The Ranger Boys Outwit the Timber Thieves Part 15

"Phew, that's the longest speech I ever heard you make, Phil, but you sure said something every minute. That's what we'll do. Now let's get back."

The whole occurrence had taken less than an hour and a half, and when they reached the camp they noted that a light was still burning in the manager's office. On arriving at their shack they were somewhat surprised to find that d.i.c.k was not there.

"He's doing a good job," laughed Garry. "Either he is really interested in what Barrows has to say, or he is playing to give us time to do what we wanted to. Well, he can stay there all night if he wants to, I'm going to roll into my blanket and dream sweet dreams. d.i.c.k's a night hawk anyway most of the time. Goodnight." And Garry yawned and soon was fast asleep. Later development will show that it would have been wise on the part of the boys to look in on the manager at that time. Had they done so, their work would have been greatly simplified. However, they were not mind readers and so days of trouble were in store for them.

Morning came, and when Garry, always the first one to awake, tumbled out of bed, he cast one look at d.i.c.k's bunk, and then rus.h.i.+ng over to the other side of the shack, vigorously shook Phil.

"What's the matter?" demanded Phil in a startled voice, sitting upright in his bunk. "Anything the trouble?"

"That's what I cannot tell you right this minute, Phil, but d.i.c.k hasn't been here all night!"

Phil leaped out of his bunk and looked at the spot where their companion usually slept. The blankets were still neatly in place, and it needed only a glance to see that no one had used it that night.

The boys hurried into their clothes and rushed to the office building where Barrows and the camp officers slept. No one was stirring, and Garry was about to pound on the door when he saw the cookee coming from the cookhouse with a pail in each hand for the morning cooking water.

Garry called to him and asked if he had seen d.i.c.k that morning.

"Naw," was the grouchy answer. "Why should I have seen him? I don't know anything about him."

The sound of the voices awakened Barrows and he came and stuck his head out of the window.

"What's the matter?" he asked.

"Why, d.i.c.k hasn't been around all night, and we were looking for him.

Have you seen him since last night?" asked Garry.

"I haven't seen him since the three of you went to your shack last night!"

CHAPTER XIII

THE CIPHER

The boys were dumbfounded by Barrows' answer.

"What's that you say?" demanded Garry.

"I said I had not seen him since the three of you went to your shack last night to turn in. Isn't that plain enough?" reiterated the manager.

"Well, all we know is that just after we got to the shack, d.i.c.k left to come back here and have a chat with you and get some information about the country, as we had some little thought of taking a week's hike up into the wild lands that lie to the northwest."

"If he started for this office he never got here, for I sat up late trying to straighten out the tangle that Howells left behind him. No one came near the office all that time. Perhaps your chum has gone off on some little private expedition."

Garry was quick to notice that there was a malicious ring in the manager's voice. At once the uncomfortable feeling overcame him that their night's work had been discovered. Garry was at a loss what course to pursue. He could make no accusation of any kind, for d.i.c.k might have stumbled on some clue that took him off on the trail.

"Well, you can understand that we are a little bit worried over the matter, especially since this is strange country to d.i.c.k. He might have wandered into the woods and got lost." Garry knew that this was next to impossible, but he could think of nothing better to say at the moment.

"My advice is that you wait a bit, and you will probably find that he is all right. He'll very likely show up in a little while. I wouldn't worry," said Barrows.

There was nothing to do for the moment but take the manager's advice, and the boys returned to the shack.

"Phil, there's bad business afoot here somewhere. At such a time as this, d.i.c.k would not have gone off to follow a clue without leaving us some sort of a note or even a sign. He could leave a half a dozen different signs that we all know to denote trouble. He hasn't taken anything with him. His rifle is still there and so is his pack. If it were some mission of danger that he had gone on he would at least have taken his rifle. Now what shall we do?"

"Let's give him till noon in case it was such a hurried matter that he had not time to run back for his rifle. We might even wait until six o'clock. You know we have always made it a rule that we should never be gone more than twenty-four hours on a search without letting the others know in some way that we are safe. Sundown tonight would not be exactly twenty-four hours, but it would be near enough," advised Phil. Garry agreed that this was sound advice and they went off to breakfast. They found Barrows was almost through.

