Part 20 (1/2)

And there, the morning light just beginning to show in the eastern sky, the boys found an odd-looking fellow busily getting ready to cast off a fis.h.i.+ng skiff. He was one Pepperman, commonly called ”Swamp” for short.

He was something of a crony of Dan's and the boys had seen him before.

As they headed in they made out the ident.i.ty of ”Swamp.” Gus suddenly had one of his ideas. He conveyed it to Bill in few words:

”We'll get 'Swamp' to go to those Malatestas and tell them he can steal them a boat. Then we'll get Tony away if he's still there. You talk to 'Swamp.'”

”h.e.l.lo, Mr. Pepperman! Going fis.h.i.+ng?” began Bill, as they made fast and lowered sail. ”Yes? Expect to catch much? No? Well, I know something that will bring you in two hours more money than in three weeks of the best fis.h.i.+ng you ever had.”

”Swamp” wanted to know how such a thing could be done. Said Bill:

”Dead easy! You take a walk right away down through the pines toward the Point. Know how to whistle a tune? Sure; well then, come over all the tunes you know. Let on you're hunting for special fish bait or something. Sheer off toward the big pine and keep through toward the ocean. You'll meet somebody likely. Don't get curious, but talk fis.h.i.+ng and boats. Tell them you take folks fis.h.i.+ng and that you have a dandy boat all ready--a fast one. They'll probably want to see her. Tell them you keep her up here, but if they'll hang off sh.o.r.e at the Point you'll sail her around there. Then, when they leave for the Point and you're sure of it, you come up the bay side road and tell us. We'll be waiting.

How much is there in it? Twenty-five dollars, Mr. Pepperman, if your errand turns out successfully. Is that enough?”

”I reckon hit air,” remarked the sententious ”Swamp.” ”When do I git the money?”

”Any time--to-day,” said Gus, and without another word the lanky fellow, laying aside his tackle and bait of crab meat, was off into the woods.

Hardly an hour pa.s.sed before Gus remarked to tired and sleepy Bill: ”Somebody's coming. I'll bet it's 'Swamp.'”

It was, and he reported the exact carrying out of the plan. Two men, young fellows, one very dark-skinned, the other light, and both carrying guns, had started to the Point to wait for him. The other man,--there had been three along the wood road--had headed up into the nearer woods along the ocean side.

”You go back and wait for Dan,” said Gus to Bill. ”I'm going to make one more try for Tony.”

CHAPTER XXIX

AT THE CRACK O' DAY

”Tony!”

There was no reply. Gus called again, more sharply, but still fearful of being heard. Silence. There could be no delay in action. With his nerves still a-tingle, the boy seized a stout bit of wood, evidently cut for the fireplace, inserted it between the window bars, bore down and with a low squeak of protest the nails came out. Another pry, with the sill for a fulcrum, and there was a hole big enough for a body to get through.

The bit of wood now acted as a step and in a moment Gus was inside the cabin.

At the extreme end, lying against the logs, lay a figure. Gus instantly stooped to shake it. Tony waked up with a cry of alarm.

”Don't, don't yell, Tony, it's Gus! Get up and come quick!”

Nothing more was required of Tony. He was instantly awake and in action.

Not another word pa.s.sed between the boys--but was that cry heard by the kidnapers?--the rescuer wondered--and with reason. They must be off instantly.

To the window! As Tony drew near it, pulling Gus by the hand across the dark room, he paused. Outside there was the faint sound of a step. Tony uttered a faint ”sh,” and grabbed Gus by the arm. It was the elder Malatesta.

”Ah! So? You make get-away. I fix that.” The next instant the muzzle of a rifle was poked through the broken place--poked well through, and possibly this shrewd defier of law and order never made a greater mistake, which he recognized when he felt the muzzle seized and bent aside.

He pulled the trigger, but the bullet buried itself harmlessly in the wall of the cabin. Malatesta attempted to jerk the gun away, but Gus, fortified by the leverage against the sill and the window bars, held on, his own weapon cras.h.i.+ng to the floor. How Tony managed to dive through that hole as he did, landing squarely on his enemy neither he nor Gus ever could figure out, but when Gus found the weapon free in his hands, picked up his own gun and followed Tony he found the insensible miscreant, who had received a sufficient smash in the jaw from Tony's heel.