Budd Boyd's Triumph Part 21

He had been bound with his hands in front of him, tied simply at the wrists. He had been secured to the tree by wrappings of the cord from his feet to his shoulders, and the knot that held the cord was on the opposite side of the tree. His first effort was, then, to slip the rope from his wrists. This he accomplished after quite a struggle, that bruised and lacerated his arms and hands until they bled.

His next effort was to raise his arms up out from the wrappings of the cord that bound him to the tree. First the right, then the left arm was released, and to Budd's satisfaction he found their release loosened the cord so that he could move himself a little in his wrappings. Had he only had his jackknife, the question of release would have been decided in a moment; but this he had lost in his struggle with Wilson on the sloop's deck. He must, then, find some other way to remove the rope.

The ground where the tree stood was uneven, being higher where he was than on the opposite side of the tree. Could he not, then, work slowly about the tree inside of his wrappings until he could with his right hand reach the knot that secured the rope? He knew it must be slow work, and he must be sure the rope did not turn with him, or else his efforts would be in vain. He determined to make the attempt.

First he strained his wrappings to their fullest extent, and then, before they could slip back against him, he made a sudden hitch to the right. He thought he gained a trifle, and thus encouraged, he tried again. Once, twice, ten, fifty times he repeated the effort, and then he knew he had gained. Objects had been brought into vision that he had not seen when first bound to the tree; objects he had seen were now lost to view.

All that afternoon, with frequent intervals of rest, he kept up his struggle, and just at dark he found he could touch the end of the rope that formed the knot, and a thrill of joy filled his heart. A few minutes later he was able to take a full, strong hold upon this end of the rope, and from that moment his progress was accelerated. Then, tired, aching in every bone, with his coat worn thread-bare by its constant rubbing against the tree, he at length reached a place where he could use both hands upon the knot and untie it. To unwind the wrappings was now but a few minutes' work, and somewhere about six hours after he had been fastened to the tree he found himself free again.

It was, however, too dark for him to attempt to leave the island, or to search out a way to leave it; and so, crawling under the shelter of the great rock from behind which the robbers had first appeared that afternoon, he, without supper and without covering, laid himself down to sleep.

It was a restless, wakeful sleep, and with the very first show of morning light Budd was astir. He first ran up and down the sh.o.r.e until his quickened blood brought warmth to his chilled body; for though it was summer weather, there had been a dampness and low temperature in the sea air sufficient to make him uncomfortable. Then he sought along the beach for some signs of sh.e.l.l-fish, and soon found clinging to the rocks some yellow mussels. Though not the most delicious of bivalves he managed to swallow a dozen or two of them, and their sharp, peppery taste served as a stimulant. A drink of brackish water from a tiny stream trickling down a rock into the sea completed his breakfast.

As the sun rose, Budd's spirits rose with it, and he searched the island completely around for some log or plank, on which he could venture to leave the island. He was not successful in his search, however, and finally came back to his starting-point empty-handed.

"I've got to swim for it," he commented, "and if I do that, Prudence Island should be my landing-place. Once there, I can get food, and doubtless a boat to take me over to the west sh.o.r.e."

With these words he walked along to the south-east point of the island, and looked across to its nearest and larger neighbor.

"It would not be much of a swim if I had a decent breakfast to work upon," he said to himself; "but I shall have to wait until I get over there before I get it.

"I presume I might wait awhile, and some boat would come along and take me off," he went on, gazing up and down the bay. "But the quickest way is to depend on myself, and it is time I was going, if I am going to put any one on Bagsley's track. I wonder where Judd is, and if he has started to look me up?"

There was no one to answer his question, and he did not stop long to deliberate.

Taking off his clothes, he wrapped them in as small a bundle as possible, and tying them together with his suspenders he fastened them on top of his head. He then entered the water, and swam slowly across the narrow channel that separated him from Prudence Island. He was quite used up when he crawled out on the beach and began to dress himself. Then he walked down along the narrow neck of land that is at the north end of the island until he came to a farm-house, where he stopped and asked for food.

He simply told the farmer that he had got left on Patience Island, and had remained there all night; that he had with the coming morning swam across to that island, and would like, first, some food, and then to secure a boat to take him across to the main sh.o.r.e. The farmer at once asked him into breakfast, which was already upon the table, but told him he would have to go farther down the island to obtain a boat.

Budd accepted the kind invitation, and ate with relish the food put before him; and if the greatest compliment that can be paid a housewife is to show an appreciation of her cookery, then that farmer's wife received from Budd that morning a stupendous compliment.

He had a little money with him, and on leaving he offered to pay his host for the breakfast; but the man refused.

"I may be in the same box some day," he remarked, "and it I'm not, some one else may be whom you can help. So just pa.s.s the favor on to him."

Budd readily promised to do this, and with a hearty "Thank you" for his entertainment, hurried down the sh.o.r.e.

His breakfast had given him new strength, his bath in the cool salt water had soothed his bruised and aching body, and he felt equal to almost his usual amount of work. When, therefore, he stopped at the house where he had been told he could secure a boat and received the reply:

"I can let you have a boat, but you will have to row yourself over, and bring back the boat at your earliest convenience, for we are too busy to spare a single hand," he accepted the offer.

The farmer accompanied him down to the sh.o.r.e, and showing him which boat he was to take, cautioned him about being sure to return it. Budd a.s.sured the man that he need have no fears on that score; but he little knew how soon he was to return it.

