It did not waver as it swept the semi-circle of desperadoes. Blank astonishment was written on their faces as a flash showed them their boyish defier and the formidable weapon—it was an automatic of the latest type—that he grasped.
“Confound you, how did you get that pistol?” bellowed Duke irately.
The others, their late troubles forgotten, made as if to beat a retreat.
“Look out. I’m nervous and my hand might shake,” warned Jack, a mischievous sense of humor overcoming him at their panic. “If it ever did,” he went on, “ten shots would come out of this gun—all at once!”
“You—you—young——” sputtered Duke impotently. He almost appeared to foam at the mouth. “Your hands were tied. How did you get them free, you young jackanapes?”
“No conjurer is bound to tell the secret of his tricks, Mr. Duke,” rejoined Jack, who was actually beginning to enjoy the humor of the situation. “Isn’t it enough that I have got them free, and that you threw me your pistol? That was real kind of you.”
“I—I didn’t throw it to you, you young rascal. Those scoundrels, Blinky and Duggan, jerked up my arm.”
“I’ll take the deed for the will,” declared Jack with perfect coolness. “Don’t move, any of you. I’d hate to discharge this thing.”
Duggan sputtered like a dumb animal, mad with fury. He was past speech.
“It all comes from meddling with these ’Boy Inventors,’” he growled. “I’ve heard of ’em before. Nobody ever got ’em dead to rights yet.”
Flash! Bang! A blinding flash; an ear-splitting crash! The earth seemed to be suddenly bathed in blue flame, while the air sizzled with crackling electricity. Then came a deafening explosion and a still brighter flash of light.
Jack thought he heard a cry, but before he could make certain he himself toppled over.
A bolt of lightning had struck the old barn, felling also all three actors in the drama at which we have been onlookers.
Luckily, Jack had received but a small portion of the electric fluid. It was only a few minutes after the bolt had struck the barn with such a deafening crash and such startling results, that he opened his eyes.
“What on earth has happened?” were his first thoughts. “Where am I? Oh, I know, in that old barn. They threw us in here and by good luck I cut my finger slightly on an old grass hook which had been left on top of the hay. That gave me an idea and I easily cut my bonds by leaning back against its sharp edge and gently sawing.