CHAPTER VIII.
TRACKED TO THE BAYOU.
"Oh! I hope it won't turn out as bad as that, Jack!" gasped George.
"The poor spalpeen!" whimpered Jimmy, apparently shocked by what theirleader had just remarked.
"Now," Jack hastened to say, "don't make up your minds, boys, that Joshhas run against that sort of a hard deal, just because it flashed intomy mind. You wanted to know why I was in such a sweat, and I told you.But, honest Injun, after I've spoken my mind, I just can't bring myselfto believe it. We'll find our chum, sooner or later. Perhaps, after all,it'll turn out that he had a bad tumble, and hurt himself so he wasn'table to let us know."
"Well, as long as we're able to follow his trail, we hadn't ought togive up in despair," George asserted, very sensibly.
"Sure, we've shown in the past that we're not built that way," Jimmythought fit to remark, firmly.
"Then let's be going on," Jack wound up the conference by saying.
For the fifth time the trail approached the water again. Josh evidentlyhated to give up the idea that had been in his mind when he left camp.If there were any of those dainty little shore birds to be had, hewanted to get a crack at the same; though by this time he must havebecome aware of the fact that he was wandering much farther away than hehad intended doing in the start.
This time there happened to be quite a deep-seated cove, with a point ofland running out that would completely shut out all sight of the spotwhere the three motor boats were anchored, with the camp-fire ashore.
Jack noted this fact; somehow it was impressed on his mind, though hecould not have exactly explained why this should be so, had he beenasked.
The tracks grew fainter, so that it was only by pushing the glowing anduseful lantern down close to the sand that Jack was able to follow theline by which Josh had pushed his way along.
"Here is where he dropped on his knees, the better to crawl forward,"whispered the guide; and both George and Jimmy could make out the deeperimpressions that undoubtedly must have been made by a pair of kneespressing down.
There was a screen of saw palmetto in front of them, hiding the water.Perhaps Josh had discovered a flock of the coveted birds on a bar, andwas making his way to a point he had in mind, where he might suddenlyrise, and fire. But something must have prevented his carrying out thisplan, then, for certainly the sound of a heavy shotgun charge could havebeen heard at the camp, had he pulled trigger. "Wait here for me, andkeep quiet," whispered Jack, as, leaving the lantern on the ground, hestarted away.
His two companions were rendered almost speechless by his strangeaction. They could only stare at each other, and nod their heads, asthough striving in this way to communicate their fears.
In two minutes Jack came back. He looked disappointed as he stooped topick up the lantern again.
"Nothing doing, boys," he said, quietly.
"They don't seem to be, and that's a fact," mumbled Jimmy, muchdepressed.
"See here, what did you expect to find when you went on there?" demandedGeorge, immediately suspicious. "Was it anything about that bally oldboat, the one that's been dogging us all the way down from Jacksonville?Tell me that, Jack, old top!"
"H'm! perhaps it may be the people aboard that same boat have come tothe conclusion _we're_ doing the dogging. They run across us in allsorts of unexpected places. And if you stop to remember, George, it'sthe other boat that has always slipped away secretly, not us!"
"You're right, it was," George flashed up; "but you didn't answer myquestion, Jack."
"Well, I did have your pet hobby in mind when I went on just now, totake a look at this fine little lagoon; because, with that point of landstanding in a half-moon curve, it looks like a splendid harbor for smallboats. And, to tell you the truth, I picked up the butt end of acigarette just back there five feet, one that was thrown away recently,because no rain or dew had fallen on it!"
"Whew! now, that does look suspicious, I must say," George exclaimed, ina low and cautious voice.
"But there isn't a sign of any boat in the bayou, as far as I couldsee," Jack went on. "Of course, it's so dark now that I wasn't able totake in the whole bay; but, anyhow, there isn't a light visible."
"And now, what nixt?" asked Jimmy, eager to get at the solution of thisperplexing problem, which was thrilling their nerves more and more asthey made progress.
For answer, Jack moved forward, this time using the friendly lantern asbefore. Brushing through the screen of saw palmettos, they could see thewater lapping the shore of the lagoon, though there were still bushesand tall grass between.
"Hello!"
Uttering this exclamation half under his breath, the leader of the triosuddenly came to a halt. Jimmy half raised the gun he was carrying, asthough under the impression that they were about to be confronted bysomething, either a human enemy or one in the way of a wild beast, thatwould bar their further progress.
Then he saw that Jack, instead of showing signs of preparing for battle,was on his knees, eagerly examining certain marks in the sand.
"What have you found?" asked George, in an awed tone.
"As near as I can make out, there are tracks that seem to tell of ascuffle!" was the ready reply, as Jack pointed here and there.
"By the great horn spoon, but I believe you're right!" gasped George.
"It's either that, now, or else the gossoon's been and had a fit," Jimmydeclared, though he could not remember that Josh had ever been addictedto such things.
"No; there have been two men here," said Jack.
"Glory be!" ejaculated the Irish lad.
"Tell us how you know that, Jack?" asked George, his face strugglingbetween a grin and a look of alarm.
"Why, it's as plain as print; and if you look here, you'll see the marksof their shoes. Both seem much larger than Josh ever made, and yet theyare different, for one had heels, and the other must have been wearingsome sort of moccasin, perhaps the kind I've got, to be used aboard asmall, varnished decked boat, so as to avoid scratching."
"Didn't I say so?" burst out George, unable to hold in any longer."After this you won't think I'm off my base when I mention my suspicionsabout fellows who run away in the night, peek through marine glasses atus every chance they get, and just act like a parcel of sneaks. Jack,that fly-up-the-creek power boat must have been in this bayou when ourchum came crawling through these bushes, and took a look out."
