CONCLUSION.
Tom Fordham proved as good as his word. After apprising the station
agent at Kingman of the situation by telegram, he took Jerry uptown to
his home.
An early supper was served the boys, and then they hurried off to the
Grand Central Depot.
It was nearly noon on Friday when the lads arrived at Kingman. They
found a large crowd assembled to meet them, among whom were Jack Mowry
and the station agent.
They went at once to the latter's house, and after briefly telling their
own story, they were amazed to learn that absolutely no clew of any sort
had been discovered.
"Most of the party that was scourin' the woods hev come back," said
Mowry. "They was in an' out through every part of the woods, but all
ter no purpus. It's mighty queer what them rascals hes done with the
lads."
"And how about Raikes and Mr. Glendale?" asked Jerry.
"Not a trace of them has been seen," replied the agent, "though we
have kept a careful watch on the trains and made inquiries in various
directions. If they left New York at the time your telegram stated, they
must have reached this part of the country a good two days ago--even
before we were on the watch for them."
"Perhaps they got off at some other station than Kingman," suggested
Tom.
"Quite likely," asserted the agent. "In that case, we have missed them.
It looks very much as though the rascals were going to collar all that
money and get scot-free."
His opinion was reluctantly shared by the others. It was a doleful crowd
that sat around the hot stove, vainly pondering what could be done.
But at three o'clock the situation took an unexpected and pleasing turn.
A tall, bearded man, clad in a hunter's garb, rushed noisily into the
house with two companions.
"Hullo, Ike Carter," exclaimed the agent. "What's up?"
"A good deal, I reckon," replied the other. "I jist heard that you an'
Mowry are lookin' fur Silas Raikes. I seen him this mornin' in Hiram
Bobb's tavern at Wytopitlock. His mustache was shaved off, but I knowed
him all ther same. He was with a swell-lookin' cuss with a beard an'
shiny black togs----"
"That was Mr. Glendale," interrupted Tom, rising eagerly to his feet.
At first the news caused great excitement, and it was some time before
it could be allayed. Then wise counsels prevailed, and the agent's
carefully concocted scheme was adopted.
"There are enough of us here to arrest Raikes without any trouble," he
said. "We won't say anything about it outside, but we'll just go quietly
to the station, and take the first train to Wytopitlock. It goes in
twenty minutes."
This programme was carried out. The party of seven managed to reach the
station and board the train without attracting much attention.
Wytopitlock was even a less important place than Kingman. It boasted
half-a-dozen houses, a store and a tavern. The latter was nearly a
quarter of a mile from the station, and stood on the edge of the
wilderness. Here bad news awaited the party.
"The men you're inquirin' fur hev been here mor'n two days," said Hiram
Bobb, "at least one of them has. Arter dinner they started into the
woods. They said they was goin' huntin'. Thar's somethin' queer about
it, though. I heard them whisperin' this mornin', an' one, he says to
t'other, 'we must git thar by sundown. The place is a big rock about
three miles up the valley.'"
Jerry and Tom exchanged meaning glances with the men.
"I know whar that rock is," exclaimed Mowry, "an' I understand the hull
thing. Thar's ter be a meetin' at sunset, an' the lad an' the money will
change hands."
"And the sun will set in a little less than half an hour," cried the
agent. "We've got just about time enough to reach the place."
"What's all this rumpus about, anyway?" gasped Hiram Bobb, with bulging
eyes.
The situation was quickly explained to him. He volunteered to accompany
the party, and the offer was accepted.
"I hope thar won't be no shootin' needed," said Mowry, "but it's a
little unsartin, seein' as thar'll likely be three of the rascals at the
meetin'-place instid of one."
A little later the party were advancing softly, and in single file,
through the woods. They went swiftly up the trough of the deep and
gloomy valley, Mowry leading the way with unerring knowledge.
At last Mowry paused, and waited until his companions had gathered
around him. He pointed with one hand to a ledge of rock and bushes that
was visible some thirty feet ahead, and stretched two-thirds of the way
across the trough of the valley.
"We must git behind that without makin' any noise," he said. "Yonder is
the big rock, an' a sort of a clearing roundabout. We'll be able ter
see right into it."
Mowry led the party on with extra caution. The increased roar of the
torrent drowned their soft tread. Even before they reached the line of
rocks they detected voices ahead. Tom and Jerry gained the point of
vantage at the same time with Mowry. They cautiously parted the bushes
and peered through. The sight that instantly met their eyes well repaid
Jerry for all his trouble and suffering in the past.
The fast-fading light showed a group of figures standing at the base of
the towering bowlder. They were five in number, Mr. Glendale, Raikes,
Sparwick, and Brick and Hamp.
