Airship Andy; Or, The Luck of a Brave Boy by Frank V. Webster
CHAPTER XX--A NEW CAPTIVITY
"Nelson, could you possibly be mistaken?"
"No, sir, positively not."
Andy had come to a dead stop with the automobile. He stared blankly atthe prospect before them. The site of the Collins farmhouse was a flatstretch of waste and ruin. Grass, weeds, trees, fences showed theravages of a great fire.
Mr. Webb looked dreadfully disappointed. His face had become almostpale. Andy shared his disquietude, but he could simply say:
"I am very sorry."
"You did all you could, Nelson," responded his companion. "Here comessome one. We will question him a little."
A farm laborer with a hoe across his shoulder sauntered down the road.Andy hailed him. As he came nearer to them Mr. Webb said:
"My man, what has been happening around here?"
"Don't you see?" queried the man, with a comprehensive wave of his handacross the bleak ruins. "Fire."
"This is the Collins farm, isn't it?"
"It was," answered the man. "The fire took them in the night a weekago."
"And burned everything about the place?"
"Down to the pig styes."
"Where are the Collins people?"
"Gone over into Bowen County until they can arrange to build again."
"Start up, Nelson," ordered Mr. Webb. "It's a waste of time to loiteraround here."
Mr. Webb felt cruelly disappointed. Andy saw this and was sorry for him.He glanced at the spot where he remembered the old shed to have stood.Even the tree that had sheltered it had burned to a crisp.
"Where am I to go?" inquired Andy.
"You had better strike for Rushville," replied Mr. Webb. "From what Iremember, you can get a train to Montrose earlier than on the Central."
"I am to go on to John Parks?"
"That's the programme," said Mr. Webb, trying to appear cheerful; "whynot?"
Andy reflected seriously for a moment or two. Finally he spoke:
"Mr. Webb," he said; "I hardly feel right to leave you on my bond forthat big amount. Something might happen so that I could not appear fortrial--trickery, or a dozen things."
"And because you have not succeeded in recovering that pocketbook, yousuppose I'm going to desert you, Nelson?" inquired the gentleman.
"You are not the man to do a single mean thing," replied Andy, "but,with all your troubles, and me being a stranger----"
"Drop it, Nelson. You have tried to be the best friend in the world tome, and I'd go on your bond for double the amount I have. You are to gostraight on to Montrose, win that airship race, and when you have gotthat off your mind we will have a talk together."
"You are a good, kind man," said Andy, with fervor, "and I'd walkbarefooted on hot coals to get you back that pocketbook."
When they reached Rushville, Mr. Webb took charge of the automobile. Hemade many encouraging references to the coming airship race, and when heleft Andy at the railroad station shook his hand in a friendly way.
Andy made a disappointing discovery as soon as he consulted the trainschedules. A change in the service of the road had been made only thatweek, and there was no train south until seven o'clock. It was nowthree, and he would have to wait four hours.
"I won't be able to get home until after dark," reflected the lad. "Ihoped to have an hour or two of daylight for practice, but this knocksmy plans awry. Well, as it is, this is a good deal better than missingthe race altogether."
It was quite dark when the train reached the limits of Montrose. Itstopped at a crossing, and Andy got off and made a short cut for theParks camp.
His course led him past the large aviation field. Andy was anxious toreport to Mr. Parks as soon as possible, but unusual light and animationabout the big enclosure aroused his curiosity and interest, and hepassed the gate and strolled by the various aerodromes.
Everything was "the race!" Groups were discussing it, contestants wereoiling up their machines and exploiting the merits of the others. Anhour passed by before Andy realized it. He came to halt in front of thelast tent in the row, turned to retrace his steps, and then suddenlyhalted.
"I'd like to know what the Duske crowd is about," he reflected, glancingtowards the isolated camp which he had surreptitiously visited only afew nights previous. "Mr. Parks might be glad to know, too. I'll do alittle skirmishing and find out what I can."
Andy crossed a dark space. Lights were moving about the Duske camp, andthese served as a guide. He neared the fence surrounding the camp, gotover it, and cautiously approached the large tent which held the airshiphe had inspected on his first stealthy visit to the place.
Suddenly Andy tripped and fell. His foot had caught in a wire stretchedtaut under the grass. As he went headlong across the grass, a bell beganto jingle, and he realized that the wire was one of many probably set totrap intruders. At all events, before he could get to his feet two menran out of the tent.
One of these was Duske. The other was his companion of the evening whenAndy had previously visited the place. They pounced on him promptly.
"Another spy," spoke Duske, dragging the captive toward the tent.
"They're getting thick," observed his companion. "Those fellows at thebig camp are mighty curious to pry into the secrets of our craft here.Hello! why, Duske, this is the same fellow we caught snooping aroundhere three nights since."
"Eh? Oh, it's you again, is it?"
They had come inside the tent. The light burning there revealed Andyfully. Without letting go of him Duske scowlingly surveyed his captive.
"Say, Duske," spoke the other man quickly, "it's Parks' boy, and he'sthe one who won the pony prize."
"Was that you?" demanded Duske; "are you Andy Nelson?"
"Suppose so?" queried Andy.
"Then you're the fellow who is going to take Parks' place in the raceto-morrow?"
"I guess that is right," affirmed Andy.
"No," cried Duske, showing his teeth, and looking fierce and malicious,"it's wrong, dead wrong, as you're going to find out. Fetch me somerope."
"Hold on," objected Andy, "you aren't going to tie me up?"
He put up a manful struggle and very nearly got away. The two powerfulmen were more than his equal, however, and in a very few minutes Andyfound himself tied hand and foot.
Duske and his companion carried him bodily along through the tent, pastthe flying machine, and threw him onto a mattress lying on the ground ina small compartment partitioned off with canvas. Duske tested the ropesthat bound Andy, gave them another twist, and went out into the maintent.
"This looks like luck," observed the companion of Duske.
"Yes, if we've got the bearings right," replied the other, "Are you surehe was scheduled to take Parks' place in the race?"
"Of course I am. Hasn't Tyrrell told us already about his getting intotrouble somewhere, and couldn't be here to make the race? Hasn't Parkshired Tyrrell in his place?"
"Then how comes the boy to be here? I don't like the looks of things atall."
"Tyrrell will be here before long. He can post us if there is any breakin our arrangements."
The two men passed out of hearing. Andy made one or two efforts toloosen his bonds, found them unusually secure, and gave up theexperiment. What his captors had said startled and disturbed himconsiderably.
"Mr. Parks doesn't expect me to show up in time to make the race, andthis man they talked about, Tyrrell, is going to take my place,"reflected Andy. "He is a friend of the people here, and that certainlymeans harm for Mr. Parks."
Andy worried himself a good deal during the next hour, imagining allkinds of plots on the part of Duske and his friends to prevent the_Racing Star_ from winning the prize.
Finally Andy heard voices in the large tent. His name was spoken, and helistened intently to catch what was said.
"If that's so, and it's really Andy Nelson," sounded a new voice, "it'sfunny, for up to this morning he was in jail at Princeville."
"Then he's escaped, or got free somehow," answered Dusk
"If he is," came the reply, "you want to hold him a close prisoner tillthe big race is over."