When he gave the word, Ginger and the boys were to jump in by way of the open door. Meantime he expected to thrust his arm through the window and cover the pair of desperate rascals with the revolver he had brought along. Mr. Garrabrant gave evidence of being in deadly earnest, for he knew that was a serious matter that confronted them, and one not to be handled with gloves.
When he heard Elmer give the cry of the whip-poor-will three times he knew they were all in their places. Accordingly, he suddenly thrust his arm through the small window that had no glass, and covered one of the men with his weapon.
"Stand still, both of you! The hut is surrounded, and if you try to escape or offer resistance it will be the worse for you! Seize them, men!"
As Mr. Garrabrant called this out, and the two astonished scoundrels sat there, utterly unable to collect their senses, such was the complete surprise, through the doorway tumbled a crowd that hurled itself upon them. Before they could grasp the fact that with one exception these were only half-grown boys, wearing the khaki uniforms of the scouts, and not regular soldiers, the men had their hands tied behind them.
As they realized how completely they had been caught napping both of them started on a string of hard words, and looked daggers at their young captors.
"Stop that, now!" Mr. Garrabrant exclaimed, as he made his appearance in the hut, "or I shall be under the painful necessity of putting gags between your teeth. Not another word from either of you, remember!"
Perhaps they recognized the tone of authority, or it may have been that they had no desire to force him to put his threat into execution. At any rate, they took it out in deep mumblings after that.
The scout master saw to it himself that their lashings were secure. Some of the boys had carried along a new supply of food for Abe and his family, understanding the inroads that had been made in their limited stock.
The sick man was full of gratitude for this second rescue on the part of his new-found friends. He told them how these two scoundrels had come to his cabin and taken possession—that he knew who they were, but that some years back they had been honest charcoal burners the same as himself.
"Well," said Mr. Garrabrant, "they graduated from that honest class some time ago, and have made names for themselves as yeggmen and thieves. They are badly wanted right now in Rockaway, where some months back they robbed a residence, and nearly killed a butler who caught them in the act, and recognized them too. Boys, when you feel rested, we will be on our way back to camp with our prisoners. To-morrow I shall take them down the river in a boat, and deliver them over to the authorities."