CHAPTER XXI
THE ESCAPE
"Get inside, you fellows, now!" roughly commanded Silas Thorp. "Ifyou're going to act nasty we can do the same. You can make it easy orhard for yourselves, just as you choose."
"We'll make it hard for you, before we finish!" threatened Nort.
At the sight of the steers bearing the Diamond X brand, Del Pinzo hadstepped out of the tent, but his place as guard, if such he might becalled, was taken by another Greaser, even less prepossessing inappearance, and apparently of less intelligence, but with as evilintentions. He scowled at the boys, and squatted down at the entranceto the canvas shelter.
"Here's where you're going to stay, though you can have the freedom ofthe camp if you promise not to try to leave," said Silas.
"We won't promise!" declared Nort.
"Not on your life!" added Dick, warmly.
"Then stay here, and there'll be trouble if you try to leave,"threatened the man, who seemed to be a dried-up specimen of a museumattendant, which character, so Nort said afterward, he forcibly calledto mind.
He spoke something, evidently in Spanish, or the Mexican variety ofthat language, to the fellow who had replaced Del Pinzo, and the man,who was making himself comfortable at the entrance of the tent,murmured:
"_Si, senor_!"
"Which means he'll do as he was told," spoke Nort to Dick in a lowvoice as Silas passed out. "Stick us with his knife or jab thebusiness end of his gun in the small of our backs."
"We mustn't give him the chance," spoke Dick.
"I should say not! We'll get away before he knows it."
The brothers spoke together in low tones, but loudly enough for theguard to hear. However he showed no interest in what they said, fromwhich they concluded he either understood no English, or pretended notto.
"But we won't take a chance," decided Nort. "We won't discuss anythingwe don't want him to overhear. It's likely they thought they couldfool us by putting in a man we would evidently think couldn'tunderstand our talk."
"I get you," said Dick, briefly. "But what do you think of thosecattle?" and he nodded toward where could be heard the noise made bycamp attendants driving the Diamond X steers whither they were wantedto go.
"Just what I've been thinking all along," declared Nort. "This outfitis a bunch of high-class cattle thieves!"
He shot the words out forcibly, and looked keenly at the Greaser guardto see if they made any impression on him. However, the Mexican waseither a perfect actor, or he did not understand what was said, for hegave no sign, and appeared to be in a brown study as he sat hunched upon the ground at the flap of the tent.
"Wonder what's going on?" mused Dick, as the noise increased, theshouts of men mingling with the snorting and bellowing of cattle. "I'mgoing to take a look."
He stepped forward to part the flaps of the tent, they having fallentogether, but as he did so the Greaser ripped out something fiercely inhis own tongue, and his hand went toward a sheathed knife at his belt.
"Oh, keep your shirt on!" burst out Dick. "I'm not going to runaway--not just now," he added as a qualifying phrase.
Whether the man understood the words, or guessed that Dick had nointention of escaping, was not made clear, but he offered no furtherobjection to the act of the boys in pulling aside the flaps of the tentand looking out.
They saw that the cattle which had been taken from the Diamond Xranch--stolen as Dick and Nort believed--were being driven into asmall, and evidently hastily-constructed corral, where they could getto the stream to drink.
"They've got a regular system," remarked Nort, as he saw the cattlebeing quieted down, once they were inside the improvised pen.
"Making a business of it," agreed Dick. "But you wouldn't think suchmen as these two professors would frame it up to be cattle rustlers;would you?"
"That isn't all they are," said Nort. "That digging and blasting meanssomething!"
He pointed to where, on the side hill at the scene of the firstexplosion, the two scientists were evidently directing operationslooking to another blast. Professor Wright and his aide seemed to payno attention to the cattle that had been brought in.
"This is a queer sort of game," said Dick to his brother, as they wentback in the tent and sat down on boxes at the heads of their cots. "Ican't see to the bottom of it."
"Nor I, except that these fellows are doing something they don't wantknown. Rustling cattle isn't all of it, by any means, but if the otherisn't digging for gold, or something valuable, I give up."
"But if they were after gold, why would they deny it?" asked Dick.
"You've got me!" admitted Nort. "It sure is queer. But I wonder ifthey're going to starve us; and what's become of our ponies?"
The last question was answered first, for Dick pointed to where, off toone side, Blaze and Blackie were contentedly grazing, being pegged out,as were a number of other horses.
And, an hour or so later, came the answer to the other question, for aman, who evidently acted as camp cook, came to the tent with a pot ofcoffee, some tin cups, and the head of a barrel used as a tray, onwhich was piled some food.
Had the viands been most uninviting, Dick and Nort would have eagerlywelcomed them, for the boys were hungry. But, as a matter of fact, thefood was clean, and well cooked. The two professors, whatever might betheir game, evidently insisted on adequate culinary operations.
"Sail in!" exclaimed Nort, as he smelled the appetizing odor of the hotcoffee, and what appeared to be some Mexican dish, cooked with plentyof beans, and more red peppers than the boys cared for.
