Afloat; or, Adventures on Watery Trails

by John C. Hutcheson

  CHAPTER VI

  BOUND FOR SASSAFRAS SWAMP

  When Landy Smith settled the matter in this convincing fashion, therest of the scouts showed more or less interest in the outcome.

  "That proves one thing," asserted Toby; "Hen Condit is up here, allright."

  "It proves a whole lot of things, according to my opinion," added LilArtha as he nodded his head in a way he had of emphasizing his remarks;"it tells us Hen is in bad company, for the second fellow must be theman he was seen with the other day in Hickory Ridge town."

  "According to my notion, fellows," said Mark, seriously, "the hand ofthat same unknown man stands back of all poor Hen's troubles. Untilthat party was seen in this part of the country, Hen didn't seem tohave a single worry. He was always as light-hearted a chap as youcould find in a week of Sundays."

  "What under the sun can it mean?" queried Landy, looking distressed;because, truth to tell, he and the missing scout had been getting quitefond of one another lately, and the shock had told upon Landy much morethan any other boy belonging to the Wolf Patrol.

  "I tell you what I think," ventured Ted Burgoyne just then; "that manmutht have hypnotized Hen. I don't thee how elth he could make him dowhatever he wants. Yeth, I even believe he forced Hen to wite thatletter. Needn't laugh, Lil Artha, I've been reading it all up lately,and there are thome queer happeningth along the line of hypnothism."

  "Elmer, how about that; do you believe in it?" asked Lil Artha, who wasknown to be pretty much of a scoffer in his way.

  "I decline to commit myself--just yet at any rate," laughed the patrolleader. "I confess that queer things do happen, and a fellow whoalways refuses to believe because he doesn't understand is silly. Butwe do know this unknown man has some kind of influence over our chum;what it is we're going to find out before we're many days older."

  "I like to hear you say that, Elmer," cried Landy, "because I just seemto believe the thing's more'n half done when you put _your_ hand to theplough. I can't help but think how poor Hen must be feeling right now,after getting himself in such a fix."

  "How about those tracks we started out to find?" asked Toby just then.

  "We'll give another look before closing shop," replied the patrolleader. "Just fetch the lantern over, Johnny; they'd be apt to headaway from the barn."

  It was really in the direction of the near-by swamp that they nowcommenced to look. The wisdom of Elmer's figuring was soon mademanifest, for they quickly ran across what they were looking for.

  "Here you are," said Elmer, "and now get busy, Landy."

  "Yes, drop down on your marrow-bones and see what you make of thefootprints," Lil Artha told the fat scout.

  Now Landy had had fair training in certain kinds of work associatedwith scout-craft. He had even taken numerous lessons in following atrail, though giving poor promise of ever being a shining light in thatrespect.

  "Please hold the lantern closer, Johnny," he said, as he thrust hisnose down near the ground; "yes, here's a footprint as clear asanybody'd want to see; and I sure ought to know the person who made thesame."

  "Tell us why, Landy?" asked Elmer, with a pleased smile.

  "That's an easy thing to do, Elmer. You see that diagonal mark acrossthe toe of this impression--well, that's caused by a patch on the leftshoe. All right, Hen Condit had just such a patch put on his shoe aweek ago last Saturday."

  "You know that for a fact, do you, Landy?" questioned the patrolleader, who did not want any guessing about this business.

  "Why, I sat there all the time the cobbler was working at the same,having accompanied Hen to the shoemaker's shop," continued Landy."What's more I joshed him about the fine and dandy track he made everytime he stepped in some half-hard mud that day after he left the shop.Oh! I'm as sure of this footprint as I am that my name's Landy Smith."

  "Well, then, we've had double evidence," spoke up Ted Burgoyne; "and Igueth that ought to thettle the matter. Ith our Hen that was draggedup by the heelth. Elmer, will it pay uth to try and follow the trail?"

  "Hardly just now, at any rate, Ted," the other told him. "We might aimto do something of the kind in the morning. But even here it looks asif they headed for the swamp. That's a point to remember, boys."

