The Ocean Wireless Boys on the Pacific

CHAPTER XXVII.--AT THE OLD FORT.

  Jack found it difficult to credit his eyesight as he gazed at the boywho formerly had made so much trouble for them and the gigantic ruffianwho stood beside him.

  "Judson! Is it possible?" he gasped. "What brought you here?"

  "Are you a prisoner, too?" demanded Mr. Jukes.

  "A prisoner?" laughed Judson. "Well, that's a good one, I must say. Onlyfools walk into traps."

  "Well, what are you doing here then, boy?" demanded the millionaire,recollecting his former kindness to Donald. "You ask him, Ready. He's afriend of yours."

  "He's no friend of mine, Mr. Jukes," denied Jack. "Can't you see itall?"

  "See what?"

  "Why, the contemptible turn-coat is in with these rascals."

  "Impossible!"

  "So, Judson," went on Jack, "this is how you repay our kindness to you?"

  "Your kindness," sneered the boy. "I want none of it. I'm in with a goodcrowd now. Besides, I told you in Bomobori I didn't want to go with yourold expedition."

  "But you didn't refuse the money I got you from Mr. Jukes," said Jack.

  "Oh, he's made of money," chuckled Donald, "and we mean to get some moreof it."

  "You miserable young whelp," panted the helpless millionaire, purplewith rage, "if I had you in America----"

  "And anyhow," continued Judson, thoroughly enjoying this, "you are onlygetting what's coming to you, Ready. In the States you tried to have meput in pris--er that is you wanted to tell lies about me."

  "I'm sorry we didn't have you locked up, now," said Jack bitterly. "Isuppose you put this gang of scoundrels on our trail."

  "You can suppose anything you want," was the rejoinder, but a bit of theold boastfulness crept into his tone, "and you're going to pay up, too,before you get out of this. Have you had them searched, Captain Broom?"

  "What----?" shouted the millionaire, almost beside himself at thissudden revelation of the black-bearded man's identity, "are you 'Bully'Broom?"

  "My name's Broom all right," was the surly reply, "but I want my properhandle, which is Captain."

  "What have you done with my brother, you infernal rascal?" stormed themillionaire.

  "Now you ain't going to get along any better by cutting up rough andlosing your temper like that, pard'ner," was the cool reminder. "You maybe my guest for quite a time, so let's you and me get along peaceable.Otherwise we'll find a way to _make_ you keep a civil tongue in yourhead."

  "Did you have them searched?" repeated Donald greedily. "If you did Iwant my share of it."

  "They were searched, Judson, but they only had a few dollars; not morethan a hundred at most."

  "Bah!" growled Judson; "then they left some behind at old Baroni'splace. If we don't capture the others, then----"

  "Never mind that, now," commanded Broom; "you tell 'em what I told you."

  "All right," assented Judson, and then, turning to Jack, he said:

  "Do you know why you were brought here, Mr. Fresh?"

  "To be robbed, I suppose. I see no other explanation to it," was Jack'sreply, with a steady look at Judson that made the other drop his eyes."I always knew you were a bad lot, Judson, but I never thought you wereas bad as this."

  "Don't talk to me like that. I'm as good as you," stormed Judson,although he looked uneasy. Jack's shot had told. "To be brief, we wantto make money out of you."

  "In what way?"

  "First of all, you must answer our questions."

  "That's the way," approved 'Bully' Broom, stroking his huge beard. "Howmuch money did you bring with you from America?"

  "Very little cash," replied the millionaire, who had found it moreprudent to control his temper, "most of the money is in the form of aletter of credit."

  "Where is that letter of credit?" demanded Judson, interfering.

  "It is in Bomobori with the bankers," was the reply, and Jack rejoicedto think that Mr. Jukes had managed to tell him that, as most of themoney had been left behind at the hostelry with Captain Sparhawk, whohad been appointed a sort of pay-master to the party.

  "Well, now we'll come down to brass tacks," growled Broom, after aninterval of thought. "How much is your liberty worth to you?"

  "So that's your game, is it, you rascally blackmailer?" sputtered theinfuriated millionaire. "You won't get a cent out of me."