The lawyer had just taken a bulky packet from his pocket, and was
unrolling the brown paper in which it was wrapped.
"Git ready, men," whispered Mowry. "Here goes."
Then quickly the ambushed party broke from cover. The scene that
followed baffles adequate description. With half-a-dozen weapons trained
upon them, Raikes and Sparwick had no alternative but to submit to
capture. This they did very ungracefully, and with a choice selection of
oaths.
Mr. Glendale dropped the packet of banknotes to the ground--where it was
promptly grabbed by Mowry--and shook hands with Tom in a very eager
manner. As for Jerry, it may be imagined how his appearance affected
Brick and Hamp, who at first thought him a ghost. Then they embraced
him, and cried for very joy. In fact, there was vast excitement all
around, and everybody was happy but the two baffled villains. Mr.
Glendale and the four lads found themselves a little apart from the
others. The lawyer took Jerry and Hamp by the hand.
"My brave boys," he said. "I am heartily glad to meet you, and to thank
you in the name of his parents for the service you have done Brick. You
have saved the money as well, and that, I can assure you, is a great
load off my mind. I felt that Brick's life depended on the payment of
the ransom.
"Brick," he added, "I hope that this will be a lesson to you. You have
seen and experienced the bitter fruits of running away."
"It will, Mr. Glendale," Brick declared, earnestly. "I assure you it
will."
Here the discussion ended, for Mowry and his companions were ready to
start back. It was a dreary journey for Sparwick and Raikes. When the
tavern was reached, they were pinioned, and placed in a room under
strong guard.
Hiram Bobb's resources were taxed to their utmost to provide for all his
guests that night. But he managed to acquit himself with credit. The
rapid eating of the supper that he provided was ample proof of its
goodness.
Then everybody assembled in the big front room, with its sand-papered
floor, and tall, old clock in the corner. Mr. Glendale told his story,
and Jerry told his, and then came Brick, and Hamp, and Tom, and
Mowry--in short, everybody had a say, except the fettered rascals in the
room overhead.
And here the story may very fittingly end--that is, after a few words
have been said about the principal actors therein.
The first thing Mr. Glendale did the next morning was to hand around
banknotes to the men who had aided in the capture of Raikes and
Sparwick. He also reimbursed Mowry in full for the money he had advanced
to Jerry.
A search party went back to the Rock House that day, but they failed to
find any trace of Joe Bogle. He must have come to his senses, and
released himself in some way. He has not been heard of since, and is
supposed to be in Canada.
Raikes and Sparwick were duly tried, and convicted, and put behind stone
walls for a term of years. Of course, the affair gained wide publicity,
and when Jerry and Hamp returned to Bangor they were objects of some
attention.
Mr. Glendale stopped there for a day or two on his way back to New
York, with Tom and Brick. He went to see Jerry's parents and Hamp's
mother, and also made inquiries concerning the lads from reliable
outside sources. Several weeks later each received a check for one
thousand dollars, "as a testimonial of Mr. Larkin's gratitude." This
timely gift restored both families from poverty to affluence.
Jerry and Hamp frequently hear from Tom and Brick, and the latter are
talking of coming up to Maine for a summer camping trip. But before
that, the Bangor lads expect to pay a visit to New York, of which city
Jerry is accustomed to speak in proud and familiar terms.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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There must be a reason for this, and there is. Frank Merriwell, as
portraited by the author, is a jolly, whole-souled, honest, courageous
American lad, who appeals to the hearts of the boys.
He has no bad habits, and his manliness includes the idea that it is not
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Transcriber's Notes
1. This text appeared under several titles:
as "The Camp in the Snow; or, The Plucky Hunters of the Maine Woods"
- Good News No. 194-205, 20 Jan-7 Apr., 1894
as "The Camp in the Snow; or, Besieged by Danger"
- New York: Street and Smith (Medal Library No. 182), 1902
- Philadelphia: David McKay, 1902
- New York: Street and Smith (Adventure Library No. 96), 1928.
2. This etext derived from 1902 Street and Smith edition.
3. Table of Contents was not present in original edition.
4. Punctuation has been normalized to contemporary standards.
5. Corrections to the text:
p. 46: stunnning -> stunning (a stunning blow)
p. 72: exent -> extent (to their fullest extent)
p. 107: zig-zig -> zig-zag (followed a zig-zag course)
p. 131: foosteps -> footsteps (heard crunching footsteps)
p. 224: thinkinig -> thinking (thinking about poor Jerry)
p. 225: Raines -> Raikes (Raikes on the other)
End of Project Gutenberg's The Camp in the Snow, by William Murray Graydon