A MISSION
Spent from the long, hard climb up the steep trail, War and Willie
nevertheless greeted the other Scouts with good humor.
“Where you fellows been?” Ken demanded as the party retired to the
shelter of the tents. “We thought you were lost on the mountain.”
“You don’t think we’d be that dumb?” War scoffed, flinging himself down
near the fire which Jack had rekindled.
“As a matter of truth, we were lost for a little while,” Willie admitted
with a laugh. “We went exploring.”
“That was a very risky thing to do in this country,” Mr. Livingston
chided. “You shouldn’t have left camp.”
“Sure, we know that now,” War agreed. “But we had to find out the hard
way.”
“What happened after we left?” Ken questioned impatiently. “You started
off in search of us—or were you hoping to find Mr. Corning?”
“It was like this,” War said, stirring the fire with a stick. “Last
night, shortly after dusk, we saw those signals again.”
“The light flashes?” Jack asked.
“Yeah,” War nodded, “only the signals didn’t come from this camp. They
were being flashed from half way down to the valley floor.”
“It didn’t look more than a mile or so away,” Willie added.
“Then what?” prompted Mr. Livingston.
“Well, we watched ’em for a minute or two. Someone down below kept
sending three long flashes.”
“Any answer from this camp?” Jack asked.
“None,” Willie told him. “We figured that with Rhodes confined in the
cottage, there wouldn’t be any.”
“He didn’t catch the flashes?” Mr. Livingston inquired.
“Apparently, not. At any rate, he didn’t leave the cottage,” Willie
replied. “Probably wasn’t feeling up to it.”
“So you decided to investigate?”
“Well, it looked like a perfect opportunity,” Willie confessed
sheepishly. “It proved to be a mistake.”
“What happened?” Mr. Livingston questioned.
War took up the story. “Not very much, Hap,” he admitted. “We took
careful note of those flashes and started off down the trail. After
awhile, the fellow who was signaling, gave up. We had nothing to guide
us. We thought we had a good idea where the signals originated, but at
night the forest all looks pretty much the same.”
“You got lost?” Jack demanded.
“Not exactly.”
“What d’you mean, not exactly?”
“Well,” War grinned, “we did come upon a path that led off into the
forest from the main trail. We decided to follow it.”
“Where did it take you?” Ken interposed. “To the middle of nowhere?”
“Something like that,” War acknowledged. “It just kept on and on, and
after awhile, we decided we’d have to turn back.”
“You’d marked you way, I take it?” Mr. Livingston asked.
“Well, in a fashion,” War answered, avoiding the Scout leader’s direct
gaze. “We figured we couldn’t go astray following a regular path. But
somehow in the semi-darkness, we slipped up and got off the darn thing.
Getting back was what took so long.”
“We had to wait until dawn,” Willie confessed. “Once it was daylight, we
figured things out, and were able to retrace our way.”
“At least you used your head on that point,” Mr. Livingston said. “Your
excursion, I take it, netted no real information.”
“Not a scrap,” War acknowledged ruefully. “We’re almost certain though,
that that path we started to follow must lead to either a village or to
the bandit hide-out.”
“You’re probably right,” the Scout leader nodded. “It confirms my own
opinion that we can do nothing without definite information and
assistance from the authorities.”
He then told Willie and War what had happened during their absence from
camp.
“Mrs. Rhodes leaves tomorrow for Bogota with the sample emerald to be
assayed,” he added. “Willie, if you and War are up to it, I’d like you
both to go along.”
“We’ll be okay after a few hours sleep,” Willie replied at once. “What’s
the plan?”
Mr. Livingston outlined the proposal he previously had made to Jack. The
two Scouts were to accompany Mrs. Rhodes, and without arousing her
suspicion, make certain that she delivered the emerald to company
officials. Once the mission was accomplished, they were to charter a
plane and fly back over the area in an attempt to locate the bandit
hide-out.
“With a plane, you should be able to scout the entire area in a matter
of hours,” Mr. Livingston declared. “By mule or afoot it would be a
hopeless task.”
“Once we’ve surveyed the area, then what?” War asked.
“You can’t land here. Your job done, you’re to drop a message and return
to the nearest landing field. Bogota probably. If your information
warrants it, try to get authorities to organize a search party.”
“You believe Mr. Corning still is alive?” Willie asked quickly.
“I do. Until we have proof otherwise, I’ll assume he is being held
captive.”
“When do we start?” War asked with a drowsy yawn.
“Soon after dawn tomorrow. Get some sleep now. You’ll need it.”
Willie and War promptly turned in and fell at once into heavy slumber.
When they awakened in late afternoon, Jack was preparing a hearty supper
over the camp fire.
“What’s new?” Willie asked, ambling over. “I feel like Rip Van
Winkle—all out of touch.”
“Nothing very exciting,” Jack reported. “Rhodes finished getting up the
bridge. Late this afternoon, the miners started digging at the tunnel
across the river. Our orders are to stay in camp.”
“He doesn’t want you to see what’s going on!”