  Perhaps several of the scouts were just as well satisfied. The idea ofstarting out on a trail that might soon take them into a dismal swamp,and at midnight in the bargain, with a cloudy sky overhead, did notappeal very strongly to Landy, Toby and Chatz.

  Accordingly, they turned back, heading for the friendly barn,attracted, doubtless, by fond memories of those comfortable beds in thesweet hay.

  "How about the bulldog, Johnny?" asked Elmer, as they reached the barnentrance.

  "I'm meanin' tuh git Mose up yonder, and tie him tuh the tree," repliedthe boy. "Them turks hes gut tuh be looked arter, if I hes tuh stay upall night tuh do the trick. An' lemme tell yuh, Elmer, I kin make upanother trap jest as cunnin' as any ole fox. I'll git 'em yit if so bethey keep hangin' 'raound these parts."

  "I believe you would, Johnny," assented the other, who realized thatthe bound boy was displaying several good traits that would carry himalong through the world once his time of bondage with the farmer was up.

  There being no reason why they should keep away from their sleepingquarters any longer, the seven scouts entered the barn.

  "Wow! but it's plumb dark in here, though!" protested Lil Artha, afterhe had knocked his shins twice against some projection, and evenslammed into a post that chanced to be directly in his way.

  "We'd better stand still for a little while, so as to let our eyes getused to the gloom," suggested Elmer; "it's always that way when youstep into one of the moving-picture places, you remember; but a fewminutes later you can see all around you. Better waste a little timethan a lot of cuticle."

  "Just so," grunted Lil Artha; "already half an inch of skin has beenbarked off my shin, and my nose is swelling where I banged the sameagainst that awful post."

  "Well," remarked Toby, whose ankles had not been bruised and whoconsequently could even think to joke about the matter, "it's probablythe first time then Lil Artha was ever left at the post. But I can seea heap better already."

  All of them found that their eyesight soon became accustomed to thegloom; and that it was not so very bad after all. They had justmanaged to reach the place where their traps were left, and startedburrowing in the hay again, when Elmer called their attention tocertain suggestive sounds outside.

  "That must be Johnny and the bull pup going past on the way to theturkey roost," ventured Mark, as they plainly caught a whine, and thena low growl that was vicious enough to make one's blood turn cold.

  "If those fellows should be reckless enough to come back to make asecond try for young turkey," Landy was saying, as though he could notkeep his mind from grappling with Hen Condit and his troubles, "they'llbe some surprised when that ferocious old Mose grabs them by the legs,and holds on like everything."

  "For one, now," admitted Toby, "I'd want to be excused from any sessionwith the big white teeth of Mose that stick out from his lower jaw.But if you asked me my opinion I'd say one scare a night was as much asany ordinary chicken thief could put up with."

  "Nothing doing," muttered Lil Artha, showing that he, too, was of thesame mind as the companion scout.

  At least it was very evident none of the boys expected being disturbedagain in their slumbers, for they went about settling down as thoughthey meant to enjoy a good long session.

  "Don't wake me too early, mother dear," Toby was heard to say, half tohimself, "for to-morrow won't be the first of May, and I'm not to bethe queen of the occasion either. So please let me have my snooze out,everybody."

  Nothing did occur to disturb their slumbers which doubtless wereadditionally sweet after that one break.

  Elmer had them all up when he considered that it was right and proper.True, the sun was only peeping above the horizon, and the birds stilltwittered amidst the shrubbery near by; but El
mer knew what great handsfarm people are about getting up betimes, and he did not wish to keepMrs. Trotter's breakfast waiting for any sleepy-heads.

  The grumbling ceased as if by magic the moment he mentioned that word"breakfast," and Lil Artha immediately announced himself as beingwide-awake.

  "H'm! seems like I could even smell the batter cakes frying right now,fellows," he told them, with a smack of his lips. "Notice that I scornto give them the well-known name of flapjacks on this festive occasion,because we're going to eat at a regular table, under a hospitable roof;and it's only when in camp that wheat cakes are called flapjacks."

  "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet," chortled Toby.

  "Yes, but if you kept calling it an onion you'd soon think it didn't,"affirmed Lil Artha; "but say, do you reckon that bell was meant for us?Oh! where's my other shoe; they pinched me, so I took 'em off in themiddle of the night, and the left one has gone and hid in the hay."

