IN SWIFT PURSUIT
Tubby grunted.
He immediately understood that Rob did not mean to include _him_ in the
party that was to try and cut the invaders off before they could recross
the boundary line. Really, Tubby did not know whether to be glad or
sorry. To be sure, he always wanted to have a hand in everything
patriotic that was going on, which might reflect credit on the scout
uniform; and in one way he would have dearly delighted in being present,
should those unknown plotters be brought to book. But then it promised
to prove an arduous undertaking, since all possible haste must be made;
and this would necessitate driving through the brush with utter
disregard as to who was tagging along at the rear of the procession, a
place Tubby occupied about ten times out of ten.
Well, to be philosophical, Tubby concluded to calmly abide by whatever
decision Rob arrived at. As scout leader he ought to know what was best
for all concerned, and really it would be much more comfortable sitting
there with the bridge guards and chatting, rather than butting up
against unseen trees and getting “the map of Ireland” scratched on his
face by a score of thorny bushes.
The train conductor could not think of accompanying them, though he
generously told Rob to keep the lantern; this trifling sacrifice was the
least thing he could do to show his deep gratitude, for it looked as
though his life might have paid the penalty, only for the valor of these
three scouts and Donald.
The engineer had to return with him, too, and there was an affectionate
parting between Mr. McGuffey and his boy; for, despite his lame leg,
Donald—that stubborn Scotch blood showing again—had concluded that he,
too, wanted to be in the chase.
So Rob, Andy, Zeb and Donald, together with the lieutenant and two of
his men, started off in hot haste. Too many precious minutes had already
been taken up with this hunt for the hidden mine; the panic-stricken
fugitives by now must be well on their way toward the border, and unless
the pursuers were smart they would never overtake them in time.
One thing was in their favor: The men from the other side could not be
very well acquainted with the locality. They had been able to reach the
vicinity of the trestle and the bridge which they had doomed for
destruction by making use of the map drawn and the aerial photographs
taken by the pilot of the aeroplane, that had hovered over the railway
embankment on that occasion witnessed by the scouts; but now that this
near-panic had gripped them, there was a chance of becoming twisted in
their bearings and losing their way.
Tubby went back to the bridge, and, making friends with several young
fellows, he quickly won a way to their regard by his chummy manner.
Tubby never lacked for friends because his warm heart quickly aroused a
feeling of reciprocation. He was soon seated, with a number of deeply
interested fellows in uniform, telling of the amazing things he, Rob and
Merritt Crawford had seen—yes, and been engaged in also—when across the
water in the fighting zones of Belgium and France. As none of these
sturdy sons of Canada had as yet crossed, and they were all deeply
interested in everything connected with the ferocious warfare going on
over the sea, it can be readily understood that Tubby soon lost his
humorous aspect in their eyes, induced by his rotund figure, and became
a genuine hero.
Meanwhile the train had once more started, crossing the bridge in
safety, thanks to the work of Rob and his chums. It was soon miles away
from the danger point, heading toward the blue sea, to have its
million-dollar cargo stowed in the holds of various steamers bound for
the direction of the fighting fronts.
Since Rob had elected to accompany the hunting party, it must be our
duty to keep track of the doings of this detachment. Donald and Zeb were
called upon once more to exercise their judgment with regard to reaching
the border by the shortest possible route. This would be the very path
over which they had come; and in a short time Rob, upon using the
lantern, decided that the fugitives had made use of another route, for
there was no sign of tracks heading south. He could easily pick out
their own footprints, especially those plain ones made by Tubby; but in
no instance were they superseded by fresher tracks.
This did not discourage them in the least. In fact, Donald declared he
felt sure he knew how the fugitives would go, as there was only a choice
between two trails, unless they lost themselves and wandered aimlessly
to and fro.
Somewhere close to the border he declared it would be possible for them
to make a swift turn and cut across to the other trail, upon hearing
which the officer displayed considerable satisfaction.
“That sounds well to me, Donald,” he told the engineer’s son. “Put us
where we can lie in ambush and surprise those fiends, and you will be
doing your country the greatest possible service. I would willingly give
five years of my own life for an opportunity to take those rascals and
show the curs who plot to ruin our cause what it means to invade Canada
from a friendly country.”
Rob, in a measure, could feel for the officer. His own indignation had
kept growing the more he considered what the probable result of an
explosion must have been, with that train on the trestle at the time.
Yes, while scouts were not supposed to take sides with either party in
the great war being waged—and Rob had shown on several notable occasions
that he had a warm feeling for the German people, much as he hated the
methods by means of which their leaders were conducting the campaign of
frightfulness—at the same time he considered that these plotters had by
their action placed themselves outside the pale of scout law. Rob looked
upon them not as heroes daring deadly perils for the sake of their
beloved Fatherland, but in the light of cowardly schemers who would
creep up and do a terrible crime without taking any great risk
themselves.
