The Rover Boys in Camp; or, The Rivals of Pine Island

  CHAPTER XXVII

  A PRISONER OF THE ENEMY

  Never dreaming of the plot hatched out against him, Dick retired asusual that night. Now that the worry over the competitive drill was athing of the past he realized that he was worn out, and scarcely hadhis head touched the pillow than he was in the land of Nod.

  His awakening was a rude one. He felt himself raised up, a large towelwas passed over his face and tied behind his head, and then he wasdragged from his cot.

  "Don't dare to make a sound!" whispered a low voice in his ear. "If youdo, you'll be struck senseless."

  "Hullo, I'm about to be hazed," thought Dick, and it must be admittedthat he was far from pleased. "They think they are going to dosomething grand to the captain of the company that won the prize. Well,not if I can help it," and he began to struggle to free himself.

  But his tormentors were too many for him and almost before he knew ithis hands and his feet were made secure and a sack was drawn over hishead. Then he was raised up and carried away he knew not to where.

  "One thing is certain, they are taking me a long distance from camp,"was his thought, when he found himself dumped into a rowboat. "Can theybe going to the head of the lake?"

  The idea of using the boat had been suggested by Jackson, who said itwould bewilder Dick, so he would not know where he was being taken. AndJackson was right, the eldest Rover thought he was a long way from campwhen he was placed on shore again.

  His feet were now unloosed and he was made to march forward until thevicinity of the hermit's den was reached. Then he was carried into theden and tied fast to a log erected near one of the side walls.

  "Take the sack from his head," came in the voice of Lew Flapp, and thiswas done and then the towel was also removed.

  For the moment Dick could see nothing, for the glare of a large lanternwas directly in his face. Then he made out half a dozen or more cadetsstanding around him, each with a red mask over his face, and a redskull cap with horns.

  "Hullo, this must be a new secret society," he thought. "I've beeninitiated into the Order of Black Skulls, but never into the Order ofRed Skulls. Wonder what they will want me to do?" There was a momentof silence and one of the masked cadets stepped to the front.

  "Prisoner, are you prepared to meet your doom?" was the question put ina harsh voice.

  "Oh, chestnuts!" cried Dick. "I went through that long ago, when Ifirst came to Putnam Hall."

  "Bow to your superiors," said another voice.

  "Where are the superiors?" asked Dick innocently. "I don't see 'em."

  "The prisoner is impertinent! Make him bow!"

  At once several sprang behind Dick and forced him to move his head upand down.

  "Let up, my head isn't on a hinge!" he cried. "Cut it short, for I'msleepy."

  "Make him drink the poison and at once!" put in another of the maskedcadets.

  The speaker tried to disguise his tones, but the voice sounded muchlike that of Lew Flapp and instantly Dick was on the alert.

  "How much do you want me to drink?" he asked cheerfully.

  "Only one glass, if you drink it without stopping to sneeze," put inanother voice, and now Dick was certain that he recognized Rockley.

  "These are no friends," he thought. "They are enemies and they intendto play me foul."

  "How can I drink with my hands tied behind me?" he asked.

  "We will hold the glass for you," said another, and Dick felt almostsure it was Gus Pender who uttered the words.

  "It's the whole Flapp crowd," he mused. "I'm in a pickle and nomistake. I suppose they'll half kill me before they let me go."

  "Will you drink?" asked another. He was small in size and Dick put himdown as being Ben Hurdy.

  "I want you to untie my hands."

  "Very well, let the prisoner hold the glass," said Flapp.

  "Thank you, Flapp."

  "Who said I was Flapp?" growled the tall boy, in dismay.

  "I say so."

  "My name is Brown."

  "All right then, Brown let it be," said Dick, not wanting to anger thebully too much.

  The prisoner's hands were untied and a glass containing a dark-coloredmixture was handed to him. Dick had heard of the "glass of poison"before, said glass containing nothing but mud and water well stirredup. But now he was suspicious. This glass looked as if it might containsomething else.

  "They'd as soon drug me as not," he thought. "For all I know this maybe a dose strong enough to make an elephant sick. I don't think I'lldrink it, no matter what they do."

  "Prisoner, drink!" was the cry.

  "Thanks, but I am not thirsty," answered Dick, as coolly as he could."Besides, I had my dose of mud and water a long time ago."

  "He must drink!" roared Rockley.

  "Get the switches!" ordered Lew Flapp, and from a corner a number oflong, heavy switches were brought forth and passed around.

  Things began to look serious and it must be confessed that Dick's heartbeat fast, for he had no desire to undergo a switching at the hands ofsuch a cold-hearted crowd, who would be sure to lay on the strokesheavily.

  "Don't you strike me," said Dick, thinking rapidly. "I'll drink fastenough. But I want to know one thing first."

  "Well?"

  "What are you going to do with me next?"

  "Make you take the antidote for the poison," said Flapp.

  "And what is that?"

  "Another drink."

  "They are going to drug me as sure as fate," reasoned Dick. "How can Ioutwit them?"

  While he was deliberating there was a noise outside, as a night birdswept by the entrance to the hermit's den.

  All of the masked cadets were startled and looked in that direction.

  By inspiration Dick seized the moment to throw the contents of theglass over his shoulder into a dark corner. When the crowd turned backhe had the glass turned up to his mouth and was going through themovement of swallowing.

  "Ugh! what ugly stuff," he said, handing the glass to one of the crowd.

  "Ha! he has swallowed the poison!" cried Lew Flapp, and nudged Rockleyin the ribs. "That was easy, wasn't it?" he whispered.

  "Give him the second glass," muttered Rockley. "That will make him asfoolish as a fiddler."

  Pender already had the glass handy. He passed it to Dick, who suddenlyglared at him in an uncertain manner. Dick had smelt the liquor in thefirst glass and now realized something of the plot to bring him todisgrace.

  "Say, but that stuff makes me feel lightheaded," he said. "Wasn't sobad, after all."

  "Drink this, quick," cried Flapp, more eagerly than ever.

  "All right," said Dick, and spilt a little out of the glass onto thefloor. "Wonder what makes my hand shake so?" he murmured.

  "Take this and it will brace you up," put in Pender.

  "Ha, look there!" yelled Dick, gazing fixedly at the rear of the den."See the three-headed owl!"

  All looked in the direction and again he threw the contents of theglass behind him. Then he pretended to drink, while glaring at thecadets around him.

  "Funny, I can't count you any more!" he muttered. "Six, seven, ten,'leven, nine! Say, I'm all mixed up. Who put me on the merry-go-'roundanyway?" He began to stagger. "Guess I'm on a toboggan slide, ain't I?"and he acted as if he could no longer stand up-right.

  "Cut him loose, fellows!" cried Flapp, and this was done, and Dickstaggered to the table, clutched it, slid to the floor and acted as ifhe had fallen into a deep sleep.

  "Say, that was dead easy!" cried Pender gleefully. "Took the stufflike a lamb."

  "What's to do next, Flapp?" asked Jackson.

  "Say, Jackson, don't speak my name, please," cried the tall boy inalarm.

  "Oh, what's the odds," put in Pender. "Rover is dead to the world.Rockley knew just how to fix those doses."

  "That's right, Gus," came from Rockley.

  "We had better not lose time here," went on Flapp presently. "Let ustell Captain Putnam without delay. He'll have Rover brought
back tocamp just as he is, and that will disgrace him forever."

  "Wait till I put the empty bottle near him," said Rockley, and this wasdone.

  Then the crowd of masked cadets left the den, leaving the door wideopen behind them.