CHAPTER VII
The Lair of the Robbers
There are times in a man's life when he has no spare moments in which tothink, and this occasion may be said to have been one of those urgentperiods in that of our hero. For he had no time to do more than move ayard from the window of the little hut located so close to Colon whenthe door was flung open, and the five ruffians within burst from theircover. Jim had hardly shaken the dust and debris of the shattered paneof glass from his eyes when one of the men was on him. It was Jaime deOteros, the leader of the gang, a dark, forbidding-looking fellow, asagile as a cat, and a desperado accustomed to scenes of violence.
"A spy! a spy!" he bellowed, catching sight of Jim; for the lamp withinthe cottage cast its rays through the window and illumined his figure."Kill him! Down with him to the ground! Stamp on him!"
Quick as thought a blade flashed from his belt, and while Jim was stillalmost blinded by the dust which was clinging to his eyes, the manstruck savagely at him. An instant later a sharp cry escaped from Jim'slips, while he staggered back against the hut; for the dagger hadpenetrated his left arm, high up near the shoulder.
"Wounded! This is serious. I am in a hole." The thoughts came to himlike a flash, while the urgency of the situation seemed to help to clearhis eyes. He could now see the villain who had attacked him quiteplainly, while, owing to his position close to the wall of the dwelling,his own figure was in the dusk. And it was that fact alone which savedhis life; for had the rascal standing so close to him been sure of hisbearings that formidable blade would have descended again. Jim caughtthe glint of the lamplight on it, and, stung by the pain in his shoulderand by the danger of his position, he struck out fiercely with hisclenched fist, and as fortune would have it caught the rascal neatlybeneath the chin.
Crash! The man staggered backwards, breathing deeply, and a second latercannoned into one of his comrades who was hurrying forward to supporthim. He gave a low growl of rage, pulled himself together, and flunghimself on Jim again furiously.
"Dog of a spy! You struck me. Police or not, I will kill you."
There was a snarl in his tones, while the man's whole person bristledwith anger. But Jaime de Oteros was not the ruffian to miss a chance, orspoil his own opportunities, because he was in a passion. Beneath hissmouldering rage the rascal kept a level head, and, watching Jim as wellas the darkness would allow him, threw himself forward with startlingswiftness. Bang! Crash! That terrible knife blade just missed its mark,and passing over our hero's shoulder buried its point deeply in thewoodwork of the hut, so deeply, in fact, that Jaime had to pull hard torelease it. That effort again helped Jim; indeed it gave him anopportunity he was quick to pounce upon. For out shot his right fistagain, and, striking square between the eyes, it sent Jaime hurtlingbackwards.
"Keep off! I warn you that any further violence will lead to severepunishment." Jim gasped the words, for the suddenness of the attack hadtaken his breath away. But he was by no means cowed, and, being one ofthose sharp, shrewd lads of which America is so justly proud, hepromptly decided to make use of the few seconds respite allowed byJaime's downfall. It was a case where force could not greatly avail him,he told himself, as he stood at bay before the desperadoes, his backclose to the wall; but bluff might help him.
"I warn you," he said again. "Drop your knives and stand here againstthe hut with your arms up. If not, I'll whistle to my men to shoot.Yes," he said sternly, "my men, you are surrounded. Jaime de Oteros, thegame is up."
As if to support his statement there came a call at that instant, whilemen could be heard hurrying towards the scene of the conflict. As forthe band of rascals, Jaime had, to be sure, been the first to encounterJim, but his comrades had been quick to support him. They would havethrown themselves on the young fellow before this had there been space;but the hut protected him in rear, while Jaime's swinging limbs keptthem at a distance in other directions. The lamp within the hut threwits sickly beams on the figures of the rascals, showing their featuresplainly, and letting Jim recognize at once the ruffian who had, earlieron in the evening, fired at him so deliberately.
"Come, hands up!" he repeated sharply. "The man who is found with armson him when my men come on the scene will wish that he had never seenus."
"Massa Jim, Massa Jim! what dat happenin'?" came through the darkness atthis moment. "I heard shots; dere was shoutin'. What fo, I want toknow?"
"It's that nigger of his," suddenly exclaimed one of the ruffians,hearing Tom. "It's a blind, a big bluff! Down with him! Gee! Standaside, and see me shoot him!"
