CHAPTER XXVII. MR. JASPER SURPRISED.
"Don't move, you!" the man called out, threateningly; "I've got youcovered; and I'm desperate enough to shoot, if you rile me just so far.Get that?"
Thad managed to preserve his level head in spite of the seriousness ofthe conditions. It had always been one of his strongest points that whenan emergency arose he could calmly meet it. In times past this sterlingtrait had placed him head and shoulders above the other scouts, and hadconsiderable to do with making him the assistant scoutmaster of CranfordTroop.
He knew that this man was in a frame of mind to do almost anythingwicked. He had always been a bad man, and now that his whole futuredepended on his getting safely out of the country with the plunder hehad lately stolen, it was not likely he would let anything stand in hisway.
Thad began to use some of the shrewdness that a scout should always aimto have at his command when placed in a position of this sort.
He saw something moving just a little way behind Jasper, and quicklyrealized that this must be the swamp guide. Alligator Smith had allowedthe man to pass him by, but he was now creeping up like a panther backof him, advancing inches at a time, but with the utmost care, andmeaning when the proper second came to spring upon Jasper's shoulders.
So Thad knew that it was his duty to hold the attention of the man insome way or other, until his confederate could cover the little spacethat still separated him from his intended victim.
Once let Tom Smith make that plunge, and the chances were he would fixmatters, so that Jasper would not be left in any condition to do furtherdamage.
Above all else Thad knew that under no consideration must he allow theman to suspect that he was only trying to hold his attention for a deeppurpose. And in order to make the matter stronger Thad determined tostagger Jasper by revealing his identity. Anything at all so that hecould cause him to remain just where he was, and allow the other toreach him.
"Oh! I surrender, all right, so please don't think of using your gun. Itisn't at all necessary, you see!" and as he said this the boy held uphis hands, both of which were free; for he had allowed his rifle to fallto the ground at the time he seized upon the extended hands of the girl,outstretched to him.
"However did you get over here: and what's that uniform mean?" demandedJasper, who was apparently almost stunned with surprise.
"Why, you see, I belong to the Boy Scouts," remarked Thad, off-hand;"and you must know they're always interested in boats, motorcycles,aeroplanes and all such things. And it looks like a fellow would need aflying machine to cross that sink of mud around this place."
"An aeroplane! You an air pilot?" exclaimed the man, hardly knowingwhether it could be true, or that this boy might be deceiving him for apurpose. "I'd never believe it unless you showed me your machine. Whatwere you doing holding the hands of my daughter? There's something moreabout this thing than you've admitted! I'm beginning to suspect that youcame here with some purpose!"
Only another minute, Thad expected, would be necessary; Alligator Smithwas making good progress, and must soon be in position to hurl himselfupon the unsuspecting Jasper, wrestling with these staggering facts.
"Well, that's right, Mr. Jasper, I did come here for a good reason!"Thad went on to say composedly, hoping that he could manage to hold theattention of the other just a brief space of time longer.
"You know me!" gasped the man, still further amazed; "who are you, boy?I demand that you tell me, and in a hurry too, if you understand what'sgood for you." and he made a significant movement with the hand thatgripped the pistol.
"My name is one you've heard before, Mr. Jasper. I'm Thad Brewster!"
That was almost like a thunderclap to the rascal. It must have broughtup before his mind's eye many things connected with his wretched past.When he had succeeded in digesting it better no doubt he would showsigns of anger; he might even think of raising his hand to do the ladinjury; because when one has bitterly wronged another he is apt to hatehim in the bargain. But just then Jasper was too utterly astonished toeven show rage.
"You Thad Brewster?" he cried out, his hand falling to his side fromweakness, as he stared into the face of the boy who stood there, andcalmly confronted him.
"Yes, and I have come to find my little sister, Pauline, the girl youstole away from my mother many years ago. There's no use in saying thatyou didn't, because I have plenty of proof. Why, anybody could tell fromher looks alone that she was a Brewster. And of course you'll let her goback with me, Mr. Jasper. You must have long ago repented having been socruel to my poor mother, who died, mostly from grieving after her lostbaby. You can go your way, and let Pauline be with me. You will, won'tyou?"
