The Boys Become Prisoners
The hoarse voice of Dago was rather near on the path as the G-man and
the two boys ducked into the tunnel and groped hurriedly along, seeking
for a hiding place off the main tunnel. They had gone but a short
distance when they heard Dago and his men coming down behind them, and
backward glimpses showed the lights of flashlights! The tunnel seemed
endless, and was quite straight! The boys and their protector began to
run, softly, but swiftly! Would they never find a side aisle?
Then Stanley grabbed John and ducked to the right into a dark side
tunnel, and Holmes followed at once. There the three crouched,
wondering what was to happen next!
Dago came along talking with Butch, and passed the end of the tunnel.
As he did so he was heard to say,
“How you gonna prove it, Wan Ho? You have to-a have proof. Cowboy
ain’t-a going to just take-a da hunch!”
“I don’t know how I’m going to prove it to Cowboy, Dago, but I’ll try
to get something definite,” said Wan Ho Din as they moved off. “For all
we know this Gallagher is a G-man!”
As the darkness became intense again in the main tunnel, the boys and
their friend came out of the side aisle and pushed on, following Dago.
But progress was slow in the blackness, and Holmes began flashing his
light on and off at intervals. By this means they shortly found a side
aisle wider than the others and so went on into a fair sized room in
which great stacks of supplies were piled up. One pile was a group of
small, but strong looking, cases upon whose exteriors were stamped
the name of a famous brand of liquor. The cases showed all the signs
of having been submerged in sea water a long time, for they were wet
looking and mildewed and spotted with barnacles and bits of algae.
“There’s part of the cargo the unknown yacht holds, boys,” Holmes said.
“You keep watch while I try to get a peek into one of the cases! I’m
willing to bet it doesn’t contain liquor!”
But he had no chance to solve the mystery of the cases, for, even as
he began to search for a way to break into one, lights and footfalls
interrupted. The trio ducked behind and among some barrels and waited a
while; then they came out of their hiding places.
“We better get back to the surface, boys,” said Holmes. “I’ve a
hunch we’ll be trapped before long if we don’t! And, once we are
captured--the jig is up!”
Knowing that he was right, the boys consented to go back by the tunnel
to the entrance. This they now did, at a better pace than on the
inbound trip, for the way was somewhat more familiar now. They emerged
cautiously into the night and it seemed quite light compared to the
blackness of that underground passage. The stars twinkled overhead, and
it was hard to believe that, beneath those high-riding points of light,
men on this earth were scheming to destroy the traditions of a people,
their law and order, for money, power, and a dictatorship!
“I’m going to see how my men are making out, boys. Keep out of any
tunnels from now on, to-night, at least, and don’t get picked up by
Nevada’s men, whatever you do.”
As he went off silently into the night, the boys retired also, to the
safety of some thick bushes and a grove of low trees, where they talked
in low voices.
“Looks as if Wan Ho Din and Dago suspect Dad’s real identity,”
commented Stan. “And between Hegarty knowing for sure who Gallagher
is, and the others suspecting him, it looks to me as though things may
happen quicker than we reckon!”
The two boys now went round, with great care, to their old spot at the
cove’s edge where, from under the overhanging branches of trees, they
could watch the nightly salvage job again. And while they took turns
with the binoculars while the men on the scow worked, Gallagher and Mr.
Nevens were smoking in the latter’s office, discussing the best way to
line up the bakeries into the syndicate’s organization. They were thus
engaged when Wan Ho Din and Dago dropped in.
“Did you check the ammunition, boys?” asked Cowboy, looking up from his
desk.
“Yeh, we got-a plenty lead for the typewriters, Boss!” Dago informed
him.
“Sure?”
“You bet! Say, you don’t s’pose this Hegarty guy might try to-a
spring-a the surprise----?”
Cowboy regarded Dago with a grin.
“Getting nervous, Dago?”
Dago scowled.
“Me? Naw!”
Cowboy reached for another black cigar, lit it leisurely, puffed once
or twice, and then leaned back in his chair, shifting his feet to the
desk top.
“Hegarty may try anything,” said he, quietly, “so just be on the
lookout. You better post plenty of guards, Dago. Wan, you stay here
and take some notes. Gallagher and I gotta ring the bakeries in on our
service!”
