USING BOY SCOUTS FOR BAIT!
Alarmed by the swift approach of the motor car in the tunnel, Jimmie
and Jackson took to their heels and made swift progress toward the
east entrance, throwing the searchlight about and keeping their eyes
out for some hiding place as they ran.
Before long it became evident that they could not long maintain the
pace they had taken. The motor car was gaining on them rapidly, as
they knew by the steady approach of the clamor which the engines
were making.
"Gee!" cried Jimmie, at last. "No use! I've got to drop in
somewhere!"
Jackson was as ready to stop running as was Jimmie, so they drew up
against the wall and Jimmie shut off the light from his electric
candle.
"Do you think they saw that light?" asked Jimmie, pushing close to
the rock wall. "I hope not."
"Probably not, as there was always an angle between us," was the
whispered reply, "but their light is coming around that angle now.
Stand close!"
It was of little use to stand close.
Under the great lamps every crack and crevice of the tunnel walls
was in plain sight to the occupants of the car. The two fugitives
might as well have attempted concealment under the limelight in the
center of the stage of a Broadway theatre!
Jimmie's hand was on his automatic as the car halted in front of
him. Jackson saw what was in the boy's mind and laid a hand on his
arm.
"None of that!" he said.
"Well, I'm not goin' to be--"
Jackson forced the revolver out of the boy's hand as he brought it
out of his pocket.
"They've got us," he whispered, "and will be only too glad of an
excuse to shoot us down in cold blood."
"Well!"
This from Thomas Q. Collins, who sat in the front seat, looking at
the two as if he could bite them in pieces!
Jimmie looked sullenly toward his automatic, in Jackson's hand, and
said not a word. Jackson stepped forward.
"You've got us!" he said.
"You bet we have!" gloated Collins. "Where did that Nestor boy go
with the man he picked up by the fire?"
"Did he get him?" asked Jimmie.
"Yes, he got him, worse luck!" was the reply. "Where did he go with
him?"
"Don't know," replied Jimmie.
"I'll find a way to make you know!" gritted Collins. "Do you
fellows know what it is to be hungry?"
"Honest," Jackson cut in, "we don't know where Nestor went with
Lyman. When he left us, he was not certain that he could get him.
Thought Lyman might not want to go away with a stranger on such
short notice."
"Oh, what's the use?" demanded one of the others. "The fellow has
gone back to Asuncion. That's easy to figure out. Who set you boys
at work on this case?" he added, in a moment, at a whisper from his
seat-mate.
"Ned set me at work," Jimmie answered.
"Yes, but who set him at work?"
"I'll tell you," Jackson said, with a smile of satisfaction on his
face, "the United States government set Ned at work. You'd better
watch out how you butt up against the Secret Service men."
"That's just what I told you!" sneered Collins. "You wouldn't
believe me. Now what do you think?"
The speaker left his seat in the machine and walked over to where
Jackson was standing, the revolver still in his hand.
"Give me that gun!" he demanded.
Jackson passed it over without a word of protest.
"Now your own gun," Collins demanded, extending his hand.
"I have no gun," was the reply. "You know that very well."
"I thought you might have stolen one since leaving the cow country,"
snarled the other. "There is no knowing what kind of property you
light-fingered gentlemen will acquire."
"You're a liar, Collins," Jackson said, coolly. "You know I never
ran off the cattle which were missed. I believe you stole them!"
Collins advanced angrily toward the speaker, but one of his company
drew him back.
"Cut it out!" he said. "There will be plenty of time later on."
"What are you going to do with us?" asked Jimmie.
"You'll see!" Collins replied. "I wonder how you would like a game
of chase-the-bullet? Similar to the one you gave me not long ago?"
"Like it fine," Jimmie grinned, "if it didn't do me no more harm
than it did you. Never touched you!"
"It may be different in your case," Collins threatened.
After consulting together in whispers for some moments, the men
loaded Jimmie and Jackson into the crowded motor car and put on the
reverse movement. In half an hour, the progress being slow, they
came to the valley where the campfire was still burning. Here they
all alighted.
Half a dozen Peruvian Indians of vicious appearance now came
forward, and Collins gave them instructions in an undertone, after
which the two captives were led away to the cavern in which Lyman
had been sheltered up to the time of the arrival of the Nelson. One
of the Indians remained outside while the others hastened away.
"Well," Jimmie said, as he looked gloomily at the discouraged
Jackson, "what do you think of this? I'd like to push the face of
that Collins person in so it would mix with the back curtain."
"We're in for it!" moaned Jackson.
"Aw, what can they do to us?" demanded the little fellow.
"They can keep us here until we die of starvation," replied Jackson.
"I've had a turn with starvation, and know what it's like."
Jimmie reached under his coat and brought out a can of beans.
"Here," he said, "get busy on this."
"They took mine away when they searched me for a gun," said Jackson.
"Buck up!" advised Jimmie. "We've got to figure out some way to
give them the slip. What?"
"Yes, I suppose so!"
Jackson had counted on getting back to civilization without further
difficulties, on the arrival of the Nelson, and now he was
completely discouraged. Jimmie sat on the floor of the cavern and
eyed him quizzically.
