AN UNEXPECTED MEETING
"Well," remarked Fenn, after a somewhat long pause, "I don't know how
you fellows feel about it, but I think they've rather put it all over
us; eh Bart?"
"Somewhat," admitted the leader of the Darewell Chums. "But it isn't so
bad as I expected. I wonder where we are, anyhow?"
"Might be ten miles away," observed Frank.
"I'll wager we're not more than half a mile from home," came from Ned.
"They drove roundabout to fool us."
"That's what I think," remarked Bart. "Anyhow we've got to stay here an
hour, and I don't much fancy it, either. But since we've gone this far
we might as well go the whole distance, I suppose. It's a good thing
it's comparatively warm, or it wouldn't be any fun staying here. Where
are we, anyhow."
"I'm going to find out!" declared Fenn suddenly.
"How, Stumpy?" asked Frank.
"I've almost got one hand loose. I'll soon have it out, and then I'm
going to take off this bandage. There's no use of us staying here like a
lot of chickens tied up, when we can just as well get away."
"That's the trouble--we can't get away," came from Frank. "I've been
trying for the last ten minutes to loosen these cords, but I can't slip
a single knot. They knew how to tie 'em all right."
"You just watch me," called Fenn, who was squirming about on a bed of
leaves.
"Watch you--yes, with our eyes bandaged," said Ned, sarcastically.
"That's a hot one."
"Patience, noble knight," mocked the stout lad, "and I'll soon release
ye."
"Stumpy is so fat that they didn't have rope enough to tie him,"
remarked Bart. "That's the reason he thinks he can get loose."
"I don't think it, I know it!" cried Fenn in triumph a few seconds
afterward. "I've got both hands out, and now here comes off my bandage."
A moment later Fenn uttered a cry.
"What's the matter?" asked Bart, making an unsuccessful attempt to get
rid of the ropes binding his arms and legs.
"Why we're in Oak Swamp, or, right on the edge of it," replied Fenn.
"They brought us farther than I thought they did. But we'll fool 'em all
right. We'll get loose, skip out, and when they come back they won't
find us. Wait until I get these ropes off my legs, and I'll help you
fellows."
Fenn was as good as his word. A few seconds later he was free from his
bonds, and, in turn, he released Bart, Frank and Ned. They all looked
around in some surprise, for they had no idea that they had been brought
so far from home. The wagon had traveled faster than they had suspected.
"Oak Swamp," mused Bart. "It's a good thing it's coming on winter
instead of summer, or we'd be eaten up with mosquitoes. Well, let's get
out of here. I don't like the place."
Indeed it was gloomy and dismal enough at any time, but now, on a late
fall evening, with darkness fast approaching, it was anything but an
inviting place. The swamp derived its name from a number of scrub oak
trees that grew in it. During the summer it was a treacherous place to
visit, for there were deep muck holes scattered through it, and more
than one cow, and several horses, had broken out of the pastures, and
wandered into the wet place, only to sink down to their deaths. It was
said that several years before a man had endeavored to cross the swamp,
had been caught in a bog hole, and sucked down into its depths, his body
never having been recovered.
So it was with a feeling of no little satisfaction that Bart and his
chums found themselves able to leave the gloomy place sooner than they
had expected.
"It'll be a good joke on the others," remarked Ned, as he gathered into
a heap, the rope fetters that had bound him. "We'll sneak away, and when
those fellows come back for us they'll think we've rolled into the
swamp, and sunk, and they may make a search for us. Let's hide the cords
and bandages."
"Sure," agreed Frank. "We'll turn the tables on them."
"Well, whatever we do, let's get away from here," suggested Fenn. "It's
too gloomy for my notion. Look, there's the ledge they lowered us from.
It isn't two feet high, but it seemed like a hundred," and he pointed to
a small ledge of rock, where Sandy Merton and his mates had stood as
they lowered from the wagon the lads who were being initiated. Had it
not been that Sandy stood on the end of the vehicle, he would not have
been high enough to bring about the delusion of the boys going down into
some bottomless pit.
The four chums had gathered up the severed ropes, and, folding the
bandages up in them, hid them all under a big stone. Then they started
for home.
Oak Swamp was several miles from the town of Darewell, but there was a
fairly good road between the places, since the swamp was but slightly
off to one side of the main thoroughfare. As the four started off, with
Fenn in the lead, they chuckled to think of the blank looks of the
initiating team, when the members should return for the candidates, to
find them missing.
"I almost wish we could stay, and hide, and hear what they'll say,"
observed Ned, laughing at the prospect.
"I don't. I want to get home," came from Frank. "Ugh! This is a gloomy
place after dark."
Suddenly Fenn, who was some distance in the lead, jumped to one side.
"What's the matter; see a snake?" called Bart.
"A snake, this time of year? Not much, but it's a whopping big mud
turtle," cried the fleshy lad. "I'm going to catch it, fellows. Maybe
it's the one that got away from Professor Long's collection. That's the
only way I can account for a turtle being out of doors at this season of
the year."