  "Mebbe the rats got away with it, Lil Artha," suggested Landy,wickedly; "I'm certain I heard 'em squeakin' all around here; and theylike shoe for breakfast."

  It turned out, however, that there was no damage done; the missingfoot-wear was soon discovered under a wisp of hay, and quickly the tallscout crept out in the wake of his six comrades.

  A second time the bell was heard, and at that they all started on a runfor the rear of the house, where several tin basins, and some soap, aswell as clean towels announced that the farmer's good wife had gottenthings ready for them.

  Lil Artha had guessed right; perhaps his keen scent had discovered theodor of pancakes in the air, for they were in plain sight, severalpyramids of the golden beauties, with a pitcher of real maple syrup,and plenty of fresh butter to go with the same.

  Mrs. Trotter may only have had three little girls of her own, but shecertainly had been brought up in a family where there were boys,because she knew so well what their weaknesses were.

  What with three fried eggs apiece, guaranteed strictly home-grown andfresh; a great rasher of sweet ham, also a product of the farm; coffee,with genuine cream in the same, a dish of oatmeal, and then thosesteaming stacks of cakes, it was a wonder some of those scouts were notcompletely foundered.

  Elmer had more or less difficulty in coaxing Lil Artha away from thetable. The elongated scout could hardly breathe, he was so full; buthe heaved many a sigh as he noticed that a fresh plateful of thoseunexcelled pancakes had just been put on, with no one left to do themjustice.

  Shaking his head sadly, Lil Artha finally managed to get on his feetand leave the dining-room. His last look back spoke volumes; it saidas plainly as anything those wonderfully expressive words: "though lostto sight, to memory dear;" and probably never again in the course ofhuman events would Lil Artha equal the astounding record he made thatsame morning of thirteen pancakes straight.

  Elmer knew they would have a big day ahead of them, and was reallyanxious to get started. He had made arrangements with the farmer andhis wife to supply such provisions as they could conveniently carryalong with them for a couple of days, while they were combing the bigSassafras Swamp in hopes of coming across the two parties they sought.

  If the Chief of Police in Hickory Ridge, with others to help him,should put in an appearance, Elmer hoped they might be given suchinformation as lay in the power of Mr. Trotter.

  "We are not hoggish, you must know, Mr. Trotter," he told the farmer,as they were making their last preparations before starting forth;"much as we want to be the ones who will round up these two lurkers inSassafras Swamp, if the police come to take a hand in the chase we wishthem every luck. Yes, and what's more we stand ready as true scouts tolend them a helping hand."

  "All we want," added Ted, seriously, "ith a chance to athist our chumHen. We believe him to be under thome influence, and tho we're bent onbreaking hith chains."

  Each of the seven boys had a certain load to carry besides his rubberponcho, and his pack was supposed to hold the extra food supplies aswell. Some people on seeing what these consisted of might imagine theswamp hunters meant to spend a very long time in their search; but thensuch persons would in that way betray their gross ignorance as to whata growing boy's appetite amounts to. They were taking no chances ofstarvation; and two whole days meant at least three times that manyfull meals, with sundry bites in between.

  From what Elmer had learned through Johnny Spreen, it was possible tonavigate a fair portion of the swamp with a boat. They had severalflat-bottomed skiffs that were used for that purpose, usually by theboy in his fur-hunting expeditions during the fall and winter seasons.

  Unfortunately, things were so much behind at the farm that Johnny couldnot be spared to accompany them. Elmer had hinted at this, not becausehe feared his own ability to get around, but because Johnny's beingalong would save them much precious time.

  When the scout leader had soaked in all possible information the boundboy was capable of delivering, he believed he was in a fair way tomaster the situation. If Hen and his unknown captor were still hidinganywhere in the big swamp, Elmer fancied they could be found. What wasgoing to happen after that event came about, of course, he could notsay just then.

  They made their way along for some distance until near the place wherethe three flat-bottomed skiffs were kept tied up. It was here thatJohnny made a sudden discovery that gave them all a little thrill.