CHAPTER XXVII.
THROUGH THE WOODS.
Raikes fixed his disheveled clothes, and pulled his cap down over hisforehead. Then he thrust his hands into his pockets, and staredmeaningly at Sparwick.
"What are you lookin' at me fur?" demanded Sparwick.
"I was just thinking what a big, lubberly fool you are," replied Raikes,boldly. "Hold on--don't get riled. I want to talk to you for a minute ortwo."
"Fire away," said Sparwick.
Raikes shook his head.
"No, not here. It must be a private conversation."
Sparwick hesitated, and a greedy look came into his eyes.
"No tricks," he replied, warningly, "or I'll smash your head."
He led his prisoner to a clump of bushes a dozen feet distant. Here theyconversed in low, eager tones for nearly a quarter of an hour.
Jerry and Hamp looked on with some curiosity and suspicion. They wereafraid that Raikes was coaxing Sparwick to turn traitor.
But the end of the palaver did not confirm this supposition. When themen returned, their relations were evidently the same as before. Raikeslooked moody and downcast. Sparwick's impassive face told nothing. Thelatter handed the two letters to Jerry.
"Put 'em in your pocket," he said, "an' take good care of them. We'regoing to start right away."
"Where for?" Jerry asked.
"To rescue your pardner," was the reply. "I've got everything in shape.This rascal here hes concluded ter help us out, an' I've promised heshan't be prosecuted. He'll take us straight to Bogle an' the lad.We're goin' to save Mr. Larkins a cool ten thousand dollars."
This glib speech quite banished any lingering suspicion that Jerry orHamp may have felt. They were highly elated by the news, and they helpedto pack up with alacrity. In a short time the little party was on themarch.
They headed straight back through the spruce woods. Raikes sullenly ledthe way, and Sparwick followed at his heels with a loaded rifle. Theboys brought up the rear, dragging the sleds.
At the end of an hour they entered a low and tangled swamp. They went onthrough a maze of gloomy, intersecting paths. The boys were surprised torecognize the place.
"I thought this swamp was inaccessible," said Hamp.
"It were always reckoned so," replied Sparwick; "but it seems kind o'different now."
"Do you mean to say that this is where Brick is confined?" asked Jerry.
"Accordin' to the prisoner's statement that's the case," saidSparwick, "an' I don't reckon he'd lie about it. I've got a bulletready fur the first sign of deceivin'. Do you hear that, old man?"
This last was addressed to Raikes. He neither replied nor turned around.He went steadily on, twisting to right and left through the tortuouswindings of the swamp.
It was more than an hour later when the party came in sight of theclearing and the cabin. From the top of the roof a pillar of blue smokecurled slowly upward. The boys were startled and amazed. They eagerlyexamined their weapons.
"Will we likely have much of a fight?" asked Jerry.
"Not a bit," exclaimed Sparwick, scornfully. "Put up them weapons. We'refour ag'in one. Do you think Joe Bogle's fool enough to resist. It'llall go our own way, lads."
Raikes was now half-way across the clearing. The others followed closelyin his footsteps. Jerry and Hamp saw the cabin door thrown open. Theyheard a hoarse shout from within.
"It's all right, Joe," Raikes answered. "No shootin'."
Sparwick paused, and drove the boys into the cabin ahead of him. Hefollowed with the sleds.
Jerry and Hamp stared eagerly at their surroundings. They saw Bogleleaning against the table with a savage and wondering expression on hisface. Then they spied some one else, and heard a familiar voice callthem by name. The next instant they were kneeling on the bed besideBrick, trying to clasp his fettered hands.
"We've come to save you," declared Jerry. "Your troubles are over now.Your father won't have to pay that money, either. Sparwick is helpingus, you know. We told him that you would give him five hundred dollarsif he saved you. That's why----"
The sentence was broken off short, for just then Bogle strode forward.His face blazed with anger. He clapped one hand on Raikes' shoulder.
