“All right now, let’s get going,” Captain Jim ordered. “We’ll go back to camp and pack up and then hit the trail for Jackman. No we won’t either. On second thought I think we had better take these birds straight to Bangor.”
“Now I want you fellows to pay strict attention to what I’m going to say. I hate a man who’ll sell whiskey worse than poison and have more respect for a snake so you can easily figure out about what I think of you. Now I’m going to take you to Bangor either alive or dead and it doesn’t make a whole lot of difference to me which. Now I reckon you understand what I mean.”
They had disarmed the men before leaving them to search the cabin and now, with them handcuffed Bob felt that there could be no trouble.
The prisoners made no reply to the Captain’s statement but it was evident to Bob that they thoroughly understood what he meant.
As soon as they got back to the place where they had camped they prepared a hasty lunch and by one o’clock were ready for the start.
“Can’t you take these things off?” the little man asked holding out his hands. “It’s mighty hard work going through the woods without the use of your hands. We won’t start anything.”
“Not much,” the Captain replied. “You ought to have thought of the inconveniences of this business before you took it up. Smuggling diamonds is I fancy much safer and it’s a pity that you didn’t stick to it. No, I’m not going to take one little bit of a chance. I imagine you can get through all right without your hands if you are careful. Anyhow you’ve got to. That’s all.”
The man scowled and turned away muttering something which Bob failed to catch.
To travel through the thick forest without the use of one’s hands to protect the face from the twigs and branches is indeed a hardship and Bob could not help a feeling of pity for the prisoners. But he knew that the Captain was doing exactly right in refusing to free their hands. They were men of the most desperate character and, knowing that a long term in prison at hard labor awaited them, they would be sure to take advantage of the first opportunity that offered the least chance of escape. As the Captain had said they must take their medicine.
But the Captain was by no means cruel and he set a slow pace in order to make it as easy for them as possible without taking a chance. That night they camped beside a brook and Bob caught a good mess of trout for supper much to the delight of all even including the prisoners.