CHAPTER XXXI
DOOMED
They had neither heart nor voice to talk. Not for hours. They seemed tohave lived through some terrible nightmare. From the moment when theysaw Devlin's footprints the panorama had moved before them, swiftly,relentlessly. And now they were back again in the house of gloom andterror.
Skippy sat in a daze as he watched Devlin talk. "You can't complainabout me as a host," he was saying, "after you deliberately desert mygenerous hospitality what do I do, eh? I bring you safely back and nowI'm inviting you to help yourself to some supper. There's plenty ofbacon and beans!"
"Aw, pipe down, Devlin!" Nickie shouted, stung into action. "What yougonna do with us, hah? That's all we wanta know!"
Devlin was calm, unruffled as ever. "I've got something to attend to,"he said icily. "It can't wait. In fact, you interrupted the task byshowing up when you did. But now that I have you where I know you'll besafe, I'll leave you for an hour or two. You're welcome to wash the mudfrom yourselves and go to bed. I can assure you that you'll be quitesafe _tonight_!" He coughed significantly. "I'm leaving you boys withan easy mind--there's no Frost now to double-cross me! Goodnight!"
Skippy shivered until he was certain the man was gone. Then he got upwearily and reached for the coffee-pot. Nickie watched with somesurprise.
"You got the heart to eat, hah?"
"Not the heart, Nick--just the stomach."
"Ugh! I'm sick, Skip--say, kid, ain't it great the way I just naturallike call you Skippy, hah? Just like I always knew it's your name. Is'pose he's gonna put poor Frost where nobuddy'll ever find him, thesame's Timmy. Ugh, I'm sick all through!"
Skippy went on with the making of the coffee, mechanically. "I can'tunderstand 'bout the note, Nickie," he said for the hundredth time. "IfMr. Conne got it they oughta been here--gee whiz, last week. Evenbefore."
And for the hundredth time Nickie said consolingly, "The old ladymighta lost her pocketbook in the river or sump'n, hah?" Then, after apause: "What a break for Frost just when he was doin' us a good turn!Ain't that Fate, hah? Things just ain't right in this world."
"Listen, Nick, it's a shame about Frost an' I'm plenty thankful what hedid for us--or what he tried to do. But gee whiz, he hadn't nolily-white soul to team up with Devlin, did he? He was used to roughstuff--a hold-up man, that's what he was. Well, he had a gun when hemet Devlin an' he coulda made him go to the cops right that night. Gee,Frost might not been's heartless as Devlin, but he stood for Devlin'sstuff. And that's as bad."
Nickie agreed. He had seemed to brighten up during Skippy's moral talkand was sniffing the air. "Holy Smoke!" he exclaimed suddenly. "Evenhis rotten coffee smells like food now."
Skippy smiled wanly. "Thought you wasn't hungry. Thought you was sick?"
"Guess I ain't, hah? Since I smelled that I wanta eat."
"Eat--that's right. While we live we gotta eat--gee whiz, what a life!"
"Don't talk like that, Skip. Just talk about eatin' while we can. I'llopen some beans an' I'll fry some ba...."
"Oh, _not bacon_!"
"Meat'll give us strength."
"Aw, all right. But believe _me_, this is the last time in my life I'mgonna eat bacon!"
Nickie looked at him, frightened. Skippy knew what he was thinkingof--he thought it himself the moment he had spoken those words. Theyseemed full of dreadful portent now that they had been uttered. Was itwritten that this was to be the last time in his life when he would eatfood of any kind?
Did it mean that they were doomed?
THEY WERE FREE OF THE HOUSE SLIDING HAND OVER HAND ALONGTHE ROPE.]
CHAPTER XXXII
ANOTHER DAY
They had reached a point where fear had no longer the power to torturethem for sleepless hours on end. Long before Devlin returned they weresleeping the sleep of exhaustion. Fortunately, they did not hear hisawesome step on the stairs nor did they hear him linger outside theirdoor and listen to their deep, regular breathing before he went to hisroom for the night.
Day dawned and when the sun spread her roseate glow across the easternhorizon, Skippy got up and went on tiptoe to the window. He was amazedthat he was looking out through those dirty green shutters on anotherday--he was amazed that Devlin had not thought of some awful fate forthem before they had opened their eyes.
He looked out over the top of the rickety barn and down across forestand bog. Crickets were chirping lustily already and the sweet chorus ofrising birds filled the warm air. Then a crow cawed overhead and in itswake Skippy heard sounds that pulled at his heartstrings.