As haste was the chief object now, everything else had to give way to
this one thing. It was entirely different from their former advance
along this trail—when they did not know what dangers lurked about them
and were compelled to move along in the semi-darkness, almost groping
their way at times. Now with that lantern showing them all obstacles
they made rapid progress. Besides, it almost seemed to Rob as though he
were familiar with the route.
Then again a little later Rob came around to look at things in still
another light. He was not inclined to be bloodthirsty, as a rule, and
since the great plot had failed, perhaps it might be just as well if the
men escaped. They could spread the disastrous story among their kind in
the States, and thus discourage any renewal of similar activities.
They were making good time. Even Donald, limping along, managed to keep
his proud position as leader of the expedition. The praise that had come
his way of late, from his own father as well as others, had acted like a
bracing tonic upon his entire system, and encouraged him to make further
drafts upon his physical strength.
Andy, leaving all the labor of following the path to those in the lead,
devoted himself to keeping a wary eye upon the surrounding forest. He
cherished a faint hope that possibly the fugitives, having become lost,
might think to go into camp; and if they were incautious enough to start
a fire Andy wanted to be the one to spy it out first.
Nothing happened up to the time when they glimpsed that rocky cairn
which marks the dividing line between Canada and the United States.
“Here is the border, sir,” said Donald to the lieutenant, “and ye ken
the ither trail lies yonder toward the east. If so be we gang awa’ ower
that way it is probable that we may run across the wretches.”
“Then let us start without any more delay, Donald,” decided the officer.
“Do you think, Donald,” ventured Rob, “that you can take us there
without the use of this lantern? If we keep on as we are going, I’m
afraid they will glimpse the light and give us the slip. How about it,
Donald?”
“Oh, ay, it will nae be so verra hard, I ween,” instantly replied the
confident young Canadian, as the scout master anticipated he would. So
the light was “doused,” and they continued their forward movement with
only the stars to afford any illumination.
They turned abruptly to the left, and headed into the east. Donald
assured them that about this point the other trail did not lie more than
two-thirds of a mile away; and he felt pretty positive they would be
able to make it before the fugitives, stumbling along in the
half-darkness, could get there.
At first they found it rather difficult walking, for their eyes had
become accustomed to the assistance given by the train conductor’s
splendid lantern, and there were more or less frequent collisions with
trees and stumps and unseen rocks. But by degrees this difficulty was
removed, and the accidents became less numerous.
Andy was once more feeling that prickly sensation commencing to chase
along his spine, such as approaching excitement always engendered. Andy
was not thinking along the same lines as Rob. He really _yearned_ to see
the rascals pay the penalty. Andy would not have been at all concerned
could he see them fall into the hands of the military authorities of
Canada, even knowing that in times of war they must be taken before a
court-martial and in all probability would be condemned to be summarily
shot by a firing squad.
Once again Andy was using his eyes in the endeavor to make some sort of
pleasing discovery. He wanted to shine more in the limelight; thus far
circumstances had not been kind to him, for he had not been permitted to
take a leading part in anything that had occurred; and Andy was
ambitious.
They had been moving on for some time without anything happening, when
he suddenly had a distinct thrill. What could that faint glow mean that
he had just discovered ahead? It was true that it lay somewhat to the
right, and Andy imagined this might mean American territory instead of
that belonging to Canada; but then who would know the difference, and if
the prisoners were carried back to the railway there would never be any
proof that they had been taken on foreign soil.
Andy had a brief struggle in his mind over this, and then he decided
that under the circumstances it would be easily justifiable; at any
rate, far be it from him to venture to call the circumstance to the
attention of the officer in charge of the pursuit. If the lieutenant
chose to take it upon himself to consider that they were still north of
the line, why, so it must go on the records.
Having salved his conscience in this rather elastic fashion, which was
quite wrong in a scout, though Andy would not allow himself to believe
it, the boy concluded to direct the attention of his companions to the
glow as soon as he detected it again.
This happened a minute or so later, and Andy, having figured out his
course, hastened to remark eagerly:
“Rob, look over there to the right, will you? That must mean a camp fire
is burning back of some mound or clump of thick brush, wouldn’t you
think?”
Every one looked. It was evidently the consensus of opinion, to judge
from the various remarks that arose, that Andy was correct. Undoubtedly
a small fire was burning in that quarter, and what more likely than that
the fugitives, believing themselves safe across the border, had decided
to halt and repair such damages as they may have suffered during their
mad flight through the dark woods?