CHAPTER XII--JOB HAS HIS COURAGE TESTED
When young Halstead next knew anything his mind was hazy at first. Herealized dimly, and then more clearly, that he was upon some one'sshoulder, being carried. There was a buzzing, too, over his right ear,where his head throbbed dully and ached.
As he opened his eyes wider he saw that he was being carried along undertrees and over rising ground.
Then his thoughts became clearer and he felt certain it was none otherthan Captain Jonas French who was carrying him. Some one else, probablyAlvarez, was treading the ground behind him.
Halstead gave a sigh, then murmured:
"Put me down!"
They were luckless words, for French vented but the one syllable,"Right," then dropped him to the ground and sat on him.
"Don't make the mistake of trying to make any noise, either," growledthe once florid-faced one. "No one could hear you here except us, butwe'll take noise as an evidence of unkind disposition on your part."
"Tie him," murmured Don Emilio, standing over the boy.
Without making any response in words, French rolled the boy over on hisface. Tom didn't attempt to resist. He was too weak; his strength wasjust beginning to come back. French knotted a rope around his wrists,held behind him, then quickly lashed the young skipper's anklestogether.
"And this!" insisted Alvarez. A gag composed of two handkerchiefs wasforced between Halstead's lips and made fast there.
"Now, my meddling boy, you may be as unpleasant as you please," mockedDon Emilio Alvarez, bending over and smiling into Halstead's face. "Ah,you have been troublesome to us--very. And you have inquired what Iwould do to you if I had you down in Honduras, where they do thingsdifferently. Ah, well! Perhaps, my meddling boy, you shall discover whatI would do to you! Will you, my large friend, lift him and carry him onagain? We are not far from the place where we can keep him securelyenough."
With a grunt French once more shouldered his burden, tramping on throughthe forest, Alvarez still bringing up the rear. Then, from the crest ofa rise they pressed between a fringe of bushes and next began to descenda narrow, rocky path. They stopped in a ravine, densely grown withtrees.
"Even in the daytime this place is hardly likely to be found by pryingeyes," laughed Alvarez confidently. "And now, my captain, you might ridyourself of the meddling boy."
French dropped Tom at the base of a young spruce tree, knotting anothercord to his feet and passing it around the trunk of the tree.
"He won't get away--can't, even though we were to leave him here throughthe night," muttered French gruffly.
"And I, since my meddling boy found for me the tobacco pouch that Idropped in his path for bait, will enjoy a smoke once more," laughedSenor Alvarez. He rolled a cigarette, which he soon was puffing. French,having filled a pipe, lighted that and stretched himself at full length.Thus several minutes went by. Tom Halstead, unable to talk, spent hisenergies in wondering whether Ted Dunstan was anywhere in the nearneighborhood.
After many minutes had passed the deep silence of this wild spot wasbroken by an owl hoot. Alvarez, raising his head, answered by a similarhoot. Then from the distance came two hoots.
"Come, we will go forward to meet our friends," proposed the swarthylittle man eagerly, as he sprang to his feet. French got up morelumberingly, though almost as quickly. Together they trod up to the headof the ravine. Out of the darkness ahead came Pedro and a little brownman who looked as much like a Spaniard as Alvarez did.
"We'se done brought yo' dis," stated Pedro with a grin that showed hisbig, white teeth.
"This" was Joe Dawson, his hands tied behind him, his face as sullen asa storm cloud in a summer shower. Joe was walking, led by Pedro, andpushed at times by the brown man.
"Ho, ho!" laughed Alvarez, in keen relish. "You have not done badly. Youbring me the other meddling boy. Halt him here--so. Tie him against thistree that he may have a chance to lean." Alvarez watched until Joe hadbeen moored fast, then asked:
"How many did you come out with to-night?"
"Guess!" proposed Joe pleasantly.
"Don't dare to be impertinent, boy!" warned Don Emilio, his eyesflashing. "Answer me straight, and--what do you call it?--to the point,as you Americans say."
"Lemon?" laughed Joe Dawson coolly. "No, thank you. I always takevanilla."
"Boy, if you get me any more angry," stormed Don Emilio, "you willregret it."
But Dawson merely looked at the swarthy, false-bearded little man withan air of boredom.
"Let me handle him," proposed Jonas French, stepping forward.
"I'll be glad if you will wait on me," drawled Joe, looking at thelarger man. "I don't believe this little fellow knows his business orhis goods."
With an angered cry Don Emilio darted in, striking his cool tormentoracross the face.
"Hold on," objected Joe lazily, "I didn't ask to be called until nineo'clock."
"Are you going to stop this nonsense?" demanded Don Emilio, his voicequavering with wrath.
"Dawson," remarked French, "you don't appear to realize your fix."
Joe stared at him haughtily, remarking:
"My bill is not due until the end of the week. Go away and let me readin peace."
Pedro, in the background, was holding one hand over his broad mouth tohide his expansive grin over this cool nonsense. But Don Emilio was fastlosing his not very certain temper.
"Go and bring that other boy Halstead," ordered Alvarez. "When the twoof them see each other they'll know their game is up, and they'll cometo their senses. If not, nothing will make any difference to them aftera few minutes more."
Without a word French turned, treading down the ravine. Just a littlelater he reappeared, looking bewildered.
"Alvarez," he gasped, "come here. That other boy isn't where we lefthim. Hurry!"
Uttering an exclamation of amazement, Alvarez darted after his friend.Pedro and the little brown man, caught in the astonishment, bolted aftertheir leaders.
Joe could not get away from the tree to which he was bound, but he stoodthere grinning with cool enjoyment. In another moment he felt a livelysound at his back. Then Halstead whispered in his ear:
"I'm cutting you loose, old fellow! Bolt with me!"
Dawson, straining at the cords while Tom slashed at them, was quicklyfree.
"Come along," begged Tom. "Never mind stopping to leave cards or writinga note of regret. Hustle--this way!"
Halstead led in the swift flight in the direction that he judged theroads to lie. They tried to go noiselessly, but they had not gone farwhen a shout behind showed them that their flight had been detected.
"Sprint, old chum!" floated back over Halstead's shoulder.
In looking back, the young skipper stumbled. Joe had to pause longenough to drag his comrade to his feet. That lost them a few preciousseconds, but they dashed onward once more. As they ran they heard thefeet of the pursuers behind. From greater familiarity with the groundsome of those in chase were gaining on the fugitives.
Tom Remembered the Toy Pistol, Just in Time.]
Joe now led in the chase, with Tom at his heels. They, came to whatappeared to be the wooded slope leading down to the road. Joe ran upagainst a wall almost sooner than he had expected. He nearly fell overit, but recovered and jumped. Halstead landed in the road beside him.
There was another flying figure in the air, and Pedro was beside them,reaching out. Behind were French and Don Emilio.
"Yo better stop, fo' shuah!" called Pedro, parting his lips in a grin ofhuge enjoyment. "Dere ain't no use in tryin' to git away from me."