Part 13 (1/2)
”What happened?” asked Jack, his head buzzing, and sore ”Where are the others?”
”Guess we're all here, Mister Jack,” answered Tom Barnum's voice, out of the darkness ”Leastways, Captain What's-his-name's here beside me, but he don't speak, neither”
”Good heavens,” exclai a valiant effort to shake off his dizziness ”Where are we? What happened? Frank, do you know? Tom, do you?”
”Somebody jumped on me fro on, this Higginbothaot the worst of it, and was hustled off to the old Brownell house and thrown in this dark roo on I heard Tom yell, but at the same time this fellow jumped on me That's all I know”
”There was a dozen or more of 'em come out of the woods,” said Tom
”They sneaked out We was pretty close to the trees I just happened to look back, an' they was on us Didn't even have tiht of numbers Like Mister Frank, I had my own troubles and couldn't see what happened to the rest of you”
There was a momentary silence, broken by Jack
”It's easy to see what happened,” he said, bitterly ”What fools ere Those things on the beach were radio-controlled boats which had brought liquor ashore, and a gang was engaged in carrying it up to the Brownell house We happened along when the beach was clear, and Higginbotha party When they shouted on being attacked by you and Bob, and Frank, the rest ere behind theiven the alared us all A pretty roan from Bob interrupted
”Poor old Bob,” said Jack, contritely, for he had been bla caused their difficulties by his precipitate attack on Higginbothaotten the worst of it”
”Look here, Jack,” said Frank suddenly ”My hands and feet are tied, and I suppose yours are, too I' to roll over toward you, and do you try to open the knots on my hands with your teeth”
”Would if I could, Frank,” said Jack ”But that clip I got on the side of my head must have loosened all ht, then I'll try side Jack in the darkness
”Here, where are your hands?” he said
After soan to chew and pull at the ropes binding Jack's hands It was a tedious process at first, but presently he et the knot sufficiently loosened to perood purchase, and then, in a trice, the ropes fell away
”Quick now, Jack,” he said, anxiously ”We don't kno long we'll be left undisturbed So any minute Untie your feet and then free Tom and me, and we can see how Bob and Captain Folsom are fixed”
Jack worked with feverish haste After taking the bonds fro Frank The latter iiven way to long, shuddering sighs that indicated a gradual restoration of consciousness but that also increased the alar his condition
Tom Barnum next was freed and at once set to work to perforained his senses and apparently was injured nolike him received a clout on the side of the head To him Fortunately, the bonds in all cases had been only hastily tied
”Bob, this is Frank Do you hear me? Frank” The latter repeated anxiously, several times, in the ear of his comrade
”Frank?” said Bob, thickly, at last ”Oh, my head”
”Thank heaven, you're alive,” said Frank fervently, and there was a bit of tre felloere very close to each other ”Now just lie quiet, and I'll explain where you are and what happened But first tell me are you hurt any place other than your head?”
”No, I think not,” said Bob ”But the old bean's hu like a top
What happened, anyhow? Where are we? Where are the others?”
”Right here, old thing,” said Jack, on the other side of the prone figure