CHAPTER XIX--THE SIGHT BEHIND THE ATTIC LIGHT
"All right?" asked Farmer Sanderson questioningly.
"All right," agreed Don Emilio. Click went the padlock.
"All wrong, I'll bet a hundred cookies," mocked Tom Halstead under hisbreath.
"Come along, now," directed Don Emilio. He seemed to be the leader into-night's work.
"I don't believe I'm included in that invitation to 'come along,' butI'm going to cheek my way along," grinned the young skipper.
He had no need to keep them exactly in sight, these industrious workersin the dark. Laden as they were, it was enough to keep within sound ofthe rather regular shuffle of their feet.
As Tom had surmised, the four pairs of men, keeping together, proceededtoward the shore. Once, on the way down the slope, they halted to givethe weaker ones an opportunity to rest their muscles. Then, picking uptheir heavy cases once more, the men went on down the slope toward thepier.
"That is the stuff that was billed under 'machinery' labels!" mutteredthe young skipper to himself. "I'll wager those boxes contain guns andcartridges to start a new revolution with down in stormy Honduras. Butis their filibustering craft here? Are they getting ready to sail beforedaylight? If that's the game, then I must get awfully busy."
As Tom, taking advantage of the uneven ground and dodging behind bushesand trees, followed unobserved and came within sight of the pier he madeout with certainty that no craft was tied there.
"That doesn't prove a lot, though," he reflected, watching theprocession of toilers from behind a bush. "If they have a tug or someother steam vessel it could slip in here two hours before daylight andbe away again in another hour. But what's that? Where are they goingnow?"
In the darkness it was not quite easy to see more than that theprocession had moved into the shadow of a depression in the ground nearthe pier. Crawling that he might not be seen against the dim skyline,Halstead secured another point of observation. He thought, now, he couldmake out the outlines of a small building.
"I'll wait until the crowd gets away from there before I try for acloser look," thought the young motor boat skipper.
Nor had he long to wait ere the same eight filed by not far from hishiding place. Halstead watched until they were out of sight behindSanderson's house.
Then the youthful investigator slipped down the slope and into theshadow. He went cautiously, though, for fear that Don Emilio might haveposted a guard below.
There was none, however. Tom found himself staring at what looked like anew boathouse on shore, such as is used for the winter storing of yachtsor motor boats. There were no windows. The door, a strong affair, wassecured by a padlock.
"If they're putting the stuff in there and locking it up, then theydon't intend to ship it to-night," Halstead wisely decided.
He had learned, apparently, all that was to be learned at this point. Tokeep his eyes upon the case-carrying toilers might mean only to witnessa repetition of the same monotonous work through all the night.
"That one bright light up in the attic," Halstead wondered, the memoryof it coming back to him. "I wonder what's going on up there? And I meanto know, too."
Satisfied that he knew all about the waterfront business, Halstead tooksuch a wide, curving sweep in getting back to the farmhouse that he ranno risk of running into the busy eight.
Once more he sought the deep shadow of the wagon shed, from which pointhe stared long and wonderingly.
Beneath that attic window was a kitchen annex of one story. And Tom madeout, presently, that a lightning rod ran down the back of the mainbuilding close to that brilliantly lighted window on the third floor.The rod touched the roof of the kitchen annex, running thence down tothe ground.
"It's a job for stocking feet, anyway," Halstead decided at last. Havingremoved his shoes and feeling about in the dark, the young skipper ranhis hand against a coil of rope hanging on a peg.
"Good enough!" he cried inwardly. "I don't believe there are manyclimbing jobs where a rope won't come in handy."
As he removed the coil of rope from the peg he discovered a few lengthsof cord. These he stuffed into one of his pockets.
"For I can't tell what kind of a sling I may need to rig before I getthrough," he thought.
The busy eight were returning from still another trip to the waterfront. Halstead stopped all movement, remaining utterly quiet until theyhad started shoreward with the next load.
"Now I've got to work fast," thought Captain Tom thrilling. "I reckonit's about fifteen minutes between their arrivals here. That means fastwork, my boy."
