CHAPTER XXVII
PRISONERS IN THE CAVE
Meanwhile, what of the four Rover boys and their captors?
Bruised and bleeding, the lads had been thrown into the rear part of the stony cavern, as already mentioned. The ropes which had bound them had been taken away, but they were prisoners behind heavy logs kept in place by strong chains.
Fred was so weak he was unable for the time being to stand, and so slipped down in a heap in a corner with his back against a big stone. There Andy followed him, nursing a wounded shoulder where he had been struck with a club. Randy and Jack had also suffered, the former having one arm severely wrenched in the mêlée at Longnose’s cabin and the young major suffering from several cuts on the forehead and on his chin.
“Now then, you boys behave yourselves and rest a while, and then we’ll have a talk,” announced Davenport, and he and his gang went outside, leaving the boys alone.
It was rather dark in the cavern, the only light coming from the entrance, which was partly screened by the bushes, and from a small crack overhead. This crack served to ventilate the place, there being a continual current of air from the opening in front to that above.
It must be admitted that the four boys felt anything but happy as they peered at their surroundings. All were too fatigued from the forced ride over the rocky trail to do much talking. They gathered in a group on the stony floor of the cave, trying to attend to their cuts and bruises as well as their limited means permitted.
“Gee, if a fellow only had a bit of water!” said Fred.
“They are a bunch of beasts!” cried Randy.
“They have certainly made us prisoners,” said Jack grimly. “Evidently they fixed this place on purpose for us.”
“Certainly looks it,” came from Andy. “Gee, it’s just like a regular prison! Not much chance of getting away from here, I’m afraid.”
A little later Tate came in carrying two buckets of water and two towels. He was followed by Jackson, who unlocked the chain holding the log of the doorway in place, so that the water and towels might be placed inside of the prison-like apartment. The men had a lantern with them, and this they placed on a flat stone.
“There is one bucket to wash in and another for drinking,” said Tate. “And here are a couple of towels you can use on your hurts. We didn’t mean to treat you quite so rough, and it wouldn’t have happened if you hadn’t put up a fight.”
“What are you going to do with us, Tate?” demanded Jack.
“You’ll find out a little later. Davenport will come in and talk with you.”
“I suppose you’ve made another demand on our folks for money,” declared Randy.
“Don’t bother your head about that now,” put in Jackson. “Better have a drink and wash up. Then you’ll feel better.” Thereupon the two men placed the log of the doorway in position, adjusted the chain, and left the cave.
The boys were glad to get the water and likewise the use of the lantern. Each washed in turn and took a drink, and then all felt somewhat better. But their long tramp through the woods that afternoon, the ride to Longnose’s cabin, and then the ride to the cave had made all of them exceedingly hungry.
“Wonder if they’re going to give us anything to eat,” remarked Fred after the light from outside had faded, leaving only the lantern to light the cavern.
“I hardly think they intend to starve us,” replied Jack. “Those fellows are out for only one thing—money.”
The young major was right in regard to being starved, and less than an hour later Tate and Digby appeared carrying a pot of stew, another of coffee, and a loaf of bread.
“It’s the best we can do to-night,” said Tate, grinning. “Perhaps to-morrow we’ll have something better.”
“Then you intend to keep us prisoners?” demanded Jack.
“Sure thing!”
“Don’t you know you’ll get yourselves into hot water doing that, Tate?”
“I reckon we know what we’re doing, Rover.”
“If you kids will only behave yourselves you’ll be treated fine,” put in Digby. “We don’t want to hurt you. All we expect to do is to keep you here for maybe a week at the most. As soon as your folks come across we’ll let you go.”
“And suppose they don’t come across?” questioned Fred.
“Then you’ll have to take the consequences.”
Once more the Rover boys were left to themselves. The men had brought with them four tin plates, four cups, and the necessary knives, forks and spoons, and the lads lost no time in attacking the simple meal which had been furnished them.
“This must have been a well-prepared plan of theirs,” was Andy’s comment while they were eating. “They’ve even got tableware for us, and towels.”
“I’ll wager Davenport’s had this planned ever since he went to Haven Point,” returned Jack. “Perhaps he thought he could get hold of us or a hold of the girls while we were there. And since I’ve been here thinking things over I’ve got another idea,” went on the young major slowly. “I may be all wrong, but somehow I can’t get it out of my mind.”
“What is that?” questioned Fred.
“Do you remember that fellow who was in the runabout with Davenport the day we met them on the road near Colby Hall?”
“Sure!”
“Well, ever since we met that fellow named Joe Brooks first in New York and afterward in Chicago I’ve been trying to figure out where I saw the chap. Now I’m wondering if he wasn’t the fellow who was driving that car.”
“Why, he said he was a friend of Fatty Hendry’s!” exclaimed Andy.
“Yes, he said so. But that doesn’t make it so, does it?”
“You think he was a faker?” came quickly from Randy.
