CHAPTER XVII
USING BOY SCOUTS FOR BAIT!
Alarmed by the swift approach of the motor car in the tunnel, Jimmieand Jackson took to their heels and made swift progress toward theeast entrance, throwing the searchlight about and keeping their eyesout for some hiding place as they ran.
Before long it became evident that they could not long maintain thepace they had taken. The motor car was gaining on them rapidly, asthey knew by the steady approach of the clamor which the engineswere making.
"Gee!" cried Jimmie, at last. "No use! I've got to drop insomewhere!"
Jackson was as ready to stop running as was Jimmie, so they drew upagainst the wall and Jimmie shut off the light from his electriccandle.
"Do you think they saw that light?" asked Jimmie, pushing close tothe rock wall. "I hope not."
"Probably not, as there was always an angle between us," was thewhispered reply, "but their light is coming around that angle now.Stand close!"
It was of little use to stand close.
Under the great lamps every crack and crevice of the tunnel wallswas in plain sight to the occupants of the car. The two fugitivesmight as well have attempted concealment under the limelight in thecenter of the stage of a Broadway theatre!
Jimmie's hand was on his automatic as the car halted in front ofhim. Jackson saw what was in the boy's mind and laid a hand on hisarm.
"None of that!" he said.
"Well, I'm not goin' to be--"
Jackson forced the revolver out of the boy's hand as he brought itout of his pocket.
"They've got us," he whispered, "and will be only too glad of anexcuse to shoot us down in cold blood."
"Well!"
This from Thomas Q. Collins, who sat in the front seat, looking atthe two as if he could bite them in pieces!
Jimmie looked sullenly toward his automatic, in Jackson's hand, andsaid not a word. Jackson stepped forward.
"You've got us!" he said.
"You bet we have!" gloated Collins. "Where did that Nestor boy gowith the man he picked up by the fire?"
"Did he get him?" asked Jimmie.
"Yes, he got him, worse luck!" was the reply. "Where did he go withhim?"
"Don't know," replied Jimmie.
"I'll find a way to make you know!" gritted Collins. "Do youfellows know what it is to be hungry?"
"Honest," Jackson cut in, "we don't know where Nestor went withLyman. When he left us, he was not certain that he could get him.Thought Lyman might not want to go away with a stranger on suchshort notice."
"Oh, what's the use?" demanded one of the others. "The fellow hasgone back to Asuncion. That's easy to figure out. Who set you boysat work on this case?" he added, in a moment, at a whisper from hisseat-mate.
"Ned set me at work," Jimmie answered.
"Yes, but who set him at work?"
"I'll tell you," Jackson said, with a smile of satisfaction on hisface, "the United States government set Ned at work. You'd betterwatch out how you butt up against the Secret Service men."
"That's just what I told you!" sneered Collins. "You wouldn'tbelieve me. Now what do you think?"
The speaker left his seat in the machine and walked over to whereJackson was standing, the revolver still in his hand.
"Give me that gun!" he demanded.
Jackson passed it over without a word of protest.
"Now your own gun," Collins demanded, extending his hand.
"I have no gun," was the reply. "You know that very well."
"I thought you might have stolen one since leaving the cow country,"snarled the other. "There is no knowing what kind of property youlight-fingered gentlemen will acquire."
"You're a liar, Collins," Jackson said, coolly. "You know I neverran off the cattle which were missed. I believe you stole them!"
Collins advanced angrily toward the speaker, but one of his companydrew him back.
"Cut it out!" he said. "There will be plenty of time later on."
"What are you going to do with us?" asked Jimmie.
"You'll see!" Collins replied. "I wonder how you would like a gameof chase-the-bullet? Similar to the one you gave me not long ago?"
"Like it fine," Jimmie grinned, "if it didn't do me no more harmthan it did you. Never touched you!"
"It may be different in your case," Collins threatened.
After consulting together in whispers for some moments, the menloaded Jimmie and Jackson into the crowded motor car and put on thereverse movement. In half an hour, the progress being slow, theycame to the valley where the campfire was still burning. Here theyall alighted.
