CHAPTER XXIX--TO THE RESCUE
Jack and his two chums, waiting in the dark of the cave, wondered who itwas approaching. They had guessed it would prove to be the two men whohad gone down the road shortly before in Cora's car, but this was only aguess. And whether these two were the same men who had first taken themachine was, of course, only a conjecture.
"What'll we do, Jack?" whispered Paul, from behind a barrel where he wascrouching. "Jump out on 'em?"
"No," was the answer. "Not at first. Let's see what their game is andthen we'll have better evidence against them. Just lie low and wait."
"Here they come!" cautioned Walter.
The sound of the footsteps and of the voices was nearer now, andpresently the boys saw the glimmering reflection of light on the rockyand dirt sides of the cave.
"We've got to work lively!" said a man's voice. "Those campers arebeginning to suspect there's something wrong. We'll have to clear out,bag and baggage, presses, engine and everything."
"That's right," added another. "Lucky we have the car. We can take mostof the stuff in that if we have time, and set it up somewhere else. Thisgraft is too good to give up."
"Where'll we take it?" a third voice asked, and the boys, who could notsee the speakers, wondered how many of them there were.
"Oh, we can stow it away at----" began the man who had spoken first whenthere came an interruption from his companion.
"No names!" he cautioned.
"Who's to hear?"
"You can't tell. Since those boys opened up the floor of the bungalow,there's no telling what might have happened. Besides, I don't want oldJason to know where we are going. I'm going to get rid of him; he's moretrouble than help."
"Especially with that horrible boy of his," some one said. "Ugh! I can'tbear the creature!"
"Still he's been useful. He did the tricks all right. But it was amistake to go to the bungalow. That's caused all the trouble. We shouldhave stuck to this end of the cave."
"We had to have an emergency exit," declared one of the men, "and thebungalow was the best."
"Yes, until these campers came. Now that jig is up."
"Yes, the whole business is up, I'm afraid. Well, let's see what we canget out now before we're found."
Jack and his chums could hear the men moving about boxes and barrels.They seemed to be taking them outside. What was in the packages the boyscould only guess. And Jack was wondering what he and his companionscould do if the men in the cave should suddenly discover the presence ofthe intruders.
Jack peered out from behind his barrel and had a glimpse of a man movingabout in the light of a lantern the criminals had brought into the cavewith them. But the man's legs alone were visible and Jack could formvery little idea from them of how the man looked.
"Isn't this enough for one load?" asked one of the men. "We don't want abreakdown."
"Oh, that machine will carry more," declared another. "We did a finestroke when we picked that up. I wonder if those girls have an ideawhere their car went to?"
"They'll have one soon," thought Jack, gritting his teeth. "The nerve ofyou!"
"Let's go back and get that little numbering press," suggested a man."It's too valuable to leave, and it won't take up much room. Come on,and pick up what we can. The fewer trips we make, the better it will befor us. Come on."
The light flickered and the footsteps of the men died away.
"I say Jack!" called Walter, after a moment's pause.
"Yes, what is it?"
"What's the matter with our going outside and getting Cora's auto now.It's got a lot of their stuff in it that will be fine for evidenceagainst them. It's our best chance--just slip out now and get Cora'scar."
"That's right," agreed Paul. "If we let them get away with it again wemay never see it."
"All right," agreed Jack. "You two go out and capture the car. Dowhatever you think best about it. I'll stay here and follow the men whenthey come out. If they have some of their machinery that will beadditional evidence against them. Go ahead."
Paul and Walter hurried out, leaving Jack alone in the dark cave. Theyleft him the lantern, saying they could find their way out by means ofmatches. Jack felt a little apprehensive as he was left alone, knowingthat at least three men, who might prove desperate criminals, were inthe cave with him. And if they discovered him, and knew that he was oneof those working against them--well, Jack did not altogether like tospeculate on what might follow.
Those seeking to solve the mystery were now divided into three parties.There was Jack, alone in the cave, waiting for the return of the threemen. Walter and Paul were on their way outside to get the automobile.While Cora and her chums were prisoners of the old man and his imbecileson.
Walter and Paul reached the outer end of the cave without incident, andjust without the wooden shack found Cora's car standing unguarded andwell-laden with packages and some small bits of machinery.
"Caught with the goods!" chuckled Paul. "This game is coming right intoour hands now. What shall we do?"
"Drive the car as near to the bungalow as we can," decided Walter. "Thegirls will be anxious about us, anyhow. We can leave the car with Mr.Floyd and then come back to Jack."
