CHAPTER XV. DANGEROUS WORK.

Having disposed of the dogs, Tom stepped cautiously into the house, and I moved up as near the door as I dared, to take the guns as he passed them out, not forgetting meanwhile to keep my eye on the Indians, as he had directed.

Once I ventured to look in at the door, and when I saw the sight the inside of the cabin presented, I wondered that Tom’s heart did not fail him. There were no beds in the room, and the forms of Luke Redman and his boys were scattered over the floor in such positions that Tom was obliged to step over one or two of them in order to reach the guns, which I saw were stacked in the furthest corner of the cabin, with the powder-flasks and shot-pouches belonging to them hanging from their muzzles. Luke, looking like a giant among pigmies, lay 232stretched out on his blanket in the middle of the floor, one powerful arm thrown over his head, and the other passed through the handles of the valise, which he had hugged close to his side.

This was a most discouraging sight. I thought the money might as well have been locked up in some iron safe.

Tom, who had not failed to make the best use of his eyes, quickly discovered that he had something of a task before him, but I could see that he was not disheartened by it. The frown on his face deepened, and a determined expression settled about his mouth. He placed his hand on one of the guns, and then turned to look at Luke, as if thinking up some plan to secure the valise, when a powder-flask, loosened from its fastening, fell with a loud noise on the floor.

“What’s that ar?” growled Barney, raising himself on his elbow so suddenly that I was almost ready to believe that he had been merely feigning sleep on purpose to be ready to catch Tom.

He rubbed his eyes as he gazed stupidly about the room, and I, knowing that I could 233not stir without attracting his attention, remained perfectly motionless. Tom dropped on the instant, and, with a quickness that was astonishing, stretched himself at full length on the floor. If Barney saw him at all, he probably thought he was one of his companions.

The leader of the Dragoons was too sleepy to spend much time or energy in investigating the cause of the disturbance. He yawned once or twice, and, reaching out his hand, took a gourd from a nail over his head, dipped it into a bucket of water that stood close by, and while he was drinking, I could have vowed that his eyes were fastened squarely on my face.

I stood just outside the door, in plain sight, and how it happened that he did not discover me, I can not tell; but it was very evident that he did not, for when he had satisfied his thirst, he returned the gourd to its nail, rolled over on his blanket, and, with one arm under his head for a pillow, speedily went off into the land of dreams again.

For full five minutes my companion in the corner remained so motionless that he scarcely seemed to breathe. At the end of that time a 234faint snore coming from Barney’s direction mingled with the others, and that must have satisfied Tom that the danger was passed, for in a second he was on his feet again.

He at once turned his attention to the guns, and to my surprise, instead of selecting two of the weapons, he began to load himself down with them. When he had collected all he could carry, he stepped cautiously over the prostrate forms and came out of the cabin.

“Joe,” he whispered excitedly, as I accompanied him toward the grape-vine at the foot of the bluff, “I have just thought of something grand. Those fellows may wake up and pursue us before we can reach a place of safety; and wouldn’t it be a good plan to take all their guns away from them?”

“It would, indeed,” I replied; “but you will have to make two or three trips to bring them.”

“Oh, I can carry them all at one more load, and then I’ll go back for that money.”

“Tom, you had better give that up,” said I. “You will only put yourself in danger for 235nothing, for you can’t get that valise without waking Luke Redman.”

“Can’t I? Well, I’ll show you that I can. I know just how to do it. Now, Joe, while I am gone you had better pick out two guns—be sure and get the best—and hide the others under this grape-vine. They’ll never think of looking for them there.”

Tom went into the house again, and I hastened to carry out his suggestions. As the Indians had left their guns in the cabin with the others, I found my own double-barrel among those Tom had brought out, and also Sandy’s, of both of which I took possession.

After slinging the powder-flasks and shot-pouches which belonged to them over my shoulder, I dropped the ramrods into the weapons, and found that they contained more than five fingers of a load. They were heavily charged with buckshot, which would be just the thing for knocking over those fierce bloodhounds, if they were put on our trail.

