CHAPTER XXIV

THOSE WHO SAT BY THE FIRE

“They must have made better time than we gave them credit for,” Andy went on to say, in his conclusive fashion, as though there could be no doubt about the matter. “But,” he continued, with a queer chuckle, “after all, they’ve been silly enough to stop short and go into camp. Now’s our chance to give ’em the greatest surprise going.”

Apparently Andy had convinced himself that the fire was on the Canadian side of the line. Since it was more or less of a mythical division, how were they to know the exact point of separation? Besides, those scheming men, who never once regarded the sacrifice of human life as worth weighing in the balance, when trying to strike at Great Britain in such a cowardly way, deserved little, if any, consideration.

If any doubt existed in Rob’s mind regarding the situation he said nothing about it. With that lieutenant present Rob felt in no way responsible for affairs. He, too, was under orders now, and the success or failure of the plan of campaign rested wholly on the young officer’s shoulders.

“We will try to surprise them,” remarked the other; “and no time should be lost in going about it. If you three boys will keep alongside me as we advance, we can arrange a plan, for I shall certainly be glad of your efficient help.”

Rob thought that was nicely put. It looked as though the military defender of the bridge had indeed radically altered the first opinion he entertained in connection with the scouts. Well, Rob Blake was the last fellow in the wide world to bear any animosity toward another on account of first impressions, which he knew only too well were often wrong.

Accordingly they made a start, but a warning was also issued begging every one to be extra careful how he stumbled, lest the unwonted sound reach the ears of those by the fire, and as they would naturally be suspicious of every unusual noise, the consequences might be disastrous to their success.

When he came to discuss the merits of the situation with the lieutenant, and in turn was told what the other meant to do, Rob conceived a growing admiration for the young fellow. He really believed the other must have a most capable head on his shoulders; and it was also apparent to observing Rob that he showed positive signs of considerable military genius. In private life he may only have been a bank clerk in Montreal, or a Government employee in Ottawa; but after being called out in defense of his country he had plainly taken it upon himself to sink all else in the one overpowering fact that he was now a soldier, and must give up his whole mind to studying military tactics.

He really laid out quite a neat little plan of attack, whereby Zeb and the two soldiers could creep around to the other side of the fire so as to cut off any possible escape on the part of the fugitives brought to bay. Rob understood why the Maine guide had been selected in this manner; apparently the officer felt that Zeb would know just how to lead the two privates, so that they might manage to get around on the longer route without creating an alarm. He may himself have had experience with woods guides, and appreciated their accomplishments.

So Zeb and the two men went off. The others were to loiter a bit in order to give them a chance to cover the extra ground. A simple code of signals had also been arranged between the two parties, so that they could communicate with one another. In this fashion the officer had taken it upon himself to be in a position to order a general advance on both sides, when he thought the proper moment had come.

Rob heard all this, and his admiration increased. He was pleased to serve under such a smart head. Some upstarts, vested with a brief authority by the circumstance of war, would have strutted, and posed, and tried to show how consequential they could be; but this chap was of the right sort. Rob was willing to wager that he must come from good stock, and that some of his immediate ancestors had won their spurs on the field of Waterloo, or some place where British soldiers fought stubbornly and with bulldog courage against great odds.

As they advanced the fire began to be seen more frequently, though the undulating nature of the intervening ground often caused it to remain concealed for a brief stretch of time. Andy and Rob, as well as Donald, were greatly interested in what they were about to see. They had had these plotters in their minds so much of late that naturally a most intense curiosity had been aroused concerning their identity.

Andy had invested them with almost supernatural powers and attributes. If all the thoughts that flitted through his active mind could be condensed into a concrete whole, those by the fire were apt to assume gigantic proportions indeed, and prove pretty dangerous customers for even half a dozen armed aggressors to attack.

But when Andy showed a disposition to hurry on faster than prudence would dictate, he was gently but firmly repressed by the lieutenant, a fact Rob noted with satisfaction.

They did not speak any more than was absolutely necessary, and then only in the softest of whispers. It was no time for comparing opinions, even Andy understood that much; consequently he was compelled to hold all his communications with himself.

Then there came the time when they began to detect moving figures about the fire, and this increased their interest. They could manage to make out just two men, one inclined to be tall, and as swarthy as an Indian, the other rather portly, though also of a generous size.

Well, so far as that went the boys had guessed before then that the number of those actually engaged in the work of trying to dynamite the railway span would turn out to be two, though they might have confederates scattered around the country, instructed to send them signals, it might be, or advise of any suspicious fact going to tell that the authorities were extra vigilant, as if having been warned that special danger menaced the bridge.

