IX
JACK PLAYS REPORTER, WITH UNEXPECTED RESULTS
Not long after Alex left Bixton to take up his duties at Foothills, Jack,at Hammerton, also received an advancement. In itself it was not ofparticular note, beyond an encouraging increase in salary, and a transferfrom the day to the night force; but indirectly it resulted in anexperience more thrilling than any Jack's genius for tackling adventurousdifficulties had yet brought him.
Wheeling by the office of the "Daily Star" one afternoon, he heard hisname called, and turned his head to discover West, the reporter with whomhe had made the memorable Oakton trip, hastening after him.
"Just the man I was looking for, Jack," declared West, as the youngoperator wheeled to the curb. "I have a job for you.
"How would you like to tackle a bit of Black Hand investigation?"
Jack laughed. "You don't mean it."
"I certainly do. It's this way," went on the reporter, lowering hisvoice. "A Black Hand letter demanding money was received last week byTommy Spanelli, of the Italian restaurant. It was mailed here; and wehave the tip that last evening two foreigners were seen stealing acrossthe old quarry turnpike, and into the woods, as though not wishing to beseen. Of course they may not be connected with this at all, but againthey may; and I was put on the job to find out. The difficulty is that Iam too well known. If they caught sight of me, they would be suspiciousimmediately.
"But they would never suspect a lad like you," West proceeded; "and Iknow you could carry anything through that came along. So will you runout there and investigate for me?"
"Why, certainly. But just what shall I do?" Jack asked.
"Wheel up and down the quarry turnpike for an hour or so, then, if youhave seen no one, beat around through the woods as far as the old stonequarry. And any foreigners you come upon, take a good look at. That'sall. And drop in at the office here in the morning, and report."
"That's easy. All right," agreed Jack readily.
"Thank you. And keep the matter quiet, you know," West added. "We want anexclusive story for the 'Star' if anything comes of it."
"I understand. And, say," said Jack as he turned away, "I'll take mycamera, too. I may be able to get a snap of them, if I see anyone."
"Good idea. A picture would help to land them, if they are the fellows wewant; and we could run it in the paper with our story. Go ahead, Jack,and good luck."
Jack was not long in wheeling home and securing his folding Brownie; anda half hour later found him pedalling slowly along the quarry road nearthe point several miles from the city where the suspicious foreigners hadbeen seen to enter the woods.
An hour passed, however, and he had seen no doubtful characters, andfinally dismounting at the entrance to a path he knew to lead toward theold stone quarry, Jack concealed his wheel in a thicket, and set off tomake an investigation in that direction.
A moment after he came to a halt with a sharp exclamation. In the path athis feet lay a murderous-looking stiletto. Picking it up, he examined it.Yes; it was of foreign make. And the still damp mud stains on the side ofthe blade which had lain uppermost showed it had been but recentlydropped.
Apprehensively Jack cast a glance about him, almost immediately to uttera second suppressed exclamation. Emerging from the woods on the oppositeside of the road was a short, dark man--undoubtedly an Italian.
With beating heart Jack watched him. Was he one of the men he was lookingfor?
In the middle of the road the stranger halted, looked sharply to rightand left, and came quickly forward. Darting from the path Jack threwhimself on the ground behind a bush, and the next moment the manhurriedly passed him. He was soon out of sight, and rising, Jack placedthe dagger carefully in an inside pocket, and determinedly set off after.
Half a mile he followed the Italian amid the trees. Then there appearedthe light of an opening, and going forward more carefully, Jack foundhimself on the edge of the quarry clearing. The foreigner was hurryingalong the brink of the excavation, evidently heading for a smalltumble-down cabin at its farther end.
The man reached the shanty, and knocked. To Jack's surprise the door wasopened by a negro.
Wonder at this was quickly forgotten, however, for as the door closedfrom the woods behind Jack came the sound of voices, then an ejaculationin Italian. A moment Jack stood, in consternation, believing he had beenseen. But a glance showed that the owners of the voices were yet out ofsight beyond a rise, and recalling his wits, Jack ran for a nearby clumpof elders.
