THOSE WHO SAT BY THE FIRE
“They must have made better time than we gave them credit for,” Andy
went on to say, in his conclusive fashion, as though there could be no
doubt about the matter. “But,” he continued, with a queer chuckle,
“after all, they’ve been silly enough to stop short and go into camp.
Now’s our chance to give ’em the greatest surprise going.”
Apparently Andy had convinced himself that the fire was on the Canadian
side of the line. Since it was more or less of a mythical division, how
were they to know the exact point of separation? Besides, those scheming
men, who never once regarded the sacrifice of human life as worth
weighing in the balance, when trying to strike at Great Britain in such
a cowardly way, deserved little, if any, consideration.
If any doubt existed in Rob’s mind regarding the situation he said
nothing about it. With that lieutenant present Rob felt in no way
responsible for affairs. He, too, was under orders now, and the success
or failure of the plan of campaign rested wholly on the young officer’s
shoulders.
“We will try to surprise them,” remarked the other; “and no time should
be lost in going about it. If you three boys will keep alongside me as
we advance, we can arrange a plan, for I shall certainly be glad of your
efficient help.”
Rob thought that was nicely put. It looked as though the military
defender of the bridge had indeed radically altered the first opinion he
entertained in connection with the scouts. Well, Rob Blake was the last
fellow in the wide world to bear any animosity toward another on account
of first impressions, which he knew only too well were often wrong.
Accordingly they made a start, but a warning was also issued begging
every one to be extra careful how he stumbled, lest the unwonted sound
reach the ears of those by the fire, and as they would naturally be
suspicious of every unusual noise, the consequences might be disastrous
to their success.
When he came to discuss the merits of the situation with the lieutenant,
and in turn was told what the other meant to do, Rob conceived a growing
admiration for the young fellow. He really believed the other must have
a most capable head on his shoulders; and it was also apparent to
observing Rob that he showed positive signs of considerable military
genius. In private life he may only have been a bank clerk in Montreal,
or a Government employee in Ottawa; but after being called out in
defense of his country he had plainly taken it upon himself to sink all
else in the one overpowering fact that he was now a soldier, and must
give up his whole mind to studying military tactics.
He really laid out quite a neat little plan of attack, whereby Zeb and
the two soldiers could creep around to the other side of the fire so as
to cut off any possible escape on the part of the fugitives brought to
bay. Rob understood why the Maine guide had been selected in this
manner; apparently the officer felt that Zeb would know just how to lead
the two privates, so that they might manage to get around on the longer
route without creating an alarm. He may himself have had experience with
woods guides, and appreciated their accomplishments.
So Zeb and the two men went off. The others were to loiter a bit in
order to give them a chance to cover the extra ground. A simple code of
signals had also been arranged between the two parties, so that they
could communicate with one another. In this fashion the officer had
taken it upon himself to be in a position to order a general advance on
both sides, when he thought the proper moment had come.
Rob heard all this, and his admiration increased. He was pleased to
serve under such a smart head. Some upstarts, vested with a brief
authority by the circumstance of war, would have strutted, and posed,
and tried to show how consequential they could be; but this chap was of
the right sort. Rob was willing to wager that he must come from good
stock, and that some of his immediate ancestors had won their spurs on
the field of Waterloo, or some place where British soldiers fought
stubbornly and with bulldog courage against great odds.
As they advanced the fire began to be seen more frequently, though the
undulating nature of the intervening ground often caused it to remain
concealed for a brief stretch of time. Andy and Rob, as well as Donald,
were greatly interested in what they were about to see. They had had
these plotters in their minds so much of late that naturally a most
intense curiosity had been aroused concerning their identity.
Andy had invested them with almost supernatural powers and attributes.
If all the thoughts that flitted through his active mind could be
condensed into a concrete whole, those by the fire were apt to assume
gigantic proportions indeed, and prove pretty dangerous customers for
even half a dozen armed aggressors to attack.
But when Andy showed a disposition to hurry on faster than prudence
would dictate, he was gently but firmly repressed by the lieutenant, a
fact Rob noted with satisfaction.
They did not speak any more than was absolutely necessary, and then only
in the softest of whispers. It was no time for comparing opinions, even
Andy understood that much; consequently he was compelled to hold all his
communications with himself.
Then there came the time when they began to detect moving figures about
the fire, and this increased their interest. They could manage to make
out just two men, one inclined to be tall, and as swarthy as an Indian,
the other rather portly, though also of a generous size.
Well, so far as that went the boys had guessed before then that the
number of those actually engaged in the work of trying to dynamite the
railway span would turn out to be two, though they might have
confederates scattered around the country, instructed to send them
signals, it might be, or advise of any suspicious fact going to tell
that the authorities were extra vigilant, as if having been warned that
special danger menaced the bridge.
