THE CIPHER
The boys were dumbfounded by Barrows' answer.
"What's that you say?" demanded Garry.
"I said I had not seen him since the three of you went to your shack
last night to turn in. Isn't that plain enough?" reiterated the manager.
"Well, all we know is that just after we got to the shack, Dick left to
come back here and have a chat with you and get some information about
the country, as we had some little thought of taking a week's hike up
into the wild lands that lie to the northwest."
"If he started for this office he never got here, for I sat up late
trying to straighten out the tangle that Howells left behind him. No one
came near the office all that time. Perhaps your chum has gone off on
some little private expedition."
Garry was quick to notice that there was a malicious ring in the
manager's voice. At once the uncomfortable feeling overcame him that
their night's work had been discovered. Garry was at a loss what course
to pursue. He could make no accusation of any kind, for Dick might have
stumbled on some clue that took him off on the trail.
"Well, you can understand that we are a little bit worried over the
matter, especially since this is strange country to Dick. He might have
wandered into the woods and got lost." Garry knew that this was next to
impossible, but he could think of nothing better to say at the moment.
"My advice is that you wait a bit, and you will probably find that he is
all right. He'll very likely show up in a little while. I wouldn't
worry," said Barrows.
There was nothing to do for the moment but take the manager's advice,
and the boys returned to the shack.
"Phil, there's bad business afoot here somewhere. At such a time as
this, Dick would not have gone off to follow a clue without leaving us
some sort of a note or even a sign. He could leave a half a dozen
different signs that we all know to denote trouble. He hasn't taken
anything with him. His rifle is still there and so is his pack. If it
were some mission of danger that he had gone on he would at least have
taken his rifle. Now what shall we do?"
"Let's give him till noon in case it was such a hurried matter that he
had not time to run back for his rifle. We might even wait until six
o'clock. You know we have always made it a rule that we should never be
gone more than twenty-four hours on a search without letting the others
know in some way that we are safe. Sundown tonight would not be exactly
twenty-four hours, but it would be near enough," advised Phil. Garry
agreed that this was sound advice and they went off to breakfast. They
found Barrows was almost through.
"Why don't you fellows start out this morning and look for him? One of
you could go in one direction and one in the other. If you know anything
of the woods, you could soon find signs of him if he were wandering
about," suggested Barrows.
Garry told him that they had decided to wait until nightfall before
getting really worried. At this the manager allowed a satisfied gleam to
show in his eyes. Both the boys were narrowly watching him, and noted
this. After breakfast they came back to the shack, and once safe inside,
Garry whispered to Phil:
"Watch every move from now on. That business of Barrows telling us to go
in different directions on such a wild goose chase was entirely too
obvious. He wants us to get separated. Keep your rifle close by you
every minute, and tonight we'll establish a watch same as we have done
in the woods when there was danger near. First thing this morning is to
go to the spot where we agreed to leave notes for the hermit, and leave
a letter telling him what has happened and asking him to take a look at
the shack on the other side of Kanamo Lake."
Hastily writing the note, and watching that they were not followed they
slipped out of the camp and ran to the appointed postoffice.
Garry reached his hand in as a matter of course, and was surprised to
find that there was a note in the natural receptacle.
He brought it out, and with Phil leaning over his shoulder, read it. It
contained a distinct shock for both. Here was what they read:
"Attacked by men and letter to your father stolen. Hit on head and left
lying in road. Use all caution. The Bear is in the woods."
The usual lone pine symbol was attached.
"Well, we are discovered, Garry," said Phil. "Barrows must have had the
hermit followed and has read the letter. I wouldn't be a bit surprised
if he knew what we talked about last night. Question now is whether he
was instrumental in bringing about Dick's absence."
"I am afraid that we have sort of made a mess of things, Phil. We
haven't given Barrows enough credit, or else we have been too sure of
ourselves. There is a good chance, however, and this note makes me think
it highly likely that Jean LeBlanc may have captured Dick again. You
know he seems determined to do him harm, even more so than us, for he
and Dick have tangled up three or four times now, and each time Dick has
managed to elude him and make more or less of a fool of him. This
naturally would make an even more implacable enemy of the vengeful
halfbreed. Let's get back to camp and wait awhile. We will pry about the
entire camp to see if there is any sign of Dick, and also we will be
safer for the time being. Don't think I am cowardly, only we want to
take no chances if we are to help Dick and at the same time complete our
mission here."
They returned to the camp, and as they walked, Garry tore the hermit's
note into tiny, indistinguishable fragments, throwing each tiny particle
to the winds.
The day dragged on, although they tried to make it pass quickly by
searching through the camp. Night came at last, and they turned in.