“He was if he was in cahoots with Davenport. Do you remember how he stood alongside of us when we were buying our tickets for Maporah, and how he questioned us about Sunset Trail when we were going around with him in Chicago? He must have been nothing but a confederate of Davenport and his gang.” And in this surmise, as we already know, Jack was correct.
Although the bread was somewhat stale, the stew and the coffee were both warm and fairly good, and, all told, the boys managed to satisfy their hunger. They were wondering what was going to happen next when Jackson and Digby came in carrying four blankets.
“No feather beds for you kids to-night,” said Digby. “But I reckon you’ll find these a good deal better than nothing.”
“Davenport told me to tell you he’d have a talk with you in the morning,” put in Jackson. “Now don’t try to break out and get away, because one of us will be on guard in front of the cave all night. Whoever is there will be armed and ready to shoot if you try any monkey business.”
“Have you got a camp near by?” questioned Jack.
“Yes; we’re right where we can keep our eyes on you.”
The men went out and once more the four Rovers were left to themselves. Jack and Randy now felt better, and while the latter took up the lantern the young major made a careful inspection of the walls of the cavern.
This inspection was disappointing. There were several nooks and angles in the back of the cave and one large crack and several small ones, all leading upward. But nothing in the way of an opening large enough to admit the passage of the body was revealed.
“It isn’t likely that those fellows would leave any loophole for us,” remarked Randy, as he held up the lantern. “They probably went over this place very carefully before they set those logs up and chained them.”
“I suppose that’s true,” was Jack’s answer. “But I’m going to get out of here somehow if I possibly can.”
“Humph! I guess we all want to get away if it can be done, Jack.”
“If we don’t get away soon those rascals will hold our dads up for thousands and thousands of dollars.”
“I know that, too. But we’re not going to be able to get away if this prison is secure, and if they’re going to set a guard to watch us. For all you know, they may be listening to every word we’re saying.”
As tired and worn out as they were, Andy and Fred also took a look around the rocky prison. But nothing new was brought to light, and presently all four of the boys were too tired to do more. They arranged their blankets as best they could, and then sank down to rest. But it was a long while before any of them fell asleep. Jack was the last to drop off, and he turned the lantern low just before doing so in order not to waste the oil, for there was no telling if any more would be forthcoming.
When the four boys arose in the morning each felt in anything but an agreeable humor. All were stiff and lame and it is doubtful if any of them could have run very far even had the chance offered. They had expected a visit from Davenport, but much to their surprise that individual failed to show himself. Instead Tate and Ocker brought them a breakfast consisting of coffee, bread, and some slices of bacon.
“Sorry I can’t let you out in the sunshine,” said Tate. “But if you behave yourselves to-day maybe we’ll let you out to-morrow.”
“Is Davenport in command here?” questioned Jack.
“He’s our leader, yes.”
“Tell him I want to talk to him.”
“He’s gone off and he won’t be back until this afternoon.”
After that the hours dragged by more slowly than ever. The boys chafed under the restraint but could not think of a single thing to do to better their condition.
“I wonder if we can’t push some of those logs apart and squeeze through the opening somehow,” whispered Fred after the breakfast had been disposed of. “Maybe some of the chains are not as tight as they look.”
With the coming of day the light in the cave had grown brighter. With this, and also the lantern to aid them, the four lads set to work and examined the logs and the chains minutely. As they did this they watched the opening to the cave so that no one might notice what they were doing. But none of the gang that had made them captives appeared.
At first the case looked hopeless and the boys were filled with despair. But then Andy noticed where one of the chains seemed to have slipped down over a notch in one of the logs. This was pried up and by their united efforts the boys were finally able to move the top of one of the logs a distance of six or eight inches.
“There! I’m sure that opening is wide enough to let a fellow out,” declared Fred. “Anyhow, I am sure I could get through it.”
“We could all get through if we could get up there,” returned Jack. The widened opening between the logs was a foot or two above his head.
It was here that their gymnastic exercises stood the boys in good stead. Jack quickly managed to place himself on Randy’s shoulders and then squeezed his way through the opening between the logs. Fred and Andy followed, and then those outside gave Randy a hand up, and presently all four of the lads stood outside of what had been their prison.
“Now what shall we do—make a rush for it?” whispered Fred.
“Wait a minute. I’ll see how the land lies,” announced the young major, and while the others waited he crawled cautiously to the entrance of the cave and peered out between the bushes.
The others waited with bated breath wondering what would happen next. Half a minute passed and then Jack tiptoed his way back to his cousins.
“Tate and Jackson are out there, smoking their pipes and resting on the ground,” he announced. “Each has a gun handy. They are about fifty feet from the entrance to the cave.”
“Are they looking this way?” asked Randy.
“Yes, both are facing the entrance to the cave.”
“Have they got their guns in their hands?” questioned Fred.
“No, their guns are resting against a tree near by.”
“Then why can’t we make a dash for it?” asked Andy recklessly.
“I don’t think we’ll have to do that,” answered the young major. “I’ve got another plan.”