CHAPTER XIV.
AT THE CHILLINGWORTH RANCH.
Mr. Dacre and Jack reached the ranch without accident or adventure. Theyfound Mrs. Chillingworth awaiting them with a well-spread supper tableready, and the cheerful glow of lamps about the house. She wasdisappointed that her husband had had to go around with the sloop, butrealizing that it was an unavoidable task she made no comment upon it.If they had fair wind and made a good "landfall," the rancher's wifesaid that the missing members of the party ought to arrive aboutmidnight. That was, unless they elected to sleep on board the sloop.
Soon after Mr. Dacre and his nephew had stabled their horses and done upa few of the rougher chores for Mrs. Chillingworth, Sam Hartley and hisburro were heard returning--that is, the burro was, for he gave a loud"he-haw" of anticipation as he caught a whiff of the hay. As Mr. Dacreand Jack hastened with lanterns to meet the returned Secret Service man,they noticed that the burro bore a burden of some kind across its back.As the lantern light fell on this load, they were astonished to see thatit was the limp body of a man.
"I'll explain all about this later," said Sam, anticipating theirquestions. "The first thing is to get this poor fellow into the house.Jack, you take charge of the burro. This isn't work for boys. Now, Mr.Dacre, if you'll lay hold of his arms, I'll take his legs and go easyfor there isn't much life left in the poor chap."
It was characteristic of Sam that he had betrayed no astonishment onseeing Mr. Dacre. He already knew that he would, in all probability, bethere that evening, and when Sam Hartley saw that a thing had fallen outas might have been expected, he made no comments. It was the unusualonly that aroused him.
While Jack, consumed with curiosity, stabled the burro, Mr. Dacre andSam Hartley bore their limp burden into the house. Mrs. Chillingworth atonce made ready a spare room for him, while Mr. Dacre and Sam laid himon the lounge and set about doing what they could to revive him.
The first thing Mr. Dacre noticed was that there were red bands roundthe man's wrists where the flesh had been cut deeply into. For the rest,his limited medical experience showed him that the man was sufferingfrom exhaustion and possibly fright. What had caused the abrasions onhis wrists, however, Mr. Dacre could not imagine.
The man was dressed roughly, in a faded shirt, very dirty and stainedcorduroy trousers, and cow-hide boots. He had no hat and his lank hairhung dankly about his bloated, red face. His nose was huge and bulbous,and his whole appearance was that of a man of dissipated habits.
Presently--while they were still trying to revive the fellow--Jack camein from the barn. As soon as his eyes fell upon the man on the lounge,he gave a cry of surprise.
"Why that's one of the fellows who was set to guard us!" he exclaimed.
Sam Hartley looked up quickly.
"It is, eh? One of the chaps who went to sleep and gave you a chance touse that knife?"
"Yes. What is he doing here? Where did you find him? What is the matterwith him?"
Jack fairly poured out the questions. Sam Hartley smiled at hisimpatience.
"One at a time, lad," he said, with a deliberation that was positivelyirritating to Jack, who was wild with curiosity. "Now here's Mrs.Chillingworth, and I guess she's come to tell us that the bed is ready.We'll get this fellow into it, and then when we've all had some supperI'll tell you just how I came to find him. I reckon he's one of BullyBanjo's horrible examples."
"Horrible examples?" echoed Jack. "How do you mean?"
"I mean," said Sam Hartley slowly, as he helped Mr. Dacre lift the stillsenseless man, "that he's been paying pretty dearly for his sleep."
Led by Mrs. Chillingworth, holding the lamp high above her head, theybore him to a small room upstairs. But it was some time before theycould do more than watch him anxiously and await the time for him tospeak.
In the meantime, after supper, as he had promised, Sam Hartley told howhe came to run across the unfortunate fellow.
"As you know," he began, after he had lighted his pipe, and they all satabout in interested attitudes in the big, comfortable living room; "asyou know, when I left here this afternoon, it was for a definitepurpose--to discover if possible how Bully Banjo and his men managed toget inland from the sea without crossing any trails. Well, I found outthat at the same time as I found this fellow.
"It was this way: I had an idea in my mind as to how those rascals weregetting into the canyon. Well, I found out that soon enough. As Iexpected, they were using a tunnel made by the river under the range,between the canyon and the sea. It was the simplest thing in the worldfor them to land their Mongolians right on the beach and then march 'emthrough that hole. In some places I guess they must have had to wade upto their knees, though."