Of course Thad was talking in this way for the simple reason that hemust say something to hold the attention of the man, because thecritical moment was close at hand. And he had really taken the strongestmeasures possible for riveting the mind of Jasper upon what he wassaying. A dozen seconds more, and it would all be over; so thescoutmaster was determined that he would continue to grip Jasper's mindfor that length of time.
The man laughed, now, a little hoarsely.
"Of all the nerve I ever met up with, you take the premium!" heremarked, with a vein of sarcasm in his voice. "I guess you are aBrewster, all right, and a chip of the old block in the bargain. Butyou're off your reckoning if you think I'm going to let that little girlget away from me. Why, I'm just beginning to care for her; and in somedistant country she'll make me a fine, dutiful daughter for my old age.And it'll be a sweet morsel for me to roll under my tongue, having achild of Henry Brewster to wait on me!"
"Then she is my sister; you don't try to deny that, do you?" demandedthe boy, like a flash.
"Why should I, when it adds to my pleasure to see you hate to lose her?"answered the other; and then beginning to scowl savagely he went on tosay while he waved his deadly weapon to and fro: "however you came overhere, you're not going back again in a hurry, to betray me to myenemies. I'll just tie you up, neck and crop, and perhaps leave youhere, monarch of all you survey, when Polly and myself make up our mindsto skip out. Don't move a finger now, boy, or it will be the worse foryou!"
"Oh! I've got both hands held up, as you see; and as there's all oftwenty feet between us, why I couldn't do anything even if I wanted to.But would money induce you to let me take my sister away with me? Youalways liked money, Mr. Jasper; and if you saw a chance to make twentythousand dollars perhaps you'd change your mind, and go off withoutPolly. Huh! I guess you will, anyway. Whoop! hold him tight, Tom Smith;and here's helping you if you need it!"
The swamp hunter had finally made his leap, and with such success thathe landed on the back of Jasper, bearing the rascal heavily to theground. Of course the man struggled furiously; but he was as a pigmy inthe grip of the stalwart alligator-skin hunter, who not only preventedhim from using the weapon he held, but forced him to drop the same, bybending back his arm until he almost broke it.
Thad jumped forward, and secured the dangerous weapon; after which feltthat the case was so nearly settled that it would be safe to call therest of the sheriff's posse up. Accordingly he let out a loud "cooee"that would mean a whole lot to the balance of the scouts; and almostimmediately he heard them tearing along, fairly wild to reach the spot,and see what was happening.
And when they did come hurrying up, imagine the delight of Bumpus,Giraffe and the rest at discovering Thad standing there, holding thehand of the girl, and looking happier than they could ever rememberseeing him before; while Alligator Smith was covering the prostrate formof Jasper with his angular body.
CHAPTER XXVIII. THE MYSTERY SOLVED--CONCLUSION.
The sheriff was satisfied to find that he had the much sought thief inhis hands, and that the stolen property of the rich planter turned upafter a search of the interior of the shack; though some of the youngerelements in his posse felt a bit disappointed because they had had su
cha small part to play in the affair, the honors of which seemed to go toThad and the swamp ranger.
As for the scouts, they were fairly wild with delight over thesuccessful outcome of their trip into Dixie. Thad declared that theywould make for New Orleans as soon as possible, where he expected tointerview the sisters at the convent school at which Pauline had beenkept for years.
Jasper, after he had recovered in a measure from his bitterdisappointment, began to show a yellow streak. Perhaps he cherished afaint hope that if he tried to make amends Thad might interest himselfin seeking to have his punishment lightened; as though anything the boycould do would make a difference with the stern justice of the law hehad defied so long.
He admitted before them all that the girl was the Brewster baby, andthat he had been guilty of stealing her, just to get even with thosewhom he hated because he had wronged them, and had been found out. Thadwas wise enough to get him to write out a confession, and have thesheriff and several others witness the same. He believed that this wouldbe enough to prove that Pauline was his long lost sister. But all thesame Thad did go to New Orleans with his chums later on, and made sureto get the little garments which the sisters had kept all these years,and which they affirmed had been upon the child when she was firstbrought to them by the man who called himself her father, and who paidwell to have her taken care of.