"Why don't you fellows start out this morning and look for him? One of you could go in one direction and one in the other. If you know anything of the woods, you could soon find signs of him if he were wandering about," suggested Barrows.

Garry told him that they had decided to wait until nightfall before getting really worried. At this the manager allowed a satisfied gleam to show in his eyes. Both the boys were narrowly watching him, and noted this. After breakfast they came back to the shack, and once safe inside, Garry whispered to Phil:

"Watch every move from now on. That business of Barrows telling us to go in different directions on such a wild goose chase was entirely too obvious. He wants us to get separated. Keep your rifle close by you every minute, and tonight we'll establish a watch same as we have done in the woods when there was danger near. First thing this morning is to go to the spot where we agreed to leave notes for the hermit, and leave a letter telling him what has happened and asking him to take a look at the shack on the other side of Kanamo Lake."

Hastily writing the note, and watching that they were not followed they slipped out of the camp and ran to the appointed postoffice.

Garry reached his hand in as a matter of course, and was surprised to find that there was a note in the natural receptacle.

He brought it out, and with Phil leaning over his shoulder, read it. It contained a distinct shock for both. Here was what they read:

"Attacked by men and letter to your father stolen. Hit on head and left lying in road. Use all caution. The Bear is in the woods."

The usual lone pine symbol was attached.

"Well, we are discovered, Garry," said Phil. "Barrows must have had the hermit followed and has read the letter. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if he knew what we talked about last night. Question now is whether he was instrumental in bringing about d.i.c.k's absence."

"I am afraid that we have sort of made a mess of things, Phil. We haven't given Barrows enough credit, or else we have been too sure of ourselves. There is a good chance, however, and this note makes me think it highly likely that Jean LeBlanc may have captured d.i.c.k again. You know he seems determined to do him harm, even more so than us, for he and d.i.c.k have tangled up three or four times now, and each time d.i.c.k has managed to elude him and make more or less of a fool of him. This naturally would make an even more implacable enemy of the vengeful halfbreed. Let's get back to camp and wait awhile. We will pry about the entire camp to see if there is any sign of d.i.c.k, and also we will be safer for the time being. Don't think I am cowardly, only we want to take no chances if we are to help d.i.c.k and at the same time complete our mission here."

They returned to the camp, and as they walked, Garry tore the hermit's note into tiny, indistinguishable fragments, throwing each tiny particle to the winds.

The day dragged on, although they tried to make it pa.s.s quickly by searching through the camp. Night came at last, and they turned in.

Before retiring they arranged for alternate watches, and also decided that on the morrow they would insist that a message be sent for Mr.

Boone. The boys had almost decided that rather than allow d.i.c.k to fall into greater danger by protracting the time of a systematic search, they would tell what they had learned to Mr. Boone and let him force the issue of the stolen timber.

It was nearly eleven o'clock and Phil, who was on watch, was about to wake Garry for his turn at sentry duty, when he heard a cautious fumbling at the door, and the sound of a low malediction when the intruder found that it was locked. There was silence for a moment, and then Phil heard the sound of someone breathing heavily at the window. He crept noiselessly to Garry's bunk, and holding his hand over his chum's mouth lest he make a sudden noise, shook him awake. Garry was aroused in an instant, and all sleep vanished. He knew from feeling Phil's hands against his mouth that caution was needed.

Having roused Garry, Phil crept back to the window just in time to hear a faint swish. Instantly he knew that the intruder was cutting the double thickness of heavy mosquito bar with a knife, and guided by the sound, clubbed his rifle and brought it down with full force. There was a howl of pain, and the sound of someone running away at top speed.

"Must have clipped that chap either on the head or the hand," whispered Phil. "Guess he won't be here again tonight."

"Looks as though the war was on. You roll in and I'll watch for a couple of hours now. Good thing we used our old trick of sentry work, or we might be in a bad position right now," answered Garry.

For another hour nothing happened. Then there was a pounding at the door and Barrows' voice was heard calling the names of Garry and Phil.

Suspecting a trick, both boys reached for their rifles, and after lighting a candle, Garry covered the door with his rifle while Phil opened it.

Barrows stepped in and seemed to be taken back by the sight of the rifle leveled at his head.

"Why the military greeting?" he asked with an attempt at good humor.