A quick examination showed that Cora's car, though it had been sadlymisused, was in shape for running. It responded at once to theself-starter and Walter and Paul were soon chugging down the road,taking off the spoils of the ticket counterfeiters.
"Camp Surprise ahoy!" called Walter as he ran the car as near as hecould to the bungalow. "Girls, where are you? We've got great news!We've solved the mystery!"
There was no answer to the hail, and Paul looked at his chum ratherapprehensively as they alighted.
"They don't seem to be here," he said.
"They must be," Walter argued. "There's Mrs. Floyd. We'll ask her."
"Why, aren't the girls in the bungalow?" asked the chaperon,wonderingly. "I have been away a little while, and just got back. Theywere here when I left."
A quick search through the bungalow failed, of course, to disclose thepresence of Cora and her chums. The entrance to the secret passage wasstill open, but Walter, running down the steps, reported that the girlswere not there, and that the blocking door was closed.
"But we'll soon have it open," he said. "We have permission from Mr.Haight to tear down the obstruction."
"Where is Mr. Kimball?" asked Mr. Floyd, who had been summoned by hiswife from a bungalow not far away, where he was making some repairs.
"He's up in the cave, keeping watch on the counterfeiters," said Paul."It's a great story!"
Thereupon he and Walter gave a short account of the movements ofthemselves and Jack up to the present.
"But where are the girls?" asked Paul. "We must find them."
"Perhaps they went up to the cave Cora found," suggested Walter. "Let'sgo there and look."
"First we'd better see if Jack doesn't need help," Paul said. "I guessthe girls know enough to keep out of danger, and it's daylight yet.We'll go to Jack."
"I'll take charge here," said Mr. Floyd. "I've got a man working with meat the other bungalow, and he and I will stand guard over the auto. Whenyou come back, if the girls haven't returned, we'll go after them."
This plan was deemed the best to follow, and Paul and Walter hastenedback on foot to the cave where they had left Jack.
Cora and her friends, made prisoners in the cave by the old man and hishorrible, grinning, half-witted helper, felt faint and sick as theyrealized what might be the outcome. For a moment none of them spoke. Theold man laughed, showing his blackened teeth--a strange contrast to hiswhite beard--and then he chuckled:
"Police spies; eh? Come to catch the old man! But he was too smart forye; wasn't he? He caught you; didn't he?"
"What do you mean by locking us in?" demanded Cora. "Open that door atonce and let us go!"
"And call away that--that horrid idiot!" half-sobbed Belle. "If hecatches hold of me----"
"Oh, Bombee won't hurt
you; will you, Bombee?" said the old man, pattingthe half-witted youth on the head. "That is, he won't if you do as Isay, and don't try to run. Bombee's like a dog. He's my pet, so he is.Hi, Bombee! Do a trick for the ladies!"
The idiot gave a shrill cry, bounded up on a box and stood on his head,his legs kicking in the air.
"See!" chuckled the old man. "Bombee minds me. If I was to tell him tobite you he would, but I won't tell him."
"You let us go!" demanded Cora, her thoughts in a whirl with the strangeideas that came to her mind.
"I didn't ask you to come here," snapped the old man. "And them as comesuninvited must stay until they're let go. Ye can't go out and bring inthe police."
"But if--if we promise not to tell the police?" faltered Bess.
"I wouldn't trust you," snarled the old man.
"Then there must be something here about which you are afraid," saidCora, boldly. "Why do you fear the police?"
The man gave her a sharp glance.
"Never you mind that," he said. "When the others come I'll know what todo with you. I'll make you----"
He paused and seemed to be listening. At the same time the idiot gave awhimpering cry.
"Some one's coming!" snarled the old man. "The police, maybe. You'vesent 'em. But they won't find you. Quick, Bombee--the secret room--openthe door!"
The half-witted creature bounded forward, and caught up a club. Bessscreamed, fearing the fellow was going to attack them. But the idiotmerely put the stick in a hole in the wall, and pressed on the leverwith all his might. A heavy plank door swung out, revealing a blackroom.
"Into that with you!" cried the old man.
"No!" screamed Cora.
"In there with you or I'll----"
He looked so terrible, and made such a threatening gesture, and thehalf-witted youth seemed so ready to do his master's bidding that thegirls shrank back from the claw-like hands of the old man, and fairlyran into the secret room opened by the helper. Once inside they heardthe door close after them.
"Oh!" gasped Belle. "This is terrible, Cora! What shall we do?"
"Keep quiet a minute. Let me think. Oh, oh!"
Hazel flashed on her light.
