Chapter 29

BOB

When Bob was fettered beyond his power to make any resistance he relapsed into a sullen silence, which troubled Jet more than reproaches or threats would have done.

He had expected to be overwhelmed with curses, and fancied the man would rave and struggle uselessly until he was completely worn out; but such was not the fact.

It was much as if Bob had suddenly conceived the idea of reserving his strength until the time should come when he could use it with effect.

He lay silent and motionless on the ground, and when Jet had prepared a gag he was even so complaisant as to open his mouth to receive it.

"S'posen we let up on his legs a little so's he can walk down to the shore," Jim suggested. "He's goin' to make a big load if we try to carry him."

This seemed to be a very good idea, and Jet acted upon it at once, saying to the prisoner:

"If you'll come along quietly we'll treat you the best we can under the circumstances."

Bob did not move.

"Get up," Jet said, in a louder tone, as if believing his first remark was not understood.

Bob shook his head, and there was no mistaking the look on his face as he did so.

He had no intention of aiding his captors in any manner, and if they claimed him as prisoner they must take him by sheer expenditure of strength or not at all.

"There's no use spending time trying to coax or drive him," Jet said, after a long pause. "If he won't walk we've got to carry him, and that's the end of it."

Jim, who had been examining the shanty while resting after the battle, discovered a hammock tucked away in one corner, and he proposed that this should be used as a litter, for the man could be conveyed more easily on something than if the boys raised him simply by the head and feet.

"Roll him in here, and we'll run this pole through the ends so all the weight will be on our shoulders."

This was done at once, and although the prisoner was bent nearly double when the density of the foliage forced the bearers to approach each other closely, the labor of removing him to the boat was greatly lessened.

"There's no chance Sam will be back until late in the night," Jet said, as Bob was deposited in the bottom of the craft with no gentle force, "so we can move about without fear of being discovered, and you might give us a hot dinner."

"We'll take our ease this day, an' that'll put us in better shape for tackling the other feller to-night. If he helps himself to the liquor as he comes down the lake we may have our hands full."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Jet replied, gloomily, and then, recovering himself as with an effort, he added: "There's no use borrowing trouble, however, and we should be mighty thankful we've succeeded so well in getting two of them."

"You can bet I am thankful," Jim replied, with such emphasis that Jet could not prevent himself from laughing heartily.

By this time Bob had been carried to the cedar thicket, and an expression of surprise came over his face as he saw the first prisoner; but Jet did not intend to allow them an opportunity to communicate with each other even by signs.

Bob was made fast to a tree at the farther end of the encampment, where he could not see his former companion, and then Jet went to the first prisoner as he said:

"If you will promise not to speak, I'll take the gag out of your mouth for a while, because we shall likely be here a long time."

There was an expression of deepest thankfulness in the fellow's eyes, and the amateur detective felt reasonably certain that he would not attempt to make any disturbance.

"Now, if I hear you so much as whisper, back it goes," he said, as he removed the uncomfortable preventive of speech.

"You needn't be afraid," was the meek reply. "I'll do anything rather than have that thing put in my mouth agin. How did you get hold of Bob?"

"Took him unawares, as we did you."

"Well, all I can say is, you fellers are corkers!"

This in a tone of admiration. "If any one had told me that a couple of boys could get the best of him, I'd said it was a lie, an' here you sneak off an' bring him in when you get ready."

"We shouldn't have done it if you'd found them."

"That's a fact; but you can't expect that a feller wouldn't help his pals."

"That's all right, since no harm has been done," Jet replied, feeling very magnanimous now he had been so successful.

The boy had every reason to feel proud of what had been accomplished. He had acted as Harvey wished, and, in addition, arrested the man so particularly wanted, with one of his companions.

Now if he could transfer them to the charge of an officer his triumph would be complete, and the detective have good reason to keep his promise relative to employing him as an assistant.

It was the fact of his having been successful, more than anything else, that caused Jet to fear the third attempt at capturing a man would be attended with signal failure, and several times during the day was he tempted to bundle the two into the boat, instead of waiting to make prisoners of all three.

