The Rover Boys Down East: or, The Struggle for the Stanhope Fortune

“Certainly.”

“I don’t believe you, Tad Sobber.”

“Very well – you can ask Mr. Crabtree – and Mrs. Stanhope, when you see her.”

“If she married Crabtree she was forced to do it.”

“No, she married him willingly.”

“I’ll never believe it. Where is she now?”

“I am not here to answer questions, Dick Rover. You and your brothers came here I suppose to get the best of us. Well, you are nicely caught.”

“What are you going to do with me?”

“You’ll find that out before you are many hours older,” answered Sobber, and turned away.

A quarter of an hour went by and the man who had met Koswell and the others outside of the cavern came back.

“Well, Jim, what about the other Rovers?” questioned Tad Sobber.

“Safe enough,” answered Jim Pally, with a grin.

“Where?”

“Down in the pool.”

“They slipped in?”

“They sure did.”

“I hope they won’t drown,” went on Sobber, uneasily.

“Oh, they are safe enough. I heard ’em swimming around until they found the rocks to stand on.”

“Good enough. Now, what do you think we had better do with this one?”

“Why don’t you make him join his brothers?” answered Jim Pally. And then he motioned Sobber to one side, out of Dick’s hearing. A conversation in a low tone followed. Pally was telling Sobber they had better be on guard, since the Rovers might not be alone. Then he told of the meeting with Koswell, Larkspur and Darkingham; and the two went off to consult with Josiah Crabtree.

Left to himself, Dick tried his best to free himself of the bonds that held him. But the work of making him a prisoner had been done well, and all he did was to cut his wrists and his ankles.

When Sobber and Pally came back they were accompanied by Josiah Crabtree. The former teacher and jailbird wore the same dictatorial look as of yore.

“Ha! so we meet again, Rover!” cried Josiah Crabtree, pursing up his lips.

“Mr. Crabtree, is it true that you have married Mrs. Stanhope?” asked Dick, bluntly.

“Well – er – we are as good as married, yes,” he stammered, taken somewhat off his guard by the suddenness of the question.

“As good as married? What do you mean?”

“I mean she has promised to be my – er – my bride as soon as we can obtain a – er – a minister to perform the ceremony.”

“You are forcing her into this marriage!”

“Not at all, young man, not at all! She is going to marry me of her own free will.”

“I do not believe it.”

“Ha! don’t dare to talk to me in this fashion, Rover!” stormed Josiah Crabtree, glaring at the helpless youth before him.

“Will you let me speak to Mrs. Stanhope?”

“And poison her mind against me? Indeed not!”

“Where is she?”

“She is in safe hands.”

“In your hands?”

“No, in the hands of a very estimable lady, who is doing all that is possible to make her comfortable.”

“Is she well?”

“She is – er – a little bit fatigued by her journey, that is all. She will be quite herself after she has rested for a few days.”

“Mr. Crabtree, you had no right to abduct her.”

“Who says I abducted her? She accompanied me willingly, Rover.”

“I do not believe that, and never will believe it. You mesmerized or hypnotized her, or something of the sort. I know your tricks of old.”

“Ha! don’t dare to talk to me in that fashion!” stormed Josiah Crabtree. “Don’t you dare to do it!” And coming closer he shook his fist in Dick’s face.

“You’d not do that if I were free, Josiah Crabtree!” cried the youth, defiantly.

“Say, we can’t afford to waste time in talk!” interrupted Tad Sobber. “I reckon the best thing we can do with this fellow is to make him join his brothers.”

“And then – ” went on Crabtree, and finished in a whisper which Dick did not catch.

A few minutes later Dick was led back into the cavern towards the pool into which his brothers had fallen. Sobber carried a torch, that threw a flickering light throughout the dismal underground opening.

“Help! help!” came faintly from the bottom of the pool, and looking down those on the rocks high above saw Sam and Tom standing there, in water up to their knees.

“Hello!” cried Dick. “Are you all right?”

“We would be, if we could get out,” answered Tom.