CHAPTER XXIX.
A MIDNIGHT DISCOVERY.
About sunset something of a startling and unexpected nature occurred.Its effect on the inmates of the cabin was pretty much the same as if abombshell had suddenly fallen in the midst of them.
Outside were heard crunching footsteps, and the rustle of dry bushes.Then a husky shout rang on the still, evening air.
The three men sprang to their feet. For an instant they were speechlesswith wonder and alarm. The intrusion had a different effect on theboys. They believed that it meant rescue and freedom.
Bogle snatched his rifle.
"Stay here," he whispered to his companions. "Be ready if I need you."
He went swiftly to the door and opened it. He closed it partly behindhim as he stepped outside. Half-a-dozen feet from the cabin stood avigorous-looking man of sixty, clad in the garb of a typical Mainehunter and trapper. His kindly face was grizzled and bearded. Hecarried a rifle over his shoulder. Bogle went swiftly up to him and heldout his hand.
"I'll swear if it ain't Jack Mowry," he exclaimed.
The stranger glanced keenly into the other's face. Then he uttered along, hearty laugh that came from deep down in his chest.
"By Jingo, it's Joe Bogle! Wa-al, wa-al, this beats anything ever Iheard on. Why, man, I ain't seen you fur near three years--not sincethat winter on Moosehead."
"Oh! this is a sort of a shooting den that Raikes and I put up," Boglehastily explained. "Raikes is with me, and we are just ready to startaway. Where are you bound, Mowry?"
"That's jest what I'd like ter know," returned the trapper, as he shot apuzzled glance toward the cabin. "I hev a camp 'bout a mile north of theswamp, an' this mornin' I tracked a deer into this dog-goned tangle o'bushes. I lost my bearin's an' hev been wanderin' 'round ever since."
"That's hard luck," replied Bogle. "I'll tell you what I'll do now,Mowry. I can't ask you in to spend the night, because we are justleaving, and our provisions have run out. But I'll get a light and guideyou back to your camp. I know every foot of the swamp. By the way,Raikes will be glad to meet you. You remember Silas, don't you? He waswith you on Moosehead."
Without waiting for a reply, Bogle called aloud:
"Raikes, Raikes, come here."
As soon as Bogle went to the door, Raikes and Sparwick caught a glimpseof the stranger. Both recognized him at once, for he had long been afamiliar figure in the Maine woods.
"I hope Bogle will know how to deal with him," muttered Sparwick.
"Trust Joe for that," replied Raikes. "I reckon I'll be needed in aminute. Suppose you attend to those lads yonder. They might maketrouble and upset everything."
Accordingly Sparwick crossed the room and sat down at the foot of thebed.
"The first one of you that utters a sound," he whispered, savagely,"will get his face smashed. Mind that."
Under these circumstances, the boys were helpless. With tantalizingemotions they listened to the audible conversation outside. They heardRaikes summoned, and saw him hurriedly leave the cabin.
The next instant Bogle entered. He snatched up a lantern and a pair ofgloves.
"That's right, Sparwick," he whispered. "Don't let those chaps utter asound. So far we're all right. Raikes will be back in a minute."
Then he left the cabin and closed the door tightly.
It was only a few seconds later when Raikes returned. He called Sparwickover to the fireplace, and there they conversed in low tones until longafter dark. Finally they prepared supper and unbound the boys longenough to allow them to eat.
It was nearly midnight when Bogle returned. His boisterous entry wakenedall three of the lads, who had dropped asleep. They lay still, however,and pretended to be still sleeping.
"It took you long enough," grumbled Raikes. "How did you make out?"
"It was a matter of four miles each way," replied Bogle. "I'm lucky toget back so soon. As for making out--well, I'm afraid Mowry has hissuspicions. It couldn't be otherwise. We didn't ask him in or offer hima bite to eat. He knew there was something back of it all. I went clearto his camp with him. He was grateful for that, but there was a sort ofa chilling coolness about him."
"It's hard luck," muttered Raikes. "He's a nosey old chap, and may comespying around here, now that he's found the way. What had we better do?"
