Jean LeBlanc’s face wore a diabolic smile as he took from his mouth the big-bowled pipe that he was smoking.
“Once I saw an Indian torture a man to get from him a secret,” he said. “It was oh, so easy. All that he did was to thrust the man’s fingers, one by one, into the pipe bowl, and after the fifth finger, the man gave in.”
Dick shuddered in spite of himself. He had heard of this Indian method of torture, and knew that LeBlanc was not only capable of doing it, but would take a fiendish pleasure in the operation.
“Then if that fails, which I doubt, I give you warning that your chums will be seized on some pretext and sent out seemingly to jail with LeBlanc as their guard, and once away from the camp, will be given to him to do as he pleases,” said Barrows. “Now do you think you will write that letter?”
Dick had resolved on submitting to the torture before writing the letter, but this last threat made him change his mind. He could afford to take no chances with the safety, and perhaps the lives, of his chums, by refusing to write. In the meantime his mind was busy trying to conjure up some way of warning them that it was a trap.
He took the scrap of paper that was offered to him, and began to write. As the letter drew near its close, he hastily constructed the cryptogram which our readers are already aware of.
Barrows took the note and read it carefully, turning it over to see that there was not other writing on the back, and scanning it for some sign of warning. Dick was afraid that he would decipher the simple code, but was relieved when Barrows crumpled the note to give it the appearance of having been carried some few hours, and then put it in his pocket.
He was ordered back into the cellar, and there was nothing to do but obey. The trap was closed and he heard the rolling of barrels, then all was still.
Dick wondered what plot was in the wind, but was unable to puzzle it out. He finally decided that it was only another private scheme of Barrows to get money, and a thousand dollars would be a pretty good haul.
He gave up trying to solve the riddle, and lying on the floor stared into the darkness.