I then proceeded to conceal the other guns among the leaves and bushes about the root of the grape-vine; and while thus engaged, it 236struck me that it would be a good plan to put it out of the power of our enemies to use the weapons, even if they found them. This I conceived to be a bright idea, and I carried it out by emptying the contents of the shot-bags and powder-flasks upon the ground, those I carried over my shoulder of course excepted.

By the time this had been done, Tom appeared with another armful of guns.

“Those fellows are the soundest sleepers I ever saw,” he whispered. “I’d like to be introduced to the man or boy who could fool about my bed that way without arousing me, even if I had been in the saddle all night. Now, put those shooting-irons out of sight somewhere, and watch me get that valise. Keep the guns you have selected in your hands, and also my boots, so that we can be ready to start for the horses the instant I come out.”

Tom moved off again, and I remained behind to hide the guns he had last brought out. This done I glanced toward the camp-fire, to make sure that the Indians were still asleep, and then crept to the door of the cabin and looked 237in. Tom was kneeling on the floor beside Luke Redman, and when I caught sight of him, he was in the act of drawing from his pocket a huge clasp-knife, which he opened with his teeth. He made two quick passes with the keen blade, and the handles of the valise fell apart.

That much was done, and now came the most difficult part of the whole operation. Tom had no doubt thought over all the details of his plan; for after shutting up the knife and putting it into his pocket, he seized the valise with both hands, and slowly and cautiously raised it from the floor. The sinewy arm that clasped it slipped easily over its glossy leathern surface, and presently rested at full length on the blanket, while Tom lifted his prize above his head in triumph.

Our luck, which had thus far been all that we could have desired, now began to change. The robber suddenly stirred in his sleep, and probably from the force of habit, threw out his arm as if to embrace some object. He expected, no doubt, to feel the weight of the valise, but his arm passed through the empty air and fell 238upon the floor again. This aroused him at once. Opening his eyes and discovering Tom kneeling at his side, he comprehended the situation in an instant.

“Hallo, here!” he shouted, in his stentorian voice; “drop that ar’ carpet-sack.”

As quick as thought, Tom started to his feet, and made an effort to leap over the robber; but it so happened that the latter arose to a sitting posture at the same moment, and this brought his head and Tom’s feet in violent contact. The result was that one fell heavily back upon his blanket, while the other flew headlong through the air and out at the door as if he had been thrown from a catapult. It was plain that Luke Redman had the worst of it, for he lay motionless where he had fallen, while Tom, who had clung manfully to the valise, was on his feet again almost as soon as he touched the ground.

“Now, Joe, we’ve got work before us,” said he, hurriedly. “We can’t get our horses, and consequently we must trust to our heels.”

While Tom was putting on his boots—I never saw a boy get into a pair in less time 239than he did on that occasion—I looked toward the camp-fire and saw that he was right when he said that we must abandon the idea of escaping by the aid of our horses. The Indians had been awakened by Luke Redman’s voice, and were hurrying toward us. In order to reach our nags, we would be obliged to pass directly through their ranks, and that was something we were not foolish enough to attempt.

“Give me one of the guns, Joe, and keep close behind me,” said Tom, who seemed to know just what ought to be done. “Watch the dogs, and don’t let them come too close.”

The Swamp Dragoons, who had been aroused by this time, were not long in finding out what was going on. Some of them hurried to the corner where they had left their guns, while Barney thrust his head out of the door and shouted for his hounds.

“Hi! hi!” he yelled. “Take ’em, you rascals! Here, Nero! here, Growler!”

Tom and I were not standing idle all this while. The instant he was fairly into his boots we commenced our flight; but although 240we made the very best use of our legs, we did not reach the cane in time to escape discovery by the hounds. They were quick to respond to the calls of their master. A hoarse yelp sounded behind us, and looking over my shoulder, I saw the dogs advancing in a body, Growler and Nero leading the way.