“They said something about him writing home for more money to buy another motor boat,” Joe replied. “And Clarence said he never would do it, not even if they tortured him. But I’m afraid a few more kickings like they gave us will break down his spirit.”
“Then you managed to escape?” Jack went on, wishing to learn the whole thing.
“Yes. I worked loose, and slipped away when neither of ’em was lookin’,” answered the ragged and dirty figure. “But give me some more grub, fellers. I’m starving, I tell you. They refused to give us a bite to eat till Clarence agreed to do all they wanted of him. Anything, so’s I can fill up. I’ve got a hole down there that feels like Mammoth Cave.”
Again it was Nick who hastened to procure another stock of eatables, crackers and cheese, or anything else that came handy.
“When did you escape, Joe?” asked Jack, seriously as though some plan had already started to form in his active brain.
“Don’t know for sure,” replied the exhausted one. “Sometime after noon, though. They was layin’ down and snoozing when I got free. I wanted to find a knife, and cut Clarence loose too; but the risk scared me. And Clarence, he told me to hurry and get off for help. You see, one of the men was sitting up, and rubbing his eyes; so I just sneaked away.”
“Did they follow after you, Joe?” asked George.
“Never waited to see,” replied the other, “but just cut stick, and hurried off. Oh! I’ve had an awful time getting along near the shore. Dassent get out of sight of the lake because you see I was that scared I’d get lost. I tumbled a thousand times, cut my head and hands on the rocks, nearly slipped into the lake twice, and was just ready to lay down and die, when night came on. Then I saw a fire over here, and just managed to make the riffle. Give you my word, fellers, if it’d been half a mile more I never’d got to camp.”
“Then Clarence is still in the hands of those two rascals?” Jack asked.