CHAPTER IX
TWO YOUNG PRISONERS
Left to themselves. Fred Garrison and Songbird Powell hardly knewwhat to do to pass away the time. With all of the others away thespot where the gasoline launch had been tied up appeared to beunusually lonely.
"I can tell you what, I shouldn't care to be caught all alone atnight in such a spot as this," said Fred, with something of a shiver."It is about as dismal as any place I've seen."
"Right you are," murmured Songbird and then continued:
"The lonely waters washed the lonely shore, Where they had washed full many a moon before, I listened pensively--not a sound Was there to break the tomblike silence all around!"
"Great mackerel, Songbird!" cried Fred. "Don't go on like that. It'senough to give a fellow the creeps!" But the would-be poet onlycontinued:
"I listened for a single bird, But not a note my ear there heard,I looked up in the calm, clear sky--"
"And nervous enough was I to fly!" finished Fred, and went on:"Songbird, if you've got to make up poetry give us something cheerful.Can't you make up something about--er--about circus clowns, or applepie, or--er--"
"Circus clowns or apple pie!" snorted the would-be poet, in deepdisgust. "Well, you are the limit, Fred Garrison. No, I can't makeup poetry about circus pie or apple clo--I mean apple clowns orcircus, pshaw, you know what I mean--"
"I didn't mention mixed pickles," observed Fred, demurely. "But ifyou can mix--What's that?"
He stopped short and straightened up on the launch seat, and so didSongbird. Both had heard voices at a distance.
"They must be coming back," said Songbird. "It didn't take them long."
They listened, and set up a call, but no answer came back. Then theylooked around searchingly.
"That's funny," murmured Fred.
"I don't think it's funny," was the low answer. "Something is wrong."
"Help! My foot is caught!" came presently, in a muffled voice. "Hello,the launch! Help me somebody, quick!"
"Who is that calling?" asked Songbird.
"Somebody of our crowd and in trouble," answered Fred, and leapedashore with Songbird at his heels.
The call had come from a thicket about a hundred feet away, and inthat direction dashed the two unsuspecting youths, never dreaming ofthe plan laid to trap them. As they ran into the thicket four personscame behind them, and in a trice each was thrown violently forwardon the ground and held there.
"Wha--what does this mean?" gasped Fred, as soon as he could get hisbreath.
"It means that you are prisoners," came in the voice of Gasper Pold."Keep quiet now, it will be best for you."
"Blindfold 'em and be quick about it," came in a low tone from oneof the others of the party.
"Dan Baxter!" exclaimed Songbird, recognizing that voice. "Is itpossible! I thought you died in the swamp!"
"Hang the luck!" muttered the former bully of Putnam Hall. "I didn'twant them to know I was here."
By this time the two boys had had their hands tied behind them. Thenthey were allowed to rise.
"Don't you make a noise, if you value your lives," came from anotherof the men, and to their surprise they saw that it was Sack Todd,one of the head counterfeiters of Red Rock ranch and the only manwho had escaped from the authorities at the time the noted gang wasrounded up. How slick an individual this chap was those who have read"The Rover Boys on the Plains" already know.
The boys now saw that the fourth person who had attacked them andmade them prisoners was the carpenter Solly Jackson. The fellow tooksmall part in the proceedings and was apparently under the thumb ofGasper Pold.
"What is the meaning of this outrage?" asked Songbird.
"You'll find out quick enough," answered Dan Baxter, with a chuckle."So you thought I perished in the swamp, eh? Ha! ha! I thought I'dfool you!"
"Did you get away with Sack Todd?" asked Fred.
"Not exactly--but we soon met--after that fight was over--and herewe are, to fix you for interfering with our business," went on thebig bully.
"Look here, Baxter, we can't stop to talk now," broke in Gasper Pold."Those other fellows will be back soon. We've got to make the bestpossible use of our time."
"Tie 'em to the trees," said Sack Todd. "Quick now, and then we'llbe off. You say you can run the launch?" he asked, turning to theformer bully of Putnam Hall.
