CHAPTER XXI.
THIRTEEN GIRLS IN THE MOUNTAINS.
Marion's plea for aid did not reach Clifford and the other Boy Scoutsto whom it was addressed without interruption. The latter half of itcame in jerked and disjointed phrases, and the tone of utterance wasone of extreme fear and distress. Clifford and Ernie Hunter, theleader of the patrol, although amazed beyond description, realizedthat this appeal for assistance was no idle one, and it was up to themto do something quickly or action on their part might soon be toolate.
"You boys take care of the men in front, and Clif and I will settlethis affair back here," Ernie shouted. "Don't let them escape."
With these words, the patrol leader seized the latch of the nearestauto door and pressed down on it. As he did this, the door flew openwith a heavy swing, and Ernie jumped aside just in time to ward off abody-lunge blow from the fist of a man who sprang out of the machinelike a beast leaping with all fours.
In less time than it takes to tell it, two of the men had brokenthrough the cordon of Boy Scouts around the automobile and disappearedin the darkness. The third, Mr. Stanlock's chauffeur, was not sodesperately courageous. The menace of two or three gun muzzles heldwithin a few feet of his face was more than he cared to oppose, so heremained a prisoner.
"Look out, boys," called out Hazel Edwards. "There are three moreautomobiles coming along behind with desperate men in them. Each ofthose autos has three girl prisoners in charge of two men, one of themthe driver."
"Miles, you and Hal and Jerry stay here and guard the prisoner andprotect the girls against those rascals if they return," Erniedirected. "The rest of us will run back a short distance and meet thenext machine before they suspect something wrong."
As he finished speaking, Ernie led the way, followed by four otherboys, back through the snow twenty or thirty yards, and then stoppedand listened. A short distance further, they heard a sound the causeof which could not be mistaken. It was the rapid, pulsating chug-chugof an automobile engine. They waited a few minutes, but it appeared tobe coming no nearer.
"The snow has stopped this one, too," said Clifford. "Come on andwe'll give them a surprise."
A few paces farther brought the boys in view of a machine with theengine running idle and no driver visible in front. Naturally thismade them suspicious and a halt was called for a littlecircumspection. Then, carefully, cautiously, they advanced toward theautomobile, keeping nervous watch on all sides to avoid a surprise.
They reached the machine, which they had been able to locate by thenoise of the engine, and found it also deserted, save for the threeprisoners, bound and gagged, in the car. While the other four in theparty of rescuers kept watch against a surprise, Clifford cut thebonds on the wrists of the girls and removed the gags from theirmouths.
"Where did the villains in charge of this car go?" was the firstquestion he put to the released prisoners.
"They skipped," replied Violet Munday. "Two men who had been in themachine ahead came back and said the game was up, that they werediscovered by a force of Boy Scouts armed with guns and they couldn'tafford to put up a fight, for even if they won, the whole countrywould be aroused and they couldn't hope to carry out their originalplans. They went back to warn the other men. No doubt you'll find theother machines abandoned, too."
"All right," said Ernie; "you girls stay here in the car and keepwarm. We'll be back as soon as we can find the others."
The boys found the other two automobiles also abandoned and releasedsix more Camp Fire prisoners.
"Now let's return and get the head auto started back first," Ernieproposed.
This plan was adopted. Arrived at the machine in which Marion, Hazeland Julietta had been prison-passengers, they found a new andimportant development in affairs. Jake, the chauffeur, had confessed.He had offered to conduct the boys to Helen's place of detention andeffect her release if the boys would let him go. It was less than halfa mile away. The boys agreed. Clifford suggested that the girls remainin the automobile while the Scouts made the proposed raid, but theyobjected strenuously.
In a short time the rest of the girls were brought forward, informedof the plan, and the start was made. All of the girls insisted ontaking part in the expedition. In less than half an hour they were atthe door of Helen's prison, where Jake gave the "open sesame" knock.
An uncouth woman opened the door. Behind her stood a man, who provedto be her husband. Jake pushed the astonished pair aside, and wentdirectly to the side of the room opposite the entrance and lifted abar across a door opening into another department. As he opened thisdoor, Marion rushed forward and was first to greet a slender,pale-faced girl, who stepped out eagerly toward her rescuers.
"Helen!" cried the girls in a chorus.
Jake slipped out and was seen no more.
* * * * *
CHAPTER XXII.
A SLEIGHRIDE HOME.
That was a meeting not soon to be forgotten. It was a signal for thecasting away of every element of secrecy, and Helen told her story.
She told the story of her brother, of his sickness when a child, ofthe resultant distortion of his character into that of a man ofstrange and incongruous genius and weakness, and of the embarrassmenthe had caused her and her mother. He, it was, she said, who hadwritten the skull-and-cross-bones letter.
"Who wrote the other anonymous letter that you received at theInstitute?" Hazel Edwards inquired.
"I don't know," Helen replied with a faint smile. "Perhaps these boyscan answer that question."
"I must plead guilty to that," announced Clifford, advancing with abow.
"But what's the surprise you were going to spring?" inquired RuthHazelton, mischievously. "Is this it?"
"Now, never you mind," said Clifford. "Things didn't go just right.This kidnapping affair interfered with our plans, and they are herebycalled off. We didn't want you to know we were here."
Two of the boys had been dispatched as messengers to Hollyhill forvehicles to take the girls back to Marion's home. About 2 o'clock inthe morning Mr. Stanlock, several of his neighbors, and threepolicemen, led by the two Scout messengers, burst into the room andannounced that they had brought three bob-sleds to give them all asleighride.
And a glorious sleighride home it was for all except the twoprisoners, whom the police took into custody.
* * * * *
The story of the CAMP FIRE GIRLS IN THE MOUNTAINS is told, all but thesubtitle, "A Christmas Success Against Odds." There was a real successin store for them. The police made a raid, but found that the criminalelement that had gained a throttle hold on the labor organization inthe mines had cleared out so clean that not a living vestige of themcould be discovered. The way was now clear, and the Camp Fire Girlscarried out their original plans, successfully and much to the benefitof the poverty stricken families of the strikers.
But the history of Flamingo Camp Fire is by no means complete withthis narrative. It seemed to be a peculiar lot of these girls tobecome associated or in touch with events of novel, interesting, andsometimes thrilling character, and those who would follow theirfurther experiences along these lines should read the second volume ofthis series, entitled:
CAMP FIRE GIRLS IN THE COUNTRY;
or
The Secret Aunt Hannah Forgot.
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