CHAPTER XXXVIII.THE ESCAPE.
Dick heard a cry and caught a glimpse of the figure which dropped back behind the bushes. Shouting to his companions, he whirled to the roadside and knelt over Lynch, whom he found stretched unconscious upon the ground.
When Mike revived he found them working over him, and the boy he had so bitterly hated, the boy he had fancied dead, was one of them.
“Take him away! take him away!” cried Lynch, struggling weakly and staring at Dick with unutterable horror. “He’s dead! Don’t let him touch me!”
“He means you, partner,” said Buckhart. “I sure reckon he’s some disturbed to see you alive and kicking.”
“He’s dead!” groaned Mike. “I killed him, but I didn’t mean to do it. I wanted to run him down and let him swim for it. That’s all. I didn’t think he would drown, but I killed him, and I’m a murderer! There, I’ve confessed it now! You all hear me—I’ve confessed it! I killed him! Hang me! I suppose they will. Don’t let him look at me like that. Take him away—please take him away! Don’t look at me, Merriwell! I can’t bear those eyes. I felt you following at my heels last night. I saw you when you appeared to us at Fred’s. Even after I locked myself in my own room I knew you were near. I couldn’t stand it long. It was too much for me. You’ve forced me to confess at last. You’ve made me put my neck in a noose. Now you should be satisfied.”
In vain they had tried to check his panting flow of words, but now Dick managed to make his voice heard, speaking quietly and soothingly.
“I’m no ghost, Lynch. I’m here in the flesh. You didn’t drown me. I’m glad to know that you didn’t really try to drown me. I couldn’t think that of you, revengeful as I know you to be. Look here, touch my hand and satisfy yourself that I’m living.”
But when he held out his hand to Lynch the fellow writhed and squirmed and rolled away, shrieking with fear until his lips were covered with froth.
“Great horn spoon!” muttered the Texan. “That gent is pretty near daffy, partner. Never expected to see him go to pieces like that.”
“Keep him away from me!” shrieked Mike. “Don’t let him touch me! Let me go! Help me to my feet!”
It was with the utmost difficulty that they prevented him from rising and taking flight. Indeed he did get upon his feet and stagger out to the road, fighting them all off as they sought to assist him.
A farm wagon, bound for town, came along, drawn by two scraggy horses. On the seat sat a bewhiskered old fellow who regarded the boys with no small curiosity.
“Hey!” he called, pulling up the horses. “What’s the matter with that fellow, anyhaow? Goshfry mighty, he acts as if he was purty nigh crazy! Guess he must have been hittin’ up somebody’s hard cider, hey? Jerusalem! but they do git an awful jag when they fill up on cider. I know haow it is, for I’ve been there myself. The gosh-derned stuff makes ye act like all thutteration. What’s he sayin’ a-yappin’ about spooks and dead folks and things like that? By gum! I guess you fellers better take keer of him. Be you his friends? Waal, you better git him to a doctor jest as soon as you ken. Put him in my waggin? ’Course you ken. Jest ketch right holt and h’ist him aboard. Couple of ye better come along with him to keep himquiet. I’ll only charge ye twenty-five cents apiece to take you clean into the city, and that’s cheap enough, by gum!”
So Lynch was tossed aboard the old farm wagon, and two of the boys clambered in after him. Not until the strip of woods was left far behind did Mike quiet down and become amenable to reason. Even then when they attempted to explain he grew violent and shriekingly forbade them to mention Merriwell’s name.
Brad Buckhart remained with Dick and the others who decided to complete the morning run ere retracing their steps.
“Partner,” said the Texan, as they were again jogging along the road, “I sure reckon you have accomplished your object with that gent. He’s just about as near bughouse as any galoot I ever saw.”
“Yes,” agreed Dick, “I think he has been properly punished. I’m willing to let up on him now, and I hope he comes out without going clean daffy.”
A moment before the sharp prow of the steam launch struck Buckhart’sSallie, Dick realized the collision could not be averted, rose to his feet, and made a headlong dive into the water. His action was not seen by Buckhart, whose eyes were fastened on the launch.
Understanding the danger of being hit by the whirling propeller of the launch, Merriwell dove as deep as possible. With powerful strokes he swam some distance beneath the water. When compelled to rise to the surface, he turned his head and found that the launch had passed over him and was some distance away.
He wondered what had become of Brad and looked around in vain for some sign of his companion. Near at hand swung a vessel at anchor. Toward this Dickswam, reaching its side and seizing a hawser which dangled to the water’s edge.
As he clung there in the deep shadow of the vessel he discovered that the launch had slackened its speed and was swinging round on its course. Across the intervening water came the sound of excited voices. Brad Buckhart was hotly denouncing the fellows who had cut down the rowboat.
A great wave of relief swept over Dick, for he knew now that in some manner the Texan had escaped and was on board the launch.