"Thank heaven for that!" moaned Belle. "We can at least see."
The girls looked quickly about them. The light showed them that theywere in some sort of office. There were desks and chairs in it, and onthe desk were a number of papers, while innumerable tickets werescattered about. The girls attached no significance to them at first.There was an incandescent lamp swinging above the desk, and Cora turnedthe black key. At once there was light, showing that the gasolineengine, the rumble of which could still be heard, operated a smalldynamo.
"Oh, what shall we do?" gasped Bess.
"Listen!" whispered Cora.
From the cave outside came the murmur of excited and angry voices. Therefollowed sounds of great activity, as if boxes and barrels were beingmoved about. Once or twice came a snarl from the idiot, and thecommanding voice of the old man. The other voices the girls could notrecognize.
"I'm going to call for help," said Cora. "That may be the boys come torescue us. Come on, girls! We'll all shriek!"
This they did, uniting their shrill voices in an appeal for help. Coracaught up a paper-weight from the desk and hammered on the door of theirprison. But neither their calls nor the pounding brought an answer. Thenoise in the outer cave continued. The men seemed to be quarreling amongthemselves now.
Then came silence. The girls called again but with no result. Theylistened. Not a sound came from beyond the door.
"What has happened?" asked Bess.
"I can't even guess," Cora said. "But don't worry. We'll get out of heresome time. Meanwhile, let's see if we can by any means open the door."
Events were now happening in several different places--events connectedwith the boys and the counterfeiters.
Jack was waiting in his hiding place, wondering what would next takeplace, and he was getting rather tired of his cramped position, when heheard footsteps coming back.
"Here's where I do a sleuthing act and follow them," he decided. But hewas hardly prepared for what followed. The footsteps broke into a run,and there were excited voices calling one to another. There was thecrash of falling boxes, and above everything came a strange unearthlyyell, like that of some animal in pain.
"What in the world----" began Jack.
There was a rush of several bodies past his hiding place. Jack looked upover the head of the barrel in time to see four men, one carrying alantern, dash along the cave, and behind them came another withabnormally long arms.
Pausing a moment to allow the fleeing ones to get a little ahead, Jackfollowed. His brain was excitedly thinking.
"There'll be a grand ruction in a minute," Jack chuckled to himself."Things will happen with a vengeance."
He heard cries of rage from the shack at the mouth of the cave.Advancing into it, but keeping himself concealed, Jack peered out. Henoted that the automobile was gone, and from the absence of Paul andWalter he argued that they had driven away in it.
The talk of the men confirmed this.
"They've dished us!" exclaimed one, angrily.
"The car's gone!" faltered another. "We were too slow!"
"What are we going to do?" asked a third.
"Cut and run for it!" some one answered. "The game is up. Scatter, andwe'll meet again, later. Lively's the word!"
Jack looked out to see the two men he and his chums had observed before,with a third one, start for the wooded slope of the mountain. Then hesaw the old man and the half-witted helper.
"Wait--wait for me!" pleaded the aged one. "I can't run fast, I'm allcrippled with rheumatism! Wait!"
"We can't wait. Look out for yourself," one man flung back unfeelinglyover his shoulder. "It's every one for himself."
"Ah! desert me, would you!" cried the old man, shaking his fist at thefleeing ones. "But I'll get even with you. Old Jason will get even! I'lllet the girls out of the cave, and tell them the whole story! I'll letthe girls out of the secret room in the cave!"
Jack had been in two minds whether to advance and speak to the old man,or follow the fleeing ones, but as he heard these words he knewsomething else now called for his attention.
"The girls in the cave!" he murmured. "It must be Cora and the others hemeans. They must have gone into the cave while we were in town. I've gotto rescue them. Let the men go! I must help the girls."
Catching up his lantern, Jack dashed back into the dark cavern.
"I'm coming, girls! I'm coming!" he cried. "To the rescue!"
CHAPTER XXX--ALL'S WELL
Walter and Paul, hurrying to aid Jack, whom they had left in the cave,came in sight of the shack just as the old man and his helper wereturning back into it. The two boys did not glimpse the three fleeing menwho had by this time disappeared among the trees.
"Look--look at that!" gasped Paul, rubbing his eyes. "Am I dreaming,Wally, or is that an ape or a human being?"
"It's real enough--some sort of a crazy chap, I should say. But what's hedoing?"
"Calling down the vengeance of heaven, I guess," observed Paul, for theysaw the old man shaking his fist in the air.
"Hurry up and we'll speak to him," urged Walter. "Somehow I think he'spart of the mystery."