They left the strange island in the heart of the quaking bog in the sameway they had reached it. And Jasper thus learned that after all he hadnot been the only one who knew about that hidden ridge, by followingwhich the treacherous bed of slime could be safely crossed.
When the scouts once more arrived at the spot where their boats had beenleft they concluded to spend the night in camp. Alligator Smith wouldnot leave them; but the sheriff was eager to get back with his prisonerand the loot, so that he might claim the rich reward that had beenoffered for the capture of the man, and the safe return of the stolenproperty.
"Our last night in old Alligator Swamp, boys," said Allan, as theafternoon began to wear along, and found them very comfortable, with thetents erected, and a cheery fire blazing near by, "and let's make it amemorable one by every means in our power."
"If we're meaning to have a real pleasant evening," spoke up Davy Jones,with a determined look upon his face; "then I move that the first thingwe do is to make Bumpus here sink his old suit in the swamp, and put onhis nice clean one."
"Second the motion; and all in favor say aye!" shouted Giraffe,excitedly.
A loud shout attested that the desire was unanimous. Even Thad noddedhis head.
"We've sure been a patient crowd, Bumpus, as you'll admit," he said;"and now that you've gone and got that nasty mud plastered all over you,we've reached the end of the rope. Here, take that jacket off, and handit to me. I've got an idea the truth is about to come out. Oh! no wondersome of the boys have been complaining about this. See here, Bumpus,your cold is better, isn't it? You can begin to sniff around some again,can't you? Well, just take a whiff of this coat, and tell me what youthink!"
Bumpus proceeded to do so, while the rest of the boys awaited theresult. Sure enough, the round, jolly face of the fat scout immediatelyscrewed itself up as if he were not favorably impressed.
"Put your hand in the inside pocket, Bumpus," continued Thad, severely,"because I think you'll find a little package done up in paper there,and which you've been wondering about this long while."
A shout went up from the other boys when Bumpus did fetch out a smallbut very _powerful_ packet, tied with the red cord used by druggists intheir business.
"Why!" ejaculated the astounded Bumpus, staring hard at the contents ofhis hand; "would you believe it, that's the very package I've beenworrying my head off about, and never able to say whether I gave it tomy ma, or left it at the house of some fellow I visited on the wayhome!"
"Yes," Thad went on to say, "you put it in the pocket of your oldjacket; and when you got home just rolled that up, and stowed it in yourknapsack, because we were off the very next day. And when you put thatsuit on down here, you had such a bad cold in the head you never guesseda thing about it. Bumpus, do you know what that awful stuff is? Why,it's just asafetida, one of the rankest drugs going. Most people have tokeep it out in the barn, because it's pretty nearly as bad as a skunk tohave around. Perhaps your mother wanted to use it for a cold. I thinkthat's what they buy it for; and according to my mind it would scare anyrespectable cold off in one inning. Now, you just take this coat, andsink it as deep as you can in the swamp; yes, get in your tent andchange to your new suit. We've stood about all we can of this thing."
Bumpus looked around at his seven chums, and grinned.
"Well, to think that I'd find that lost package after all; and had italong with me all the time, but didn't know it," he went on to say, asthough this struck him as the most remarkable part of the whole affair.
"But we knew it, all the same," avowed Davy; "and after you've loadedthat suit with a stone, and sunk five feet deep, perhaps we'll acceptyou again as a member in good standing. But you sure are the moststubborn fellow that ever lived."
"Anyway, my mind's relieved of a load," affirmed Bumpus, composedly;"because I know now what I did with that lost package."
He soon made the change, and then some of the boys went with him to seethat he buried the strong smelling garments where they would never comeback again; which ceremony was conducted with all manner of laughter andboyish jokes.
True to his promise Step Hen did manage to secure that musket which thecunning Jasper had used in constructing his man-trap; and spent an hourextracting the load from the rusty barrel. He confessed himself verymuch disappointed, however, because, after all, it proved to containonly a single bullet instead of the handful of missiles that he hadprophesied would be found packed away there. But he took the old weaponaway with him, and declared he would hang it from the wall in his den athome, to remind him of other days.
