SPRINGING THE TRAP
"I WONDER if the plan will work?" remarked Roger, when he and Dick
once more found themselves alone, the captain having sauntered over to
where some of the men were joking, Andrew Waller being the life of the
company.
"If that torn part of a message meant anything," Dick told him, "and
Captain Lewis is able to bait the trap in the right way, I believe this
night will see the answer to the question that has been bothering us so
long."
"Meaning that we will learn who the traitor is?" continued the other.
"Yes. Right now we are no nearer the truth than a week ago, you know,
Roger. It may be any one of the three men we had in mind; or some one
else, for that matter."
"Look at Andrew Waller, Dick. He seems to be in high spirits! Do you
think that is all put on for effect? From the way he acts no one could
ever dream he had an evil thought in his heart for his comrades of the
long trail."
"As we exhausted that subject a long time ago, Roger, and have learned
nothing new since, there's no use trying to figure things out. Better
wait, and, as my father says, 'hold our horses' until the trap is
sprung--if it ever is."
"But, if we do trip him up," continued Roger, reflectively, "what do
you believe Captain Lewis will do to the wretch?"
"He has not given us even a hint on that score," Dick replied.
"If the man is a traitor, and really tried to take our lives for pay,
it seems to me it would be a shame if he were only drummed out of camp
for such things. I know what Captain Clark would do if it rested in his
hands."
"Yes, and I can guess the answer there, too, Roger; because he is a
soldier, with stern ideas of what treachery means. But Captain Lewis
has a tender heart, for all he can be so firm. He is very fond of the
men who have clung to his fortunes in this great journey into the
unknown country of the West."
"Do you really mean to say, Dick, he would forgive the rascal on that
account?" demanded Roger, with a frown of displeasure on his face.
"Not exactly that," hastily replied the other lad. "I am sure that
he would not want to trust such a man again, but, at the same time,
Captain Lewis would not believe it necessary to have the traitor shot,
as a soldier would."
"In that case there would be only one other thing to do," observed
Roger, disconsolately; "which would be to kick him out of camp, and
warn him, just as he did Lascelles, that if he ever allowed himself to
be seen near the camp again it would be at his peril."
"Mark my words, Roger, if we are lucky enough to catch the man in the
act, that is what will happen to him. But, before he goes, he will
listen to a ringing talk from Captain Lewis that will make his cheeks
burn."
"Yes, and not for all the money Lascelles ever owned would I want
to have such a fine man as Captain Lewis tell me that, as a traitor
to my trust, I had sunk down until I was beneath contempt. But I
wonder, Dick, how he will manage to let them know about the rifles and
ammunition in the supply tent?"
"Depend on it the captain has that arranged cleverly enough," Dick
declared, "and he will accomplish it without awakening any suspicion
that it has been done for a purpose."
"What shall we do next?" asked Roger.
"Wait for his signal as arranged with us," explained Dick. "When we
get that, it is our duty to slip out of camp without being noticed, and
settle down in that patch of brush, just as he said. Later on, he will
join us there, and bring Captain Clark with him."
They sat there and exchanged words for quite a long time, while the
evening waned, and some of the tired men, who had been poling or rowing
all day, began to creep into the tents, or, it might be, under rude
bough shelters, where they expected to sleep through the remainder of
the night.
"The time has come at last," said Dick, in a low tone.
"Did you see Captain Lewis make the gesture he explained to us?" asked
his chum.
"Yes, and now let us see how smartly we can carry out our part of the
game, as we laid it out in advance."
After surveying the field, the boys concluded that, by pretending to
settle down in a certain place, they could withdraw by degrees without
being noticed, and come up in the rear of the patch of bushes marked by
the commander as the meeting spot.
This maneuver was accomplished with considerable skill, because both
lads were well drilled in Indian ways, and could snake their way along
the ground as well as any painted brave on the warpath, seeking to spy
on the enemy's camp.
In due time, therefore, they crept into the bushes, and settled down
to await the coming of the two captains. Just as they expected, from
their place of hiding it was possible to keep a close watch upon the
supply tent, though the latter stood in the shadows, with the firelight
playing on one side of it only.
Slowly the minutes crept along. The boys rarely exchanged words, and
then only in the lowest of whispers; nor did they make any sort of
move, lest in some way keen eyes discover their presence amidst the
bushes.
It seemed ages before Roger pressed the arm of his cousin, and spoke in
his ear.