“That’s the size of it,” Jack nodded, squatting by the fire. “He
pretended it was all news to him, our finding that old vein. But he sort
of let it slip later that he’d uncovered it himself, probably by using
Corning’s map.”
“Which he cunningly redrew, to keep others from learning the exact
location,” Ken contributed. “Now that we’ve tumbled to his secret, he’s
decided to dig emeralds as fast as he can!”
“Has he found many at the new site?”
“He claims not,” Jack said, “but that’s only his story. We know the
emeralds are there.”
Mr. Livingston joined the Scouts at the fire. “Rhodes, I suspect,
intends to clean up what he can for himself, and pull out,” he remarked.
“So far as I know, the company isn’t even aware that he’s seized control
here.”
“In that case, we ought to put a little crimp in his plans,” Willie
muttered.
“That’s where you and War fit into the picture,” the Scout leader
nodded. “When you get to Bogota, talk to company officials. We have no
proof of Rhodes’ treachery, so you’ll have to be careful. Use your best
judgment, and don’t let Mrs. Rhodes catch on.”
“It’s quite a responsibility,” War said anxiously.
“You’ll do all right,” Mr. Livingston assured him. “Just don’t tip your
hand too soon, because Mrs. Rhodes and Ferd Baronni probably are working
together.”
“The rest of you intend to stay here and keep watch of Rhodes?”
“Yes, I have a hunch he’ll over-play himself before long,” the Scout
leader declared. Taking a roll of bills from his leather fold, he gave
them to War. “You’ll need this,” he said. “But use it carefully.”
“I sure hope we don’t run into Carlos on the trail,” War replied,
placing the money in a belt at his waist. “That boy has taking ways! I’d
hate to be robbed.”
“It’s a risk that must be taken,” Mr. Livingston said. “Mrs. Rhodes will
be carrying the emerald—and that might be quite an attraction. Just be
cautious.”
“We will,” War promised soberly. “All the same, I’d feel better if the
rest of you were going along.”
The Scouts ate the tasty supper Jack had prepared. After the camp work
had been done, they wandered down to the river to inspect the new
bridge. On the way back, as a gesture of courtesy, they stopped briefly
at the cottage to discuss the next morning’s departure with Rhodes.
“My wife will be ready by seven o’clock,” the engineer curtly informed
them. “You’ll all be leaving, I assume?”
“No, only War and Willie,” Mr. Livingston told him. “The rest of us are
sticking around for a few days.”
Rhodes made no attempt to hide his displeasure. “You can do nothing
here,” he said shortly. “I’ve told you, if a ransom demand is made, I’ll
refer it to the company.”
“We’ll feel better by staying.”
“Suit yourself,” Rhodes gave in. “It’s useless though.”
Back in the Scout camp once more, the Explorers began to get ready for
bed. War and Willie made a last check of their belongings to be certain
that everything was in readiness for the early morning departure.
By nine o’clock, everyone had turned in for the night. Jack, however,
could not get to sleep. He rolled and tossed, and finally arose and
dressed.
Standing with his back to the tent, he studied the sky. The night was
cold but clear. Stars winked overhead and a sliver of moon was rising
above the jagged mountain peaks.
Tossing wood on the fire, he ambled down the path. The miner’s huts were
dark. In fact, the only glow of light came from the engineer’s office.
Turning in that direction, Jack approached the building from the rear. A
shade had been pulled down, blocking the office window, but it gaped a
full inch at the bottom.
Jack glimpsed Rhodes and his wife inside the inner office. Rhodes had
opened the heavy door of the big safe. As the Scout watched, he removed
a cardboard box.
No word was exchanged by the engineer and his wife. Rhodes rolled the
contents of the box out on the table—a collection of emeralds so large
that it snatched Jack’s breath.
“There’s enough wealth here to give us a new start in the States,” he
heard the engineer say. “I hadn’t intended to open the new vein until I
was certain Corning was safely out of the way. But with those Scouts
poking their noses in, I couldn’t afford to risk delay. I’m depending
upon you to get these gems safely out, my dear. I’ll follow within a few
days.”
“Those Scouts may suspect—”
“They can’t prove anything without Corning, and they’ll never find him.”
“How about the two that are accompanying me?” Mrs. Rhodes asked
anxiously. “If they learn about these gems—”
“Don’t worry about those lads, my dear. They have no reason to believe
that you’re carrying more than the one sample to be assayed. Handle the
others in the usual way, and no one will suspect.”
“Carlos?”
“Give him no thought, my dear. He will not trouble you on the trail. I
will see to that.”
“I don’t trust him,” Mrs. Rhodes answered. “He will betray you—”
“Will you stop worrying?” her husband cut in impatiently. “Let me handle
this end of it. Your job is to get those gems through safely.”
Rhodes replaced the empty cardboard box in the safe. He blew out the
light and the couple started to leave together.
Jack, fearful of being seen, quickly moved back behind the rear building
wall. His heart pounded with excitement! He had seen and heard enough to
convince him that distrust of the engineer was well founded!
Obviously, Rhodes was scheming to defraud the mining company officials.
Furthermore, his conversation with his wife indicated that he was in
close touch with Carlos, the bandit!