CHAPTER X

SPRINGING THE TRAP

"I WONDER if the plan will work?" remarked Roger, when he and Dick once more found themselves alone, the captain having sauntered over to where some of the men were joking, Andrew Waller being the life of the company.

"If that torn part of a message meant anything," Dick told him, "and Captain Lewis is able to bait the trap in the right way, I believe this night will see the answer to the question that has been bothering us so long."

"Meaning that we will learn who the traitor is?" continued the other.

"Yes. Right now we are no nearer the truth than a week ago, you know, Roger. It may be any one of the three men we had in mind; or some one else, for that matter."

"Look at Andrew Waller, Dick. He seems to be in high spirits! Do you think that is all put on for effect? From the way he acts no one could ever dream he had an evil thought in his heart for his comrades of the long trail."

"As we exhausted that subject a long time ago, Roger, and have learned nothing new since, there's no use trying to figure things out. Better wait, and, as my father says, 'hold our horses' until the trap is sprung--if it ever is."

"But, if we do trip him up," continued Roger, reflectively, "what do you believe Captain Lewis will do to the wretch?"

"He has not given us even a hint on that score," Dick replied.

"If the man is a traitor, and really tried to take our lives for pay, it seems to me it would be a shame if he were only drummed out of camp for such things. I know what Captain Clark would do if it rested in his hands."

"Yes, and I can guess the answer there, too, Roger; because he is a soldier, with stern ideas of what treachery means. But Captain Lewis has a tender heart, for all he can be so firm. He is very fond of the men who have clung to his fortunes in this great journey into the unknown country of the West."

"Do you really mean to say, Dick, he would forgive the rascal on that account?" demanded Roger, with a frown of displeasure on his face.

"Not exactly that," hastily replied the other lad. "I am sure that he would not want to trust such a man again, but, at the same time, Captain Lewis would not believe it necessary to have the traitor shot, as a soldier would."

"In that case there would be only one other thing to do," observed Roger, disconsolately; "which would be to kick him out of camp, and warn him, just as he did Lascelles, that if he ever allowed himself to be seen near the camp again it would be at his peril."

"Mark my words, Roger, if we are lucky enough to catch the man in the act, that is what will happen to him. But, before he goes, he will listen to a ringing talk from Captain Lewis that will make his cheeks burn."

"Yes, and not for all the money Lascelles ever owned would I want to have such a fine man as Captain Lewis tell me that, as a traitor to my trust, I had sunk down until I was beneath contempt. But I wonder, Dick, how he will manage to let them know about the rifles and ammunition in the supply tent?"

"Depend on it the captain has that arranged cleverly enough," Dick declared, "and he will accomplish it without awakening any suspicion that it has been done for a purpose."

"What shall we do next?" asked Roger.

"Wait for his signal as arranged with us," explained Dick. "When we get that, it is our duty to slip out of camp without being noticed, and settle down in that patch of brush, just as he said. Later on, he will join us there, and bring Captain Clark with him."

They sat there and exchanged words for quite a long time, while the evening waned, and some of the tired men, who had been poling or rowing all day, began to creep into the tents, or, it might be, under rude bough shelters, where they expected to sleep through the remainder of the night.

"The time has come at last," said Dick, in a low tone.

"Did you see Captain Lewis make the gesture he explained to us?" asked his chum.

"Yes, and now let us see how smartly we can carry out our part of the game, as we laid it out in advance."

After surveying the field, the boys concluded that, by pretending to settle down in a certain place, they could withdraw by degrees without being noticed, and come up in the rear of the patch of bushes marked by the commander as the meeting spot.

This maneuver was accomplished with considerable skill, because both lads were well drilled in Indian ways, and could snake their way along the ground as well as any painted brave on the warpath, seeking to spy on the enemy's camp.

In due time, therefore, they crept into the bushes, and settled down to await the coming of the two captains. Just as they expected, from their place of hiding it was possible to keep a close watch upon the supply tent, though the latter stood in the shadows, with the firelight playing on one side of it only.

Slowly the minutes crept along. The boys rarely exchanged words, and then only in the lowest of whispers; nor did they make any sort of move, lest in some way keen eyes discover their presence amidst the bushes.

