"Five thousand apiece!" muttered Sparwick. "It's a fortune."

"What arrangements have you made for the transfer?" asked Bogle.

"We're to meet on Friday evening, three miles this side of Wytopitlock,"

replied Raikes. "Do you remember that big rock in Path Valley? It stands just where the stream comes tumbling down the mountain side."

"Yes, I know the place."

"Well, that's where we'll pocket the money and turn over the prisoners,"

said Raikes. "This is Wednesday. I'll spend the night here, and go back in the morning. You needn't start until early on Friday morning. You must be at the rock as near sunset as possible that evening. I'll have Glendale there in plenty of time."

"And Sparwick and I will do the same with the boys," replied Bogle. "The way you put this thing through does you lots of credit, Silas. We'll be well paid for all our trouble."

"It was cleverly managed, if I do say it myself," answered Raikes, as he went on with his supper.

By this time the boys were through. Their arms were tied, and they were ordered over to the bed. They crouched close together on the pine boughs, and discussed, in low tones, what they had just heard.

"It's not the loss of all that money that worries me," said Brick. "I'm thinking about poor Jerry. Don't forget that we swore to have the murderers punished--if it takes a lifetime."

"I won't," replied Hamp, in a husky tone. "We'll begin just as soon as we are free."

Finally the boys fell asleep. The three men sat about the fire, talking and smoking, until nearly midnight. Then they put fresh logs on the blaze, and went to bed. Bogle and Sparwick stretched themselves on one side of the boys, Raikes on the other. In a short time all were apparently sound asleep.

But Raikes was merely feigning slumber. From time to time his eyes opened, and shot a stealthy glance about the cave. At the end of an hour he sat cautiously up. He bent over the boys, and looked into Sparwick's face. The latter was certainly sound asleep. His eyes were closed, and his breath came deep and regular.

Raikes did not relax his scrutiny for nearly five minutes. Then he was satisfied beyond a doubt. He now bent in the other direction, and softly touched Bogle's face.

"Are you awake, Joe?" he whispered.

"Yes," was the reply. "I've been keeping awake on purpose. I thought you had something to tell me."

"Well, I have. I didn't get a chance all evening. I've got to be brief, so pay close attention."

"Hold on," whispered Bogle. "Is Sparwick sound asleep?"

"Sound as a rock," a.s.sured Raikes.

"Then, let's creep over to the fireplace, and talk there," added Bogle.

"No; he might get awake, and find us gone. Then he would be sure to suspect something."

"All right," a.s.sented Bogle. "Go ahead. I'm listening."

Raikes took another look at Sparwick and at the boys. Then he drew a tiny gla.s.s vial from his pocket, and slipped it into Bogle's hand.

"Take good care of it," he whispered, "and put it in a safe place."

"What is it?" asked Bogle.

"Chloroform," Raikes whispered. "I'll tell you how to use it. Some time to-morrow night wet a rag, and press it on Sparwick's face while he is sleeping. Then bind him tightly, and put a gag in his mouth. At daybreak start for the meeting place with the boys. You can easily manage them if you keep their arms tied. Glendale and I will be waiting. You and I will share the fifteen thousand dollars, and strike for a safe part of the country."

"Splendid!" whispered Bogle. "You're a born schemer, Silas. I thought you would find some way to outwit this greedy fool. But shall I leave him here to die of starvation?"

"We'll let Glendale or the boys send a party to rescue him," replied Raikes. "And as likely as not he'll spend the next two or three years of his life in jail. That's enough now. It's not safe to talk any longer.

Do you understand?"

"Perfectly," whispered Bogle. "You may look for me and the lads at sunset."

This ended the conversation. Raikes lay down, and pulled the blankets over him. Not a sound could be heard but the steady breathing of the sleepers.

Had the fire been burning brightly it might have been seen that Sparwick's eyes were open. There was a devilish smile of mingled anger and triumph on his face. Under the blankets he savagely clinched his fists.

"It's a good thing I was listening," he said to himself. "A mighty good thing. I reckon I'll be ready fur these sneakin' liars."

He involuntarily gave a low chuckle as some pleasing thought entered his mind. This scared him. He listened for a moment. Then he closed his eyes, and began to snore.

The three men were up at the first streak of dawn on Thursday morning.

After a hastily-prepared breakfast Raikes said good-by to his companions; and started for Wytopitlock.

An hour later the boys were roused and fed. If the previous days had seemed long, this one was ten times longer. Bogle and Sparwick looked forward to evening just as impatiently as the boys. They pa.s.sed the time in smoking and talking, and appeared to be on the best of terms. Dinner time came, and the long afternoon dwindled slowly by.

After supper the evening seemed comparatively short. At ten o'clock all were in bed. Bogle did not chain himself to Brick, as he had always done heretofore. He allowed the lad's arms to remain tied behind his back.

"I need a good rest to-night," he explained to Sparwick, "and I won't get it with that confounded bracelet on my wrist."

"I reckon the lad's safe enough," muttered Sparwick, in a drowsy tone.

He seemed to be half-asleep already.

Bogle stretched himself on the opposite side of the bed, so that the boys were between the two. He made no effort to keep awake, since he did not intend to carry out his instructions until toward morning. He dropped off to sleep in a very contented frame of mind. He straightway dreamed that the half of fifteen thousand dollars was already in his possession, and that he was enjoying life in a great city.

In the midst of his revels he awoke, and opened his eyes. For a moment he did not remember where he was. The embers of the fire shed a dim light, and showed him a man bending over him. He felt a strange hand groping in his pocket.

Then the situation suddenly flashed upon him. He recognized Kyle Sparwick, and knew intuitively that he must have heard the conversation on the previous night. Now he was seeking the vial of chloroform.

With a husky cry, Bogle pushed his enemy aside, and sprang to his feet.

CHAPTER x.x.xIV.

A VIAL OF CHLOROFORM.

Kyle Sparwick was taken quite by surprise. His back intercepted the light from the fireplace, and consequently he did not notice that Bogle's eyes were open until it was too late.

He rushed blindly at Bogle, and received a stinging blow between the eyes. With an angry yell he rolled over against Hamp.

Both lads were instantly wakened, and, not knowing What was the matter, they cried out with fright.