The voices came quickly nearer. Suddenly then, for the first time Jackrecalled the camera. At once came the suggestion to get a snap of thenewcomers as they stepped into the clearing.
Jack glanced about him. A short distance away, and but a few feet fromthe path, was a low, tent-like spruce. With instant decision he made forit, drawing the camera from his pocket as he ran.
Dropping to his knees, he wormed his way beneath the tree, and through tothe opposite side. Finding an aperture commanding the exit of the path,he opened and focused the camera upon it. The next moment the twoItalians appeared. For the fraction of a second Jack hesitated, fearingthe click of the shutter might betray him. But he took the chance, therewas a crisp, low click--and he had them, and they had passed on.
Chuckling with delight, Jack crept forth. What next? Looking toward theshanty, he again saw the door opened by the negro. This decided him.Replacing the camera in his pocket, he set off on a circuit through thetrees that would bring him back to the clearing immediately opposite theshanty, determined if possible to reach it, and learn what was going oninside.
Without incident he made the point desired, and gazing from the cover ofa bush, discovered with satisfaction that the two hundred yardsseparating him from his goal was dotted with small bushy spruce. Moreimportant still, on that side of the cabin were no windows.
Stooping, Jack was about to steal forth, when he paused with a new idea.It came from a stray piece of wrapping-paper lying on the ground beforehim.
Why couldn't he conceal the camera in this paper, with a string tied tothe shutter; approach the house, knock, ask some question, and secretlysnap whoever opened the door?
To think was to decide, and at once he set about preparations. Findingsome cord in a pocket, he first deadened the click of the shutter with athread of the string, and secured a piece of it to the shutter trigger.Carefully then he wrapped the camera, open, in the paper, and with hisknife cut a small hole opposite the lens, and a second and smaller holebeneath. Through the latter he fished out the trigger-string--and thedetective camera was complete.
Without delay Jack adjusted the parcel under his arm, holding thetrigger-string in his fingers, and strode boldly forward toward theshanty. He reached it, approached the door, and knocked. From within camethe sound of voices, then a heavy step. Drawing the string taut Jackmoved back several paces, and pointed the opening in the package at thedoor.
But success was not to come too easily. The latch lifted, and the dooropened only a few inches, barely showing the eyes and flat nose of thenegro.
"W'at yo' want?" he demanded.
"Would you please tell me the way out to the road?" said Jack steadily.
The negro regarded him sharply a moment, then opening the door barelysufficient to reach out a hand, pointed toward the woods, and saidgruffly, "Yo' see dat broke tree? Right out dah."
"Which one? I see two," declared Jack, coolly.
Impatiently the negro threw the door wide, stepped out, and pointedagain. In an instant Jack had pulled the string, and from the parcel hadcome a soft "thugk!" "Thank you, sir," said Jack, turning away, andinwardly chuckling at the double meaning of the words. "Thank you."
"But look aheah, boy," added the colored man threateningly, "doan yo' beprowlin' roun' heah! Un'stan'?"
"No fear. I'll be glad when I'm away," responded Jack, again secretlylaughing, and headed for the woods, the negro watching him until he washalf way across the clearing.
Once more in the shelter of
the trees, Jack determined to follow up hissuccess by endeavoring to discover just what was taking place at thecabin. Hiding the camera in a convenient brush-heap, he made sure all wasquiet, and again stole forth. Slipping quickly from shrub to shrub, hesafely made the crossing, and came to a halt at the rear of the shanty.
To his ears came the sound of voices in subdued discussion. They were somuffled, however, that he could distinguish nothing, and recalling apartly open window at the front, he went forward to the corner, peeredcautiously about, and tiptoed to within a few feet of it.
At once the voices came to him plainly.
"You gotta dat?"
"Stan' in doo'way, hat in yo' han', upside down," responded the coloredman's gruff voice.
Wondering, Jack drew nearer.
