CHAPTER XXX
CAPTURED
A rough hand closed over Dorothy’s mouth, shutting off her breath, strangling her. In an instant Tavia and Joe were similarly gagged and helpless.
There was a silence during which their captors waited breathlessly, hoping that the horseman had not heard the cry, would pass the cave by.
For a moment, remembering how well the spot was concealed, Dorothy was horribly afraid that this might actually happen. If it was really Garry coming! If he had heard her!
But the clattering hoofs still came on. She could hear the shouts of the riders, Garry’s voice, calling her name!
She felt herself released with a suddenness and violence that sent her reeling toward the rear of the cave. The men were making for the entrance, jostling one another and snarling in their efforts to escape.
The men out of sight beyond the huge rock, Dorothy and Tavia rushed to the cave mouth, leaving poor Joe to limp painfully after them, just in time to see the knaves disappear among the trees.
The next moment a horseman broke through the underbrush, charging straight for them. It was Garry!
At sight of Dorothy he pulled his horse to its haunches, drawing in his breath in a sharp exclamation.
“Dorothy! Thank heaven! I thought——”
“Never mind about us, Garry. They went over that way—the men you are after!”
She pointed in the direction the men had disappeared and Garry nodded. The next moment he had spurred his pony in pursuit, followed by several other horsemen who had come up behind him.
The girls watched them go, and Joe, coming up behind them, laid a dirty hand upon his sister’s shoulder.
“You—you were great, Sis, to those men!” he said awkwardly. “I was awfully proud of you.”
Dorothy smiled through tears and, taking Joe’s grimy hand, pressed it against her cheek.
“It is so wonderful to have you again, dear!” she said huskily.
They were back again in a moment, Garry and his men, bringing with them two captives—the big-framed, loose-lipped fellow who had first taunted Joe in the cave, and George Lightly.
By Garry’s face it was easy to see he was in no mood to deal gently with his prisoners.
He dismounted, threw the bridle to one of the men, and approached the big fellow whom he knew to be a tool of the Larrimer gang.
The fellow was sullen and glowering, but Garry was a good enough judge to guess that beneath this exterior the fellow was ready to break.
“Now then,” Garry said coolly, as he pressed the muzzle of his revolver in uncomfortable proximity to the ribs of his prisoner, “you tell us what you were doing in that cave over there and you’ll go scot free. Otherwise, it’s jail for you—if not worse. My men,” he added, in a gentle drawl, “are just hankering to take part in a lynching party. It’s a right smart time since they have been treated to that sort of entertainment, and they are just ripe for a little excitement. How about it, boys, am I right?”
There came an ominous murmur from the “boys” that caused the prisoner to look up at them quickly and then down again at his shuffling feet.
Lightly tried to interfere, but Garry silenced him sharply.
“You hankering to be in this lynching party, too?” he inquired, adding gratingly: “Because if you are not, I’d advise you to keep your mouth tight shut!”
It was not long before the captive yielded to the insistence of that revolver muzzle pressed beneath his fifth rib and made a clean breast of the whole ugly business. Possibly the invitation to the lynching party had something to do with his surrender.
As he stutteringly and sullenly revealed the plot which would have forced Garry to the sale of his lands to insure the safety of his fiancée’s brother, Garry jotted down the complete confession in his notebook and at the conclusion forced both his prisoners at the point of his revolver to sign the document.
Then Garry turned to two of the cowboys, who had been looking on with appreciative grins.
“Here, Steve, and you, Gay, take these two worms to town and see that they are put where they belong,” he ordered, and the two boys leaped to the task eagerly. “You others go help the boys round up the rest of the gentlemen mentioned in this valuable document,” and he tapped the confession with a cheerful grin. “So long, you fellows!”
They waved their hats at him, wheeled their ponies joyfully, and were off to do his bidding.
Then it was that Garry came toward Dorothy, his arms outstretched. It is doubtful if at that moment he even saw Joe and Tavia standing there.
