CHAPTER VIII
A BLINDING FLASH
Stumbling on through the dark woods, led by his captors, Tom tried topierce the gloom and identify the persons who had firm grips on eitherside of him. But it was useless. A little light sifted down from thestarlit sky above, but it was not sufficient. The young inventor wasbeginning to think, after all, that he had fallen into the hands of theHappy Harry gang, and he knew that if this was so he need expect nomercy.
But two things were against this belief. One was that the principalmembers of the gang were still in jail, or at least they were supposedto be, and another was that there were too many of the captors. HappyHarry's crowd never numbered so many.
"Maybe they're highwaymen," thought our hero, as he was dragged along"But that can't be," he reasoned further. "If they wanted to rob methey'd have done it back there in the road, and not brought me off herein the woods. Besides, I haven't anything for them to steal."
Suddenly Tom stumbled over a projecting root, and nearly fell, draggingalong with him the person who had hold of his left arm.
"Look out there! What's the matter with you?" exclaimed one of thethrong quickly, and at the sound of the voice Tom started.
"Andy Foger!" cried the young inventor, as he recovered himself, for hehad recognized the voice of the red-haired bully. "What do you mean byholding me up in this way?" he demanded.
"Quiet!" urged a voice in his ear, and the tones were unfamiliar."Mention no names!"
"I'm on to your game!" retorted Tom. "I know you're here, Andy, and Samand Pete; and Jack Reynolds and Sid Holton," and he named two ratherloose-charactered lads, who were often in the company of Andy and hiscronies. "You'd better quit this nonsense," Tom went on. "I'll causethe arrest of all of you if you make trouble for me. I know who you arenow!"
"You think you do," answered the voice in his ear, and the younginventor concluded that it must be some lad whom he did not know. "Noris this nonsense," the other went on. "You are about to receive thepunishment due you."
Our hero did not answer, but he was doing some hard thinking. Hewondered why Andy and his crowd had captured him.
Suddenly the blackness of the woods was illuminated by the fitful gleamof a distant fire. Tom could see more plainly now, and he managed tocount about ten dusky figures hurrying along, four being close to him,to prevent his escape, and the others running on ahead. The lightbecame stronger, and, a moment later the prisoner and his captorsemerged into a little clearing, where a fire was burning. Two figures,masked with black cloth, as were all in the crowd, stood about theblaze, putting on sticks of wood.
"Did you get him?" asked one of these figures eagerly.
"Yes, they got me, Sam Snedecker," answered Tom quickly, recognizingSam's tones. "And they'll wish they hadn't before I'm done with them."
"Quiet!" ordered an unknown voice. "Members of the Deep Forest Throng,the prisoner is here!" the lad went on.
"'Tis well, bind the captive to the sacrificial tree," was the responsefrom some one in the crowd.
Tom laughed. He was at ease now, for he recognized that those who hadtaken him prisoner were all lads of Andy's character. Most of themwere Shopton youths, but some, evidently, were strangers in town. Tomfelt he had little to fear.
"Bring him over here," ordered one, and Tom cried out:
"You wouldn't be giving those orders, Andy Foger, if my arms weren'ttied. And if you'll untie me, I'll fight any two of you at once,"offered the young inventor fiercely, for he hated the humiliation towhich he was being subjected.
"Don't do it! Don't untie him!" begged some one.
"No danger, they won't. They're afraid to, Pete Bailey," replied Tomquickly, for he had recognized the voice of the other one of Andy'sparticular cronies.
"Aw, he knows who we are," whispered Sam, but not so low but that ourhero heard him.
"No matter," was Andy's retort. "Let's go ahead with it. Tie him tothat tree."
It was useless for Tom to struggle. He was bound too tightly by therope, and the crowd was too many for him. In a few minutes he wassecurely fastened to a tree, not far from the camp-fire, which wasreplenished from time to time.
"Now for the judgment!" called one of the masked lads, in what he meantto be a sepulchral tone. "What is the charge against the prisoner?Brother Number One of the Deep Forest Throng, what is your accusation?"
"He's a regular snob, that's what's the trouble," answered AndyFoger, though whether he was "Brother Number One," did not appear."He's too fresh and--and--"
"I'll make you wish you felt fresh when I get hold of you, Andy,"murmured Tom.
"Quiet!" cried a tall lad. "What's the next charge?"
"He keeps an old colored man on guard at his place," was the answer,and Tom had no difficulty in recognizing the voice of Sid Holton. "Thecoon throws whitewash all over us. I got some of it."
"You wouldn't have, if you'd minded your own business," retorted Tom."It served you right!"
"What is the verdict on the prisoner?" asked one who seemed to be theleader.
"I say let's tar and feather him!" cried Andy suddenly. "There's abarrel of tar back in the woods here, and we can get some feathers froma chicken coop. That would make him so he wouldn't be so uppish, Iguess!"
"That's right! Tar and feathers!" exclaimed several.
