CHAPTER XXIV
THE ESCAPE
Professor Skeel retained control of himself with an obvious effort.Clearly he had expected more of a spirit of agreement on the part ofTom, though he might have known, from his previous experiences with ourhero, that compliance would not be given. But Tom did not even take thetrouble to hand back the letter. It had fluttered to the floor of thecabin.
"You--you----" began Whalen, angrily spluttering the words.
"Silence!" commanded Skeel. "I'm attending to this." His face and histone showed his anger, but he managed to keep it under control. Hepicked up the letter--something of a condescension on his part, andsaid to Tom:
"Then you refuse to do as I ask?"
"I most certainly do! The idea is positively--silly!" and Tom had thenerve to laugh in the faces of his enemies.
"We'll make you sweat for this!" declared Whalen. "We'll----"
"Better let the boss work the game," suggested Murker. In spite of hisevil face, and the fact that he was just as guilty in the matter as theothers, he seemed of a more conciliatory spirit.
"Yes, you keep out of this," commanded the professor to the formeremployee of the school. "I know what I'm doing."
Tom wondered what the next move would be. He did not have to wait longto find out.
"Well, if you won't sign this now, you will later," said Skeel, as hefolded the letter and put it into his pocket. "Take him to the darkroom," he ordered. "Maybe he'll come to his senses there. And don'tgive him too much bread and water," and the man laughed as he gave thisorder. "A little starving will bring some results, perhaps. Lock himup, and bring me the key."
"All right, you're the boss," assented Murker. "I'm in this thing now,and I'm going to stick it out, but I wish----"
"You're right; you're going to stick!" interrupted Skeel. "You're in itas deep as I am, and you can't get out!"
Murker did not finish what he started to say. He shrugged his shouldersand seemed resigned to what was to come. Tom disliked him the least ofthe three, though the man's face was not in his favor.
"Shall we tie him up again?" asked Whalen.
"Yes, and tie him good and tight, too. Don't mind how you draw thosecords. The more trouble we make now, the less we'll have to make later.Tie him up and put him away where he can cool off," and Professor Skeellaughed mockingly.
For an instant a desperate resolve came into Tom's mind to make a rushand a break for liberty. But the idea was dismissed almost as soon asit was formed.
What chance would he stand with three full-grown men to oppose him? Thedoor was locked, and Tom's feet were still bound. He had a knife in hispocket, but to reach it, and cut the ropes on his ankles would taketime, and in that time he would easily be overpowered by his captors.It was out of the question now.
"But I'm going to escape, if it's at all possible," Tom declared tohimself. "And when I do get out of here----"
But he could not finish his thought. His gun and mackinaw had beentaken away from him, and now when Whalen roughly seized him, and putthe ropes on his wrists, Skeel said:
"Search his pockets. Take what money he has and any sort of weapons.Then lock him up!"
Tom did have considerable money on him, and this was soon out ofhis pockets, and in that of the professor. Tom's knife and otherpossessions were also removed. Then he was lifted up, carried toanother room, and roughly thrust into sort of a closet that was verydark. Tom fell heavily to the floor. His mackinaw was tossed in to him.
"He can use that for a blanket--we're short of covering," he heardSkeel say. "We don't want him to be too comfortable, anyhow."
Tom was anything but at his ease just then, but he did not falter inhis determination not to give in. He shut his teeth grimly.
The door was closed and locked, and our hero was left to his not verypleasant reflections. He managed to struggle to a sitting position, andto edge over until he was leaning back against the wall. He drew hisheavy mackinaw to him. It would be warm during the cold night, for thathe would be kept a prisoner at least that length of time, he could notdoubt.
Tom's thoughts were many and various. So this was why Skeel hadfollowed him and his chums. This was why he had reappeared at ElmwoodHall, and had caused Whalen to ask questions about the hunting trip.
So this was Skeel's plan for enriching his purse and at the sametime getting revenge. So far, fate had played into the hands of theunscrupulous man and his confederates.
"But I'll get away!" Tom told himself. He sat there in the gloomydarkness, trying to think of a plan.
Meanwhile his chums, with Sam Wilson, were frantically searching forhim in the storm. Sam's idea was not to leave the neighborhood whereTom had last been seen, until they had exhausted every effort to locatetheir missing chum.
But it was difficult to search in the storm, and the whirl of flakesmade a long view impossible. Then, too, they were in a dense part ofthe wilderness. Sam Wilson's farm was perhaps the largest cleared partof it, though here and there were patches where trees had been cut down.
Up and down the road, and on either side of it, the search went on.Sam Wilson was a born woodsman, as well as a hunter and farmer, and hebrought his efficiency to the task.