"That's about what I'm thinking, now," admitted the other.
"Some of the men happened to be ashore, and saw him spying on the boat?Is that in line with what you think, Jack?"
"It looks that way. Two unknown parties certainly dropped down on Joshwhile he was lying here. He put up as good a fight as he could, but theywere too much for the poor fellow," Jack went on, looking as though hemight be reading all these things from the marks upon the sand.
"But you don't say any signs of blood, do ye, Jack darlint?" askedJimmy, with a plain vein of horror in his quavering voice.
"No, I'm glad to say I don't," replied the other. "So, on that accountit would seem that the fellows haven't actually hurt Josh, only made hima prisoner."
Jimmy gave a bleat, not unlike the pitiful sound a distressed goat mightemit.
"Och! thin the bally rascals have carried him away wid them, and we'llniver set eyes on our chum agin. Whirra! whativer will Nick do about hisrations, if the cook of the bunch be lost, strayed or stolen?" hewhimpered.
"Nick be hanged!" said George, vehemently, though in a low tone; "neverfear but he'll get all he wants to eat. What we have to find out iswhere they've gone, and why they dared carry Josh Purdue away with them.And we'll just do that same, if it takes the whole of the winter. Youhear me speaking, don't you? Oh! what did you do that for, Jack?"
This last sentence was caused by a sudden action on the part of Jack. Hehad raised the lantern, and with a quick, downward motion caused thelight to go out--a trick readily learned by any one who will take thetrouble to experiment. And thus they were left standi
ng there in thedark.
"How under the sun did it happen that none of us saw it before?" Jackwas softly saying, in a vexed tone, as though he had made a discoverythat agitated him.
"Saw what?" asked George.
"Bend your head this way, and look yonder through the bushes," Jack toldhim.
"Great governor!" whispered the _Wireless_ skipper, hoarsely; "it _is_ alight, as sure as shooting! And on the water, too, Jack. Say, that powerboat must be over there, in another bayou just beyond. There's a neck ofland runs out, and it's covered with trees and scrub. That's why wedidn't glimpse that light before."
"You've hit the nail on the head, George, for that's just the way theland lies," Jack went on, trying to control his voice, which wouldtremble a little despite his utmost endeavors. "But perhaps that lightwasn't shining a bit ago. There, look! it's disappeared again."
"That's what it has," Jimmy observed, having been an interested observerall the while; "just for all the worrld loike a windy had been opened,and shut again. I do be thinking mesilf that somebody was afther comingout of the cabin to take a look around, and lift the door open thewhile, that's all. Now he's gone in again, by the same token."
"I hope, then, he didn't just catch a glimpse of our light moving,before I doused the glim," was the fervent wish expressed by Jack.
"I hardly think he did, Jack," George said, nervously. "You see, it wasstanding on the ground up to the time you grabbed it up again. But whatought we do now?"
"Make our way around that tongue of land the best way we can, and seehow things are there," Jack replied, without the slightest hesitation.
"Why not follow the beach around?" George suggested.
"Now, that wouldn't be a bad scheme. It's so dark that if we keptlow, they couldn't see us moving. And, besides, it'll save a lot ofscrambling through that brush, without the help of the lantern. Allright; come along then, boys. And let's remember to keep as quiet as anowl in the daytime."
Saying this in a whisper, Jack led the way, the others following alongin Indian file at his heels. Whenever he halted for any reason, bothGeorge and Jimmy would also draw up instantly. And no doubt, on everyoccasion of this sort, their excited pulses would cause their hearts tobeat like trip-hammers.
Just as they had guessed, there was a point of land running out all ofseventy feet into the water, and hiding the next bayou. Sometimes theseextend from the main Florida shore around Barnes Sound like the fingersof a human hand. Again they will be in the form of reefs, composed ofsmall, sharp-edged 'coon oysters, that stick up out of the salt water atlow tide, but are entirely submerged when the flood comes on.
Before reaching the extreme point, Jack concluded that it would be wisefor them to pass over here, rather than risk discovery by going to thelimit of the cape; where, with the white sand to serve as a backgroundto their darker bodies, some one on the watch might discover theirapproach, and give warning.
"Jack, I see it!" whispered George, presently.
"The boat, you mean," replied the other, in the same guarded tone. "Yes,I've caught her, too. But everything seems to be dark around."
"I wonder now, have they deserted the ould craft," suggested Jimmy.
"Not so loud, Jimmy; we've got to find that out for ourselves," Jackwent on.
"By going aboard, you mean, don't you, Jack?" from eager George.
"There's no other way; and if these people are holding our chuma prisoner, we've just got to let them know we object to such ahigh-handed business. Are you both willing to stand back of me, George,Jimmy?"
"Every time," George replied; and Jack could easily imagine how hisexcitable chum must be nerved up to the highest tension.
"Ye c'n count on me, through thick and thin, sink or shwim, survive orperish," Jimmy put in, as solemnly as though he might be holding up hishand, and subscribing to the oath before the court.
"Then come on, and we'll take the bull by the horns," said Jack, movingforward through the thin growth that marked the spit of land near itsterminus.
"And don't let's forget, fellows, that we're armed to the teeth,"whispered George, as he set out to trail close behind his leader.
In this manner, then, the three motor boat boys crawled across to theshore of the other little bayou, bent upon making a bold move looking torescuing their comrade, if so be Josh were found to be a prisoner in thehands of the strangers.