A car!
He listened again. It wasn't Devlin's big car for he could see the rearof it parked in the barn. What had become of the blue coupe, he did notknow. Was Frost's ghost returning in that now? He shivered and jeeredat himself for absorbing Nickie's superstitions.
He seemed to sense a hushed activity going on in the clearing. Hisheart leaped inside his breast. He couldn't detect any particularsound--he felt impelled to go to the front room which Shorty and Biffhad occupied and see if he could get a glimpse of anything or anyonethrough those shutters.
While he was thinking about it, he heard Devlin's heavy tread. The mancame out into the hall and dashed down the stairs. Instinctively,Skippy rushed to the bed and awakened Nickie.
"I feel it, Nick!" he was whispering excitedly. "I feel it thatsump'n's gonna happen an' that we better get dressed."
Nickie did not have to be told a second time--he had great regard forSkippy's hunches.
When they had dressed quickly, they ran out into the hall, buthesitated at the head of the stairs. Devlin was standing down in thefront hall, evidently looking out through the small aperture in hismetal door and mumbling excitedly.
"I'll not give up--_never_!" he was saying in deep, wild tones."Neither will they get those kids--I won't give 'em the satisfaction.I'll burn the house up and they'll burn up with me, that's what I'lldo! I'll show 'em--I'll show 'em!"
Skippy put his fingers to his lips and beckoned Nickie toward the rearof the hall. In a second they were scrambling up the ladder and intothe attic. Then the ladder was pulled up after them and the trap doorslammed shut.
Nickie was at his wit's end, crying and gesticulating. "If he lights upthis dump, we'll roast fine up here. What's the idea, hah--what's theidea? That guy must be cuckoo."
"I'll take a chance on him burnin'," Skippy said, running toward thefront window, "but he ain't gonna use that silencer on me!"
He paused at the window and gasped. The clearing was full of men--hecouldn't seem to count them. Men in uniform, men without uniform, andin the group he saw one that he recognized instantly because of acertain jauntiness of bearing and a cigar that was being chewed with apeculiar fierceness from one side to the other in the man's generousmouth.
"_Mr. Conne--Mr. Conne!_" Skippy cried, wild with delight. "It's_me_--up here. Me and Nickie--Nickie Fallon!"
Carlton Conne pushed his derby hat almost off his head and as he lookedup his cigar went to the side of his mouth and remained there at aright angle.
"Kid!" he shouted. "You there, eh? You all right?"
"Yeah!" Skippy was gasping. "But we can't...." He took hold of the barsone at a time and shook them ferociously, with Nickie's help, ofcourse, to prove what he was saying, "We can't get out through these... these...."
Nickie shrieked! Something had happened. "The bars, kid! Look, _they'reloose_!"
Skippy looked in amazement. Miracles didn't happen of course. Heremembered that they had had to leave their task quite hurriedly thelast time they had been up there--it might have happened that they hadworked the bars loose enough to wrench away, but in their haste had notdiscovered it.
Nickie was straining himself to the very utmost until he had workedthem away sufficiently for them to get their bodies through the window.Skippy was feverishly engaged in swinging his lariat over to theevergree
n tree to the accompaniment of joyous shouts.
And then they were free of the house, sliding hand over hand along thetaut rope until they reached the sturdy tree. Fallon got safely to theground first, and as Skippy followed he noticed great curls of thicksmoke pouring out from the shutters on the lower floor.
Somebody shouted, "We'll get in at him the same way the kids came out,hey, Conne--through the attic?"
"Don't bother!" Mr. Conne was saying in his brusque manner. "We'll takeno chances on losing any lives. Let Dean Devlin roast. He deserves itnow--and hereafter too."
Skippy was delighted that he was having his hand shaken by the greatestdetective in his country. It was the longest handshake he had everexperienced. And, what was more wonderful still, Carlton Conne's armwas about his shoulder.
"We only got your note last night, kid," he was saying. "Your sweet oldlady didn't get out her pocketbook until yesterday afternoon when shewanted to go out for a walk, after being laid up with a cold. She tookthe train and came straight to New York."
"I'm sorry, Mr. Conne--I'm sorry...."
"What are you sorry for? You've been a clever youngster through thiswhole thing--that note was a masterpiece."