Shouts came from all five now, and as if by common impulse they castthemselves in Jim's direction. And if he had remained in his oldposition there is little doubt but that the gang would quickly havecrushed the life out of his body; but Jim was fully alive on thiseventful night. There was no drowsiness about him, as may be imagined,seeing the danger in which he stood. The lamplight showed him thestaring faces of the villains in front of him, and their changingexpressions immediately after Tom had called. He saw their hands divedown for knife or revolver, and quick as thought he darted to one side;but, quick as he was, one of the gang was too swift for him. A hand fellon his shoulder, fingers closed on his coat, while the ruffian madefrantic efforts to detain him.
"He is here! Here!" he shouted. "I have the slippery dog! Quick, one ofyou, slit his throat, and have done with it!"
"Take that! Back with you! Tom, Tom!" Jim shouted for the negro, and asecond later struck at the rascal with both fists, sending himstaggering backwards; but the blows, sturdy and strong though theywere, could not keep off the other desperadoes. They closed round ourhero in an instant, and there began at once a conflict the severity ofwhich can hardly be described. The sallow rascal, who had sodeliberately attempted to murder him that same night, thrust hiscomrades aside in his own anxiety to complete the work in which he hadso signally failed, and, raising his arm, fired his revolver atpoint-blank range. However, close shots are not always the ones to kill.The struggling men at the rascal's elbow disturbed his aim, while thebullet buried itself harmlessly in the wall of the tumbledown dwellingclose to which the conflict was taking place. Then Jim did a cleverthing. He had dodged swiftly to avoid the shot; but an instant later hedarted forward, swung his right fist into the villain's ribs with suchforce that the breath was driven out of his body, and immediatelyafterwards wrenched the smoking weapon from his hand. It was his turnnow, and right well he took advantage of the opportunity.
"Hands up!" he commanded again, levelling the muzzle at Jaime deOteros's head. "Hands up instantly!"
They fell back from him as if he were infected with the plague, and thesame uncertain, flickering lamplight which had helped our hero beforenow showed hesitation in their scowling faces; but it was only for themoment. Let it be remembered that this gang was composed of men who hadbeen in many a scuffle and come out of them successfully, that one andall were unscrupulous, and would as soon and as easily kill a man astake the life of a fly. Was it wonderful that, seeing one youth aloneopposed to them, they regained some measure of courage? Jaime's lipsreceded from his teeth in an ugly snarl, and, as if shot from a gun, hedarted at Jim, ducked beneath the levelled muzzle, and closed with him.
"Now you shall pay with your life, dog of a policeman!" he growled."This to end our quarrel."
He gripped Jim's right arm as if with a vice, pushing it upward. Thenthe fingers of his left hand fell upon his chin and forced it backwards.
"Strike with your knife! Strike, fool!" he shouted to one of hiscomrades. "He is helpless."
And helpless, in fact, Jim was, for a second villain had gripped himfrom behind. He was just like a sheep held for the slaughter, and thoughhe struggled frantically he could make no impression on those who heldhim; but Tom could. The lusty negro was not the one to be frightened bya gang of double the strength, and coming upon the scene at this momenthe fell upon the men with the ferocity of a tiger. His first chargescattered them, setting Jim free; then a dive to one side allo
wed him togrip one of the rascals. In a trice he had him swinging at his fullarm's length above his head.
"By de poker, but dis fun!" he shouted, waving the man to and fro as ifhe were merely a package. "Yo's tried to kill Massa Jim, heh? Yo go dereden." He swished round as if he were poised on a pivot, his arms wentback, and in an instant he had thrown his burden against the wall of thehut. That done, he dashed forward on the heels of Jim, and helped thelatter to secure Jaime de Oteros. As for the others, they melted awayinto the darkness, and the last that was heard of them was the sound oftheir quickly moving feet. But Ching reported that he had encounteredone of the rascals. Indeed, a minute later he came into the narrowcircle of light dragging one of the wretches with him, and giggling withsuppressed amusement.
"Him not see Ching," he explained with a guffaw. "Him comee runnin' everso fast. But Ching knowe him not a good man, and send him silly wid ablow from dis stick. Oh, him hab a velly bad head to-mollow. Him sovelly solly him meet Ching."
