CHAPTER XI
MORE PLOTTING
Impetuous George Abbot was about to rush forward when Tom, stretchingout a hand, held him back.
"Hold on a minute," he said, and there was some strange quality inTom's voice that made his chum obey.
"What's up?" he asked, glancing from Tom to the cabin.
"Nothing yet, but there may be," was the cool answer.
"You mean there may be someone in that cabin--Skeel or those other men?"
"That's about the size of it," Tom said.
"That's right--best to be on the safe side," put in Bert. "Those men,or Skeel, especially, have been here lately."
"But they haven't any right in our cabin--at least the cabin yourfriends gave us the use of, Tom," objected George.
"I know they haven't, and that's just where the trouble might come in.Those two men with Skeel look like ugly customers. If we cornered themin a cabin they had no right to enter, they might turn ugly. It's bestto go a bit slowly until we find out whether or not they are in there."
"That's what I say," chimed in Jack. "Not that I'm afraid, but I don'twant to run into trouble so early on our vacation. Of course it'spossible," he went on, "that someone else besides Skeel and his croniesmay have been here, or may still be here, for boots, with nail-markslike those on the sole, can't be so very rare. But I'm inclined tothink Skeel wore those," and he nodded toward the marks in the snow.
"I agree with you," Tom said, "and we'll soon find out. Let's lookabout a bit before we rush up to the cabin," he went on.
Slowly the boys circled about it, gradually coming closer, to givethose within, if such unwarranted visitors there might be, a chance toeither make their presence known in a friendly manner, or take theirdeparture.
But there was no sign from the cabin of Camp No. 2, and, after waitinga little while, Tom and his chums moved forward. As they came nearer,they could see that some two or three persons had made a completecircle about the cabin, and had even advanced up on the rough stepsthat led to the front door. Whether they had entered or not wassomething that could not be stated with positiveness.
"Well, the door's locked, anyhow," Tom said, as he looked at thepadlock. "But of course they might have a duplicate key." He drew fromhis pocket the one Sam Wilson had given him, and a moment later Tom andhis chums stood inside the cabin. They breathed a sigh of relief. Noone opposed them.
Nor, as far as could be learned by a glance around the interior, hadany uninvited guests been present. The place was in order, not ascomplete, perhaps as that of the first camp, but enough to show that ithad been "slicked up," after its last occupancy by the hunting party ofgentlemen to whom Tom and his friends were indebted for the use of thecamps.
"Skeel and his cronies may have been here all the same, looking forus," said Jack, as he stood his gun in a corner.
"Why should they be looking for us?" inquired George.
"Now don't start that list of questions," objected Jack. "Ask Tom."
George turned a gaze on his other chum.
"Of course Skeel may have been here," admitted our hero. "We were neverin this cabin before, and we don't know how it looked, or how it wasarranged. But if they were here, they don't seem to have done muchdamage, and if they had a meal, they washed the dishes up after them."
A look in the kitchen showed that it was in order. This cabin was builtjust the same as was No. 1, and the arrangements and furnishings werepractically similar.
"Well, Skeel or no Skeel, I'm going to have something to eat!" criedTom. "Come on, fellows, make yourselves at home."
This they proceeded to do, making arrangements to get a meal, for therewas plenty of wood for the stove as well as a pile of dry logs for thefireplace. A blaze was not unwelcome, for it was growing colder, andthere were signs of a storm.
As our friends sat about the cozy, crackling blaze on the hearth theywere unaware of three men, on the edge of the little clearing in whichthe cabin stood--three men who were gazing at the smoke curling up fromthe chimney.
"Yes, there they are!" grumbled the one known as Whalen. "There theyare in their cabin, nice and warm, and with plenty to eat, and we'reout in the cold. I don't like it, I say! I don't like it!"
"Now, don't get rash!" observed Professor Skeel, for he was of thetrio. "What is a little discomfort now compared to the satisfactionwe'll have later?"
"I wouldn't mind so much, if I was sure of that," said Whalen sullenly."But it ain't noways sure."
"I'll make it sure," said the hoarse voice of the other plotter.
"Have you decided on a way to get him into our hands?" asked the formerteacher eagerly. "Have you a plan, Murker?"
"Yes, and a good one, too!" was the answer. "It's come to me sincewe've been fiddling around here."
"And can we get him--get Tom Fairfield--where we want him?" askedProfessor Skeel eagerly. "That's what I want to know."
