CHAPTER XIII
ADRIFT IN THE SWAMP
Meanwhile Tom Wagstaff and Jim McGovern, the two youths from New York,found themselves involved in a series of singular and stirringincidents.
It will be admitted that they were not fond of meeting the kind ofpersons who brought the old stage to a standstill in the dismal depthsof Black Bear Swamp, and, when they saw an opportunity to leave, lostno time in doing so.
They were trembling in their seats, wondering what would be the nextact of the dreaded fellow dimly seen in the gloom, when Ethan Durrellperformed his brave exploit which ended in the capture of the rogue.
"Now's our chance!" whispered Jim, who saw the couple struggling onthe ground; "bimeby he'll kill that greenhorn and next the driver andthen _our_ turn will come."
"If that's so, I don't see any use in waiting," replied Tom, losing notime in scrambling out of the coach, and dropping to the ground insuch haste that he fell forward on his hands and knees.
The driver and the New Englander were too much engaged at that momentto pay any heed to the youths, who were in such desperate haste to getaway from the spot that they dashed among the trees at the imminentrisk of seriously bruising themselves.
After pressing forward until they were nearly out of breath, they cameto a halt in the depths of the wood for consultation. They had managedto reach a point some distance from the highway, where they felt safefor the time.
"It's lucky we were cool enough to bring our guns with us," was thebright remark of McGovern, "or there's no telling what might havehappened."
"Do you think those robbers will follow us, Jim?"
"Of course they will; you don't suppose they want us to testify incourt against them and have them hanged, do you?"
"But we didn't see them plain enough to know them again."
"That don't make any difference," was the brilliant reply, "for Iwould know that fellow's voice among a thousand."
"I guess maybe you're right; it won't do for us to go back to theroad, for we would be sure to run against them."
"No; we'll push on through the woods till we come out somewhere. If wewere only acquainted with the country we would know what to do, butthere's no saying where we'll fetch up."
At such times a person feels safer while in motion, and, though theyoung men had no more idea of the points of the compass than if adriftin mid-ocean, they pressed on, impelled by their anxiety to place allthe space possible between themselves and the stage-robbers, who, theybelieved, numbered three at least.
They agreed that the New Englander was the most foolish of persons inattacking the criminal, for, even if he succeeded in bearing him tothe ground and overcoming him, his companions had already rallied tohis help and would quickly dispatch him and the driver.
Jim and Tom listened for sounds of the conflict, and the fact thatthey heard no shouts or more reports of fire-arms did not lessen theirbelief that it was all over with Lenman and Durrell.
The boys were still picking their way through the lonely woods whenthey found their feet sinking in the spongy earth and were stopped bya morass which grew worse at every step.
"It won't do to go any farther over this road," said Wagstaff, who wasa few steps in advance, "for the water is getting deeper and I don'tbelieve there are any boats for us to use."
The obvious course was to turn back and make an abrupt change in theirroute. This was done and they soon were walking over the dry leaves.
"Tom," whispered his companion, who was still a few feet behind him,"somebody is following us."
"You don't say so!" exclaimed Wagstaff, stopping short and lookingaround in the gloom; "are you sure of that?"
"Listen!"
Both were silent. There certainly was a rustling of the leaves behindthem, which could not have been made by the wind, for hardly a breathof air stirred the branches. The violent disturbance that had soalarmed them when riding in the coach had entirely subsided and wassucceeded by a calm that gave no sign of the flurry.
"It's one of them robbers," was the frightened reply of Tom, "and he'safter us sure enough."
"You're right; what shall we do?"
"How would it work to climb a tree?"
"What good would _that_ do?" was the sensible question of Jim.
"He wouldn't know where we were, and by and by would give up thehunt."
"That won't work. Why, Tom, I forgot; we've got our guns and they'reloaded; why not use _them_?"
"That's so. I didn't think of that, but we must look out that he don'tget in the first shot, I'll tell you what we'll do," added Tom,stepping so close to his friend that his mouth almost touched his ear;"you walk around back of him, so as to place him between us; thenwe'll come toward each other and the first one that gets sight of himwill drop him."
