CHAPTER XVIII
THE LOST AIRPLANE
Josephine rode away from Bar X ranch with a feeling of misgiving. Sheknew that she had treated Mason rather mean, but she felt piquedbecause he had neglected her for the last few days.
Ethel noticed her abstracted manner, and asked her the reason for it.
"I think your big brother has been neglecting us shamefully," she saidat last in answer to a repeated query from Ethel. "Dad doesn't needhim to work about the ranch as he persists in doing, and I think itmean of him while you are visiting us."
Ethel smiled at her serious manner.
"You certainly cut him to-day when you refused his offer to go withus," she said, watching keenly the effect of her words on her friend.
"Serves him right," Josephine answered spiritedly. "I suppose hethinks I am a very unreasonable girl, but you know we planned to visitthe secret passage at the Ricker ranch, and I really wanted to ask himto go with us, but for the last three days I have scarcely been ableto get a word with him."
"Jack thinks you are in love with Bud Anderson," Ethel venturedgently.
Josephine laughed merrily.
"Bud and I are great friends and I like him immensely," she answered,a far-away look in her eyes.
Percy Vanderpool had been an interested listener up to this point, butnow he began to get impatient at the lack of interest they wereshowing in him.
"Aw, I say girls," he drawled, "do you really think this bally ranchwith the aw, secret passage is a safe place to go?"
Josephine flashed him an amused glance.
"If you are afraid, you may go back, but Ethel and I are going to seethis place. There is no danger, for two of Bud's men are guarding it,"she answered him scornfully.
"Oh, Percy is game, all right," Ethel cut in; "I know he isn't afraidto go where us girls dare go."
At this praise the fop began to tell of some deeds of daring he hadperformed while on a trip through the jungles of Africa and the girlslistened with much merriment.
Thinking he had impressed them with his great prowess he launched intosuch a lengthy tale of one of his trips that Josephine had to cut himoff in the midst of it.
They were nearing Trader's Post where they had planned to halt for ashort rest before proceeding on to the Ricker ranch.
A foreboding of evil was stealing over Josephine and try as she would,she couldn't seem to shake it off. She wished most heartily that shehad permitted Mason to come with them and felt vexed with herself forbeing so obstinate.
As they entered Trader's Post she caught sight of one of the cowboysBud had left in charge of the Ricker ranch. He was on the oppositeside of the street and bidding Ethel and Percy to wait, she hastenedover and had a chat with him.
The cowboy had come to town for a few supplies and was going back atonce. He assured her that everything was going fine at the ranch, andfeeling relieved she hurried back to join Ethel and Percy.
After lunch and a short rest they started for the ranch. The cowboywould reach the ranch ahead of them, but somehow the meeting with himhad helped dispel the depressing spirit that seemed to grip her. Inthe course of an hour they had reached the outbuildings of the ranch,and the desolate condition of the place almost struck terror to thegirl's heart, but remembering the meeting with the cowboy they pressedon.
Arriving at the ranch house, Josephine was shocked to find the doorpartly open, and the house was apparently deserted.
"That's strange," she said, nervously entering the room. "Come on in,Ethel, and bring Percy. We'll see if he has got the nerve he has beenbragging to us about. I'm not going to stay in this place long myself,it looks spooky to me. We will investigate that secret passage andthen dust out of here. I have got a nice flashlight with me so wewon't have to stumble over anything."
"I cannot understand what became of the two cowboys that are supposedto be in charge here," Ethel replied, stepping inside and walkinggingerly about the room. "Oh, say a real live counterfeiter's den!Won't I have something to tell the people back in New York when I gethome?"
Josephine smiled at the Eastern girl's enthusiasm.
"I guess only one of the guards stay here at a time," she said, "andthey probably take turns while one of them rides the range. The one wemet is no doubt on watch here now, and is about the place somewhere.Come, Percy dear, I will let you take this nice new flashlight; won'tyou lead the way into the cellar?"
It was plain to the girls that the task was not to Percy's liking, butwhen they laughed at him he braced up and made a show of courage.
With quaking hearts, it must be confessed, they found a door leadinginto the cellar. Once at the bottom, they huddled close together.
"I suppose we were awful fools to come here alone," Josephineremarked, jumping nervously at the sound of her own voice; it soundedstrange and hollow to her in the long cellar. "Now that we're herewe'll see it through. I remember Sir Jack telling that there was abutton or knot that he pushed, and lo! a door opened into the secretpassage. I suppose they have the passage sealed up, but I am going tosee for myself just the same. Here, Percy, let me take that light,your face is white as a sheet and your hand is trembling. Brace up,man."
Josephine took the light and led the way, the others followingcautiously. They had not proceeded far when Josephine stopped short ina listening attitude.
For the first time, Ethel saw that she was carrying a revolver in onehand.
