CHAPTER XXII
"DROP THAT BAG"
They kept waiting, but George was very nervous because nothing seemed tohappen. He growled to himself more than a few times; but none of theother boys paid any attention to that; because they knew George prettywell, and had run up against his little failings many a time.
George had no use for "slow-pokes." He expected to see Rome built in aday, and strange to say, while he met with lots of trouble on account ofthis very desire for haste, it did not seem to effect any permanent curein his disposition; for as soon as the unpleasant result had worn off,he was the same old George again,--Hurricane George, they used to callhim at home.
"There, looks like he's about got it fixed now," announced Josh,presently.
"Oh! thank goodness!" said the skipper of the Wireless with a sigh ofgratification that welled up from his very heart. "Now perhaps there'llbe something doing."
"He's getting out a match," Josh went on.
"You mean he's hunting all through his pockets for one," corrected Jack.
That gave George another spell of the blues.
"Chances are he won't have a blessed match about him," he observed,despairingly. "And I've got half a notion right now to crawl out there,and do the business for Fritz."
"No need," remarked Josh, "he's found one!"
Then they watched again, while the logger went through with a lot ofwhat seemed to George utterly useless actions, fixing the kindling up alittle better. And finally he started to strike the match.
The boys held their breath as they saw it flame up.
"Now, look out, Fritz, or you'll lose your eyebrows!" George was heardto mutter; as the logger leaned over to apply the little flame, which hehad been shielding with both hands, after the manner of an old smoker.
"Wow!"
Josh did not mean to call out, but the cry was almost forced from hislips as he saw a vivid flash of fire, that seemed to jump as high as theroof of the little log shack.
"That was the gasolene!" remarked George, coolly.
"Fritz got stung, I guess, because he tumbled over backwards," Joshventured, as his opinion; but although Jack had imagined that somethingalong those lines might have happened, he did not see the man show anysigns of suffering, as he started to crawl away from the spot, glancingover his shoulder now and then, as if to reassure himself thateverything was going well.
"Naw, he's all right; Fritz kin be quick when he wants to get out o' theway o' things that hurts," the fellow logger advanced.
"Wonder if she's going to take hold?" Josh ventured, as he watched thefire eat into the kindling merrily.
"Wouldn't be s'prised if she did, now?" Hank remarked, as though he hadexperienced a change of heart since the match had been applied. "Lookythar at the way it's eatin' up the logs. Gosh! that makes a hot fire,boys, with them oil rags to keep her a-goin'. And sure as yuh live I c'nsee it getting a grip o' the logs right now. Guess we won't hev airyshanty, come morning. But who keers. A little saw-buck o' a ten dollarbill wud make that squar."
Jack looked around.
If the cabin really caught fire, and began to burn furiously, it wouldnot be long before those within would have to vacate. He wanted to geta good idea as to what their next move would be; and for that reason hetook this observation, so as to be posted.
And the first thing he saw was that the current of the river had swungthe log raft in to the western shore during the last ten minutes or so.Why, it was not more than a hundred yards away; and as the moon hung inthe east, the whole shore line was brightly illuminated.
Would not that prove an irresistible attraction to the pair of huntedthieves, provided they could swim? As a last resort might they not thinkto make a run for the edge of the raft, and spring overboard?
That was all right, provided they left the little bag behind. If on theother hand they tried to carry it off, Jack must know what to do aboutit. He feared that sooner than give up their plunder the scoundrelswould deliberately throw it into the river, and thus defraud thedepositors and stockholders of the Lawrence bank out of their valuableproperty, as well as sink the evidence that might be used to incriminatethem as the looters of the institution.
How to prevent this was the question that was bothering Jack.
Would he be justified in trying to cripple one of the robbers in casethey attempted to carry out such a bold scheme?
He decided this quickly, when he remembered what misery would likelyfollow the loss of the bag, with its contents. Yes, what was onewretch's suffering when compared with that which would follow theclosing of the bank's doors, and a sign on the outside telling that itwould never be able to open again, because of the loss of the entirefunds, and negotiable papers, as the paper had said.
Well, there did not seem to be any more doubt about the success of thefire, at any rate; for already were the flames beginning to creep up thewall of the cabin, licking greedily at the wood. They had gained such agood start that unless some fire-fighter got busy in a hurry, that shackwas doomed, for the breeze fanned the flames wonderfully.
