The Rover Boys on Snowshoe Island Part 45

CHAPTER x.x.x

SETTLING ACCOUNTS--CONCLUSION

"How are you making out?" those outside the cabin heard Slugger Brown ask.

"It's slow work with such a small file," grumbled Nappy Martell. "If I had a big file I could get the padlock off in no time."

"What's the matter with smas.h.i.+ng it off with a rock?" growled the bully.

He arose to his feet and hobbled to where his crony sat. "Give it to me--I'll soon have it off!"

"Come on," whispered Jack to his cousins and Mr. Powell. "They are in there and trying to open the treasure box!"

It took the party but a few seconds to reach the door of the cabin. Jack pushed upon it, to find the barrier locked in some manner from the inside.

"h.e.l.lo! who's there?" shouted Slugger.

"Maybe it's your father and Professor Lemm come back," added Nappy.

The bully came to the door and threw it open. When he found himself confronted by the Rovers and a strange man, he fell back in consternation.

"You!" he gasped. "How--er--did you get here?"

"You let us alone!" cried Nappy, in alarm; and, leaping to his feet, he tried to hide the precious box behind him.

"So we've got you, have we?" exclaimed Jack. "Nappy, you hand over that box."

"I--I don't know what you mean," stammered the lad addressed.

"See here! you haven't any right to come in here in this fas.h.i.+on,"

bl.u.s.tered Slugger, recovering somewhat from his surprise.

"Haven't we though!" broke out Randy.

"We've caught you, and we intend to make you suffer for what you've done," said Andy.

As lame as he was, Slugger attempted to edge his way toward the door, thinking he might get a chance to run away. But Jack caught him by the arm and sent him flying backward into a corner of the cabin.

"You'll stay right where you are, Slugger Brown!" declared the oldest Rover boy. "Don't you dare to run away!"

By this time Randy and Fred had approached Nappy, and suddenly the youngest Rover darted behind the youth and s.n.a.t.c.hed the blue tin box from his grasp.

"Hi! you give me that box!" stormed Nappy. "You've no right to take it from me!" and then he, too, tried to run from the cabin. He got as far as the doorway when Andy put out his foot and sent him headlong into the snow outside. Then Andy quickly sat down on him, and, rus.h.i.+ng up, Randy did the same.

"Don--don't smash me!" spluttered Nappy, whose face was partly in the snow.

"We're not going to let you get away," came firmly from Andy.

"Let's tie his hands behind him and make him a prisoner," suggested his twin, and this the two boys proceeded to do, using some skate straps for that purpose.

In the meanwhile, Slugger attempted to draw a pistol, but was promptly hurled back by Jack and Fred. Then Mr. Powell disarmed the youth, and he, too, was made a prisoner.

"You'll catch it for treating us this way!" growled Slugger, when he realized that he could do no more. "Just wait until my father hears of this!"

"And just you wait, Slugger, until Mr. Stevenson gets here," retorted Jack, and this answer made the bully turn pale.

Now that the two rascals had been captured, the Rover boys felt very much elated, the more so since they had recovered Uncle Barney's treasure box without the contents having been disturbed.

"Won't he be glad!" murmured Fred, as he looked the box over.

"Let's go out and see if we can't signal to him in some way," returned Randy.

He went outside and three shots were fired in rapid succession, a signal which had been agreed upon when the boys had first gone out hunting.

After the signal had been given, Mr. Powell said he would go out and watch for the coming of the Stevensons. While he was doing this, the Rovers talked matters over with Slugger and Nappy.

"You're a fine pair to act in this fas.h.i.+on," said Jack sternly. "Don't you know you might have killed Barney Stevenson?"

"Oh, we didn't hurt him much," grumbled Slugger.

"And it was stealing to run off with this box!" said Randy.

"No, it wasn't! That box has got deeds in it that ought to go to my father!"

"I don't believe it, Slugger. Those deeds belong to Barney Stevenson."

A minute or two later all those in the cabin heard Mr. Powell give a shout.

"A couple of men are coming!" he cried.

"It's my dad and Professor Lemm!" broke out Slugger. "Now you fellows will catch it!"

"Be on your guard, everybody!" sang out Jack to his cousins, and each of them caught up his gun and waited.

A few minutes later, Professor Lemm and Mr. Brown appeared in front of the cabin. Their arms were full of camp supplies. Evidently, this place had been a rendezvous for the entire Brown party for several days. It was from here that Slugger and Nappy had gone up to the other end of the island to spy upon Uncle Barney.

"What is the meaning of this?" demanded Mr. Brown, when he found himself confronted by the Rovers.

"It means that we have made your son and Nappy Martell prisoners,"

explained Jack calmly.

"Prisoners!"

"Yes. And I think more than likely we'll have to hand them over to the authorities."

"I don't understand this at all," put in Asa Lemm, and his voice trembled a little.

Mr. Powell had now come up, and the Rovers told him who the men were. He at once took charge of matters.