"I wrote it like that in case Devlin should find it on me, then hewouldn't know I was sort of workin' for you," Skippy saidapologetically.
"Couldn't have done better myself!" Mr. Conne said crisply.
"We doped out the distance from the way you figured the time and youridea of telling how the house came to be left here and about thehermit. We knew you were somewhere in this section because Dick Hallamreported he spotted you in Hillbriar. I learned only yesterday from aninsurance company complaint that an apparent systematic effort wasbeing made to defraud by insuring boys and doing away with them tocollect on the policies. I got Hallam on the phone, had him check inHillbriar and he dug up the evidence that linked Devlin unmistakably tothe racket. And a few hours later, just before I got your note, Ireceived the information that Devlin, who had been in an insane asylum,when we thought he was under cover and had escaped, had developed amania for killing while being apparently normal in other respects."
He patted Skippy on the back and then went on: "So I prayed for a breakthat we might get to you in time. I blamed myself for putting you insuch danger, but I never knew Devlin as a killer and I never suspectedthe racket he was working, or I wouldn't have sent you on the job.Well, thank God we made it in time."
"It's all right, it's all right, Boss," Skippy answered.
"Yeah, it is--now," Nickie agreed.
Mr. Conne put the boys in his car and got in beside them. "We'll waitand see this thing go up in smoke, eh? I always thought I didn't haveanything cruel in me, but darned if I don't enjoy knowing that thatsmoke is taking Dean Devlin with it. It's almost too good for him--heshould suffer for making kids suffer."
"Yeah, poor Timmy," Skippy sighed.
"Yes, I've got in touch with his aunt in Glens Falls. We traced himwhen you wrote his name was Timmy Brogan. You haven't any idea whereDevlin put him?"
"No, an' we don't know where he put Frost last night," Skippy said,telling that part of their tragic story. "I feel sorry about him too,Mr. Conne, but it's Timmy we'll never forget. He mighta got away if hehadn't come back from the creek to warn us about Devlin. He was like ahero, Timmy was."
Mr. Conne thought so too, but was too much absorbed to say very much."I'm glad Fallon escaped with you, kid," he said, smiling at Nickie."Your aunt's been worrying the police department day and night to findout where you were."
"Yeah?" Nickie said abashed. "Holy smoke, I'll be glad seein' heragain."
Skippy grinned. "Nickie an' me--gee whiz, we'd gone crazy if we hadn'tbeen able to talk to each other. That house...."
"Never mind, kid," Mr. Conne said soothingly. "It's all over now, and Iguess you're good and sick of this business, eh? It's a rotten game andyour Aunt Min says she'll never let you out of her sight...."
"Say, listen, Mr. Conne," Skippy interposed excitedly, "I can talk AuntMin into lettin' me do anything--I ain't worryin' about her. It'syou--will you gimme that job you promised me? If you say I did good...."
Mr. Conne tilted his cigar up in the corner of his mouth and looked atSkippy quizzically. "Now I might consider that job, kid," he said, halfsmiling, "if you'll promise to keep that smudge off your face when youcome into my office. I notice it's dirty--and so early in the morning!"
"Aw, that's mud from yesterday--we put it on for the mosquitoes!Anyway, will you do one thing more, huh, Mr. Conne?"
"What?"
"Nickie's promised to be awful good so will you go his probation 'causeany judge would do that for a feller if _you_ went his probation--geewhiz!"
"I think the answer to that will be _yes_, kid. But suppose we get awayfrom here now, eh? It's getting a little too hot even for me. I haven'thad my breakfast and I suppose you kids haven't either. We'll stop at anice lunch-wagon I noticed down on the highway and we'll have friedeggs and...."
"Gee whiz, Mr. Conne!" Skippy interrupted. "If you're gonna say we'llhave bacon, please don't say it!"
"No? Why not?" Carlton Conne had started the car and was waiting,expectantly. "I thought all kids loved bacon."
"Sure, we did," Skippy answered. "Nickie an' me loved it like you say,but not now. Let's go an' eat, huh?"
"Yeah," Nickie said eagerly, "let's scram. Sometime we'll tell aboutthat bacon, Mr. Conne." Skippy nodded, took a long, last look at theburning house and turned to Mr. Conne. "It's a sad story."
"What is?" the detective asked.
"The bacon," Skippy answered simply.