Dick’s first inclination was to raise a shout and announce that he also was safe and unharmed. This was suppressed almost instantly by a desire to wait and see what would happen, and so, clinging to the hawser there in the dark shadow of the vessel with only his head above the surface of the water, the boy watched and listened.
Like Brad, Merriwell believed the rowboat had been cut down by deliberate intent. On discovering that Lynch and Ditson were aboard the launch, this belief became a fixed certainty in Dick’s mind.
The launch slid slowly past, with Buckhart vainly straining his eyes for some glimpse of his chum.
“It’s awfully tough on Brad,” thought Dick; “but I’m more than willing those other fellows should think I’ve been drowned. If they have a conscience, it ought to prick them a little.”
Pulling at the hawser, he found that it was secure, and when the launch had passed he lost little time in lifting himself up by the rope, hand over hand, and, rolling over the rail of the vessel, dropped to the deck.
From the vessel Dick watched the launch as the afterglow of sunset died in the west, and night spread its sable wings above the world. He saw other boatsjoin in the search, but still he declined to make known the fact that he had escaped.
A huge colored man, stretching his arms, and yawning, appeared on deck from below.
“Mah golly!” he muttered. “Ah must hab slept like a log. Why, it’s gone got dark areddy, and Ah ain’t lit dem lights. If de cap’n evah foun’ dat out, Ah’d ketch it. Ah guess Ah’ll hurry up about gittin’ dem lights lit. Yes, sah!”
“That’s right, Sambo,” said Dick, in a low tone, as he stepped out and confronted the negro. “You better get onto your job.”
“Fo’ laws sake!” gasped the colored man, starting back. “Where yo’ come from, maan? How’d yo’ git on dis yere vessel? What yo’ doin’ on dis yere vessel? By golly! Ah guess yo’ one ob dem pirate thieves dat goes round stealin’ from vessels, ain’t yer? Now, yo’ keep yo’ distance. Don’ come near dis nigger, fo’ Ah’ll crack your skull jes’ as sure’s yo’ do. Ah’s a baad maan, Ah is. Mah name is Thomas Jefferson Jackson Jones, and Ah’s dangerous when Ah gits mah mad up. If Ah eber hits yo’ wif one of dese mauls ob mine, dat will be yo’ funeral, maan. Yo’ll ride along wif de flowers in de front carriage, and yo’ won’t hear none of de music. Yes, sir; yes, sir! Ah’s dangerous!”
“You look it,” laughed Dick, for through the darkness he could see the darky’s eyes rolling with terror, and it seemed that the fellow’s shaking knees would melt beneath him. “Don’t let my accidental presence on board the vessel disturb you.”
“Oh, Ah’s not disturbed in the slightes’ declivity,” hastily retorted Thomas Jefferson Jackson Jones. “Ah’s puffeckly caam and placated, Ah is. Ah’s a maan dat nebber takes no chances. Always carries a razzor in mah pocket for ’mergencies. Yes, sah!”
“Well, let your razor stay in your pocket,” said Dick. “You won’t have to use it. Be kind enough to do me a favor—don’t speak quite so loud. I’ll explain how you came to find me here.”
The darky listened with an air of doubt to Dick’s words, but the boy called his attention to the fact that the launch and a number of small boats were moving about near the spot where the collision had occurred.
“They’re still searching for me,” said Merriwell. “For certain reasons I don’t want them to know I escaped. I want them to think I was drowned. Now, Sambo, I’m going to make you a proposition.”
“Ah beliebe Ah ’stinctly tol’ you mah name is Thomas Jefferson Jackson Jones. Yo’ll kindly deflane from callin’ me Sambo, sah.”
“All right, Thomas,” laughed Dick. “I see you’re very sensitive. I have no desire to hurt your tender feelings. Instead of that, I feel very friendly toward you. After you have lighted those lamps you can make five dollars by taking a boat and setting me ashore.”
“Ah ain’t s’posed to leabe dis vessel, sah,” said the colored man, “but if Ah saw a five-dollar bill a-comin’ mah way, Ah might be injewsed to leave it fo’ a short time.”
The boy brought out some money, and finally succeeded in peeling a dripping five-dollar bill from the small roll.
“It’s the real stuff, Thomas,” he said. “If you give me your word that you’ll set me ashore, and say nothing about it, the money is yours.”
“Mah word is jes’ as good as mah bond,” chuckled the negro, “and dey ain’t either one wuth a tinker’s rap. Yah! yah! yah! But when Ah see a five-dollar William comin’ mah way, Ah’s ready fo’ almos’ anything.Yo’ hol’ up, maan, till Ah gets dem lamps lighted. Ah’ll be wif yer in jes’ about two seconds.”
Made secure by a painter, a boat lay floating under the stern of the vessel. When the colored man had set the lamp he returned and drew this boat up on the port side of the vessel and dropped into it along with Merriwell. It was now dark, so Dick was not recognized by any of the searchers, and therefore his plan of deception was carried through successfully.