"What is it?" Ethel whispered anxiously, and her knees shook in spiteof her.
"I thought that I heard a sound like an engine motor," Josephineanswered joyously.
Distinctly the sound of a motor came to their ears, each momentgrowing louder until the sound developed into a continuous roar.
"Hurrah," Josephine cried, unable to suppress her delight. "Sir Jackis coming."
The next instant a heavy hand was clasped over her mouth and a voicehissed in her ear:
"Keep silent, or you die!"
Josephine screamed and discharged her revolver. She heard a shout andan answering shot and she was sure that if it was Mason, he had heardher fire the shot and was coming to their assistance.
The revolver was knocked out of her hand before she could fire anothershot, and she was grasped in the arms of her assailant and carried sheknew not where. She knew that Ethel had fainted as she had seen herbody sink limply to the floor, while Percy was struggling in the handsof two men.
Her captor picked her up and carried her along the passage until hecame to a flight of stairs which led out into the open. Here she wasplaced on her feet and given over to the care of two men who acted asguards. Her captors wore masks and she was unable to make out any oftheir features. Ethel was brought out with Percy and placed under thesame guards, who proceeded to bind their hands behind their backs.
Josephine could still hear an automobile engine running idle and anoccasional revolver shot. Suddenly there came to her ears a volley ofshots and soon after the engine stopped running. With sinking heartthe girl realized that they were shooting holes in the gasoline tank.Ethel was gradually coming out of her swoon, and the helplessness ofthe poor girl made Josephine's eyes flash fire.
"Cheer up, Ethel," she said tenderly, as the girl came to her fullsenses. "These devils won't be allowed to keep us as prisoners long. Ithink they put your brother's car out of commission, but he was toomuch for them as I see that they haven't captured him yet."
They were gruffly ordered by the guard to cease talking. Soon anothermasked guard approached the prisoners and proceeded to blindfold them.
Before this happened, Josephine had counted six masked men, and shewondered if Mason had managed to escape unhurt. She strained her earsfor every sound. At a short distance from her a group of masked menwere talking in subdued tones, but her ears caught the word, chief,and a little later the name Ricker! Soon she heard them mentionMason's name, so she knew that he had made an attempt to rescue themand the thought gave her new courage.
So she was in the power of Ricker and his c
utthroats. She rememberedthat Mason had told her of Ricker's oath to break jail and his threatto come back and get revenge on Mason and herself and now he was atlarge again. She wondered how Ricker happened to be at the ranch thevery day she had chosen to visit it. She had played right into thehands of fate, and she remembered how hard Mason had pleaded with hernot to leave Bar X. Her body grew numb and her eyes filled with tears.Well, anyway, they had not caught Mason yet, and her heart thrilled atthe thought.
There was a chance that he might be able to rescue them and she knewhe wouldn't lose any time in getting a posse on the outlaws' trail.That they would be more desperate than ever, she well knew, as theyhad broken jail and Ricker was an escaped murderer.
At this point in her meditations she was rudely jerked to her feet byone of the guards and placed on a horse. She managed to whisper a wordof encouragement in Ethel's ear and was delighted when she found thatthey were to ride together. That is, Ethel was placed on a horse androde by her side, and she had a vague idea that Percy rode just aheadof them.
Then followed a long ride with many hardships.
In the course of a few hours they reached the mountains where thetrail was very difficult, and at times their captors had to guidetheir horses over the rough trails.
After ages of climbing as it seemed to Josephine, they struck a morelevel trail. That they were high in the mountain ranges she had not adoubt and was fearful that the captors were taking them to someunknown mountain retreat where it would be difficult for rescuers tofind them.
The captors had thrown off all restraint and were talking freely amongthemselves. Josephine kept her wits and listened closely. From thetalk she gathered that they were being led by Pete Carlo, the Mexican.He knew the mountains better than any living person and was leadingthe outlaws to a retreat where it would be utterly impossible foranybody to discover them. Spot Wells was among her captors, too, forshe had heard his name called by one of the men.
Thus far they had suffered no indignity from the men, but she trembledwhen she thought of brutal Spot Wells and his attempt to carry her andEthel off at Smoky Point when the timely arrival of Mason checkmatedhim. She was almost in despair at their probable fate when she heardtwo of the captors start up a conversation near her.
She listened eagerly, and from the words dropped with a coarse laughand curse, she learned that Ricker had made a jail delivery with theMexican, Jim Haley and Nick Cover.
The outlaws had been at large about two weeks and immediately aftertheir escape from jail they had struck out for Nevada. Arriving attheir old haunt, the Ricker ranch, they had kept concealed for a fewdays. Ricker's plan had been to raid the Bar X ranch and make a quickkill including Mason and Bud Anderson, and then to carry off the girlsout of pure revenge.
