“Oh, you’ll send word all right enough before we get through with you,” replied Davenport suggestively.
Then the boys were hustled back into their prison and additional chains were placed upon the logs. After that a regular guard was stationed at the entrance to the cave, so that another escape would be impossible.
CHAPTER XXIX
ANOTHER DEMAND
A week dragged wearily by and the four Rover boys still found themselves prisoners of Carson Davenport and his gang.
During that time they had been given no chance to escape. For two days they were kept in the close confinement of the cave and after that they were taken out each day for several hours so that they might enjoy the fresh air and the sunshine. But when this was done each had his hands tied behind him and was fastened by a rope to one of the trees while not less than two of the men sat near by, guns handy, to guard them.
“Gee, we couldn’t be any worse off if we were in a regular prison,” was the way Randy expressed himself.
“If we were in a regular prison I think the food would be better,” answered Fred.
For the first three days the food supplied to them had been fairly good. But now it was becoming worse every day. That morning they had had the vilest of coffee and bread that was musty and old, and the previous evening the stew offered to them had made the twins sick.
They were satisfied that Davenport and his crowd were negotiating with not only the twins’ father but with the fathers of Jack and Fred. But they were given only a slight inkling of how matters were progressing. Then they heard the oil man tell Jackson and Tate that he expected Booster to arrive soon.