CHAPTER XXIV. THE OASIS IN THE QUAKING BOG.
Before they made any sort of a start upon what would probably be thelast leg of their hunt, Thad believed it would be only a wise move if heand the sheriff had a little consultation with the man who was guidingthem to where he believed the lair of the fugitive thief lay.
Thad had always found that a good understanding in the start was morethan half the battle. It often prevented serious complications fromarising, and mistakes being committed that were apt to prove fatal tosuccess.
Accordingly he spoke to Alligator Smith along that line.
"A little hold-up right here and now won't interfere with our hopes ofsuccess, will it, Tom Smith?" was the way he put it.
"Reckon as how it ain't calkerlated tuh do theh same, suh," came thereply; for the alligator-skin collector had learned to have considerablerespect for this thoughtful and resourceful lad who was serving asscout-master in the absence of Doctor Philander Hobbs, the real head ofthe troop.
"Wait a little bit then, till I get the sheriff alongside," added Thad."I think we ought to have an understanding, so there'll be no need ofmuch whispering later on, when it might upset our calculations toindulge that way."
"Seems like yuh mout be k'rect thar, son," admitted the other, readily,and possibly wondering how it was that this boy seemed to think ofeverything.
The sheriff quickly joined them when he saw that something was in thewind. He too had been more or less impressed by the quiet sense ofability shown by this Northern lad, who while serving as a leader amonghis fellows did not attempt any of the swagger that many lads could nothelp displaying.
"Before we start off again, Mr. Sheriff, we ought to find out a littlemore of this business, it seems to me," Thad began; "and especiallyabout the lay of the land; what sort of a shack this is; and how we'dbetter creep up on the same so as to take the man by surprise, and atthe same time not give him any chance to endanger the life of the littlegirl; because if he's the sort of rascal they say, he might be smallenough to hold her up as a sort of shield from our guns, and threatenall sorts of terrible things unless we went away and left him alone."
"I've known that same to be done, suh," agreed the official, nodding hishead as though he agreed with what Thad said. "And let me say that Iunderstand jest how ye must feel 'bout it. We've butted in to this game,an' it's on'y right an' proper as how we ought to try an' suit ourpurposes to yourn. So, whatever ye reckon on as agreeable, suh, ye'llfind us atryin' to meet up with ye."
Thad gave him a grateful look; for, truth to tell it was the fear lestsome unexpected and unprepared-for peril threaten the girl before theycould capture the desperate man, that had been worrying him.
He knew that doubtless among the members of this hastily summonedsheriff's posse there must be a number of hotheads, men or boys who wereso bent on accomplishing something that would serve the ends of justicethat, given half a chance and they would spring forward, risking theirlives recklessly in the hope of being selected by fate as the one topull the rascal down.
Many a brilliant plan, Thad knew, had been spoiled by just such wellmeaning but thoughtless individuals. And he was trying to figure it outhow the chances for having such a blunder occur might be greatlyreduced, if not cut out altogether.
In fact, he had it in his mind that since the posse now virtuallycontrolled the avenue of escape from the island, it might be well forthe guide and himself, say, to leave the others near by, and creepingalong, try to find out what Jasper might be doing.
And deep down in his heart Thad possibly was hoping that if this wereundertaken a glorious chance might arise whereby he could manage to getin communication with the girl, and even stand by to protect her whileTom Smith went for the rest; or else even coax her to flee with him.
The very thought gave Thad a thrill of strange delight; now that thecrisis was so very near, and he must soon learn the truth, he had greatdifficulty in repressing his eagerness, and displaying his customarycaution, when his heart was urging him to more hasty action.
"Why," said the swamp hunter, as he screwed up his forehead in a way hehad of doing when trying to "cudgel his brains," as the saying is,"'bout all I remembers o' thet shack she war on'y made up outen slabsan' ther like; an' seems tuh me like theh w'ar an tear o' years'd likeas not make it look sick. But then, mebbe as how this heah Jasper hedone tote some more stuff acrost, an' patched theh cabin up so hit'dshed water like."
"Does it lie among the trees?" asked Thad
"It sure does, suh," replied the other.
"How long would it take us to get there from here?" the boy went on toinquire.
"If so be we started tuh walk reg'lar-like, we'd be thar in threeminutes I done reckon," answered Tom Smith.
"So close as that," muttered the sheriff; "I hope then, none of my possehappens to let out a bark or a sneeze; seems like that'd be heard if afeller happened to be awake an' listenin' like."
