CHAPTER XVI
THE PLOTTERS
Dick Halliard had walked only a short distance along the lonely forestpath when he made a startling discovery.
While he was stealthily following some one, an unknown party wasfollowing him. His own senses were on the alert, and the young herocaught the faint footfalls not far behind him.
"That's more than I bargained for," he muttered, "and now would be agood time to have my pistol; but I haven't got it, so what's the useof thinking about it."
There was comfort in the thought, however, that the stranger who wasat his heels was unaware of the fact. Had he wished to approachsecretly, he could have stepped so softly that Dick would have heardnothing of him.
But the sensation of being between two fires, and liable to run intoboth, was so unpleasant that the lad stepped noiselessly from the pathand screened himself among the dense shadows, until the one at therear should pass him.
He had not long to wait when the footsteps were heard opposite, andwith the help of a partial ray of moonlight, which reached the path atthat point, he was able to discern the outlines of the party.
It was well that he was so familiar with the route, for, had he notbeen, he must have betrayed himself against the overhanging limbs andbushes, with an occasional depression in the ground, where it wasnecessary to step with great care.
Had Dick not known the precise point in the dark where a small streamwound its way across, he would have learned from an angry exclamationof the fellow in front, who slipped and fell forward in it. A slightlylonger step than usual placed the eavesdropper on the other side, andhe continued his guarded pursuit.
The next moment brought a sharp shock to Dick, who suddenly becameaware that the footfalls in front had ceased. The fellow had stoppedwalking, and seemed to be standing still, as if listening. The firstwarning Dick received after he checked himself was a glimpse of hishead and shoulders just in advance.
Fearful of being detected himself, Dick instantly drew back with thenoiselessness of an Indian scout, and stood ready to retreat fartheror dart aside, as might be necessary.
"_Hulloa there!_"
The call had a gruesome sound in the solemn stillness of the woods,and for a moment Dick was sure he was discovered. He made no answer,and the hail was repeated, but with no more success than before.
He was convinced that the fellow was not certain any one was behindhim, but was seeking to verify a suspicion he had formed.
Failing of reply, he was quiet a moment longer, when he emitted a lowwhistle, like the cry of a night bird.
This, too, had to be repeated, but was more successful than in theformer instance, for on the second call a reply came from a pointfarther on, but not far off. Only a few seconds elapsed when some onewas heard approaching, and the couple quickly met in the path, notmore than twenty feet from where Dick was standing.
They began talking, but at first he could not catch the words, whichwere uttered in low tones. He therefore stole a little nearer, andheard them distinctly.
"I suppose you have become pretty well acquainted with the country?"was the remark of Jim McGovern.
"Well, there isn't much to get acquainted with. I went down to thevillage and took a look around," replied Wagstaff. "I thought I mightrun against Bob, but he must have taken another route. I had a littlelark on my way home."
"What was that?"
"I was passing Dick Halliard's home, when I caught sight of hisbicycle leaning against a tree in the front yard, as if it was tired.I thought right away of what Bob told us about that machine, and sawit was the very chance we wanted. It couldn't have been better. No onewas around, and I slipped through the gate, drew the bicycle out ontothe road, mounted and rode it down to the path, where, of course, Igot off and pushed it in front to this place."
"Good!" exclaimed the delighted McGovern; "that couldn't have happenedbetter. Won't Bob be tickled! You are sure no one saw you bring itaway?"
"I won't forget how I learned there wasn't any one watching me."
"How was that?"
"After I got out in the road I looked around to make sure. Nobody wasin sight, but I turned my head too far, and set the machine towobbling so bad that before I knew it I was over on my side, andthought my leg was broken."
"A cyclist must become used to taking headers; the wonder is that morepeople are not killed. Tom, I want you to do me the favor of lettingme ruin that machine."
"I don't know that I have any objection."
"Have you fixed on a plan?" asked McGovern.
"I haven't had time to think. How would it do to blow it up withdynamite?"
"Too risky for the rest of us."
"Then we can chop it into splinters and make a fire to cook our gamewith."
"The trouble there," said McGovern, who seemed to be quite cautious,"is that there is very little if any woodwork about it; it's nearlyall metal."
"Let's dig a hole in the ground and bury it."
"That takes too much work; you know we've all sworn off labor for therest of our lives, and we wouldn't dare hire anybody, for that wouldbe a dead give away."
"I have it; we'll run it into the mill-pond. The water is forty feetdeep, and nobody would ever think of looking there for it, and it canbe done with no trouble at all."
"That's the idea! It won't take five minutes to put it where it willnever be seen again. Where is it?"
"Right up here on the edge of the mill-pond, all ready; it's queer Ididn't think of it myself. But since you feel as you do, why, I'magreeable."
The couple moved along the path, and directly behind them stole DickHalliard. He had overheard every word that we have recorded, and hewas nearly beside himself with anger.
"So you mean to run my bicycle in the mill-pond, do you?" he mutteredbetween his set teeth; "look out if, instead of running it into thewater, that you two don't get run in yourselves!"
It was an extensive contract for the single youth to checkmate thesefellows, but that was precisely what he had determined to do!