CHAPTER XXIII
TROUBLE ENOUGH
Returning to Ruth Fielding in the cavern: Although her heart beat rapidlyand she really was fearful, she showed little perturbation in hercountenance and manner after she had talked with Charley Pond, if thatwas the real name of the King of the Pipes.
Just how mentally disturbed the old man was it was difficult for the girlto judge. But she feared that he had, after all his claims, absolutely noinfluence with the Chinamen.
She believed that the leader of the Orientals was the heavy-set Chinamanwho had struck Chessleigh Copley down with the club. The others--somesmoking the little brass pipes, and others not smoking--were probably menwho were endeavoring to get into the States without the knowledge of theemigration authorities. Indeed, they were already in New York. Thisisland was south of the American line. But from the Kingdom of Pipes toany city where the Chinamen would be safe from apprehension was a prettybig jump.
As for the opium--the smoke of which Ruth smelled now for the firsttime--she had no idea how that commodity might be handled or disposed of.She knew that it was valuable, even when imported for medicinal purposes.There was a heavy tariff on it, as well as restrictions upon the tradingin it.
If those boxes--each as heavy as a man could lift and which she and Chesshad seen brought ashore on this island--contained opium, there might bemany thousand of dollars' worth of the drug, in its paste form, here now.Perhaps it was hidden somewhere in this cave.
Ruth had seated herself upon the end of one of the low tables. She knewthat all the furniture in the cavern, including the rugs, must be ofChinese manufacture. There could be no doubt that the place was fitted upfor the convenience of the Orientals.
She looked about, trying to penetrate the obscurity of the place. Werethere passages besides the one by which she and Chess had been draggedin? Were there other apartments in the cavern, shut off by some of thehanging rugs which she saw?
Her principal thought, however, was of the possibility of escape. And shewished heartily that she and Copley could get out of the cave before thearrival of the "others" of whom the King of the Pipes had spoken. Whoeverthey might be--or whether Horatio Bilby was one of them--Ruth did notwant to meet the smugglers and Chinese runners.
She feared very much for her safety, and for that of her companion. Thelaw-breakers would know immediately that their safety was threatened.They must know that if they allowed Ruth and Chess to depart from thecave, their presence here and what they were doing would be reported tothe police. And men like Bilby, who would stoop to anything for money,were not likely to give over such a profitable business as the smugglingof opium without a fight.
Just how much did Bilby and his companions care for the law? It was aquestion that created no little anxiety in Ruth's mind. And she wondered,too, what Chess thought about it.
The young fellow lay upon the floor of the cavern, silent and immovable.She was quite sure, by the exceedingly knowing wink that he had givenher, that he was neither panic-stricken nor seriously hurt. He was merelywaiting to see what would turn up.
And what would happen when the new chance did turn up? Already Chess wasin opposition to at least seven Chinamen, if he attempted anything. Andif those the old man had spoken of, likewise appeared, what could Copleydo against such numbers?
There was nothing Ruth, herself, could do. She sat quietly on the end ofthe low table and looked sadly about the dimly lighted place. This wascertainly a situation from which her usually ingenious mind could inventno means of escape.
Suddenly the old man who called himself the monarch of this island camefrom the corner where he had been standing, watching Ruth, and made hisway swiftly to the entrance to the cave. The big Chinaman got up andlooked at him. The King of the Pipes waved his hand and pointed throughthe passage.
It seemed to be sufficiently clear--that gesture--for the Chinaman beganto gabble to his friends. They scrambled to their feet--all but two whohad fallen into a sluggish state after their indulgence in the use of thedrug. They looked toward the cavern entrance. The King of the Pipesdisappeared through the passage.
Ruth stole a stealthy glance at Chess. She saw that he had moved. He waslying with his right hand covered by his body. There seemed an alertnessabout him--in posture and in gleaming, half-closed eyes--that startledRuth. What had the young fellow in his mind to do. For what was hewaiting?
In a minute she heard the ring of quick steps upon the rock-floor of thetunnel.
Ruth shrank away from the table and stood at her companion's head. Whatwould the newcomers--Bilby, perhaps--do to Copley and to her?
And it was Bilby! The little, red-faced, greenish-eyed man, projectedhimself into the cavern as though he had been shot out of a gun.
"What's the matter here? What's going on, I want to know? That crazy-headis trying to tell me something--Ye gods! A girl?"
He saw Ruth vaguely. Then he glanced down at the prostrate Copley.
"Who knocked him out?" demanded Bilby.
The burly Chinaman was the one he addressed, who answered in a form ofEnglish:
"Allee same me. I get um, Mist' Blibly."
"For mercy's sake!" whined Bilby, wringing his fat hands. "These peoplearen't police. They are some of the summer visitors. Now we _are_ in amess!"
"Allee same look-see," growled the Chinaman. He kicked Chessleigh, andnot gently. "Number one sneakee--him! She----"
He nodded violently toward Ruth, thus drawing Bilby's attention to thegirl. Bilby strained his fat neck forward to see the girl more closely.There were other sounds coming from the passage.
"What's doing, Mr Bilby?" asked a gruff voice.
The fat little man was panting. He pointed waveringly at Ruth.
"Here's a pretty mess," he gasped. "What between these Chinks and thatcrazy old duffer, they have got me in a nice mess. I know this girl. Shebelongs to that moving picture outfit. Now what are we going to do?"
"Knock her in the head," was the advice of the growling voice.
The advice probably was not intended to be followed. It was said perhapsto scare Ruth. But it excited somebody else besides the girl of the RedMill.
Before Bilby could reply or anybody else could speak, Copley came to hisfeet with all the suddenness of a jumping-jack. Bilby squealed andstarted back, falling against the gruff man who had followed him into thecave and who was evidently the boatman.
"What's this?" ejaculated this man.
But that was all he said. The Chinamen squealed in unison, and that wasall from them. Bilby himself faintly groaned.
"Put your hands up--all of you!" commanded Copley, and one of the mostamazing things about the whole wild extravaganza was that the youngfellow's voice was perfectly unshaken.
Lads that have been in the army are apt to consider circumstances likethese as meat and drink to them. Chessleigh had not served Uncle Sam invain. He was as cool as the proverbial cucumber!
"Put your hands up--all of you! There are ten shots in this magazine andevery one of them will get its man. Quick! Up with 'em!"
In all probability only one of the Chinamen understood this strictlyAmerican form of expression. But when the burly Chinaman elevated hisyellow hands, his fellow countrymen did the same.
As for Bilby and the boatman, they reached toward the roof of the cavernhastily. There was no hesitation on their part. Although Copley wasalone, his unwavering attitude and the threat of the automatic pistol,played hob with such shreds of courage as the malefactors possessed.