"Yes, I think we can," answered Murker, an unpleasant grin spreadingover his evil face. "I haven't all the details worked out yet, but whenI get through, I think we'll have him just where we want him. Not thatI want him particularly," he went on. "I never knew him before youfellows got me into this," and when he classed Professor Skeel as a"fellow," the latter did not object.
It showed to what depths the really talented man had fallen. ForProfessor Skeel was a brilliant scholar, and would have made his markin educational circles, had he chosen to be honest. But he took theeasiest way, which ends by being the hardest.
"I don't ask you to take any interest in Tom Fairfield, once you helpme get him in my power," went on the former instructor. "I'll attend tothe rest. But I want him alone. I don't want to have to handle any ofthe others."
"I should say not!" exclaimed Whalen. "We'll have our hands full, if wetry to take care of all four of 'em."
"Oh, I wouldn't be afraid," was the sneering comment of Murker."I guess we could persuade 'em to be good," and he leered at hiscompanions.
"Four are too many to handle," decided Professor Skeel. "I want TomFairfield alone."
"And I'll get him for you," promised Murker. "But you've got to give mea share of the ransom money."
"Oh, I'll do that," readily agreed the former teacher. "I'm doing thisas much to square accounts with him as for anything else."
"Well, I'm not working for love--or revenge," chuckled Murker. "I wantthe cold cash."
"So do I," chimed in Whalen, "but I want revenge, too. It's going to bea regular kidnapping, isn't it?" and he looked at Professor Skeel.
"It will be if he can carry it out," was the answer, with a nod atMurker.
"Oh, I'll do my part," was the assurance given.
"But won't it be risky--dangerous?" asked Whalen. "I don't want toget in trouble," and he looked rather anxiously about him, as thoughalready he feared officers of the law might be after him.
"There's no more risk for you than for us," spoke Professor Skeel.
"There won't be any risk--not up in this lonesome place," Murker said.
"But how are you going to make sure of getting Tom into our handsalone?" asked the rascally professor.
"Leave that to me," was the chuckling answer. "I used to live in thisregion when I was a young fellow. Folks have forgotten me, but Ihaven't forgotten them."
"I say!" exclaimed Professor Skeel, "I hope you're not going to bringany more into this. The more there are the more risk there is, and themoney I expect to get from Mr. Fairfield, for giving Tom back to him,won't go so far if we have to split it up----"
"Oh, don't worry! No one else but us three will be in it. I should havesaid I hadn't forgotten the country up around here--not so much thepeople. I don't care anything about them. But I know every cross-roadand bridle-path through the woods, and it will be funny if I can't getthis lad where I want him. They're strangers up here, and they have todepend on signposts, and what that guide tells them."
"But they are smart fellows," said Professor Skeel. "I know, for Itaught them in school. If they have a signboa
rd to go by, it will be asgood to them as a printed book would be to most people."
"That may all be very true," chuckled Murker. "But tell me this. Awrong signboard isn't much use to anyone, is it? Not even to a smartlad."
"A wrong signboard? What do you mean?" asked the professor.
"I mean just what I said--'a wrong signboard'--one that gives the wrongdirection. It's worse than none at all, isn't it?"
"Well, I should say it was," was the slow answer of the former teacher."But are you going to get Tom Fairfield----"
"Now, don't ask too many questions," was the advice of his evil-facedcrony. "When you don't know a thing, you can say so with a clearconscience in case the detectives get asking too many personalquestions of you."
"That's so," agreed Professor Skeel, readily understanding what wasmeant.
"Detectives!" exclaimed Whalen. "Did you say detectives?
"But--er--I--they--I don't want to see any detectives," stammered theformer employee of Elmwood Hall.
"I don't either," chuckled Murker. "But it's best to be on the safeside, and to prepare for emergencies. So what you and the professordon't know, you can't tell. Leave the details to me, and I'll fix 'em.Now I think we've been here long enough. We know what we came over tothis cabin to find out--that they hadn't been here before until justnow. And we're pretty certain they'll go next--to No. 3 Camp."
"What makes you think so?" asked Whalen.
"Because boys are like deer at times--mighty curious. They won't restsatisfied until they've tried all three camps. They'll go over to thelast one in a few days, and then, Skeel, we may have Tom Fairfield justwhere we want him!"
"I hope so!" was the fervent exclamation, as the three plotters madetheir way off through the dense woods.