Dorothy took a step toward him and suddenly the whole world seemed to rock and whirl about her. She flung out her hand and grasped nothing but air. Then down, down into fathomless space and nothingness!
Dorothy opened her eyes again to find herself in a bed whose softness and cleanliness meant untold luxury to her. Her body ached all over, horribly, and her head ached too.
She closed her eyes, but there was a movement beside the bed that made her open them again swiftly. Somebody had coughed, and it had sounded like Joe.
She turned over slowly, discovering new aches and pains as she did so, and saw that it was indeed Joe sitting there, his eyes fixed hungrily upon her.
She opened her arms and he ran to her and knelt beside the bed.
“Aw, now, don’t go to crying, Sis,” he said, patting her shoulder awkwardly. “They said if I bothered you they wouldn’t let me stay.”
“I’d like to see them get you away,” cried Dorothy. “Joe, sit back a little bit and let me look at you. I can’t believe it’s you!”
“But I did an awful thing, Dot,” he said, hanging his head. “You’d better let me tell you about it before you get too glad I’m back.”
“Tell me about it then, dear,” said Dorothy quietly. “I’ve been wanting to know just why you ran away.”
“It was all because of the fire at Haskell’s toy store,” said Joe, speaking swiftly, as though he would be glad to get the explanation over. “Jack Popella said the explosion was all my fault and he told me I would be put in prison——”
“But just what _did_ you do?” Dorothy insisted.
“Well, it was like this.” Joe took a long breath, glanced up at her, then turned his eyes away again. “Jack had a fight with Mr. Haskell over some money he picked up in the road. Mr. Haskell said he stole it from his cash drawer, but Jack kept on saying he found it in the road. I shouldn’t wonder if he did steal it though, at that,” Joe went on, thoughtfully, and for the first time Dorothy looked at him accusingly.
“You know I begged you not to have anything to do with Jack Popella, Joe.”
The lad hung his head and flushed scarlet.
“I know you did. I won’t ever, any more.”
“All right, dear. Tell me what happened then.”
“Jack was so mad at Mr. Haskell he said he would like to knock down all the boxes in the room back of his store just to get even. He asked me to help him and—just for fun—I said sure I would. Then he told me to go on in and get started and he would come in a minute.
“I knocked down a couple of boxes,” Joe continued, after a strained silence. “And then—the explosion came. Jack said I was to blame and—the—the cops were after me. I wasn’t going to let them send me to prison,” he lifted his head with a sort of bravado and met Dorothy’s gaze steadily. “So—so I came out West to Garry.”
“And you are going back again with me, Joe,” said his sister firmly. “It was cowardly to run away. Now you will have to face the music!”
Joe hung his head for a moment, then squared his shoulders and looked bravely at Dorothy.
“All right, Dot. I guess it was kind of sneaking to run away. I—I’m awful sorry.”
The door opened softly behind them and Tavia poked her head in.
“My goodness gracious, Doro Doodlekins,” she cried, “you look as bright as a button. First thing you know I’ll be minus a patient.”
Dorothy propped herself up on her elbow and stared at her chum.
“Tavia, we must send a telegram immediately,” she cried. “The Major must know that Joe is safe.”
Tavia came over and smoothed her pillow fondly.
“Foolish child, did you think no one but you would think of that?” she chided. “Garry sent one of the boys to Dugonne with orders to send a night letter to The Cedars telling everything that happened. That was after you fainted, you know, and we brought you here.”
“Such a foolish thing to do,” sighed Dorothy, sinking back on her pillow. “What must Garry think of me?”
“Suppose I let him answer that for himself,” suggested the flyaway, and before Dorothy could protest she had seized Joe by the arm and escorted him gently from the room. A moment later Dorothy could hear Tavia calling to Garry that he was “needed very much upstairs.”
Dorothy closed her eyes and opened them the next minute to find Garry standing beside the bed, looking down at her. She reached out a hand to him and he took it very gently, kneeling down beside her.
