CHAPTER XXIV
CAPTIVE AND CAPTORS
"Girls," Betty clutched Mollie by the arm and spoke in a tenseundertone, "isn't that the spy?"
The girls gasped, looked, and set off on a dead run. The spy's backwas to them. He seemed to be waiting for somebody and he did not seethe girls till they were almost upon him.
Then, with an exclamation, he dodged around the corner of the houseand commenced to run like a deer.
"Amy!" gasped Betty, as they pursued, fleet of foot, "you go to thecamp for help! I'll try to cut him off!"
With the strategy of a general, Betty dodged a couple of dirt piles--itwas a row of small houses, in process of construction near thecamp--slipped across between two of the houses and did actuallysucceed in cutting the spy off.
She caught a fleeting glimpse of him as he dodged into a doorway withthe evident intention of hiding till they got tired of the hunt.Also, it was certain he had not seen Betty and had no idea that shehad seen him.
With wildly beating heart, but no thought of turning back, the LittleCaptain picked up a big piece of wood that could serve excellently asa weapon and ran for the doorway through which the spy haddisappeared.
Cautiously she opened the door, and the next moment thought her heartwould stop beating altogether as she took in the situation. The manwas fumbling desperately with the knob of the inside door. Evidentlyit was locked. He had fallen into a trap!
Breathlessly Betty closed the door and leaned her full weight uponit. If the girls would only come! They might together manage to holdit. But alone----
"Betty, Betty, where are you?" cried a voice close at hand and theLittle Captain gave a gasp of dismay. As long as the man had notknown he was trapped, there might be a chance that he would remainquiet, hoping they would pass without thinking to look into thehouse. But now! Some one was pushing against the other side of thedoor. He was trying to get out!
"Hurry!" she cried agonizedly as Mollie and Grace ran up to her. "Putyour weight against the door--quick."
So used were they to obeying her without question that they threwtheir full weight upon the door, bracing and holding with all theirmight.
"He's in there," gasped Betty. "I've sent Amy for help. If we canhold on--just a few minutes----"
The man was hurling himself against the door with all the force ofdesperation, but the girls had not spent most of their life in theopen for nothing. They held on gallantly, though in their hearts theyknew that if help were very long in coming, there could be but oneanswer. They were three against one, it is true, but then they weregirls and he was a man, and a desperate man.
"Oh, why does it take her so long?" Grace cried after oneparticularly vigorous lunge which it had taken all their combinedstrength to withstand. "I don't think we can keep this up muchlonger----"
"Hush," gasped Betty, "I thought I heard voices."
"Oh, I hope you did!"
They listened breathlessly for a moment--then the wonderful truthdawned. Help was coming, and coming swiftly! There was no sound, savethe regular thud-thud of running feet, but the most beautiful musicin the world would have had no charms in comparison with thatrhythmic sound.
Their prisoner must have heard it too, for he redoubled his effortsto escape and they had to turn all of their attention to the holdingof the door.
"If they should come too late!" gasped Mollie.
"Don't talk," hissed Betty, through clenched teeth. "We've got tohold him."
And they did!
A moment later several guards, headed by a man not in uniform, camein sight around the corner of the building and as Will afterwardexpressed it "the game was all over but the shouting."
For it was Will who headed the relief party and took charge of thecapture. And so excited were the girls, that they forgot even towonder until it was all over.
Adolph Hensler was not easy to handle, even after he found himselflooking into the muzzles of two loaded revolvers. Even then he triedto escape and the guard was forced to shoot a couple of bullets overhis head before he was scared into submission.
The girls walked home behind captive and captors, too breathless andexcited even to think. They had not gone far before they met Amycoming toward them, trembling all over from fatigue and excitement.
"They got him, didn't they?" she asked, linking her arm throughBetty's and biting her lip to keep it steady. "I was so afraid theywould be too late."
"So were we," said Grace, examining a big black and blue bruise onher arm. "We could have held out just about a minute longer."
"How did you do it, Amy?" cried Mollie. "Did you have to go all theway back to camp to find help?"
"No, I met it coming," she answered.
They stared at her incredulously.
"I was about half way to camp," she explained, "when I saw Will andthe three soldiers coming toward me. When I had managed to gasp outwhat I'd come for they didn't say a word--just put on full speed andran."
"Mighty lucky for us they did," said Mollie, but Betty interruptedeagerly.
"Doesn't it seem strange to you," she said, "that an armed guardshould be coming in this direction just when we needed them? And thatWill should be at the head of them?"
"Why, Betty, what do you mean?" Mollie was beginning when Graceinterrupted.
"Oh, do you think it can be true?" she cried, seeing Betty's meaningand clinging to it desperately. "Oh, Betty, Betty, if it only is!"
"What are you talking about?" cried Mollie impatiently. "Can what bewhat?"
"Let's wait," said Betty, quickening her pace, "and let Will tell thestory!"