VISITORS.
ONE and all in the camp now began to look forward to the coming of
Canady with the mules. The Spaniards because, until a new light was
installed, they could only work half time and consequently could only
earn half their usual wages. The rest of the party because they were
getting really alarmed over the Missourian's long absence.
"He ought to have been back long before this," said Charley, the day
after the tragic discovery of the dead gunmen. "If he does not show up
by to-morrow morning, I am going to hire a pony from the Indians and
start in and look for him. Something surely must have happened to him."
"If you do go in you are liable to miss him on the way," Walter
objected. "He may come back by one route while you are going in by
another. Better give him a little more time. Jim impressed me as being
perfectly well able to look out for himself."
"You don't think he could have been tempted by the big amount of money
he carried?" asked Captain Westfield, with some hesitation. "Five
hundred dollars is a lot of money to a poor man."
"But not to Jim," Charley said decidedly. "Jim is a true Southerner and
a thief is almost a curiosity among Southern races. No, Jim would not
touch a cent that did not belong to him. Something has happened to him,
that's all."
"Well, if you go in to-morrow, I am going with you," Walter said
decidedly.
"We will talk that over later," Charley said. "We have nothing to do
to-day so we might as well amuse ourselves and try to forget for a time
that, if we are not actually ruined, we are pretty close to it."
"That's a good idea," his chum agreed heartily. "What shall the program
be?"
"I would like to explore the country to the side of the road a bit, say
out where you and McCarty went when you killed the deer. I have not
been out that way yet."
"Suppose we all go," Walter suggested. "All can get away except the
man running the machine, and even a little change like that will do a
fellow a pile of good."
"Good!" Charley approved. "We will all go that want to and make a day
of it."
It developed that all the Americans were eager for something in the way
of a change. Even the Captain was willing to take a day off and Chris
insisted that his assistant Sam was now competent to prepare a meal for
those left behind. Armed with guns and lunch baskets, and with Bob, the
dog, frisking ahead, the merry little party set out determined to have
a pleasant time.
Quail was plentiful and a great number were bagged before the little
party reached the prairie regions with its sandy bottomed lakes. They
stopped by one of the lakes and rested at noon. They had brought
fishing tackle with them and enjoyed huge sport pulling in the big fish
with which the lake was full. Several of these roasted over the coals
made a welcome addition to the lunch they had brought with them.
The afternoon was spent killing more quail, fishing, following up a
homing bee which led them straight to a big hollow tree filled with
delicious honey, and digging in the mounds which dotted the prairie.
These mounds were found to contain quantities of human bones, arrow and
spear heads, stone hatchets, and vessels of earthen ware. They were
evidently the relics of a race long since gone out of existence, a race
that lived in the country long before the Seminole Indians.
Tired but happy, the little party got back to camp just after sundown.
Here a surprise greeted them, for they found the sheriff, and half a
dozen of his aids, awaiting their arrival. The sheriff's face was very
grave and he answered their cordial greetings crisply.
"Gentlemen," he said, "I have a warrant for the arrest of Charley West,
Walter Hazard, Capt. Benjamin Westfield, Bob Bratton, Will Kitchner and
C. P. McCarty (white), and Christopher Columbus (negro)."
The little party stared at each other in stupefied amazement.
"On what charge?" demanded Charley, recovering his breath.
"On the charge of being the principals and accessories before and after
the fact in the murder of one Levi P. Morton, late of New York City, on
the night of November 23d, 1913," read the sheriff droningly.
"That gunman!" gasped Walter. "Why no one murdered him, Mr. Sheriff. He
was kicked to death by mules he attempted to poison."
"I shall have to warn you that anything you say can be used against you
at your trial," said the sheriff sternly. "I have found the grave of
the dead man near this camp."
"Rats!" sneered McCarty angrily. "No sane judge would hold us ten
minutes on such a charge."
"Well," observed the sheriff coolly, "you will have a chance to test
that. Even if I were convinced of your innocence, I would have to
arrest you just the same. When a warrant is given me it is my sworn
duty to serve it."
