THE PLIGHT OF THE "_ARROW_"
Hours later, when the _Arrow_ was finally clear of the bar, she
veered around and made down the coast, passing the little bay where
the canoe had landed. So occupied with the distressing problem of
Hugh's disappearance had her crew been,---for not one of the party
could believe him drowned,---and so busy in trying to keep the sloop
from being pounded to pieces by the waves while stranded, that no one
aboard had noticed the canoe on its return trip across the strait.
When sailing order had been restored and Captain Vinton had ceased
to rage and swear at the mischance, his one idea was to return to
the waters where he knew the _Petrel_ was cruising. Strange to say,
he was the only one who guessed that Hugh had fallen into the hands
of "coast-prowlers" as he called them,---with adjectives too lurid to
mention!---and was, being held captive lest he betray their plans.
With this idea in mind, he was determined to bring the revenue cutter
to Hugh's rescue; he knew the _Petrel_ could cope with the situation.
By an unlooked-for stroke of fortune, he had not gone very far down
the coast before he sighted the cutter, and soon he brought the
_Arrow_ within hailing distance. He communicated the news to the
officers on board, and a sort of council of war took place
immediately. Together, they were not long in forming a plan of
reprisal.
It was decided that they should proceed forthwith to a small fortress
a few miles southward, where a squad of regulars was stationed. The
place was called Fort Leigh, but it scarcely deserved the name, being
in reality only a temporary camp located on the site of an old
fortification which had been a military headquarters during the
Seminole wars. Its nearness to the vicinity in which, according to
the _Petrel's_ reliable information, the smugglers were operating was
the reason why all decided to go there for assistance.
Lieutenant Driscoll was in command at the fort and he could be counted
on to bring the smugglers to terms.
"Why, it's the most high-handed piece of knavery I've heard of for
many a long day!" he exclaimed when the information formation was
brought to him by Vinton and the others. "Those scoundrels must have
their nerve, all right, to kidnap a young fellow merely because they
didn't want him to tell tales!"
"It's an outrage!" agreed Norton emphatically. "But we've got to get
busy right away, Lieutenant. What are we going to do about it?"
"You're right. We must lose no time," replied Driscoll directly.
"We'll set out this very hour and invade the haunts of gang. They're
not many miles from here, I'm told, hiding in the Everglades. Come
with me; I'll have my men ready in half an hour.
"You boys'll go along, of course," he added. "If we have to pitch
camp for a night or two, while we're hunting them, we'll need you
for signalers or scouts, or for picket duty."
"Picket duty?" echoed Chester.
"Yes, both in camp and along the line of march. I presume you all
are willing to serve?"
"Yes, sir; we certainly are!" came the eager chorus. Then, abashed
at their lack of military formality, the speakers saluted in more
soldierly fashion and stood at attention, awaiting orders.
These were soon given, and after a hurried preparation the whole
party---with the exception of three privates who remained at the
fort---sallied forth against "Bego's gang." It was decided not to go
on board the _Petrel_ for the few miles' trip back along the coast,
but to use the _Arrow_, instead; for the latter would not be so
easily recognized by the smugglers.
"No doubt they'll have pickets posted at different points near
Durgan's settlement, if, as we suspect, they have a rendezvous
there," said Lieutenant Driscoll. "But we'll camp tonight on
Palmetto Key, cross over to the shore the first thing to-morrow
morning-----"
"Before daylight?"
"Of course; and then we'll land on 'em, hot-and-heavy. I count on
their trying to ship a cargo to-morrow night, when there'll be no
moon."
"I understand," said Norton. "Will you permit me to make a suggestion,
Lieutenant Driscoll?"
"By all means, my dear sir. What is it?"
"Well, the fact that you mentioned their pickets gave me an idea that
it would be well if you sent some of us,---say these scouts and myself,
for instance,---over to the mainland to-night to act as pickets for
you fellows encamped on Palmetto Key."
"An excellent idea! But how do you propose to communicate with us,
in case there should be anything doing to-night?"
"By means of bonfires on the shore, or by wig-wagging with torches."
"I thought you would say that!" exclaimed the lieutenant heartily.
"You mean---you don't approve of that part of the plan?"
Lieutenant Driscoll laughed.
"Oh, not at all! That is, I meant only that I was pleased to discover
a civilian who knows anything about signaling."
Amused at the lieutenant's patronizing comment, Norton merely smiled
in his good-natured way, though he would fain have answered more
sharply. Alec and Billy glanced at him and then at each other, and
Alec whispered:
"I guess the lieutenant doesn't know that Boy Scouts are expected to
be pretty efficient signalers, does he, Bill?"
