CHAPTER XXV

ATTACKED BY THE ENEMY

"Are you sure the boy we have in mind is your son?" asked Mr. Snodgrass. "We do not want to raise false hopes. Perhaps you may be mistaken."

"Something tells me I can not be mistaken," exclaimed the hermit. "Tommy Bell is not a common name. Besides, I can describe my son, and then you will know whether he is the one you know," and he rapidly gave a short description of Tommy.

"That's him all right," said Jerry, and the others agreed that the lad they had rescued from the hands of the rough men was, indeed, the son of the hermit.

"And I thought him dead," said the old man. "After I had been abused by the wicked gang that got me in their control I lost sight of poor Tommy. As soon as I could I made a search for him, but it was of no use."

"Tommy thought you had wandered away from him," said Ned. "He told us his story after we had rescued him."

"Then you saved his life, just as you have mine," broke in Mr. Bell. "I have much to thank you for. But first I must find my son. Where did you leave him?"

"At a place called Las Cruces," replied the professor. Thereupon he told briefly how they had taken Tommy from the hands of the lawless gang and left him with a friend.

"I must go to him at once," exclaimed the old man. "I can hardly wait to start. To think that the boy I thought was dead is alive! And I suppose he thinks I am dead also," Mr. Bell went on.

"He was going to search for you," replied Bob, "but he did not know where to start. We can send him word now."

"I'll take him word myself!" cried Mr. Bell. "I'll start as soon as it is daylight."

"Then you had better get some rest and sleep now," observed Mr. Snodgrass. "Come into the shack, and we will make you some hot coffee."

The hermit begged them to go to no trouble on his account, but they insisted, and soon the coffee was boiling on the coals of the camp fire.

"I'm too excited to sleep," remarked Mr. Bell, as he went inside the rough shelter to lie down. And so it would seem, for, every few minutes he would rouse up from his position, and ask some particular about his son. He appeared scarcely able to believe the good news. At length, however, he grew weary, and along toward morning fell into a doze.

The others were so tired and sleepy from being awake the night before that they slumbered late, and the sun was quite high when Jerry roused himself, and sat up, wondering what day it was.

He got up, took a plunge in the lake, and came back to start breakfast, finding that, in the meanwhile, the others in the camp, including Mr. Bell, had arisen.

"Now to start and find my son," cried the hermit.

"You had better have something to eat first," suggested Mr. Snodgrass. "Then perhaps we can think of some plan to aid you."

Though impatient to be gone the old man consented to remain to breakfast. He did not eat much, however, and seemed ready any minute to start on the long search for Tommy.

"How would it be if we took you to the nearest town in our automobile," suggested the professor, when the meal was over. "From there you can get conveyances and reach Las Cruces in a short time. If you need any money--"

"Thank you, I think I have enough for the present," interrupted Mr. Bell. "I do not need much. When I find Tommy I will bring him back with me, and we will be together once more. It seems too good to be true!"

"What will become of Kate in the meanwhile?" asked Mr. Snodgrass. "Though she has queer ideas concerning you I think she is your friend. Will she be able to live in these woods all alone?"

"Kate is able to take care of herself," was the reply. "She was in these woods before I came and she may be here after I am gone. But I will tell her where I am going, and that I expect to return."

A trip was made to the hermit's hut, and, after several blasts had been blown on the conch horn, Kate appeared. She was overjoyed to see the aged man again, and was told of the latest developments.

"You had better hurry up then, and get away from these woods," said the woman.

"Why so?" asked Jerry.

"Because there are a number of strange men lurking about," was the answer. "I think they are after this good old man. So be on your guard."

"It is the same crowd," said Mr. Bell. "They hate to give me up."

"What do they want of you?" asked Jerry. "You said you might tell us the secret some day, adding that perhaps we could help you. Maybe we can help you now."