Before retiring they arranged for alternate watches, and also decided
that on the morrow they would insist that a message be sent for Mr.
Boone. The boys had almost decided that rather than allow Dick to fall
into greater danger by protracting the time of a systematic search, they
would tell what they had learned to Mr. Boone and let him force the
issue of the stolen timber.
It was nearly eleven o'clock and Phil, who was on watch, was about to
wake Garry for his turn at sentry duty, when he heard a cautious
fumbling at the door, and the sound of a low malediction when the
intruder found that it was locked. There was silence for a moment, and
then Phil heard the sound of someone breathing heavily at the window. He
crept noiselessly to Garry's bunk, and holding his hand over his chum's
mouth lest he make a sudden noise, shook him awake. Garry was aroused in
an instant, and all sleep vanished. He knew from feeling Phil's hands
against his mouth that caution was needed.
Having roused Garry, Phil crept back to the window just in time to hear
a faint swish. Instantly he knew that the intruder was cutting the
double thickness of heavy mosquito bar with a knife, and guided by the
sound, clubbed his rifle and brought it down with full force. There was
a howl of pain, and the sound of someone running away at top speed.
"Must have clipped that chap either on the head or the hand," whispered
Phil. "Guess he won't be here again tonight."
"Looks as though the war was on. You roll in and I'll watch for a couple
of hours now. Good thing we used our old trick of sentry work, or we
might be in a bad position right now," answered Garry.
For another hour nothing happened. Then there was a pounding at the door
and Barrows' voice was heard calling the names of Garry and Phil.
Suspecting a trick, both boys reached for their rifles, and after
lighting a candle, Garry covered the door with his rifle while Phil
opened it.
Barrows stepped in and seemed to be taken back by the sight of the rifle
leveled at his head.
"Why the military greeting?" he asked with an attempt at good humor.
"Taking no chances," answered Garry briefly, for he had a feeling that
it was almost time to tear the mask away. "We had one visitor here
tonight, and we didn't know what to expect."
Garry explained his statement about the visitor by briefly telling of
the attempt that had been made to enter the cabin an hour previously.
Barrows passed this off by offering the suggestion that some of the
lumbermen were naturally ruffians, and might have wanted to commit
burglary.
"What I woke you up for was to tell you that a man has come here with a
note that he refuses to deliver to anyone but you boys. He's at my
office now, and all he will say is that your friend Dick's safety
depends on obeying what is in the note. Of course I could have summoned
some of the men and had him overpowered, but thought you boys might like
to handle the matter for yourselves."
The boys put on their shoes and coats, for they had gone to bed almost
fully dressed, and prepared to follow Barrows.
"Careful now," whispered Garry, as he passed Phil.
There seemed to be little need for caution, however, for they were
unmolested on their way. At the office they found an unkempt dirty
looking individual.
"Be these the boys," he asked of Barrows, pointing a dirty finger at
Garry and Phil.
"Yes, these are the ones. Now state your business and do it quick,"
snapped Barrows.
"This letter tells the hull story," answered the man in a hoarse voice,
and he handed a crumpled piece of paper to Garry.
The leader of the Rangers took the note and read it in silence, then
handed it over to Phil.
What they read was this:
"Have been captured by Jean LeBlanc. Have been forced to write this
letter to you. LeBlanc wants a thousand dollars for my freedom. You
are either to bring it with you, or make arrangements for its
delivery at a spot known to the bearer of this letter. Warn you that
any attempt to molest bearer will result in serious injury or worse
to me. You know I would not ask this unless I were in grave peril.
Don't fail me. Follow bearer's directions.
"Being emergency will ask ransom emphatically.
"Dick Wallace."
"That's Dick's writing, sure enough. He must have been tortured into
writing that letter, else he would never have done it," said Garry
between his teeth. "Now Barrows, the time has come for a showdown. What
do you know about this matter? Speak up, and speak up quick!"
"What should I know about it. I don't know what's in the letter about
your friend," answered Barrows taken back by the tone of Garry's grim
voice.
"How do you know it's about our friend?" demanded Garry quick as a
flash.
"Why, the bearer here told me that it had to do with one of the three
boys who were staying here," answered Barrows weakly.
"I think you're lying, Barrows, but I can't prove it. Here, read the
letter."
He handed the crumpled note over to the manager, who took it and read it
in silence. Then he burst into a protest.
"I never heard of this Jean LeBlanc. Why do you connect me with the
matter? I never even heard the name LeBlanc."
"You had a Baptiste LeBlanc working for you until Howells insisted that
he be discharged, didn't you?" continued Garry implacably.
