Part 8 (1/2)
”Gee, but you're an artist, Jimmie!” cried Jack. ”We'll get you a job as 'Tricko, The Handcuff King'! I want to say right now,” the boy went on in mock seriousness, ”there are very few people who can tie themselves up so completely and so quickly as this job has been done!”
”You win the argument!” decided Jimmie, ironically. ”If I get my tutor where I can lay hands on him I'll show him a trick or two that wasn't in the first chapter. He's in for some instruction all right!”
”What happened, Jimmie?” asked Ned, carefully pa.s.sing his knife through the bonds that confined the other's hands and feet.
”Well, when I came slamming along into the warehouse I was only a few feet behind the milk maid!” began Jimmie. ”I at once crept in on tiptoe, because I reasoned that he would be slugging along, making considerable noise. I didn't know that there were goods in here.
”I couldn't see him anywhere. From that I concluded that he had either stopped or had taken to tiptoeing, too. I had my 'gat' ready and started in. I felt along the bales and boxes a ways. Just as I heard you fellows come into the door something tripped me and down I went.
”Before I could say a word he had shoved that thing into my mouth, pulled a handkerchief out of my pocket, tied it around my face and then tied my hands together under my knees. Say,” the lad continued earnestly, ”that guy never got his knowledge out of a correspondence course! He's been there and helped skin 'em! He's smooth!”
”Where's your automatic?” asked Harry.
”I don't know,” replied Jimmie. ”Let's have the bug a minute. I'm sure I heard it fall, but I can't say whether Mackinder got it or not!”
”Mackinder?” questioned Ned. ”How do you know it was he?”
”Because as he was tying my hands together I had a chance to feel of the back of his right hand. I could feel the scar as plainly as could be. It was the same scar I saw before he started to run and the same scar I saw when the 'U-13' package was pinched!”
”I'd like to take a poke at him just for luck!” declared Jack.
”I don't know about that,” stated Jimmie. ”I can't help but admire a fellow as capable as he is. He tied me up so quickly and cleverly and yet so effectively. I'd like to take lessons of him!”
”Here's your gun!” joyously announced Harry. ”And here's the milkmaid's dress he shed in here after he trussed you up.”
”Now, then,” began Ned, as the party was again complete and ready for action, ”let's get out of here and get our baggage.”
”Let's get Mackinder first,” proposed Jack.
”I vote 'No' on that question, Mr. Chairman!” declared Jimmie.
”Why?” questioned Jack, with surprise. ”What's the matter?”
”Well, there are several matters!” declared Jimmie. ”I don't feel that we'd gain anything by chasing him. The 'U-13' package is not in our possession and he knows it. Besides, he's a clever guy and we might get the worst of it if we step out of our way to go after him.”
”I agree with Jimmie,” announced Ned. ”Let's get aboard the Lena Garlic and get started on our way as soon as possible.”
”You mean Lena k.n.o.bloch!” corrected Harry.
”It's the same thing!” declared Ned. ”k.n.o.bloch means garlic!”
”All right, then, let's get going!” agreed Jack.
The boys lost little time in proceeding to their hotel, where they went directly to their room. Here a scene of confusion awaited them. Their possessions lay scattered around in disorder.
”Well, Great Frozen Hot Boxes!” cried Jimmie. ”What's this?”
”Mackinder and Norton again, I'll bet my head!” said Jack.