Dago took Butch along to make the rounds of the Island, and they placed
men at strategic points so that anyone attempting to surprise them
from the sea would receive a warm and metallic reception! They thought
themselves pretty smart in their plans, but two boys and a number
of ordinary-appearing young men hovered in the darkness close by,
gathering all information that could be figured out from the low toned
conversation of Dago and the men.
Towards morning Stanley and John took cover in a grove of trees and lay
down to sleep; that is, to take turns sleeping, for the other in each
case must keep alert for searchers! Nothing happened to disturb their
snatches of slumber that night, and at dawn they were stretching weary
limbs. John had produced doughnuts, which they ate with satisfaction,
and they quenched their thirst at a half concealed spring some distance
from the cabin.
Their problem was now to get photographs worthy of submission as court
evidence, and they had to get those pictures without being seen! It
was no easy task, and was further complicated by a desire to pick up
fingerprints, too.
But the two boy detectives were not to be stumped by the appearance of
a hard task, and they set to work at once. They closed in on the cabin
by following the paths, crouched low.
It took a great deal of time that Tuesday morning to work up to the
cabin, for every now and then they had to duck from sight and hug cover
while Dago, Wan Ho Din, or others traveled the paths on errands of
preparation for the expected raid from the _Sea Hawk_. Stan was anxious
to see Mr. Sandborn and warn him of the latest dangers, but he saw not
a glimpse of the G-man. They worked close enough to the cabin to get
two excellent shots and then got up to the aquarium for more snaps. It
was in the midst of this operation that they were discovered!
Stan was putting a new film in his camera, when he looked up from his
place of concealment to stare right into the swarthy face of none other
than Dago!
“Well, well,” said Dago. “You boys pickin’ the blueberries, eh?”
John was right behind Stan, bow in hand, but there was no time to set
an arrow in the notch, and besides, the extremely thick nature of the
shrubbery behind them barred either a fight or a retreat and escape!
“Hello, Dago!” said Stan.
For answer Dago reached through the leaves and grabbed Stan securely
by the nape of the neck, dragged him into the open, and shook him. As
he performed that pleasurable feat, he grinned while Wan Ho Din nabbed
John the same way, and the two boys were shortly headed for the cabin,
prisoners!
Stan and John both realized that to twist free of those strong hands
and run would invite a speedy death from bullets or result in a prompt
recapture anyhow by other members of Nevada’s gang scattered all about
round the cove. It was better, for the moment, to go peacefully. But it
made the hearts and hopes of the boys drop.
They were hustled into the cabin and up to Nevada’s den. Roughly, Dago
and Wan shoved them into the room. Cowboy Nevada bit so hard on his
cigar as the door opened and in came the captors and captives, that he
bit the end right off that cigar!
“Well look who drops in on us, Gallagher!” said Nevada. “The two kids I
been wanting so long!”
Fighting to hide the conflicting emotions almost overpowering him at
sight of his fine Dad sitting there in that dangerous atmosphere of
crime, Stanley tried hard to avoid the G-man’s eyes. John got red and
swallowed very hard. Gallagher grinned with amusement.
“So these is the kids what helped get Hogan?” he asked Nevada, softly.
“Yeh, imagine that!” said Cowboy dryly.
“Kin I take-a them out and-a drown ’em, Boss?” begged Dago.
“Dago,” said Cowboy, surprised. “I can hardly believe my ears!--Nor my
eyes!”
Dago shifted uneasily on his feet, embarrassed. Hadn’t the boss
expressed a wish to see the kids wiped out many a time in the last
week? And now he, Dago, proposed getting rid of them pronto, the Boss
was “Surprised!”
“Whatcha mean, boss?” demanded Dago.
Cowboy grinned.
“Dago,” said he, “knowing you as I do, I am astonished that you hadn’t
tried drowning them already!”
“Swell, thanks!” cried Dago, starting for the door with a boy held by
each of his red paws.
“Thanks----”
“Drop them!” came Nevada’s rasping order.
“But you said, boss----”
“Drop them, I said. Gallagher here is gonna do the drowning or whatever
he wants to use rubbin’ them out!”
He pulled out another black cigar and, lighting it, said, curtly,
“Scram, Dago!”
Dago did!