"Why, there may have been a man of that name. I remember Howells
insisting that a man be discharged, but I never pay much attention to
the names of the lumberjacks, at least to their last names. I leave that
to the timekeeper and the section bosses. You misunderstand me entirely.
I am ready to give you all my help. What do you propose to do?"
"First place I am going to start back with this man here and look into
the matter. Of course we have no money to take with us, but I am going
to be assured that Dick is safe. You will get the necessary ransom from
the bank at town, and thirty-six hours from now you will start with it
to some place where this man will appoint. We will be there at the time
with Dick. In the meantime telegraph my father to get here with all
speed. Now, Barrows, I'm putting this matter up to you. If you fail in
any way it will be so much the worse for you. I'm trusting you only
because I have to in an emergency. Don't fall down, or we'll make you
the sorriest man you could ever dream of being. Phil, keep these men
covered with your rifle until I go back and get our packs. Don't let
them stir out of your sight or move a finger."
Garry concluded his words, and tearing a leaf from his notebook, wrote
hastily for several moments, then left the cabin. Barrows made as though
he would follow, but a menacing gesture from Phil made him keep his
seat.
Once outside the cabin, Garry sped away into the woods like a deer. He
was extremely cautious with every step, however, lest a snag or root
trip him and disable him at this crucial moment. The note that he had
written contained explicit directions to the hermit to get word to Mr.
Boone by telegraph, and then see if he could pick up their trail and
follow them. He knew the old man was an expert at trailing, and Garry
wrote that he would leave signs on the way from the hollow tree
postoffice.
The return to the camp was somewhat slower, for he stopped occasionally
to blaze an X in a tree, or dig a slight hole in the ground with his
toe. He wished that he had time to make a more distinct trail, but there
was the danger that a plain one might be noted by one of Barrows' aides,
and obliterated. He was trusting that the hermit could find it, versed
as he was in all the lore of the woods.
Back at the office with his knapsack and that of Phil, he asked what had
transpired while he was gone. Phil told him that a meeting place had
been agreed on.
"Now," said Garry sharply, "can you lead us where you came from in the
dark?"
"Guess I can, came here in the dark," was the surly response of the
guide.
"Then start travelling. Now, Barrows, first sign of any treachery from
anyone in the camp will mean that first I'll shoot this guide and second
anyone within range of my rifle. Now hike," this last remark being
addressed to the man.
Out of the camp toward the northeast led the way, and as they walked
Indian file, they took every step as though it were a path strewn with
glass. Once outside the camp, having been bothered by no one, Garry
called a halt.
Keeping a sharp eye on the guide, Garry whispered to Phil:
"Notice anything funny about that note of Dick's?"
"Not particularly, except that I took exceptional care to be sure that
it was Dick's writing," answered Phil.
"Did you remember the last line?" he questioned further.
"I think I could repeat it over by heart."
"Then use your head and look for the very obvious code in the last six
words," said Garry.
Phil repeated them aloud two or three times, then fell silent. Then he
gave vent to a low exclamation.
"Why, it's as plain as the nose on your face. It's just the first
initials and they spell Beware!"
"Exactly; that's step number one. Now the second thing is the note
itself. It was written on brown paper. Safe thing to write such a letter
on, anyone might have it in his possession. The queer part is that on
the shelf high over Barrows' desk was a bundle of report blanks wrapped
in the same identical kind of paper, only the wrapper was torn. I
couldn't think of any way to clear the office, but I bet I could have
matched this scrap to the torn place in the report!"
"Then you think that Dick has been at the camp all the time?" queried
Phil half incredulously.
"Don't think it, I'm sure of it."
"What are we to do, then?" asked Phil.
"I have that all doped out. We'll let this chap lead us a couple of
miles or so further on and then overpower him and tie him up and leave
him there while we double back and search the camp."
Garry gave the order to march again, and they started on their way. Had
Garry been gifted with second sight, he would never have left the spot
where they had held the conference, for they had gone only a short
distance when the guide asked them to halt.
"What's it worth to you fellows if I tell you all about this business?
You ain't going to meet your friend where I'm taking you; it was just to
get you away from the camp that I led you out here. But you can't make
me tell anything, or LeBlanc would kill me. But I'll take a chance for
money."
This sudden development puzzled Garry. He did not know exactly what to
make of it, so he decided to temporize for a few minutes, and gain time
to think.
"Where is LeBlanc now?" he asked.
"Right there at the camp was where I last saw him."
The answer was such a surprise that Garry's guard was lowered for a
moment, then there was a scurry and rush of feet, and a half a dozen
forms leaped out from behind the trees near them, and before either boy
could make a move with his rifle, they were in the hands of the enemy.