Half a dozen Peruvian Indians of vicious appearance now cameforward, and Collins gave them instructions in an undertone, afterwhich the two captives were led away to the cavern in which Lymanhad been sheltered up to the time of the arrival of the Nelson. Oneof the Indians remained outside while the others hastened away.
"Well," Jimmie said, as he looked gloomily at the discouragedJackson, "what do you think of this? I'd like to push the face ofthat Collins person in so it would mix with the back curtain."
"We're in for it!" moaned Jackson.
"Aw, what can they do to us?" demanded the little fellow.
"They can keep us here until we die of starvation," replied Jackson."I've had a turn with starvation, and know what it's like."
Jimmie reached under his coat and brought out a can of beans.
"Here," he said, "get busy on this."
"They took mine away when they searched me for a gun," said Jackson.
"Buck up!" advised Jimmie. "We've got to figure out some way togive them the slip. What?"
"Yes, I suppose so!"
Jackson had counted on getting back to civilization without furtherdifficulties, on the arrival of the Nelson, and now he wascompletely discouraged. Jimmie sat on the floor of the cavern andeyed him quizzically.
"Ned will come back after us," the little one said, presently. "Youput your bloomin' trust in Ned, an' you'll come a four-time winnerout of the box. I know. I've been out with him before."
"But how will he ever find us here?" asked Jackson.
"How did he ever find Lyman?" demanded the boy. "You hush yourkickin' an' leave it all to Ned. Guess he knows enough to get usout of this sink of iniquity! That boy eats 'em alive!"
"I can't see why they should keep us here," Jackson remarked,presently, prying off the top of the can of beans with his pocketknife. "Why don't they go back to Asuncion and look after thatcattle concession?"
"Because they've got some one there to look out for it for them,"replied the boy. "They're waitin' here for Ned to come back an' getus, if anybody should ask you," he went on, his cheerful smile notat all matching the serious import of his words. "This Collinsperson has cards up his sleeve, an' he wants to get hold of Ned.He's set his trap with us for bait."
"You're a cheerful little cuss!" grinned Jackson, beginning to seethe dangerous side of the situation. "And what are we going to dowhen Ned comes back? Let them soak him?"
"Not so you could notice it," was the reply. "When Ned comes backwe'll be out at the other end of that tunnel, an' he'll swoop do inin the Nelson an' pick us up, an' we'll be back in little old N. Y.before you can say scat."
"But how can we--"
The entrance to the cavern was darkened for a moment and then theflashily-dressed form of Collins made its appearance.
"What's that about getting back to little old N. Y.?" he asked."When do you start for Manhattan Island?"
"You heard, then?" asked Jackson.
"Of course."
"Well?"
"Well, we'll see that you don't get away until this Ned comes backafter you. We need him in our business."
"He'll land Lyman at Asuncion before you see him again," Jimmiesaid.
"Not a doubt of it," was the sullen reply, "but don't you ever thinkwe haven't got people there who will look out for our interests.Lyman won't be at liberty long, and your Ned
will come back here toget what's coming to him."
"Is that so?" exclaimed the boy, putting on a bold front, butinwardly fearful that the situation was a tragic one.
Leaving the captives with this cheering (?) information, Collinswent back to his companions, leaving the Indian still on guard. Fora time the Indian stood stolidly in front of the cave, then, lookingcarefully about to see that he was not observed by his employers, hefaced the opening and uttered one English word:
"Prepared."
Jackson opened his eyes in amazement, but Jimmie saw an extendedhand and sprang forward. The Indian's right hand was extendedtoward the boy, palm up, the thumb and little finger meeting acrossthe palm and crossed, the remaining fingers straight out.
"You mean, 'Be prepared'?" Jimmie asked.
"'Be prepared,"' repeated the other, like one rehearsing a lesson.
"Gee!" laughed the boy. "Here's a Boy Scout lingerin' in little oldPeru! Now wouldn't that stop a clock?"