The closer they drew the more violently did Andy’s heart pump. His excitement kept on growing by leaps and bounds. This, then, was to be the culmination of the remarkable adventure that had come to them so unsolicited during their visit to the woods of northern Maine. He wondered whether these two men were going to resist arrest, even when outnumbered three to one. That they were desperate characters went without saying, and they must know what their fate was likely to be, once the military authorities of Canada had them in their hands.

So Andy fingered his gun, and made up his mind how far he would be justified in using it under the conditions. As a scout, he had no business to seek glory such as a soldier would seek to attain; and yet there may be occasions when even a peace-loving scout, bound by the vows of his order, must display loyalty and courage, and be ready to defend the weak against a bully. He should also, Andy felt confident, be prompt to stand up for the laws of neutrality, and consider it his bounden duty to aid the authorities of a neighboring community to stop any bold raid that threatened to disrupt the peace.

Yes, it must be admitted that impulsive Andy was about ready to make stern use of his gun, if the occasion demanded such a necessity. He could aim so as to only wound the fellow at whom he fired; that was the extent his activity in the affair ought to reach, Andy decided, though for that matter, if the conspirators were bound to be set up before a firing squad anyhow they would be no worse off if they paid the full debt now.

The lieutenant interrupted his reflections, grim as they were becoming, nor was Andy sorry for it. Drawing their heads close together, the officer gave his last orders in the ears of his three followers. He had decided that they would stand a far better chance of advancing close in, without the risk of discovery, if they veered a little to the left, and then continued to creep up.

Rob saw that the scheme was a good one, for in that quarter lay a fringe of bushes that seemed dense enough to effectually conceal their movements. Once behind this barrier, they would feel more free to move as they pleased. It seemed that these accommodating bushes kept right on until only fifty feet away from the fire itself.

Really nothing better could have been devised. If he had had the management of the scheme in his own hands, Rob did not see how he could have improved upon the lieutenant’s plan of action.

By now it was probable that Zeb and the two privates were nearing their post, having crept around the camp as ordered. In good time the signals arranged for could be exchanged, to make sure that all was ready; then the command to rise up and advance would be next in order—after that it depended on the state of desperation that would assail the fugitives whether any fighting must ensue, or the capture be carried out without bloodshed.

As the quartette of creepers drew near the terminus of the bush fringe they grew more and more cautious. By now they had reached a point so close to the fire that they plainly heard some one give vent to a laugh. This would seemingly indicate that while the plotters might be a desperate lot, at the same time their recent escapade had not entirely demoralized them. Andy felt a strange sensation creeping over him. He knew it could not be _fear_, because Andy always boasted that he had never experienced such a silly thing in all his life; and certainly there was no occasion for it now; indeed, the boot was on the other foot, and it should be these two trapped rascals who hovered near a condition of collapse after their recent narrow escape, and with peril still overshadowing them.

When Andy first peered out between the bushes he anticipated seeing a pair of desperadoes who, by their fierce appearance, would have shamed all the villains depicted on the screen at the movies. He had quite a shock when he discovered that nothing of the sort greeted his vision. In fact, had Andy happened on this camp by accident, knowing nothing about the bold raid across the border, he would never have suspected that two such dreadful villains could masquerade under such ordinary exteriors.

One of the men was tall and dark, with straight black hair, and a certain dignified way of doing his menial duties, for he was actually washing up a few tin dishes at the time—no, Andy corrected himself, for a second look told him these were of aluminum ware, the most expensive outfit any camper can purchase, and much preferable to any other on account of extreme lightness.

Well, at any rate, those terrible German sympathizers knew a good thing when they saw it, Andy decided. They had come prepared to stay out in the woods for days, if need be, until they received word, perhaps by aeroplane messenger, that an unusually heavy shipment of munitions had started east, and would arrive at a certain night in the neighborhood of the threatened bridge. Oh, it was very easy for clever Andy to figure all this out, and he secretly admired the way in which the two men had arranged things. They had prepared this camp beforehand, meaning to fly to its shelter after accomplishing the destruction of both bridge and train.

As to the second man, he puzzled Andy the most. The dark-faced member of the pair looked capable of any sort of crime, but that other chap certainly must be out of his element when engaging in such a dastardly act; for he laughed heartily and looked most genial as he sat there with his hands locked about his knees and watched the other handling the camp cooking outfit.