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diff --git a/37929.txt b/37929.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..2be1d47 --- /dev/null +++ b/37929.txt @@ -0,0 +1,6541 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Fenn Masterson's Discovery, by Allen Chapman + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Fenn Masterson's Discovery + or, The Darewell Chums on a Cruise + +Author: Allen Chapman + +Release Date: November 5, 2011 [EBook #37929] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FENN MASTERSON'S DISCOVERY *** + + + + +Produced by Donald Cummings and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + + + FENN MASTERSON'S + DISCOVERY + + Or + + The Darewell Chums + on a Cruise + + BY + ALLEN CHAPMAN + + AUTHOR OF "BART STIRLING'S ROAD TO SUCCESS," "WORKING + HARD TO WIN," "BOUND TO SUCCEED," "THE YOUNG + STOREKEEPER," "NAT BORDEN'S FIND," ETC. + + + [Illustration: _The_ + GOLDSMITH + _Publishing Co._ + CLEVELAND OHIO + + MADE IN U.S.A.] + + + + + COPYRIGHT, 1909, BY + CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY + + + + +CONTENTS + + + CHAPTER PAGE + I. AN AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT 1 + II. A MYSTERIOUS CAVE 11 + III. SAVING THE AUTO 22 + IV. PLANNING A CRUISE 30 + V. CAPTAIN WIGGS'S PROPOSAL 39 + VI. IN PERIL 45 + VII. AN ELEVATOR BLAZE 52 + VIII. FENN HEARS SOMETHING 61 + IX. OFF AGAIN 71 + X. THE CHASE 78 + XI. ON LAKE HURON 85 + XII. NED GETS A FISH 92 + XIII. CAUGHT IN THE LOCK 99 + XIV. MYSTERIOUS STRANGERS 108 + XV. A QUEER FIND 115 + XVI. FIRE ON BOARD 123 + XVII. A STRANGE VISION 133 + XVIII. AN EXPLORING PARTY 140 + XIX. FENN BECOMES ILL 147 + XX. OUT ON A HUNT 155 + XXI. THE CHINESE BUTTON 162 + XXII. FENN'S MISHAP 171 + XXIII. THE SEARCH 180 + XXIV. FENN IS CAPTURED 188 + XXV. AN UNEXPECTED MEETING 194 + XXVI. FENN'S ODD DISCOVERY 202 + XXVII. A TIMELY RESCUE 213 + XXVIII. RUTH TELLS HER SECRET 220 + XXIX. A BAFFLING SEARCH 230 + XXX. THE DISCOVERY--CONCLUSION 239 + + + + +FENN MASTERSON'S DISCOVERY + + + + +CHAPTER I + +AN AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT + + +"Hello!" exclaimed Fenn Masterson, as he opened the front door of his +home, in response to a ring, and admitted his chum, Bart Keene. "Glad to +see you, Bart. Come on in." + +"What's the matter with you?" demanded Bart, throwing a strap full of +books into a corner of the hall, as if he cared very little for the +volumes. "Why weren't you at school to-day, Stumpy?" + +"Oh, I was a little hoarse this morning--" + +"What are you now; a mule?" inquired Bart. + +"No--Oh, hang it, you know what I mean--" + +"Sure!" interrupted Bart. "You slept in a stable last night, and, when +you woke up you were a little horse. I know." + +"I had a little cold this morning," went on Fenn. "Mother made me stay +home. Thought I was going into consumption, I guess. I'm all right now." + +"Gee, I wish my mother had made me stay home to-day," proceeded Bart. +"The algebra lesson was fierce. We all slumped." + +"What! You don't mean to say the professor floored Frank Roscoe?" and +Fenn looked much surprised. + +"Yes, and Ned Wilding, too. I tell you, Stumpy, it was a good thing you +slept in that barn and became a little horse, or you'd have gone down to +defeat on that problem about multiplying sixteen x, y, z's by the square +root of the difference between--" + +"Pooh! That's easy," declared Fenn. "I remember it." + +"Easy? Here, let's see you do it!" exclaimed Bart, and he grabbed the +bundle of books and proceeded to take out the algebra. + +"Never mind--there's no hurry about it. I'll show you later," spoke Fenn. +"Besides, I've got to take my cough medicine now. Come on up to my room." + +"Cough medicine?" repeated Bart, with a reproachful look at his chum. + +"Yes, cough medicine," answered Stumpy, seeing that his visitor rather +doubted him. "Mom made me take it. It's awful nasty stuff, full of tar +and horehound and pine--ugh! I hate it." + +"Moral, don't try to fool your mother and pretend you have a sore throat, +when you don't want to go to school for an algebra exam.," said Bart +solemnly. + +"No, honest, I did have a sore throat this morning," declared Fenn. +"It's all better now. I guess I don't have to take that medicine. But +come on up to my room. I've just got a fine collection of minerals." + +"Minerals?" + +"Yes, I'm going to collect them now. I sent for a small case, of various +kinds, and I'm going to add to it. There are lots of minerals in this +section of the state." + +"Let's see, the last thing you were collecting was Indian arrow heads," +said Bart, in musing tones; "before that it was postage stamps, and +before that, postmarks. Then, once, I remember, it was jackknives, and +before that--" + +"Oh, let up!" begged Fenn. "Are any of the other fellows coming over?" + +"Before that it was butterflies," went on Bart relentlessly. "I guess +your mineral collecting craze will last about as long as any of the +others, Stumpy." + +"Well, all the others were too much trouble," declared Fenn, trying to +justify himself. "It's no fun to be sticking stamps and postmarks in a +book, and I had to chase all over the country after butterflies." + +"To say nothing of getting on bad terms with half the boys in the school +for trading them poor knives for good ones, when you had that craze," +remarked Bart. + +"Oh, I intend to make a fine collection of minerals," declared Fenn. +"I'll not get tired of that. You see minerals are easy to get. All you +have to do is to pick up stones as you walk along. You put them in your +pockets and, when you get home, you look in the catalog, see what kind +they are, so as to label 'em, and put 'em in one of the little numbered +squares of the cabinet. Why, collecting minerals is fun. Besides, it's +valuable information. I might discover--" + +"Sure, of course. Oh, yes--you might discover a gold mine or a hole +filled with diamonds!" interrupted Bart. "Oh, Stumpy, I'm afraid you're +a hopeless case." + +"Wait until you see my minerals," asserted the stout youth, as he led +the way up to his room. "When are the other fellows coming over?" + +"Oh, Ned'll be along right away. Frank Roscoe said he had to go on an +errand for his father. They both are anxious to see what sort of a game +you worked so's to stay home to-day. They might want to try it +themselves." + +The two chums were soon busy inspecting the case of stones which Fenn +had bought. There were small samples of ore, spar, crystals and various +queer rocks. + +"There's a piece of stone I found out near the river," said Fenn, +pointing to a fragment of a bright red color. "Maybe it's a new kind +of ruby. I'm going to show it to a jeweler." + +"It's red glass!" declared Bart. + +"It is not!" + +"I tell you it is! Look, it's a piece of a bottle. You can see where it +curved for the bottom," and he pointed it out to Fenn. + +"I guess you're right," admitted the collector, as he tossed the red +object away. "Never mind, I'll get some good specimens yet. Hello, +there's Ned's whistle," and he looked out of the window, which, as it +was late in June, was wide open. "Come on up, Ned!" he called, "Bart's +here!" + +"Coming!" cried Ned. "Lower the drawbridge and raise the portcullis! +Lord Mount Saint Dennis Morency Caldwalder de Nois approaches!" + +"Yes, I guess it is 'De Noise' all right," murmured Bart. "Since he's +been studying French history he's been getting off such nonsense as that +every chance he has." + +"Greeting, fair and noble sirs!" cried Ned Wilding, reaching the door of +Fenn's room, for, like the other chums, he had the run of the house, +"greeting, most noble lords of the high justice, the middle and the low. +I give thee greeting!" + +"And I give thee that!" interrupted Bart, putting out his foot, and, +with a sly motion, upsetting Ned as he was making a low, exaggerated +bow. + +"First down! Ten yards to gain!" he cried good-naturedly, as he arose, +for Ned was a lively, quick-witted youth, full of fun, and never serious +for more than a minute at a time. + +"I hope that jarred some of the foolishness out of you," observed Bart. + +Suddenly a head was poked in the open window, and a voice exclaimed: + +"Gentlemen, allow me to introduce myself. I am the original and only +genuine second-story burglar!" + +"Frank Roscoe!" exclaimed Fenn. "How did you get there?" + +"Climbed up over the porch," replied the newcomer. "I rang the bell +until I was