Part 18 (1/2)

”Well, it's no great matter, anyhow,” said Durland, with a smile. ”There are enough of us left to attend to the matter. We'd better be getting along, Jack. Where are Stubbs and Binns?”

”They got leave for a little while from Sergeant Hart, sir,” said Jack.

”That seems mighty funny to me, because they knew about Broom, and that I might want them along with me to-night.”

”They've probably forgotten it, Jack,” said d.i.c.k. ”You've all had a pretty full day and things slip the mind sometimes in such circ.u.mstances. No use worrying about them. We'll go ahead, anyhow.”

At the place where Broom had made his appointment a man was waiting for them.

”Mr. Broom said this place was too public,” the man whispered. ”If you'll come along with me, I'll show you where he is waiting for you now.”

”We'll come,” said Durland. ”But look here, my man, no tricks!”

He drew his hand from his holster, and showed the guide, a sullen, scowling fellow, the big pistol that reposed there.

”If I see any sign of treachery, I'm going to use this and see who's to blame afterward,” Durland went on, grimly. ”You'd better play level with us, or you'll have a mighty good reason to regret it. That's a fair warning, now. See that you profit by it. The next will be from my pistol!”

”Aw, g'wan, what's eatin' youse?” asked the man. But, despite his bl.u.s.ter, he was obviously frightened.

”I ain't here to hoit youse,” he said, sullenly, after a minute's silence. ”Just youse come along wid me, and I'll take youse to Broom.

That's all the job I got, see?”

He led them some distance into the woods. Once or twice they thought they heard sounds as if others were near them, but they made up their minds that this idea was due to their imaginations. And finally, when they were nearly two miles from the nearest troops, as far as they could tell, their guide stopped in a little clearing in the woods.

”Wait here,” he said. ”I'll go tell Broom you're ready.”

He crashed off through the undergrowth, and, with what patience they could, they waited in the darkness.

They realized afterward that the waiting was a blind. No one had crept up on them, but they were suddenly seized, each one from behind, so that there was no chance at all for Durland and Crawford to use the pistols that they held in their hands. Their a.s.sailants, as they guessed later, had been waiting all the time for them, ready to spring, upon them as soon as they were thoroughly off their guard. And in a moment they saw Broom, an electric torch in his hand, which he directed at the faces of the three prisoners in turn.

”You walked into the trap all right, didn't you?” he said to Jack, with an ugly sneer on his face. ”You was mighty smart this morning! Glad you brought your friends along. They've bothered us, too. And now we've caught you all together. That's much better, you see! You won't get in my way again, any one of you!”

Suddenly he gave a curse.

”Where's the others?” he snarled. ”The red-headed one and the little shaver? I want them, too!”

”There weren't but the three of them,” said the man who had served as their guide. ”I don't know where the others are.”

”Well, it can't be helped,” said Broom, with an oath. ”I'll get rid of these, anyhow.”

”You'll spoil no more games of mine!” he told them. ”Get the ropes, there, men!”

”What are you goin' to do?” asked one of Broom's men.

”String them up,” replied Broom, with a brutal laugh. ”Hanging leaves no evidence behind. No weapons--no wounds to show the sort of a blow that killed. There's good advice for you, my friend. If you want to get rid of an enemy, hang him!”

All three of the prisoners had been gagged. They had to stand silent, now, while the rope was placed about their necks. They were all forced to stand under the spreading branch of a big tree, and the ropes were thrown over it.