The Radio Boys with the Revenue Guards Part 20

A quick dash from cover, and the party was safely within the sending room of the station.

Jack's first move was to ascertain whether any of the enemy had gained entrance to the power house. He approached the connecting door at the rear of the room. It still was closed and locked. Tom Barnum had taken up his post inside the door, which he had swung shut behind him, not, however, until Frank had found and pressed a wall b.u.t.ton which switched on a cl.u.s.ter of electric lights overhead.

"Lucky for us there is no other entrance to the power house than through this door," said Jack. "At least there is none, so far as I have seen. If there had been, they might have slipped in that other room, come through here and have gotten close enough to rush us before we could have stopped them."

Captain Folsom approached Tom Barnum, after asking the boys to keep an eye on the prisoners.

"I see you are keeping watch through a crack in the door," he said.

"But, I believe we would be better off with the door open entirely.

That would give us a clear view of the side from which attack must come. We can push this big table across the doorway, upending it. So."

And, suiting action to word, he and Tom dragged the heavy article of furniture into position. "Now let us push the door open," he said.

Just as Tom was about to comply, an outburst of shooting in the clearing split the air.

"Hurray," shouted Jack. "The 'Dry Navy' got on the job. Come on, fellows, open the door."

As Tom Barnum, who had paused in that very act, stunned by this new development, completed the task and the door swung outward, the others crowded to the barrier of the upended table.

Jack's surmise was apparently correct. Along the wall of the radio station were ranged a dozen men. They had been stealing up to pour a hot fire through the door. But Lieutenant Summers with his landing party, drawn to the clearing by the sounds of combat, had made a hurried march up from the beach, and opened fire. His men were advancing across the clearing, scattered out fanwise, crouching and shooting as they came.

Taken by surprise, the smugglers were returning only a ragged fire.

Seeing how matters stood, Captain Folsom directed the table be pulled away and then, commanding the boys to keep in the background, he and Tom Barnum stepped out to the stoop and poured the contents of their revolvers, fast as they could pump them, into the smugglers.

The surprise of the latter was complete. Caught between two fires, they did not know which way to turn. They wavered a moment, then dashed away along the wall of the radio plant in an opposite direction from the door.

As they disappeared among the trees, pursued by a detachment of Lieutenant Summer's men, the latter with a half dozen followers dashed up to the radio plant and, in the lighted doorway, recognized the figure of his colleague, Captain Folsom.

Greetings were exchanged, and then Captain Folsom called the boys forward and introduced them.

"Plucky lads, if ever I met any," he said, warmly, "and resourceful, too. Their ingenuity has pulled us through time and again to-night."

"Not to mention," said Bob, gruffly, "that it was my darned foolishness that got us into this sc.r.a.pe to begin with."

"Nonsense, my boy," said Captain Folsom. "You did only what any of us would have done in jumping that rascal, Higginbotham. Well, now, let us head for the house. Probably that is where these rascals will take refuge. They must be wondering who you are, Lieutenant, and how you happened to appear on the scene."

CHAPTER XVIII

HIGGINBOTHAM ESCAPES

A hasty marshalling of forces was first made. Besides the three boys, Captain Folsom and Tom Barnum, Lieutenant Summers had twelve men under his command. Thus they numbered eighteen in all. It was decided to split this force into two equal parties, one commanded by Lieutenant Summers, the other by Captain Folsom.

Tom Barnum went with Lieutenant Summer's party as guide, the boys with Captain Folsom. They were to move against the front and rear entrances of the house, summon those within to surrender and, if necessary, to blockade the house until surrender was made. As an afterthought, each party detached a man, as they moved up through the woods, to stand guard over the tunnel and thus prevent any who had taken refuge either therein or in the house from making their escape.

As it proved, however, when Paddy Ryan discovered he was besieged by government forces, he surrendered without resistance, together with the half dozen men with him. The others had scattered and made their escape. And when the government forces came to take inventory of their prisoners, it was discovered that among those who had fled was Higginbotham.

"Ye'll get nothin' out of me," said Ryan sullenly, when he was questioned as to Higginbotham's whereabouts. "He beat it away. That's all I know."

Frank's quick eye, however, was caught by the gleam in Ryan's glance, and he suspected the other knew more than he would admit. Drawing his chums to one side, he said in a low voice:

"Look here, fellows, I believe Higginbotham is hiding in one of two places. Either he is up in the attic, in that secret pa.s.sage through which we made our escape from the dark room, or else hiding in the tunnel."

"Maybe you're right," said Bob. "But we couldn't ferret him out alone.

If he is hiding in either place, he is armed, and would have us at his mercy. A desperate man would shoot. I believe we would be foolhardy to take such a chance."

"Let's ask Captain Folsom's advice," suggested Jack, sensibly.

Waiting an opportunity, they beckoned Captain Folsom aside and Frank propounded his suspicions. The latter looked thoughtful.

"I agree with Temple," he said, emphatically. "I am glad you boys told me of this and did not attempt to make a search by yourselves. Let me see, however, if we cannot evolve some scheme to bring the rascal out, provided he is in hiding in one or other of these places."

Facing about, he called:

"Ryan, come here."

The leader of the smugglers, who stood lined up with his men, including the negro, Mike and Pete, against the wall, under guard, stepped forward.

Quickly Captain Folsom explained his suspicions as to where Higginbotham might be in hiding. Then he added:

"Higginbotham knows your voice. I want you to go to whichever place he may be hiding and summon him to come out and surrender. Say that if he refuses, I shall not imperil the lives of any of my men by sending them to dig him out, but shall starve him into submission."

There was a slight smile of triumph on Paddy Ryan's face as he replied:

"Sure, an' I'll go to both places an' whistle in the wind. But it's in nather place he is, for he did not return to the house, I'm tellin'

ye."

"Do as I say, Ryan," commanded Captain Folsom, shortly. "Try the attic first. The tunnel is guarded, I may as well tell you, and Higginbotham cannot make his escape that way."

"All right. You're the captain," said Ryan. "Follow me."

As he turned to proceed up the steps, after ordering two sailors to accompany Ryan, Captain Folsom said to the boys and Lieutenant Summers, who had joined the party:

"From the way Ryan is acting, I believe he is trying to throw us off the scent, and that Higginbotham really is hidden hereabouts."

No reply, however, was received in response to Ryan's announcement of the ultimatum laid down by Captain Folsom, both at the secret pa.s.sage under the roof and the other underground.

"Very well," said Captain Folsom, lips compressed, at the failure of his stratagem. "We shall post guards here until we can decide what to do."

Ryan therefore was returned to keep company with the other prisoners under guard in the big living room. In another room the two officers, together with the boys, gathered for a consultation. Tom Barnum, meantime, seeing that dawn had come, and that the first faint streaks of daylight were beginning to light up the woods outside, left the knot of sailors to whom he had been recounting the events of that exciting night and re-entering the house called Jack aside.

"Mister Jack," he said. "It'll be broad day in another hour. Don't you think I had better go back and tell the Temples and your housekeeper what's become of you three and of Captain Folsom, too. If they happen to notice you're missin' they'll be worried."

"Right, Tom," approved Jack. "But do you think it's safe for you to make the trip alone? Some of these fellows may be lurking in the woods."

"Oh," said Tom, "it'll soon be daylight, as I said. Besides, I'll be on the beach. And, anyhow, why should any of them attack me? They'll be runnin' like hares to get away, and none of 'em will be around here."