CHAPTER XXIV. THE CAPTURE.
The scouts had been eagerly awaiting this motion with the hat on the partof the patrol leader. It acted on them about in the same way the bang ofa starting pistol might with a string of nerve-strained sprinters,anxious to leap forward, with a prize in view to the first under thetape.
Many times before had they found themselves in just this same position,with Thad deciding the start. Giraffe, the fastest in the bunch, wascrouched in his accustomed attitude, looking somewhat like a big, wirycat getting ready to spring; while Bob White, Step Hen, Allan and DavyJones each had assumed an attitude best suited to his particular methodof starting.
At the same time all of them understood this was not going to be a race.They had been instructed to spread out a little, after the manner of anopen fan, as they advanced. This was to give the tramp as little chanceto escape as they possibly could.
Well, the hat, after being poised for a few preliminary seconds inmid-air, was suddenly swung downward with a violent dip. That meant inthe plainest of language "Go!" and every fellow made a forward move.
Giraffe had been given one of the outer lines, since that meant he wouldhave a little more ground to cover; and no one was better fitted for thisthan the lanky scout. Nature had built him for a runner from the groundup; he did not have a superfluous ounce of fat on him, but was allmuscle, and, as Giraffe often proudly declared, his flesh was "as hard asnails."
It was a pretty sight to see those five fellows in khaki begin to spreadout in that systematic way, just as though each one might considerhimself a part of a machine.
Thad had purposely taken the center, so that he could keep an eye onevery part of the field. It is always considered the best thing for acaptain on a baseball club to be posted somewhere in the diamond,preferably on third base, as that gives him a chance to watch the gameclosely. It also allows him the opportunity of running in frequently andarguing with the umpire over disputed plays.
So far nothing had happened to warn the dozing tramp of their coming. Allof the boys had gotten under way without a single mishap in the line of astumble, which would serve to warn their intended victim.
He was still sprawled out alongside the warm fire, and doubtless enjoyinghimself in true hobo style, caring nothing as to what went wrong with theworld, so long as he did not miss a meal.
Thad would have been much better satisfied could he have glimpsed thatbadly wanted army coat somewhere around; but its absence, although to beregretted, must not interfere with the programme he had laid out.
The distance from the shelter of the brush to the fire was not verygreat, and could have been covered speedily only for the desire on thepart of the scouts to take the man by surprise.
Step Hen spoiled this by an unfortunate stumble, which was rathersingular, because as a rule he had proved sure-footed. It chanced,however, that Step Hen was watching the reclining figure by the fire soclosely that he did not notice some obstruction lying in his path, sothat the first thing he knew he caught his toe, and measured his fulllength on the ground.
Of course that spoiled the surprise part of the game. Thad knew itinstantly, as the tramp's head came up, and accordingly he uttered aquick command.
"Rush him!"
With that each scout jumped forward, eager to be the first to close in onthe enemy. Those who had guns displayed them threateningly, while theothers waved their clubs in a way that needed no explanation as to whatuse they expected to make of the same presently.
If the actions of the invaders of the hobo camp were rapid the same couldbe said concerning the movements of the lone inmate. He must haverealized the desperation of his position the very instant he sightedthose advancing boys in khaki, with such a ferocious display of variousweapons of defense and offense, for like a flash he scrambled to hisfeet.
As it was hardly to be expected that the tramp had prepared himselfagainst a surprise like this, the chances were he acted solely fromimpulse.
Giraffe fully expected he would try and go around their outermost guards,and with memories of similar tactics employed on the gridiron he changedhis course somewhat in order to cut off this flight.
It was a mistake, for the fellow never once endeavored to flee. Insteadof this he leaped over to a pile of rocks that chanced to lie close by,forming a species of pyramid. The boys saw him throw himself into themidst of this, even while they were rushing forward, though they couldnot anticipate what his scheme might be.
Events are apt to happen with lightning-like rapidity under suchconditions as these, and the first thing the boys knew there was a sharpreport as of a pistol, and a puff of smoke burst from the pile of rocksthat thrilled them to the core.
"He's got a gun!" snapped Giraffe, looking to Thad to give the order tosend back as good as they received.
It was a time for quick thinking. The tramp was evidently a desperatesort of fellow, who, finding himself in danger of arrest, meant to standout to the end. He may not have tried to injure any of them when he firedthat shot, but all the same it gave the boys a chill, and several of theminvoluntarily ducked their heads, as if they fancied the hobo had pickedthem out for his target, and that they had heard the whiz of the leadpast their ears.
Thad sized up the situation in that speedy way of his. Occasionssometimes crop up that call for the promptest kind of action; and surelythis looked like one of that kind.