  But 'Bully' Broom only smiled.

  "Perhaps in a few days you'll sing a different tune," he said, andsomething, not in the words, but in the way they were uttered, sent acold shiver down Jack's spine.

  CHAPTER XXVIII.--THE FREE-BOOTER'S DEMANDS.

  "Well, what do you demand?" was the millionaire's next question.

  Donald Judson drew 'Bully' Broom aside and whispered to him. The othernodded.

  "The least we will take is one hundred thousand dollars," he said.

  The millionaire grew purple.

  "What?" he almost shouted.

  "That is for the liberty of both," said 'Bully' Broom coolly. "Fiftythousand for the boy and fifty thousand for you. If you don't want totake the boy, you can pay up fifty thousand and we will keep him."

  "What would you do with him?"

  "Well, the river is full of hungry alligators----" grinned the wretch.

  "You scoundrel," thundered Mr. Jukes, "do you suppose I'd leave himbehind, anyway?" Jack cast him a grateful look. "But what have you donewith my brother, you ruffian?"

  "Ah! I was coming to that," said the rascal with an insolent smile, "butyou can also have him for the very insignificant sum that I have alreadymentioned as being the price for you and the boy."

  "You're worth a whole lot more than that, Jukes," put in Judson, with anequally insolent air. "You're a regular old money-bags, you know."

  "You'll never get my money," raged the millionaire.

  "We won't, eh?"

  "Never."

  "Hunger makes a lot of difference, Mr. Jukes," smiled Broom.

  "So you mean to starve us into submission, eh?" demanded Jack. "I don'tsee how such rogues can exist. Judson, you are the worst young hound Iever heard of."

  In high rage the boy's enemy stepped up to him and deliberately struckhim a heavy blow in the face, which Jack was, of course, powerless toreturn.

  "Yes, a cowardly trick like that is in perfect accordance with what Iknow of your nature," said Jack with menacing quietness.

  "You dare say that again," screamed Donald, beside himself with anger,"just you dare and I'll----" He ended with a shake of his fist.

  "Oh, you can't scare me, even if I am tied," said Jack scornfully.

  His perfect calmness added fuel to the fire of Judson's rage.

  "I'll fix you," he yelled, "I'll----"

  "Judson, be quiet," ordered Broom, and the boy subsided. "Now," went onthe free-booter to Mr. Jukes, "your best plan, if you don't want to losea few pounds, will be to make out a check for that money. Of course,we'll have to keep you here till it's safely cashed, otherwise youmight, and probably would, stop the check. But----"

  "Don't pay a cent, Mr. Jukes," interrupted Jack.

  Judson stepped suddenly forward and struck the helpless lad anotherstinging blow. It was such a hard one that Jack's senses swam for aminute.

  "Shame on you, you young villain," cried Mr. Jukes. "He is helpless,otherwise you wouldn't dare lay hands on him."

  "Who says so? I could lick him any day," swaggered Judson imprudently.

  "Have you people no sense of right and honesty in your compositions?"demanded Mr. Jukes.

  But this appeal had no more effect on Broom than it would have had onadamant.

  "We're no worse than you millionaires, if all the papers say is true,"he retorted. "You rob in your way, we rob in ours. We're not quite sorefined about it, perhaps. That's the only difference, Mr. Jukes."

  "You ruffian! Do you compare business,--legitimate business,--with yourrascally trade?"

  "My rascally trade, as you please to term it, is business,--legitimatebusiness,--to m
e," returned Broom.

  "Are we to have any food?" demanded the millionaire abruptly.

  "When you listen to reason, yes."

  "And your idea of reason is that I consent to pay that preposterousransom?"

  "Your insight does you credit, Mr. Jukes. Sign that check and you shallhave all you want to eat within the poor limits of my larder, andreasonable liberty till it is cashed. After that you are free to gowhere you will."

  "Our friends will raise a hue and cry for us," declared Jack. "They'llfind us and put you where you belong, behind the bars."

  Broom and young Judson turned away and left the hut by another door fromthe one by which they had entered.