They reached the old man just as he was turning back into the shack. Hedid not seem greatly surprised to see them.
"Will that--er--fellow hurt us?" asked Walter.
"Not unless I tell him to. Are you the police?"
"No, but we can get them if you wish," said Walter. "We are after theticket counterfeiters," he added shrewdly. "We have recovered the stolenauto, and a lot of the stuff is in our possession. Now if you----"
"Yes, I'll give up. I'm too old to run away. They deserted me, and I'lltell all I know. I'm getting tired of it anyhow. Being a criminaldoesn't pay. I'll give up. Come on back and I'll let out the girls. I'msorry I locked them in, but I thought there was a
chance to escape. Ididn't hurt them."
"Girls! What girls?" gasped Walter.
"Well, I guess likely they're of your party--from the bungalow," said theold man, from whom all the spirit of rage and fighting seemed to havegone. "They're in the secret room of the cave. Come on, Bombee, we'lllet them out."
Wondering what it all meant, Walter and Paul followed the old man backinto the cave. He seemed to know his way in the dark, though Walter hadbrought an extra flashlight from the bungalow, and now switched this on.
A little later the two boys, with the old man and the half-wittedhelper, entered the main cave where they found Jack running about halfwild with excitement. He was shouting, and muffled cries--the voices ofthe girls--came in answer.
"Jack! You here!" cried Walter.
"Yes, and the girls are here too, but I can't locate them, though I canhear them. They're locked in some secret room. We must find it."
"I'll let them out," said the old man. "I locked them in. Hi, Bombee,open the door."
Once more the powerful helper took up the wooden club, or lever. Heinserted it in the opening and the plank door, which could not, at firstglance, be told from part of the cave sheathing, swung open. Then,tearful and disheveled from their efforts to escape, out rushed thegirls.
"Oh Jack!"
"Oh Paul!"
"Oh Walter!"
Thus they gasped, the two girls seeking refuge in their brothers' arms,while Belle and Bess clung to one another.
"Oh, that horrible man!" gasped Belle.
"Bombee won't hurt you," said the old man, humbly. "And I ask yourpardon. I had to do what I thought best, but it is all over now. I giveup!"
"Let's get out of this terrible place," begged Cora.
"Come on, then," returned Jack. "Why, it's a regular undergroundprinting shop," he added as he looked around. "Here's where they madethe counterfeit tickets."
"Yes, this is the place," confessed the old man. "You have found oursecret."
Walter and Paul started to go out of the cave the way they had come in.
"There is a shorter way," said the old man. "It leads to your bungalow."
"But that door is shut," said Cora. "It shut after us."
"Bombee can open it," was his reply. "He knows the secret as well as I.Come. It opens easily."
He led the way back along the passage through which Cora and her chumshad lately come, first unlocking the door which he had closed afterthem. When they came to the cement obstruction, the helper pressed on acertain place, and it swung to one side. A little later the entire partywas in the bungalow, to the great surprise of Mr. and Mrs. Floyd. Thecaretakers looked in astonishment at the old man and his assistant.
"Well, now let's have some explanations," suggested Walter.
"Did you get the auto?" asked Jack.
"Yes, and a whole lot of tickets and other stuff," Paul said.
"My auto?" asked Cora.
"Yes, we have it back for you," answered Walter. "And before we lose anymore time we had better get the police after those three men."
"I'll go into town," offered Mr. Floyd. "And about him?" he nodded tothe man the counterfeiters had called Jason.
"Oh, I'll give myself up," the old man said. "Old Jason is tired of thegame. Lock me up whenever you wish," he seemed very tired and weary. "Iwon't run away. I'll stay with Bombee."
A little later the authorities took charge of matters, entering the caveand taking possession of a very complete though small printing plant,and numberless bogus tickets. Constables were sent to look for the threemen. The old man was arrested and taken to jail, and Bombee, his son,who would not be separated from him, went with him. But before Jason wastaken away, he told enough to make the mystery clear.
He was an expert printer, it seemed, and had fallen in with a band ofmen who planned to flood the country with bogus railroad and theatricaltickets. They had set up their plant in the cave, the existence of whichthey had learned by accident and kept secret.
There were three entrances to the cave. One was in the side of the hill,where the men had put up a shack in order to conceal the opening. Thesecond was the one discovered by accident by Cora. This was not used,being too small. And the third was through the bungalow and the passage.