"And him sorrier still when him come before de police bosses," exclaimedTom, gripping the arm of the leader of the gang so firmly that the manhowled. "What fo you make that to-do?" asked Tom, shaking Jaime as if hewere a rat. "Yo no cause to complain. Me hold yo tight, eh? Me hold yotighter still if yo not stop dat blather. By de poker, but dis fine,Massa Jim! We've caught jest three of de ruffians, and see dem hanged,strung up by de neck, dance tattoo in de air. Eh? Dat good for rascals."
Again he shook the unfortunate Jaime till the ruffian's teeth chatteredtogether, while the man was unable to retain his feet. That he was cowedby the size and strength of his captor there was no doubt, for he madeno effort to retaliate or to escape. Instead, he hung listless, hisknife fallen at his feet, his left hand clutching at the fingers whichcompressed his other arm with such painful tenacity.
"Put him there in the hut," said Jim, beginning now to breathe a littlemore easily. "Ching, take your captive in too. Tom will watch him; ifthey attempt an escape----"
JIM IN A TIGHT CORNER]
"Ha, ha! I like to see dat," cried the lusty negro, lifting Jaime fromhis feet as if he were a child and beginning to carry him within thehut. "By de poker, but I hope him will try to 'scape. Den yo see; Tomsmash um into a jelly. Tom make mincemeat of dis bag ob bones. Yo see;Tom lob to kill um."
He swung the ruffian round till their faces were close together, and,bending closer, bared his teeth and glared at the unfortunate fellowtill Jaime recoiled; for, when he liked, Tom could adopt the expressionof a demon.
"There; see him safely in the hut, and watch the two of them," criedJim, smiling even at such a moment, for he could not help but contrastTom's unusual exhibition of ferocity with his usual self. It was aneye-opener even to him to see this mild-mannered negro so transformed;and Jim, knowing the faithful fellow so well, realized that all hisanger and ferocity were assumed.
"Just to scare the ruffian," he thought, "and very thoroughly he hasdone it, I guess. Now, let's see this other fellow."
He and Ching between them rolled the man whom Tom had cast against thehut on to his back, and then carried him within the dwelling, where thelamp gave them an opportunity of inspecting him.
"Bad luck!" cried Jim at once. "Neither of our prisoners is the one Iwished above all to capture. Still, we have accounted for three, and thepolice will deal with the others. How long will it take them to arrive?"
"Anoder hour, sah," came from Tom immediately. "Me know de road. Deyhere about den. But no need to worry; dese blackguard son ob guns nottry any little game. Tom make himself happy."
To prove his coolness he dragged a pipe from his coat, filled it withloose chippings which he carried in a pocket, and, stepping to the lamp,held the bowl of the pipe over the flame. Then he puffed big clouds ofsmoke into the air contained within the hovel, which, to be sure,already reeked with the nauseous fumes of the cigarettes the gang ofruffians had been smoking. Later Tom sat himself comfortably in a chair,crossed one leg over the other, folded his arms, and regarded hisprisoners with an air of severity which caused them to cower, thoughJim, looking up at him, could distinguish the old twinkle in the negro'seyes.
"By lummy! But s'pose we not wait fo de police," suggested Tom, removinghis pipe from his capacious mouth, and baring his fine white teeth inthe process. He leered at the two cowering men, and then looked round atour hero. "S'pose save de time and labour ob de police, sah. Hang umnow. Plenty room in here, and dat beam jest in nice position. Gee! Fineting to watch dis scum dance de tatoo in de air. S'pose we get to widit."
There was an amiable smile on his lips now. He popped the pipe backbetween his teeth, causing the latter to fasten upon the stem with aclick, and stared up at the blackened roof of the cottage. "Him bear deweight ob both together, sah," he laughed. "But not be too fast. One attime plenty much, so as have heap to laugh at. I'm gwine ter commencewid dis blackguard."
He glowered upon Jaime de Oteros, the hardened villain who had led thegang, and who, if the information of the Commission police were correct,had more than once robbed his victims with unusual violence. "Himbiggest of de blackguards," said Tom reflectively. "Him gwine ter danceon air fust of de lot."