“Joe and Tavia have been telling me how you stood up to those men in the cave, little girl. I only wish I had been there to see you do it. We’ve got them all, by the way, and Stiffbold and Lightly and the rest of them are where they won’t hatch any more schemes in a hurry—thanks to you.”
“Thanks to me?” repeated Dorothy, wondering. “Garry, why?”
“I never would have discovered that cave if I hadn’t heard you call out,” Garry explained. “That hole in the mountainside was the coziest little retreat I ever saw.”
“Well, I’m glad if I helped a little,” sighed Dorothy. “I was afraid you might be going to scold me.”
“Scold you?” repeated Garry tenderly. “You foolish, little brick!”
It was a long time before Garry remembered something that had once seemed important to him. With an exclamation of dismay he stuck his hand in his pocket and drew forth a yellow envelope.
“Here’s a telegram from The Cedars, and I clean forgot all about it,” he said penitently. “One of the boys brought it from Dugonne where he went to send the telegram to Major Dale. I didn’t mean to keep it, honest I didn’t!”
“Under the circumstances, I don’t blame you in the least,” said Dorothy demurely, as she hastily tore open the telegram.
She read it through, then turned to Garry with shining eyes.
“This is the one thing I needed to make me perfectly happy, Garry,” she said. “Nat says that Jack Popella has been arrested for setting Haskell’s store on fire. That automatically clears Joe of suspicion!”
“That’s great. The poor kid has had more than his share of worry lately. Just wait till he reads that telegram.” And to Tavia, passing the door at that moment, he gave the yellow sheet with the request that she convey it to Joe with all possible speed.
“Just to be comfortable and safe and happy once more,” murmured Dorothy, as Garry came back to her. “It seems very wonderful, Garry.”
“And my job,” said Garry softly, “will be to keep you safe and comfortable and happy for the rest of your life!”
THE END
------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE DOROTHY DALE SERIES
BY MARGARET PENROSE
Author of “The Motor Girls Series,” “Radio Girls Series,” &c.
_12 mo._ _Illustrated_
_Price per volume, $1.00, postpaid_
[Illustration: [Book]]
_Dorothy Dale is the daughter of an old Civil War veteran who is running a weekly newspaper in a small Eastern town. Her sunny disposition, her fun-loving ways and her trials and triumphs make clean, interesting and fascinating reading. The Dorothy Dale Series is one of the most popular series of books for girls ever published._
=DOROTHY DALE: A GIRL OF TO-DAY= =DOROTHY DALE AT GLENWOOD SCHOOL= =DOROTHY DALE’S GREAT SECRET= =DOROTHY DALE AND HER CHUMS= =DOROTHY DALE’S QUEER HOLIDAYS= =DOROTHY DALE’S CAMPING DAYS= =DOROTHY DALE’S SCHOOL RIVALS= =DOROTHY DALE IN THE CITY= =DOROTHY DALE’S PROMISE= =DOROTHY DALE IN THE WEST= =DOROTHY DALE’S STRANGE DISCOVERY= =DOROTHY DALE’S ENGAGEMENT= =DOROTHY DALE TO THE RESCUE=
THE MOTOR GIRLS SERIES
By MARGARET PENROSE
Author of the highly successful “Dorothy Dale Series”
12mo. Illustrated. Price per volume, $1.00 postpaid.
[Illustration: [Book]]
Since the enormous success of our “Motor Boys Series,” by Clarence Young, we have been asked to get out a similar series for girls. No one is better equipped to furnish these tales than Mrs. Penrose, who, besides being an able writer, is an expert automobilist.
