The others gazed in the direction he pointed. There, lying upon the ground, they recognized the figures of Jones, Briggs and Jimmy.
“Guess they have let the girls sleep in the house,” said Leonard. “Now is a good time to advance. The men are asleep.”
Cautiously they advanced again, and then, when they were perhaps twenty yards from the sleepers, Jones suddenly sat up and looked around.
His eyes fell upon the cautiously-approaching figures, and he jumped to his feet with an exclamation of dismay, and turned to run. But Dick was too quick for him.
Dashing forward at top speed, he hurled himself forward and caught Jones by the legs. Jones came to the ground with a crash.
He was up in a moment, however, and grappling with his assailant. But this time Dick was prepared for him, and with solid ground under his feet, he was more than a match for the older man.
Backward and forward, backward and forward they swayed, each trying to gain a hold by which he might throw the other. And Dick got his first.
Exerting his utmost strength, he heaved as hard as he could, and Jones, large though he was, went crashing to the ground, where he lay still.
In falling his head had come in contact with a sharp stone, and he was temporarily stunned.
In the meantime, the others had subdued Briggs, and then had stopped to watch the struggle between Jones and Dick. That over, Leonard stooped and unbound and ungagged Jimmy, and then turned toward the shanty.
“Might as well let the girls out,” he said.
He knocked upon the door. There was no response and he knocked again. Still no response.
Leonard burst the door in with a single kick of his foot and stepped over the threshold. Then he started back in amazement and uttered a low cry.
“What’s the matter?” demanded Dick, approaching and peering over his shoulder.
“Matter!” repeated Leonard. “Matter enough! The girls are not here!”
Dick pushed by Leonard and entered the shanty. It was true. There was no sign of either Shirley or Mabel.
“What on earth can have happened to them?” asked Leonard anxiously.
“I haven’t the slightest idea,” returned Dick. “We’ll ask Jones.”
Upon Leonard’s first cry of surprise, Jenkins and the two policemen had moved toward the house, and for the moment Jones had been left unguarded. The prisoner was not slow to take advantage of his opportunity and no sooner had his captors’ backs been turned than he took to his heels and soon disappeared in the darkness.