He rose from his seat, laid his pipe on the table, and approached hisprisoner. And Jaime shrunk before him. From being a well-nurtured man, arascal who, by means of his depredations had been enabled to live on thefat of the land and batten on other people's riches, the wretch, whenpunishment faced him, shrivelled visibly, till his very stature seemedto be dwarfed, his cheeks shrunken and hollow, and his rounded limbs buthalf their former size. He grovelled upon the floor, whining for mercy.
"Stop!" cried Jim at once, thinking that Tom's fun had gone far enough."We will wait for the police, and let them do as they like. But it jestabout shows you the cravens these fellows are. Under the same sort ofcircumstances this Jaime would not hesitate to bully his prisoners, Iguess; even to hang them outright. However, it is not our job to givepunishment; we'll leave that to the judges. Sit down and watch them."
"Watch dem! By lummy! but dat not necessary; not at all, sah," came theanswer from the negro. "Yo dere, yo blackguard. Yo go very careful, orTom do as him say, massa or no massa. Yo sabbey?"
He scowled at his prisoners till they crouched still lower, and then,turning to Jim, leered again at him, cocking one eye wide open, whilethe other closed. He was actually grinning, but the next instant, whenhe reseated himself, and again pulled at his pipe, the eyes whichregarded the rascals cowering against the wall were savage.
"Now," said Jim, "lend a hand here, Ching. This fellow is badly knockedabout. Bruised all over and stunned I should say: not dead."
The Chinaman wrapped his pigtail round his head, and secured it inposition with a pointed piece of stick which he carried about his personfor that very purpose. Then he bent over the man whom Tom had dealt soharshly with, and, chuckling all the while, proceeded to examine himminutely.
"Not one little bone ob him brokee, sah," he said. "But plenty fineupset. Got de headachee velly badly. To-mollow, when him wake up, oh himso velly ill. Him groan ever so much. Him giddy and velly sick, and himwish eber so much him neber been a rascal, and neber met dat great bignigger dere. Him tink him one big black debil. Him hate Tom."
"He! he! he! Ho! ho! ho!" came in uproarious tones from the huge negroseated at the table, smoking so comfortably. Then Tom suddenly becamevery serious.
"Yo Chinee boy," he cried, "yo son ob yellow gun, yo listen here. Tomnot like serve a man same as dat always. Him very gentle as a rule. But,by de poker, when a villain try to shoot and cut de throat of Massa Jim,den time to do tings! Not time to talk. Dat come afterwards. De man deresorry in course dat he met me; but dat altogether his fault, I guess.He shouldn't hab laid a hand on de young massa. Now yo dere, in decorner, what yo squintin' outer de door for? You tink get away. By depoker, show you dat! Beat you into squash and jelly!"
He switched the conversation round to his prisoner, for Jaime wasstaring out through the door of the hut, as if he
had intentions ofmaking a dash for liberty. But Tom's voice brought him to his senses.The man--a Spaniard by his appearance, but one evidently long departedfrom his own country, and well able to speak and understandEnglish--shrivelled up into his corner, while into his black, beady eyesthere came a hopeless expression, the expression to be met with on theface of a condemned criminal who knows he is past relief. It seemedevident, too, that Jaime was in that position, for a little while after,while Jim was bathing the face of the man who lay unconscious on thefloor, a force of Colon police arrived, and quickly took affairs intotheir own hands. A smart officer entered the hut without ceremony.
"Huh!" he exclaimed, when he had taken a swift glance round. "Thewatchin' ended in a ruction, that's evident. Who's that?"
He stepped to the table, leaned both hands on it, and stared into thecorner where the prisoners cowered. Tom coolly removed his pipe frombetween his lips, nodded to the officer, and then turned on Jaime.
"Dat?" he asked, pointing with the stem of his pipe. "Oh, dat a verybrave prisoner dat try to kill Massa Jim, and now very sorry! Stand updere, yo in de corner. Stand up, or, by lummy, Tom want to know what fo!
"Now den," continued Tom, when the wretch had risen to his feet,shivering with fright. "Who am yo?"
"That don't matter one single brass pin ter me," ejaculated the officersuddenly, his colour heightening, his voice taking on a tone ofexultation. "Reckon it's my business to know who every criminal is.Jaime de Oteros, you're badly wanted. Guess there's a score of chargesup against you. Boys, jest come in here."
He put his fingers to his lips and sent forth a shrill whistle, whichinstantly brought a couple of policemen into the hut.