Our hero's heart sank. He was not afraid, but he did not relish theindignity that was proposed. He resolved to fight to the last ounce ofhis strength against the masked lads.
"Can we get a kettle to heat the tar in?" asked some one.
"We'll find one," answered Sam Snedecker. "Come on, let's do it. You'lllook pretty, Tom Swift, when we're through with you," he exulted.
Tom did not answer, but there was fierce anger in his heart. The tarand feather proposal seemed to meet with general favor.
"Members of the Deep Forest Throng, we will hold a consultation,"proposed the leader, in his assumed deep voice. "Come over here, toone side. Brother Number Six, guard the prisoner well."
"There ain't no need to," answered a lad who had been instructed tomount guard over Tom. "He's tied so tight he can't move. I want to hearwhat you say."
"Very well then," assented the leader, "But look to his bonds."
The lad made a hasty examination of the ropes binding the younginventor to the tree, and Tom was glad that the examination was a hastyone. For he feared the guard might discover that one hand had beenworked nearly free. The young inventor had done this while he leered athis captors.
Tom was not going to submit tamely to the nonsense, and from the momenthe had been tied, he had been trying to get loose. He had nearlysucceeded in freeing one hand when the crowd of masked boys moved offto one side, where they presently began to talk in excited whispers.
"I wonder how they came to catch me," thought the prisoner, as heworked feverishly to further loosen the ropes. "This looks as if it wasa put-up job, with the masks, and everything." Later he learned thatthe idea was the outcome of a proposal of one of the new arrivals intown. He had organized the "Deep Forest Throng," as a sort of secretsociety, and Andy and his cronies had been induced to join. It wasAndy's proposal to capture Tom, though, and, having seen him depart forMansburg on his motor-cycle, and knowing that he would return along aroad that ran near the woods where the Throng met, suggested that theytake Tom captive. The idea was enthusiastically received, and Andy andhis cronies thought they saw a chance to be revenged.
Tom, while he picked at the ropes, listened to what the boys weresaying. He heard frequent mention of tar and feathers, and began tobelieve, that unless he could get free, while they were off thereconsulting, he might be forced to submit to the humiliating ordeal.
He managed to get one hand comparatively free, so that he could move itabout, but then he struck several hard knots, and could make no furtherprogress. The conference seemed on the point of breaking up.
"One of you go for a big kettle to boil the tar in," ordered theleader, "and the rest of you dig up some feathe
rs."
"I must get loose!" thought Tom desperately. "If they try to tar andfeather me it will be a risky business. I've got to get loose! They mayburn me severely!"
But, though he tried with all his strength, the ropes would not loosenanother bit. He had one hand free, and that was all. The crowd wasmoving back toward him.
"My knife!" thought the captive quickly. "If I can reach that in mypocket I can cut the ropes! Once I get loose I'll fight the wholecrowd!"
He managed to get his free hand into his pocket. His fingers touchedsomething. It was not his knife, and, for a moment he felt a pang ofdisappointment. Then, as he realized what it was that he had grasped, anew idea came to him.
"This will be better than the knife!" he thought exultantly. The crowdof lads was now surrounding him, some distance from the fire, whichburned in front of the captive.
"Sentence has been passed upon you," remarked the leader. "Prepare tomeet thy doom! Get the materials, brothers!"
"One moment!" called Tom, for he wanted the crowd all present towitness what he was about to do. "I'll give you one chance to let me gopeaceably. If you don't--"
"Well, what will you do?" demanded Andy sneeringly, as he pulled hismask further over his face. "I guess you won't do anything, Tom Swift."
"I'll give you one chance to let me go, and I'll agree to say nothingabout this joke," went on Tom. "If you don't I'll blow this place up!"
For a moment there was a silence.
"Ha! Ha! Ho! Ho!" laughed Sam Snedecker. "Listen to him! He'll blow theplace up! I'd like to see you do it! You can't get loose in the firstplace, and you haven't anything to blow it up with in the second. I'dlike to see you do it; hey, fellers?"
"Sure," came the answering chorus.
"Would you?" asked Tom quickly. "Then watch. Stand back if you don'twant to get hurt, and remember that I gave you a chance to let me go!"
Tom made a rapid motion with the hand he had gotten loose. He threwsomething toward the blazing fire, which was now burning well.Something white sailed through the air, and fell amid the hot embers.
There was a moment's pause, and then a blinding flash of blue firelighted up the woods, and a dull rumble, as when gun-powder is lightedin the open followed. A great cloud of white smoke arose, as the vividblue glare died away, and it seemed as if a great wind swept over theplace. Several of the masked lads were knocked down by the explosion,and when the rumble died away, and deep blackness succeeded the intenseblue light, there came cries of pain and terror. The fire had beenscattered, and extinguished by the explosion which Tom, though stillbound to the tree had caused to happen in the midst of the Deep ForestThrong. Then, as the smoke rolled away, Andy Foger cried:
"Come on, fellows! Something's happened. I guess a volcano blew up!"