He even went so far as to suggest this to Jim, saying:

"We could get up to the village with these fellows before morning, and I'm not sure it wouldn't be the best plan, for if Sam downs us these will be set free. Then all this work counts for nothing."

"Let's go the whole hog or nothing," the small guide replied, bravely, for he was rapidly beginning to think that he and Jet could accomplish anything they might attempt.

Then Jim set about cooking an elaborate dinner as a sort of thanksgiving.

The fire was built inside the thicket between the two prisoners, so that the boys might keep watch of both at the same time, and when the food had been prepared Detective Harvey's assistants set themselves down to enjoy it to the utmost.

Then it was necessary to feed the prisoners, a task which required considerable time.

Jim attended to the stranger, while Jet fed Bob, and the latter said, when his gag was removed:

"I reckon you're countin' on turnin' us over to the Albany officers."

"Yes, unless some one comes from New York."

"Ain't you the messenger boy I smuggled up on the boat?"

"Yes. I don't suppose you expected to see me again, eh?"

"I wish I'd done as Joe wanted me to. You could have been thrown over that night, and no one would have been any the wiser."

"Lucky for me you didn't know as much as you do now."

"You can well say that," was the surly reply, and during the next five minutes Bob paid strict attention to receiving the food which Jet held to his lips.

"I wonder if it would be any use to try an' buy you off?" the fellow said, half to himself, when the meal was finished.

"Not a bit; Joe tried that, but it wouldn't work."

"Are you the same boy who nabbed him?"

"Yes."

"It's hard, mighty hard, to be pulled by a cub like you," and Bob shook his head mournfully. "A feller expects something of the kind from a reg'lar officer, if it so be that he's put himself in the way of trouble; but it comes tough to be downed by a couple of whiffletts I could break all up with one hand."

"It does seem queer we should be able to do so much," Jet replied, modestly, and then he added: "If you give me your word as a man that not a word shall be spoken, and no noise made, I'll leave this gag out until sunset, otherwise, it must go in again."

"I'll agree, because you've got me foul."

"Very well; but if I hear so much as a whisper it will go in your mouth again, not to be taken out till the officers get here."

"I know when I'm licked," Bob growled, "an' don't need threats after I can't help myself."

During the remainder of the afternoon the boys had nothing to do save discuss the chances of taking Sam a prisoner, and when they were tired of this Jet suggested that each take a nap.

"From this out we shall have to keep our eyes open pretty much all the time, unless Sam succeeds in getting the best of us, and it will be a good idea to scoop in what rest we can now. You lie down first, and I'll stand watch."

The small guide was quite ready to act upon this suggestion, and it seemed as if he had but just rolled over on the blanket when his eyes were closed in slumber.

When the sun was an hour high Jet awakened his companion, and said, as he prepared to take his turn at sleeping:

"Be sure to call me at sunset, and keep your eyes on those fellows all the time. I don't reckon there's much chance of their being able to get free; but we mustn't run any risks."

His orders were obeyed to the letter, and the sun had but just sunk behind the trees when Jim shook him into wakefulness as he was instructed to do.

"I haven't seen so much as a boat," he said. "The men have been quiet as mice, sleeping a good deal of the time. When shall we start for the island?"

"As soon as we've had supper, and gagged the prisoners again. It won't do to let them have the chance of warning Sam."

"It ain't likely he'll get back before midnight."

"That's true; but in the meanwhile we have a good deal to do. The camp-fire must be lighted, to prevent him from being suspicious when he comes in sight of the island, and we need to look about a bit for a hiding-place."

"Have you made up your mind how we are to strike him?"

"I think it will be best to wait near the shore, and knock him down. If he comes back half-drunk he won't be likely to put up his hands very quickly, even if a revolver is at his head, and I don't want to shoot."

"You were willing enough to do so in Bob's case."

"That was different. Sam's crime isn't as serious."

"What's Bob accused of?"

"Murder."

"I swow!" and Jim looked around in alarm, even though the man was powerless to so much as move his hands. "If I'd known that I wouldn't have gone to help catch him for a hundred dollars."

"That is exactly why I didn't go into any particulars when we made the trade for you to help me," Jet replied quietly. "Now let's get our work done, and row over to the island for what I hope will be the last time."