tired, and nobody answered." + +"That's so, I forgot. Mother's out this afternoon and there's no one +down stairs. But why didn't you do as Ned did, walk in? The door's not +locked. I didn't hear you ring." + +"I prefer this method of stealing into houses," replied Frank, a tall +dark youth, as he bounded from the window sill into the room. "It's more +romantic. Besides I needed exercise, and it was easy climbing up the +porch pillar." + +"Don't give us any romance," begged Bart. + +"No, don't," advised Ned, rubbing his thigh where he had come down +rather heavily. "The days of romance are dead." + +"That's not the only thing that's dead in this town," put in Fenn. +"Things are getting rather dull. We need some excitement to keep us +awake." + +The two newcomers soon learned the reason for Fenn's absence from school +that day. They examined his cabinet of minerals and made more or less +sarcastic comments about his new fad. + +"Yes," went on Bart, after a pause. "I wish we could have some fun, as +we did when we were off camping in the woods, last summer." + +"And rescued Frank's father from that sanitarium," put in Ned. + +"Well, we had a pretty lively time when you slipped off to New York, and +the lodging-house keeper held you a prisoner, Ned," said Bart. "You had +some romance then." + +"Not the right kind," declared Ned. "I'd like some more fun such as we +had when the King of Papricka tried to fool us." + +"Sure! When we got carried away in the captive balloon," added Frank. +"That was a time!" + +"And do you remember when we fastened the ladder on the donkey's back, +the night we were going to rescue Frank's father," suggested Fenn? "How +he ran away in the woods?" + +"Yes, and how it rained," put in Ned. "Gee, that was fierce!" + +"But we had a good time," remarked Frank. "Father can never forget how +much you boys did for him." + +"It wasn't anything!" exclaimed Ned. "Say, do you remember when they +thought we blew up the school with dynamite?" + +"Do I? I should guess yes," replied Ned. + +"Yes, and how Ned thought he was going to become a millionaire with that +investment which made him a fugitive!" spoke Bart. "Oh, yes, we had good +times then. But we don't seem to be having them any more. It's nothing +but measly old algebra exams. that no fellow can pass. I wish--" + +But what Bart wished he never told, for, at that instant there came from +the street outside a series of sharp explosions, that sounded like a +Gatling gun in full operation. + +"What's that?" cried Fenn. + +"It's an automobile!" replied Frank, who was nearest the window. "It's +running away, too, from the looks of it. They've opened the muffler and +are trying to reverse I guess! Something's wrong! There's going to be an +accident!" + +The other boys crowded up back of Frank to see what was going on. The +street in front of Fenn's house sloped sharply down to a cliff at the +end of the thoroughfare. Across the highway was a stout fence, designed +to prevent any one from driving over the cliff, which was quite high. +Toward this fence a big touring car, which, as the boys could see, +contained an elderly gentleman and a young lady, was rushing at furious +speed. + +"Stop! Stop!" cried Fenn in desperation, thinking the man in the car did +not know or realize his danger. "The street ends at the fence! You'll +go over the cliff!" + +As the auto whizzed past the house the girl in it gave one glance at +Fenn. The youth thought her the most beautiful person he had ever seen, +though there was a look of terror in her eyes. + +"He can't stop!" shouted Bart. "Something's wrong with the machine!" + +Indeed this seemed to be true, for the man at the steering wheel was +frantically pulling on various levers and stamping, with his feet, on +some pedals in front of him. + +The young woman in the car half arose in her seat. The man, holding the +wheel with one hand, held her back with the other. She gave a startled +cry and, a moment later the auto had crashed through the fence, as +though it was made of paper, and the front wheels disappeared over the +edge of the cliff. + +"Come on!" cried Bart. "We must go to their help!" + +"I'm afraid they're dead," spoke Frank solemnly, as he quickly followed +his chums from Fenn's house. + + + + +CHAPTER II + +A MYSTERIOUS CAVE + + +Running at top speed the four boys hastened down the street toward where +the automobile accident had occurred. Several other persons followed +them. + +"They've gone over the cliff!" cried Fenn. + +"No, the rear wheels are caught on the edge!" declared Ned. "You can just +see the back part of the car!" + +"But the man and young lady must be pitched out! It hangs nearly straight +up and down!" said Frank. + +"I wonder if they could possibly be alive?" asked Fenn, as he hurried +along, a little in the rear of the others, for, because of his stoutness, +he was not a good runner. "I'll never forget how she looked up to me, as +if she wanted me to save her." + +By this time the chums had reached the broken fence that had proved so +ineffectual a barrier to the cliff. They leaped over the shattered +boards, accompanied by a number of men and boys. + +"Gee! They're goners!" exclaimed a boy named Sandy Merton, peering over +the edge of the cliff. "It's a hundred feet to the bottom!" + +"I wonder what caught the auto?" said Bart. "Why didn't it fall?" + +"A wire caught it," answered Fenn. "Look," and he showed his chums +where several heavy strands of wire, which had been strung on the fence +to further brace it, had become entangled in the wheels of the auto as +they crashed through. The wire was twisted around some posts and, with +the broken boards from the barrier, had served to hold the car from +going over the cliff. There it hung, by the rear wheels only, a most +precarious position, for, every moment, it was in danger of toppling +over. + +"But where are the people?" asked Frank, as he peered over the edge of +the cliff. "I can't see them?" + +"They're all in pieces," declared a gloomy looking man. "They're broken +to bits from the fall." + +"Nonsense!" exclaimed Bart. "Here, let me have a look!" + +Lying flat on his face he peered over the edge of the precipice. Then he +uttered a cry. + +"I can see them!" he shouted. "They've landed on the ledge, not ten +feet down. They're under some bushes!" + +"Get some ropes, quick!" cried Fenn. "We'll haul 'em up before the auto +falls on 'em!" + +"No danger of that," declared Bart. "They're off to one side. I'm afraid +they're badly hurt, though." + +"Somebody go for a doctor!" urged Fenn. + +"I will," volunteered Jim Nelson, who had the reputation of being the +laziest boy in the town of Darewell. Perhaps he was afraid of being +asked to help haul the auto back from the perilous position. + +"Telephone for 'em!" called Frank, knowing Jim's usual slowness, and +realizing that the lazy youth would welcome this method of summoning the +medical men. + +"Tell 'em to come to my house," supplemented Fenn. "We will carry the +man and girl there." + +"Good idea," commented Frank. "You've got more room than any of these +houses near here," for, in the immediate vicinity of the cliff there +were only small cottages, and some of them were unoccupied. + +"But how are we going to get 'em up?" asked Fenn. + +By this time a large crowd had gathered. Some had brought ropes, and +there were all sorts of suggestions as to how the rescue should be +effected. + +"I'll get them; or at least I'll go down and put a rope around them, so +they can be hauled up," suddenly declared Frank. "I know how to reach +that ledge. There's not much danger. Where's a rope?" + +Several were soon produced, some neighboring clothes lines being +confiscated. It seemed that all the crowd needed was some one to give +orders. In a few minutes, with a rope tied around his waist Frank was +being lowered over the cliff. Willing hands let him down until he was +on the ledge. Then, having fastened the rope about the form of the +unconscious young woman, padding it with his coat, so the strands would +not cut her, he gave the signal to haul up. There was a cheer as the +body was laid gently down on the grass at the top of the cliff, and +some one called: + +"She isn't dead! She's breathing!" + +It was harder work for Frank to adjust the rope about the man's body, as +he was very heavy, but the lad accomplished it, and the crowd above +hauled the unfortunate automobilist up. Then Frank was