XXIX
THE HAWK AT BAY
Red led the way, of course. Jack knew he was searching for the wire thatran from the planted explosive up to the spot where the vidette wasstationed, his intention being to sever this strand so as to make thehidden dynamite futile for doing any damage.
Shortly afterwards the guide uttered a low exclamation as ofsatisfaction, following this up by kneeling down, and with a pair ofpocket pliers cutting a wire that lay in plain sight on the rock.
Perk made a queer little noise, as though something in the way of a loadhad been taken from his chest. Jack, too, felt relieved; and besides,their early success seemed to presage a good ending to the adventure.
Again they went on, climbing by devious ways, but always making progressup toward the little plateau which had been described to Red by theformer member of the bandit circle as the lookout's station.
Drawing gradually closer and closer in the end they could make out thefigure of a man, seated Arab fashion, with his legs drawn up under him,and watching the spot where the trail stood out so plainly to one farabove. Apparently he had as yet discovered no suspicious movement, andwas unaware of what virtually hovered over his own devoted head.
Again did Red assume the initiative, and Jack was perfectly willing thatthis should be his part. Whispering a few words in Jack's ear placedclose to his lips, the Mounty sergeant moved away as noiselessly as acrawling serpent might have done, vanishing from their anxious eyes asthough the rocks had opened to engulf him.
The two sky pilgrims crouched there and waited, keyed up to a high pitchof anticipation and excitement. Jack could hear Perk drawing in eachbreath with a slight rasping sound; so, too, did the other moverestlessly as the minutes passed until a quarter of an hour had slippedby.
Then Jack noticed a faint movement just back of the lounging sentry, andsomething like four feet above his head. Of course it was Red, who hadmanaged to attain this commanding spot without making any soundcalculated to put the bandit lookout on the alert.
Perk, too, had glimpsed a face peering forth, and he as well as Jacksuspended breathing as they saw the sturdy Mounty launch his body intospace. Following came a scuffling noise, as the two forms writhed andtwisted there on the outcropping of rock, with a sheer drop of full ahundred feet, if one or both were so unfortunate as to squirm over theedge.
At least there had not been the faintest shout given, proving howperfect all of Red's movements had been calculated and carried out. Nodoubt the fingers of his right hand had clutched the sentry's throat ina flash, cutting off his wind, and reducing him to a condition ofhelplessness.
Two minutes afterwards and there was Red grinning as he beckoned for histwo mates to climb up to where he awaited them. Upon reaching his sidethey found he had tied the prisoner's arms together behind his back; andPerk making a quick examination, nodded as if vastly pleased over such athorough job. Borrowing a red bandana handkerchief--a fresh and new onePerk had laid in for this especial occasion--Red speedily made aneffective gag which he secured over the senseless man's mouth, so thatno matter how much he strove to cry out the best he could do would be tomake a low moaning sound, hardly more than a grunt.
After this had been accomplished Red unceremoniously dragged him into aninviting fissure near by, where he could be left to himself. He had beencoming into his senses at the time, and must have glimpsed the hated andfeared uniform of the Mounties, which would be apt to give him anightmare, knowing as he did what measure in the way of penalties wasdue for his reckoning.
Again the daring trio set out to reach the hidden den. Red led them bydevious ways, always with the one thought of "playing safe" held upbefore him. Inside of five minutes he pointed to where a network ofvines covered the face of a small cliff. Behind that curtain Red knewthe secret entrance of the freebooters' rendezvous was to be found.
Red's hunch turned out to be all to the good, as was proven when theyinvestigated, and found an opening that seemed to lead into the solidrock. Before taking chances by pushing into the black depths Jack andRed consulted once more in whispers.
Perk, hovering near by, suddenly glimpsed a moving object that turnedout to be a hostile eavesdropper--undoubtedly one of the outlaws hadbeen in the act of stepping out of the underground retreat when he madethe thrilling discovery that the dreaded Mounties were at the door.
Knowing from Perk's actions that his presence was discovered, in a nearpanic the man attempted to get away. Perk, however, hoping to preventJack's plans for surprising the gang from being upset, made a furiousrush toward the disappearing party.
