CHAPTER XXVI.
AVAILABLE PRISONER.
We left Kyle Sparwick and his young companions eating supper in themouth of the cavern. Blankets and a fire enabled them to spend the nightthere very comfortably. Certainly they were much better off than Brickin his cold and narrow closet.
The little party rose at the first streak of dawn. While Jerry preparedbreakfast, Hamp and Sparwick took a lantern and went deep into thecavern. With a sharp hunting knife they carved off as much bear's meatas they thought they could carry. Several of the steaks were fried forbreakfast, and the rest were packed on the sleds.
In little more than an hour after daybreak the party were on the march.Through slushy snow and a drizzle of raw, misty rain, they tramped backto the clearing.
Two days had elapsed since Brick's abduction, and, of course, no traceswere visible. Nor had Sparwick expected to find any. He merely used thespot as a starting point. Thence he led his companions northward, andduring the morning they explored all sorts of secluded nooks in thevicinity of the lake shore.
At noonday, when the sky cleared and the bitter cold came on, theycrossed Chesumcook, and conducted a rigorous search on the fartherside. Here they met with no better success. About three o'clockSparwick declared that most of the likely hiding-places had been lookedinto.
"It's queer what has become of the rascals," he said. "I'm inclined terthink they've struck south, so we'll try that tack next. No use intryin' that direction," and he pointed his long arm eastward. "Over tharstretches a swamp fur miles an' miles. It's full of wild beasts, an' itain't possible fur a man to go through it. I never heard of a hunter ortrapper what was in the place. They're all afraid of it."
Jerry and Hamp did not dispute this, for they were familiar with theswamp's evil reputation.
The anxious searchers pushed on through a wild and rugged country untilsundown. They were then, as nearly as they could judge, several milessoutheast from the lower end of Chesumcook Lake.
They camped in a spruce thicket on the edge of a meadow. By means of afire and a lean-to they defied the cold, and spent a fairly comfortablenight.
Breakfast was prepared, and eaten amid a gloomy constraint. When theluggage was packed, Sparwick lit his pipe, and sat down on a log facinghis companions.
"This is a queer business," he said. "I ain't denyin' that I've kinderlost my bearin's. We've sarched purty near every place whar them fellerswould likely hev gone with the lad. It looks now as though they hadstruck out of the woods. There's a railroad settlement abouttwenty-five miles from here--a bit of a place called Kingman."
"But would they take Brick there with them?" asked Hamp.
Sparwick shook his head.
"It ain't likely they'd run such a risk."
"Then they must have murdered Brick," cried Jerry.
He rose to his feet in great excitement.
Sparwick neither denied nor affirmed the assertion. He drew hard at hispipe, and looked contemplatively across the meadow for nearly a minuteof silence. Then an eager look flashed suddenly upon his face, and heheld up one hand.
"Listen!" he whispered, hoarsely. "Thar's someone comin' through thewoods."
The boys pricked up their ears and looked anxiously around. Yes,Sparwick was right. Behind the camp, and to the north of the sprucethicket, two sounds rose clearly on the crisp air, the slight patter ofsnowshoes and the rustling and snapping of bushes. The unknown travelerseemed to be heading directly toward the camp.
"It ain't a crowd of three," whispered Sparwick. "There's only one, fromthe sound. He don't know we're here, I reckon."
"Mebbe it's Brick," replied Jerry. "He might have escaped."
"Mebbe it ain't," observed Sparwick. "Nothin' like bein' on the safeside. Drop behind that log, you fellers, an' have your weapons ready."
The boys quickly obeyed. Sparwick threw a handful of snow on the dyingembers of the fire. Then he snatched a rifle, and threw himself downbeside his companions.
From this safe cover they commanded a view of the edge of the sprucethicket in both directions. The brisk tread of snowshoes and thethreshing of bushes came nearer and nearer. Now the thicket was seen toquiver a few feet to the left of the camp. An instant later, to theamazement of the hidden watchers, Silas Raikes stepped into view.
The man carried a rifle in one of his mittened hands. He paused on theedge of the meadow, and looked around. A gleam of surprise and fearflashed into his eyes as he noted the sleds, the lean-to, the charredembers of the fire. But it was too late to retreat. Sparwick's tallfigure rose before him, and a rifle-barrel sloped into his face.
"Drop that weapon, Raikes. Drop it, or I'll put daylight through you."
The command rang sharp and clear.
Raikes made a step forward, still retaining his rifle.
"That you, Kyle Sparwick?" he exclaimed, in a tone of genuine surprise."This is a nice way to greet an old friend. What's got over you? Don'tyou know me any more?"
"Yes, I know you, Raikes, Bostick, Madden, Gerber, and whatever othernames you have," growled Sparwick. "Sorry I can't be more polite, butthis here is a business matter. Drop that weapon, I say. You ain'ttravlin' any farther jest now."
