CHAPTER XXX.
DRIVEN TO DEATH.
The first step to freedom was a success, and consequently Jerry feltgreatly elated. He hesitated a moment, slightly bewildered by severalexpedients that suggested themselves to his mind. Then he picked up theknife and crawled noiselessly back across the floor.
He safely reached his sleeping place, and threw himself down in hisformer attitude. He lay perfectly still for nearly five minutes. Then hewas satisfied that Bogle and Sparwick were buried deep in slumber. Heturned around and gave Hamp a gentle shake. The lad stirred and sleepilyopened his eyes.
"Hamp, are you awake?" Jerry whispered, softly, in his ear.
"Yes; what's up?" came the drowsy reply.
"Hush! don't talk so loud. I'll do the talking. Are you sure you're wideawake and can understand me?"
"Of course I am," whispered Hamp, a little impatiently.
Then he saw that Jerry's arms were free.
"You are in luck," he added. "Are you going to escape?"
"Yes; and I want you to go with me," Jerry replied, putting his mouthclose to Hamp's ear. "I haven't time to explain now, only I found aknife and cut my arms loose. Turn yours this way a little bit." Hampobeyed, and Jerry deftly severed the ropes.
"Now lie still until you see me open the door," he resumed. "That willbe the signal. Then jump and sneak out after me. I want to get our capsand snowshoes first."
"Are you going to take Brick along?" Hamp asked.
"No; I wish we could. He is chained fast to Bogle. I wouldn't dare totry. But if we get away all right, Brick won't be a prisoner long. Thatold trapper was prowling around here to-night. We'll strike right forhis camp. The tracks will help us to find it. You understand what youare to do now?"
"Yes; I'll be ready."
"Watch for the door to open," Jerry added. "Lie still, and don't make asound. Better keep your arms under you, in case Sparwick should getawake. If he does, give a little cough."
"All right," whispered Hamp.
Having thus taken all possible precautions against failure, Jerry oncemore crawled noiselessly away from the bed.
When he was half way across the room, he ventured to rise to his feet.Then, bending low, he moved to and fro in search of what he wanted. Hefound the snowshoes and the caps without any trouble. He softly openedthe cupboard and put some crackers and cold meat in his pocket.
He wanted a rifle badly, but they all rested on one pair of hooks, andhe was afraid that he could not get one down without making a racket.So he reluctantly concluded to do without.
Jerry softly crossed to the door. He undid the fastenings and pulled ithalf-way open. He stopped on the threshold and looked back into theroom. It was a moment of thrilling suspense. He saw Hamp rise slowly tohis feet and take a step forward.
Then, like a flash, Sparwick's tall figure towered over the lad. Therewas a scuffle and a heavy fall. Two hoarse cries blended into one.
Jerry stood as one petrified. He heard Sparwick calling lustily forBogle. He saw the latter spring to his feet, dragging Brick after him.Then Hamp's voice rang sharp and clear, in tones of entreaty:
"Run, Jerry! run! I'll hold him as long as I can."
This broke the spell. Jerry knew that Hamp was beyond hope of rescue. Hedropped the latter's snowshoes, but held on to his own. He dashed overthe threshold and into the moonlit clearing.
There was no time to look for the trapper's tracks. He remembered hissaying to Bogle that his camp lay north of the swamp. Luckily Jerry hadhis bearings, and knew what direction to take.
He sped around the end of the cabin and plunged into the thicket. As heran on and on, the tumult behind him faded away. The recent cold snaphad formed a crust on the snow, and he made pretty good progress. Nowand then, however, he struck weak spots and broke through to his knees.At the end of half-an-hour he ventured to stop. He seated himself on alog and strapped his snowshoes on securely. He was conscious of afeeling of elation. Not a sound could be heard but the rustle of thewind.
"I don't believe they know which direction I took," he reflected."Anyway, I have a good start, and I mean to keep it. Once I find Mowry'scamp, I will be all right. I can't afford to lose any time, so heregoes."