raised from the +ledge. + +"Carry 'em to my house," cried Fenn. "The doctors will soon be there if +Jim hasn't forgotten to telephone for 'em." + +On stretchers, improvised from pieces of the fence, the bodies, of which +that of the girl alone seemed to contain life, were carried to Fenn's +house. The crowd followed but, at the door a constable named Darby, at +Fenn's orders, refused admittance to all save the three chums, and those +who had borne the stretchers. + +"The doctors will need room to work," declared Fenn, when there were +murmurs at what was his right, to exclude the mob from his home. "I'm +glad mother's out," he said. "This would scare her into a fit." + +"The doctors are coming," said Jim, who came into the house a moment +later, after the man and young woman had been laid on beds where Fenn +directed. "I telephoned to all in Darewell, but only three were home." + +"That ought to be enough," declared Fenn. "I hope they can save their +lives. There doesn't seem to be any evidences of injuries." + +The medical men, under the direction of Dr. Fanwood, the eldest of the +practitioners, made hasty examinations of the two victims of the +accident. + +"I think we'll have to operate on the man," declared Dr. Fanwood. "We'll +need several things from my office. Who can go for them?" and he looked +at Fenn, whom he had doctored ever since Fenn was a baby, on the few +occasions when that healthy youth needed medicine. + +"We'll go!" offered Frank, Bart and Ned at once. + +"I guess we can use all three of you," decided Dr. Fanwood. "Dr. Kyte +and Dr. Feldon will need things from their offices. Now I tell you what +to do, just take our horses and carriages, which are tied out in front, +and drive after the things. That will be quicker." + +Then, the three physicians having given the chums a list of what they +needed, proceeded to get ready for the operation. The girl was in a +semiconscious condition, but a hasty examination showed that the worst +she was suffering from was shock. She could be left alone for a time. + +While the medical men were preparing to attend to the man, Constable +Darby kept guard in front of the house, before which it seemed as if half +the population of Darewell was gathered. Jim Nelson was sitting in the +front hall, ready to go on an errand if needed, but, on the whole, rather +hoping that he would not be required to run. The hasty telephoning had +been quite a strain on his lazy nature. Fenn, at the suggestion of Dr. +Fanwood, remained in the room where the young lady was, to be at hand in +case she recovered consciousness. + +"My, things have happened suddenly," thought Fenn, as he looked at the +silent form on the bed. "We were just wishing for something like our old +adventures again. This seems to promise a good beginning." + +The four boys, who, because of their intimate association, and from the +fact that they lived in the town of that name, were known as "The +Darewell Chums," had been through some lively times together, as has +been related in the previous books of this series. In the first volume +called "The Heroes of the School," I related how the four took part in +a peculiar mystery, and solved it to their satisfaction, though, at one +time, when they went up in a balloon, and were captured by the enemy, +it looked rather dubious for them. The boys were wide-awake lads, full +of energy and resources, and they managed to free themselves from a +difficult situation. + +Their home town was on the Still River, which flowed into Lake Erie, and +Darewell was a few miles from that great body of water, on which they +often enjoyed themselves rowing or sailing. + +In the second volume of the series, "Ned Wilding's Disappearance," there +was set down the story of what happened to Ned when he tried to do a +little financial business on his own account. He went to New York, and +there by some curious mis-chances, he had to hide, almost as if he had +committed a crime. But, by the aid of his chums, and a poor lad whom +they once befriended, Ned was rescued. + +In the third volume, "Frank Roscoe's Secret," I told of a queer case of +persecution. Frank and his chums went camping and Frank's manner, which +had been not only strange but sometimes unaccountable, became still more +curious and bewildering, for one of his good nature. His chums did not +know what to make of him, and there was considerable worry on their +part. + +But it turned out that Frank was the one who had to worry, because of +the danger to his father, whom he had always supposed was dead, but who +turned out to be alive, though in captivity. How the boys discovered +Frank's secret, and how they helped him to rescue his father was related +in the book together with various other happenings during their +encampment in the woods. + +And now the Darewell Chums seemed to be in for another series of +adventures, if Fenn was any judge. The young woman on the bed tossed and +turned in the fever of a delirium. The lad became rather frightened, and +was going to call one of the doctors, though he knew they must be very +busy preparing for the operation. + +Suddenly the young woman sat up straight in bed. Her light jacket, which +had not been removed, bore many dirt-stains, where she had fallen upon +the ledge. She struggled to get it off. Fenn started to help her, +thinking one of her arms might be broken. Suddenly she exclaimed: + +"The cave! Oh, the cave! It was hidden but I can see it now! And the +men! See, there are the men, digging, digging, digging! I must stop +them! They will take all--" + +She fell back upon the pillows. + +"What cave? Where is it? Can I help you?" asked Fenn eagerly. + +"The cave! They are in it!" exclaimed the young woman again. "The +mysterious cave! If I could only find it! I must find it--my father--his +wealth--search for the cave--I--he--" + +"Yes, yes," spoke Fenn, advancing to the side of the bed. "Perhaps I can +help you find it!" + +He hardly knew what he was saying, so great had been the strain of the +accident, and so strangely did the words of the young lady affect him. + +She opened her eyes, which had been closed when she was talking. A look +of consciousness came over her face. + +"Was I speaking?" she asked in different tones than that she had used +before. "Did I say anything? What has happened? Where am I? Where is my +father?" + +"The automobile went over a cliff," explained Fenn. "You were hurt, and +so was your father, but not badly, I hope. He is here. The doctors are +with him." + +"I must--Oh, let me go to him," and she arose from the bed. "What did I +say just now?" she demanded suddenly. "I know I was unconscious, but I +was saying something." + +"It was about a cave," replied Fenn. + +"Oh!" she exclaimed in such a voice that Fenn was alarmed. "I was afraid +so! Why did I do it? Forget it, please! Forget that I ever mentioned it! +I don't know--" + +She seemed about to say something more, but her face suddenly became +pale, and she fell back on the pillows. + +"Doctor!" cried Fenn, very much frightened. + +"Ah, I'm just in time, I see," remarked Dr. Kyte, coming into the room +at that moment. "I'll attend to her now, Fenn. She has only fainted." + + + + +CHAPTER III + +SAVING THE AUTO + + +Fenn's brain was in a whirl. The manner of the girl, her strange words, +her sudden fright when he had sought to recall to her what she had said, +and her reference to a mysterious cave, all served to give the lad much +to think about. Coming as it did, on top of the automobile accident, it +added to the excitement of the day. He was glad, when he got down stairs, +to find that his three chums had returned with the things for which the +physicians had sent them. + +"Well, were you playing nurse?" asked Frank. + +"Say," declared Fenn earnestly, "I certainly was up against it. I had a +delirious patient, who was talking about caves and strange men." + +"Tell us," suggested Bart, and Fenn related what the girl had said. + +"That's nothing," declared Ned. "She was talking in her sleep." + +"No, it was delirium." + +"Well, that's the same thing," retorted Ned. "It doesn't mean anything. +She was all worked up over the accident. Probably she looked ahead, saw +the fence, and got scared half to death. Then, when the auto went over +the cliff, and she and her father were spilled out, it might have looked +as if she was falling into a cave. That's all." + +"I don't believe it," declared Fenn