"You can help me, and you have helped me," said Mr. Bell. "I can tell you the rest of my story now. As I said I have long been in quest of some one. That some one is my son Tommy. I did not want to tell you of him before, as I was afraid the news would get out. Nor did I tell you why the gang wanted me in their power. It is because I hold the final title to a piece of valuable property, and they can not get possession of it until I sign off, which I refused to do!"

"Why so?" asked Mr. Snodgrass.

"Because I understand the property is now claimed by persons who, if not in the eyes of the law, are, still the rightful owners. If I should sign my rights away to the gang they would take the property away from the innocent holders now. So I refused to sign, and they have ruined me for it."

"Never mind," said the professor, cheerfully. "We will get you out of their power, never fear."

"I wonder if the gang that had Tommy is not the same one that had Mr. Bell in their power," suggested Bob. "He told us about men wanting him to sign papers that would give them control of some land."

"They must be the same," commented Mr. Bell. "I will be on my guard now. Neither Tommy nor I will sign a single document. But now I must start."

"Very well," said Ned.

There was no further cause for delay, so Jerry got the automobile ready, and, the various belongings having been stowed away, the engine was started, after a somewhat longer rest than usual, and, puffing away in a manner that awoke all the echoes of the forest, the car started toward the village at the foot of the slope. From there, it was arranged Mr. Bell would go forward to Las Cruces by stage coach, or whatever other means of travel presented themselves.

Once fairly on the road the spirits of all in the party rose. It was a fine day, and the fresh mountain air, crisp and cool, put new life into their veins.

They were bowling along the road at a good clip with Jerry at the wheel, when, suddenly in the air above their heads, there sounded a shrill buzz.

"That's a new kind of a bumble bee," cried Uriah Snodgrass. "I must have it for my collection."

"I guess you wouldn't want many of that kind," said Mr. Bell, quietly.

"Why not? I like all kinds."

"That was a lead one," went on the old man.

"You mean a bullet?" asked Bob. "Is some one firing at us?"

"I'm afraid so," answered the hermit.

Then came a distant report, followed by the peculiar buzzing sound.

"Speed her up!" cried Bob to Jerry. "Let's get out of this danger zone. It's too much like being on the firing line to suit me."

The auto, all this while was speeding along, and, soon, the shooters, whoever they were, had been left far in the rear. The sound of the bullets was no longer heard.

"The reason they are doing it," answered Mr. Bell, "is that they want to get me alive. If I was to be killed their last chance of getting me to sign the papers would be gone."

"But there is your son, Tommy," said Jerry. "He told us they wanted him to sign. If you were dead, he would be your heir, and his signature would be legal when he became of age. Perhaps the men could make use of it even before then."

"I see! I see!" exclaimed Mr. Bell. "It is important then that I live so I can beat them at their own game."

"Unless you don't care about living on your own account or that of your son's," said the professor, grimly.

They kept on steady after this and at last reached the bottom of the mountain slope.

"Now for the village," exclaimed Mr. Bell. "I shall soon see my boy!"

Faster and faster went the auto. The traveling was good, and Jerry speeded the car to the last notch. About six o'clock they rolled into town, to the surprise of many of the inhabitants, who had never seen one of the puffing, snorting things, though they had read of them.

A knot of curious persons gathered around the machine as Jerry brought it to a stop in front of the post-office. Several boys began to inspect every part. The travelers were about to alight when a shrill voice cried out.

"Hey, Jerry! And Bob! And Ned! Hey there! Oh, how glad I am to see you!"

For a moment the Motor Boys did not recognize the voice. Then Ned saw a lad trying to break through the crowd.

"It's Tommy! It's Tommy Bell!" exclaimed Ned. "Hey, Tommy! You can't guess who we have with us!"

"Tommy Bell! Did you say Tommy Bell!" exclaimed the hermit. "Where is he? Let me see him!"

But Tommy had heard his parent's voice, and the next instant the boy had made a flying leap into the car, and was clasped in his father's arms.