THE TROUBLE THAT WAS MET ON THE ROAD.
The night seemed unusually long to Thad.
They had locked the door of the cabin, and by this time he had
come to the positive conclusion that no human being could ever
climb in through the little window, as long as that stout iron bar
remained across its center.
Nevertheless, half a dozen times Thad awoke, and on each and every
occasion he seemed to deem it a solemn duty to get out of his
bunk, pass over to the window, which was, of course, open for
ventilation, and observe the whole of the shore that could be
seen.
But the bright moonlight bathed the bank in its radiance, the soft
night wind murmured among the trees, and possibly certain sounds,
such as the hooting of owls, or the barking of some honest
watchdog, disturbed the silence of the night, yet there was no
cause for alarm.
Morning came at last.
It had been decided that they might accept the kind offer of the
storekeeper to a limited extent. They would be foolish to allow a
scruple to stand in the way. Besides, even as it was, they stood
to run up against trouble below, from a shortage of provisions.
So Maurice went ashore, and, seeking the store, was cordially
greeted by the proprietor.
"Made up yuh mind tuh trade with me, sah?" asked Mr. Stallings, as
he thrust out his lean brown hand in greeting.
"We have up to five dollars. My chum refuses to get any deeper in
debt. And if you have no objections we'll carry off a slab of
breakfast bacon and some grits right now," returned Maurice.
"Right glad you settled it that way. I'd ben sorry tuh see yuh go
on without some provisions, sah. Pick out just what yuh want, an'
I'll make a note o' it. But if so be ten dollars 'd seem better
tuh yuh, don't hang back," went on the generous Southerner.
"I wouldn't dare go one cent beyond the five, or Thad would be
after my scalp. And he'll want to see the bill, too, depend on
that."
Maurice quickly returned to the boat, bearing the bacon and grits;
for without the same their breakfast would have been slim, indeed.
Afterward they locked the cabin, and both ventured over to the
general store; for Thad was determined that since the precious
packet had to be delivered to George that morning, he was not
going to let his chum have all the pleasure of bringing joy into
the life of the poor family.
"Besides," he added, when making his plea, "who knows what trouble
you might meet up with on the road? If the storekeeper hinted that
it wasn't right safe for strangers to be wandering around, perhaps
you might be held up by some thieves. Two would be better than one
if that happened, you know."
Maurice was well satisfied that it should be so; though he had not
brought the subject forward, he hardly fancied the idea of taking
that four mile jaunt and back, alone.
Besides, the possession of so much money was apt to arouse fears
that might never have occurred to him otherwise.
So he had readily assented to the proposition of his chum.
Mr. Stallings was pleased to meet the second lad; and Thad quite
took to the Southern storekeeper and woodyard proprietor at sight.
They remained long enough to get full directions concerning the
road that would bring them to the desolate little home of George.
"I'd advise yuh tuh keep an eye out along the swamp, boys. They's
a few bad coons somewhar in that thar place. The sheriff he 'lows
tuh git 'em right soon, an' any day weuns hyah 'spect tuh see 'im
drift in wid some prisoners. I heard as how he had collected his
posse three days back. Keep that gun right handy, son; an' if so
be yuh have tuh shoot, make her tell!"
All of which might be interesting news; but it was hardly
calculated to quiet the nerves of the two boys.
However, they were not the kind to give up any cherished object
simply because it involved peril.
"Thank you, Mr. Stallings. You said you'd keep an eye on our boat
while we were gone, didn't you? It isn't much of a beauty, but you
see it's all we've got; and we calculate that it'll just have to
carry both of us to Orleans," remarked Maurice, as they started
away.
"Don't yuh think of any harm acomin' tuh the boat, sah. I'll give
yuh my word they wont. And if so be yuh choose tuh stay over
night, I'll use the key yuh left with me, an' put a man inside tuh
keep guard, a man who would as soon shoot a thief as eat his
bacon."
So the two chums started off.
The morning was delightfully fresh, with the sun shining overhead,
and just a tank of frost in the air, enough to make them tramp
along with a spring to their steps.
But before they had gone beyond the last cabin Thad gave utterance
to an ejaculation of dismay.
"What's the matter now; forgot something? Hope the Marlin is
loaded, and you picked up a few more shells for your pocket?" said
his comrade, as they both stopped short.
"Oh, sure, I saw to all that. It's a different matter," mumbled
Thad, who seemed to be staring hard at something to one side.
Turning, Maurice discovered a tumble-down shack, around which
several dirty white children were playing.
"What is it?" he asked; "didn't think you saw a ghost, again, eh?"
Thad shook his head.
"Nope. This was a live ghost, I reckon. And he had a fiery red-top
in the bargain," he said positively.
Immediately Maurice understood what ailed him.
"A man with a red head of hair; and you think it might be the same
fellow that tried to rob us yesterday up-river? Is that it?"
"Sure it is," replied Thad.
"But you know there are lots of men with red hair?" protested his
comrade.
"Yes, but not with that nasty laugh. You heard it when he paddled
away, thinkin' he had the stuff; and I heard him give the same
kind of laugh just when he dodged into that shack."
"He did, eh? Funny I didn't happen to hear it. What made him laugh
this time, d'ye suppose, Thad?"
"Ask me something easy, will you? P'raps he was tickled to see old
friends again. Then, again, mebbe the notion struck him that after
all the fish that got away the other time was comin' straight into
his net. All I know is he laughed; and that it's the same
critter!"