determinedly. "I think there is +something back of her talk. She was only partly delirious. Besides, she +knew she had been talking about a cave, for she asked me to forget all +about it. There's something in all this, and don't you forget it. Some +day I'll find out what it is." + +"You're a regular mystery solver, you are, Stumpy," declared Ned. + +"Fenn! Fenn!" exclaimed an excited woman, coming into the dining room +where the boys had gathered to talk. "What has happened? What is the +matter? Are you hurt? Was there an accident? Why is Constable Darby in +front of the house, keeping the crowd back?" + +"There was an accident, mother," said Fenn, "and a man and a girl who +were hurt have been brought here. I told them to fetch them in. I +thought you wouldn't care." + +"No, of course not. Poor things! I'm so sorry! Are they badly hurt?" + +"I'm afraid the man is, but the girl seems to be getting better, except +that she fainted awhile ago," replied Fenn, and he briefly related what +had happened. + +Just then Dr. Fanwood came into the room, to ask Fenn to heat some +water, and he remarked: + +"It is not so bad as we feared. The young lady is suffering from nothing +but shock and some bruises. The man, her father, has a bad wound on the +head, but nothing serious. They will both be all right in a few days. It +was a narrow escape." + +"Who are they, Doctor?" asked Mrs. Masterson. + +"I have not been able to question either of them," replied the physician, +"but, from papers which we found in the man's pocket I take him to be +Robert Hayward, of Bayville, Wisconsin. The young woman is evidently his +daughter, Ruth, though what they can be doing so far away from home, in +an automobile, I do not know." + +"Is he dangerously hurt?" asked Mrs. Masterson. + +"Well, it would be dangerous to move him for a few days, as complications +might set in. If he could stay here--" + +"Of course he can," interrupted Fenn's mother. "He and his daughter, +too. We have plenty of room." + +"I am glad to hear you say so," replied the doctor. "They will get well +more quickly if they are kept quiet. Now I must go back to my patient." + +He took the hot water Fenn gave him and left the room. The four chums +and Mrs. Masterson discussed the recent happenings, and the crowd +outside, learning from the constable that there was no one dead, or +likely to die, went off to look at the auto which still hung over the +cliff. + +Mrs. Masterson rather ridiculed Fenn's idea that the girl's talk had a +bearing on some mysterious happenings, and she was of the same opinion +as Ned, that it was merely the raving of delirium. But Fenn stoutly +clung to his own idea. + +"You'll see," he declared. + +The doctors left presently, and Alice Keene, Bart's sister, who was +something of a trained nurse, was installed to look after Mr. Hayward. +Miss Hayward declared she was not ill enough to be in bed, and wanted to +look after her father, but Mrs. Masterson insisted that the young woman +must consider herself a patient for several days, and declared that she +would take care of her. + +"Come on, boys," suggested Fenn, when the excitement had somewhat calmed +down. "Let's see if we can't save the auto." + +"I'm afraid if we disturb it the least bit it will go over the cliff," +said Ned. "It's hanging on by its teeth, so to speak." + +"We'll try, anyhow," decided Bart. "I'd like to help haul it back. Maybe +we'd get a ride in it, after Mr. Hayward gets well." + +"That's all you care about it," taunted Frank with a laugh. + +"No, but if we do save it, I guess you wouldn't refuse a ride in it," +retorted Bart. "It isn't often you get the chance." + +"That's so," agreed Fenn. "But come on. If we wait much longer the crowd +will get around it and, maybe, loosen the wire that holds it." + +The four chums hurried to the scene of the accident. They found that the +weight of the big car had stretched the wires so that the machine hung +farther than ever over the edge of the cliff. + +"It's going to be a hard job to save that machine," declared Ned. "How +are we going to do it?" + +"Let me think a minute," spoke Bart, who was usually fertile in devising +ways and means of doing things. + +"What ye goin' to do?" demanded Constable Darby who, having found his +post as guard at the house an empty honor, had assumed charge of the +machine. "What you boys up to now? You'd better move away from here." + +"We're going to rescue Mr. Hayward's auto for him," declared Fenn with +more assurance than he felt. "He wants it hauled back," he added, which +was true enough. + +"Wa'al, ef he wants it, that's a different thing," replied the constable, +who evidently recognized that Fenn had some rights in the matter, since +the injured persons had been carried to the lad's house. + +"I guess we've got ropes enough," spoke Bart. "The next thing is to get +some pulleys and find something strong enough to stand the strain. I +guess that big oak tree will do. Who knows where we can get some +pulleys?" + +"There are some at our house," said Fenn. "The painters left them there +when they finished the job last week. I can get them." + +"Good!" cried Bart. "You get 'em, and we'll get the ropes in shape." + +When Fenn returned with the pulleys he found that his chums had taken +several turns of one of the ropes about a tree, that was to stand the +strain of hauling the auto back on firm ground. The pulleys were +arranged so as to give more power to the hauling force, and then, the +cables having been cautiously fastened to the back of the auto, Bart +gave the word, and half a score of boys assisted the chums in heaving +on the rope. + +There was a long pull, a strong pull, and a pull altogether, but the +auto never budged. + +"Once more!" cried Bart. + +"Hold on!" a voice urged, and the boys, and others in the crowd saw a +telephone lineman approaching. + +"That wire holds the wheels!" he explained, pointing to where the wire +from the fence was entangled in the spokes. "You fellows hold on the +rope and I'll cut it for you!" + +Drawing out a big pair of cutters he crawled under the rear of the auto, +and, lying on his back, proceeded to sever the wire strands. + +"Keep the rope taut!" urged Bart. "When the wire is cut there'll be a +heavy strain." + +The boys, and several men who had taken hold of the hempen cable, braced +themselves. There was a snap, as the cutters went through the wire. + +"Look out!" cried the lineman. + +There was a creaking of the ropes. A sudden strain came on them, so +powerful, that those holding the strands felt the hemp slipping through +their fingers. + +"She's going over the cliff!" cried Bart. "Hold her, boys! Hold her!" + + + + +CHAPTER IV + +PLANNING A CRUISE + + +Farther and farther over the cliff slid the heavy auto. The boys and +men, holding the rope, were pulled slowly along, as is a losing team in +a tug-of-war. + +"Snub your rope, boys!" a voice suddenly called. "Snub her! That's the +only way to hold her back! Take a half hitch around that stump, and +you'll have her! She's got a little too much way on for you! Snub her! +Snub her, I say!" + +Bart gave one glance at the man who had called these directions. He saw +a short, squatty figure, wearing a dark blue cap, with some gold braid +on it. One glance was enough to show that the man knew what he was +talking about. + +Bart let go his grip of the rope. The auto slipped a little faster then, +for there were not so many hands holding it. But Bart knew what he was +doing. He grabbed the free end of the rope and, following the directions +of the newcomer, who aided him, he took a couple of turns about a big +stump. This "snubbed" or slowed up the progress of the ponderous car, +and a moment later it came to a stop. + +"Now you've got her!" exclaimed the squatty man. "She'll hold until you +can get a couple of teams to haul her back. You can't do it alone. Too +much steam needed!" + +"That's where you're right, Captain Wiggs!" remarked Constable Darby. "I +was jest a goin' t' tell th' boys that myself, but it's better t' have +th' advice come from a regular sea-farin' person I s'pose." + +"I'm no sea-faring person," replied the captain. "The Great Lakes are +good enough for me, but those who cruise on them know a thing or two, +even if they're not of the salt water." + +"Your advice came just in time, Captain," said Ned, for the boys knew +the commander of the steamer _Modoc_, which was one of the Great Lakes +fleet of freight carriers, and occasionally tied up at Darewell. + +"I should say it did," added Frank. "My arms are nearly pulled off." + +"I'll go up the street and see if I can get a couple of men to bring +their teams here and haul the auto up," volunteered Fenn. "I guess Mr. +Hayward will pay them." + +The others thought this suggestion a good one, and, in a short time Fenn +returned with two men, who each drove two powerful horses. + +The animals were hitched to the rope and, after a little pulling and +hauling, under the direction of Captain Wiggs, who naturally took +charge, the auto was hauled back to the street, not much damaged from +the plunge over the cliff. + +The crowd stood around for some time longer, looking at the touring car +until Fenn had the men haul it to a barn near his house. The boys would +have liked to have run it themselves, but, as they knew very little +about cars, and as they were not sure of the condition of the machinery +of this one, they decided the slower method of propulsion would be best. + +In the morning there was a great improvement in the condition of Mr. +Hayward and his daughter, Ruth. In fact Ruth could be up, Dr. Fanwood +said, though she must not exert herself. + +That afternoon after school the three chums wanted Fenn to go for a +walk, but he made some excuse and hurried home. He found Miss Ruth, who +looked prettier than ever he thought, sitting in the parlor in an easy +chair. + +"I don't believe I thanked you and your friends for what you did for my +father and myself," she said, with a smile, as she held out her hand to +Fenn. + +"Oh, it isn't necessary--I mean we didn't do anything--" and poor Fenn +became much confused. "I--er--that is we--saw the auto go over and we +hurried out." + +"Oh, it was awful!" exclaimed Ruth, "I thought I was going to be killed! +It was terrible!" + +"It was a lucky escape," murmured Fenn, sympathetically, wondering if +the girl would make any reference to the cave she had raved about. + +But she did not, and, after asking Fenn to bring his three chums, that +she might thank them personally, she went back to her room. + +"I wish I dared ask her about that mysterious cave," thought Fenn. +"There's something back of it all, I'm sure. She acts as if she was +afraid I'd find it out." + +A few days later Mr. Hayward was able to be up, and after that his +recovery was rapid. He explained to Fenn, and the boy's parents, that +he was in the timber business, and had some mining interests. His +daughter's health was not of the best, he added, and, in the hope of +improving it, he had taken her on a long auto trip. They intended to go +to Maine, and camp in the woods, and were on their way there when the +accident happened. + +"I'm sure I can't thank you for all you have done for me," said Mr. +Hayward, looking at Fenn and his parents. "Those other boys, too; my +daughter tells me there were three of your chums who helped." + +"Oh, we didn't do so much," murmured Fenn. "Anybody would have done the +same." + +"Yes, but you did it," replied Mr. Hayward. "I appreciate it, I can tell +you. I wish I could show you how much. Perhaps I can, some day. I'll +tell you what I wish you'd do; come out and see me. It's not so very far +to Bayville, and we can show you some great sights there, I tell you. +You could make the trip along the Great Lakes, and they're well worth +seeing. My daughter and I would make you comfortable, I'm sure." + +"It's very kind of you to give the boys that invitation," said Mr. +Masterson. "I'm afraid it's too long a trip for them." + +"Oh, nonsense!" exclaimed Mr. Hayward. "They can go by boat all the way. +It's a fine trip." + +"I'm sure you would enjoy it," said Ruth, smiling at Fenn. + +"Then we'll go!" exclaimed Stumpy, with more energy than the occasion +seemed to call for. + +"I wish you would," added Mr. Hayward, and then he and Mr. Masterson +began a discussion of business matters. + +A little later that evening Fenn, going in the parlor for a book, saw +Ruth sitting there in the darkness. + +"What's the matter?" he asked with ready sympathy. "Are you ill? Shall I +call my mother?" + +"No--no, I'm all right--I'll be all right in a little while. Please +don't call any one," and the girl seemed much alarmed. "I--I was just +thinking of--" + +"Is there anything worrying you?" asked Fenn boldly, as the memory of +what she had said in her delirium came back to him. "Can I do anything +to help you? Is it about a cave?" + +"Hush!" exclaimed Ruth, in such tones that Fenn was startled. "Don't +speak of that. Oh, I don't know why I mentioned it. I was not myself! +Forget it, please. It might cause a dreadful--Oh, I can't talk about +it!" + +She was whispering tensely, and she came close to Fenn. In the next room +Mr. Hayward could be heard telling Mr. Masterson something about his +large business interests. + +"Don't let my father hear you," pleaded Ruth. + +"But perhaps I can help you," insisted Fenn. + +"No--no one can--at least not now," she said. "Don't ask me. I must go +now. Good-night," and she hurried from the room, leaving a much-puzzled +lad behind. He forgot all about the book he wanted, so wrought up was he +over what Ruth had said. He decided it would not be proper to question +her any further, though he wanted very much to aid her if he could. + +The next morning Mr. Hayward announced that he felt well enough to +proceed. The auto had been repaired, and the gentleman and his daughter, +bidding their hosts farewell, started off. They had decided to return +home, as Ruth was so upset over the accident that a camping trip was out +of the question. + +"Now don't forget, I expect you boys out to visit me," called Mr. +Hayward, as the four chums waved their hands to father and daughter when +the auto puffed off. "Come early and stay late!" + +"Poor girl," murmured Mrs. Masterson, as she went back into the house. +"She seems worried over something, but I don't see what it can be, for +her father is very wealthy, according to his talk, and she has everything +she wants. Maybe she misses her mother. She told me she had been dead +only a few years." + +But Fenn knew it was something about the mysterious cave that was +worrying Ruth, and he wished, more than ever, that he could do something +to aid her. + +It was a week after this when, school having closed for the summer term, +the four chums were gathered at Fenn's house. Frank, Ned and Bart had +arrived at the same time, to find Stumpy absorbed in the pages of a big +geography. + +"Going to take a post-graduate course?" asked Bart. + +"No, he's looking for Bayville, to see if he can't catch a glimpse of +Ruth," spoke Ned. + +"I was planning a vacation trip," replied Fenn, with dignity. + +"A vacation trip? Where?" + +"On the Great Lakes," answered Fenn. "I think it would be just the +thing. I've been looking it up. We could go down the Still River to Lake +Erie, and then to Lake Huron. From there we could visit the Straits of +Mackinaw, and then, after a trip on Lake Michigan, go through the Sault +St. Mary to Lake Superior. Then--" + +"Yes, and then we could sail to Bayville and you could visit Ruth while +we sat on the bank and caught fish!" interrupted Frank. "Oh, Stumpy, +it's easy to guess what you are thinking about!" + + + + +CHAPTER V + +CAPTAIN WIGGS'S PROPOSAL + + +Fenn had to stand considerable "jollying" on the part of his chums, but, +though he blushed and was a little annoyed, he took it in good part. + +"You can talk about Ruth all you like," he said, "but, just the same, if +you have any plans to beat a cruise on the Great Lakes, why--trot 'em +out, that's all. We've got to go somewhere this vacation, and I don't +see any better place, though I've looked through the whole geography." + +"And the only place you could get to was Bayville," interrupted Ned. +"It's all right, Stumpy. I agree with you, that it would be a fine +trip." + +"How could we make it?" asked Frank. + +"Walk, of course," replied Bart, with a grin. "It's water all the way." + +"Funny!" answered Frank, poking his sarcastic chum in the ribs. "I mean +where could we get a boat?" + +"Hire one, I s'pose," put in Fenn, who had been busy marking an +imaginary cruise in lead pencil on the map of the Great Lakes. + +"That would be pretty expensive," said Bart. "We're not millionaires, +though we each have a little money salted away in the bank." + +The boys discussed the proposed cruise for some