"I'll tell you," whispered Bogle, as he glanced across the cabin. Thenhe added, in a tone that did not reach half-way to the boys: "Atdaybreak you will start on your journey, Raikes. After dinner Sparwickand I will move boys, luggage, and all to the Rock House. You will findus there when you return."
"By Jove! that's a clever thought," said Raikes. "Mowry will be neatlytricked."
"Where is the Rock House?" asked Sparwick.
"You'll find out soon enough," replied Bogle. "There are places in thesewoods that you never dreamed of. And now let's turn in. We've talkedenough."
"Yes, and I need sleep for to-morrow's journey," added Raikes.
As has been stated, this last part of the conversation was not overheardby the boys. They knew that it must be about matters of specialimportance. But they had no chance of talking it over among themselves.Their feigned slumber turned to real shortly after the men came to bed.
Raikes was up before dawn. He cooked himself a breakfast, ate it hastilyand departed.
It was after nine o'clock when the boys got awake. They missed Raikes atonce. Bogle was setting the table, and Sparwick was frying slices ofvenison. The boys were kindly treated during the day, but their armswere kept tightly bound, except at meal times.
They were now pretty much resigned to the situation. They knew that itwas hopeless to think of escape or of preventing, by any means, theextortion of money from Mr. Larkins.
Brick, who by rights, should have been most concerned, was least so.
"Don't you fellows worry," he said. "My father will pay the money, and Idon't suppose he'll mind it much. I'm only sorry that you should getinto such a scrape on my account. But just as soon as the money comeswe'll all be free."
This was but cold consolation. The day dragged along in so dreary andtedious a manner that the boys regarded a week or ten days of suchcaptivity with the utmost horror.
The weather had moderated during the previous night, and in the middleof the morning a drizzling rain began to fall. So at dinnertime Bogleand Sparwick held a brief and secret conversation. As a result of this,they decided to postpone their removal to the Rock House until thefollowing day.
Late in the afternoon the sky cleared, and the weather blew up coldagain. At bedtime a stiff wind was howling around the cabin.
In the middle of the night Jerry got awake with a start. He feltrestless and uneasy. The ropes on his arms pained him. He raised himselfto a sitting posture and looked around.
Outside the moon was shining, and a few silvery rays crept through thecrevices of the door and window-shutters. These, and a faint, rosy glowfrom the embers of the fire, shed a misty light on the interior of thecabin.
Next to Jerry, on the left, lay Hamp, and beyond him was Sparwick. Onthe right lay Brick and Bogle. Jerry was sandwiched in between thefour. He looked at them intently. Their deep breathing indicated thatall were asleep.
Jerry was about to lie down again when he heard strange sounds fromoutside the cabin. Slow, cautious footsteps crunched over the snow. Nowthey were on one side, now on the other. Then the door rattled slightly,and finally the shutters creaked.
Jerry's heart beat like a trip-hammer. His breath came short and fast.He was first inclined to waken his companions, but he fought theinclination down. He listened for a long time after the sounds had diedaway. Then an inspiration flashed suddenly into his mind.
"What a fool I was to be scared," he reflected. "I'll bet anything thatold trapper was spying around here, trying to find out what mysteriesare going on. I'm sorry now that I didn't shout at him. By this time hemust have started back to his camp. If I could only escape! How ea
sy itwould be to follow his tracks over the snow! I'm sure he would help meto get Brick free."
As Jerry thus cogitated, he saw some object sparkling in the moonlighton the cabin floor. It was about half-way between him and the table. Helooked keenly and now he discovered that the object was a knife.
A daring thought came into Jerry's head. A glance satisfied him that hisfour bedfellows were still sleeping. With a slow and noiseless motion,he crawled forward on his knees. From time to time he glanced warilyover his shoulder. Finally his perseverance was rewarded.
He reached the knife. He leaned over upon it backward and managed to getthe hilt between the partly-cramped fingers of one hand. With a clumsy,sawing movement, he scraped the blade over the rope that held his armstogether. He was far from certain of success, but he stuck to the taskwith grim determination. More than once the blade slipped and cut intohis wrists and fingers.
At last, when he was on the verge of despair, a sudden snap told himthat the rope was severed. He drew his arms in front of him, and cutloose the separate pieces of rope.