Jim was not over pleased with the plan, since it looked to him as ifhis task was to be the most dangerous, but he could not well refuse.He therefore faced the other way, and began advancing with the utmostcare, making a circuit to the right so as to be certain of not runningagainst the dreaded individual.
In fact, the young man made a larger circuit than was necessary, buthe kept his bearings, so that when he once more approached Tom it wasin a direct line and the stranger was between them.
McGovern held his rifle tightly grasped, ready to raise and fire themoment he caught sight of their enemy. While there was a little lighthere and there among the trees, it gave neither him nor his companionany help. It was so early in the autumn that few leaves had fallen,and, had he not used extreme care, literally feeling every step of hisway, he would have been injured by the projecting limbs and thenumerous trunks of the trees.
While it may be supposed that the strategy of the young men had placedtheir foe at great disadvantage, they found themselves hindered by theimpossibility of giving or receiving any mutual signals. Since thestranger was closer to both than Tom and Jim were to each other, anyattempt to send word over his head was certain to be caught andunderstood by him. All that could be done, therefore, by the young menwas to follow the lines hastily marked out before they separated.
Jim having approached his friend as far as was prudent, stopped todecide what to do next. The boys were not thoughtless enough to losesight of the danger to themselves in carrying out their plan. Sincethey were coming together each was liable to mistake the other for anenemy. They had not thought of this at first, but both remembered itnow, and each decided not to fire at any person who might come intoview until first challenging him.
In no other way could a fatal mistake be guarded against, and when,therefore, Jim had stood motionless a minute or two, and was sure heheard the same rustling in front, he simply brought his gun to hisshoulder.
"Tom, is that you?" he asked, in a subdued voice that could not failto reach the stranger.
The noise ceased, but there was no answer. The youth now slightlyraised his voice:
"If you don't speak I'll fire! I see you and won't miss."
The stillness continued unbroken, and the stranger did not stir. Itwas impossible in the darkness to make him out clearly, but sufficientcould be seen to insure the success of a shot at so short a range.
"I'm going to fire, look out! _One--two--three!_"
Mr. McGovern ought to have reflected that no man, especially onetrained in wrong-doing, would stand up in this fashion and wait foranother to perforate him; but at the utterance of the last word Jimlet fly straight at the figure, and what is more, he struck it.
The hair of the youth seemed to lift his hat from his head, as astrange cry broke the stillness, and he heard the body, after a singlespasmodic leap, fall on the leaves, where, after a few struggles, itlay still.
"Have you killed him?" called the horrified Tom, hurrying from hisstation a few rods away.
"I've killed _something_" was Jim's reply, who, drawing hispocket safe, struck a match and held it over his head, while bothstooped over and examined the trophy of their skill and strategy.
"Jim," said Tom, the
next moment, "I'll agree never to say anythingabout this, for I'm in it as bad as you."
"It's a bargain," was the reply of the other; "we'll never tell Bob,even, for he would plague us to death."
The object before them was a six months' old calf. It had probablybecome lost in the woods, and, hearing persons walking, followed themwith a dim idea that they were friends and would take care of it. Theresult was a sad example of misplaced confidence.
Certain now that nothing was to be feared from the rogues that musthave disposed of Lenman and Durrell long before, the youths resumedtheir progress through the wood with the same aimless effort that hadmarked their journey from the first.
It was not long after their incident with the calf that both noticedthat they had entered what seemed to be a valley of slight descent.The sound of running water warned them to be careful of their steps,though it was evident the stream was small.
Wagstaff still kept his place slightly in advance, and was picking hisway with the same care he had shown from the first, when he stoppedshort once more.
"What is it?" asked his companion, stepping to his elbow.
"What the mischief can that be?" asked Tom, in reply.
Although Jim could not see the extended arm, he knew his friend waspointing at something which was now observed by him, and whoseappearance mystified him beyond expression.
"It must be a ghost," he whispered; "I can't make it out!"
"Don't stir; wait and see; gracious, it's moving!"