  "You think they will pay?" asked Broom, with some anxiety in his voice.

  "I'm sure they will. Even a tight-wad old millionaire will pay up whenit comes to a choice between that and starving."

  "Then you think they are sure to give in?"

  "Without a doubt. Then it is only a question of waiting for the moneyand getting out."

  "I don't mind that. But I didn't like what they said about their friendsfollowing us here."

  "Why you said nobody knew the way here through the swamps but yourselfalong that path we came last night."

  "That's true, but then there's the river. However, it would beimpossible to see the old fort from below and anyhow the cliff is fiftyfeet high and easily guarded."

  "Of course you are foolish to worry. However, perhaps if they don't givein in a day or two we had better be moving along. That young Ready'schum, Billy, has given me trouble before."

  "Well," said Broom, "we'll see how things come out. If they don't wantto perish in the swamps they'll have to come by the river. From now onI'll have that cliff guarded."

  "Yes, and if any rescue party comes they'll get a big surprise," wasyoung Judson's reply.

  CHAPTER XXIX.--THE RESCUE PARTY.

  "I wish I'd gone along with them," muttered Raynor to himself as heslipped on his socks and boots so as to be ready instantly in case ofalarm. "I don't like the look of this thing at all."

  For some minutes he sat there listening intently. But no sound came fromoutside.

  "I guess I'll just join them anyhow," he resolved to himself, getting onhis feet. "This waiting is too nerve-racking. I'll----"

  The boy halted where he stood. A loud shout from the jungle reached hisears.

  "Something has happened!" cried the boy.

  He reached for his pistol, and hastily buckling it on, he was about torush out of the hostelry when a wild figure appeared.

  "Help! There's murther goin' on. Help!"

  It was Muldoon, fleeing before three of Broom's followers. But as thepursuers came in sight of the hotel they halted. The next moment theywere in active retreat.

  "What's wrong? What's happened?" gasped Raynor.

  "Those spalpeens out yonder. They've captured Misther Jukes and JackRiddy."

  "We must rouse the others at once and go in pursuit," decided Billy.

  He hurried off to awaken Captain Sparhawk, while Muldoon aroused Salloo,who in turn, soon had his native followers astir. It did not takeCaptain Sparhawk much longer to get into his clothes when he heardBilly's alarming news than it did for the natives, who were notembarrassed by garments, to adjust what few they did wear.

  It was well they had hastened, for the rascally landlord of the placehad, by this time, aroused all the half-castes in the place and as,headed by Captain Sparhawk, they set off into the jungle, there was ascattering firing of shots behind them. Nobody was hurt, however, andthey hastened forward to the place where Muldoon told them the capturehad taken place.

  Salloo was consulted and he made a careful examination of thesurroundings. It was considered quite safe to make this halt, as thetumult behind them had died out and was probably only incited by thehotel owner in order to get them out of the village.

  "Must wait till light come," decided Salloo at last, "no can make outtrail in dark."

  It seemed a whole eternity till dawn, but at last it grew light and theMalay darted hither and thither in the vicinity. At last he announced toCaptain Sparhawk that he thought he knew, from the direction the trailtook, the place to which the prisoners had been conveyed.

  "Me think they take um to old fort on river," he declared.

  "Then let us go there at once," said Captain Sparhawk eagerly. "Is itfar?"

  "No velly far through jungle. But Salloo no know trail. Velly bad swampin there and if no know trail get in tlubble plenty quick."

  "Then we can't reach them," said Billy with a groan.

  "Salloo know other way," was the reply, "we go round by ribber. Thenclimbee cliff, find fort at top."

  "Then let's start at once," said Captain Sparhawk. "I don't want to losea second of time."

  "No, begorry, those spalpeens may have taken them further on by the timewe git there if we don't put a good foot forward," said Muldoon.

  Salloo glanced up at the sky. A light, fleecy haze overspread it.

  "Nuther reason we hully," he said. "Salloo think big storm cometo-mollow. Rain washee out the tlacks."