Shoes in hand, the coil of rope fast at his waist, Halstead stole outtoward the southern side of the kitchen annex. Leaving his shoes on theground Tom found it an easy task to climb up onto the roof of the annex.Now he felt carefully of the lightning rod, next giving it harder andharder pulls, to make sure that it was strong enough to hear his weight.That point settled, Halstead began to ascend. It was not a difficulttask for a boy trained aboard seagoing craft.
Up and up he went, making little if any sound. At last he was able tolean outward from the rod, resting one elbow on the ledge of the lightedwindow. Yet, on peering into the room the young skipper received a shockthat almost caused him to lose his hold on the lightning rod.
At the further end of the bare-looking attic stood a plain pine table,which held a reading lamp that gave a strong light. With his back to thewindow, seated in a rocking chair and his feet on another chair, loungeda boy, reading.
Even with his back turned, the unseen face bent over a book, that boywas known beyond the possibility of a doubt to Tom Halstead.
"Ted Dunstan, himself!" the young skipper almost cried aloud.
Not for one moment did Halstead even think of slipping down from thewindow and running for help. If he did so Ted was as likely as not to begone upon his return.
"I've got to get him out of here, and on the jump, too," puzzled theyoung captain. "But how is the thing to be done?"
An appeal to young Ted himself would be worse than useless. That youngheir, as the spy at the window knew, had altogether too complete a faithin his present comrades.
While Tom still hung on there another happening caused his heart to bumpagainst his ribs. The busy eight were returning. He could hear the lighttread on gravel under their feet.
Not a second was to be lost. Inwardly breathing a prayer, Halsteadraised himself to the window sill with the utmost stealth. In anothermoment he was over the sill and in the room on his stockinged tip-toes.Ted did not turn. Plainly he was too absorbed in his book to suspect anyother presence. Not daring, of course, to remain near the window, whichwould place him in sight of the busy eight in the yard, as soon as theyshould reach the outbuildings, Halstead slid noiselessly along the wall,pressing his hands against it. His strained, intense look was all thetime on the unsuspecting Dunstan heir.
"Ho, ho, ho!" chuckled Master Ted, throwing his head back, but he didnot look around. Evidently something in the book on his lap amused himimmensely.
Tom stood there, still praying under his breath, praying that the eightmight quickly take up their new burdens and hasten shoreward.
At last there came the sound of crunching against gravel. Tom, trying tostifle the sound of his own breathing, listened intently until the dyingout of sounds outside made him believe that the men were once more outof the way.
Now trembling in every muscle, Halstead stole forward toward the Dunstanheir. The floor creaked; he stopped short in great alarm. For Halsteadfelt certain that, somewhere near at hand, there must be some oneintrusted with the responsibility of watching over this young heir.
Master Ted, however, did not turn. Taking heart Tom stole forward assoftly as ever Indian trod. Crouching, he was near enough now to reachout and touch the back of young Dunstan.
Of a sudden Halstead made the plunge. He leaped forward with the agilityof a panther, fairly yanking Ted Dunstan out of the rocking chair anddropping him softly on the floor beside it
.
Taken in this fashion, Master Ted would have let out a lusty yell. Yetthe instant he opened his mouth Tom Halstead's fingers gripped at histhroat, shutting off the youngster's wind.
"I don't want to hurt you," whispered Halstead sharply yet halfapologetically. "But I've got to keep you quiet no matter what I have todo to you."
Ted's face betrayed absolute fear as well as unmistakable loathing, asthat choking shut off his breath. His mouth opened, his tongue lollingout.
"Now you may breathe again, if you'll keep quiet," Tom informed him."But, remember--I _won't_ have any noise!"
As soon as he could breathe again panting Ted's wits also began toclear. He raised one of his feet, as he lay prostrate with Halsteada-top of him, and brought that heel down against the floor. Halsteadpromptly threw his own body so that Master Ted could not again raiseeither foot.
"I see that I've got to go to extreme measures with you; you don'tunderstand that I'm deadly in earnest," panted Tom, finding that thiswiry, out-of-door, agile boy of ten could be wonderfully slippery. "Nowlisten, Ted Dunstan. If you don't want me to be ugly and to choke youuntil your senses fade, then prepare to mind me. Now then roll over onyour face--and don't you _dare_ to make any noise doing it."
