Prisoners in Devil's Bog

  CHAPTER XXIV

  WAITING

  Devlin had a change of mind during the intervening hours, and atbreakfast he announced with his usual gravity that they would not makethe trip that day after all. He had some important business to attendto first, he said, and would leave them alone that afternoon. On Mondayevening they would go.

  He seemed not at all concerned about the attic but just before he wasleaving that afternoon, he started to remove the ladder.

  "Aw, leave it there, won't you?" Skippy asked imploringly. "Nickie an'me, we get sick of the dark rooms downstairs an' up there we can playcards an' all without a light. Gee whiz...."

  Skippy won.

  Devlin's cold, staring eyes glittered more than ever after he gave hisconsent and there was a calm about him when he went out that left theboys perplexed.

  They rushed to the window when they heard him slam the metal door ofthe woodshed. Eagerly they watched while he stalked with measured stepstoward the barn. Then they saw him backing out slowly in a blue coupethat was distinctly second-hand.

  "Another car!" Nickie gasped.

  "Gee, I expected it, an' I didn't!" was Skippy's comment. "Did we hearTimmy say that old sedan went over into the lake, or didn't we?"

  "We did _and how_! You're right, kid, it looks like I'm goofey aboutthat spook stuff. We won't argue about it no more. What we gonna do allday, hah?"

  "Work on those bars," Skippy grinned. "Gee whiz, Nick, tell the truth,I didn't think we'd have the chance. I thought he had us where hewanted."

  Seven hours later, they were not so sure but that Devlin would betriumphant after all. They had worked sedulously during that time butthere was only a little give in the top bar and the boys were well nighdiscouraged.

  Sitting atop the trunk they surveyed the bars ruefully. Another day wasdrawing to its close, another day that brought them nearer to the Fatewhich only Devlin held the key to. Skippy felt weary and sick.

  "There's no use, I guess, Nick. It's comin' out like Timmy said--wecan't do a thing till he takes us outa here for our turn."

  "Yeah, then we gotta use our beans an' scram. But it's got _me_, kid;we saw in that book how much money he expects from us. How can he getit when we're dead?"

  "I dunno. We ain't gonna hash this mystery business all over again--I'mtoo blamed tired. All I'm sure of is that Devlin gets money for us an'sometime or other he'll wanta kill us for some reason. Timmy said itwas a trick about him shippin' us west, so that's the night he doesit--always at night, you know that. When that night comes for us, wejust gotta outguess him."

  "An' it's about a month from the time he takes us to a sawbones,"Nickie said mournfully. "Well, if we can't do nothin' else about it,I'm gonna pull myself together. But one thing, I hope he takes ustogether--see. If you go first or I go--holy smoke, I can't stand it ifhe takes us separate. I'm scared I'll lose my nerve--you know it?"

  "Forget it, Nick. Whatever he does, be foxy an' forget about me n' I'lldo the same. Gee whiz, from what Timmy said he don't tie you down--ifhe did that we wouldn't have a chance. Now quit worryin', an' let's getdown before he comes. I'll hide the things again an' maybe he'll be outa lotta the time an' we can try it again. If we keep pullin' on thembars we'll weaken 'em after awhile even if it's weeks."

  "Yeah, weeks too late."

  Nickie's spirits rose considerably a little later. Devlin had come inwith a pail of chicken fricassee and an apple pie, announcing that hehad stopped at a lunch wagon to give the boys a treat. Skippy almostdecided that all his suspicions had been unfounded.

  The problem was a tormenting one. Could anyone be so cruel? Devlin'sface, always a study, was no nearer revealing what lay behind his gravefeatures than on the day they had first seen him. Just now he was asmuch absorbed in the chicken fricassee as the boys were.

  A full stomach does much toward comforting the harassed human being,and Nickie was no exception to the rule. The keen look of defiance cameback into his eyes and he settled back in his chair, quite forgettingfor the time that the man who had so generously fed him, was the manwhom he had expected would kill him.

  Skippy's full stomach, while giving him much comfort, did not disarmhim completely. He sat back in his chair, noting Nickie's peaceful facebeside him and Devlin's mask-like countenance across the table. Someonehad to be ready and on guard--Devlin had a price for everything--evenchicken fricassee.

  It came sooner than he expected. Devlin was finishing his pie andwashing it down with great draughts of coffee. "Well, boys," he said,genially, "I suppose both of you swim, eh?"

  Skippy kicked Fallon under the table and said, "Nope, not astroke--neither of us. Do we, Nick?"

  "Nah. Ain't it a shame, hah? We oughta."

  "Yes, yes. It's something every boy ought to know." Devlin got up andhis bulk seemed greater than ever. His face had resumed its thoughtfulexpression and the glitter had returned to his eyes. "Well, I'll begoing up now--a little business I got to attend to. If you boys wash upthe dishes you can have a game of cards before bedtime, eh?"

  They listened as he walked through the hall and up the stairs. Skippywaited until he heard the man's step in his own room before he said,"Well, he's begun workin' on us all right, an' I trumped his ace rightoff the bat."

  "How, kid?"

  "He expected us to say we could swim."

  "How did...."

  "'cause I'm layin' for him all the time from now on. Whatever heexpected to do if we'd said yes, I don't know. But I know, he's aimin'to try the car trick on us an' he wanted to make sure things wouldn'tgo wrong. He can't afford to have us not drown when he's countin' onit, can he?"

  Nickie put his elbows on the table and cupped his chin. "You mean wegotta go through with it an' take the chance that he can't kill us'cause we can swim?"

  "If there ain't any other chance, we gotta."

  "Well, I'm licked!" Nickie said hopelessly.

  But he wasn't ... not yet....