But, as I have said, they were hungry, and this is the best sauce inthe world. None of the condiments so freely used by the Mexicans wasneeded, and soon there was silence in the prisoners' tent, broken onlyby the clatter of knives and forks on the tin camp dishes.
Once or twice the Greaser guard looked at the boys in what Dick andNort both agreed, later, was a hungry style. The pot of coffee wasmuch more than the boys needed, though they ate up all the food. Andit was while feeling in his pockets for a toothpick that Nort's fingerstouched something which played a very prominent part in subsequentevents.
Slowly Nort drew forth a small bottle, and held it up so Dick could seeit, but so that it was concealed from the Greaser at the tent entrance.And then Dick noted that Nort held up a four ounce flask of paregoric.Nort had been suffering from toothache the past few days, though forsome reason it had not bothered him since he and Dick had become"lost." Perhaps the excitement following that incident quieted thenerves. At any rate Nort carried the bottle of paregoric with him, forone of the cowboys had recommended that this household mixture ofopium, rubbed on the gums, would give relief.
Nort found that it did, and since then he had carried the bottle withhim, pending the time he expected to visit a dentist. He now held thisphial of paregoric up so Dick could see, at the same time pointingfirst to the Greaser and then to the coffee pot.
"Now?" asked Dick, in reply to Nort's obvious statement that heintended to administer some of the soporific to their guard.
"To-night," was Nort's answer, and then he put the bottle back in hispocket.
Dick's eyes lighted up. He knew the effect of a large dose ofparegoric, comparatively harmless as it is in small quantities, or asNort used it.
Now a way seemed opened for the boys. If only they could command theother elements necessary for success.
Nort made sure of one, by pouring out a cup of coffee, liberallysweetening it with sugar from the barrel head tray, and setting thebeverage to one side on the ground under his cot.
The camp cook came to carry away what the boys had left--which was notmuch--and if he missed one cup he said nothing about it. Perhaps thiswas because, just then, some of the cattle tried to break out of thecorral, and there was a shout raised for help--to which the cookresponded. But the Greaser guard did not leave his place. Evidentlyhis orders were imperative.
"When are you going to try it?" whispe
red Dick to Nort, as the shadowsbegan to lengthen, and night settled down on the camp.
"Not until after dark--say about ten," replied Nort in a low voice."It will take about two hours for him to fall asleep, and then we canget out, get aboard our ponies and trust to luck."
"If he only goes to sleep," sighed Dick.
"I'll give half the bottle full," whispered Nort.
The Greaser paid no attention to their talk, but sat immobile at thetent flaps. During the time the boys had been held prisoners no onehad come to their canvas shelter save the cook, who brought them aplentiful supper, and also another barrel-head tray for the guard. Theday had passed with several blasts having been set off, though theeffect of them, and the object, was concealed from the boy ranchers.
In accordance with their plan, Nort and Dick dawdled over their nightmeal, having consumed only part of it when the cook, at about eighto'clock, came to remove the dishes.
"Git 'em mornin'," he said, as he turned to go out, evidently meaningthat he was going to turn in, and the boys could keep what they haduntil the next day. This exactly suited them, and just before theywere ready to lie down, pretending to be sleepy, Nort produced the cupof coffee he had saved out. Quickly he emptied into it half of thebottle of paregoric, and, stirring it to mix the opium concoction wellwith the beverage, offered it to the Greaser.
If the latter had suspicions he made no show of them, but, with a gruntaccepted the unexpected refreshment, and drained the coffee at one tiltof his head. Then he passed the empty cup back to Nort, and proceededto smoke another cigarette, an occupation that had been pretty much hiswhole task that day.
"Well, I'm going to turn in," said Nort in a loud voice, pretending toyawn.
"Same here," remarked Dick. Without undressing, they stretched out onthe cots, not being afraid of soiling white sheets with their bigboots, for there were no sheets to soil. Blankets alone formed thecoverings, and these the boys drew over them.
There was no lantern in the tent, but the moon sent a stream of lightin a little later, and by its gleam, in less than an hour after thedose had been administered, Nort and Dick saw the Greaser's head bentforward, while he had slumped down in a heap at the foot of the fronttent pole.
Nort coughed loudly, two or three times, but the guard did not stir.
"Dead to the world!" whispered Dick gleefully. "We could walk all overhim." He arose from the cot slowly, to silence as much as possible therattle and squeak, and started for the front of the tent.
"The back way!" whispered Nort. "We'll cut the canvas! If we go outin front some one may see us. The back way!"
Dick comprehended, and turned around, picking up his range hat, anexample followed by Nort. The latter had opened his pocket knife,which contained a large, keen blade, and, a moment later, aright-angled cut was made in the back wall of the canvas house.
Before emerging, Nort looked carefully through the opening he had made.The moon gave good light, but, fortunately, the tent was in the shadowof some trees and the way of escape seemed clear.
"Come on!" whispered Nort to his brother. They paused a moment,listening to the heavy breathing of the opium-stupefied Greaser andthen stepped out of the opening.
An instant later they stood beneath the starry canopy of the sky,having accomplished the first part of their escape from the camp ofmystery.
Boy Ranchers; Or, Solving the Mystery at Diamond X Page 21