"Something moving behind us, Dick!"
The other had also caught a faint rustling sound, and knew that in all
probability the two captains must be about to join them. Surely enough,
in a short time the men reached the side of the boys, exercising all
the skill possible to avoid making their presence known to others.
Few words passed between them, for the plan of campaign had been laid
out, and each one knew what lay before them. The firelight flickered
upon the side of the supply tent, and it was in this quarter mostly
that their gaze was fastened. In fact, Captain Lewis and his fellow
officer depended wholly on the wide-awake boys to let them know when
anything happened, for they themselves lay stretched out at full length
upon the ground.
One by one the men sitting by the fire began to vanish, some yawning,
and others simply stretching themselves with the air of weariness
natural after a strenuous day at the oars.
Finally an atmosphere of desertion seemed to have come upon the camp.
The fire died down slowly, and not a movement could be seen. Somewhere,
near by, the appointed sentries stood guard, but their duty was
wholly in the line of making sure that an enemy did not surprise the
adventurous company from without. Those in the camp were supposed to be
above suspicion.
Roger was beginning to grow impatient. The minutes were dragging along,
so far as he was concerned, and he began to fear that, after all,
the scheme, so cleverly planned by Captain Lewis, would fail to be a
success.
What if the fellow had become suspicious, and determined not to allow
himself to be attracted by the bait? They would have their long night
vigil for nothing, and be no nearer to learning the truth than before.
Roger lacked the patience and perseverance of his chum, though he had
many good qualities of his own.
It must have been almost midnight when Dick caught sight of a shadowy
figure moving just beyond the supply tent. At first he thought it might
be a wolf that had boldly crept into the camp, though such a thing
seemed absurd; then he became satisfied that it must be a man on his
hands and knees, crawling along slowly, and heading for the isolated
tent.
When satisfied in this respect he whispered in the ear of Roger, and
touched both the recumbent captains on the arm. This had been a signal
agreed on in case of necessity, and, as they were on the alert, they
lost no time in making good use of their eyes.
The creeper was now close to the tent. Every few feet he would sink
down flat to the ground, and remain perfectly still for a time. No
doubt at such intervals the man was listening intently to discover the
slightest movement in the camp that might mean danger to him.
Both boys fairly held their breath when they saw the shadowy figure
reach the tent and hastily creep under the flap. Just how long it would
take him to find what he was after no one could say, but the time had
arrived for those who were watching the tent to make a forward move.
Fortunately the breeze started up just then, and rustled the leaves of
the trees overhead. It came from a quarter that also bore the sounds
of the fretting river, where rocky reefs impeded the progress of the
current; so that a combination of sounds helped to deaden any little
rustling noise the four watchers might make in rising to their feet and
moving forward.
Every detail had been arranged, and they made immediately for the
darker side of the tent. This was to avoid having their shadows appear
on the canvas, and arousing the suspicions of the thief.
Having taken up their positions here, they waited for what was to
follow, confident that the guilty one could not possibly escape them.
He could be heard moving around inside the tent. Once he upset some
object that fell to the ground with a soft thud, and they even heard
his low muttered exclamation of annoyance. After that all was still for
an interval, as doubtless he strained his hearing to learn whether the
sound had aroused any curiosity in the mind of a sentry.
Then the movements started again, proving that renewed confidence was
making the marauder bolder.
Dick and Roger had their guns ready, according to orders. If the man
attempted to escape after being ordered to surrender their duty would
be to shoot, although the endeavor would be to wound instead of to kill.
The movements within the tent had now ceased, and it was probable that
the man had secured all he sought to acquire. That meant his next act
would be to make his exit. Dick had not overlooked the chance of his
creeping under the canvas at the rear of the tent, and, if they failed
to see anything of him by the time another minute passed, he meant to
creep around and ascertain whether this had been attempted.
Roger, giving a faint gasp, warned his chum that some one was coming.
Then all of them caught sight of a dusky figure bending low as it crept
out of the tent.
"Stand still and surrender, or you are a dead man!" suddenly exclaimed
Captain Lewis, as, with his three companions, he stepped forward.
The thief made no attempt to run, for he knew what the result must be
when he saw those rifles in the hands of the two boys. So they pushed
up until they could make sure of his identity; and somehow neither
Roger nor Dick felt any great surprise when they discovered that the
man they had captured was Andrew Waller.