CHAPTER VII
THE RESCUE OF TOMMY BELL
"I wonder who they can be, to hide off in the woods this way," whisperedBob.
The next instant there floated out from the hut a cry of anguish. It wasthe voice of a boy, seemingly in great pain or fear, and the travelersheard the words:
"Oh don't! Please don't! You are killing me! I don't know! I can't tellyou, for I would if I could! Oh! Oh! Please don't burn me again!"
"It's a gang torturing some one!" almost shouted Ned. "Let's go to therescue!"
He would have sprung forward had not Jerry laid a detaining hand on hisarm.
"Wait, Ned," counseled Jerry. "Some one there evidently needs our help,but we must go with caution. First we must get our guns. We may needthem!"
Once more the appealing cry burst out.
"Quick!" whispered Jerry. "Professor, you and Bob go back for therifles, and bring the bulls-eye lantern that has the dark slide to it.Ned and I will stay here and watch!"
Mr. Snodgrass and Bob lost no time. In less than five minutes they hadrejoined Ned and Jerry.
"Has anything happened?" asked Bob.
"Nothing since," whispered Jerry. "Now we will go forward. Every onehave his gun ready. I will carry the lantern."
Almost as silently as shadows the four figures stole forward, Jerryshowing a cautious gleam now and then to guide them on their way. Theyfound there was a fairly good path leading up to the hut.
They had covered half the distance when once more the cries of anguishburst out. This time they were followed by angry shouts, seemingly fromseveral men, and voices in dispute could be heard.
"One of us had better creep forward and see what is going on inside thecabin," whispered Jerry. "We must know what sort of enemies we have tomeet."
"I'll go," volunteered Bob.
"Better let me," suggested the professor. "I have had some experience instalking animals, and I can probably advance more quietly than you can."
They all saw the reasonableness of this and the scientist started off.Like a cat he made an advance until he was so close to the hut that hecould peer into the uncurtained window. What he saw made him start backin terror.
In the room were half a dozen roughly dressed men, all armed, and withbrutal faces. The room was filled with smoke from cigars and pipes, andcards were scattered over a rough table in the middle of the apartment.
But what attracted the attention of the professor and made his heartbeat fast in anger, was the sight of a small, pale boy, bound with ropesup against a big stone fireplace, on the hearth of which logs wereburning.
In front of the lad stood one of the largest and strongest of the toughgang, and in his hand he held a redhot poker, which, as the scientistwatched, he brought close to the bare legs of the terror-stricken lad.
Then came again those heart-rending cries:
"Oh don't! Please don't! I would tell you where he is if I knew! Pleasedon't burn me again!"
The professor's blood boiled.
"We'll soon put a stop to this horrible work!" he exclaimed to himselfas he glided back to where the boys were and quickly made themacquainted with what he had seen.
"Come on!" cried Jerry. "We must rescue that boy!"
As softly as they could, the travelers advanced toward the hut. Theyfound the door and, while the others with rifles in readiness stood in asemi-circle about it, Jerry made ready to knock and demand admittance.
"If they don't open the door we must burst it in," said the boy. "Theprofessor and I will look to that, while you and Ned, Bob, must standready to rush in right after us with your guns ready. But don't shootunless your life is in danger, and then fire not to kill, but to wound."
There was a minute of hesitation, for they all realized that it wastaking a desperate chance to tackle such a rough gang in the midst ofwoods, far from civilization. But the sound of the poor boy's criesnerved them on as, once more, the pitiful appeal for mercy rang out.
Jerry sprang forward and gave several vigorous blows on the door withthe butt of his gun. All at once silence took the place of the confusioninside the hut.
"Who's there? What do you want?" asked a gruff voice.
"Open the door! We want that boy!" cried Jerry.
Confused murmurs from within told that the gang had been taken bysurprise.
"I don't know who you are, but whoever you are you had better move on,if you don't want a bullet through you," called the man who had firstanswered the knock. "This is none of your affair."
"Open the door or we'll burst it in!" cried Jerry, knowing the best wayto be successful in the fight was to act quickly and take the men bysurprise.
There was a laugh from within the hut. It was answered by a rending,crashing splintering sound as Jerry and the professor, using thestocks of their guns, began a vigorous attack on the portal. The doorwas strong enough, but the hinges were not, and, in less than half aminute the barrier had given way and, with a bound the travelers foundthemselves tumbling into the hut.