  They set off along a narrow track that Salloo said would bring them tothe river, whose course they must follow to the deserted fort. Thejungle contained every kind of tropical growth, and huge ferns as big astrees waved over the path. But the atmosphere was close and feverish,with a humid heat that was very tiring. At times they encountered vineswhich had grown across the trail and had to be cut. Some of these werethin and wiry and could cut like a knife; others were as thick as aman's arm and bore brilliant, though poisonous-looking blossoms of everycolor.

  "Bad traveling," remarked Captain Sparhawk, "still I suppose we mustexpect that on a seldomly frequented trail."

  "Him get velly bad further on," was all the comfort Salloo could offer,"but not velly far to ribber once we strike udder trail."

  Before long they came to the track he had referred to which branched offat right angles to the one along which they had been traveling.

  Several miles were covered, however, when it became time to halt forlunch. They made a hasty meal of canned goods instead of stopping tolight fires, as Salloo thought it would be inadvisable to advertisetheir whereabouts by smoke columns in case the "enemy" had scouts out.They had hardly resumed their wearisome journey when they were startledby hearing a cry from a distance. Salloo came to an instant halt.

  "Keep out ob sight, all of you," he said, "Salloo go see what makeenoise."

  He glided off into the dense vegetation with the silent, undulatorymovements of a snake.

  "Begorry, I wonder what that critter was?" said Muldoon in a low voice.

  "I don't know. I only hope it wasn't a band of natives who might proveunfriendly," muttered Billy.

  "Well, so far we have had more trouble with white men than withnatives," said Captain Sparhawk, a remark of which they all felt thetruth.

  "It might have been monkeys chattering," suggested Raynor, after apause, during which they all listened for some sign of Salloo.

  "And spaking of the divil," exclaimed Muldoon, "look, there's a monkeylooking at us now. See those two black oys back in the threes?"

  He pointed with his forefinger and they all gazed in that direction. Itwas Billy who first discovered the nature of Muldoon's monkey.

  "That's not a monkey. It's a big snake! Look out for yourselves!" heyelled.

  "A python!" cried Captain Sparhawk.

  He started back and the others did the same. But Muldoon tripped over abow and fell sprawling headlong. As he scrambled to his feet a serpent'sform appeared above him as it swung from a big tree. The next instantthere was a cry of horror from them all.

  The serpent had made a sudden lunge and a cry broke from Muldoon as,before he could make a move to help himself, he was enwrapped in thespiral folds of the great python.

  Captain Sparhawk seized his revolver from his belt and leveled theweapon. But the next moment he lowered it. To have fired would have
beento imperil Muldoon's life, and there might still be a chance of savinghim.

  The monstrous reptile that had the unfortunate boatswain in its grip waslarge, even judged by the standards of the immense pythons of the NewGuinea and Borneo forests. It must have been fully thirty-five feetlong.

  Billy could not endure the sight and put his hands in front of his eyes.When he removed them it was to behold a stirring sight.

  CHAPTER XXX.--IN THE COILS OF A PYTHON.

  From the jungle there had darted a lithe figure. It was Salloo. He hadtraced the source of the mysterious cries to a troop of monkeys. He wasreturning when Muldoon's despairing cry broke on his ears.

  The Malay, guessing that there was serious trouble, glided through thejungle at the best speed of which he was capable, making his way swiftlythrough thickets that a white man could not have passed at all. There isone weapon with which a Malay is always armed--his kriss, a razor-edgedsword about two feet long, with a "wavy" outline. This kriss Salloo nowdrew from under his single garment.

  One instant it flashed in the sunlight and the next, during which it wasimpossible to follow its movements, so swift were they, the python'shead was severed. But instantly, by a convulsive movement, its coilstightened and Muldoon emitted another pitiful cry. But, fortunately, thelife of the snake had departed and soon its coils relaxed and itsgaudily-colored body slipped in a heap to the ground.

  They all sprang forward to Muldoon's aid, for the man, powerful andrugged, was almost in a state of collapse as the result of his terribleexperience. An examination by Captain Sparhawk soon showed that no boneshad been broken, as they had at first feared, and after restoratives hadbeen administered, and after a short rest, Muldoon announced that he wasready to march on again.