"You just wait a minute," Jackson said, hopefully. "I think I cantalk with this chap a little in Spanish."
Then followed a great picking of words to match gestures, andgestures to explain words, during which the full salute of the BoyScouts of America was often repeated by the Indian. Then Jacksonsaid:
"He says that there were Boy Scouts down here six months ago, andthat he guided them through the mountain passes to the headwaters ofthe Beni river. From there they went through to the valley of theAmazon in a boat--a steam launch."
Jimmie reached under his waistcoat collar and produced his Wolfbadge, pointing to it with his finger inquiringly. The Indian shookhis head.
"Not Wolves," the boy said, in a moment. "Let's see if they wereBlack Bears."
When a Black Bear badge which belonged to Jack Bosworth was shownthe Indian still shook his head. Then he pointed to the sky andwhirled his hand around significantly, finishing with a waving,flying motion.
"I see!" cried Jimmie. "They were Eagles!"
"This ought to help some," Jackson observed, his face growing morecheerful.
"Of course it will," replied the boy. "Ask him if he wants to getout of this blasted country and go to New York. We'll take him ifhe'll get us out on the east slope before Ned gets back."
Jackson talked with the Indian again, but did not seem to be able tocome to terms with him.
"He doesn't want to commit himself," the ex-cattleman said. "We'llhave to wait until he thinks it over."
The Indian seemed moody and sullen for the next few hours. Whendawn came and the little fire which had blazed in the cavern allnight went out, he was called away and another native placed onguard.
"That settles it," Jimmie said. "We lose!"
"I'm the losenest feller you ever seen," said Jackson. "I never wona bet in my life. You're unlucky to get dumped in a mess with me."
About the time Ned and Lyman landed in Asuncion the boys in thecavern began looking for his return. They were not permitted toleave the cavern, but they watched the eastern sky intently everyminute.
They watched the sky, too, during the long days when Ned was inprison at Asuncion. Late on the afternoon of the 21st, as thereader knows, Ned searched the eastern slope for them but they didnot see him. On the morning of the 23d they were taken from thecave and placed in full sight on the eastern slope, where they wouldbe sure to be seen from the sky. They did not know what to make ofthis at first, but directly, when they saw Indians, heavily armed,stationed in hiding places all about them, they understood.
Jimmie had expressed the situation exactly. The cowards werebaiting their trap for Ned with his friends.
Unless some means of warning him could be found, Ned would drop downto his death if he landed to rescue the ones he had left behind.
CHAPTER XVIII
THE END OF A LONG CHASE
On the 23d of August the Nelson, with Ned, Jack, and Frank on board,was sweeping over the mountains and valleys of Bolivia and Perutoward the twin valleys in which Jimmie and Jackson had been left.Plenty of provisions and gasoline had been taken on at the Hamlinstorehouse, and the lads were well equipped for a week's cruise inthe air.
They did not urge the aeroplane to its fullest speed, nor did theyremain in the air longer than a couple of hours at a time. It hadbeen decided to strike the eastern slope of the range just beforedawn, so the Nelson was allowed to loiter on the way. Jackafterwards declared that Ned slept half the time!
Had the first decision, to run to the twin valleys as swiftly aspossible, been held to, the two prisoners, guarded on that easternslope, would have seen the Nelson coming toward their relief.
At the same time, on landing, Ned and his companions would have beenconfronted with armed Indians demanding immediate surrender. Thiswould not have been according to the notions of the boys on theaeroplane, as they had figured that Jimmie and Jackson would be ableto keep out of the hands of the Collins gang.
The 23d dawned slowly, with the Nelson loitering over the greatbrown and green map of South America and the boys tiring their eyeslooking for the glistening planes of the aeroplane. The captiveswere provided with food, but it was decidedly cold on themountainside when night came.
All that day and all that night the guards lay in wait insequestered places, waiting for the Nelson. Although his only hopeof immediate rescue lay in the arrival of the Nelson, Jimmie wishedevery minute of the time that Ned would in some manner be warnedaway from that dangerous locality.