"But it seems to be no go, boys," he said, at length.
"But what has become of him?" asked George with a look of worriment onhis face.
"That's what we can't say except that he's lost," spoke Jack.
"Yes, but lost in this wilderness--in this storm," added Bert. "It'sdangerous."
"Yes, that's what it is, provided he is still lost," Sam said.
"Still lost! What do you mean?" asked Jack.
"I mean he may have gone so far that he found his way back to one ofthe camps."
"Really?" hopefully cried Bert, who thought Sam might be saying thatsimply to cheer them up.
"Why, of course it's possible," the caretaker went on. "He may havegone on beyond the sound of your guns. And, unexpectedly, he may havehit the trail to one of the camps. For there are trails that leadthrough the woods. They're not easy to find, or follow, but Tom mighthave had luck."
"Then what shall we do?" asked Jack.
"Go back to Camp No. 2," answered Sam. "Tom may be there. If he isn't,we'll go to the others in turn. Let's go back. We'll drive."
So, abandoning the search for the time being, they started back forcamp in the pung, drawn by the powerful horses. They were hopingagainst hope that Tom would be there, or that they would find him atone of the other cabins.
But Tom was still a prisoner in the dark closet of the lonely shack.What his thoughts were you can well imagine, but, above everything elsestood out the determination not to give in and sign the letter askingfor the ransom money.
Hours passed. Tom again felt the pangs of hunger. He had an idea themen might try to starve him, but after an interval, which he imaginedbrought the time to noon, Murker came in with some bread and water.
"Boss's orders," he growled. "I'll untie your hands while you eat, anddon't try any tricks."
Tom did not answer. The bread was welcome, but the water more so.Murker left him a glass full after he had once emptied the tumbler.Then the ropes were again put on his hands, and he was left alone inthe darkness.
Whether it was the same day or not, Tom could hardly tell. He must havedozed, for he awoke with a start, and he knew at once that some noisehad caused it.
He listened intently, and heard a scratching, sniffing sound back ofhim. He could feel the board side of the shack, against which he wasleaning, vibrate.
"Can it be that the boys are trying to release me?" Tom asked himself.But in another moment he knew this could not be true. His chums wouldcome boldly up and not try to get him out in this secret fashion. Thescratching and sniffing increased.
"It's some animal!" Tom decided. He edged away from the side of thecloset-room, and waited. The sound increased. Then came a splintering,rending sound as of wood breaking. Tom fancied he could feel a boardmove.
An insta
nt later a streak of light came suddenly into his prison. Itwas from the moon which was shining brightly on the snow outside, andby the light through the crack Tom could see a big hairy paw thrust inwhere the board had been torn off.
"It's a bear!" cried the lad. "He must smell something to eat, and he'strying to get after it. He's standing outside and has pulled off aloose board, and--by Jove! I can get out that way!" he said aloud. Ashe spoke the board was pulled farther loose, leaving a large opening.A sniffing snout was thrust in. Tom had no intention of sharing hisprison with a bear, and, raising his two bound feet Tom kicked theanimal on its most tender place--the nose. With a growl Bruin withdrew,and Tom could hear him sniffing indignantly as he scampered over thesnow. But the bear had made for Tom a way of escape.
"If I could only get my arms and legs free, I could squeeze out throughthat opening," Tom decided. Then like a flash the plan came to him.
The tumbler of water had been left within reach. Tom kicked it overwith sufficient force to break the glass. He had to make a noise, butafter waiting a while, he felt sure his captors had not been aroused.They did not seem to be on guard, or they would have heard the bearwhen he pulled loose the outside board.
Tom's muscles were in good control, but he had to strain himselfunmercifully to bend over and get a piece of the broken glass betweenhis hands. Then he put it between his two boots, and held it there,with a sharp edge up, by pressing his feet tightly together.
You have doubtless guessed his plan. He was going to use the glass as aknife and saw the rope of his wrists upon it. This he proceeded to do.The moonlight outside, streaming in, gave him enough illumination towork by.
He cut himself several times before he succeeded in fraying the ropeenough so it could be broken. Then, rubbing his arms to restore theinterrupted circulation, Tom used the glass on the rope that bound hisankles. This he cut through quickly enough, and, was able to stand up.His legs were weak, and he waited a few minutes until he could use themto better advantage. Then, forcing farther off the dangling board, Tomcrawled out in the snow, putting on his mackinaw when he was outside.
The storm had ceased. It was night--a night with a dazzling moon, andTom was free. But where his chums were, or in what direction the camplay, he could not tell.