"Allan, keep on in the center, and I'll turn his flank!" he shouted."Bend down, everybody, and get behind a rock if you can. We've just _got_to land him, that's all there is about it!"
Even while saying this the scout master was on the jump, and, passingAllan as well as Bob White, he sped toward the edge of the water, makinga half circle.
There was another sharp report from the rocks, but, although the boysheld their breath while watching their leader run, they rejoiced to seethat he gave no sign of having been injured by the tramp's firing.
Every boy was keyed up to what Giraffe would call "top-notch" condition;doubtless hands quivered while they clutched gun or club, and hearts beatwith the rapidity of so many trip-hammers. But to their credit it couldbe said that not one of them as much as looked back over their shoulders,to see if the way for retreat was open. That spoke well for theircourage, at least.
Thad reached the spot which he had set out to attain, and instantlywhirled, to aim his gun toward the rock pile. It was just as he hadanticipated, for the tramp, while sheltered on the one side, was fullyexposed on that looking down the river.
"Surrender, or it'll be the worse for you!" shouted Thad.
"Jump him, boys!" roared Giraffe, utterly unable to keep back a secondlonger, while his nerves were quivering in that furious fashion.
When Step Hen and the other four saw the impetuous right end startstraight toward the rock pile, they gave a shout, and proceeded toimitate his example. Boys are a good deal like sheep in many ways, andwhen one takes a venture he is certain to be copied by others.
From all sides they were thus closing in rapidly on the hobo who was atbay, and every fellow was giving vent to his excitement in shouts andscreeches calculated to complete the collapse of the tramp's defiance.
He knew when he had had enough. Serious though arrest might appear to himunder the present conditions, it would be a dozen fold worse should hefire that weapon of his again, and succeed in injuring one of these bravelads. Besides, he must have been more or less influenced by the handy waythey carried those guns.
This being the case, the tramp at bay suddenly threw up both his hands,at the same time bawling:
"Hey! don't shoot; I'm all in, gents; I surrender!"
The furious shouts now ceased, since the object of their rush hadapparently been accomplished. Thad, however, was too smart a leader tolose any advantage that fortune had placed in his hands.
"Throw out that gun!" he called in his sternest voice; "and be quickabout it, if you know what's good for you!"
The ma
n hastened to obey the order. No doubt he understood that hiscaptors were only boys; but there may be circumstances where cubs arejust as dangerous as full-grown men; and this is the case when theyhappen to be provided with firearms.
"Come out here, and keep your hands up!" continued the patrol leader, whodid not trust the fellow, and while speaking he kept his gun leveled sothat it bore straight upon him.
The hobo looked disgusted, as well he might at finding himself a victimto such humiliating conditions, with boys his captors. He scowled darklyas he left the partial shelter of the rocks, and advanced several pacestoward the scouts.
"That'll do," Thad told him; "now lie down on the sand on your face, andput your hands behind you. We've got to tie your wrists, you understand.Here, don't think to play any trick, because we won't stand for it! Downon your knees, and over you go!"
Realizing that such a young chap was not to be trifled with, the tramp,muttering to himself, did as he was ordered. Lying there on his chest hepushed both hands behind his back, and crossed his wrists, just as thoughthis might not be the first time he had run up against a similarsituation.
"Giraffe, you fix him up!" said the patrol leader, for the lengthy scouthad a reputation as an expert in tying hard knots, and was never known tobe without more or less stout cord on his person.
It had come in handy many a time in the past, as Giraffe could explain ifasked, and he produced his coil now with a satisfied grin that told howmuch he enjoyed his new job.
After Giraffe had completed the fastening of the hobo's big wrists, therewas not one chance in a thousand the fellow could free himself, even ifhe were a second Houdini, capable of slipping handcuffs from his personby doubling up his pliable hands.
This done, Giraffe got up, and helped the man rise to his feet.
"Behave yourself now, and we'll treat you white," he told him; "but justtry to make trouble, and see what you get, that's all. But, Thad, whered'ye reckon his pal has disappeared to, that he ain't around here? Wecovered every foot of the island from the other end, and didn't scare himup. Half a loaf may be better than no bread, but we didn't come afterthis fellow at all. We want Wandering George, and we want him bad."
Thad himself was bothered to tell how the second tramp had disappeared.If the ground had opened and swallowed him he could not have vanishedmore completely; and apparently there was only one source of informationopen to them. This was the prisoner, who stood there, listening to whatthey were saying, and trying hard to conceal a grin that would creep overhis face in spite of him. That very cunning expression convinced Thad theman knew the important fact they wanted to find out, if only they couldforce him to speak.