"Ned will come back after us," the little one said, presently. "You
put your bloomin' trust in Ned, an' you'll come a four-time winner
out of the box. I know. I've been out with him before."
"But how will he ever find us here?" asked Jackson.
"How did he ever find Lyman?" demanded the boy. "You hush your
kickin' an' leave it all to Ned. Guess he knows enough to get us
out of this sink of iniquity! That boy eats 'em alive!"
"I can't see why they should keep us here," Jackson remarked,
presently, prying off the top of the can of beans with his pocket
knife. "Why don't they go back to Asuncion and look after that
cattle concession?"
"Because they've got some one there to look out for it for them,"
replied the boy. "They're waitin' here for Ned to come back an' get
us, if anybody should ask you," he went on, his cheerful smile not
at all matching the serious import of his words. "This Collins
person has cards up his sleeve, an' he wants to get hold of Ned.
He's set his trap with us for bait."
"You're a cheerful little cuss!" grinned Jackson, beginning to see
the dangerous side of the situation. "And what are we going to do
when Ned comes back? Let them soak him?"
"Not so you could notice it," was the reply. "When Ned comes back
we'll be out at the other end of that tunnel, an' he'll swoop do in
in the Nelson an' pick us up, an' we'll be back in little old N. Y.
before you can say scat."
"But how can we--"
The entrance to the cavern was darkened for a moment and then the
flashily-dressed form of Collins made its appearance.
"What's that about getting back to little old N. Y.?" he asked.
"When do you start for Manhattan Island?"
"You heard, then?" asked Jackson.
"Of course."
"Well?"
"Well, we'll see that you don't get away until this Ned comes back
after you. We need him in our business."
"He'll land Lyman at Asuncion before you see him again," Jimmie
said.
"Not a doubt of it," was the sullen reply, "but don't you ever think
we haven't got people there who will look out for our interests.
Lyman won't be at liberty long, and your Ned will come back here to
get what's coming to him."
"Is that so?" exclaimed the boy, putting on a bold front, but
inwardly fearful that the situation was a tragic one.
Leaving the captives with this cheering (?) information, Collins
went back to his companions, leaving the Indian still on guard. For
a time the Indian stood stolidly in front of the cave, then, looking
carefully about to see that he was not observed by his employers, he
faced the opening and uttered one English word:
"Prepared."
Jackson opened his eyes in amazement, but Jimmie saw an extended
hand and sprang forward. The Indian's right hand was extended
toward the boy, palm up, the thumb and little finger meeting across
the palm and crossed, the remaining fingers straight out.
"You mean, 'Be prepared'?" Jimmie asked.
"'Be prepared,"' repeated the other, like one rehearsing a lesson.
"Gee!" laughed the boy. "Here's a Boy Scout lingerin' in little old
Peru! Now wouldn't that stop a clock?"
"You just wait a minute," Jackson said, hopefully. "I think I can
talk with this chap a little in Spanish."
Then followed a great picking of words to match gestures, and
gestures to explain words, during which the full salute of the Boy
Scouts of America was often repeated by the Indian. Then Jackson
said:
"He says that there were Boy Scouts down here six months ago, and
that he guided them through the mountain passes to the headwaters of
the Beni river. From there they went through to the valley of the
Amazon in a boat--a steam launch."
Jimmie reached under his waistcoat collar and produced his Wolf
badge, pointing to it with his finger inquiringly. The Indian shook
his head.
"Not Wolves," the boy said, in a moment. "Let's see if they were
Black Bears."
When a Black Bear badge which belonged to Jack Bosworth was shown
the Indian still shook his head. Then he pointed to the sky and
whirled his hand around significantly, finishing with a waving,
flying motion.
"I see!" cried Jimmie. "They were Eagles!"
"This ought to help some," Jackson observed, his face growing more
cheerful.
"Of course it will," replied the boy. "Ask him if he wants to get
out of this blasted country and go to New York. We'll take him if
he'll get us out on the east slope before Ned gets back."
Jackson talked with the Indian again, but did not seem to be able to
come to terms with him.
"He doesn't want to commit himself," the ex-cattleman said. "We'll
have to wait until he thinks it over."
The Indian seemed moody and sullen for the next few hours. When
dawn came and the little fire which had blazed in the cavern all
night went out, he was called away and another native placed on
guard.
"That settles it," Jimmie said. "We lose!"
"I'm the losenest feller you ever seen," said Jackson. "I never won
a bet in my life. You're unlucky to get dumped in a mess with me."
About the time Ned and Lyman landed in Asuncion the boys in the
cavern began looking for his return. They were not permitted to
leave the cavern, but they watched the eastern sky intently every
minute.
They watched the sky, too, during the long days when Ned was in
prison at Asuncion. Late on the afternoon of the 21st, as the
reader knows, Ned searched the eastern slope for them but they did
not see him. On the morning of the 23d they were taken from the
cave and placed in full sight on the eastern slope, where they would
be sure to be seen from the sky. They did not know what to make of
this at first, but directly, when they saw Indians, heavily armed,
stationed in hiding places all about them, they understood.
Jimmie had expressed the situation exactly. The cowards were
baiting their trap for Ned with his friends.
Unless some means of warning him could be found, Ned would drop down
to his death if he landed to rescue the ones he had left behind.