The driver was Jacob Kincade, who, having safely passed the recaptured lion over to Colonel Bandman, secured a couple of days' leave of absence and hurried back to Tottenville, where he engaged the team, and, accompanied by Bud Heyland, drove out in the direction of the wood where matters went so unsatisfactorily when Bud assumed charge.
"I was awful 'fraid you wouldn't come to time," said Bud, when they were fairly beyond the village, "which is why I tried to run the machine myself and got things mixed. Sutton insisted on waiting till you arriv', but when he seen how sot I was he give in and 'greed to meet me at the place."
"That was all well enough," observed Mr. Kincade; "but there's some things you tell me which I don't like. You said some one was listening behind the fence the other night when you and Sutton was talking about this business."
[Pg 213]
"That's so; but Sutton showed me afterwards that the man, who was short and stumpy, couldn't have heard anything that would let him know what he was driving at. We have a way of talking that anybody else might hear every word and yet he wouldn't understand it. That's an idee of mine."
"But you said some one—and I've no doubt it's the same chap—was whistling round the wood last night and scared you, so you made up your mind to wait till to-night."
"That rather got me, but Sut says that no man that 'spected anything wrong would go whistling round the woods in that style. That ain't the way detectives do."
"Maybe not, but are you sure there ain't any of them detectives about?"
"Me and Sut have been on the watch, and there hasn't been a stranger in the village that we don't know all about. That's the biggest joke I ever heard of," laughed Bud, "that 'ere Jackson going out to Walsingham and arresting the colonel and Gibby."
"Yes," laughed Kincade, "it took place just as I was coming away. I wish they'd locked up the colonel for awhile, just for the fun of the thing. But he and Gibby were discharged at once. I came on in the same train with Jackson, though I didn't talk with him about it, for I saw he felt pretty cheap.
"However," added Kincade, "that's got nothing to do with this business, which I feel a little nervous over. It was a mighty3 big load for us to get out in the wood last Monday night, and I felt as though my back was[Pg 214] broke when we put the last piece in the tree. S'pose somebody has found it!"
"No danger of that," said Bud. "I was out there to-day and seen that it was all right."
"Sure nobody was watching you?"
"I took good care of that. We'll find it there just as we left it, and after we get it into the wagon we'll drive over to Tom Carmen's and he'll dispose of it for us."
Tom Carmen lived at the "Four Corners," as the place was called, and had the reputation of being engaged in more than one kind of unlawful business. It was about ten miles off, and the thieves intended to drive there and place their plunder4 in his hands, he agreeing to melt it up and give them full value, less a small commission for his services.
The arrangement with Carmen had not been made until after the robbery, which accounts for the hiding of the spoils for several days. It did not take long, however, to come to an understanding with him, and the plunder would have been taken away the preceding night by Bud Heyland and Cyrus Sutton but for the mishaps5 already mentioned.
"You're sure Sutton will be there?" asked Kincade, as they approached the wood.
"You can depend on him every time," was the confident response; "he was to go out after dark to make sure that no one else is prowling around. He's one of the best fellows I ever met," added Bud, who was enthusiastic over his new acquaintance; "we've fixed6 up half a dozen schemes that we're going into as soon as we get this off our hands."
[Pg 215]
"Am I in?"
"Of course," said Bud; "the gang is to be us three, and each goes in on the ground floor. We're going to make a bigger pile than Colonel Bandman himself, even with all his menagerie and circus."
"I liked Sutton—what little I seen of him," said Kincade.
"Oh, he's true blue—well, here we are."
Both ceased talking as they entered the shadow of the wood, for, bad as they were, they could not help feeling somewhat nervous over the prospect7.
The weather had been clear and pleasant all the week, and the stars were shining in an unclouded sky, in which there was no moon. A few minutes after they met a farmer's wagon, which was avoided with some difficulty, as it was hard to see each other, but the two passed in safety, and reached the spot they had in mind.
Here Bud Heyland took the reins8, because he knew the place so well, and drew the horse aside until he and the vehicle would clear any team that might come along.
