CHAPTER XXI.
WITH THE BURGLARS.
It is well to look in upon Sam during his enforced vigil of Wednesdaynight.
For at least two hours after the burglars had departed he thought ofnothing save that he would soon be killed, and, perhaps, devoured bywild animals. Then the pain in his jaw and limbs became so great, owingto the tightly bound cords and his inability to move, that hissufferings overcame the fear to a certain extent, and he had not eventhe poor consolation of being able to give vent to an audible groan.
Notwithstanding the mental and bodily torture he did sleep occasionallyduring the night, which appeared to be of twenty-four hours' duration,and never had he heard a sweeter sound than when his captors approached,the hum of their voices reaching him before the noise of theirfootsteps.
The burglars were laden with packages of what appeared to bemerchandise, and by the faint light of the coming day Sam could seethat they looked heated and tired.
"Well, how's our detective?" Long Jim asked, with a laugh, as he threwhimself on the ground by the boy's side. "Has he decided to arrest hisvictims, or will he give them a little show of leaving the country?"
As a matter of course Sam could not make any reply; but the expressionin his eyes must have told of the suffering which he was forced toendure, for Phil said, as he began to untie the rope holding the gag inplace:
"There's no need of keepin' him trussed up any longer, an' I reckonit'll be a relief to have a chance to use his tongue once more."
Even when he was free the prisoner was unable to do more than roll uponhis side. His limbs were so stiff and cramped that he had no power overthem, and he could not have risen to his feet just at that moment if hislife had depended upon it.
Jim seemed to think all this was very comical, for he laughed loudly atthe prisoner's helplessness, and suggested that if he intended to followthe business of a detective to practice remaining in one position inorder to avoid such a complete collapse when fortune should again be sounkind to him as she had been in this particular case.
When the burglar's mirth finally ceased the two men lighted their pipes,and proceeded to enjoy a season of repose after so much fatiguing work,while Sam was left to recover as best he might.
Fully half an hour elapsed before he succeeded in crawling to the brookwhere he quenched his thirst, and then his one desire was for sleep.
Stretched out on the ground within a few feet of his captors theblissful unconsciousness of slumber came upon him, and the sun was highin the heavens before he awoke.
Long Jim was seated on the turf, his back against a tree, and a quantityof food spread out in front of him; but Phil was not in sight.
"Well, it strikes me you've been takin' things mighty comfortable," theman said, with a grunt. "Don't give yourself so far over to a life ofpleasure as to forget that I promised to give you the greatest floggin'of your life before we part, for then you won't be so much surprisedwhen it comes."
The sight of the food caused Sam to realize how very hungry he was, and,regardless of the subject introduced by Jim, he asked, timidly:
"Can't I have somethin' to eat?"
"I don't think you can, my son. In the first place you haven't earnedit, an' then, again, my partner an' I may need all the grub we've got onhand."
Then, as if reconsidering his determination, the man selected two smallcrackers, tossing them to Sam as he cut a slice of boiled ham forhimself.
"That's more'n you deserve," he said, as the prisoner began to devourthem eagerly; "so don't count on gettin' another bite to-day."
Sam literally devoured the food, and then went once more to the brook towash down the dry repast.
It seemed as if the crackers increased rather than satisfied his hunger,and he watched Jim eagerly as the latter finished a generous meal ofmeat, cheese, and hard-boiled eggs.
The burglar lighted his pipe, and paid no attention to the hungry boy,who now had ample time for reflection.
He remembered that this was the important day of the fair, and picturedto himself Teddy and Dan at their work enjoying themselves at the sametime they were making money. Then he thought of what he might be doingif the detective fever had not taken so firm a hold upon him, and,despite all efforts to prevent it, the tears coursed down his cheeks,plowing wide furrows in the dirt with which his face was encrusted.
This painful revery was not prolonged. Shortly before noon Phil cameinto the hiding-place, his face wearing an expression of entiresatisfaction.
"I reckon we needn't be afraid any one will be here lookin' for us nowour detective has been drowned," he exclaimed.
"What's up?" Jim asked.
"Hazelton, the fakir, has been arrested for the burglary at PeachBottom, an' men are draggin' the creek to find the body of the boy whoworked for the Davis Boat Company."
Sam actually shuddered at the thought that people were looking for hiscorpse, and it gave him an "uncanny" feeling, this idea that he wasnumbered with the dead.
"When was the arrest made?" Jim asked.
