," added the
constable. "His folks are sober, respectable people over at the Gap,
but he ain't much better than Moxley. We've met more than once before.
How is it, my man?"
Bug hung his head but said nothing.
The scene was inexpressibly painful to Ned, and he was greatly relieved
when the conversation turned on the rescue of his companions. He little
dreamed that the most exciting incidents of this already eventful night
were yet to come.
"We had better cross to the neck of land in your boat, Hocker,"
suggested Zinn. "The plank over that sluiceway makes a lot of racket,
and the scoundrel may hear us and slip away."
This happy idea was carried out. The entire party embarked, and landed a
moment later about ten yards below the mill. The rain had ceased some
time before, and the moon was now peeping through a rift in the scudding
clouds.
As the men crept up the stony slope they saw through the gaping crevices
of the mill the yellow gleam from Moxley's lantern. Suddenly it
vanished, and a creaking noise was hear.
"The rascal is escaping. We must run for it," whispered Hocker. He
bounded forward with Jeffries at his heels. Zinn fell behind, leaving
Bug in charge.
The men swiftly turned the upper corner of the mill just as the door was
slammed and bolted in their faces. Hocker began to kick savagely and
wrench the handle.
"That won't do any good," exclaimed Zinn, as he reached the spot. "I
made a strong job of that door, and it will take more than a little to
break it down. There are plenty of other places that can be forced in."
A brief pause followed, and then a sullen voice issued from behind the
door.
"I'll put a hole through the first man that tries to enter this mill. I
mean what I say. Dude Moxley ain't to be trifled with."
The men hastily withdrew, first taking the precaution to remove the
plank that covered the sluiceway.
"The rascal must have seen us coming up the slope in the moonlight,"
muttered Hocker. "I suppose he thought we had the place surrounded and
every avenue of escape cut off. He's a desperate fellow, and may stand a
long siege."
In truth Moxley seemed to be preparing for that very thing. He boldly
drew in the shutters of the two windows that the faced the creek, and a
moment later he began to roll logs about, evidently fortifying the weak
places in the wall.
"That may be only a ruse," said Jeffries. "Is there any way of escape
from the other side?"
"Of course there is," exclaimed the farmer. "He can easily drop from the
second story window to the foot of the hill. Lend me that empty gun," he
added, turning to Ned. "I'll cross the wasteway in the boat and get
behind the trees a few yards up the hill. If the rascal attempts to
crawl out the window I'll scare him back."
Ned handed over the gun, and the farmer departed in haste. Hocker and
Jeffries moved aside and carried on a whispered conversation.
Bug was left to his own devices. He could not escape, for the removal of
the plank from the sluiceway made the place literally an island. He sat
down on a big stone, with his manacled hands resting on his knees. Ned
was restless and heartsick, and the prolonged suspense grew more
intolerable every moment. He was afraid that Moxley would vent his anger
on the boys, and perhaps do them an injury.
Hocker divined the lad's thoughts.
"Don't be downhearted," he said. "Your friends are safe enough. The
scoundrel won't dare to hurt them. By and by, if the siege threatens to
last, we'll find a way to get them out of the mill."
"I hope you will succeed," said Ned. "It's hard to tell what that
ruffian will do. And none of us have had anything to eat since last
evening at supper time."
Hocker was thunderstruck on hearing this, and hastily produced a double
handful of crackers from the capacious pocket of his coat.
"That will take the edge off your hunger," he said. "I bought them at a
country store as we drove by this morning. When Zinn's hired man comes
down to see where his master is--as he surely will before long--I'll
send him back for food. If we can't get your friends out of the mill we
can at least send them something to eat through that loose board. By
means of the boat one of us can climb into the rafters."
This plan seemed feasible, and Ned felt no compunctions about eating the
crackers. Nothing had ever tasted so good to him before.
Meanwhile Hocker and Jeffries had been quietly holding another
consultation, and now the latter advanced to the side of the mill.
"Moxley," he called in a loud voice, "if you know what's best for you,
you will quietly hand out that gun, and deliver yourself up. The more
trouble you give us, the harder it will be for you in the end. You can't
possibly escape, and your capture is only a question of time. We are
well armed, and won't stand any fooling. Come out now and we'll make it
as easy for you as possible."
There was a brief pause, and then creaking footsteps were heart as
Moxley approached the wall.
"You can talk all night," he shouted hoarsely, "but it won't do any
good. Don't you come too close, Bill Jeffries, or I might draw a bead on
you. We have more than one old score to settle. As for getting me out of
here, you and ten like you can't do it. I have plenty of ammunition and
plenty to eat, and this place will hold me as long as I want to stay.
You can't take me inside of a week. I have four prisoners in here, and
not a mouthful of food will they get, not a sup of water, as long as you
fellows are prowling around. I mean what I say, Jeffries, and you know
it. For your own good I warn you to get out of this. I'll shoot the
first man that enters the mill."
To enforce this hostile declaration Moxley thrust the muzzle of his gun
through a crevice, and Jeffries hastily retreated.