"Handcuffs for 'em both," said the officer shortly. "Search 'em forweapons. Now then, siree?"
He turned on Jim serenely, and extended a hand. "Tell me all about it.Of course the darkie you sent along got to work and poured a whole heapof stuff into my ear as we ran here. Guess I know who you are, where youcome from, and the very first day you ever had measles. There ain't manyyoung chaps around same as Massa Jim."
There was a broad smile on his face, and the grip he gave our hero wasunusually cordial. "Gee!" he went on; "a real good coloured servant is athing to be proud of. Reckon you've two. You're jest about lucky. Thoseboys think all the world of you, and I've been too long amongst them notto have learned that there's always a good reason when things are likethat. You've got to be extra good and plucky and all that. But let's getto business. What happened?"
Jim told him abruptly. "It was precious near a case with me," he smiled."This fellow Jaime did his best to kill me. That's a reminder; he stuckhis knife through my shoulder."
Strange to say he had forgotten the matter, and till now had had butlittle pain. But now he recollected, and, slipping off his jacket,exposed his arm high up near the shoulder. The officer at once inspectedthe wound, while Tom, and Sam, who had now arrived upon the scene, bentover him anxiously.
"Not enough to stop you enjoying a single meal," declared the officer."Little more than skin deep, and made by a knife that had cleaned itselfas it passed through your clothing. A dressing put there right away willfix the matter for good. Thomas," he sang out. Then, as another manappeared, dressed in Commission uniform: "see here, my lad, we want thatfirst-aid case of yours. Get to work at this gentleman's shoulder. Now,sir," he went on, "you can continue the tale while Thomas is busy. Thesefellows tried to murder you. You had surrounded the place, I understand,and had sent Sam there back into Colon. Wall, now, what next?"
In a few words Jim described how one of the rascals had detected him ashe looked in through the window. How the ruffian, the same who had firedat him earlier in the evening, had again narrowly missed striking himwith a bullet, and how the whole five had then thrown themselves on him.
"Here's the result of it all," he ended. "I should have been killed butfor Tom. But he arrived just in the nick of time. We took threeprisoners between us; two have managed to get away."
"And that man who fired at you?" asked the officer.
"He is one of the two escaped."
"Then there's a chase before us. You'll come right along to the office,sir, where we can talk matters over. Wait while I see these rascalshandcuffed to my men. But let me congratulate you and your men, sir. Youdid as well as any police could have done, and you showed no end ofpluck. Boys, get to with those prisoners. Four of you can carry the manwho's insensible. Two each to the others will be enough. Bring 'emalong, boys. This is a fine evening for the police of Colon."
That the capture of three of these notorious ruffians was indeed amatter for congratulation was brought still more forcibly to Jim's mindsome little time later; for, having trudged into Colon, the whole partyentered the offices of the Police Commissioner there, and came face toface with that gentleman. He had been hurriedly aroused, and had at onceturned out of his bed to learn what had happened. His eyes lit up with asmile as the officer who had gone to the scene of the capture introducedJim.
"Very glad to meet you, sir," said the Commissioner. "Now tell me allabout it. This, of course, will be only a preliminary enquiry; I shallremand the prisoners to the cells, and their case will be taken later.Then, of course, I shall require your evidence, and that of your men.Please state who you are?"
"James Partington, sir; from New York."
"Lately arrived, eh?"
"No, sir. Been cruising in the Caribbean with a salvage plant. Then tooka passage to New York. There was a collision, and a number of Spaniardsaboard the ship fought for the boats. I--er--I helped the----"
"Pardon, I recollect. Shake hands, sir."
The officer leaned over his desk and gripped Jim's fingers, while a mostfriendly smile played across his lips. "Of course, I recollect," hesaid. "The matter was published in the paper. Seen the article?"
Jim shook his head. "I haven't had much time," he said. "There have beenso many things to do since I arrived in the zone."
"Then your ears will burn, my lad. The man who wrote that account putthe plain truth forward. He had interviewed the captain and his men. Mr.James Partington seems to have been the hero of the occasion."
He laughed outright, seeing Jim flush to the roots of his hair, and thenbecame serious again.
"There, forgive my chaff," he said. "But you behaved handsomely, Mr.Partington. Now tell me how this other matter cropped up."