Her coming with Ethel and Percy to the Ricker ranch on the very daythis diabolical plan was to be carried out had upset all Ricker'splans. Kind fate was playing into his hands, for here was PercyVanderpool, the son of a millionaire from New York. The cowboys at theranch had been captured by Ricker's men while he laid plans to makePercy and the girls prisoners and take them to the mountains to beheld for ransom.
Josephine felt somewhat relieved when she overheard this statement,for she was sure they would not come to any harm while there was achance of a large reward for the outlaws.
She was sure that Percy's father would pay a large sum of money tosecure his son's release, and no doubt there would be a large amountof money demanded from her father and Ethel's. The talking had ceasedand she failed to learn more.
The chances were that Ricker would tell them in plain terms what heexpected their fathers to do when they reached their mountain retreat.
She was hoping the ride would end soon as her body ached and she knewthat Ethel and Percy must be suffering too. She was glad when finallyan order was given by Ricker to dismount and the blindfold was removedfrom their eyes.
Next, their hands were untied, and Josephine went over and put herarms around Ethel.
"Forgive me, dear, I am sorry I got you into this trouble," Josephinesaid with a heavy heart.
"You are no more to blame than I am," Ethel protested stoutly. "I wasjust as anxious to see the secret passage as you were, and my brotherwill make it hot for these cut-throats if they dare to harm us."
Josephine's eyes glistened.
"I know he will, dear, and I am sure he will rescue us. He rescued mefrom the Mexican once before when I was in just as bad a position asnow.
"Did you hear what the outlaws were saying as we came up the trail? Ithink they will try to hold us for a ransom."
Ethel started to reply, when Ricker pushed up to them with a leeringsmile.
"Some birds I have caught in my cage to-day," he said with a coarselaugh. "Your quarters are right over there by that flat table rock.There is a shanty there which I will have the men fix up comfortablefor you, and you won't be harmed if you don't try to escape. And Iwouldn't advise you to try it, either," he added with an oath.
"In due time your folks will be presented with my terms for yourrelease, and if they don't come across with the money it will go hardwith you girls. My men will have quarters just inside this semicirclehere." He waved his hand towards a natural barrier of rock. "One of mymen will have you under watch night and day, and the rest will seethat none of your friends come too close for their health. If they tryit they are dead men. I can hold off a small army from this retreat,and I don't intend to leave here until I gain my ends, which is money,and plenty of it too."
He stopped and looked hard at the girls.
"Josephine, when the proper time comes, you are going to write aletter for me," he said threateningly.
Josephine faced him with flashing eyes.
"I'll write no letters for you, you swine," she said defiantly, "andwhen Mason comes he will kill you."
"Not so fast, my little spitfire," he purred, "but I am telling youstraight. If you value Mason's life, or any lives at the Bar X ranch,you will write this letter which I will dictate to you. If any of yourfriends come within two hundred yards of this place it will be suredeath to them. Just look around and see for yourself how foolish itwould be for any one to try to rescue you."
With this warning he turned and left them.
Josephine took a general survey of the place. At last she turned apale face to Ethel, for she had noticed the natural barriers of rockall about them.
"This place is twice as hard to get at as the one where I was held aprisoner before," she said sadly.
It was beginning to get dark and the girls were completely tired out.They went over to the little cabin on the flat table rock and throwingthemselves down tried to sleep. Percy was to make his quarters withthe men in another cabin a hundred yards across the flat rock from thegirls' cabin, and they were surprised to see how well he seemed tobear up under his present troubles. Josephine arranged to have one ofthem keep watch while the other slept, and in this way they passed thelong night.
When morning came they were full of aches and pains as neither hadslept well during the night and the bunks were hard. Both girls hadfinally agreed that it would be best to grant Ricker's demands, andwrite the warning letter to Mason.
The men were astir over in their camp and the smell of coffee boilingcame to them with an appetizing flavor. A stream flowed close by andJosephine went over to it and started to bathe her swollen eyes.
She was startled by a strange humming noise over her head and lookedup in alarm.
"Oh, look! Ethel!" she screamed, "an airplane!"
Like a huge bird it soared above them, then the motor stopped and theairplane began to come down gracefully in long sweeping spirals. Thegirls were waving their handkerchiefs at the aviator when Ricker camerushing out of the men's cabin and fired his revolver at him.Instantly the motor started to hum and the airplane began to lift.Soon it was a mere speck in the sky.
Josephine clasped Ethel in her arms and her eyes were swimming withtears.
"I'll bet my life that was R
oy Purvis, the aviator," Josephine said,her spirits drooping at their slim chance of being rescued. "Sir Jacktold me that he expected an aviator to visit him from New York, and Ibelieve that was his airplane and he has lost his way in themountains!"