"What the deuce does this mean, Silas?" he demanded, hotly. "Have youlost your senses? Why did you turn back, and bring this rabble here? Doyou want to ruin everything?"
There was a brief pause. The boys looked on with thrilling and anxiousinterest. They expected to see Raikes seize and overpower his comrade.
Imagine their surprise, then, when Raikes leaned over, and whispered afew words into Bogle's ear. The two strolled amicably to the farthestend of the cabin, where they sat down on a bench, and began to talk inlow tones.
Sparwick propped himself carelessly against the door, with his hands inhis pockets. He studiously kept his eyes averted from the bed. As forthe three lads--well, they were not a little puzzled by such strangeproceedings. They were at a loss to account for them.
"I hope what you told me is true," whispered Brick. "It don't look muchas if Bogle was a prisoner, though."
"No; it don't," admitted Jerry. "I'm afraid there's a hitch somewhere."
"Perhaps Raikes hasn't turned traitor, after all," suggested Hamp."I mean that he may have fooled Sparwick."
"I'm afraid you two fellows are the ones that were fooled," saidBrick. "It looks very much as though Sparwick had gone over to Raikesand Bogle. Perhaps they promised him more money."
Jerry and Hamp exchanged quick, meaning glances. It suddenly flashedupon them that Brick's suspicion was absolutely true.
Just then Jerry caught Sparwick's eye. He beckoned him to approach. ButSparwick pretended not to see. He looked the other way.
Before the boys could utter another word, Raikes and Bogle rose from thebench, and came across the room. Raikes paused in front of Sparwick, andsaid something to him. Bogle came on to the bed. His face wore asneering smile of satisfaction.
"Give me those letters," he demanded of Jerry.
The lad hesitated. With a savage oath Bogle clinched his fist.
"The letters?" he repeated, "quick!"
Jerry realized his helplessness. He took the letters from his pocket,and handed them to the ruffian.
"You're a mean, lying traitor, Kyle Sparwick," he cried, angrily.
"None of that," exclaimed Bogle. "Keep a civil tongue in your head, oryou will be sorry." He struck Jerry roughly on the face. Then he tooktheir rifles from the two lads.
"Stay where you are," he added. "Don't move."
The boys cowered before the ruffian's fierce words and manner.
Bogle crossed the room, and put the weapons on a shelf over thefireplace. He strolled leisurely to the table, and perched himself onthe edge. Raikes and Sparwick drew a bench up to the opposite side, andsat down.
"You've come here uninvited, Sparwick," said Bogle. "And I'm not any tooglad to see you. You have chosen to meddle with an affair that was noneof your business. I don't blame Raikes, for he did the best thingpossible under the circumstances. You had the drop on him, and he knewit."
"It's fair enough, as far as I kin see," replied Sparwick, uneasily."You an' I are old friends, Joe Bogle, an' there's no reason why Ishouldn't have a hand at such rich pickin's--especially when I've earnedthe right."
"Earned it?" sneered Bogle.
"Yes, earned it," replied Sparwick, in a warmer tone. "I don't see howyou kin deny the fact. I had a bargain with them two lads yonder torescue their pardner, an' I was to receive a certain sum of money furthe work. Accidentally Raikes stumbled across us this mornin', an' Inabbed him. He had papers what showed up your little game. I could haveblocked it as easy as rollin' off a log. Why didn't I tie Raikes to atree, an' then push on here, and nab you, an' rescue the lad? You won'tdeny that I could have done it, an' made a heap of cash by theoperation, too. But instead o' that I listens to Raikes. He says he'lltake me in with you, an' give me tw
ice the sum I was countin' on. So Iagrees to it, an' we fixes the thing up. An' now this is the kind oftreatment I get. It ain't fair an' square, Bogle, you know it ain't. An'what's more, I ain't a man ter be sat down upon. This here agreementwill be kept, or I'll know the reason why."
Sparwick's face flushed with anger and indignation. He rose to his feet,and pounded the table with his fist.