Jim told him in as few words as possible. "You see," he said lamely, "Icouldn't very well help myself. I stayed on in the zone, and Mr. PhineasB. Barton promised to obtain work for me. I had a turn with one of thesteam diggers, and it was arranged that I should be appointed to workone. I went back to Mr. Barton's quarters this evening----"
"Last night, you mean," interrupted the officer with a smile. "It is now2.30 in the morning."
Jim was startled. The hours had simply flown, and he could hardlyrealize that so much time had elapsed since he set off from hisquarters. "I had no idea," he murmured. "But yesterday evening, to beaccurate, I was sitting in the parlour with Mr. Barton when a man shotat me through the gauze window."
"At you? How do you know that?" The question came like a pistol shot.
"I guess it. I am not absolutely sure. I may be wrong, but you will hearmy reasons. We set out in pursuit. Sam there," and he nodded to thelittle negro who was following the interrogation with shining eyes andwide-open ears--"Sam tracked the fellow. He took us to a hut in which alight was burning. We surrounded it. I went to the window, andrecognized one of the men as a Spaniard who had been aboard the ship,and whom I had knocked down in the fight. He had, apparently, justjoined his fellows. There were five in all."
"Points to his being the man who shot at you, and to you being the oneat whom he fired. To-morrow we'll settle it. Sam there will follow thetracks if he can."
It was amusing to see the little negro's eyes open wide. There was anexpression almost of a feeling of injury about them.
"What dat, sah?" he demanded. "Sam not able to follow trac
k? I like dat,I do. Sam start tracking when him so high." And he placed a hand acouple of feet from the floor, much to the amusement of all. "Sam larnto track way down in de south. Dat rubbish villain leave heap of mark.Plenty soft ground. To-morrow--to-day, sah, I tink, 'cos it's pastmidnight--to-day Sam pick up de mark and tell you plenty quick who it amand what happened."
"Then that'll fix the matter. What next?" asked the officer.
"I recognized one of the gang as a man whose photograph had beenpublished; in fact, I recognized them all. I remembered the name, Jaimede Oteros. Then I reckoned we had made a find and that you would like tohear. I sent Sam away, and--and there you are."
"Pardon, there we are certainly not yet awhile. I was asleep at thetime. Kindly proceed, sir."
Jim answered the officer's encouraging smile by giving him an account ofthe fight, while the eager Tom burst in with an interruption from timeto time.
"Me wanted to hang um quick," he explained. "But Massa Jim angry, scowlat Tom, say tings beneath him breath."
It was pure invention; Jim swung round upon the negro with flashingeyes. But who could be angry with Tom? The fellow's face was wreathed insmiles. His merry features were divided by a wide seven-foot rift,extending from ear to ear, and displayed a double set of teeth whichwould have been a paying advertisement for a dentist.
"The long and the short of it is this, sir," said the officer. "You andyour very eager friends have done the police a great service, for whichwe are deeply grateful. Now, I will take formal evidence of identity,and send the prisoners to the cells. I advise that you all go back toyour quarters by a roundabout route, so as not to spoil tracks. I willsend a couple of men to the hut to keep people away. At eight o'clock Iwill call upon you, when we will go into the question of the tracks anddiscuss what is to be done. The escape of those two rascals means achase. We cannot afford to lose them now that we have captured three."
He leaned over and shook hands with Jim. Then, with a pleasant nod, hebanished the party to bed. Taking the lamp, Sam lit it and led the way,and very soon they were back at their quarters, there to meet withPhineas's eager questions. At eight o'clock that morning, when Jimimagined that he had hardly enjoyed half an hour's sleep, the PoliceCommissioner appeared, and very soon it became evident that the canalworks would not see our hero yet awhile. In fact, there was anotheradventure before him.
"We're going to follow those rascals," said the officer. "I'd like youto come along, for you can recognize them. Of course it'll be dangerous.The fellows are armed; I'm not disguising that from you. Are you game tocome?"
Was Jim game? He laughed at the officer's caution.
"See here, sir," he said with a smile, "guess I'm not one of the police,and thief catching isn't in my work, but I've a personal stake here. Ifthis man ain't apprehended I stand to be shot at any time. Besides,every American citizen wants to help the police. It's a duty; of courseI'm game."