At that instant Jerry and Hamp rose up from behind the log, concludingthat their services might be needed. Raikes saw them, and his mindgrasped the situation.
A brief look of rage and disappointment distorted his features. Then,like a flash, he lifted his rifle, and tried to shoot Sparwick.
But the latter was too quick. With his own rifle, he knocked theother's weapon upward, and it was discharged harmlessly in the air.
With a savage oath, Raikes sprang at his antagonist. They exchanged around of heavy blows. Sparwick's weapon was dashed from his hand. Raikeshad nothing left but the shattered stock. Both grappled, and rolled overin the snow.
Jerry and Hamp looked on with suppressed excitement and anxiety. Theysaw no opportunity of interfering; nor was their aid needed. Sparwickwas far more powerful than his opponent. Raikes made a desperate fight,and quickly exhausted his wind and strength. Sparwick tumbled him overon his back, and sat upon him.
"Lie still, or I'll smash you," he cried.
Raikes glared sullenly up at his enemy, panting for breath. He had nointention of renewing the contest. He was played out.
"Well, I reckon you know what we want with you," resumed Sparwick."Where's the lad you and Joe Bogle carried off?"
"Don't ask me," muttered Raikes. "You're the one to answer thatquestion. You robbed the lad, and we tried to overhaul you. When yougave us the slip the youngster started back to join his friends. If henever reached them you likely know something about it."
"That's a lie," exclaimed Sparwick. "You're too dumb to live. Listenhere. I was hidin' in the bushes when you attacked the lad. I seen thewhole thing. What did you do with him? Better own up to it."
"If you've murdered Brick you'll hang," cried Jerry, wrathfully.
Raikes looked crestfallen for an instant. Then a last expedientsuggested itself to his fertile mind. He glanced at Jerry.
"Don't you boys be deceived by this ruffian. He is telling a clever lie.If your friend has disappeared, he is to blame. I don't doubt that herobbed and murdered that lad, and concealed the----"
"It's false!" interrupted Sparwick. "I've a mind to break your neck!"
He seized his prisoner by the throat, and shook him savagely. Raikesfought for breath, and in the struggle his coat was torn open, andthrown back from his breast. Something white peeped from the innerpocket. Sparwick made a grab, and hauled out two envelopes.
"Letters!" he exclaimed. "One to John Larkins, an' the other toFrederick Glendale. What's up now?"
Raikes uttered a hoarse cry, and snatched vainly at the letters. Thenhis head fell back, and a hopeless expression came over his face. Hemumbled something inaudible. Meanwhile Sparwick had passed bothenvelopes to Jerry.
"See what's inside, lad," he said. "I kin make out
to read writin', butno doubt you're better. Anyway, this scamp would snatch 'em out of myhand."
Hamp looked eagerly over Jerry's shoulder. The first envelope bore thefollowing address:
MR. FREDERICK GLENDALE, Attorney at Law, Lears Building, Broadway, New York.
Jerry opened it, and took out a sheet of paper covered with neat andlegible writing. He glanced briefly at it, and his eyes opened wide.
"Listen to this," he cried, excitedly. Then he read aloud: *
dear mr. glendale:--I am a prisoner in a lonely and inaccessible part ofthe Maine woods. My captors know who I am, and unless you pay them tenthousand dollars I will be murdered. The man who gives you this letterwill tell you when and where the sum necessary for my release must bepaid over. I send a letter for my father. Cable it to him at once if youneed his authority to pay the money. There is no other way to get me outof the fix, so don't be so foolish as to appeal to the police. If themessenger is harmed, or fails to return here in ten days. I will bemurdered. Don't delay, for my life is at stake. Only ten thousanddollars will save me. I am writing of my own free will.
Yours sincerely, jim larkins.
Jerry opened the other letter, and glanced through it.
"This is pretty much the same thing," he said. "Brick begs his father tocable to Mr. Glendale to pay the money at once, and without dispute. Didyou ever hear of such an outrageous scheme of robbery? The whole affairis as plain as daylight now. Brick is a prisoner some place in thewoods, and Bogle is watching him."
"That's just it," cried Hamp. "The thing was planned weeks ago. Itsounds like a story out of a book. The idea of bandits carrying off aperson for ransom money in the State of Maine."
"Gimme the letters," exclaimed Sparwick. He took them from Jerry, andheld them up high in both hands. Slowly and monotonously he spelled outtheir contents.
"Je-ru-sa-lem!" he ejaculated. "Ten thousand dollars! Think of it. Yes,it's plain now. What a streak of luck to nab this fellow. We'll find themissing lad before long. An' if I pull him through all right, don't youboys forget your part of the bargain."
"We won't," assured Jerry.
"We'll stick to the compact," added Hamp.
Sparwick looked relieved.
Then he seized his prisoner, and lifted him rather roughly.
"Stand up, Raikes," he said. "An' no foolin', remember. We've got you ina tight place, an' we're goin' ter keep you there. I reckon you'll hevto postpone that little trip to New York."