The closer they drew the more violently did Andy’s heart pump. His
excitement kept on growing by leaps and bounds. This, then, was to be
the culmination of the remarkable adventure that had come to them so
unsolicited during their visit to the woods of northern Maine. He
wondered whether these two men were going to resist arrest, even when
outnumbered three to one. That they were desperate characters went
without saying, and they must know what their fate was likely to be,
once the military authorities of Canada had them in their hands.
So Andy fingered his gun, and made up his mind how far he would be
justified in using it under the conditions. As a scout, he had no
business to seek glory such as a soldier would seek to attain; and yet
there may be occasions when even a peace-loving scout, bound by the vows
of his order, must display loyalty and courage, and be ready to defend
the weak against a bully. He should also, Andy felt confident, be prompt
to stand up for the laws of neutrality, and consider it his bounden duty
to aid the authorities of a neighboring community to stop any bold raid
that threatened to disrupt the peace.
Yes, it must be admitted that impulsive Andy was about ready to make
stern use of his gun, if the occasion demanded such a necessity. He
could aim so as to only wound the fellow at whom he fired; that was the
extent his activity in the affair ought to reach, Andy decided, though
for that matter, if the conspirators were bound to be set up before a
firing squad anyhow they would be no worse off if they paid the full
debt now.
The lieutenant interrupted his reflections, grim as they were becoming,
nor was Andy sorry for it. Drawing their heads close together, the
officer gave his last orders in the ears of his three followers. He had
decided that they would stand a far better chance of advancing close in,
without the risk of discovery, if they veered a little to the left, and
then continued to creep up.
Rob saw that the scheme was a good one, for in that quarter lay a fringe
of bushes that seemed dense enough to effectually conceal their
movements. Once behind this barrier, they would feel more free to move
as they pleased. It seemed that these accommodating bushes kept right on
until only fifty feet away from the fire itself.
Really nothing better could have been devised. If he had had the
management of the scheme in his own hands, Rob did not see how he could
have improved upon the lieutenant’s plan of action.
By now it was probable that Zeb and the two privates were nearing their
post, having crept around the camp as ordered. In good time the signals
arranged for could be exchanged, to make sure that all was ready; then
the command to rise up and advance would be next in order—after that it
depended on the state of desperation that would assail the fugitives
whether any fighting must ensue, or the capture be carried out without
bloodshed.
As the quartette of creepers drew near the terminus of the bush fringe
they grew more and more cautious. By now they had reached a point so
close to the fire that they plainly heard some one give vent to a laugh.
This would seemingly indicate that while the plotters might be a
desperate lot, at the same time their recent escapade had not entirely
demoralized them. Andy felt a strange sensation creeping over him. He
knew it could not be _fear_, because Andy always boasted that he had
never experienced such a silly thing in all his life; and certainly
there was no occasion for it now; indeed, the boot was on the other
foot, and it should be these two trapped rascals who hovered near a
condition of collapse after their recent narrow escape, and with peril
still overshadowing them.
When Andy first peered out between the bushes he anticipated seeing a
pair of desperadoes who, by their fierce appearance, would have shamed
all the villains depicted on the screen at the movies. He had quite a
shock when he discovered that nothing of the sort greeted his vision. In
fact, had Andy happened on this camp by accident, knowing nothing about
the bold raid across the border, he would never have suspected that two
such dreadful villains could masquerade under such ordinary exteriors.
One of the men was tall and dark, with straight black hair, and a
certain dignified way of doing his menial duties, for he was actually
washing up a few tin dishes at the time—no, Andy corrected himself, for
a second look told him these were of aluminum ware, the most expensive
outfit any camper can purchase, and much preferable to any other on
account of extreme lightness.
Well, at any rate, those terrible German sympathizers knew a good thing
when they saw it, Andy decided. They had come prepared to stay out in
the woods for days, if need be, until they received word, perhaps by
aeroplane messenger, that an unusually heavy shipment of munitions had
started east, and would arrive at a certain night in the neighborhood of
the threatened bridge. Oh, it was very easy for clever Andy to figure
all this out, and he secretly admired the way in which the two men had
arranged things. They had prepared this camp beforehand, meaning to fly
to its shelter after accomplishing the destruction of both bridge and
train.
As to the second man, he puzzled Andy the most. The dark-faced member of
the pair looked capable of any sort of crime, but that other chap
certainly must be out of his element when engaging in such a dastardly
act; for he laughed heartily and looked most genial as he sat there with
his hands locked about his knees and watched the other handling the camp
cooking outfit.