"Last night. Old Nathan from the Run says the fakir turned over a lot ofmoney to the boy who was goin' to buy your cane-board, an' it looks verymuch as if he would be locked up with the man whom people believe is hispartner."
"Nothin' said about what the cubs saw at the barn?"
"Not a word."
"Then we can count on havin' the balance of this week in which to leavethe country."
"As much as that, if not more. Another load will get the stuff together;but I've been thinkin' we'd better bury it here, an' not try to move athing for a month or two."
"In that case we'd be obliged to take that specimen along," and Jimpointed with a contemptuous gesture toward Sam. "It wouldn't do to letgo of him while there was a chance of his givin' the game away."
"I'll 'tend to that part of it, an' guarantee he won't be in conditionto make us much trouble," Phil said so confidently that Sam began toshake as with an ague fit, for it seemed positive to him this burglarhad decided upon his murder.
"If things were so comfortable like why don't you try to make a dollar,for I reckon there's a big crowd at the fair?"
"The grounds are packed; but it ain't exactly safe to do much business,"and Phil told of the assault upon Hazelton. "The whole boilin' of 'emnow think everybody's tryin' to work some swindle," he added, "an' theconsequence is that it would go hard with any feller who should slip up.We've done enough for one week, an' I'd rather not take chances tillthis stuff is off our hands."
"Do you count on goin' back agin to-day?"
"What's the use?"
"I only asked, for you're managin' this whole thing now."
"My idea was to sneak up alone to-night; take on the balance of thestuff, an' then lay low till Saturday evenin', when we'll make the bigbreak."
"It's goin' to be mighty dull business sittin' here with nothin' to do,"Jim replied, in a tone of complaint.
"I don't see how we can fix it much quicker, unless we go to-morrow,while there are so many around."
It was evident Jim did not relish the idea of leaving everything to hiscompanion, and the latter so understood the expression on his friend'sface, for he said, angrily:
"You're cookin' up some foolish scheme now, an' in spite of all I can doto prevent it we'll probably succeed in gettin' nabbed before mattersare arranged as they should be."
"Oh, you're too smart, that's what ails you. Take all the soft snaps,an' leave me here to suck my thumbs without even the chance of movin'around."
"If you think it's sich a snap to row up there an' back, why don't youtry your hand."
"That's jest what I'm willin' to do. Anything's better'n stayin' here,an' I'd like you to have a taste of it."
Sam, who was expecting each moment to see the thieves come to blows,understood at once that this arrangement did not please Phil; but hemade no further objection than to say:
"If you wasn't so blamed careless I'd like to have you do a share of thehard work; but it's ten to one
you'll contrive to let everybody know youare there."
"I may not be so all-fired smart as you think you are, but I ain't quitea fool. Why, I've managed bigger things than this when you was aroundbeggin' for something' to eat, 'cause you was too chicken-hearted to dothis kind of work."
"You'd better not say too much; I've stuck by you when worse men wouldhave a' given you the cold shake, an' don't intend to take any guff,especially since I've had sich hard work to get us out of the scrape youjumped into."
"I shall talk, an' if you don't want to listen, there are plenty ofplaces to lay off in outside of this."
Then the two thieves glared at each other several moments in silence,and finally Phil said, with a mirthless laugh:
"We won't fight till this job is finished. Go an' get the balance of thestuff, an' we'll make a break whenever you are ready; but after one pullup an' back there'll be somebody besides me who'll think it hard work."
Then, in order to heal the breach which had opened between them, Philproduced a suspicious looking black bottle from his pocket, and handedit without comment to his partner.
"Why didn't you bring this out before, an' then, perhaps, the businesswould 'a' looked different?" Jim growled, as he drank long and deep;"but it won't make any difference about my goin' up the creek."
"That's all right; I'm satisfied."
As the two men began to drink a great hope sprang up in Sam's heart thatthey would become so stupefied by the liquor that he might make hisescape. They had not thought it necessary to replace the bondswhich had cost him so much suffering, and at the first signs ofunconsciousness he resolved to make one dash for liberty, either bytaking to the boat, or attempting to make his way toward the fairgrounds on that side of the creek.
There was no such good fortune in store for the prisoner, however. Themen drank themselves into the most friendly humor, and then the supplyof liquor was exhausted.
After advising Jim not to start until sunset, Phil lay down to sleep,and Sam thought it wise to feign slumber also, lest the wakeful burglarshould take it into his head to administer the promised flogging inorder to pass the time more agreeably.