To prevent any such accident as that of the preceding night the animal was secured, and the man and big boy stepped carefully a little further into the wood, Bud uttering the same signal as before.
It was instantly answered from a point near at hand, and the next minute Cyrus Sutton came forward, faintly visible as he stepped close to them and spoke9:
"I've been waiting more than two hours, and thought I heard you coming a half dozen times."
He shook hands with Kincade and Bud, the latter asking:
[Pg 216]
"Is everything all right?"
"Yes, I've had my eyes open, you may depend."
"Will there be any risk in leaving the horse here?" asked Kincade.
"None at all—no one will disturb him."
"Then we had better go on, for there's a pretty good load to carry."
"I guess I can find the way best," said Bud, taking the lead. "I've been over the route so often I can follow it with my eyes shut."
Sutton was also familiar with it, and though it cost some trouble and not a little care, they advanced without much difficulty. Bud regretted that he had not brought his bull's eye lantern with him, and beyond question it would have been of service, but Sutton said it might attract attention, and it was better to get along without it if possible.
The distance was considerable, and all of half an hour was taken in making their way through the wood, the darkness being such in many places that they had to hold their hands in front of them to escape collision with limbs and trunks of trees.
"Here we are!"
It was Bud Heyland who spoke, and in the dim light his companions saw that he was right. There was a small, natural clearing, which enabled them to observe the blasted oak without difficulty.
The little party stood close by the hiding-place of the plunder that had been taken from the old brick mansion10 several nights before.
[Pg 217]
"You can reach down to it, can't you?" asked Sutton, addressing Bud Heyland.
"Yes; it's only a little ways down."
"Hand it out, then," added Kincade; "I shan't feel right till we have all this loot safely stowed away with Tom Carmen at the 'Four Corners.'"
"All right," responded Bud, who immediately thrust his head and shoulders into the cavity.
He remained in this bent11 position less than a minute, when he jerked out his head as though some serpent had struck at him with his fangs12, and exclaimed:
"It's all gone!"
"Somebody has taken everything away——"
In the dim light, Bud Heyland at that juncture14 observed something which amazed him still more. Instead of two men there were three, and two of them were struggling fiercely together.
These were Cyrus Sutton and Jacob Kincade, but the struggle was short. In a twinkling the showman was thrown on his back, and the nippers placed on his wrists.
"It's no use," said Sutton, as he had called himself, in a low voice; "the game is up, Jacob."
Before Bud Heyland could understand that he and Kincade were entrapped15, the third man sprang forward and manipulated the handcuffs so dexterously16 that Bud quickly realized he was a helpless captive.
This third man was Archie Jackson, the constable17, who could not avoid declaring in a louder voice than was necessary.
[Pg 218]
"We've got you both, and you may as well take it like men. This gentleman whom you two took for Cyrus Sutton, a cattle drover, is my old friend James Carter, the detective, from New York."
And such was the truth indeed.
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收听单词发音
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1
wagon
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| n.四轮马车，手推车，面包车；无盖运货列车 | |
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2
wrecked
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| adj.失事的，遇难的 | |
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3
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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4
plunder
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| vt.劫掠财物，掠夺；n.劫掠物，赃物；劫掠 | |
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5
mishaps
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| n.轻微的事故，小的意外( mishap的名词复数 ) | |
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6
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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7
prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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8
reins
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| 感情，激情； 缰( rein的名词复数 )； 控制手段； 掌管； （成人带着幼儿走路以防其走失时用的）保护带 | |
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9
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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10
mansion
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| n.大厦，大楼；宅第 | |
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11
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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12
fangs
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| n.（尤指狗和狼的）长而尖的牙( fang的名词复数 )；（蛇的）毒牙；罐座 | |
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13
gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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14
juncture
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| n.时刻，关键时刻，紧要关头 | |
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15
entrapped
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| v.使陷入圈套，使入陷阱( entrap的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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16
dexterously
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| adv.巧妙地，敏捷地 | |
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17
constable
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| n.(英国)警察，警官 | |
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