A good deal cowed by the fierce glint in Tom's eyes, Ted almostpassively obeyed, though the young skipper was obliged to roll the youngman himself.
"Keep those feet quiet now," whispered Tom in the little fellow's ear."We've got to the point where nonsense won't be safe for you. Now openyour mouth!"
Ted firmly pressed his lips together, gritting his teeth. Yet Tom knew atrick of wrestling that forced the young man to open his mouth. Plumpinto that mouth went one of Halstead's wadded handkerchiefs, stoppingthe youngster's tongue down and holding his jaws apart.
Satisfied that Ted was gagged, Tom forced another handkerchief betweenthe teeth, knotting it behind the smaller boy's head. Then, with abruptsuddenness, the young skipper bent the little fellow's hands behind him,though not too roughly, and bound the wrists in the best sailorman'sfashion. Now Tom turned about, using more of the cord in his pockets tolash the heels of the Dunstan heir securely together. This accomplished,Captain Tom examined all his knots to make sure that none of them was sopoorly tied as to cause him regret later on. Then, on tip-toe, he stoleover to the door. There was a bolt on it unsecured. Tom softly slippedthe bolt into place. There was now no danger of unannounced interferencefrom that direction.
Going back to the angry and astounded Dunstan heir, Halstead kneltbeside him.
"Master Ted, I know you feel ugly about me and you hate me just at thisminute. You think I'm your enemy and your father's. The scoundrelsyou've been running with have told you that. The truth is, your father,though not an old man, is aging fast on account of the agony yourdisappearance has caused him. The time isn't far away when you'll knowthat we've all been doing our best, in the face of many dangers, toserve a boy who was foolish enough not to want to be served."
Captain Tom had raised young Dunstan's head and had looked into thelatter's eyes while telling him this. But Master Ted glared back only amessage of distrust and defiance.
"I've got you now where you can't stand in the way of your own goodluck, if only I can once get you away from this house," Tom went on in awhisper, his mouth close to one of the youngster's ears. "_You_ can'thinder, anyway."
Then, with one hand resting heavily on Ted, to prevent any slightpossibility of movement by that youngster, Halstead continued kneelingand listening.
At last there came to him the sound for which he had waited--thecrunching of feet on the gravel outside. Now Halstead became busy again.Uncoiling the rope at his waist he rigged a secure slip-noose at oneend. This he made fast around Ted's body, under his bound arms. When thesounds without indicated that the eight men were again leaving for theshore, the young captain raised his light human burden, stealing towardthe window.
Tom Pushed the Heir Through the Window.]
There was not a sound outside. Tom Halstead pushed the Dunstan heirthrough the window, lowering him swiftly to the kitchen annex. The youngmotor boat captain then descended by the lightning rod. He carried Ted,naturally unresisting, to the edge of the annex, lowering him to theground. Halstead went down himself at a bound, landing on his feet. In afever of anxiety he found his shoes, swiftly lacing them on.
Now slipping off the noose, Tom loosely coiled the rope about one arm.Lifting Ted Dunstan, Captain Halstead fled straight across the rear yardand in among the trees.
"There, I hope we've got you away from that crowd," panted Tom, puttinghis unwilling companion down. "But we've got to hustle, so you'll haveto use your own feet a bit. Woe unto you, though, if you try any trickson the stranger who happens to be your best friend at this moment!"
Hiding the rope in a thicket near by; Halstead quickly slashed away thecord at Ted Dunstan's ankles.
"Now you'll come along with me and you'll come mighty fast!" breathedCaptain Tom resolutely, as he seized one of the boy's arms.
At first Ted acted as though he intended to drag, but the quality ofmuscle in the young motor boat skipper's arms must have shown him thefolly of such tactics, for presently he trotted at the older boy's side.
Yet they had not gone more than two hundred yards before something elsehappened. Out from behind a tree shot a human figure. Its owner sprangat Tom Halstead, locking him in a sturdy embrace. Down to the groundwent Halstead and his assailant, rolling over and over in fierce,battling embrace.
Ted Dunstan lost not an instant in seeing and seizing his opportunity.His feet, at least, free and able, that youngster whirled and dashedback toward the farmhouse.