When Thad was positive it took mountains to change his opinion.
But then Maurice did not see that there was anything improbable in
the idea, since the thief who had visited them had rowed down
river, and just as likely as not had his home at Morehead.
"Well, come along, pard. Even if it is our old acquaintance, he'd
better think twice before trying to hold us up," he remarked,
giving a pull at the other's sleeve.
"But he knows what we've got along. He may tell some others just
as tough as himself; and how could we hold up our end if half a
dozen tackled us?" grumbled Thad, as he stalked along at the side
of his chum.
"Shall we go back, then?" asked the other.
"Nixy. I don't care if there's a dozen coming, we're going to get
to George all right. You hear me, Maurice."
"That's the right way to speak. But, after all, perhaps we won't
have the least bit of trouble. Didn't you hear Mr. Stallings say
the sheriff was abroad with a posse, looking for rascals. Strikes
me that this wouldn't be a good time for our friend to try any of
his tricks. They use a rope down here for a remedy. Jails are
played out. There's no need of bothering any, Thad."
So they walked briskly along the road, which was, after all, not
much of a thoroughfare, and required close watching lest they
stray away and lose themselves.
But the storekeeper had given plain directions, so that with
proper diligence they should not have any trouble about keeping
along the right path.
Although Thad had appeared to agree with his chum that there was
no need for worry, it might be noticed that he let Maurice do most
of the looking for the right signs that were to safeguard their
course. On his part he felt that necessity demanded that he twist
his head just one in so often and scan the rear.
Maurice knew what he was doing, but made no complaint. Indeed, in
secret, he was almost as anxious as Thad, even though he had not
seen the man with the red head with his own eyes; and had tried to
laugh at the idea of his being the same scoundrel who had tried to
rob the shanty-boat further up the river.
After they had placed Morehead Landing some distance in the rear
they found themselves in a very lonely place, indeed.
Evidently they must be approaching the swamp spoken of by the
friendly storekeeper. Here and there they could see trailing
streamers of Spanish moss clinging to the branches of the trees;
and the further they went the more desolate their surroundings
became.
"Say, ain't it enough to give a feller the shivers?" observed
Thad, when an owl began to hoot in a mournful way back from the
road.
"I must say it doesn't seem to be particularly cheerful around
this region. But we must be more'n half way there; and nothing's
happened yet," returned Maurice, stoutly.
"There, what was that?" asked his chum, coming to a sudden stop.
"Where?" demanded Maurice, who had taken his turn at carrying the
gun; and as he spoke bringing it half way up to his shoulder,
while his thumb played with one of the hammers.
"I saw something moving ahead; sure I did!" declared Thad, shaking
that obstinate head of his the whole.
"Perhaps so, but that's not saying it was a MAN! Did it have red
hair, do you know, Thad?"
"There you go, Maurice, always making fun of me. I didn't see any
head, so I can't say; but it looked like a man creeping off."
"Right where, son?"
"Do you see that clump of bushes, the ones with the bully red
leaves? Well, it was close to them. It moved just when I happened
to look that way. I give you my word, Maurice."
"All right. We'll find out quick enough, I reckon," remarked the
other, with that decisive ring in his voice which Thad knew so
well.
"Now what are you goin' to do, pard? Don't be too rash. Remember
what Mr. Stallings, said," and Thad laid a restraining hand on his
chum's arm.
But Maurice was not to be daunted.
"Fall in behind me, then. I'm going up to the bushes and see for
myself what it was. Ten to one it must have been a muskrat out of
the swamp; or perhaps a fox, prowling around for his grub."
He cocked both barrels of the Marlin, and the act must have
instilled new courage in the heart of Thad, for he immediately
removed his detaining hand.
"All right, then; go ahead. If he jumps for you, poke the old gun
in his face."
He stooped down and secured possession of a stout cudgel himself,
as though he felt inclined to back up his comrade after a fashion.
In this manner they slowly approached the clump of bushes, where
the frost had turned the leaves to rusty red color.
Maurice was on the alert for any sign of trouble. He even passed
partly around the clump, without discovering anything to indicate
the presence of an enemy.
When he had made sure that the bushes did not conceal a lurking
figure, he turned to Thad with a grin.
"Went off in smoke, I reckon. A fellow who can see a hanging coon
in a bundle of burlap strung up to a tree might imagine anything,
it seems to me," he said a little sarcastically.
Thad looked somewhat sheepish.
He allowed his head to droop, and shrugged his shoulders.
"I did see something move, I tell you. It seemed to skip back out
of sight, like it didn't want me to get my peepers on it," he
said, with a conviction that would not be denied.
"All right. I hear you; but please show me the animal or human
being. I'm willing to be convinced, Thad."
The other started to smile.
"I reckon I can't show you the thing that was here, Maurice, but I
might do the next best thing," he said, eagerly.
"What's that--point out it's shadow?" jeered the other, still
skeptical.
"A smoke ghost don't leave any marks behind, does it?"
"Well, I don't know. I wouldn't like to say, since I never ran up
against one. But why do you make that remark, brother?"
"Looky there!"
Thad dramatically pointed down at his feet as he spoke, and
Maurice, turning his gaze in that quarter, instantly saw something
that caused him to draw in a quick breath and involuntarily clutch
the gun with a gesture of alarm.
There were plain marks on the ground, and even as inexperienced
woodsmen as the two boys could easily see that these had
undoubtedly been made by the big feet of a shuffling man!