THE MOTOR GIRLS _or A Mystery of the Road_
THE MOTOR GIRLS ON A TOUR _or Keeping a Strange Promise_
THE MOTOR GIRLS AT LOOKOUT BEACH _or In Quest of the Runaways_
THE MOTOR GIRLS THROUGH NEW ENGLAND _or Held by the Gypsies_
THE MOTOR GIRLS ON CEDAR LAKE _or The Hermit of Fern Island_
THE MOTOR GIRLS ON THE COAST _or The Waif from the Sea_
THE MOTOR GIRLS ON CRYSTAL BAY _or The Secret of the Red Oar_
THE MOTOR GIRLS ON WATERS BLUE _or The Strange Cruise of the Tartar_
THE MOTOR GIRLS AT CAMP SURPRISE _or The Cave in the Mountain_
THE MOTOR GIRLS IN THE MOUNTAINS _or The Gypsy Girl’s Secret_
THE LINGER-NOT SERIES
BY AGNES MILLER
_12mo._ _Cloth._ _Illustrated._ _Jacket in full colors_
_Price per volume, 65 cents, postpaid_
[Illustration: [Book]]
_This new series of girls’ books is in a new style of story writing. The interest is in knowing the girls and seeing them solve the problems that develop their character. Incidentally, a great deal of historical information is imparted, and a fine atmosphere of responsibility is made pleasing and useful to the reader._
1. THE LINGER-NOTS AND THE MYSTERY HOUSE _or The Story of Nine Adventurous Girls_
How the Linger-Not girls met and formed their club seems commonplace, but this writer makes it fascinating, and how they made their club serve a great purpose continues the interest to the end, and introduces a new type of girlhood.
2. THE LINGER-NOTS AND THE VALLEY FEUD _or The Great West Point Chain_
The Linger-Not girls had no thought of becoming mixed up with feuds or mysteries, but their habit of being useful soon entangled them in some surprising adventures that turned out happily for all, and made the valley better because of their visit.
3. THE LINGER-NOTS AND THEIR GOLDEN QUEST _or The Log of the Ocean Monarch_
For a club of girls to become involved in a mystery leading back into the times of the California gold-rush, seems unnatural until the reader sees how it happened, and how the girls helped one of their friends to come into her rightful name and inheritance, forms a fine story.
THE RADIO GIRLS SERIES
BY MARGARET PENROSE
_12mo._ _Cloth._ _Illustrated._ _Jacket in full colors_
_Price per volume, 65 cents, postpaid_
[Illustration: [Book]]
_A new and up-to-date series, taking in the activities of several bright girls who become interested in radio. The stories tell of thrilling exploits, out-door life and the great part the Radio plays in the adventures of the girls and in solving their mysteries. Fascinating books that girls of all ages will want to read._
1. THE RADIO GIRLS OF ROSELAWN _or A Strange Message from the Air_
Showing how Jessie Norwood and her chums became interested in radiophoning, how they gave a concert for a worthy local charity, and how they received a sudden and unexpected call for help out of the air. A girl wanted as witness in a celebrated law case disappears, and the radio girls go to the rescue.
2. THE RADIO GIRLS ON THE PROGRAM _or Singing and Reciting at the Sending Station_
When listening in on a thrilling recitation or a superb concert number who of us has not longed to “look behind the scenes” to see how it was done? The girls had made the acquaintance of a sending station manager and in this volume are permitted to get on the program, much to their delight. A tale full of action and fun.
3. THE RADIO GIRLS ON STATION ISLAND _or The Wireless from the Steam Yacht_
In this volume the girls travel to the seashore and put in a vacation on an island where is located a big radio sending station. The big brother of one of the girls owns a steam yacht and while out with a pleasure party those on the island receive word by radio that the yacht is on fire. A tale thrilling to the last page.
4. THE RADIO GIRLS AT FOREST LODGE _or The Strange Hut in the Swamp_
The Radio Girls spend several weeks on the shores of a beautiful lake and with their radio get news of a great forest fire. It also aids them in rounding up some undesirable folks who occupy the strange hut in the swamp.