Just before dawn of the 24th Jimmie, who had fallen into a lightslumber, felt Jackson pulling at his arm.
"Wake up!" the man whispered. "There is a light in the sky!"
Jimmie was on his feet in an instant. Away off over a parallelridge to the east, a ridge not so high as the one on which theystood, and which formed only a slight elevation in the generalslope, a single light twinkled and swung up and down in the halflight between night and morning. "That's the Nelson, all right!"Jimmie declared. "Ned is coming! Good old Ned! Now, what can wedo to keep him from being murdered?" the boy added, tearfully.
"I give it up!" replied Jackson. "All we can do is to give themsome signals and tell them to keep away."
Jimmie sprang out to one of the guards, who already stood erect,watching the light with his gun in his hand. The guard lookedcuriously at Jimmie as he advanced, his hands clasping hisshoulders, his body shivering as from extreme cold. The Indian wascold, too, so it did not take him long to make out the boy'smeaning.
Jimmie next pointed to sticks lying about, and to bunches of drygrass which stood in some of the crevices of the rocks. The guardnodded consent for a fire and Jimmie raced about like mad collectingprincipally dry grass.
Jackson ran to help him, piling his gatherings all on one heap.
"Make three piles!" Jimmie cried. "I want three fires! Threebright fires! Make three heaps!"
The three heaps grew fast. They were not arranged in a row on alevel, but mounted one above another on the slope. Jimmies idea wasto so place the fires one above the other, some thing like notchescut in a tree trunk.
The reason for this is apparent. Three fires in a line facing thepoint signaled to signal "Good News." Three notches cut in a treetrunk, one above another, mean "Important Warning!" Now thequestion was, would Ned understand that the fires representedwarning notches, one above the other, and keep away until some safeplan for landing could be arranged?
If he accepted the signal as "Good News" signs, he would drop downto death. If he read them as Jimmie intended he should, he wouldsail away and wait for a more favorable opportunity.
When the three fires were going the Indian guards gathered about inorder to warm themselves. Jimmie and Jackson hovered near them,too, but they never shifted their eyes from the light in the sky.
The Nelson hovered over the elevation to the east for a second, andthen, much to the amazement of the lad, whirled about and shotdownward, out of sight. The guards watched the light as long as itshowed and then turned to the
fires again.
Daylight came swiftly, and a finger of sunlight lay on the crest ofthe mountains when the' machine was in the air again. It was,perhaps, three miles away, across deep and dangerous canyons whichit would require hours of the hardest kind of traveling to cross onfoot.
Sailing low, almost touching minor elevations at times, the greatairship came on, straight to the spot where the boys stood--wherethe Indians awaited them with guns in their hands!
In a moment Jimmie saw why this course was being taken. Unless therascals in the twin valleys had seen the light when it firstappeared they would not see it at all, for the bulk of the mountainshut off their view of the rough country over which Ned wastraveling.
Ned did not seem to mind the fire signals. Perhaps, Jimmie thought,he had recognized the warning as a "Good News" signal. In that casethe boy thought, the end of everything, for them, would come rightthere!
Moving slowly and softly, with little noise of motor or propeller,the Nelson approached the spot, circled about, and dropped in alittle depression just below the place where Jimmie was standing.Then the strangest thing happened!
The boy had expected to hear rifle shots, to see his friendsattacked, perhaps murdered before his eyes. But the first one tospring from the machine was the Indian who had given the Boy Scoutsalute some days before!
The Indians on guard saluted him gravely and stood eyeing theaeroplane critically. No hostile move was made. It was thestrangest thing! Where had Ned taken the Indian up, and why had thelatter volunteered to render this assistance?
It was no use to wonder, so Jimmie and Jackson sprang toward themachine, grasped Ned by the hand, and swung into seats. The Indianwho had piloted the Nelson to the place and prevented an attack bythe guards, stood with his arms folded across his broad breast. Fora moment Ned grasped his hand. The others followed, with whatemotion may well be understood, and the Nelson was away, purringthrough the sweet air of the morning as if there were no perils atall in life!