Shoving off the boat, he embarked upon it and rowed rapidly out into the bay. Hope Island was plainly visible to the west, and he shaped his course so as to pa.s.s the south end of it, for he had no desire to visit Mr. Johnson again. Yet he of his own accord was in an hour to land there and hold a remarkable interview with that gentleman. So little is it that we really know what we shall do from hour to hour.

Half the distance between the two islands had been accomplished, and Budd had a clear, uninterrupted view down between Prudence and Conanicut Islands into the east bay. His first glance in that direction filled him with sheer amazement, for just emerging from the east pa.s.sage, and coming directly toward him, was a sloop, and even at that distance he had no difficulty in recognizing her as the Sea Witch. He could see but two persons upon her, and yet there might be more in the cabin. Was it the burglars returning to carry out some forgotten or newly-formed purpose, and should he flee from them as for his life? Or had Judd, as he had hoped and prayed, rescued the sloop from the robbers' hands, and was he now coming to look for his missing chum?

These were questions Budd could not answer, and with a deep misgiving he turned the bow of his boat and rowed directly for Hope Island, believing that it was preferable to meet Mr. Johnson and his hot displeasure to falling again into the hands of Bagsley and his gang.

But before he had rowed half the distance necessary to reach the island the sloop had come up before the morning breeze with a rapidity to be in hailing distance. Then there rang out from her three such yells as only Judd could give; and full of surprise and joy, Budd turned about his boat and went down to meet her.

CHAPTER XVIII.--CAUGHT.

It was in truth the Sea Witch, and in order to understand how she appeared off Hope Island so early that morning we must go back a few hours in our story.

We left Judd and Mr. Avery standing upon the forward deck of the tug Thetis not far from five o'clock the evening before. The tug was off Beaver Tail, and had just sighted and begun her chase after the retreating sloop. The wind was a strong one from the southwest, and the Sea Witch was so rapid a sailer that at six o'clock the tug, though running at a high rate of speed, had not gained over a half-mile upon her. At seven o'clock they were still a mile apart, and it was now evident that before the tug could overhaul her darkness would have closed around.

Lest the suspicion of the burglars might be aroused, Mr. Avery had requested Captain Bradley to keep the tug a point or two off of the exact course of the sloop; so it happened that while the Sea Witch was steadily working up toward the east sh.o.r.e of Buzzard's Bay the Thetis was on a course that would have carried her into Vineyard Sound. But Cuttyhunk Island was now just ahead, and the tug must soon alter her course or she would lose sight of the sloop.

Captain Bradley was about to give the necessary orders to effect this change, when a movement on the part of the Sea Witch caused him to alter his purpose. Her helm had been thrown up, and swinging to the right, she ran directly into Chuttyhunk Island.

"The rascals are going to hold on there to-night," said the captain as he watched the sloop's course, "or else hold up to a later hour, and then run into the main sh.o.r.e and separate. But whatever their purpose, we have got them. I know like a book the cove they have entered, and we'll keep up the east side of the island and land some one to watch their movements. Before morning I'll promise to bag the whole gang."

A few minutes after the Thetis ran in under the east sh.o.r.e of Cuttyhunk, and a boat landed the captain, Mr. Avery and Judd. Slowly and cautiously, under the lead of the stalwart captain, they made their way across to the west side. Here they found a little cove, and close insh.o.r.e, and sheltered by its curving arms, lay the Sea Witch at anchor.

A light was in her cabin, and a boat with two men in it was just pus.h.i.+ng off from her side.

"We are just in time, and may learn something to our advantage,"

whispered the captain, as he drew his companions back into the shelter of a clump of trees.

The boat from the sloop landed almost directly opposite the concealed men, and the two robbers jumped out and pulled it farther up the beach.

"There," said one, "that will stay there until we come back. The captain said we would find the water down here to the right. Take the bucket and come on."

The man addressed took a pail from the boat and followed the speaker down the sh.o.r.e.

"That proves that the leader of the gang is acquainted with this cove, and their coming here was intentional," remarked Captain Bradley in an undertone as the men disappeared. "Fifty yards to the south is a small spring, but a man must have been here before to know of it. So much then we have learned, and we may get some more important facts out of these fellows before they go back to the sloop."

Soon the men came back to their boat, one bringing the bucket of water, and the other an armful of dead sticks he had gathered up. Putting their burdens into the boat, they sat down upon the bow, filled their pipes, and lighting them began to smoke, evidently in no hurry to depart.

"I say, Tom," said one of them in a moment, "do you suppose we are going to get out of this sc.r.a.pe all right?" and there was apprehension in his voice.

"Oh! I think so," carelessly answered the other. "I see no reason to believe we are even suspected; and to-morrow we will run down in the neighborhood of Hyannis, wait until after dark, then scuttle the sloop, and separate. From different stations in that vicinity we can work into Boston, and once there, dispose of the booty, divide up, and be off to some other part of the country for another job. It's a good, stiff haul we've made this time; a cool thousand apiece."

"That is Bagsley," Judd said to his companions in a suppressed whisper.

The burglars finished their smoke without any further conversation that was of special value to the listeners, and then pushed off the boat and went back to the sloop.

As soon as they were out of hearing Judd turned to Captain Bradley and asked:

"Couldn't we bring your yawl across to this cove, captain?"

"I think so. What then?" he asked, with interest.

"Well, then let us go back to the tug and give your men orders to bring her around to this side of the island, and lie in wait off the southern point of the cove. Then we will return to the sh.o.r.e in the yawl, bring it over here, and wait until the burglars are quiet for the night. At the proper time we will go silently off to the sloop, shut down her hatch, give the tug the signal to come on, and boat and men are ours."