"Oh, then you didn't go through it?" inquired Jack.
"No indeed," was the rejoinder. "I wasn't going to take a chance likethat. I just got close enough to see the big opening--mostly screened bybrush it was--the tracks in the sand along the side of the river told methe rest. But all that isn't telling you about that poor fellowupstairs."
Sam Hartley paused here, looked very grave, and shoved the tobacco downin his pipe bowl. Then he resumed:
"We've all read of pirates and stringing up by the thumbs, and thingslike that, but I never thought I'd live to see the victim of suchpractices. But that--or something very like it--is what had been done toour red-faced friend. As I emerged from the vicinity of the tunnel Iheard a groan a little way up the canyon. I followed the sound up andsoon came to where they had strung that chap up in a tree by his wrists.There he was, dangling about in the hot sun, suspended by his two wristsand nothing else. His feet were a foot or more off the ground."
His hearers uttered horrified exclamations. Then Jack asked:
"But how did they come to tie him there, and why?"
"Well, the 'why' part of that is soon answered," said the Secret Serviceman. "It was as a punishment for letting you escape. As to why theychose just that place, I imagine it was because they had trailed youboys down the river bank. When they reached the tunnel and found notrace of you, they knew you must have got clear away, and so theyproceeded to string up that chap as a horrible example."
"But what about the Indian? He was equally guilty. Why didn't theypunish him, too?"
"Well, that I cannot answer. I guess, though, the Indian probablycleared out during the excitement following your escape. His race arepretty wise, as a rule, and he surmised there would be trouble in storefor him if he stayed. I'm mighty glad I found that fellow, though, forother reasons than those of humanity."
"What--for instance?" asked Mr. Dacre.
"Well, I think we may be able to get a lot of useful information out ofhim about the gang. Information that will help me to get them just whereI want them. For, you see, when I do get ready to start in on them, Idon't want to run any chances of a slip up. I want to be able to bringmy hand down on the whole shooting match and stamp them out for alltime."
When they retired that night the red-nosed man had so far recovered asto be able to give an account of himself. As Sam had guessed, it wasBully Banjo who had triced the unfortunate fellow up as a "lesson" forhis carelessness. The man also confirmed Sam's guess that the Indian hadsaved himself by running away. But he had not escaped scot-free, forbefore the Chinook managed to make his escape Simon Lake had ordered himtied up and several lashes administered. These had been laid on by ZebHunt, with a promise of more to come, but when the gang returned fromthe fruitless search after the boys it was found that the Indian had, insome manner best known to himself, slipped his bonds and made his way tofreedom.
From the red-nosed man it was also learned that Bully Banjo intended torun the Chinamen through that day, and set sail the same night for theisland where, as the rancher had suspected right along, deliveries ofChinamen were made. In answer to Jack's questions it was explained thatthe Chinese were brought across the Pacific as far as Vancouver Islandin an ostensible freight steamer. From this they were tran
sferred at alonely spot to another vessel, which brought them to the island. Herethey were kept till opportunities presented themselves to get themthrough into the States.
No real apprehension was felt at the ranch concerning the rancher andTom Dacre till about noon the next day, when they failed to put in anappearance. Even allowing for headwinds and other possible delays, thisbegan to look serious.
It was about mid-afternoon that a man on horseback reached the ranch. Hewas a neighboring landholder, whose ranch bordered in some places on thecoast of the Sound. His face was grave as he slipped from his horse infront of the ranch house, and he saw Sam Hartley and Mr. Dacre comingtoward him with a good deal of relief.
"I'm glad I didn't have to face the woman with the news I've got," hesaid. "That there sloop of Chillingworth's drifted ashore bottom up inmy cove this morning."
From behind the little group there came a piercing scream, and SamHartley turned just in time to catch Mrs. Chillingworth as she swooned.
"And there was no trace of her occupants?" asked Mr. Dacre, in a voicehe strove to make steady in spite of the trembling of his lips.
The other shook his head.
"We had a tough blow last night," he said, "and I guess that sloop wentover before they could do a thing. My advice is to watch the beaches.Their bodies are likely to drift ashore sooner or later."