THE END
------------------------------------------------------------------------
HAL KEEN MYSTERY STORIES By HUGH LLOYD
Boys! Meet Hal Keen, that lanky, nonchalant, red-headed youth whoseguiding star is the star that points to adventure, excitement andmystery. Follow him in his hunts for clues and criminals. There areplenty of thrills and shivers in these stories to keep you on your toes.
THE SMUGGLER'S SECRET
Hal Keen sets out to get to the bottom of a mystery that threatens the safety of a whole community.
THE MYSTERIOUS ARAB
Mystery, excitement, murder in a scientist's camp in the jungles of Africa, where hate, revenge, and suspicion lead to tragedy.
THE HERMIT OF GORDON'S CREEK
The disappearance of two airmail pilots leads to a mystery that centers about an abandoned mine and a strange old man.
KIDNAPPED IN THE JUNGLE
A hint of buried treasure in the ruins of an old French mission leads Hal deep into the Central American jungle.
THE COPPERHEAD TRAIL MYSTERY
Baffling and blood-curdling events center about the ranch where Hal Keen and his friends had gone in search of gold.
THE LONESOME SWAMP MYSTERY
The lonely and mysterious swamp gave up its secret only after a series of terrifying events taxed Hal's courage and ability.
THE CLUE AT SKELETON ROCKS
In this new thriller Hal Keen finds mystery and adventure in and about a lonely lighthouse on Skeleton Rocks, off the Maine coast.
THE DOOM OF STARK HOUSE
Mystery and terror in an old house in the wilderness above Quebec where Hal Keen is the guest of a strange family.
GROSSET & DUNLAP, _Publishers_, NEW YORK
------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE JUDY BOLTON MYSTERY STORIES By MARGARET SUTTON
Here is a new series of mystery stories for girls by an author whoknows the kind of stories every girl wants to read--mystery of the"shivery" sort, adventure that makes the nerves tingle, clever"detecting" and a new lovable heroine, Judy Bolton, whom all girls willtake to their hearts at once.
THE VANISHING SHADOW
Judy's safety is threatened by a gang of crooks who think she knows too much about their latest "deal." She is constantly pursued by a mysterious shadow which vanishes before she can get a glimpse of its owner.
THE HAUNTED ATTIC
The Boltons move into a large rambling house reputed to be haunted. Even the brave Judy who has looked forward to "spooky" goings on is thoroughly frightened at the strange scrapings and rappings and the eery "crying ghost."
THE INVISIBLE CHIMES
Through an automobile accident a strange girl is taken into the Bolton household--the whole family becomes attached to her and interested in her story. Judy tracks down many clues before she finally uncovers the real identity of "Honey."
SEVEN STRANGE CLUES
Judy gets to the bottom of a mystery that centers around a prize poster contest and a fire in the school building--through seven baffling clues that hold the key to the answer.
GROSSET & DUNLAP, _Publishers_, NEW YORK
------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE NANCY DREW MYSTERY STORIES By CAROLYN KEENE
Illustrated. Every Volume Complete in Itself.
Here is a thrilling series of mystery stories for girls. Nancy Drew,ingenious, alert, is the daughter of a famous criminal lawyer and sheherself is deeply interested in his mystery cases. Her interestinvolves her often in some very dangerous and exciting situations.
THE SECRET OF THE OLD CLOCK
Nancy, unaided, seeks to locate a missing will and finds herself in the midst of adventure.
THE HIDDEN STAIRCASE
Mysterious happenings in an old stone mansion lead to an investigation by Nancy.
THE BUNGALOW MYSTERY
Nancy has some perilous experiences around a deserted bungalow.
THE MYSTERY AT LILAC INN
Quick thinking and quick action were needed for Nancy to extricate herself from a dangerous situation.
THE SECRET AT SHADOW RANCH
On a vacation in Arizona Nancy uncovers an old mystery and solves it.
THE SECRET OF RED GATE FARM
Nancy exposes the doings of a secret society on an isolated farm.
THE CLUE IN THE DIARY
A fascinating and exciting story of a search for a clue to a surprising mystery
NANCY'S MYSTERIOUS LETTER
Nancy receives a letter informing her that she is heir to a fortune. This story tells of her search for another Nancy Drew.
GROSSET & DUNLAP, _Publishers_, NEW YORK
------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE REX LEE FLYING STORIES By THOMSON BURTIS
Illustrated. Every Volume Complete in Itself.