Instantly confusion reigned. The men shouted hoarsely, and several triedto reach their guns, which were stacked in one corner.
"Hands up!" commanded Jerry sharply, leveling his gun at the man whoseemed to be the leader.
"Why, they're nothing but boys! Knock 'em out of the way!" cried one ofthe gang. At the same time another began creeping up behind Jerry, hisintention being to grab the lad from the back and disarm him.
But Bob saw the movement, and, leveling his rifle at the fellow, toldhim to halt.
"I guess you've got the drop on us," growled the man whom Jerry wascovering with the gun. "What's the game anyhow? Are you stage robbers?"
"We want you to stop torturing that boy," cried Jerry.
"Why, that's my kid, and I was only givin' him a taste of the rodbecause he wouldn't mind me; 'spare the rod and spoil the child,' is agood saying, you know."
"Not from you!" snapped the professor. "Is this man your father?" thescientist asked the bound boy.
"Speak up now! Ain't I your daddy?" put in the leader, scowling at theboy.
"Tell the truth! Don't let him scare you!" said the professorreassuredly. "We are in charge here now. Is he your father?"
"No--no--sir," stammered the poor little lad, and then he burst intotears.
"I thought so!" commented the scientist. "Now you scoundrels clear outof here before we cause your arrest!"
"You're talkin' mighty high," sneered the leader, "but look out! Thismatter is none of your affair, and that boy belongs to us!"
"Take me away! Oh, please take me away! They'll kill me!" sobbed the lad.
There was such a fiery look in the professor's eye as he leveled his gunat the gang of men that they started back, evidently fearing to be firedupon.
"Come on!" called one. "We'll get some of the Mexicans and then we'llsee who's runnin' things around here!"
With that the gang sneaked out of the door, leaving the boys and theprofessor master of the situation. Their first act was to unbind thelad, who was almost fainting from pain and fear.
"Are there any more of them?" asked Jerry.
"Yes," said the boy faintly. "There are a lot of half-breed Mexicans inthe gang. They are in a hut about a mile farther up the road, where theykeep a lot of horses on a ranch."
"Then perhaps we'd better get out of here while we have a chance," saidthe professor. "We can't fight a score or more. Let's take the boy andhurry away."
"Come on then," said Jerry. "We'll get back to the auto. I only hopethese men don't discover it and damage the car."
But when an attempt to start was made it was found that the boy, whosaid, in response to an inquiry from Ned, that his name was Tommy Bell,was unable to walk. The ropes bound about his legs had caused the bloodto stagnate in the veins.
"Here!" exclaimed Jerry. "Bob, you and Ned go ahead with the lantern,and the professor and I will carry Tommy. Step lively now!"
Moving in that order the procession started, and in a few minutes thetra
velers were back at the machine, which did not seem to have beendisturbed. There was no sight or sound of the gang.
Tommy was made as comfortable as possible, and then there was a briefconsultation.
"Which way had we better go?" asked Jerry.
"I think it would be best to turn around," said Bob. "We'll run upagainst the gang if we go ahead."
"The best road is straight ahead through this woods," spoke Tommy. "Ifyou take the other your machine will get stuck."
"Then we'll take this one, and trust to luck not to have any troublewith the gang," decided Jerry, as he cranked up the car.
Just as they started the moon came out from the clouds, for the rain hadceased, and, though not many of the silver beams shone through the thickfoliage, it was much lighter than it had been. Jerry threw in the gearand the next instant the car glided forward and shot along the tunnel oftrees, leaving the hut where Tommy Bell had been a prisoner.
"Is the Mexican camp near this main road?" asked the professor of Tommy.
"About three hundred feet in," answered the boy, who was feeling muchbetter.
"How many men are at it?"
"About one hundred, I guess, from what I heard them say."
"Then I guess we'd better go past it on the fly," muttered Jerry, as hespeeded up the machine until it was skimming along at a fast rate. In alittle while there was a gleam of light through the trees ahead.
"There's the camp!" exclaimed Tommy.
A minute later the travelers were made well aware of it, for, as theywhizzed past in the auto, they heard shouts of anger, mingling with thesounds of rushing feet, while an occasional pistol shot rang out, theflash of fire cutting the darkness.
"They saw us," spoke Bob. "Lucky it was pretty dark, or they might havedamaged the auto."
"To say nothing of ourselves," added Ned.