He struck off again at a swinging gait. The snowshoes made traveling adelightful task. The moonlight was a great help to him. It shone intothe gloomy recesses of the swamp.
At the end of two hours he passed from the confines of the swamp into afragrant pine forest. There was a steep hill some distance in front ofhim. He might have gone to right or left, but he was not sure that hehad kept unswervingly to the north since he fled from the cabin.
Jerry vaguely feared that he had lost his bearings It occurred to himthat from high ground he might put himself right, or catch a flickeringgleam of Mowry's campfire. So he toiled up the hill, never noting thathis snowshoes left a plain imprint with every step. He gained a ridgeand pushed along it for some distance.
But the undergrowth and timber were heavy, and he could not see farbeyond them. He suddenly discovered that he was exhausted and worn out.He thought of climbing a tree to obtain an unobstructed view, but theeffort seemed too great. He sat down on a snow-covered bowlder to rest.He was in a glow of heat and perspiration, and did not feel the cold.The silvery moonlight streamed upon an open glade in front of him.
The time sped by more quickly than Jerry knew. The keen, biting airroused him from a train of thought. He concluded to push on. He rose tohis feet and stood debating which way to turn.
Before he could decide, a crashing noise in the bushes behind him sent acold chill through his blood. He ran forward half-a-dozen yards and thenturned his head. He was horrified to see Kyle Sparwick emerge from thebushes. The ruffian had a rifle in his hands. He drew it to his shoulderand took aim at Jerry.
"Stop right thar," he cried. "The game is up, lad. I've got you."
But Jerry did not stop. He melted away before Sparwick's indignanteyes. In other words, he dodged behind the trunk of a convenient tree.Thence he gained the cover of thick bushes, and made a spurt over theridge.
No shot followed him. Indeed, Sparwick had not intended to shoot. Hisobject was to capture the lad. He uttered a yell of anger and started inpursuit. His quick, loping gait soon brought him in sight of Jerry.
Then the chase became doubly exciting. Threats of shooting were freelyuttered. But Jerry did not let these distress him. He was satisfied, bythis time, that Sparwick had some good reason for not rousing the nightechoes with a rifle-shot.
The lad was soon at his wits' end. He was more angry than scared. Itwas not personal injury that he feared. Recapture meant the destructionof his hopes, and he wanted badly to save Brick's father from payingfifteen thousand dollars to the rascally schemers. But he seemed doomedto failure. His enemy was rapidly and surely overhauling him. Indesperation he picked up a short, thick billet of wood. He faced aroundand threw it.
The billet struck Sparwick's right arm and knocked his rifle to theground. With a snarl of rage and pain, he stooped to recover it.
"You'll pay dear fur that when I git hold of you," he shouted.
This ruse allowed Jerry to gain a dozen feet, and gave him fresh hopeand courage.
"Mebbe I can outrun him, after all," he thought. "If there was onlycover enough to dodge and hide!"
But a moment later the ridge suddenly narrowed, and just ahead lay ahuge, towering bowlder, crowned with pine trees. It jutted up sheerly,and Jerry knew that he had no time to scale it. He turned and ran to theleft side of the ridge. There were tall, tangled bushes in the way, buthe forced recklessly through them.
Then came a moment of frightful despair! The treacherous screen ended onthe brink of a chasm. To draw back now was impossible.
Jerry's feet slipped over the edge. With a hoarse cry on his lips, heshot down--down into the misty, yawning depths of space.
Several minutes later Sparwick crept tremblingly to the verge of thepreci
pice. With a white, scared face, he peeped over.
"Poor lad!" he muttered. "It's the end of him--a straight fall of notless than a hundred feet. He must be smashed to a jelly. Well, dead mentell no tales. I reckon the fifteen thousand is safe. I'd better bemakin' tracks for the cabin."
He turned away with a shudder.