CHAPTER IX
IN BONDS
For a moment Jack was so overcome by dizziness and a faint, sick feeling,that he could do nothing. Everything seemed black before his eyes, ablackness not of night, but the blackness of a fainting fit.
The young express rider reeled in his saddle, but he kept his seat by agreat effort. Then he fought back the growing faintness that was overcominghim.
"I mustn't give in! I mustn't give in!" he told himself fiercely, over andover again. "I mustn't give way! I won't! I've got to protect the valuableletters--the mail--the express."
Then, somehow, Jack's head cleared. He felt more able to hold himself backfrom that terrible black void. He straightened up in the saddle, and hisvision was again normal.
In the darkness he could see several men, three at least, standing aroundhim. These three were not mounted, though off to one side of the trail Jackcould see several dark forms which he could make out to be horses. Then hesaw, as he turned in his saddle, a man behind him on a big horse. This manheld something in his hand, and Jack guessed it was this individual who hadstruck him. All four of the men wore masks.
"What--what does this mean?" faltered Jack, though he could pretty wellguess.
"Huh! Don't you know?" was the question shot back at him. He tried todistinguish the voice, but could not. It was the mounted man who hadspoken.
"A hold-up, eh?" asked Jack, his tones faltering in spite of his effort tomake them steady. That this should come to him in spite of his watchfulnesswas a bitter thing. And a robbery, of all time, when the valuable papersand letters expected by Mr. Argent were in the mail pouches, too! There wasalso some valuable express matter. Jack gritted his teeth in anger. Thenhis hand moved toward the pocket where he carried his weapon.
"No you don't!" was the sudden and fierce exclamation of the man on thehorse beside him, and with a quick motion he caught hold of Jack's hand,and jerked it away. "Take his gun!" the man directed. "I'll hold him."
One of the dismounted men came up, and while the man on the big horse heldJack in a cruel grip, another of the robbers brought out the revolver whichJack's father had given him to carry for protection. But it had affordedlittle of that in this instance.
The young rider tried in vain to pierce behind the masks, and ascertain theidentity of those holding him up, but it was of no avail.
"What do you want? What's the game?" Jack asked, as the man let go of hiswrist. The fellow, however, kept one hand on the bridle of the pony, sothat there was no chance for Jack to make a sudden spurt to escape.
"The game is we want what you've got with you," said one of the men. "Andyou might as well admit that we're going to get it. You may be a prettysmart lad, or think you are, but I guess we've got you right now!"
"No, you've got me all wrong," Jack answered bitterly. "And while you wereabout it why didn't you bring a few more along. Four crooks seem hardlyenough to hold up one pony express rider. Aren't you afraid I'll dosomething to you?"
He spoke lightly--sarcastically. He was fighting for time. Trying to thinkof some plan of escape. He even thought perhaps some one might come alongto whom he could appeal for help. But there was as small a chance of thatas there was of his being able to get away by his own efforts.
"I suppose you could have scared up half a dozen more like yourselves," hewent on. "There are more outlaws in the mountains. Or, maybe, you haveanother force back on the trail, and another ahead here."
"Say, young feller, none of your fresh talk now!" cried one of the men,fiercely. "I won't stand it!"
"No, let's get it over with," remarked another.
At these words a chill of fear, such as he had not experienced before,seemed to flash over Jack. Did the men mean to harm him--put him to death,perhaps, to hide the living witness of their crime? He tried to be brave,but again came that faint feeling, and his head ached where he had beenstruck--ached cruelly.
"Yes, lets finish and get a move on," agreed the man on the horse. "Here,one of you take the pouches, and another hand me the ropes. I'll have himtriced up in a jiffy."
Jack breathed more easily. He was only to be bound then, as the outlaws ofthe mountains usually did bind the stage drivers or express messengers whomthey robbed. There seldom was a killing, unless the victims resisted orshot at the hold-up men.
One of the three unmounted men advanced to Jack, and began loosening thefastenings of the mail and express pouches.
"Don't touch them!" the pony rider cried. "Leave those mail sacks alone!"
So vehement was he, and so much energy did he put in his voice that, forthe moment, the man was startled, and drew back.
"What's the idea?" he asked.
"That is government property!" went on Jack, trying to follow up theimpression he had made. "You are interfering with the United States' mail.And I don't need to tell you what sort of a crime that is! You won't haveto deal with me, you'll have to answer to the government, and theinspectors will be on your trail inside of twenty-four hours! Don't youtouch that mail!"
For a moment the men did seem impressed by Jack's sharp warning. Then theman on the horse laughed, and said:
"Oh, quit your talking. Go on, take the sacks and we'll get away. We can'tstay here the rest of the night!"
"Say, he has a pretty lively tongue," observed the man who was looseningthe sacks from Jack's saddle. "He gave me a start for a second or two."
"Forget it! Yank 'em off and come on."
Jack felt that it would be useless to protest further. Besides, there was agrowing feeling of sickness and pain. The man took the express and mailpackages and tied them on one of the three horses.
"Now then get off, you pony rider!" ordered the man on the big horse. "Getoff, and get off quick! We're in a hurry and we're done fooling!"
"What--what are you going to do?" faltered Jack. He was beginning to beafraid of what was to come.
"We're going to tie you up so tight that you won't get loose in a jiffy,"was the answer he received. "You say the inspectors will be on our trailinside of twenty-four hours. Well, maybe they won't if you can't get looseto give the alarm. So we're going to tie you up."
"That won't prevent the alarm from being given," Jack said. "When I fail toarrive there'll be a search made, and they'll find me."
"That's right," Jack heard one of the unmounted men say in a low voice."He's right about that."
"Oh, what of it?" impatiently asked the man on the horse. "Of course thisthing is bound to be found out sooner or later. I expect that. But we cangain a little time by trussing him up with ropes. Now come on--be lively.Get off or I'll yank you off, and I won't be easy about it, either!"
Jack felt it best to obey. He leaped from the Saddle, and then, with asharp slap on the flank of Sunger, he cried to his pony: "Go on, boy!Home!"
The intelligent animal sprang forward, and before any of the men couldcatch him had darted off down the dark trail in the direction of RainbowRidge.
"Look out--get him!" one of the men cried, sharply.
"What's the use--he's gone, and he's one of the fastest horses in themountains; we'd never catch him," said the mounted man. "It was a sharptrick, lad, but it won't do you any good. Tie him up!"
Jack was handled roughly by the outlaws, and was soon so tightly bound thathe felt he never could get loose without help. He once more tried to lookbehind one of the masks, but it was so dark that he could see nothing. Hetried to get a mental picture of the shapes of the men and the tones oftheir voices, so he might know them again if he ever saw or heard them.
"Lay him over here, on one side of the road," ordered the man who seemed tobe the leader. "Some one may be along before noon to-morrow and take careof you," he said to Jack, who did not answer. "If they don't we'll send ananonymous message, telling where you can be found. We don't want to hurtyou, but we had to have this stuff from you, and this was the only way toget it," the outlaw went on. "Come along, boys," he concluded.
Then the four men, taking with them the mail and expr
ess pouches, gallopedaway in the darkness.