CHAPTER XX
SPRINGING THE TRAP
There was much that must be done before they could feel satisfied theyhad their mantrap arranged. Jack realized that if the party who playedthe part of local agent for the counterfeiter gang had been kept fromcoming to secure the fresh supply of bogus bills by the threateningstorm, he was likely to make his appearance at almost any time, sinceall danger from the electrical disturbance was now past.
They finished their little supper without wasting any more time, afterwhich the matter of hiding all traces of their presence was taken up.
"See if you can find any water outdoors, Perk," Jack was saying, as hecontemplated the red embers of their late fire. "Seems to me I steppedin some sort of a puddle while coming up to the door. Here's an oldrusty can that looks as if it'd hold a quantity--I want to dash it onthese coals so as to cool them off. That done we'll find some way tohide, and watch developments."
Perk sized up the situation cleverly enough, and lost no time in settingabout doing as his pal suggested. When he came back he was carrying therusty can, which did leak a trifle, but then that made no particulardifference, so long as enough water remained to put the fire out.
It sizzled, and steamed a bit but Perk distributed the fluid contents ofhis can with such discretion that all this was speedily brought to afinish, with the last red ember cooled off, leaving a dead little pileof wood ashes as the only reminder of their blaze.
"Now that's settled, partner," said the always ready Perk, "what comesnext on our program?"
Jack had his hand electric torch in use, for otherwise they must havebeen left to grope around, since the clouds continued to drift past inclusters, shutting out most of the moonlight.
"We must gather up everything here that might give us away, for like asnot the fellow'll fetch some kind of a light along with him--lantern itmay turn out to be, because he knows its apt to be pretty dark insidethe old shack, and he can't do much just by fumbling around."
"Yeah! that's right, boss," returned Perk, commencing to gather up anyand all their scanty belongings, not forgetting that convenient rifle ofhis. "But I say, how 'bout the bus--won't he lamp the thing settin'there in the open an' ain't it apt to give him a bad start?"
Jack had duly considered that very point in making up his plans, and wasready to meet the situation.
"Taken it all in all, buddy, there's small danger of that happening," hewent on to tell Perk. "First, remember, the ship lies on that side ofthe shack away from the spot where I glimpsed those lights and if hecomes along in a direct line from the town there isn't one chance inthree of him noticing it. Even if he does I reckon he'll feel deadcertain only his own messenger'd be flying in this region--he may neverhave seen another crate besides the one sent out by Slippery Slim."
"She sounds good to me, Jack an' I'm willin' to take a shy at thetarget, if so be you guess it's straight goods, all wool'n a yard wide.Let's go!"
Accordingly both passed out of the deserted shack that had proved such afortunate harbor for them after the late storm. Jack knew what they mustdo in following up the little plan he had framed, with a view of givingthe suspect the shock of his life and without any further preliminarieshe set about carrying out the few details.
"There's a chink or two in this further wall," he went on to say, in alow voice, next door to a whisper, "that will furnish us means forkeeping tabs on what's going on inside. We'll settle down there, andjust wait. As luck has it that side of the shack is away from the moon,which is all in our favor, in fact everything seems to be arranged justto suit our plans."
"Bully set-up, boss, couldn't be better for a fact," agreed the hopefulPerk, who firmly believed in the element of Luck, and was immenselygratified to discover how that little god was working over-time in theirfavor--according to his way of thinking it was always "better to be bornlucky than rich."
"How about it?" whispered Jack, after they had commenced to crouch downin the darkened spot he had selected.
"Just great, that's all," Perk assured him, "show me where one o' themcracks c'n be located, partner, an' then I'll be okay--all fixed."
Jack obliged by directing his chum's hand to an opening, through whichit would be easy enough to keep watch over any happening inside theshack.
"Next we'll creep over to this further corner, and try to find out whenhe comes along," continued Jack. "From now on, Perk, keep your tonguebetween your teeth--no talking, remember, but if it does seem to beabsolutely necessary, put your lips close to my ear, and whisper--getthat?"
"Nuff sed, boss, I'm on," came faintly from the figure crouching atJack's side, after which abject silence fell upon the scene.
A little later on Perk, now that his hearing was strained so as to pickup any kind of sound, however slight, caught the barking of a watchdog;it seemed to be at a considerable distance from the shack, and he judgedthere might be a couple of miles lying between. This was not a greatamount of ground to cover, if only the inducement were sufficientlyurgent and that fat packet of enticing bank bills, supposed to besecreted under the adobes of the old hearth, must represent an alluringprize, capable of drawing a chap who was fond of "easy money" out of hissnug home at this unseasonable hour of the night, and indulging in alittle hike, for which effort he would fancy himself well repaid.
