CHAPTER XXXIII.
A TREACHEROUS PLOT.
In the Rock House one day was just like another. The time dragged slowlyby. It was a period of indescribable misery and monotony to Brick andHamp. When they were able to forget Jerry's fate they were tormented byfear for their own.
Nearly a week passed. Then, at sunset on a Wednesday evening, Raikesreturned. Bogle, Sparwick, and the boys were squatted on the groundabout the fire, eating supper.
Raikes responded to their greeting, and sat down beside them. His facetold nothing, but there was a subdued twinkle of satisfaction in hiseyes.
"Fill my plate, Sparwick," he said, "and give me a cup of coffee. I'mhungry as a bear."
"How far have you come?" asked Bogle.
"From Wytopitlock," was the reply. "It's a little station on theCanadian Pacific, a few miles east of Kingman."
Brick was unable to hold in any longer.
"Is it all right?" he exclaimed, eagerly. "Have you got the money? Areyou going to let us go now?"
Raikes did not reply. Instead, a bewildered look flashed across hisface. He had just discovered Jerry's absence.
"Where is the other lad?" he asked. "I hope you haven't let him getaway."
Bogle briefly told the sad story. Raikes was visibly affected.
"I'm sorry it happened," he said. "I didn't want any bloodshed to bemixed up in this affair. Still, it was an accident, and the lad was toblame himself. We'll have to explain to Glendale that he escaped, andcould not be found. You see, I told him that we had three prisoners toturn over instead of one."
"Then you have really made a success of your errand, Silas?" askedBogle.
Raikes smiled as he took a deep draught of coffee, and attacked the foodon his plate.
"I couldn't have done better," he replied. "Everything is fixed, andthere is no danger of a slip. It took two or three days' work to bringGlendale to terms. He was pugnacious at first, and used some prettyrough language--talked about the police, and all that sort of thing. Itold him to go ahead, and he saw that I couldn't be bluffed or scaredoff. After I convinced him that the lad's life depended on the paymentof the money he came down gracefully."
"Did he cable to France?" asked Bogle.
"No; it wasn't necessary. He had money at his disposal, and he didn'twant to alarm the lad's parents. The long and short of it is that Mr.Frederick Glendale is now quartered at a tavern in Wytopitlock, and hehas with him the sum of fifteen thousand dollars in banknotes."
Sparwlck and Bogle fairly gasped for breath. Their eyes and flushedfaces showed how excited they were.
"Five thousand apiece!" muttered Sparwick. "It's a fortune."
"What arrangements have you made for the transfer?" asked Bogle.
"We're to meet on Friday evening, three miles this side of Wytopitlock,"replied Raikes. "Do you remember that big rock in Path Valley? It standsjust where the stream comes tumbling down the mountain side."
"Yes, I know the place."
"Well, that's where we'll pocket the money and turn over the prisoners,"said Raikes. "This is Wednesday. I'll spend the night here, and go backin the morning. You needn't start until early on Friday morning. Youmust be at the rock as near sunset as possible that evening. I'll haveGlendale there in plenty of time."
"And Sparwick and I will do the same with the boys," replied Bogle. "Theway you put this thing through does you lots of credit, Silas. We'll bewell paid for all our trouble."
"It was cleverly managed, if I do say it myself," answered Raikes, as hewent on with his supper.
By this time the boys were through. Their arms were tied, and they wereordered over to the bed. They crouched close together on the pineboughs, and discussed, in low tones, what they had just heard.
"It's not the loss of all that money that worries me," said Brick. "I'mthinking about poor Jerry. Don't forget that we swore to have themurderers punished--if it takes a lifetime."
"I won't," replied Hamp, in a husky tone. "We'll begin just as soon aswe are free."
Finally the boys fell asleep. The three men sat about the fire, talkingand smoking, until nearly midnight. Then they put fresh logs on theblaze, and went to bed. Bogle and Sparwick stretched themselves on oneside of the boys, Raikes on the other. In a short time all wereapparently sound asleep.
But Raikes was merely feigning slumber. From time to time his eyesopened, and shot a stealthy glance about the cave. At the end of an hourhe sat cautiously up. He bent over the boys, and looked into Sparwick'sface. The latter was certainly sound asleep. His eyes were closed, andhis breath came deep and regular.
