JACK'S CURIOSITY AND ITS RESULTS.
"What do you intend to do with me?" repeated Jack, as they hurried over the rough ground, following Bill, who trudged ahead with the lantern.
"You'll find out quick enough, I told you before," said Donald.
"Don't you know that my friends are in the neighborhood? They will invoke the law against you for this outrage."
"We know all about that," was the elder Judson's reply, "but we're not worrying. We'll have them prisoners, too, before long."
Jack made no reply to this, but he judged it was an empty threat made to scare him. He knew that nothing would have delighted Donald Judson more than to see him breaking down. So he kept up a brave front, which he was in reality far from feeling at heart.
From the bold manner in which Bill displayed the lantern as he led the party on, Jack knew that the rascal must be familiar with the country, and know it to be sparsely inhabited. So far as Jack could judge they were retreating from the river and going up hill.
About an hour after they had started, Bill paused in front of an ancient stone dwelling—or rather what had been a dwelling, for it was now dilapidated and deserted.
"This is the place, boss," he grated, holding up his lantern so that its rays fell on the old place, which looked as grim as a fortress.
"It's haunted, too, isn't it, Bill?" asked Donald meaningly.
"Well, they do say there was a terrible murder done here some years ago and that's the reason it's been deserted ever since, but I really could not say as to the truth of that, Master Judson," rejoined Bill, falling into Donald's plan to tease Jack.
Inside the place was one large room. A few broken bits of furniture stood about. Bill set the lantern down on a rickety table and then went to guard the door, while the others retreated to a corner and held a parley.
At its conclusion Judson came over to Jack.
"Well, Ready," he said, "you've caused us a lot of trouble, but still I might come to terms with you."
"Are you ready to release me?" demanded Jack.
"Yes, under certain conditions. First, you must tell us all you know about that naval code of Captain Simms."
"And the truth, too," snarled Jarrow. "We'll find out quick enough if you're lying, and we'll make it hot for you."
"You bet we will," chimed in Donald.
"Donald, be quiet a minute," ordered his father. "Well, Ready, what have you to say?"
"Suppose I tell you I know nothing about the naval code?" said Jack quietly.
"Then I should say you were not telling the truth."
"Nevertheless I am."
"What, you know nothing about the code?"
"Nothing except that Captain Simms was ordered to get up something of the sort."
"You don't know if it's finished or not?"
"I have no idea."
"Is your life worth anything to you?" struck in Jarrow.
"What do you mean?" asked Jack.
"Just what I say. If it is, you had better make terms to save it."
"Impossible. You are fooling with me, Jarrow. Even a man as base as you wouldn't dare——"
"I wouldn't, eh? Well, you'll find out before long if I'm in earnest or not."
Jack was a brave lad, as we know, and carried himself well through many dangerous situations. But he was not the dauntless hero of a nickel novel whom nothing could scare. He knew Jarrow for a desperado and, although he could not bring himself to believe the man would actually carry out any such threat as he had made, still he realized to the full the peril of his situation.
"Well, what do you say?" demanded Jarrow, after a pause.
"I don't know just what to say," said Jack. "My head is all in a whirl. Give me time to think the thing over. I can hardly collect my thoughts at present."
The men made some further attempts to get something out of him, but, finding him obdurate, they ordered Bill to see that his bonds were tight and then to put him in the "inner room" he had spoken of. Bill gave the ropes a savage yank, found they were tight and then led Jack to a green door at the farther end of the large room. Jack had a glimpse of a square room with a broad fireplace at one end and a small window. It appeared to be used as a storehouse of some kind, for it was half filled with bags, apparently containing potatoes. In one corner stood a grindstone operated by a treadle. Then the door was shut with a bang, and he was left to his own, none-too-pleasant reflections. Outside he could hear the buzz of voices. But he couldn't catch much of what was being said. Once he heard Jarrow say:
"You're too soft with the boy. A good lashing with a black-snake would bring him to his senses quick enough."
"I'd like to lay it on," he heard Donald chime in.
At last they appeared to grow sleepy. Jack heard a key turned in the lock of the inner room that he occupied and not long thereafter came the sound of snores. Evidently nobody was on guard, the men who had captured him thinking that there was no chance of the boy's escape.
"Now's my chance," thought Jack. "If only I could get my hands free, I might be able to do something. But, as it is, I'm helpless."
His heart sank once more, as he thought bitterly of the predicament into which his own foolhardiness had drawn him.