He hurled himself upon the man, and succeeded in throwing him down withsuch violence that the other was knocked senseless; but unfortunatelybefore this happened the outlaw had let out a warning shriek, that musthave echoed through the passages of the cavern.
Several shots rang out, proving how quickly the gang could take thealarm. Loud voices, too, followed, and one in particular struck Jack asmost dominant and commanding; so that it hardly needed the quickexplanation from Red to tell Jack he was listening to the Hawk inperson.
Perk, realizing that the battle was now on, started to do his share ofthe action; and the way he handled that machine-gun was a caution. Itsrap-rap-rap following each burst with others in rapid succession, madeit appear as though a dozen of the surprise party must be thronging atthe entrance, ready for a concerted rush.
Perhaps, too, those sheltered inside the dark interior of the wonderfulcavern could catch occasional glimpses of the hated and feared uniformof the Mounted Police; for Red was actively moving back and forth, withjust this idea influencing him, to make them believe the entire forceconnected with the station had come upon the ground, bent upon making acomplete sweep-up of the bunch at bay while they were about it.
The fight went on quite merrily for some little time, with shots echoingthrough the corridors of the underground retreat. Whether their hotfusilade was doing any harm the trio on the outside could not discover,for no longer were shouts being exchanged--the besieged bandits keptfiring sullenly, nor did they seem to be lacking in an abundance ofammunition.
Realizing that they were getting nowhere by these ineffective tacticsJack again sought suggestions from his second in command. When Redvigorously advised that they try to find the secret rear entrance to thecavern, it struck Jack as a sensible plan. Knowing that there was littlerisk of the inmates making any serious attempt to rush out at this earlystage of the battle, especially when unaware of the number of theirfoes, Jack concluded to accept the risks and take his whole inadequateforce with him in making an attack from the rear.
It was indeed a lucky thing they had such a good guide at their disposalas Red proved to be; for he had no particular trouble in leading themalong a narrow ledge, and through a branch of the main canyon, untilthey presently reached a dark crevice in the shape of a rock fault,exactly as his informant had advised would be the case.
This being the case they entered the split in the wall, and aided byoccasional flashes from the hand electric torch Jack carried, managed inthe end to reach the main cavern. Here torches fastened to the walls inthe regulation fashion, allowed them to see the flitting figures of thealarmed bandits moving to and fro, as though engaged in changing theirstores to some more secure location.
It appearing that only by a sudden rush could they hope to strikeconsternation into the hearts of the already panicky bunch, Jack gavethe word, and with loud shouts and much firing of guns the three boldlyrushed the enemy. In return came a volley of answering shots; butapparently this unexpected attack from the rear unnerved the outlaws,for breaking they rushed into an inner chamber, which had evidently beenprepared for a last stand in case of just such an emergency as had nowarrived. When the three came on the spot it was to find only a singleform stretched on the rocky floor, and with a stout oaken door checkingtheir further advance.
XXX
BACK OVER THE BORDER--CONCLUSION
Taking stock of the situation Jack found that things did not look sosatisfactory as he could have wished. The outlaws, with but two missingfrom their number, so far as Jack could tell, had now retreated back ofwhat seemed in the nature of a fort, which might defy all the efforts ofhimself and two companions to break in.
The thing that worried Jack most of all was the fact that Perk had beenwounded in the last exchange of fierce firing. Just how serious thismight prove he could not say; but his chum's left arm seemed to hanghelplessly at his side; although otherwise the war veteran displayed hisusual scorn of a little blood-letting on his part.
"Looks kinder like we might be up a tree, partner," Perk hoarsely toldhim as they came together while dodging the hot firing. "Mebbe now you'dbetter gimme permission to heave a couple o' them little tear gasmarbles into that ere hole in the wall! See there's a place right overthat same heavy door they left open for ventilation like; I could make alittle rush up and push the pills through it in three shakes o' a lamb'stail. Say the word, buddy, an' let's end all this guess work."
Jack himself realized it would be their best policy; he had before thenwitnessed the effective nature of those same small bombs underconditions not so very unlike those now confronting them; and rememberedhow mutinies in jails and penitentiaries down in the States were beingeffectually quelled by the use of similar methods.
