CHAPTER XXIII
CAPTURING THE WIRELESS STATION
Morning. As the first faint streak of light came streaming over thetreetops and dimly lighted the forest itself, Frank stirred his fivesleeping comrades with the toe of his boot.
"Time to get up," he said in a low voice to each.
Since midnight the lad had stood guard. There was little likelihood,the friends knew, that their escape would be discovered before morning,but it had been decided that watch should be kept nevertheless, Jackhad stood watch until midnight, after which Frank took up the vigil.
With all upon their feet now, Frank called a council of war.
"We've got to decide what to do," he said.
"We've come away without as much as a bite to eat. It's likely that wecan rustle up something in the forest, also water to quench ourthirsts, but I'm in favor of more substantial food."
"What do you suggest, then?" asked Williams.
"Well," said Frank, "it's certain that our absence will be discoveredsoon after daylight. Naturally they'll make a search for us, becauseCaptain Jack will not feel easy while we are at large. I figure thathe will scout the forest with the bulk of his men, leaving theso-called fort lightly guarded. My plan would be to work back towardthe enemy, and when we hear them coming take shelter in the tops ofthese big trees. When they have gone by, we'll come down and go to thefort. There we'll get all the chow we want."
"That's not a bad plan," decided Jack, "but you haven't carried it farenough, Frank."
"What do you mean?" asked Frank.
"Well," said Jack, "we can also take charge of the wireless room. Youknow I have had some experience in wireless telegraphy. Maybe we canpick up an American ship of war."
"By George! A good idea!" exclaimed Captain Glenn. "But we can't tellthem where we are."
"That's true, too," said Jack, "but we can fix our location so closelythat they should be able to find us."
"It's worth trying, anyhow," declared Williams.
"All right, then," said Jack. "We may as well be on the move."
Jack took the lead and they retraced the route they had traversed intheir flight through the night.
It seemed to all members of the party that they had walked for hours,when Jack suddenly called a halt.
"Thought I heard voices," he said. "Guess we'd better play safe. Ourplace now is up in the trees."
He scanned the big trees near by. A short distance away were two evenlarger than the rest. Their branches were so thick that Jack felt surethey would form a perfect screen.
"Let's climb," he said.
Jack clambered up the nearest tree. Captain Glenn and Williamsfollowed him. Frank, Timothy and Allen swung themselves into theother. There, high up among the branches, they sat quietly, waiting.
Their patience was rewarded at last. An hour later, peeping from hishiding place, Frank saw the familiar figure of Captain Jack. To rightand left his men were beating the brush in an effort to find thefugitives. Each man carried a rifle ready for instant use.
Frank smiled to himself.
"You want to look up and not down," he said softly.
Captain Jack was exhorting his men to greater pains.
"Don't miss an inch of the ground," he shouted. "We're bound to findthem sooner or later. Five hundred dollars in gold to the man whodiscovers them first. Keep working, men, and be careful."
The searchers passed directly beneath the trees in which the fugitiveswere hiding. It would have been an easy matter for Frank or any of theothers to have killed Captain Jack and several of his men with a singlevolley, but none could bring himself to shoot down a man in coldblood. Besides, a single shot would have precipitated a battle, andall the fugitives knew that their best chance of safety lay in avoidingdiscovery.
Directly beneath the tree in which Frank was hiding, Captain Jackpaused and lighted his pipe. Then, with a word to his men, he passedon.
The fugitives in the trees almost held their breath for fear they wouldbetray their hiding place. For an hour after the pirates had passedthey remained perfectly motionless, fearing that one or more men hadperhaps lagged behind.
Then Jack slid down the tree and the others followed him.
"Now for the fort," cried Jack.
The six made off through the woods as fast as possible. Just beyondthe trees at the edge of the clearing in which the fort stood, Jack,who had appointed himself commander of the expedition, halted.
"I don't know whether the gate is locked or not," he said. "Chancesare, though, that it's not. Neither can we tell how many men arewithin or whether they are on guard. I believe, however, that we willbe safe enough if we cross the clearing at a run. They won't hardly belooking for us to come back."
"You're right, Templeton," said Captain Glenn.
"Let's be moving, then," said Frank impatiently. "Ready?" asked Jack,looking the others over.
Every man held an automatic ready for action in each hand.
"All ready," said Williams.
"Then follow me!"
Jack dashed from the forest straight toward the fort. Spreading out atrifle, so as to make as poor marks as possible should they bediscovered, the others dashed after him.
No one opposed their advance across the open and they reached the gatewithout discovery here they halted a minute. Then Jack laid hisshoulder to the gate and pushed.
The gate flew open and the six rushed inside.
At the door to the fort itself stood a single figure. He took one lookat the men bearing down on him, fired at them without taking aim anddashed inside.
"Quick! Before he locks the door!" shouted Jack.
He leaped forward and succeeded in putting his foot in the door beforethe man could close it.
"Lend me a hand here and force the door!" the lad cried.
Captain Glenn and Williams threw their weight against it. The door wasflung open. Jack ducked as he ran in and it was well that he did so.
There was a flash and a bullet sped over his head. Before the mancould fire again, Jack had closed with him and reversing his revolverquickly, brought the butt down on the man's head with all his force.The pirate toppled to the floor.
Jack jumped across the inert body. Frank was at his heels.
At the far end of the main room four men barred progress. Frank'srevolvers spoke sharply twice as he ran forward and two men dropped.Jack felt a twinge of pain in his left side as he advanced and realizedthat he had been hit. He did not falter, however. His own revolversspoke and the door to the next room was closed.
The room in which the six now found themselves was the main room in thefort. Doors led off from three directions, one, as Jack knew, to thewireless room.
"Guard the doors!" shouted Jack. "Shoot the first head you see!"
The others asked no questions but took their positions.
"Frank," said Jack, "we want to get into that wireless room. I don'tknow how many men there may be in there. I'm going to break in thedoor. You cover me."
Frank advanced and took position behind Jack.
The latter drew back a bit, then dashed at the door. It was of stoutoak, this door, but beneath Jack's weight, the lock was shattered.
As the lad plunged head foremost into the room, there were severalsharp flashes as revolvers spat at him. A bullet plowed through hisleft shoulder, but he took no heed, nor did it even stop his rush.
At one side of the room stood three men with leveled revolvers. Intothese Jack pitched headlong before they could fire again.
On the opposite side of the room stood two more men. Frank, dashinginto the room right behind Jack, opened on these with his revolvers.One dropped before he could return the lad's fire, but a bullet fromthe second man's revolver grazed the lobe of Frank's right ear. Butthe man never fired again. Another bullet from Frank's automaticbrought him to the floor.
Jack, when he pitched in among the three men, fired twice--once witheach revolver. The enemy als
o fired, but their nerves were so unsteadyat this unexpected rush that the bullets went wild.
Fighting was too close now to bring revolvers into play, so Jack usedhis automatics as clubs.
A man toppled over before a powerful blow. Frank now came to Jack'said.
He poked his revolver into one man's back and commanded:
"Hands up!"
The command was obeyed on the instant. At the same moment the otherpirate, now clenched in Jack's powerful arms, cried out:
"I surrender."
Jack released him. The two lads were now undisputed masters of thefield. They returned to the other room, pushing their captives outahead of them.