time longer, but there +seemed no way of going on it. To hire a steamer or motorboat for such a +long trip was practically out of the question for them, and, with much +regret they all admitted it could not be considered. + +"Come over to-morrow night," invited Fenn, when his chums left that +evening. "Maybe we can think of something by then." + +The next afternoon Fenn, who had gone to the store for his mother, +stopped, on his way back, at the public dock of the Still River, where +several vessels were loading with freight for Lake Erie ports. There was +much hurrying about and seeming confusion; wagons and trucks backing up +and going ahead, and scores, of men wheeling boxes and barrels on board +lighters and steamers. + +"Port! Port your helm!" suddenly called a voice, almost in Fenn's ear, +and he jumped to one side, to allow a short, stout man, with his arms +full of bundles, to pass him. "That's it!" the man went on. "Nearly run +you down, didn't I? Thought you were a water-logged craft in my course. +Why, hello! If it isn't Fenn Masterson!" + +"Captain Wiggs!" exclaimed Fenn, recognizing the commander of the +_Modoc_. + +"Looking for a berth?" went on the captain, as he placed his bundles +down on the head of a barrel. "I can sign you as cleaner of the after +boiler tubes, if you like," and he looked so grave that Fenn did not +know whether he was joking or not. It was a habit the captain had, of +making the most absurd remarks in a serious way, so that even his +friends, at times, did not quite know how to take him. "Yes," he went +on, "I need a small boy to crawl through the after boiler tubes twice a +day to keep 'em clean. Would you like the job?" + +"I--I don't believe so," replied Fenn, with a smile, for now he knew +Captain Wiggs was joking. + +"All right then," said the commander, with an assumed sigh. "I'll have +to do it myself, and I'm getting pretty old and fat for such work. The +tubes are smaller than they used to be. But I dare say I can manage it. +Where you going?" he asked Fenn suddenly, with a change of manner. + +"No place in particular. Home, pretty soon. Why?" + +"I was going to ask you to come aboard and have a glass of lemonade," +invited the captain. "It's a hot day and lemonade is the best drink I +know of." + +"Oh, I'll come," decided Fenn, for Captain Wiggs's lemonade had quite a +reputation. Besides there were always queer little chocolate cakes in +the captain's cabin lockers, for he was very fond of sweet things, as +Fenn knew from experience. + +"Haven't saved any more sinking automobiles, lately, have you?" asked +the commander, when Fenn was seated in the cabin, sipping a glass of the +delicious beverage. + +"No. Mr. Hayward has gone back to Bayville." + +"Bayville? Is that where he lives?" asked Captain Wiggs. + +"That's it," replied Fenn. "Why?" + +"That's odd," mused the captain. "I'm going right near there, this +cruise. You see I've got a mixed cargo this trip," he explained. "I've +got to deliver some things at several lake ports, but the bulk of the +stuff goes to Duluth. Now if you would only ship with me, as cleaner of +the after boiler tubes, why you could go along." + +"Could I?" asked Fenn eagerly. + +"Sure." + +"And--and could you take any other boiler tube cleaners, or--or any +other help?" + +"Well, I need a couple of lads to dust the coal," said the captain, so +seriously that Fenn thought he meant it. "You see if coal is dusty it +doesn't burn well," he added. "We have to dust off every lump before we +can put it in the boiler. Now a couple of handy lads, who were quick and +smart could--" + +"Maybe you could use three," suggested Fenn, with a smile. + +"Sure I could," spoke the captain. "That's it!" he added quickly. "You +and your three chums! Why not? You four could come along, and, if +necessary, you could all dust coal. We use a lot of it. Come on now, +here's a proposal for you," and the captain smiled good naturedly. "You +four boys come along and make the trip to Duluth with me." + +"Would it--would it cost much?" asked Fenn, seeing a chance of carrying +out the cruise he had planned. + +"Not a cent. I tell you I'll use you boys in more ways than one. Dusting +the coal is only a small matter. There is the smoke stack to be scrubbed, +the dishes to be hand painted and the windows to be taken out and put in +again." + +"Do you mean it?" asked Fenn. "I mean, do you really want us on this +trip, Captain Wiggs?" + +"Of course I do. I sail in three days, to be gone a month or more. If +you boys want to have a good vacation come along. Get the permission of +your folks and let me know to-night." + +"I will!" exclaimed Fenn, his brain whirling with the suddenness of it +all. "I'll tell the other boys right away," and, not even pausing to +thank the captain for the lemonade, he hurried up the companion ladder, +out on the deck of the _Modoc_ and, jumping to the dock, ran up the +street as fast as he could go. + + + + +CHAPTER VI + +IN PERIL + + +"Here's the stuff from the store, mom!" exclaimed Fenn, as he rushed +into the house. + +"What's the matter?" asked his mother anxiously. "Has there been an +accident, Fenn?" + +"Got to find the boys! Captain Wiggs! _Modoc!_ Going on a cruise! Tell +you later!" was what Fenn exclaimed in jerky sentences as he hurried +down the side steps and out of the yard. + +"Oh, those boys! They get so excited you can't do anything with them!" +exclaimed Mrs. Masterson. "I wonder what they're up to now?" + +If she could have seen her son and his chums, whom he met on the street, +soon after his hurried exit, she would have been more puzzled than ever. + +"Great news! Great!" yelled Fenn, as he caught sight of Frank, Ned and +Bart approaching him. "We're going with Captain Wiggs to make a tour of +the Great Lakes! Whoop! Hold me down, somebody!" + +He grabbed Ned and Bart, each by an arm, and began whirling them around +in a good imitation of an Indian war dance. + +"Here! Let up!" cried Frank. "What's it all about? Who's killed?" + +"Nobody, you ninny!" shouted Fenn. "We're going on the _Modoc_!" + +"Who says so?" + +"When?" + +"How many of us?" + +"Where?" + +"Are we all going?" + +All Fenn could do was to nod his head vigorously. He was all out of +breath. As soon as he could get enough wind to talk, he rapidly +explained what Captain Wiggs had said. + +"Does he mean we're to work our passage?" asked Frank. "I don't know as +I care to shovel coal, if that's what he means." + +"I guess he was only joking about that part of it," answered Fenn. "I'm +going, if I have to scrub the decks. It will be sport." + +"That's right," chimed in Bart. "I don't mind working my way for the +sake of the trip. When can we go?" + +"Let's go down to the wharf and have a talk with him," suggested Ned, +and they all agreed this was a wise idea. + +A little later they were in the large cabin of the _Modoc_, which, for a +freight boat, was well fitted up. + +Captain Wiggs repeated the invitation he had given to Fenn. The boys +would be welcome to make the trip with him, he said, as long as their +parents consented. They would need an outfit of clothing, with rough +garments for stormy weather, which might be encountered. + +"And we'll do anything we can to help you run the boat," added Bart, who +felt that some return ought to be given for the captain's generosity. + +"Well," replied the commander, in drawling tones, "I don't expect too +much. But if you could manage to keep the door mats clean it would be a +great help." + +"Door mats--on a ship?" questioned Ned. + +"Yes; of course," replied the captain, with an assumption of dignity. +"You see the salt spray gets all over the deck, and if it's tramped into +the cabins it makes the floors dirty. My steward is very particular +about clean floors, and I thought that if you could help keep the mats +clean, why it would make his work easier, and he wouldn't grumble so +much. However, if it's too much trouble, why of course--" + +"Oh, we'll do it," hastily agreed Fenn, fearing that the trip might be +called off. He did not quite know how to take the captain's remarks, for +the commander had not the least suspicion of a smile on his face. After +all, thought Fenn, it might be necessary to clean the door mats, and he +resolved to do his share of it. + +"Well, now that that's settled," went on the commander, as if a load had +been taken from his mind, "we'll go into further details." + +He then explained to the