SPRINGING THE TRAP.
When Thad Brewster was thus making his way into the hole in the rocks,
perhaps he may have remembered reading what old Israel Putnam, the
Revolutionary hero, did when a mere stripling, entering the den of a
savage wolf, and dragging the beast out after him.
Well, in a way Thad was doing just as brave an act. True, those whom he
had reason to fear, were human beings like himself; but they must be
cruel men, since he knew them to be desperate characters; and if they
discovered him invading their retreat, no doubt they would attack him
with the ferocity of wolves.
He found himself in a passage-way among the rocks. It had evidently been
well traveled by the feet or knees of the men who may have long
concealed themselves in the snug retreat; while officers were searching
the surrounding country in a vain quest for clues to their hiding-place.
Thad started when he suddenly heard a gruff voice; it sounded so very
close by, that his first thought was he had been discovered. But as he
caught the words that were spoken he realized his mistake.
"Mebbe ye'll be sorry now, ye bothered a couple of poor fellers atryin'
hard to make a few honest dollars a takin' game out of season, an'
sellin' the same to the rich folks what jest has to have it any ole
time. Jest sit up, an' tell me what yer friends are thinkin' of doin'
'bout it."
Then Thad was thrilled to hear the voice of his chum respond. Evidently,
if the men had kept some sort of muffler over Smithy's mouth during the
time they were bringing him to their underground retreat, it had now
been removed, as if they no longer feared that he would bring the others
down upon them.
"Why, you see, we just wanted to explore this queer island, and that's
all there is to it. Yes, we did rather guess that somebody must have
been taking fish or game when the law was shut down on it; but then, you
see, that was none of our business. We're just Boy Scouts off on a
camping trip; and nobody's employed us to bother with game poachers, or
send word to the wardens."
"Game wardens, hey? Ye seem to let that slip off yer tongue, younker,
like ye might be used to sayin' the same. What we want to know is, why
are ye so pesky anxious like to look this here island over? Lost
anything here?"
"Well, a boat we had seems to have disappeared in a funny way," Smithy
said; and Thad could not notice anything like a tremble in the
tenderfoot's voice, which fact pleased him greatly.
"Huh! thet boat belonged to us in the fust place, younker, an' ye hooked
it from us. Spect ye thought boats jest growed in the bushes like wild
plums, when ye run acrost that un. Wall, they don't, an' ye had no
bizness to take it. An' what's more, me and my pal think ye mean to let
the wardens know 'bout what we've been adoin' up this ways."
Smithy made no reply, and Thad knew why. The tenderfoot was well aware
of what his chum had been doing while wigwagging Allan. He also knew
that in all probability Giraffe must even then be on his way over to
Rockford, to get the Faversham Chief on the 'phone, and give him a
message that would bring the whole police force hustling over to Omega
Lake, bent on making a big haul.
"Don't try to deny it, do ye, younker?" the man continued to growl; and
from the fitful light that rose and fell Thad found reason to believe
that there must be some sort of fire around the bend in the passage.
"Well, let me tell ye what we mean to do about it. We'll jest keep ye
fast here till night sets in, while yer friends hunt around, and git
more an' more skeered, believin' ye must a fell inter the lake. Then
we'll cut stick out of this place, and leave ye behind. P'raps so ye cud
yell loud enough to draw 'em in here. Better be asavin' of yer breath,
boy; 'cause ye'll have to do some tall shoutin' if ye wants to get out
alive, arter Bill'n me vacate. Now roll over, and go to sleep. I'm
hungry, and mean to cook a bite or two."
After waiting for a few minutes, and hearing nothing more, Thad ventured
to peep around the rocky bend. He saw that he had sized up the situation
perfectly. One man bent over a small fire, and seemed to be busily
engaged in cooking himself some food, which already began to scent the
cave. From the quarter where the rumbling sounds came, the boy could see
an indistinct form huddled on a blanket.
The man at the fire seemed to have a bandage around his left leg, and
hobbled as he walked; from which Thad supposed he must have met with an
accident of some kind. This might in a measure account for their having
taken refuge on the island, rather than make their safety sure by
flight.
He looked further, and was soon able to make out another figure lying on
the rocky floor of the place. This he had no doubt must be his chum,
Smithy. Yes, once, as the limping man threw a handful of fresh fuel on
the fire, causing the flames to leap up, and for the moment illuminate
the place, Thad's eager eyes discovered the well-known khaki color of
the Boy Scout uniform worn so jauntily by the particular new recruit.
Oh! if only he could creep across the space that lay between, and set
the bound boy free, how gladly would he attempt it. And the more he
contemplated the thing, the better satisfied did Thad become that he
could accomplish it.
