The station agent, a long, lanky native of the woods, was sitting with his back to him, looking over the orders left him by the conductor. His back was to Jack, but at his tumultuous entrance he sprang to his feet in alarm. Jack’s appearance was not prepossessing. His forehead was still covered with clotted blood, his hat was gone, his eyes were blazing. Less than that might have startled the agent, used to the slow and quiet ways of that isolated spot. For one brief moment he thought of a hold-up. In a moment he had slammed the cash drawer shut and reached for a pistol that lay on his desk. A second glance, however, showed him that it was no robbery he had to fear.
“Tell me,” gasped Jack, “can I get a horse around here anywhere?”
“Why, no, son,” replied the agent. “There isn’t anything less than a mile from here and that old plug ain’t no good. He’s too lazy even to switch the flies off him. What do you want him for?”
In quick, broken sentences Jack told him the danger. The station agent became grave and frightened. “And Mr. Scott is with him too,” he said. “That was him as got off the train and drove off with Flannigan. He has come up to look over affairs at the logging camp. He ain’t very husky, and I don’t know what would happen to him if it came to a scrap. Flannigan’s all right, but ’tain’t at all likely he can beat off two men if they take him by surprise. There ain’t no telegraph station down here and there ain’t no telephone, either, in these woods. What on earth are we going to do?”
Jack thought quickly. His brain never worked more swiftly than when in the midst of danger. There was nothing to hope for from the station agent. He put his head in his hands and tried to think.
Suddenly he remembered.
The road was hilly and roundabout, the horse was old and staid and would probably go along just at a jog trot. He had noticed that they had driven away slowly. Mr. Scott would have a lot to talk about on matters connected with the camp, and they would be so engrossed in talking that the old horse could jog along at his own gait. Could he not intercept them?
A great deal of work had been done near the station by the young pathfinders. Among other things, they had made a rough survey of a proposed path that, starting near the Junction, had led almost in a straight line to a point five miles distant, where it struck the road along which Flannigan was driving. At intervals of half a mile they had set up stakes with fluttering cloths tied to them, to mark the most easily traveled path between the two points. He happened to know that the work had been done well. He himself had led the squad that planted the stakes and remembered clearly the general directions. If he could only run across country and get to the main road, he might beat Flannigan to it despite the heavy handicap. In all the games of hares and hounds he had been easily the central figure. When with the hares he had rarely been captured; when with the hounds he had always brought a hare back captive. Now was the time to show his speed. If he could do this much in games merely, what ought he to do when lives were at stake?
An instant later the astonished station agent saw Jack bolt out of the station, running like a frightened rabbit. The ground flew away under him; the wind sang in his ears; his heart was beating like a trip hammer. Lives hung on his speed that day, and he would win or die trying.
The terrific pace at which he started soon began to tell and now that he was fairly on his way, he had time to think. He was going the pace that kills, and he realized that he must husband his speed. There was no use throwing the game away at the very start. At the rate he was now going, he would be blown before he had made a mile, and five good miles lay before him. So while his instinct pushed him on at top speed, his judgment began to get the upper hand. He must hold himself in, he must watch the path, he must save his strength. He fell into a swift lope that carried him over the ground with great rapidity, but still left him strength in reserve. He must keep that reserve until the last minute.