This passage, the secret sliding door in the floor, and the cement doorthat blocked the passage (it developed later) had been constructed bythe actor who formerly owned the bungalow. Just what his object was noone knew, but his unbalanced mind probably built a romance about thegreat dark hole. The cave was then used for nothing, but it admirablysuited the purposes of the ticket men who fitted it up as they wished.
To it they brought their machinery and began issuing tickets, Jason,aided by the half-witted Bombee, doing the printing, while the othersdistributed the product. It was the rumble and clank of the gasolineengine and presses that made the queer trembling sounds heard by thegirls and boys. The rocky cave acted as a sort of telephone, or soundbox, and sometimes the noises would be louder than others. The fact thatthe engine stood on a strata of rock upon which the bungalow wasconstructed accounted for the trembling and vibration of the building.
"We did the printing when you folks were away from the bungalow at mosttimes," said old Jason. "We found out when you were gone by means of thesecret passage. But sometimes we had to work on a rush order when youwere on hand."
"Then is when we heard the noise," said Jack.
"But who upset the furniture, and took our things?" asked Cora.
"Oh, that was Bombee," said the old man. "I could not always watch him,and he would slip away, open the secret door of the passage and get upinto the bungalow through the floor. He is very mischievous, but gentle.He likes to upset chairs and tables. He used to do that trick, amongothers, in a theatre where he used to show as a human ape. He didn'tlook unlike an ape, you see."
"He took your ribbons and things, too. They are in the cave. I thoughtthey came from your bungalow, but I did not dare return them. Once hebrought in a flashlight."
"That was the time we saw the queer, dancing beams upstairs and down,"said Hazel.
Before our friends had occupied the bungalow, Bombee had been up to histricks. He had upset the furniture, giving rise to the strange storiesabout Camp Surprise, and he it was who had taken the silver, having alove of bright things. He would slip out of the cave, open the passagedoor (having seen Jason operate the mechanism), get into the bungalow bymeans of the opening in the floor, upset the furniture and then run outthrough the passage again, closing the doors after him, so there wasnothing to show how any intruder had gotten in and out.
It was learned that the time the boys and girls saw the two men at thetumbled-down old house, that the counterfeiters had gone there to meetsome persons to whom they gave bogus tickets to dispose of. The menprobably realized that our friends were on their trail and fled. Thetaking of Cora's car had been done on the spur of the moment, the needof some means of getting quickly about the country to dispose of thetickets being pressing.
The crash heard in the night, which caused the floor to be taken up, wascaused by one of the men dropping a box of tickets. He was storing it inthe passage near the secret door. Occasionally, when the bungalow wasnot occupied, the men used it, and it was in this way that the big,half-witted youth learned to find his way there.
"Well, I guess that ends the surprises of this camp," said Cora, as theofficers took Jason away. "Now we can enjoy our stay here."
And the surprises were indeed over. The secret door in the floor wasclosed, and fastened, the mechanism having been broken. After theprinting apparatus had been taken out our boys and girls, and manyothers inspected the cave. It was a large and curious place, and thecriminals had made it their living and hiding place for some time.
Though a diligent effort was made to capture the three men, they werenot apprehended, and in view of his confession Jason was given only alight sentence.
Cora's recovered car was put in good order and used some, though themount
ain roads were not very good for automobile riding.
"And now for some glorious times!" cried Bess one day, about a weekafter the mystery had been cleared up. "Boys, we'll give you----"
"A big chicken dinner!" interrupted Jack. "That's what we want."
"Well, you deserve it," said Cora, "for the clever way you laid yourplans."
"You girls were a bit clever too, getting into the cave by the secretdoor while we were off in town telephoning," said Walter. "We give youthe credit for that."
"Everything came out all right all around," remarked Hazel. "But, oh! wewere scared stiff for a while."
"I should say so!" ejaculated Belle. "That horrible old man and hisawful son!"
"Well, all's well that ends well," said Bess. "And I have a whole box ofchocolates to go with the chicken dinner."
"Marvelous--a whole box!" echoed Cora. "How did she ever manage it,girls?"
The chicken dinner was voted a great success. By this time the summerseason was in full swing, and many cottages and bungalows in MountainView were occupied. Cora and her friends entered with zest into thejolly life, and they were the recipients of much attention, for thestory of Camp Surprise had been told in many papers.
"But it's nicer not to hear queer noises and see strange lights," saidCora. "And it's a relief to come in and find the furniture the way youleft it." And the others agreed with her.
"Will we ever have another time like this?" asked Belle.
"Perhaps. Who knows?" returned Cora. And leaving that question to besettled later we will say good-bye to the Motor Girls.
THE END
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