boys what they would need in the way of clothing +and baggage, and he briefly described the trip. The duration of it was a +little uncertain as he could not tell how long he would have to wait at +Duluth, after unloading, before he could get a cargo to bring back. + +"I guess I'll get you home safe in time to begin the fall term of +school," he said, "and that ought to answer." + +"It will," declared Ned. "It's mighty fine of you to ask us." + +"Oh, I guess you'll be worth your salt," commented Captain Wiggs. +"Besides attending to the door mats, I may expect you to look after the +scuttle-butt, now and again." + +Fenn wanted to ask what the scuttle-butt was, but as the steward came in +just then, to get some orders, the boys decided it was time to leave. + +They promised to be on hand the day set for sailing, and then, with +their minds full of the happy prospect ahead of them, they went ashore. + +The parents of the lads offered no objection to their making the cruise +in company with Captain Wiggs, who was well known in Darewell. In due +time valises and trunks were packed and the four chums, the envy of +their less-fortunate school companions, strolled down to the wharf and +boarded the _Modoc_. + +The steamer was a large one, and had good accommodations for passengers, +though she seldom carried any. This time, besides the boys, there was +only one man, who was making the trip for his health. He was Burton +Ackerman, who lived in a small town not far from Darewell. + +They found that their staterooms, which were of good size, adjoined one +another. They put away their belongings, and then went up on deck. The +_Modoc_ had cast off, and was slowly gathering speed as it dropped down +the river toward Lake Erie. + +"Don't forget the scenery, boys!" called the captain, as he passed. + +"We won't," answered Ned, with a laugh. + +The boys had often made the trip to Lake Erie, and there was little of +novelty for them in this. But, when the steamer had gotten well out on +the big body of water, they crowded to the rails, for they had never +been out so far as this before. + +"It's almost as good as an ocean voyage," exclaimed Bart. + +"What are you thinking of, Stumpy?" asked Frank, noticing that his short +chum was rather quiet. + +"I know," declared Ned. "He's wondering if he'll see Ruth." + +"Oh, you--" began the badgered one, when the attention of the boys was +taken from tormenting their chum by several sharp blasts of the +_Modoc's_ whistle. There was an answering screech and Frank suddenly +exclaimed: + +"Look there, boys!" + +They all looked. On the port side, bearing right down on them, and +coming at full speed, was an immense grain barge. It appeared to be +unmanageable, for the whistle was frantically blowing, and a man in the +pilot house was waving his hand. + +"Toot! Toot! Toot! Toot!" screamed the whistle of the _Modoc_. + +"She's going to ram us!" cried Fenn. "We can't get out of the way in +time!" + +There was a confused jangling of bells from the _Modoc's_ engine room, +followed by more whistles, and then the steamer began to swing around. +But still the grain barge came straight on. A collision seemed +inevitable. + + + + +CHAPTER VII + +AN ELEVATOR BLAZE + + +From somewhere Captain Wiggs reached the deck on the jump. He tore past +the boys on the run, and fairly burst into the door of the pilot house, +where the first mate was in charge. + +"We'd better get ready to jump!" cried Frank. "It looks as if we were +going to be cut in two." + +"Grab life preservers!" shouted Ned. "Here are some back here!" + +He turned to lead the way to where, under an awning, some of the cork +jackets were hung in racks. Before he could reach them a peculiar shiver +seemed to run over the _Modoc_. + +"She's hit us!" yelled Bart. "Everybody jump!" + +The boys made a rush for the rail, intending to trust to their swimming +abilities rather than to chance remaining on the steamer after the grain +barge had hit her. + +But their plans were suddenly frustrated for, as they reached the rail, +something that towered away above their heads loomed up, and the grain +vessel came sliding along side of the _Modoc_, just as if the two craft +were about to tie up together for loading purposes. + +The grain barge only bumped gently against the side of the steamer. The +shrill whistles ceased. The jangling bells were silent. By the narrowest +of margins a bad collision had been avoided. + +Out of the pilot house came Captain Wiggs, running along the rail until +he came opposite the pilot house of the grain barge. Then, standing on a +signal flag locker the commander addressing the man in charge of the +vessel which had given them all such a scare, exclaimed: + +"Say, what in the name of the Sacred Cow are you trying to do, anyhow? +Don't you know how to steer, you inconsiderate slab-sided specimen of an +isosceles triangle!" + +"Sure I know how to steer," replied the man, who was as cool as the +captain was excited. "I was steering boats when you was a baby. But I'd +like to know how in the name of Billy Hochswatter's mud-turtle any one +can manage a boat when the steam steering gear breaks just as another +vessel gets in front of me." + +"Oh, then that's different," replied Captain Wiggs, with an +understanding of the difficulties of the situation. + +"Yes, I guess it is," retorted the other. + +"Why didn't you use the hand gear?" asked the commander of the _Modoc_. + +"That got jammed just as they were swinging my boat around, and all I +could do was to signal for a clear course." + +"Well, I gave it to you, but I almost had to rip my engines off the bed +plates to do it," retorted Captain Wiggs. "I reversed at full speed, and +swung that wheel around until it looked like a spinning top. Only for +that we'd be on the bottom of the lake by now." + +"That's right," agreed the other pilot. "You had your nerve with you. +Well, as long as there's no damage done I s'pose you can go ahead. I'll +have to lay-to for repairs." + +"Um," was all Captain Wiggs replied, for he had not quite gotten over +his scare, used as he was to narrow escapes from danger. Slowly the +_Modoc_ was backed away from the side of the grain barge, and, when at +the proper distance, she was sent ahead again, the other craft coming to +anchor. + +"I hope I don't meet him again this voyage," murmured Captain Wiggs, as +he walked up to where the four chums stood. "He's the most unlucky +fellow I know. Something is always happening to his boats." + +"Who is he?" asked Ned. + +"Captain Streitwetter. He's a German from Germanville. Did you hear him +mention Billy Hochswatter's mud-turtle?" + +"Yes," said Bart. "What did he mean?" + +"That is a story," replied Captain Wiggs gravely, "which can only be +told after the dinner dishes are washed. You'd better look after them," +and with that he walked away. + +"There he goes again!" exclaimed Frank. "You never know what he is going +to say. I believe he's stringing us." + +"I almost know it," retorted Fenn. "It's only a way he has, but the +trouble is we don't know whether or not he wants us to do the things he +says. I wonder if we had better do anything about the dishes?" + +"Of course not," said Frank. "The cook sees to that." + +"But maybe the cook is sick," insisted Fenn. "Captain Wiggs might want +us to help." + +"If I thought so I'd offer at once," put in Ned. "I used to do it at +home, once in a while, to help out." + +"I'll go ask him," volunteered Fenn, and he started to find Captain +Wiggs, when he was halted by seeing the commander step from behind a +pile of boxes. The captain was laughing heartily. + +"That's the time I had you guessing; didn't I?" he demanded. "Wash the +dishes. Ha! Ha! Ho! Ho! That's pretty good!" + +The boys, looking a bit sheepish, soon joined in the merriment at their +expense, and the little pleasantry served to banish the nervous feeling +that remained after the narrow escape from the collision. + +"Billy Hochswatter's mud-turtle!" repeated the captain. "That's what +Captain Streitwetter always says when he's excited. I don't believe +there ever was such a person as Billy Hochswatter." + +"I either," added Fenn. + +"I must go down to the engine room to see if we suffered any damage," +the commander of the _Modoc_ went on. "You boys amuse yourselves as well +as you can until dinner time. You don't have to peel the potatoes," he +added with a wink. + +"We'll have to get even with