"Sure I can--used to do that sort of thing at home, years ago,"replied Dan Baxter.
Without ceremony Fred and Songbird were tied fast to two trees nearby, the ropes being passed from their wrists directly around eachtree. Then the men and Baxter departed, taking with them severalheavy bundles which they had been carrying.
"That stuff they have must be from the houseboat," said Fred, whenhe and Songbird were left alone in the forest. "They are going torun off with it on the launch!"
"I reckon you are right." Songbird gave a groan. "Gosh! they tied mywrists together so tightly the blood won't circulate!"
"They are first-class rascals, and Dan Baxter is as bad as any ofthem," was the answer. "Isn't it strange that he should escape fromthat swamp, and after losing his horse, too!"
After that the two prisoners listened intently and soon heard theputt-putt of the gasoline launch, as the power was turned on. Graduallythe sound grew fainter and fainter.
"They are off!" sighed Fred. "Perhaps now we'll never see the launchagain!"
"This will make Harold Bird angry, Fred. First his pet dog and nowhis new launch. He'll want to land those rascals in jail just as muchas we do."
Half an hour went by--the young prisoners thought it must be fourtimes that long,--and still nobody came near them. Each tried to freehimself from his bonds, but without avail. Fred cut one wrist andSongbird scraped off the skin and that was all.
"It's no use," sighed the would-be poet. "We'll have to stay heretill the others get back."
"What fools we were to be deceived into thinking one of our partywas in trouble! I thought that cry for help didn't seem just right.We walked right into the trap."
"I was afraid--My gracious me! Look!"
At this exclamation both boys looked into the forest they were facingand there they saw a sight that almost made the blood freeze in theirveins. Crouching down between some bushes was a bob cat larger thaneither of those that had been killed the night before.
"Oh!" cried Songbird. "Scat!"
At the cry the bob cat turned and disappeared into the bushes likea flash. But then they heard it leap into a tree, and the rustlingof the branches told them only too plainly that it was approachingcloser and closer.
"This is--is awful!" groaned Fred. "It will surely pounce down andtear us to pieces. Help! help, somebody! Help!"
Songbird joined in the cry and the forest rang loudly with the soundsof their voices. Then they stopped to get their breath.
"I see him--he is almost over our heads!" gasped Songbird. "Help!Help!" he yelled, at the top of his lungs.
"What's the trouble?" came from close at hand, and Dick Rover burstinto view, with Tom and Sam at his heels and each with his revolverdrawn. Not far behind were Hans and Harold Bird.
"A bob cat! Look out for him!" cried Fred.
"Protect us!" put in Songbird. "We are helpless!"
"See, they are tied to the trees!" exclaimed Tom. "What does this mean?"
"I see the bob cat!" said Sam Rover, and without ado fired up intothe tree. Down came the beast, spitting viciously and clawing theair, to fall at Tom's feet. Bang! went Tom's pistol and then all ofthe others fired, and almost as quick as I can tell it the beast laydead where it had fallen. Then the boys looked around for other bobcats, but none showed themselves.
"Oh, how thankful I am that you came," said Fred, as he was beingreleased.
"And you didn't arrive a minute too soon either," said Songbird."That bob cat was getting ready to spring on us! It was a narrow escape!"
"Who made you prisoners?" asked Dick. "But I suppose it was thatGasper Pold and his tools."<
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"Yes, and who do you think his tools are?" answered Fred.--"SollyJackson, Sack Todd--"
"Sack Todd!" exclaimed Sam.
"Yes, and Dan Baxter."
"Baxter!" came from the others.
"The young rascal you told me about?" said Harold Bird.
"Exactly, and all of them have run away with your launch," put inSongbird. "They went quite a while ago."
"I was afraid of it," answered the young Southerner. "Of course theymust have steered for Lake Sico."
"Yes, and as they have had a good start, they must be a long way offby now," added Tom.