Why, there did not seem to be any great obstacle to prevent him. Surely
the man who snored so deeply would not be able to interfere; and the
second fellow at the fire was so deeply concerned with getting himself
some lunch that apparently he had thought for nothing else.
So Thad decided to make the attempt. Even if it turned out to be a
failure he believed he could elude any pursuer in the gloom of the cave
entrance, and manage to reach the open in safety.
And the possible result was so pleasant to contemplate that he just
could not resist trying for it.
Accordingly, Thad started to creep around the bend. He kept as flat on
his stomach as possible, and always made it a point to watch the man at
the fire. If the hungry one seemed to be looking that way, Thad
flattened himself out as near like a pancake as he could, and did not so
much as move a finger until such time as he felt convinced that the
enemy had his full attention again taken up with his work.
In this cautious way, then, did the scout draw closer and closer to the
figure of the captive. He hoped Smithy would be sensible, and not betray
him by an incautious exclamation, when he learned of his presence.
Now he was within a foot of the other, and could hear him breathing
softly as he lay there. Thad had figured it out that if he kept quiet,
and merely tried to feel for the other's bound hands, Smithy might let
out a whoop as he felt something touch his wrists, under the belief that
it might be a crawling snake. So, to avoid this chance of betrayal, Thad
had determined to get his lips as close to the ear of the prisoner as he
could, and then gently whisper his name.
Watching for his chance, Thad found it when the man at the fire was
humming a snatch of a song to himself, as though care set lightly on his
shoulders.
"Smithy--'sh!"
Thad saw a movement of the bound form. Smithy even lifted his head, and
turned his eyes toward the spot from whence that thrilling, if soft,
whisper had come. But fortunately he did not attempt to make the least
sign, or try to whisper back.
Now that his chum had been warned of his presence Thad believed he could
proceed to the next step in his carefully-arranged programme. This was
to reach over, find just how Smithy was tied, and with the use of his
pocket-knife, which he held open in his hand, effect his release.
The most risky part of the entire affair must lie in their retreat. Here
Smithy, being a veritable greenhorn, was very apt to make some blunder
that would draw the attention of the hungry man, and result in
discovery.
But there was no need of wasting time when the choice lay only in one
selection.
Thad fumbled around until he could locate the bonds that had been tied
around the wrists of Smithy. These he quickly severed, at the same time
trusting to luck that he did not cut the boy with the sharp blade of his
knife.
Next in order he crawled a little further, and managed to saw apart
another piece of old rope that had been wound around the ankles of
Smithy.
The latter knew what was expected of him. Perhaps it was mere instinct
that told the tenderfoot, since he had never gone through any such
experience as this before. But at any rate, no matter what influenced
him, Smithy had already commenced to move backward. Thad was greatly
"tickled" as he himself expressed it later, when he saw how Smithy
maneuvered, keeping his head toward the enemy while moving off, as if he
just knew he ought to watch the man, and lie low in case he looked.
Thad had waited only long enough to fix the blanket upon which Smithy
had been lying, so that it would look like a human form reclining there.
This he did by causing the middle to remain poked up a foot or so in the
air, by deftly crunching the folds in his hand.
At a casual glance in that uncertain light, any one over there, with his
eyes dazzled by looking into the flickering firelight, might be deceived
into believing that the prisoner still lay where he had been left.
Foot by foot the two scouts backed away. Why, Smithy was doing as well
as any experienced fellow could have shown himself capable of
performing. Smithy had certainly all the qualities in him to make a
first-class scout; and Thad meant to encourage the ambition of the other
to the utmost, given the opportunity.
Now they were turning the bend, and everything seemed to still be going
smoothly. It began to look as though Thad had accomplished a task that
at one time he feared would be beyond his capacity; and that freedom lay
ahead for the late prisoner of the old bear's den.
Just as they reached the outlet there sounded a loud shout coming from
the interior. It could have but one meaning, and this, discovery. The
hungry man had possibly walked over to say something else to Smithy, and
found that the prisoner had taken "French leave."
"This way, and give me a hand, quick!" exclaimed Thad, as he leaped out
of the mouth of the den, and toward the pivotical rock that hung so
temptingly above.
Smithy seemed to have noticed the same stone, for he threw himself
against it at the very instant Thad did. Their combined weight, added to
the force with which they struck the trembling rock, proved to be
sufficient to start it moving. It appeared to hesitate just a second,
and then went crashing over, making the very ground tremble with the
tremendous shock.
And so the mouth of the old bear's den was sealed, imprisoning within,
the two fugitives from the law.