Raikes did not relax his scrutiny for nearly five minutes. Then he wassatisfied beyond a doubt. He now bent in the other direction, and softlytouched Bogle's face.
"Are you awake, Joe?" he whispered.
"Yes," was the reply. "I've been keeping awake on purpose. I thought youhad something to tell me."
"Well, I have. I didn't get a chance all evening. I've got to be brief,so pay close attention."
"Hold on," whispered Bogle. "Is Sparwick sound asleep?"
"Sound as a rock," assured Raikes.
"Then, let's creep over to the fireplace, and talk there," added Bogle.
"No; he might get awake, and find us gone. Then he would be sure tosuspect something."
"All right," assented Bogle. "Go ahead. I'm listening."
Raikes took another look at Sparwick and at the boys. Then he drew atiny glass vial from his pocket, and slipped it into Bogle's hand.
"Take good care of it," he whispered, "and put it in a safe place."
"What is it?" asked Bogle.
"Chloroform," Raikes whispered. "I'll tell you how to use it. Some timeto-morrow night wet a rag, and press it on Sparwick's face while he issleeping. Then bind him tightly, and put a gag in his mouth. At daybreakstart for the meeting place with the boys. You can easily manage them ifyou keep their arms tied. Glendale and I will be waiting. You and I willshare the fifteen thousand dollars, and strike for a safe part of thecountry."
"Splendid!" whispered Bogle. "You're a born schemer, Silas. I thoughtyou would find some way to outwit this greedy fool. But shall I leavehim here to die of starvation?"
"We'll let Glendale or the boys send a party to rescue him," repliedRaikes. "And as likely as not he'll spend the next two or three years ofhis life in jail. That's enough now. It's not safe to talk any longer.Do you understand?"
"Perfectly," whispered Bogle. "You may look for me and the lads atsunset."
This ended the conversation. Raikes lay down, and pulled the blanketsover him. Not a sound could be heard but the steady breathing of thesleepers.
Had the fire been burning brightly it might have been seen thatSparwick's eyes were open. There was a devilish smile of mingled angerand triumph on his face. Under the blankets he savagely clinched hisfists.
"It's a good thing I was listening," he said to himself. "A mighty goodthing. I reckon I'll be ready fur these sneakin' liars."
He involuntarily gave a low chuckle as some pleasing thought entered hismind. This scared him. He listened for a moment. Then he closed his eyes,and began to snore.
The three men were up at the first streak of dawn on Thursday morning.After a hastily-prepared breakfast Raikes said good-by to hiscompanions; and started for Wytopitlock.
An hour later the boys were roused and fed. If the previous days hadseemed long, this one was ten times longer. Bogle and Sparwick lookedforward to evening just as impatiently as the boys. They passed the timein smoking and talking, and appeared to be on the best of terms. Dinnertime came, and the long afternoon dwindled slowly by.
After supper the evening seemed comparatively short. At ten o'clock allwere in bed. Bogle did not chain himself to Brick, as he had always doneheretofore. He allowed the lad's arms to remain tied behind his back.
"I need a good rest to-night," he explained to Sparwick, "and I won'tget it with that confounded bracelet on my wrist."
"I reckon the lad's safe enough," muttered Sparwick, in a drowsy tone.He seemed to be half-asleep already.
Bogle stretched himself on the opposite side of the bed, so that theboys were between the two. He made no effort to keep awake, since he didnot intend to carry out his instructions until toward morning. Hedropped off to sleep in a very contented frame of mind. He straightwaydreamed that the half of fifteen thousand dollars was already in hispossession, and that he was enjoying life in a great city.
In the midst of his revels he awoke, and opened his eyes. For a momenthe did not remember where he was. The embers of the fire shed a dimlight, and showed him a man bending over him. He felt a strange handgroping in his pocket.
Then the situation suddenly flashed upon him. He recognized KyleSparwick, and knew intuitively that he must have heard the conversationon the previous night. Now he was seeking the vial of chloroform.
With a husky cry, Bogle pushed his enemy aside, and sprang to his feet.