by Edith Lavell
CHAPTER VI
_The Enemy in the Autogiro_
Defeated, miserable, hopeless, Linda sank to the ground and buried herface in her hands, waiting for the dreaded approach of her enemies. Oh,the cruelty of fate, to deliver her to them again, after her superhumaneffort to escape! Bitter tears rushed to her eyes, scalding her face,and she sat as one expecting death, listening to the rhythmic dip ofthe paddles, as the canoe came closer and closer.
She kept her face hidden until the sound ceased, informing her therebythat the craft had stopped at her side. Tensely she waited for theharsh snarl of her captor's voice. But to her incredulous amazement,she heard instead the soft, deep, well-bred tones of a Southerner!
"Can we be of any help to you, Miss?" inquired the speaker.
Linda looked up instantly into the kind eyes of two exceedinglyattractive young men.
"Oh! Please!" she gasped, the tears still running from her eyes. "Yes,please!"
And then, for the first time in her life, Linda Carlton fainted.
When she came to, she was lying on the ground, with two strangersbending over her, one offering her water, and the other hot coffeefrom a thermos bottle. A warm glow of happiness surged over her asshe realized that she was among real human beings--not animals, orcriminals. Though not naturally impulsive, she longed to throw her armsabout these boys and weep with gratitude. If they had been girls, shewould not have hesitated a moment.
Instead, she sat up and smiled her sweetest smile, so that, bedraggledas she was, she was still beautiful. The boys, man-like, each urged hisparticular offering upon her.
"Put that coffee down, Hal!" commanded the tall, fair youth at herright. "A lady who has just fainted doesn't want coffee."
"I do, though," Linda assured him. "I want water, and coffee--andanything else you have to eat. I fainted from hunger as much as fromanything else."
The boy called "Hal" looked pleased at her acceptance of his gift, andhe hurried back to the canoe for some food.
"Are you alone?" asked the other, who remained at Linda's side. "Andhow do you happen to be here?"
"It's a long story," replied the girl, wondering just how much of itshe had better tell. It was all so incredulous, that perhaps theywouldn't believe her if she did tell them.
"First have some food," suggested the boy who had gone to the canoe."How long has it been since you ate?"
"Only yesterday noon--and I even had some chocolate about six o'clock.But after that I waded and swam from Black Jack Island to thisplace--whatever it is."
"This is 'Billy's Island,'" the boys informed her. "Named after'Billy Bowlegs,' the Indian who once lived here.... But, Great Guns!"exclaimed Hal, "that's five miles at least! Nobody ever tried to swimthe Okefenokee Swamp before!"
"Well, it seemed like twenty-five," remarked Linda. "And I hope nobodyever has to try it again."
She did not go on with her story immediately, for she was too busyeating bananas--one right after another. Nothing had ever tasted sogood! Meanwhile, the boys introduced themselves as Hal--short forHarold--Perry, and Jackson Carter, both Juniors at the University ofFlorida.
"We're both on the archery team at college," Jackson explained. "Andwe take a little trip into the Okefenokee each summer, to try out ourbows and arrows on the wild game here. We camp each night on one of theislands."
"Then you know the Swamp pretty well," remarked Linda, with relief.They would be able to take her back to civilization.
"The southern end of it--yes," replied Hal.
"Now tell us who you are," urged Jackson Carter, regarding Linda withsilent admiration. There was no doubt about it, she certainly was anattractive girl.
Linda hesitated a moment, and determined not to mention her first name.She was tired of all the publicity and disaster which her ocean flighthad brought her. Besides, these boys might think she was just posingas Linda Carlton, the famous aviatrix, in order to impress them. Shewould tell them only her middle name, instead.
"I am Ann Carlton, from Ohio," she replied. "I was flying my new planewhen I got lost over the swamp, and had to come down on the first dryland I saw, because my gas was running low, and I didn't know how farthe water extended."
"Smashed your plane?" inquired Hal, evidently satisfied with theexplanation.
"No. But unfortunately I fell among a gang of thieves, and they stoleit, and tried to hold me prisoner on Black Jack Island. But yesterday Igot away, as I told you."
Both boys gazed at Linda in admiration and wonder. What a plucky girlshe must be!
"Thieves in the swamp!" repeated Hal. "Not Indians?--a lot of Indiansused to live here, and they might have come back."
"No. White men--and one girl. Regular thieves, the kind that rob banksand jewelry stores."
"But what were they doing? Hiding from justice?"
"I don't think so," answered Linda. "Because I don't think anybodysuspects them in particular. They have a regular camp on Black JackIsland, and they bring whatever they steal there, and transfer it byairplane to an island in the Atlantic Ocean, where it's picked up byanother partner in a boat."
Jackson let out a whistle.
"Pretty slick, aren't they? But they'll get caught sometime."
"I sincerely hope so. Unfortunately, though, nobody could identify themas thieves, because they haven't been caught before."
"You could," remarked Hal.
"Yes, if I ever see them again. Do we have to pass Black Jack Island toget out of the swamp?"
