Budd Boyd's Triumph; or, The Boy-Firm of Fox Island

by John Kendrick Bangs

  CHAPTER XVII.--BUDD'S ESCAPE.

  As Budd watched the retreating forms of the robbers, so unceremoniouslyabandoning him on Patience Island, he was very far from being disposedto grumble at his fate. On the other hand, he felt extremely grateful;for his condition, deplorable as it was, was a great deal better than hehad expected it would be when he found he had fallen into Bagsley hands.He was, as the captain of the robber-gang had declared, alive and ingood health, and he knew he could hold out until his absence shouldalarm Judd and send him to his rescue, even if he could not freehimself. But of this latter he did not yet despair; for while lying inthe yawl, waiting for the decision of the burglars as to what should bedone with him, he had found he could slightly work his wrists in thecords that bound them, and he hoped, after some effort, to get themfree. But lest the men should at the last moment of their departuretake a notion to revisit him, he decided to make no effort in thisdirection until sure he was alone.

  Around about him he could see the evidences of an encampment, and hequickly concluded that this had been the rendezvous of Bagsley and hiscompanions since robbing Mr. Johnson's house on Hope Island. Their tentcould not have been seen by anyone passing up or down the bay, and sothey ran very little risk of discovery, while they were sufficientlynear the scene of their robbery to easily communicate with theirconfederates, for such he now knew Wilson and the other strangers to be.But it was not until later that Budd learned that Mr. Johnson's househad been made to furnish the principal essentials of the burglars'camping outfit.

  Budd now wondered which way the villains would go with the sloop, for hefelt sure the Block Island plan had been abandoned. If they went downthe bay, Judd, whom he knew was at the fish-pounds, would be likely tosee them, and a great hope came to the bound lad that his partner mightrecognize the fleeing robbers; for he then knew Judd would at oncesuspect their plans and try to capture them. This hope now became hisinspiration and his prayer.

  But he did not mean for a single instant to give up his own efforts toescape and to warn the proper authorities of his discovery; for Budd wasnot thinking so much of the reward that had been offered for theapprehension of the burglars as he was of the bringing of them tojustice, and thus securing a hold upon Bagsley. Still, first in histhoughts was the releasing of his father and the vindication of hisname.

  He had been bound with his hands in front of him, tied simply at thewrists. He had been secured to the tree by wrappings of the cord fromhis feet to his shoulders, and the knot that held the cord was on theopposite side of the tree. His first effort was, then, to slip the ropefrom his wrists. This he accomplished after quite a struggle, thatbruised and lacerated his arms and hands until they bled.

  His next effort was to raise his arms up out from the wrappings of thecord that bound him to the tree. First the right, then the left arm wasreleased, and to Budd's satisfaction he found their release loosened thecord so that he could move himself a little in his wrappings. Had heonly had his jackknife, the question of release would have been decidedin a moment; but this he had lost in his struggle with Wilson on thesloop's deck. He must, then, find some other way to remove the rope.

  The ground where the tree stood was uneven, being higher where he wasthan on the opposite side of the tree. Could he not, then, work slowlyabout the tree inside of his wrappings until he could with his righthand reach the knot that secured the rope? He knew it must be slowwork, and he must be sure the rope did not turn with him, or else hisefforts would be in vain. He determined to make the attempt.

  First he strained his wrappings to their fullest extent, and then,before they could slip back against him, he made a sudden hitch to theright. He thought he gained a trifle, and thus encouraged, he triedagain. Once, twice, ten, fifty times he repeated the effort, and thenhe knew he had gained. Objects had been brought into vision that he hadnot seen when first bound to the tree; objects he had seen were now lostto view.

  All that afternoon, with frequent intervals of rest, he kept up hisstruggle, and just at dark he found he could touch the end of the ropethat formed the knot, and a thrill of joy filled his heart. A fewminutes later he was able to take a full, strong hold upon this end ofthe rope, and from that moment his progress was accelerated. Then,tired, aching in every bone, with his coat worn thread-bare by itsconstant rubbing against the tree, he at length reached a place where hecould use both hands upon the knot and untie it. To unwind thewrappings was now but a few minutes' work, and somewhere about six hoursafter he had been fastened to the tree he found himself free again.

  It was, however, too dark for him to attempt to leave the island, or tosearch out a way to leave it; and so, crawling under the shelter of thegreat rock from behind which the robbers had first appeared thatafternoon, he, without supper and without covering, laid himself down tosleep.