"And while you're at it look and see if it hasn't got a diamond bracelet
on its neck, and a wedding ring on its toes, Stumpy," advised Bart,
mockingly. "If it has, it'll be all to the mustard, and we'll be cleared
of suspicion. Look and see if it has its teeth filled with gold, while
you're about it, but, above all, don't forget the diamond bracelet."
"Aw, let up, can't you?" begged Stumpy. "What's the use of poking fun at
a fellow all the while, just because I made one break. Besides a turtle
_might_ get its neck through the bracelet."
"Oh rats!" was Bart's reply. "But catch the turtle, if you're going to."
Fenn made a grab for the slow moving reptile, and caught it. He examined
it carefully in the fast-fading light.
"Well, pick off the diamond bracelet; why don't you?" asked Bart,
chuckling at his joke.
"Dry up!" advised Fenn, still looking at the turtle.
"Chuck it away, and come on," suggested Ned.
"Chuck it away? I will not!" retorted Fenn indignantly. "This is a rare
kind of turtle, it must have been dug up out of its winter hole by some
one. I'm going to keep it for my collection."
"What? Haven't you given that up by this time?" asked Bart. "I supposed
that you'd be gathering specimens of snowflakes, or samples of dog
biscuit by this time," for he knew Fenn's failing, and a month, at most,
was the period devoted to any new fad. But this time Fenn seemed more in
earnest.
"No, I'm going to keep this," went on the amateur collector. "It's a
good one. I shouldn't be surprised but what Professor Long would be glad
to get it for his collection," and Fenn gazed admiringly at the turtle.
"Here's another," announced Frank suddenly. "And there is a third one,"
and he pointed to two more of the reptiles crawling sluggishly along.
Fenn ran over and examined them, but he took care not to lose his first
specimen.
"They're a common variety," he declared. "I don't want 'em for my
collection, and Professor Long has several like them."
"And neither one wears a diamond bracelet--how sad," chimed in Bart,
laughingly.
"That's all right--make fun if you want to," said Fenn, a bit sharply,
"but it's no joke to be under the disgrace of the implied accusation
that we stole the bracelet."
"I know it," agreed Bart soberly, "but looking for mud turtles that
might possibly have it on their necks isn't going to help matters any.
We might much better look for the man who was in the school just before
we were. If any one took it, he did--not some turtle."
"Oh, it's possible that a turtle did poke its head and neck through the
bracelet when it was in the cabinet," said Ned, "but, of course, it's
out of the question to think that we can find that turtle, or, for that
matter, that the bracelet would remain on the turtle's neck."
"Guess you're right," admitted Stumpy. "Well, I've got a good turtle for
my collection, anyhow."
"Isn't it funny so many of 'em are out to-day?" asked Ned, as the four
walked on, Fenn carefully carrying his prize. "It's so near winter I
should think they'd be going to sleep, like a bear, in a hollow log, if
they do sleep in logs."
"Oh, they curl up and go to sleep in some warm place for the winter,"
declared Fenn, who considered himself a sort of authority on the
reptiles. "But the reason so many are out to-day is because it has
suddenly turned warmer. They'll soon be going into permanent winter
quarters though. But come on, it's getting dark. Let's get a move on."
"I shouldn't wonder but what we'd have snow," observed Bart, casting a
look at the clouds. "It's about time."
"I wish it would," said Ned, "or else that we'd have skating. But what
about going camping, Bart? Have you thought any more about it?"
"Yes, and I think I can arrange so we can go. I feel just like going off
in the woods with our guns."
"To hunt mud turtles with diamond bracelets," put in Frank, with a
laugh.
"Yes, mud turtles or anything else that comes our way," went on Bart.
"Yes, I think we'll have a winter camp this season, and if we do--" He
stopped suddenly, and appeared to be looking at some object just ahead
in the woods, for the boys were now out of the swamp proper. Bart's
chums followed his gaze.
"There's a man," observed Fenn, in a low voice.
"Yes, and he seems to be looking for something," remarked Bart,
guardedly. "He's poking away the leaves with a stick. Look at him."
The man was, as yet, not aware of the presence of the boys. He was
walking slowly along, with his head bent over, as if eagerly scanning
the ground. Now and then he poked away the dead leaves with his stick. A
moment later, as the four chums could see in the little light that
lingered after an early sunset, the man stooped over, and picked up
something.
"A turtle! He's looking for mud turtles!" gasped Fenn, for it could be
seen that the man had picked up one of the reptiles that seemed to be
unusually numerous that day. Unconsciously Fenn had spoken louder than
he intended, and the man heard him. He turned quickly, gave one startled
look at the boys, appearing ill at ease at the unexpected meeting, and
then, wheeling around, he made off through the woods, soon being lost to
sight amid the trees.
"He took the turtle with him!" exclaimed Fenn. "He must be collecting
them, too!"
"Yes, and did you notice who he was?" asked Bart, who appeared to be
laboring under some excitement.
"No. Who?" gasped Ned.
"The mysterious stranger who entered the school just before we did--the
man who shot against me at the gallery! Fellows, it's the same man--we
must catch him!" and, as he had done that night in the shooting gallery,
Bart darted after the stranger, followed by his chums, Fenn still
carrying the turtle.