"At halfa da past two by da beeg clock," continued the first speaker.
There was a pause, and the negro repeated, "At half pas' two by dah cityclock, shahp."
Suddenly it came to Jack. At the dictation of the Italian, the negro waswriting a "Black Hand" letter--ordering one of their victims to displaysome signal to show that the demand for money would be complied with!
The Italian's next sentence left no further doubt. "If you no giva dasign, you deada man by seex clock."
At the words, and the fierceness with which they were uttered, Jack felta chill run up his spine. Had he followed his immediate impulse he wouldhave fled. But determining to learn if possible who the letter was for,he waited.
"What numbah?" asked the negro.
"Feefity-nine Main."
The Italian restaurant! Another letter to Spanelli! The men he was after!
Jack waited to hear no more, but tiptoeing back about the corner, was offfor the woods, jubilant at his success.
Indeed Jack was over jubilant--so jubilant that he forgot the necessityof caution, made a short cut across an open space in full view of theshanty, and half way was brought to a sudden realization of his mistakeby the creak of an opening door. In consternation he at once saw he couldnot reach cover before being seen, and also that did he run, theBlack-Handers would understand they had been discovered.
With quick presence of mind he recognized and instantly did the one thingpossible. Turning, he headed back boldly for the cabin. The next instantthe three Italians came into view, immediately discovered him, andhalted. Secretly trembling, but with a cool front, Jack approached themas they stood, excitedly whispering.
"Would you kindly tell me the time?" he asked.
The three men exchanged glances, then, as at a signal, stepped forwardand surrounded him. "Now, whata you want?" demanded one of them sharply,thrusting his dark face close to Jack's. Before Jack could repeat hisquestion the shanty door opened and the negro appeared. Exclaimingangrily, he ran toward them.
"W'at he want? W'at he want now?" he demanded.
"He say, whata da time," repeated one of the Italians.
"W'at de time? He am a spy! A spy!" cried the negro. "In de house withhim!" Jack sprang back, and turned to run. With a rush the negro and oneof the foreigners were upon him, and despite his terrified struggles hewas dragged bodily into the shanty. There they flung him heavily into achair, and gathered menacingly about him.
"Now boy, w'at yo' spyin' roun' heah fo'? Eh?" demanded the negrofiercely.
Instinctively Jack opened his lips to deny the charge, but closed them,and remained in dogged silence. Despite his peril, he felt he could nottell a deliberate falsehood. The negro repeated the question.
"I simply asked them the time," said Jack evasively.
With a snarl one of the foreigners caught him by the shoulders and yankedhim upright. "Tie heem!" he directed, and roughly two of the others drewJack's hands behind him, and bound them with a cord. As one of theItalians then proceeded to tie a handkerchief about his ankles, Jackbarely suppressed a cry of fright. But grimly he clenched his teeth, andnot a sound escaped him as the negro then caught him up, carried himacross the room, kicked open a door, and threw him upon the floor within.
For a few minutes Jack lay dazed, then turning on his side, he lookedabout him. By the dim light of a dusty window he saw he was in a small,roughly furnished bedroom. Before he had taken in further particulars,however, a sound of heated discussion in the outer room drew hisattention.
"No, no! We can't taka da chance!" came the voice of one of the Italians."Not wid dat boy!"
Filled anew with terror Jack struggled to a sitting position and beganstraining desperately at his bonds. A moment's effort caused his heart tosink. The knots were as taut as though made of wire.
Determinedly he continued to strain and pull, however, and presently,losing his balance, he rolled over on his side, and something hardpressed into his chest.
The dagger he had picked up! Quickly he saw the possibility of using it.Working again into a sitting position, he bent low and sought to reachinside his coat and seize the hilt of the knife with his teeth. But asoften as he reached, the coat swung, and the hilt evaded him.