On his part Thad was more concerned about Bumpus than any of the others;because in the past on more occasions than one the fat scout had, asGiraffe expressed it, "knocked the fat into the fire," by someunexpected act. Which explained in part why the scout-master was wild toaccomplish something looking to the rescue of the little girl before anysuch accident could occur.
Why, it had come to such a pass among the scouts that if a fellow wantedto be very particular about some group picture he hoped to snap off, hekept his eye severely on Bumpus all the while; for if he could make surethat the clumsy member of the patrol were all right, he had little fearabout the rest. Bumpus had ruined many a picture by some stumble, orupheaval that was not gratifying to the artist.
"I'm going to ask a favor of you, Mr. Sheriff," said Thad, suddenly, ashe leaned forward, the better to speak in the other's ear.
"Then spit her out, son," replied the officer, though he looked rathersurprised, and somewhat disappointed, just as if he suspected along whatlines this request on the part of the scout might lie; "as I saidbefore, this heah is more your game than it is ourn, an' I'm willin' tolet ye have the right o' way."
"Would you care very much if Tom Smith and myself crept on ahead, to seehow the ground lay?" asked Thad, determined to take advantage of thesheriff's kindness while the other was in a mood to accommodate him.
The officer glanced toward the guide.
"Would you think that to be a good play, Tom?" he asked; "'case if yedo, I ain't got a wo'd to say agin the same. This youngster beats mytime, an' I'm right glad I run up ag'inst him. Neveh did have much usefo' Yankees sense they run off my ole man's slaves yeahs an' yeahs ago,leavin' the fambly po' as church mice; but if they raise his breed upthar, I've got to change my ideas, that's all. How about that move, TomSmith: be ye of theh same mind as him."
Now, possibly the guide had not up to then even considered such a move;but he was quick to see the wisdom of it, since Thad had brought thematter up. He was also too shrewd an old chap to disclose his ignorance;and accordingly he made out that he had himself been considering suchbenefits as might come to them from a spying expedition, but through asense of modesty had refrained from mentioning it thus far.
"Wanted tuh say sumpin like thet myself, Shurff, but didn't know jesthow yuh mout take hit," he observed, complacently; "but sense Thad, heopens the ijee, sot me down as favorin' theh same."
"Oh! all right then, just as you figger, son," the sheriff went on tosay, turning once more to the young scout-master; "but take us along asfur as ye dar, Smith; and fix it with me so as how if ye need helpsuddent-like we'll know it's time to git busy."
Thad felt almost like shaking the hand of the sheriff again and again,he was so delighted with the readiness with which the other had fallenin with his scheme.
Under similar conditions there were many pigheaded officials, soinflated with a sense of their own importance, that nothing could haveinduced them to yield one atom of their authority in a case like this.They would have insisted on taking the lead,
and running things as theypleased, no matter if failure resulted through their recklessness.
"We'll give a loud whistle if we get in any trouble, and want you torush up with the whole posse," he said, quickly, fearing that unless heclinched the bargain immediately the sheriff might repent himself ofhaving made it.
"No need of tellin' ye to be keerful, son," continued the other, as Thadand the old swamp guide prepared to leave the party; "because I reckonsas how ye jest couldn't be anything else if ye tried. Yes, this heahscout business hes cotchcd my fancy right smart, an' I 'spect to lookinto the same later on. Good luck, Thad, and heah's wishin' she may turnout to be all ye hopes fo'!"
That told the boy the sheriff had a good heart, even if his business wasthat of hunting desperate men, and his face had what would appear to bea hard look.
None of the other scouts took occasion to say a single word, becausethey had not been asked to share in the consultation. But when they sawThad and Alligator Smith preparing to move on ahead, a short time later,leaving the rest of the posse in hiding, they could easily guess--allbut Bumpus perhaps, and he afterwards got his information from Bob Whitein the lowest of whispers--what lured the pair forward.
So they simply took it out in waving their hands to Thad when he turnedhis head to look back; as though in this mute fashion they might waftafter him their very best wishes for success.
After which the boys settled down to count the minutes, which would ofcourse drag as though each one were weighted with lead; hoping that atany time they might hear the welcome "cooee," or whistle that had cometo be known among them as a signal that their presence was needed in hothaste.
And it need hardly be stated that every fellow belonging to the SilverFox Patrol held himself in readiness to make the utmost speed in casesuch a call came from their leader.
So the utmost silence reigned over that island oasis amidst the greatquaking bog; now and then some bird would give utterance to a caw or acroak; but beyond this not a sound could be heard, as they crouchedthere, wishing it would come to an end, and something in the way ofexcitement follow.