In New Orleans Thad easily procured all the further evidence needed toprove that the girl whom he had found with Jasper was really his owntrue little sister Pauline; and when the scouts once more reachedCranford there was quite a furore in the town over the successfuloutcome of the boys' trip South.
Thad had even asked the sheriff about the escaped black convicts said tobe hiding in Alligator Swamp, and whom he expected to round up with hisposse after placing Jasper in a place of security; and when Giraffe andthe rest heard that there was really a fellow who was minus the thirdfinger of his left hand, they gave the patrol leader great credit forreading the signs of the trail aright.
Having accomplished the one important mission that had taken them downinto Dixie, and successfully navigated the numerous perilous channelsupon which their boats had embarked, it should not be necessary for usto accompany the Silver Fox Patrol any further in these pages; but weshall surely hope and expect to meet with Thad Brewster and his chumsagain at some time in the near future; for such wide-awake andenterprising scouts must of necessity constantly encounter new andinteresting adventures which would be worth while telling. Until thattime arrives, then, we will ring down the curtain, and say good-bye.
THE END.
SAVE THE WRAPPER!
If you have enjoyed reading about the adventures of the new friends youhave made in this book and would like to read more clean, wholesomestories of their entertaining experiences, turn to the book jacket--onthe inside of it, a comprehensive list of Burt's fine series ofcarefully selected books for young people has been placed for yourconvenience.
_Orders for these books, placed with your bookstore or sent to thePublishers, will receive prompt attention_.
The Boy Scout Series
BY HERBERT CARTER
For Boys 12 to 16 Years All Cloth Bound Copyright Titles PRICE, 50 CENTS EACH Postage 10c Extra
New Stories of Camp Life
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Frank Chadwick and Jack Templeton, young American lads, meet each otherin an unusual way soon after the declaration of war. Circumstances placethem on board the British cruiser, "The Sylph," and from there on, theyshare adventures with the sailors of the Allies. Ensign Robert L. Drake,the author, is an experienced naval officer, and he describes admirablythe many exciting adventures of the two boys.
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BY CLAIR W. HAYES Author of the Famous "Boy Allies" Series.
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For Boys 12 to 16 Years. All Copyrighted Titles. Cloth Bound, with Attractive Cover Designs. PRICE, 50 CENTS EACH POSTAGE 10c EXTRA
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By MILTON RICHARDS
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Dick and his friend Sandy meet with ambush and desperate hand-to-hand encounters while on a dangerous mission with the Canadian Mounted Police.
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In their search, with the mounted police, for an escaped murderer, Dick and Sandy have thrilling experiences with ice floes and animals in the Arctic.
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On the trail with Corporal Rand, Dick Kent and his two associates unravel the mystery of the fur thieves.
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Entrusted with the vaccine for an isolated trading post, Dick and his friends win through in spite of incredible difficulties.
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Corporal Rand and his young recruits solve a mystery and find a hidden treasure.
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THE RANGER BOYS TO THE RESCUE THE RANGER BOYS FIND THE HERMIT THE RANGER BOYS AND THE BORDER SMUGGLERS THE RANGER BOYS OUTWIT THE TIMBER THIEVES THE RANGER BOYS AND THEIR REWARD
For sale by all booksellers, or sent on receipt of price by the Publishers A. L. BURT COMPANY, 114-120 E. 23rd St., NEW YORK
Transcriber's Notes
--Copyright notice provided as in the original--this e-text is public domain in the country of publication.
--Silently corrected palpable typos; left non-standard spellings and dialect unchanged.
--In the text versions, delimited italics text in _underscores_ (the HTML version reproduces the font form of the printed book.)
--Added a Table of Contents.
--Fixed the caption of the frontispiece illustration:
When this book and "The
Boy Scouts on Sturgeon Island" were printed, thecaptions of their frontispiece illustrations were swapped. This eTextrestores the correct caption from that other book. The illustrationsthemselves (and the book name portion of the caption) were printedcorrectly. For reference, the other book's caption is:
"There's the Island!" yelled Giraffe, pointing to the right. "But we're going past it!" shrieked Bumpus. Page 136.
The Boy Scouts Down in Dixie; or, The Strange Secret of Alligator Swamp Page 27