Jack was not to be beaten, however. Getting to his knees, he bent farover, until his head almost touched the floor, and fell vigorously toshaking himself. At the second effort the dagger slipped out to thefloor. Quickly then he got a firm hold on the end of the handle with histeeth, struggled again to a sitting position, drew his knees up as far aspossible, and bending low between them, began stabbing at thehandkerchief about his ankles with the point of the weapon.
At the first attempt the knife barely touched the handkerchief. He triedagain, and just reached it. Throwing his head far back, to gain momentum,he lunged forward with all his strength. The keen point struck the linensquarely, there was a rip and tear--and his feet were free.
As the severed handkerchief fell from his ankles, the dagger, slippingfrom Jack's teeth, clattered to the floor. But the noisy discussion stillgoing on without prevented its being heard; and promptly Jack turned tothe problem of freeing his hands.
As they were tied behind him, this promised to be far more difficult.Indeed Jack's courage was beginning to fail him, when the method offreeing his ankles suggested a possibility. At once he essayed it. Risingto a kneeling position, he strained at his wrists for several minutes,then, bending far over, began working his hands down beneath him.
It seemed as though they would never come, and again and again he had topause for breath. Desperately he continued, and suddenly at last theyslipped, and were under him, directly below his knees.
Throwing himself over on his side, he once more grasped the dagger hiltin his teeth, and as he lay, carefully aimed the point between his legsat the cord about his wrists, and gave a quick, hard thrust. At the firstblow he struck the cord fairly, but only half severed the strand. Againhe lunged, and the next moment he was free.
The heated debate was still in progress in the outer room, and nearlyexhausted though he was, Jack immediately scrambled to his feet andtiptoed to the window. To his joy he discovered it was made of a slidingframe, only fastened by a loosely-driven nail. It required but a fewminutes' work to remove this, and very cautiously he began sliding thewindow back.
Half way it went easily, without noise. Then it stuck. Carefully Jack puthis shoulder to it. Suddenly, without warning, it gave, then stopped witha jar, and to his horror a broken pane shot from the frame and fellclattering to the floor.
From the other room came a shout and a rush of feet. In desperation Jackstepped back, and with a run fairly dove at the opening. His head andshoulders passed through, then he stuck. Behind him the door flew open.With a desperate wriggle he struggled through, and fell in a heap to theground just as the negro reached the window and made a wild lunge forhim. The next moment Jack was on his feet and off across the clearinglike a hare.
The four lawbreakers were quickly out of the house in full chase.Presently there was the report of a pistol, and a shrill "wheeeu" justover Jack's head. Ducking instinctively, but with grimly set lips, herushed on. Again came the whine of a bullet, and again. With a finalsprint Jack reached th
e cover of the woods in safety, darted to thebrush-pile and recovered his camera, and on, straight through the treesfor the spot at which he had hidden his wheel.
Love of outdoor life and sports now stood Jack in good stead. Despite theexhausting efforts of his escape, and the hard running amid the trees,over trunks and through undergrowth, he kept on at the top of his speed,and finally reached the road ahead of the nearest of his pursuers.
Rushing for his wheel, he dragged it forth, and quickly had it on theroad. Not a moment too soon. As he sprang into the saddle there was ashout and a crash of bushes but a few feet from him. But throwing all hisweight on the pedals, he shot away, and a moment after sped about a bendin the road--and was safe.
Jack would not have been a real boy had there not been considerable pridein his voice when, entering the "Star" office the following morning, hehanded West, the reporter, two small photographs, neatly mounted, andsaid:
"Here are the pictures, Mr. West."
West sprang to his feet. "No! Great! Splendid!" he cried. "How did you doit, Jack?
"But here--" Pushing Jack into a chair, he dropped back into his own, andcaught up a pencil. "Give me the whole story, from beginning to end. Ifthe police round up these fellows this morning we will run it in to-day'sedition."
This, with the aid of Jack's snap-shots, the police did, capturing theentire band; and that afternoon's edition of the "Star" carried atwo-column story of Jack's adventure with the Black-Handers, which, withthe pictures, made what West declared "the biggest story of a month ofSundays."