Read Ebook: Endurance Test; or How Clear Grit Won the Day by Douglas Alan Captain Caswell Edward C Illustrator

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Ebook has 139 lines and 16943 words, and 3 pages

Had Doubting George been present, possibly he might have tried to quiz Elmer ere he yielded full obedience; but then even George must learn that one of the first duties of a true scout is to exhibit implicit subjection to authority.

In this fashion then did Elmer lead his three chums around the outside of the big barn. They could hear the shouts of those who were fighting the flames within; but Elmer knew only too well that the chances of the new fire being subdued were small indeed. Hay burns with frightful rapidity; and no buckets were handy at the moment.

Turning, as he drew near the place where the board had been torn from the back of the barn, he made a motion with his finger that seemed to call for silence. The other fellows almost held their breath with suspense, still in doubt as to what Elmer meant to do; although they began to suspect that he must have conceived an idea looking to the confusion of the incendiaries.

When he pointed straight at the place where some of the new hay was sticking out, Landy's blackened face lighted up with intelligence.

"He means they're expecting to crawl out right here," he whispered in the ear of Ty, who was close beside him.

The other made a suggestive movement with the club he had picked up, and by which action he meant that it would please him very much if only he had the opportunity to bring it down upon the head of Shorty, or his long-legged mate.

Then they all turned their eyes again on Elmer, expecting him to tell just what he wanted them to do. They saw the patrol leader pick up a piece of rope that happened to be lying handy, and fashion a slip-noose with it. During his life up in that big country of the Canadian Northwest, Elmer had seen many things which he would never be apt to forget as long as he lived. And, among others, he had once watched the mounted police capture a half-breed fugitive from justice, fastening his hands together behind his back in a clever way, which possibly he might now have a chance to imitate.

"Here, take this, Ty," he said, in a low tone, as he handed the noosed rope over to the one nearest to him. "When I whip the fellow's arms behind his back, make sure that you get that loop around them, and pull tight! Understand?"

Ty nodded his head vigorously, not daring to trust himself to speech. Things were happening so fast and furious that really he hardly knew whether he might be awake, or else asleep and dreaming them.

Of course both Landy and Ted had also caught the significance of the movement, and were ready to do whatever they were told. Elmer made motions to give them to understand that he wanted them to range up on the other side of the hole in the side of the barn, and await developments, while he and Ty crouched as close to the boards across the way as possible.

Landy was heard to chuckle while this was going on. Perhaps something about the situation reminded the fat boy of other occasions, when he and some of his mates had endeavored to clutch some rabbit as it came darting out of its burrow, after a ferret had alarmed it, or a little dog been let loose in the tunnel. But just now the game was of an entirely different order, and Elmer frowned at Landy's merriment.

Inside the barn the noise was redoubled. Evidently the fire-fighters were having their hands full, with the rapid spread of the blaze. If in the end they managed to control the conflagration, Elmer felt that he would be surprised. According to his mind there was not one chance in ten of such good luck coming to Mr. Brady. He had saved his house, but his barn would very likely have to go.

Elmer had his eyes glued on the projecting wisps of hay now. He fancied that he had detected some little movement to them, though this might be caused by a passing breeze; or some action on the part of the energetic fire-fighters within.

No, as he looked, he distinctly saw the hay move! Then there must be a reason for this. Elmer instantly placed his hand upon the hay, and the sense of feeling telegraphed the truth to his brain. Some object was making a way through the mow, and evidently pushing along a tunnel that had been previously prepared!

He turned and put his finger to his lips, seeing which every one of the wide-awake scouts understood what was meant.

Imagine the strain on their nerves while they waited for the appearance of the first tramp. Would he come along head-first, or might they expect to see a pair of feet thrust out of the opening?

More violently did the hay move. Whatever made the stir, it was certainly drawing closer and closer to the spot. All eyes were glued on the agitated dried grass, and Ty got his loop in readiness for quick work.

Then something was seen pushing out through the hay, which gave way before the energetic attack. Two extra large feet, encased in brogans that looked as though they might have covered many weary miles in their day, came into view; proving that the man must be making a crab-like retreat, keeping his face toward the fire.

Perhaps fortune favored the boys, for had the man projected his head first he might have detected their presence in time to duck in again; though for that matter, with the fire burning briskly beyond, he would find himself between two evils, and must sooner or later issue forth, or be cremated in the hay barn.

Waiting until the main part of the long-legged tramp had wriggled into view, Elmer made a sudden gesture. The others had been waiting for this, and instantly pounced upon the figure that lay upon the ground.

While Ted and Landy deposited their combined weight on the fellow's back, Elmer on his part hastened to snatch hold of his arms, and whip them behind him almost before the tramp understood what was happening.

Ty was waiting, and the way he slipped that loop over both hands, and tightened it, was worth seeing.

Having made all secure so far as things had gone, the patrol leader now seized hold of the kicking legs, and began to pull. As the others came to his assistance they were hardly two seconds in dragging the tramp out of the hay mow; and thus far at least not the slightest sound had been made calculated to betray the facts to the other rascal.