  It was a restless, wakeful sleep, and with the very first show ofmorning light Budd was astir. He first ran up and down the shore untilhis quickened blood brought warmth to his chilled body; for though itwas summer weather, there had been a dampness and low temperature in thesea air sufficient to make him uncomfortable. Then he sought along thebeach for some signs of shell-fish, and soon found clinging to the rockssome yellow mussels. Though not the most delicious of bivalves hemanaged to swallow a dozen or two of them, and their sharp, pepperytaste served as a stimulant. A drink of brackish water from a tinystream trickling down a rock into the sea completed his breakfast.

  As the sun rose, Budd's spirits rose with it, and he searched the islandcompletely around for some log or plank, on which he could venture toleave the island. He was not successful in his search, however, andfinally came back to his starting-point empty-handed.

  "I've got to swim for it," he commented, "and if I do that, PrudenceIsland should be my landing-place. Once there, I can get food, anddoubtless a boat to take me over to the west shore."

  With these words he walked along to the south-east point of the island,and looked across to its nearest and larger neighbor.

  "It would not be much of a swim if I had a decent breakfast to workupon," he said to himself; "but I shall have to wait until I get overthere before I get it.

  "I presume I might wait awhile, and some boat would come along and takeme off," he went on, gazing up and down the bay. "But the quickest wayis to depend on myself, and it is time I was going, if I am going to putany one on Bagsley's track. I wonder where Judd is, and if he hasstarted to look me up?"

  There was no one to answer his question, and he did not stop long todeliberate.

  Taking off his clothes, he wrapped them in as small a bundle aspossible, and tying them together with his suspenders he fastened themon top of his head. He then entered the water, and swam slowly acrossthe narrow channel that separated him from Prudence Island. He wasquite used up when he crawled out on the beach and began to dresshimself. Then he walked down along the narrow neck of land that is atthe north end of the island until he came to a farm-house, where hestopped and asked for food.

  He simply told the farmer that he had got left on Patience Island, andhad remained there all night; that he had with the coming morning swamacross to that island, and would like, first, some food, and then tosecure a boat to take him across to the main shore. The farmer at onceasked him into breakfast, which was already upon the table, but told himhe would have to go farther down the island to obtain a boat.

  Budd accepted the kind invitation, and ate with relish the food putbefore him; and if the greatest compliment that can be paid a housewifeis to show an appreciation of her cookery, then that farmer's wifereceived from Budd that morning a stupendous compliment.

  He had a little money with him, and on leaving he offered to pay hishost for the breakfast; but the man refused.

  "I may be in the same box some day," he remarked, "and it I'm not, someone else may be whom you can help. So just pass the favor on to him."

  Budd readily promised to do this, and with a hearty "Thank you" for hisentertainment, hurried d
own the shore.

  His breakfast had given him new strength, his bath in the cool saltwater had soothed his bruised and aching body, and he felt equal toalmost his usual amount of work. When, therefore, he stopped at thehouse where he had been told he could secure a boat and received thereply:

  "I can let you have a boat, but you will have to row yourself over, andbring back the boat at your earliest convenience, for we are too busy tospare a single hand," he accepted the offer.

  The farmer accompanied him down to the shore, and showing him which boathe was to take, cautioned him about being sure to return it. Buddassured the man that he need have no fears on that score; but he littleknew how soon he was to return it.

  Shoving off the boat, he embarked upon it and rowed rapidly out into thebay. Hope Island was plainly visible to the west, and he shaped hiscourse so as to pass the south end of it, for he had no desire to visitMr. Johnson again. Yet he of his own accord was in an hour to landthere and hold a remarkable interview with that gentleman. So little isit that we really know what we shall do from hour to hour.

  Half the distance between the two islands had been accomplished, andBudd had a clear, uninterrupted view down between Prudence and ConanicutIslands into the east bay. His first glance in that direction filledhim with sheer amazement, for just emerging from the east passage, andcoming directly toward him, was a sloop, and even at that distance hehad no difficulty in recognizing her as the Sea Witch. He could see buttwo persons upon her, and yet there might be more in the cabin. Was itthe burglars returning to carry out some forgotten or newly-formedpurpose, and should he flee from them as for his life? Or had Judd, ashe had hoped and prayed, rescued the sloop from the robbers' hands, andwas he now coming to look for his missing chum?

  These were questions Budd could not answer, and with a deep misgiving heturned the bow of his boat and rowed directly for Hope Island, believingthat it was preferable to meet Mr. Johnson and his hot displeasure tofalling again into the hands of Bagsley and his gang.

  But before he had rowed half the distance necessary to reach the islandthe sloop had come up before the morning breeze with a rapidity to be inhailing distance. Then there rang out from her three such yells as onlyJudd could give; and full of surprise and joy, Budd turned about hisboat and went down to meet her.