To which Billy responded with a snort:
"What he doesn't know would fill a book!"
Fortunately these remarks were not heard by anyone but Dave, for the
lieutenant and Norton were arranging a system of signals to be used
in case of necessity. Meanwhile, with Vinton at the helm, and the
men of Driscoll's company crowded on the deck of the sloop talking
with the other scouts, the trim little _Arrow_ was making good speed
over the blue water. Billy and Alec walked restlessly up and down
the deck, their minds busy with thoughts of Hugh, for whom they felt
no little anxiety.
"Wonder what he's doing now?" said Alec.
"I'd give anything to know for sure that he's alive and safe!" was
Billy's rueful rejoinder. "I've heard all sorts of stories about
what rough-necks like those smugglers do to any one that butts in on
their game!"
"You don't believe they'd kill him?"
"No-o, hardly that. But they might----"
"The worst of it is," interrupted Alec, "we don't even know that he's
alive. He might have been drowned or-----"
"I won't believe that, Alec! I can't believe it!"
"But you said just now-----"
"I don't know what I said or what I meant!"
"Calm down, Billy, old scout! You're all upset."
"Who wouldn't be, I'd like to know?"
"I don't blame you," said Alec in genuine sympathy. "We all are, you
know; but we've got to keep our heads, and we mustn't despair."
"Yes, you're right, Alec."
There was a brief silence, while the two friends stood by the rail
watching the low-lying shore slip past them as the _Arrow_ flew
onward. Then Billy spoke again, and his voice was steadier.
"We're going to find Hugh and get him out of danger," he said quietly,
"so let's get ready to do our level best."
"I'm with you, Bill! That's the stuff. That's the way to feel! Why,
it helps a lot not to lose hope at the start! Come on, let's find out
what we're going to do first."
Mark Anderson came over to them just then, tugging at his cap to keep
it from being blown away.
"We're almost at Palmetto Key now," he said. "Whew! I'll be glad when
we're off this boat on dry land,---and _doing_ something! This
cruising-around-while-you-wait gets my nerve! I've had about enough
of the salt water, anyway. When we get Hugh back, me for the choo-choo
cars home to Santario!"
It was a natural impatience, and some of the boys shared it for the
time being. They might change their minds later, they agreed, but at
present most of them were of Dave's opinion of the cruise---"Heap
much trouble, not much fun." However, the prospect of excitement and
a possible encounter with smugglers on the outskirts of the Everglades,
cheered them considerably.
Gliding through the channels between islands and keys, and keeping
out of sight of watchers on the mainland as far as possible, the
_Arrow_ finally cast anchor off Palmetto Key nearly opposite Durgan's
cove, and the boat made two trips ashore with Norton and the boys.
Dave went with them, of course, for he was thoroughly familiar with
that section of the coast. Each was armed with a revolver and a belt
of cartridges, but orders were given that there should be no shooting
except in self-defense or as a last desperate resort to make "the gang"
deliver up their prisoner.
They landed on a little grass-covered peninsula about a hundred yards
from the cove, and immediately began to look around them for good
station points to observe the movements of "the enemy." The ground in
that locality was somewhat higher than the surrounding expanses, and
therefore less swampy; but there were numerous little zigzag ditches or
watercourses in which the tide rose until it overflowed the banks.
"We'd better not linger here," said Norton.
"When the tide comes in, this little point of land will be under water."
"No, no," said Dave, shaking his head. "Safe here---see!" He pointed
to the dry grass blades on which were no traces of brine. "You stay
here. Me and Billy go get canoe."
"Canoe? Where can you get one?"
Again Dave pointed, this time to a group of three ramshackle cabins
just visible through the bushes. In one of those cabins Hugh was
even then a prisoner. Had Dave or Billy known this, they would not
have hesitated to swim to the place, if need be to say nothing of the
difficulty of going there and "borrowing" a canoe, in which they all
could approach the smugglers' headquarters.
Dave explained that the cabins on the cove were called "Durgan's
settlement," and that the place bore a bad reputation. He added that
to his certain knowledge the revenue men had intended for some time
past to raid the place, and that they had waited only for more proof
that the smugglers foregathered there.
Having assured the others that he and Billy would soon return with
some kind of a canoe or boat, Dave set forth, accompanied by Hugh's
chum. The others, separating, took up their positions where they
were concealed by the long grass, but where they had a good view of
the islands and straits, the cove, and the three cabins.
They were now pickets on duty.