CAPTURING THE WIRELESS STATION
Morning. As the first faint streak of light came streaming over the
treetops and dimly lighted the forest itself, Frank stirred his five
sleeping comrades with the toe of his boot.
"Time to get up," he said in a low voice to each.
Since midnight the lad had stood guard. There was little likelihood,
the friends knew, that their escape would be discovered before morning,
but it had been decided that watch should be kept nevertheless, Jack
had stood watch until midnight, after which Frank took up the vigil.
With all upon their feet now, Frank called a council of war.
"We've got to decide what to do," he said.
"We've come away without as much as a bite to eat. It's likely that we
can rustle up something in the forest, also water to quench our
thirsts, but I'm in favor of more substantial food."
"What do you suggest, then?" asked Williams.
"Well," said Frank, "it's certain that our absence will be discovered
soon after daylight. Naturally they'll make a search for us, because
Captain Jack will not feel easy while we are at large. I figure that
he will scout the forest with the bulk of his men, leaving the
so-called fort lightly guarded. My plan would be to work back toward
the enemy, and when we hear them coming take shelter in the tops of
these big trees. When they have gone by, we'll come down and go to the
fort. There we'll get all the chow we want."
"That's not a bad plan," decided Jack, "but you haven't carried it far
enough, Frank."
"What do you mean?" asked Frank.
"Well," said Jack, "we can also take charge of the wireless room. You
know I have had some experience in wireless telegraphy. Maybe we can
pick up an American ship of war."
"By George! A good idea!" exclaimed Captain Glenn. "But we can't tell
them where we are."
"That's true, too," said Jack, "but we can fix our location so closely
that they should be able to find us."
"It's worth trying, anyhow," declared Williams.
"All right, then," said Jack. "We may as well be on the move."
Jack took the lead and they retraced the route they had traversed in
their flight through the night.
It seemed to all members of the party that they had walked for hours,
when Jack suddenly called a halt.
"Thought I heard voices," he said. "Guess we'd better play safe. Our
place now is up in the trees."
He scanned the big trees near by. A short distance away were two even
larger than the rest. Their branches were so thick that Jack felt sure
they would form a perfect screen.
"Let's climb," he said.
Jack clambered up the nearest tree. Captain Glenn and Williams
followed him. Frank, Timothy and Allen swung themselves into the
other. There, high up among the branches, they sat quietly, waiting.
Their patience was rewarded at last. An hour later, peeping from his
hiding place, Frank saw the familiar figure of Captain Jack. To right
and left his men were beating the brush in an effort to find the
fugitives. Each man carried a rifle ready for instant use.
Frank smiled to himself.
"You want to look up and not down," he said softly.
Captain Jack was exhorting his men to greater pains.
"Don't miss an inch of the ground," he shouted. "We're bound to find
them sooner or later. Five hundred dollars in gold to the man who
discovers them first. Keep working, men, and be careful."
The searchers passed directly beneath the trees in which the fugitives
were hiding. It would have been an easy matter for Frank or any of the
others to have killed Captain Jack and several of his men with a single
volley, but none could bring himself to shoot down a man in cold
blood. Besides, a single shot would have precipitated a battle, and
all the fugitives knew that their best chance of safety lay in avoiding
discovery.
Directly beneath the tree in which Frank was hiding, Captain Jack
paused and lighted his pipe. Then, with a word to his men, he passed
on.
The fugitives in the trees almost held their breath for fear they would
betray their hiding place. For an hour after the pirates had passed
they remained perfectly motionless, fearing that one or more men had
perhaps lagged behind.
Then Jack slid down the tree and the others followed him.
"Now for the fort," cried Jack.
The six made off through the woods as fast as possible. Just beyond
the trees at the edge of the clearing in which the fort stood, Jack,
who had appointed himself commander of the expedition, halted.
"I don't know whether the gate is locked or not," he said. "Chances
are, though, that it's not. Neither can we tell how many men are
within or whether they are on guard. I believe, however, that we will
be safe enough if we cross the clearing at a run. They won't hardly be
looking for us to come back."
"You're right, Templeton," said Captain Glenn.
"Let's be moving, then," said Frank impatiently. "Ready?" asked Jack,
looking the others over.
Every man held an automatic ready for action in each hand.
"All ready," said Williams.
"Then follow me!"
Jack dashed from the forest straight toward the fort. Spreading out a
trifle, so as to make as poor marks as possible should they be
discovered, the others dashed after him.
No one opposed their advance across the open and they reached the gate
without discovery here they halted a minute. Then Jack laid his
shoulder to the gate and pushed.
The gate flew open and the six rushed inside.
At the door to the fort itself stood a single figure. He took one look
at the men bearing down on him, fired at them without taking aim and
dashed inside.
"Quick! Before he locks the door!" shouted Jack.
He leaped forward and succeeded in putting his foot in the door before
the man could close it.
"Lend me a hand here and force the door!" the lad cried.
Captain Glenn and Williams threw their weight against it. The door was
flung open. Jack ducked as he ran in and it was well that he did so.
There was a flash and a bullet sped over his head. Before the man
could fire again, Jack had closed with him and reversing his revolver
quickly, brought the butt down on the man's head with all his force.
The pirate toppled to the floor.
Jack jumped across the inert body. Frank was at his heels.
At the far end of the main room four men barred progress. Frank's
revolvers spoke sharply twice as he ran forward and two men dropped.
Jack felt a twinge of pain in his left side as he advanced and realized
that he had been hit. He did not falter, however. His own revolvers
spoke and the door to the next room was closed.
The room in which the six now found themselves was the main room in the
fort. Doors led off from three directions, one, as Jack knew, to the
wireless room.
"Guard the doors!" shouted Jack. "Shoot the first head you see!"
The others asked no questions but took their positions.
"Frank," said Jack, "we want to get into that wireless room. I don't
know how many men there may be in there. I'm going to break in the
door. You cover me."
Frank advanced and took position behind Jack.
The latter drew back a bit, then dashed at the door. It was of stout
oak, this door, but beneath Jack's weight, the lock was shattered.
As the lad plunged head foremost into the room, there were several
sharp flashes as revolvers spat at him. A bullet plowed through his
left shoulder, but he took no heed, nor did it even stop his rush.
At one side of the room stood three men with leveled revolvers. Into
these Jack pitched headlong before they could fire again.
On the opposite side of the room stood two more men. Frank, dashing
into the room right behind Jack, opened on these with his revolvers.
One dropped before he could return the lad's fire, but a bullet from
the second man's revolver grazed the lobe of Frank's right ear. But
the man never fired again. Another bullet from Frank's automatic
brought him to the floor.
Jack, when he pitched in among the three men, fired twice--once with
each revolver. The enemy also fired, but their nerves were so unsteady
at this unexpected rush that the bullets went wild.
Fighting was too close now to bring revolvers into play, so Jack used
his automatics as clubs.
A man toppled over before a powerful blow. Frank now came to Jack's
aid.
He poked his revolver into one man's back and commanded:
"Hands up!"
The command was obeyed on the instant. At the same moment the other
pirate, now clenched in Jack's powerful arms, cried out:
"I surrender."
Jack released him. The two lads were now undisputed masters of the
field. They returned to the other room, pushing their captives out
ahead of them.