"All right, Perk, have your way; the quicker it's done the better, for Imust have a look at that arm of yours, old man."
Perk seemed well pleased, and lost not a second in "getting a move on,"as he himself would have termed it. Making a speedy dash he managed toreach the vicinity of the fastened door, drew back his right arm, andthen shot it forward. A second time was the movement carried out, afterwhich he staggered along the rocky wall, and fell at Jack's feet as ifexhausted by his supreme effort.
Jack's first impulse was to bend down in order to see what he could doto help his wounded pal; but Perk refused to be counted out.
"Go on and play the game to a finish, buddy," snapped the other,managing to attain a sitting posture, and pawing for his gun, lyingclose by; "I'm all to the good--don't bother 'bout me now--get your menfirst thing--I'll hold out okay--go to it, partner. Gosh! jest hear 'emwhoopin' things up, will you?"
The inmates of the barricaded fort were indeed creating a frightful row,cursing, and shouting, and begging some one to open the door so as togive them fresh air, saying their eyesight was gone, and they were stoneblind.
Red had taken up his position close to one side of the door, as ifwaiting to nail the first fellow who came staggering forth, groping inutter darkness, and with his eyeballs smarting frightfully; so there wasnothing for Jack to do but back the efficient Mounty up.
One of the prisoners and victims of the tear gas bombs managed to removethe bar holding the massive door; and as they came staggering forth, oneafter another, those awaiting seized hold, frisked them for weapons, andwith incredible swiftness snapped a pair of handy steel bracelets upontheir several wrists.
It was soon all over but the shouting--there proved to be six of theoutlaws, including the Hawk himself. The latter, when undergoing theagonies attending the effects of the gas, displayed no symptoms of hisaccustomed bravado, although he did not whimper, and plead, like some ofthe other victims.
Jack hastened to take a look at Perk's wound, and found that while hehad lost considerable blood, and seemed weak, there was not anythingvery serious about it--a rest of several days would set him on his feetagain without any doubt.
Anxious to get back to the station with their prisoners they lost notime in looking over the secret hiding place of the now demoralized gangwhich could wait for another day; but loading the prisoners on thehorses, made a speedy start. Three hours later what was their delight tosuddenly meet a body of Mounties heading toward the scene of the recentbattle; and at their head rode none other than Colonel Ascot himself.
As Dr. Hamilton was believed to be at the trading post, and Jack wishedto have him look after Perk, they headed in that direction first of all,each of the troopers having one of the dejected prisoners in front ofhim astride his mount.
Their coming created quite a sensation at the post, and the old factorquite naturally rejoiced at the prospect of presently recovering all thestock so recently carried off by the bold swoop of the outlaw gang.Since the leading spirit of the organization, known to them only as theHawk, was booked to be returned to Leavenworth; and the minor offenderswould get their liberty cut off for years to come, it looked as thoughpeace was likely to reign throughout that section of the NorthwestTerritory for keeps.
After Perk's arm had been cared for it was determined to keep on in thedirection of the Mounties' headquarters, carrying all their prisonersalong. They reached their objective about noon on the following day, notbeing able to make fast progress on account of the double burdenscarried by the horses.
Then came the biggest surprise of all, so far as Jack and Perk wereconcerned. The former and Dr. Hamilton were having a little chat, andPerk on his part sat in the sun amusing himself by staring at somethinghe held in his one good hand. Jack, as if by accident, steered hiscompanion over that way, so they came up behind Perk, quite unaware oftheir presence. He was, as might be said to be his habit, talking withhimself.
"Hang the luck!" they heard him mutter as if greatly annoyed; "there sheslipped me again, jest like the greased pig they try to ketch in thatsilly game--I was goin' to say that name as slick as you please, but nowI lost connections again. Adrian--Adrian _what_?"
"Where did you get that picture?" demanded a voice close to his ear, asa hand shot out and snatched it from his grasp.
"Why--what--here, what business you got takin' my property?" gasped Perkas turning his head awkwardly he looked in astonishment at Dr. Hamilton,strangely excited; while Jack stood by, nodding his head, and grinning,as if some suspicion he had entertained was now confirmed.