"I'm afraid so--but we needn't go very close to it--it's some distancefrom the regular 'Gator Road' we always follow."
"'Gator Road'?" repeated Linda. "There aren't any roads in the swamp,are there?"
"They're water channels," Hal explained. "Short for alligator-roads."
Linda shuddered.
"I saw an alligator last night," she told them. "I hope we don't meetany more."
"You poor girl!" exclaimed Jackson. "It seems to me you've had mostevery dreadful experience anybody could have in the last twenty-fourhours!"
"But they're over now," laughed Linda, wondering what the boys wouldsay if she told them the real account of the kidnapping.
Even now Jackson Carter was looking at her strangely. She seemed likesuch a nice girl--but what sort of family could she have come from,that would allow her to roam around the country unchaperoned and alone?He himself was of an old-fashioned Southern family, who regarded suchindependence in young women as mere boldness. Yet Linda Carlton seemedanything but ill-bred, or bold.
"Aren't your family worried about you, Miss Carlton?" he inquired. "Sofar away--in an airplane?"
"They must be by now," she replied with a pang of distress. "I hadpromised to wire them every day--and it's been three nights now since Icould. My aunt probably is afraid I have been killed."
"Your aunt?"
"Yes. My mother is dead, and my aunt has always taken care of me."
"But she lets you do pretty much as you please I take it. You northerngirls certainly are different."
"Well, not exactly." Linda could not explain without telling the wholestory of her life, so she decided to let the matter pass. "Hadn't webetter be pushing on, if we expect to get out of the swamp before dark?"
"Yes," replied Hal. "But don't set your heart on that, Miss Carlton. Idon't know whether we can or not. But we'll get past Black Jack Island,and at least as far as Soldiers' Camp Island."
"Soldiers' Camp Island?" repeated Linda.
"Yes. The story goes that some Civil War soldiers deserted, and hidthere. I don't know how true it is, but it certainly is a good place tohide."
"Don't I know!" sighed Linda.
They climbed into the canoe, putting Linda on some blankets in thecenter, and started upon their journey. For the first time since hervisit to the swamp, Linda was at last able to enjoy its beauty. Thethick ferns, the cypress trees growing in abundance, the pines and thewater-lilies! What a difference a boat could make! Yesterday she hatedthe rushes and the moss; today she f
ound everything lovely.
Avoiding the island where the thieves were camped, the boys made awide circle, and did not pass even in sight of it. With each mile ofprogress, Linda's spirits rose higher and higher, until finally shesuggested that they sing. She just had to find some outlet for her joyand thanksgiving.
"It must be long after noon," remarked Jackson, as they finished afamiliar college song. "Hadn't we better eat?"
"I see an island ahead--I think it's Soldiers' Camp," replied Hal."Wouldn't it be nice to stop and make some coffee?"
"I'm hot enough without any fire or hot coffee," returned Jackson,wiping the perspiration from his face. "But I would like to stretch mylegs."
"Let me do the cooking!" urged Linda, eagerly. "I'd love to prove someuse to you, after all the trouble I've made."
"You haven't been any trouble!" protested Jackson, whose admiration forLinda had been growing by leaps and bounds, in spite of the fact thathe could not wholly approve of her. For the past three hours he hadbeen sitting in the stern of the canoe, gazing at her lovely profile,listening to the charm of her soft voice. Yet he knew he had better notallow himself to care for this girl; she was just the type his motherdisapproved of, and with Jackson Carter, his mother's wishes weresupreme.
They pulled up to the island and unloaded the canoe. There were allsorts of supplies--bacon, canned beans, fruit, and biscuits, as well astea, coffee, sugar and canned milk. Even a little folding stove to setover a fire, and a coffee-pot.
"What a perfectly delightful spot!" exclaimed Linda, as she walked somedistance inland. "Look at these lovely little houses! Why, I couldalmost live in them myself!"
What she referred to were the clumps, here and there, of cypress treesand overgrowing vines and evergreens, which, as a matter of fact, thehunters often used to camp in during their visits to the swamp. Theywere very attractive indeed, and would afford complete privacy, Lindathought, if she were obliged to spend another night in the Okefenokee.
The boys made a fire on the edge of the water, and Linda insisted thatthey go off for half an hour while she prepared the meal. She laughedand sang as she toasted the dry biscuits and the bacon, and boiled thecoffee. What fun it was to picnic when you were among friends--even ifthey were very new ones!
When the boys came back, they each proudly displayed a wild goose, asproof of their ability with the bow and arrow. Then, like three happy,carefree school-children, they sat down to their meal, having forgottenall about the thieves for the time being.
The shock was all the more terrible, therefore, when they suddenlylooked up into the sky and saw the autogiro overhead. Linda was thefirst to identify the plane, to guess what danger they were in. Shestumbled to her feet, pulling Jackson with her, and just as she openedher mouth to tell them to flee with her into the depths of the island,a shot rang out from the autogiro, and a bullet whizzed past the littlegroup, so innocently enjoying their picnic!