"The sheriff is right," Charley said hopelessly. "We will have to go
with him, and we might as well do it without argument. The judge will
turn us loose as soon as he hears our story, but it will be too late
then."
"Too late for what, lad?" asked Captain Westfield.
"Why, can't you see this warrant is a put-up job," Charley exclaimed
impatiently. "Don't you understand it's the latest move of the enemy to
get us out of the way while they disable the machine and destroy our
camp?"
"By Jove, I believe you're right," exclaimed McCarty.
"Right, of course I'm right," said the lad fiercely. "What other reason
could there be for such an absurd charge? You will see that no one will
appear against us when we are brought up in court. Well, the game's up,
boys. We have all put up a good fight, but this settles it. I would not
give ten cents for what we will find here if we return after being set
free. May we have time enough, Mr. Sheriff, to pay off our men and pack
up our things?"
"You can have all night," replied the officer. "We will not go in until
morning. It's a long journey, for, with the bridges gone, we will have
to pick our way back through the woods."
After our little party had finished a silent, gloomy supper, they
retired to their tents to pack up their scattered belongings.
Charley called the workers to his tent one by one and gave each a check
for a full month's wages. He made all of them promise to stay and guard
camp and machine during their absence, but he really had but little
hope that they would remain in camp long after all the Americans were
gone.
Their packing done, the little party gathered around the campfire as
gloomy and disheartened a little bunch of men as it would be possible
to find. One of the larger of the tents had been given up to the
sheriff and his posse, and to it the officer sent his tired men early,
saying he would stand guard over the prisoners himself the first part
of the night.
"Boys," he said, when the last one of his men had retired, "I hate to
execute this warrant. I had to be stern to you before my men, for every
one of them wants my job and would be glad to make any trouble they
could for me at headquarters. Being as we are alone together now, I
will say that I believe you fellows are as guiltless as a babe of the
crime with which you are charged. I believe, as you say, that it's a
frame-up, but I've got to take you all in to answer to it, unless----"
"Unless what?" asked Walter eagerly.
"Unless," said the sheriff suggestively, "you overpower me, tie me up,
and make your escape to-night."
Charley grasped the meaning in the officer's tones. "No, it would be of
no use," he said. "It might make you trouble and we would be no better
off, compelled to hide out in the woods, than we would be in jail."
"I guess you're right," the sheriff admitted. "It's too bad, it's too
bad."
"We thank you for your kindness," Charley said gratefully. "We know
what your duty demands and do not blame you in the slightest for this.
You could not do otherwise."
"I'm glad you understand that," said the sheriff, brightening. "By the
way, I had to arrest your teamster, too, day before yesterday, on the
same charge." He grinned at the recollection. "He was just starting out
for here with a new pair of mules when we nabbed him. Lord, he fought
like a wild cat and swore like a pirate while we were taking him to the
lock-up."
"So that's why Jim hasn't come back," said Charley, with a grim smile.
"That's the reason," assented the sheriff. "He hasn't had a hearing
before the judge yet. My eldest boy is looking out for the mules for
him. When I left, Lawyer Bruce was flying around trying to get Jim
out. Swore he would have him set free before noon."
"Did Mr. Bruce know you were coming out for us?" Charley inquired, with
interest.
"I dropped him a hint," said the sheriff. "My, you ought to have heard
him rave. He had Jim Canady's cussing beat a mile. He used longer
words, and more of them."
"I'm glad he knows the position we are in," said the lad, with relief.
"He may be able to help us in some way."
"Don't you worry, lad. Bruce will do all he can for you--he's that
kind," said the sheriff kindly. "Now you had better all turn in and get
a good night's rest. It will be a long hard trip in to-morrow."
All hands thanked the kind officer and retired to their tents, where
they were soon fast asleep.
Chris, who, as usual, was the first one out in the morning, awakened
the others with shouts of delight.
"Jim's coming," he cried in their ears. "Jim an' Mr. Bruce and that
little man, Jones. They are within a half mile of camp."