"Because he is _my_ boy--I am Doctor Adrian Bahrman!"
When the surgeon said this as though determined to no longer hide hisidentity behind a false name, Perk gave a tremendous start, and turningto Jack cried out:
"Hot diggetty dig! _did_ you hear that, partner--he said it, the name Ibeen tryin' to get out for ever so long! Knowed it was somethin' thatbegun with a B, didn't I tell you? Now I c'n get some peace, anyway. An'me always wonderin' where I'd seen a face like you'rn, Doc. Shake handson that."
Of course Jack had to tell the story, and when the thrilled doctorlearned how Perk had evidently saved the lives of his dear ones he againwrung the unbandaged hand of that individual with might and main, tearsstreaming down his cheeks.
They had decided to spend several more days at the station, so Perkwould be in condition for the return trip; and there were frequentoccasions for the whole story to be told on both sides.
Dr. Bahrman told them just why he had been influenced to hide himselfaway up in the wilderness--he had been betrayed by a cousin of hiswife's, who had once been a suitor for her hand in marriage. So cleverlyhad a plot been woven around him that through circumstantial evidence itseemed as though he were guilty of a forgery, and when out on bail hehad been urged to flee, especially by his wife.
When he learned how Adrian's mother was now searching for him, with goodnews of some sort, he decided to go back to the States with Jack, andtake his chances of being freed from the odium of being a fugitive fromjustice.
But just the same a turn of Fortune's wheel decided that this should notbe--that having suffered for all these months from the outrageous flingsof malice and hatred, things had suddenly changed for the better.
On the day before the one selected for making a start in the airship,carrying their moody captive with them, there was a sudden burst ofshouting; and as Jack hurried out of the log building he was thrilled tocatch the strangely familiar throbbing sound of a plane in the heavens.They stood there, every one at the station, watching the oncoming of asky-racer;
and even before it dropped down Perk had pronounced it anew-model Sikorsky Amphibian, Wasp powered, he being more or less of anauthority on such matters.
But as it turned out that was only a small part of the surprise awaitingthem; for no sooner had the boat settled in the river close to shorethan two men landed, helping a woman and a child along. Jack saw Dr.Bahrman start to run toward them as fast as his legs could carry him;and just as he was suspecting would prove to be the case, when the womanhurriedly snatched off the goggles and helmet she had been wearing, herecognized her as the mother of little Adrian, quickly to be wrapped inthe arms of her eager husband; nor did the dancing boy have to wait longere he too was held in a close embrace.
The story Mrs. Bahrman told was like a leaf taken from some volume offairy tales. The wicked cousin had been overtaken by the penalty for hisplotting, having been in a serious road accident when his car wassmashed by a train at a crossing; but before he died he had the decencyto make a sworn statement before a justice of the peace, entirelyexonerating Dr. Bahrman from the forgery charge that had been skillfullywoven around him, so that nothing now stood in the way of the reunitedfamily returning to their former home, and taking up their lives justwhere this wretched happening separated them.
Mrs. Bahrman, remembering that she had a brother in the Navy who was anefficient aviator and had made quite a name for himself, sought hisassistance the very day after she and her boy had been saved from theburning tenement in Salt Lake City, he being stationed in Los Angeles atthe time.
This brother being in high favor with the authorities readily securedpermission to use a new Government ship just placed in his charge; andcarrying an assistant pilot, along with the two Bahrmans, started overthe line for Canada, the devoted wife having in some way learned thather absent mate might be found in the vicinity of the advanced northernfrontier post of the Mounties.
So after all, when Jack and Perk started on the following day, it waswith the knowledge that soon afterwards the Sikorsky would be followingthem, carrying a happy party homeward bound.
They had no trouble with their prisoner, who seemed to be of a recklessdisposition, and snapping his fingers at Fate--he only said he had had arun for his money, and could afford to let matters take theircourse--that a man could die but once, and after all they did not treatprisoners badly at Fort Leavenworth.
Having duly delivered their man to the Federal District Attorney inSpokane who would see that he was returned to the penitentiary, Jack andPerk again waited further orders from Washington that would send themforth upon yet another flight through the clouds, following the path ofduty.
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