"They're coming out!" snapped George.
"Get ready, Jack, to drop 'em!" shouted Josh.
"There's the old Comfort drawing alongside the raft by our boats!" Jacksent back at them just then.
Perhaps those in the cabin had already discovered the other boat comingdown with the current, for the opening was toward the up-river end ofthe float, it may be remembered.
If so, it must have surely added to their uneasiness. They could see anumber of persons aboard, and in the deceptive moonlight how were theyto know that these passengers on the big launch were hardly to beclassed with fighters, at least not very ferocious ones?
Imagine the astonishment of Herb and Buster, not to speak of Algernon,when, on nearing the dark object they had discovered ahead, it was tosuddenly discover a blaze shooting up; and then on looking further tosee Jack, George, Josh, Andy and the man Jenks, as well as two strangeraftsmen ranged, about on a raft of logs, watching the burning cabin, asthough it contained something they were greatly interested in.
And then to find the stolen white launch tied up to the raft--that musthave given them a clue so they could figure things out fairly well.
The men had thrust their heads out at the time George and Josh seemed sopositive they were coming. They could not have fancied the situationmuch; but then the sight of land so near by may have put some heart intothem.
As the fire got hotter their condition must be growing more and moreunpleasant. Jack knew that it was only a question of minutes, or moreproperly, seconds, before they would be forced to expose themselves, andhe was nerving himself for that crisis.
He saw Jenks and one of the loggers start to move to the other side ofthe raft, as though they would anticipate the possible coming of the menin that direction and be on hand to meet them.
"Keep clear, so that I can fire!" he called to them, making his voice asvociferous as possible, in order that the hiding men might catch everyword, and be more or less affected by the startling intelligence.
"Oh! why didn't I bring my gun along?" groaned George, who was sufferingagonies because he just had to stand there, and watch some one else runthings; whereas, did he happen to have a weapon in his hands, he mighthave taken a much more prominent part in the proceedings.
One good thing about George was that he always wanted to be on thefiring line; for he did not have a drop of craven blood in his veins. Inbaseball, football, hockey, it was all the same; George could be foundwherever the play was fiercest, taking and giving knocks without amurmur, if only there was action, action, and then more action.
Jack heard his lament, and was secretly just as well satisfied to havethings as they were. George was so impulsive that he might do things tobe regretted in calmer moments. Such a hot-headed fellow was dangerouswith firearms, especially when there seemed some little excuse formaking a use of the same against a law-breaking pair like the bankrobbers.
For a couple of minut
es nothing happened; but the fire was burningfiercely and crackling at a great rate. Josh looked rather serious as hecontemplated the conflagration; perhaps he was remembering George'sabsurd threat with regard to setting the river on fire; and thinkingthat they would surely have to get away before such a catastrophe cameto pass.
Then, just what Jack had been expecting came about.
"There! there! Jack, look! knock 'em over!" shrieked George, as twofigures started out of the burning shack on the raft, and began tohasten across the slippery logs as fast as they could go.
One of them, the larger, carried the hand bag; and from his determinedmanner it looked as though he meant to cling to that through thick andthin. Jenks and the two loggers were already trying to cut the fugitivesoff, and as though they began to fear lest that should really happenthe robbers changed their course a little, though still heading for theside of the raft that lay nearest the western bank of the river, soclose at hand.
Jack fired one barrel of his gun, but he did not try to hit the fleeingmen. It was just intended to let them know he had their range, for chipsand water flew close beside the one who carried the bag.
"Drop that bag, or the next shot will lame you for life, do you hear?"shouted the boy, now fully resolved that he would have to shoot towound, in justice to all those poor depositors up in Lawrence, for whomhe felt so sorry.
Perhaps it was on account of the threat contained in his words; althoughthe nearness of Jenks, and the other two husky men, may have had more orless to do with it; but the escaping burglar realized that it was a caseof either letting his plunder go, or else being badly wounded, and thensent to the penitentiary for a term of years. And so, he relaxed hisfirm clutch, allowing the bag with the stolen funds of the bank to fallupon the logs of the raft.
Motor Boat Boys' River Chase; or, Six Chums Afloat and Ashore Page 22