It seemed ages before Roger pressed the arm of his cousin, and spoke in his ear.

"Something moving behind us, Dick!"

The other had also caught a faint rustling sound, and knew that in all probability the two captains must be about to join them. Surely enough, in a short time the men reached the side of the boys, exercising all the skill possible to avoid making their presence known to others.

Few words passed between them, for the plan of campaign had been laid out, and each one knew what lay before them. The firelight flickered upon the side of the supply tent, and it was in this quarter mostly that their gaze was fastened. In fact, Captain Lewis and his fellow officer depended wholly on the wide-awake boys to let them know when anything happened, for they themselves lay stretched out at full length upon the ground.

One by one the men sitting by the fire began to vanish, some yawning, and others simply stretching themselves with the air of weariness natural after a strenuous day at the oars.

Finally an atmosphere of desertion seemed to have come upon the camp. The fire died down slowly, and not a movement could be seen. Somewhere, near by, the appointed sentries stood guard, but their duty was wholly in the line of making sure that an enemy did not surprise the adventurous company from without. Those in the camp were supposed to be above suspicion.

Roger was beginning to grow impatient. The minutes were dragging along, so far as he was concerned, and he began to fear that, after all, the scheme, so cleverly planned by Captain Lewis, would fail to be a success.

What if the fellow had become suspicious, and determined not to allow himself to be attracted by the bait? They would have their long night vigil for nothing, and be no nearer to learning the truth than before. Roger lacked the patience and perseverance of his chum, though he had many good qualities of his own.

It must have been almost midnight when Dick caught sight of a shadowy figure moving just beyond the supply tent. At first he thought it might be a wolf that had boldly crept into the camp, though such a thing seemed absurd; then he became satisfied that it must be a man on his hands and knees, crawling along slowly, and heading for the isolated tent.

When satisfied in this respect he whispered in the ear of Roger, and touched both the recumbent captains on the arm. This had been a signal agreed on in case of necessity, and, as they were on the alert, they lost no time in making good use of their eyes.

The creeper was now close to the tent. Every few feet he would sink down flat to the ground, and remain perfectly still for a time. No doubt at such intervals the man was listening intently to discover the slightest movement in the camp that might mean danger to him.

Both boys fairly held their breath when they saw the shadowy figure reach the tent and hastily creep under the flap. Just how long it would take him to find what he was after no one could say, but the time had arrived for those who were watching the tent to make a forward move.

Fortunately the breeze started up just then, and rustled the leaves of the trees overhead. It came from a quarter that also bore the sounds of the fretting river, where rocky reefs impeded the progress of the current; so that a combination of sounds helped to deaden any little rustling noise the four watchers might make in rising to their feet and moving forward.

Every detail had been arranged, and they made immediately for the darker side of the tent. This was to avoid having their shadows appear on the canvas, and arousing the suspicions of the thief.

Having taken up their positions here, they waited for what was to follow, confident that the guilty one could not possibly escape them.

He could be heard moving around inside the tent. Once he upset some object that fell to the ground with a soft thud, and they even heard his low muttered exclamation of annoyance. After that all was still for an interval, as doubtless he strained his hearing to learn whether the sound had aroused any curiosity in the mind of a sentry.

Then the movements started again, proving that renewed confidence was making the marauder bolder.

Dick and Roger had their guns ready, according to orders. If the man attempted to escape after being ordered to surrender their duty would be to shoot, although the endeavor would be to wound instead of to kill.

The movements within the tent had now ceased, and it was probable that the man had secured all he sought to acquire. That meant his next act would be to make his exit. Dick had not overlooked the chance of his creeping under the canvas at the rear of the tent, and, if they failed to see anything of him by the time another minute passed, he meant to creep around and ascertain whether this had been attempted.

Roger, giving a faint gasp, warned his chum that some one was coming. Then all of them caught sight of a dusky figure bending low as it crept out of the tent.

"Stand still and surrender, or you are a dead man!" suddenly exclaimed Captain Lewis, as, with his three companions, he stepped forward.

The thief made no attempt to run, for he knew what the result must be when he saw those rifles in the hands of the two boys. So they pushed up until they could make sure of his identity; and somehow neither Roger nor Dick felt any great surprise when they discovered that the man they had captured was Andrew Waller.