It was not Elmer's intention to let the fellow see, just yet, at least, that he owed his capture to a parcel of scouts. He might burst out into a tirade, which, while it could do him no particular good, might serve to warn the other fellow, and cause him to change his plans.

Accordingly he motioned to Landy to sit down on him again; and then bending low himself he pressed the end of his pocketknife against the man's neck as he grunted into his ear:

"Keep still, now, unless you want me to press the trigger!"

Satisfied that Landy and Ted could manage the tied tramp, even if he started to kick up a row, which was hardly likely, Elmer once more turned his attention to that opening under the mow. Once again the projecting hay was being violently agitated, and he believed the shorter man must be following close upon his mate.

The programme would have to be repeated, and Elmer only hoped as good success might attend his second effort as had his first.

It would be a big feather in the caps of the scouts could they say that they had effected the capture of the two would-be train wreckers, alone and unaided. But at the moment he was not thinking of such a thing as glory; when it was a stern duty that had been suddenly thrust upon them, and which they must not attempt to evade under any circumstances, if they wished to be true to the principles of the organization to which they belonged.

Shorty, however, must have managed to change his position in some manner, if so be he had started along the tunnel in the same crab-like method of procedure which his comrade had employed. For the first thing they knew a frowsy head had been thrust out of the hay, and a pair of eyes were blinking up at them.

Elmer was afraid lest the fellow draw back upon seeing what awaited him, just as a tortoise will pull in its head at signs of danger. Accordingly, he was determined not to allow such a thing to happen. True, with the advancing fire Shorty would speedily have to decide which fate he must choose; but that might mean he would yield himself a prisoner to the Fairfield police; and Elmer wanted the Boy Scouts to get all the credit possible.

On this account, then, he pounced on the man, and gripped him by the shoulders. Elmer was himself far from a weakling, and the man happened to be taken very much by surprise; so that before he could collect his wits sufficiently to make any show of defense, he found himself out on the ground, with a couple of energetic young fellows hovering over him.

Ty, not having a second rope handy, had snatched up his club again. When he saw that the shorter rascal was starting to make a move, as though intending to get to his feet, when trouble must have followed, Ty waved the wagon spoke threateningly over his head, as he yelled excitedly:

"Lie down, you, 'less you want me to let her fall! Stretch out and roll over on your face, d'ye hear? Quick, now, keep amovin'! 'Everybody's doin' it,' you know. Now, Elmer, if you only had another piece of string handy, there's a good chance to snug him up good and tight."

Elmer did not have the cord or the rope; but all the same he was equal to the demands of the occasion. He snatched his big red bandana handkerchief from around his neck. He had seen such useful articles serve strange purposes before; and why should this one not take the place of a rope?

So he whipped it quickly around the thick wrists of the man, almost before the fellow could get it through his head what had happened.

"Now, let's pull them farther away from here, because the barn's going to be a hot place pretty soon," Elmer remarked.

Seizing hold, two to each prisoner, the boys succeeded in dragging them some little distance off. Meanwhile some one had noticed what they were doing, and presently the Fairfield Police head came running out of the barn, rubbing his smarting eyes, and, coming upon the little party, stopped to stare in astonishment.

GOOD-BY TO THE SWEETWATER.

"WHAT are you doing to those fellows, boys?" demanded the champion of law and order; from which remark it was plain to be seen that the smoke had affected the eyes of the police officer to such an extent that he had failed to recognize the culprits, and possibly believed the boys were only carrying on high among themselves, as boys over in his town frequently did, to the unhappiness of the constables.

"We just took a notion to prevent them from escaping, sir," remarked Elmer. "And if you think you can hold them, we're willing to turn them over into your charge, in the presence of Mr. Brady here and the others."

A group began to cluster around them, most of the men rubbing their smarting eyes. Already did they realize the uselessness of trying to put up a fight against the flames that were spreading resistlessly amid the hay.

"Well, I declare if it ain't the two hands that worked for me, and then tried to rob my house, setting it on fire as they ran away!" declared Mr. Brady, as he got a good look at the prostrate men.

"Do you mean to say these are the fugitives I have been chasing, the desperate yeggmen named Shorty McCabe and Lanky Jim Smith?" cried the police head.

"That's just who they are, sir," replied Elmer.

"But where did you find them?" demanded the other, hardly willing to believe the plain evidence of his eyes and ears.

"As soon as I knew they had set fire to the hay I guessed it was only meant to draw attention to that quarter while they slipped away. I've seen that game played more than once out West, sir," Elmer remarked, modestly.

"And it was a fact, was it; they did try to steal off?" questioned the other.

"We found a place where there was a board off the barn, and Elmer, he expected that was the way they'd come out," said Ty, breaking in; for he just wanted this consequential personage to understand that he did not know so very much after all, in spite of his splendid uniform and that wonderful strut.

"Which same they did, all right," spoke up Landy, "and then, you see, we just sat on 'em. Reckon the long feller must 'a' thought a mountain had caved in when I dropped on his back."

"Will you take charge of the prisoners, Mr. Benchley?" asked Elmer.

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