Some time passed.
They lay there just back of the comer of the dilapidated and abandonedshack, waiting, listening, and frequently feeling a little thrill whensome soft sound came stealing to their ears.
Then Perk plainly heard what was surely a low cough, such as might becaused by a sudden tickling in the throat. Some one was undoubtedlyapproaching the spot, and coming from the west, where they understoodthe prairie hamlet, or village, lay at the foot of a small ridge.
He merely touched his companion's right arm to let Jack know somethingwas in the wind. The cough was repeated, so that Perk chuckled softly tohimself, as if more than ever convinced that luck was bent on handingthem out further fat plums.
Jack was already creeping back so as to reach the spot where thoseconvenient peepholes could be found and of course Perk imitated hisexample. Thus it came about they were in complete readiness to make gooduse of their eyes when a slight scratching sound came from within, and atiny flash announced that the newcomer had struck a match.
Perk could see him there down on his knees, and intent on applying hislighted match to the wick of a lantern he had evidently fetched alongfor this very purpose. If Perk could have analyzed the feeling thatpossessed him just then he must have compared it to the exultation of acat when about to make a jump upon a sparrow, close up to which he hadmanaged to hide, all prepared for the finishing act of the ambush.
No sooner had the man succeeded in lighting his lantern than with eagerhands he commenced lifting the adobe under which Jack had again artfullyplaced the bait in the shape of that tempting packet of bogus notes.
How eagerly he pounced on the contents of his queer _cache_, all theavariciousness of a miser handling his hoard was displayed and at thesame time he looked hurriedly from one side to the other, as though hisguilty soul, conscious of having thus broken the law of his country, wasalready seeing the long arm of Justice stretching out menacingly towardhim.
Jack evidently had seen enough to satisfy him the genuine criminal wasin focus, and that there could be no miscarriage of Justice in effectinghis capture with the goods upon him. He was creeping toward the opendoor of the shack, evidently bent on taking the slick partner of thecounterfeiter chief by surprise.
Perk lost no time in crawling at his pal's heels, bent on having a handin the closing scene of the little drama--he wanted to see with his owneyes just how such a slimy beast would take his "bump" when he found themeshes of the net closing around him.
They were soon looking in at the open door. The man still knelt there onthe hard earthen floor of the shack, and appeared to be nervouslyfumbling the sheaf of bills, as though tryi
ng to count them, and beassured that he had received the full amount to which he wasentitled--that there had been no "holdout" attempted.
Perhaps one of them happened to make a slight sound--either that, orelse the man's guilty soul caused him to fancy he heard something for heturned his head. It chanced that the light of the lantern fell full uponhis dark face, and disclosed the distended eyes filled with terror, aswell as the expression so ghastly that passed athwart his countenance.
"Put 'em up!" commanded Jack, sharply, in a voice that would brook nononsense and as if mechanically influenced to obey, the wretched trappeddistributor of bad notes raised both hands, the packet falling to thefloor as if his nerveless fingers could no longer retain their grip.
Jack and Perk stepped blithely into the lighted shack, the former withhis ready automatic covering the badly shaken rogue, Perk trailing hisrifle in a suggestive way, as if able to back his boss up on theslightest provocation.
First frisking the other, and removing a gun from his back pocket, Jackmade a motion with his hand as he set Perk to work.
"Get the bracelets on him, partner, then we'll ask him a few leadingquestions before we make up our minds what the next step'll be."
"But--hold on, Mister," whined the poor devil, all aquiver as hegroveled there on his knees; "I ain't done nawthin'--this hear ain't mystuff--I jest suspicioned Jud he must a had somethin' hid out this way,'case he kep' comin' an' agoin', so I kim tuh see what it mout be. Now Iknows he must a robbed thet bank over in Tucson when he went off with agang he runs with."
"Stow that gab," said the disgusted Perk, "that's all too flimsy towash. We got you to rights an' where the hair's short, an' you'll have achanct to see what the inside o' the pen at Atlanta's like. This here'scounterfeit long-green, an' you knows it, mister," with which cuttingremark he snapped a pair of steel handcuffs upon the other's wrists withthe skill only one accustomed to handling such "safety-first"contraptions could display, proving that for one of Slippery Slim'sactive lieutenants the show was indeed over.