"I think----" began the professor.

But the words were taken out of his mouth. Rob made a hasty sign to the others to conceal themselves. A sudden heavy rumbling sound had echoed through the air. It was followed by a red flash from the direction of the mouth of the cave.

"They've blown the rock up!" cried the major.

"That's why they were all prowling around there to-night, I suppose,"

exclaimed Tubby.

"Let's get to the canoes and arm ourselves," said the major; "we can catch them all red-handed."

First the rope by which they had escaped was cut as high as possible from the ground, and then the major's suggestion was carried out. They reached the entrance of the cave just in time to hear footsteps approaching down the pa.s.sage.

They crouched quietly till Dale emerged from the cavern entrance, stumbling over the shattered fragments of the big rock that had blocked it. His arms were full of plunder from the chests, and he was able to offer little resistance. He was seized and bound and gagged without his having any opportunity to make an outcry. One after another, as they came out, the rest of Hunt's gang were served the same way. Hunt and his son, however, in some manner became alarmed as they neared the entry. They dashed back, outfooting the lads who pursued them. Down the pa.s.sage they fled and stumbled blindly, in their fear, along the further pa.s.sage and up the steps to the top of the Ruby Glow peak.

Arriving here they spied the rope. In a flash they were over the edge and down it. Although they had bad tumbles when they reached the part where it had been cut off, they managed to make good their escape. It would have been folly to pursue them in the woods at night.

Black Bart's capture deserves some mention. It was effected by Jumbo, who literally threw himself on the black-bearded man as he emerged. It was probably the noise of this scuffle that alarmed Hunt and his son.

"You looks like five hundred dollahs to muh," grinned Jumbo, as Black Bart, sullen and defiant as a wild cat, was manacled.

The remainder of that night was spent in the cave, the prisoners being closely guarded. The next day Dale was induced to tell how they had stolen the explosive from the hut of an eccentric old character who did some experimental mining not far away.

"We figgered we'd find some use for it," he said cheerfully.

That day was occupied in packing the precious articles, in bags brought for the purpose. By evening all was complete. If they had known how Hiram was faring they would have felt perfectly content. It was decided, if he did not reappear, to leave some of the party in camp to await his return, while the others pushed on to give the prisoners up to the proper authorities.

But at midnight that night they had a great surprise. Rob, who was on watch, heard a sudden hail out of the darkness:

"K-r-r-r-e-e-e-e!"

It was the cry of the Eagle Patrol.

"Who can be giving it, I wonder," he exclaimed.

The next minute he knew. Hiram and the revenue officers, who had made a night march of it, burst in upon the camp. Hiram had, in his wanderings, retraced much of his way back toward the camp so that they had not had so very far to tramp. The officials were delighted to learn of the clever manner in which the moonshiners had been apprehended. They had been searching for Black Bart, when they sighted Hiram's signal fires.

Jumbo was a.s.sured that his five hundred dollars would be awarded to him at the earliest opportunity.

Had we s.p.a.ce, or opportunity, we would like to tell of the journey back to civilization, of the share that each Boy Scout, much against his inclination, was forced to accept of the treasure, and of Alice Dangerfield's thanks to the Boy Scouts for the brave way in which they stood by her father in time of peril. They really valued this--like true Scouts--more than the monetary reward.

But further adventures impend in the Boy Scouts' eventful lives,--exciting, as well as amusing, incidents "by flood and field." If our readers care to follow further the careers of our young friends, they can find them set forth in detail in the next volume of this series:

THE BOY SCOUTS FOR UNCLE SAM.

THE END.