THE BETTY GORDON SERIES
BY ALICE B. EMERSON
_Author of the Famous “Ruth Fielding” Series_
_12mo._ _Cloth._ _Illustrated._ _Jacket in full colors_
_Price per volume, 65 cents, postpaid_
[Illustration: [Book]]
_A series of stories by Alice B. Emerson which are bound to make this writer more popular than ever with her host of girl readers._
1. BETTY GORDON AT BRAMBLE FARM _or The Mystery of a Nobody_
At the age of twelve Betty is left an orphan.
2. BETTY GORDON IN WASHINGTON _or Strange Adventures in a Great City_
In this volume Betty goes to the National Capitol to find her uncle and has several unusual adventures.
3. BETTY GORDON IN THE LAND OF OIL _or The Farm That Was Worth a Fortune_
From Washington the scene is shifted to the great oil fields of our country. A splendid picture of the oil field operations of to-day.
4. BETTY GORDON AT BOARDING SCHOOL _or The Treasure of Indian Chasm_
Seeking the treasure of Indian Chasm makes an exceedingly interesting incident.
5. BETTY GORDON AT MOUNTAIN CAMP _or The Mystery of Ida Bellethorne_
At Mountain Camp Betty found herself in the midst of a mystery involving a girl whom she had previously met in Washington.
6. BETTY GORDON AT OCEAN PARK _or School Chums on the Boardwalk_
A glorious outing that Betty and her chums never forgot.
7. BETTY GORDON AND HER SCHOOL CHUMS _or Bringing the Rebels to Terms_
Rebellious students, disliked teachers and mysterious robberies make a fascinating story.
THE RUTH FIELDING SERIES
BY ALICE B. EMERSON
_12mo._ _Illustrated._ _Price per volume, 65 cents, postpaid_
_Ruth Fielding will live in juvenile Fiction._
[Illustration: [Book]]
=RUTH FIELDING OF THE RED MILL= _or Jasper Parloe’s Secret_
=RUTH FIELDING AT BRIARWOOD HALL= _or Solving the Campus Mystery_
=RUTH FIELDING AT SNOW CAMP= _or Lost in the Backwoods_
=RUTH FIELDING AT LIGHTHOUSE POINT= _or Nita, the Girl Castaway_
=RUTH FIELDING AT SILVER RANCH= _or Schoolgirls Among the Cowboys_
=RUTH FIELDING ON CLIFF ISLAND= _or The Old Hunter’s Treasure Box_
=RUTH FIELDING AT SUNRISE FARM= _or What Became of the Raby Orphans_
=RUTH FIELDING AND THE GYPSIES= _or The Missing Pearl Necklace_
=RUTH FIELDING IN MOVING PICTURES= _or Helping the Dormitory Fund_
=RUTH FIELDING DOWN IN DIXIE= _or Great Days in the Land of Cotton_
=RUTH FIELDING AT COLLEGE= _or The Missing Examination Papers_
=RUTH FIELDING IN THE SADDLE= _or College Girls in the Land of Gold_
=RUTH FIELDING IN THE RED CROSS= _or Doing Her Bit for Uncle Sam_
=RUTH FIELDING AT THE WAR FRONT= _or The Hunt for a Lost Soldier_
=RUTH FIELDING HOMEWARD BOUND= _or A Red Cross Worker’s Ocean Perils_
=RUTH FIELDING DOWN EAST= _or The Hermit of Beach Plum Point_
=RUTH FIELDING IN THE GREAT NORTHWEST= _or The Indian Girl Star of the Movies_
=RUTH FIELDING ON THE ST. LAWRENCE= _or The Queer Old Man of the Thousand Islands_
=RUTH FIELDING TREASURE HUNTING= _or A Moving Picture that Became Real_
CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY, Publishers New York
------------------------------------------------------------------------
TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES
1. Silently corrected obvious typographical errors and variations in spelling. 2. Retained archaic, non-standard, and uncertain spellings as printed. 3. Enclosed italics font in _underscores_.