The author of this series of exciting flying stories is an experiencedaviator. He says, "During my five years in the army I performed nearlyevery sort of flying duty--instructor, test pilot, bombing,photographing pilot, etc., in every variety of ship, from tiny scoutplanes to the gigantic three-motored Italian Caproni."
Not only has this author had many experiences as a flyer; a list of hisactivities while knocking around the country includes postal clerk,hobo, actor, writer, mutton chop salesman, preacher, roughneck in theoil fields, newspaper man, flyer, scenario writer in Hollywood andsynthetic clown with the Sells Floto Circus. Having lived an active,daring life, and possessing a gift for good story telling, he is wellqualified to write these adventures of a red-blooded dare-devil youngAmerican who became one of the country's greatest flyers.
REX LEE; GYPSY FLYER REX LEE; ON THE BORDER PATROL REX LEE; RANGER OF THE SKY REX LEE; SKY TRAILER REX LEE; ACE OF THE AIR MAIL REX LEE; NIGHT FLYER REX LEE'S MYSTERIOUS FLIGHT REX LEE; ROUGH RIDER OF THE AIR REX LEE; AERIAL ACROBAT REX LEE; TRAILING AIR BANDITS REX LEE; FLYING DETECTIVE
GROSSET & DUNLAP, _Publishers_, NEW YORK
------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE HARDY BOYS SERIES By FRANKLIN W. DIXON
The Hardy Boys are sons of a celebrated American detective, and duringvacations and their off time from school they help their father byhunting down clues themselves.
THE TOWER TREASURE--A dying criminal confessed that his loot had been secreted "in the tower." It remained for the Hardy Boys to clear up the mystery.
THE HOUSE ON THE CLIFF--Mr. Hardy started to investigate--and disappeared! An odd tale, with plenty of excitement.
THE SECRET OF THE OLD MILL--Counterfeit money was in circulation, and the limit was reached when Mrs. Hardy took some from a stranger. A tale full of thrills.
THE MISSING CHUMS--Two of the Hardy Boys' chums disappear and are almost rescued by their friends when all are captured. A thrilling story of adventure.
HUNTING FOR HIDDEN GOLD--In tracing some stolen gold the trail leads the boys to an abandoned mine, and there things start to happen.
THE SHORE ROAD MYSTERY--Automobiles were disappearing most mysteriously from the Shore Road. It remained for the Hardy Boys to solve the mystery.
THE SECRET OF THE CAVES--When the boys reached the caves they came unexpectedly upon a queer old hermit.
THE MYSTERY OF CABIN ISLAND--A story of queer adventures on a rockbound island.
THE GREAT AIRPORT MYSTERY--The Hardy Boys solve the mystery of the disappearance of some valuable mail.
WHAT HAPPENED AT MIDNIGHT--The boys follow a trail that ends in a strange and exciting situation.
WHILE THE CLOCK TICKED--The Hardy Boys aid in vindicating a man who has been wrongly accused of a crime.
FOOTPRINTS UNDER THE WINDOW--The Smuggling of Chinese into this country is the basis of this story in which the boys find thrills and excitement aplenty.
GROSSET & DUNLAP, _Publishers_, NEW YORK
------------------------------------------------------------------------
WESTERN STORIES FOR BOYS By JAMES CODY FERRIS
Each Volume Complete in Itself.
Thrilling tales of the great west, told primarily for boys but whichwill be read by all who love mystery, rapid action, and adventures inthe great open spaces.
The Manly boys, Roy and Teddy, are the sons of an old ranchman, theowner of many thousands of heads of cattle. The lads know how to ride,how to shoot, and how to take care of themselves under any and allcircumstances.
The cowboys of the X Bar X Ranch are real cowboys, on the job whenrequired, but full of fun and daring--a bunch any reader will bedelighted to know.
THE X BAR X BOYS ON THE RANCH THE X BAR X BOYS IN THUNDER CANYON THE X BAR X BOYS ON WHIRLPOOL RIVER THE X BAR X BOYS ON BIG BISON TRAIL THE X BAR X BOYS AT THE ROUND-UP THE X BAR X BOYS AT NUGGET CAMP THE X BAR X BOYS AT RUSTLER'S GAP THE X BAR X BOYS AT GRIZZLY PASS THE X BAR X BOYS LOST IN THE ROCKIES THE X BAR X BOYS RIDING FOR LIFE THE X BAR X BOYS IN SMOKY VALLEY
GROSSET & DUNLAP, _Publishers_, NEW YORK
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