Later revelations showed that the Indian, wishing to protect the BoyScouts, had made his way to the elevation where the Nelson had firstdropped down, signaled to Ned, and informed him of the plans of theCollins people. Frank and Jack had been left farther down theslope, as it was feared that the Nelson would not be able to getaway with so much weight to carry. It is almost needless to saythat the Indian was rewarded for his loyalty to the Boy Scouts, andthat he carried back with him enough money to make each of theguards a substantial present.
When the Nelson first rose above the rim of the twin valleys shrillcries came from the direction of the cavern, and half a dozen shotswere fired. But all to no purpose. The last the boys saw ofCollins and his adherents they were shouting angrily at the Indians,who were rapidly disappearing from sight over the west wall.
After a time the aeroplane dropped down again, and Jimmie's eyesnearly popped out of his head when he saw Jack and Frank sittingcomplacently on a rock watching him with grins on their faces. Thegreeting of the three boys may well be imagined.
"You're a nice bunch!" Jimmie cried, after many handshakes and muchpulling about. "We left you on the way to little old N.Y. Whereyou been?"
"We just took a run in the Black Bear!" was the reply.
"The Black Bear!" repeated the little fellow actually rubbing hiseyes to see if he was awake. "Where is the Black Bear?"
"Down in the Madeira river," laughed Ned, "and there's no knowingwhere she would have been by this time only for the--"
"Cut it out, Ned!" broke in Jack. "Let us break it to him gently.He'll have fun enough with us without getting it all in a bunch!"
Jackson was introduced to the two boys, and then a council of warwas held. It was finally decided that Jackson should be taken toSicuani in the Nelson and left there, with money enough to make hisway out. Pedro was found at Sicuani and richly rewarded. He didnot return to Lima.
Then Ned was to return for the boys and proceed straight toAsuncion, where the search for the missing cattleman was to berenewed. This programme was carried out. Later the boys metJackson in New York and royally entertained him at the Black Bearclub room and saw that he secured a fine position.
When the Nelson reached Asuncion Ned proceeded directly to theoffice of the president, taking the boys with him. There the storyof the trip was told, and Frank and Jack saw to it that Ned'sofficial position was made known to the head of the republic.
"And so this Mr. Thomas Q. Collins is the man at the bottom of thetrouble?" asked the official. "Well, he will be taken care of if hereturns here. And this military chief? He shall be sent out of thecountry!"
It transpired later on that the president had been deceived in thetwo men, and that Collins had secured the assistance of the generalby false statements and by offers of large sums of money in case thecattle concession was taken from Lyman. A good many officials werefound to be mixed up in the conspiracy, and there were numerousvacancies in the government service.
"And now," the president said, after the whole truth was known, "thenext thing to do is to find Lyman and restore him to his rights."
"It seems to me," Ned suggested, "that this general ought to be ableto produce him in Asuncion in a few hours' time."
"It may be so," admitted the official. "At least, we'll see whatcan be done in that direction."
Lyman was safe in his home in one day. When the general learnedthat it was the wish of the president that the cattleman should bebrought forth, the thing was as good as accomplished.
"It seems to me," Ned said to the boys, that night, "that this thinghas been settled without much help from me. All the presidentneeded was to be set right."
"What he needed," laughed Jack, "was the proof that Collins hadabducted Lyman, and that he was prepared to prevent his return toAsuncion until his concession had expired. Perhaps you can tell mehow all this proof could have been obtained if you had notundertaken the job offered you by the Secret Service men at SanFrancisco?"
"Of course he can't," Jimmie put in. "Lyman man would have diedthere in the mountains and Collins would have taken over hisproperty. The president might have been in with the deal at first,but he certainly wasn't willing to stand for such coarse work."
"And when Lyman didn't show up, his heirs would have demanded theproperty, and then there would have been an internationalquarrel--perhaps work for gunboats," Frank added. "I think the casewas settled just right, and in the right way."
"And what does this Lyman person say?" asked Jimmie.
"Not a thing!" cried Jack. "He just offers Ned all the money thereis in the world in the shape of a reward. I should have taken it!"
"I know better," Ned commented. "We don't need his money, any morethan we need the half million or so Collins offered us."
"Wonder what Collins will do now?" asked Frank.
"He'll duck!" replied Jimmie.
The little fellow was right. Thomas Q. Collins was heard of nomore, either in Paraguay or Peru. When Ned, leaving the others atAsuncion, speeded over to Lima he found Leroy and Mike loungingabout the hotel, waiting anxiously for news from their chums. Theyhad been released on the day following Collins' departure, therebeing no one to press the charge of assault and battery againstthem.
Now there was work cut out for the Nelson. She carried Ned, Mikeand Leroy over to Asuncion and then made two long trips to thelittle town on the Madeira where the Black Bear lay.
The meeting between the boys and Harry was an enthusiastic one, andthe latter pointed with a good deal of pride to the motor boat, goodas new and as bright and clean as a new gold piece.
After a few days spent exploring the country up the Beni, the boysstarted home, their errand satisfactorily accomplished. Jimmiedecided to go with Jack, Frank, Harry and Mike in the motor boat,leaving the Nelson to Ned and Leroy.
"One thing I'd like to do," Jimmie said, as the Black Bear laywaiting for the boys, "and that is to go up into that cannibalcountry and have some fun with the fellows who capture
d the BlackBear and made the occupants of it look like thirty cents in postagestamps!"
"They never did capture the Black Bear!" yelled Frank. "They triedto, and got dynamited for their pains. That's what they got."
"And of course," tormented the little fellow, "you wished the Nelsonhad stayed away, and left you all the glory--not!"
"Well," Jack interposed, "we didn't get tied up in a mountain caveby a lot of cheap skates. We never got where we had to let anIndian get us out of a mess."
"Rats!" shouted Jimmie. "Ned would have recognized our fire signalsand remained away! We could have gotten off without the Indian."
"You say it well!" laughed Frank. "I think that fire signal waspunk!"
And so the lads roasted each other all the way down the Amazon, withthe Nelson sailing above them, dropping down at night and, perhaps,changing passengers each day.
"I wish I had the frame of the Vixen," Leroy said, one day. "Icould make a fine aeroplane out of it. Shame to have an airshipsmashed like that!"
Ned pointed to the planes of the Nelson.
"You've got quite a job making this little lady look like new," hesaid. "Those tent canvas planes look rather cheap."
"I'll have the new planes in place in a week after we get back toNew York," said the other.
"And send the repair bill to the government," advised Ned. "It willbe paid without a cross word."
At the mouth of the Amazon the Black Bear was taken apart and packedaboard a fast steamer bound for New York. The five boys accompaniedher, of course, while Ned and Leroy completed the trip home in theNelson. When the four reached the Black Bear club room they foundNed there with a mass of letters and telegrams before him.
"Look here, lads," he said, "we've got more trouble on hand. Youknow about the revolution in China, and all that? Well, there's alot of gold which belongs to the republic been dumped in the sea,and I've got to go and help get it out!"
"Let 'em get their own gold," Jimmie said.
"But in this case, it is claimed that there was fraud in theshipment of gold, also, that the vessel carrying it was rammed forthe purpose of concealing the fraud. Anyway, Uncle Sam wants me tolook it up."
"What's he got to do with it?" asked Frank.
"Something connected with the sub-treasury," laughed Ned. "That isall I can say to you about it."
"And how you goin' to get it?" demanded Jimmie.
"By working with a submarine," was the reply.
"Down in the bottom of the sea!" sang Frank.
"Well," Ned said, presently, "figure the thing out for yourselves.Find out if you can get permission to go, and all that. Thegovernment will provide the submarine and all the supplies, ofcourse, and land us near the spot we are to search."
But the story of the search for the gold is quite another tale. Itwill be found in the third volume of this series, entitled:
"Boy Scouts in a Submarine; or, Searching an Ocean Floor."
THE END
Boy Scouts in an Airship; Or, The Warning from the Sky Page 17