him, somehow," suggested Ned, when the +captain was out of hearing. + +"How?" asked Bart. + +"I haven't thought it out yet, but we must play some kind of a trick on +him. He'll think the Darewell chums are slow if we believe all he tells +us, and don't come back at him. Try and think up something." + +"Good idea," commented Fenn. "We'll have the laugh on him, next time." + +The day passed quickly, for there were many novel sights for the boys to +see. Captain Wiggs was kept so busy, for there were some repairs needed +to one of the engines, because of the sudden reversing, that the boys +did not see him again that day. He did not appear at dinner or supper, +and the steward said the commander was taking his meals in the engine +room. + +The _Modoc_ was going along at less than her usual speed, but was making +fairly good time. + +"Well, I s'pose we might as well turn in, boys," suggested Fenn, about +nine o'clock. "I believe that is the proper term aboard a ship." + +"Yes, messmates," spoke Ned, assuming a theatrical attitude, "we will +now seek our downy hammocks, and court 'tired nature's sweet restorer, +balmy sleep,' to arise in the gladsome morning, and 'you must wake and +call me early; call me early, mother dear, for I'm to be Queen of the +May, mother; I'm to be Queen of the May!'" + +"We'll call you 'loony,' instead of 'early,' if you get off any more of +that nonsense," murmured Frank. + +"That's what," agreed Fenn. "You're not studying English Lit. and French +history now, Ned." + +"Very well, most noble gentlemen," went on Ned. "I shall obey you, right +gladly, I ween!" and he made a dive for his stateroom before Bart, who +made a sudden grab could lay hands on him. + +The others soon turned in, and, in spite of their new and strange +surroundings and beds, were soon sound asleep. + +It must have been about midnight that Fenn was awakened by hearing a +great tramping on deck. It was followed by confused shouts, and then +came the jangling of the engine room bells. The _Modoc_ seemed to +increase her speed. + +"I wonder if there's another collision coming?" he said as he sat up. +He heard Bart moving in the next room, and presently Frank's voice was +heard calling: + +"Say, fellows, something's wrong." + +The noise on deck increased, and it sounded as though several men were +running to and fro, dragging ropes about. + +"I'm going up!" decided Fenn, jumping out of his berth and hastily +pulling on his clothes. From the open doors of his chums' rooms he could +see that they, too, were attiring themselves with little regard for how +they looked. + +Up on deck they hurried. As they emerged from the companionway their +eyes were met with a bright glare. + +"A fire!" exclaimed Ned. "The boat's afire!" + +"Don't say that! Don't say that, young man, I beg of you!" besought a +man, attired in his trousers and night shirt, as he approached Ned, who +recognized him as Mr. Ackerman, the sick passenger. + +"What is it?" inquired Fenn, who was right behind Ned. + +"He said the ship was on fire," repeated Mr. Ackerman. "I can't stand +it. I have heart disease. Excitement is bad for me. Do, please, one of +you, go and find out how fast it is burning, and come back and tell me." + +He sat down at the head of the companionway, as coolly as though he had +asked to be informed which way the wind was blowing. Evidently he knew +how to take care of himself, so as not to aggravate his malady. + +"The ship isn't on fire!" exclaimed Bart, crowding past Ned and Fenn. + +"But something evidently is burning," insisted Mr. Ackerman. "I can +smell smoke, and see the reflection of the blaze." + +This was not strange, considering that the _Modoc_ was in the midst of a +cloud of vapor, and that bright tongues of fire could be seen close to +her bow. + +"It's a big grain elevator on shore that's burning!" exclaimed Frank. +"See! There it is!" + +As he spoke the smoke which enveloped the steamer was blown aside. The +boys could then note that, during the night the vessel had approached +close to shore. They were near a good-sized city, and, among the wharfs +was a big building, built to hold grain in readiness to load on the lake +steamers. + +From the top of this flames were shooting high into the air, and the +_Modoc_ was approaching it at full speed. + + + + +CHAPTER VIII + +FENN HEARS SOMETHING + + +"What's the matter? Can't Captain Wiggs stop the ship?" cried Fenn, for +it certainly looked as if the _Modoc_ was going to run, full tilt, into +the flames, which were right at the water's edge, as the elevator was on +the end of the wharf. + +"Clang!" + +The half speed bell sounded from the engine room. The steamer began to +slacken speed. + +"Clang! Clang!" + +Two gongs. Stop the engines. The _Modoc_ was going ahead under her own +momentum only. Then another signal. + +Under the stern of the steamer the water boiled and bubbled as the great +screw was reversed, to check the vessel's way. The jingling bell, +following the signal to reverse, indicated to the engineer to back his +machinery at full speed, and the big craft fairly quivered, so great was +the strain of stopping her up short. + +But they were master-hands aboard the _Modoc_ and she swung broadside +to a wharf as gently as a boy brings his toy boat to a stop. From the +deck men leaped to the string piece, with great ropes in their hands, +which they made fast to butts and piling. The steamer was tied up, so +close to the burning elevator that the boys could feel the heat of it. + +"What are you going to do, captain?" asked Mr. Ackerman, who seemed to +have recovered from his nervousness, when he found the _Modoc_ was in no +danger. + +"I'm going to help douse that fire!" cried the commander. "Lively with +that hose, men! Lively now! Snatch her quick and I'll give you all the +water you can handle!" + +Several brawny deck-hands began pulling a line of hose over the side. +Other men were lowering a big boat, into which the men with the hose +jumped. The hose was unreeled after them as they pulled out on the lake, +in front of the burning elevator. + +"I'm afraid it's a goner," remarked Captain Wiggs, as a gust of wind +sent the leaping flames licking along the surface of the water. + +"How did it happen?" + +"Whose place is it?" + +"What are you going to do?" + +Those were some of the questions which the boys asked Captain Wiggs. He +answered them all, comprehensively. + +"It's an elevator in which the owners of the _Modoc_ are interested," he +said. "I was to call there to-morrow for a load of grain. I was heading +for the wharf, intending to tie up until morning, when I saw flames +shooting out of the top of the shaft. I've got a powerful pump aboard, +and I knew they didn't have any fire boat in town, so I speeded the +_Modoc_ as close as I could. I don't believe I can do much, but I'm +going to try. I'm afraid the fire has too much start." + +"Can we go ashore and watch it?" asked Ned. + +"I guess so. Don't go too near, and be careful you don't fall off the +pier. It's deep water all around." + +Captain Wiggs hurried down to the engine room, for the men with the hose +in the boat were now as close as they dared to go to the fire, and could +use water. + +"Come on, fellows!" cried Ned. "We don't often get a chance to see a big +fire like this." + +They leaped to the wharf, since no gang plank had been run out, and were +soon hurrying along the pier to shore. The elevator was several slips or +piers distant, and the boys would have to go ashore to reach it. As +they ran on they could hear the big pump of the _Modoc_ beginning to +force water from the lake through the hose, the nozzle of which the men +in the row boat directed at the fire. + +In the street along the water front the four chums found a great crowd. +Every one was hurrying to the blaze. Men were shouting, boys were +yelling, and even women and girls had hurriedly dressed to come out to +the conflagration. + +"The whole block back of the elevator'll go, if they don't stop it +pretty soon!" yelled a man as he passed on the run. + +"Here comes the water-tower!" shouted several. + +"Look out there!" + +"Clear the way!" + +An insistent clanging of a fire gong to the accompaniment of barking +dogs told that some piece of apparatus was dashing along the street. The +boys felt some one from behind thrust them to one side. + +"Look out!" a policeman shouted in their ears. "Do you want to be +killed?" + +They shrank back, burying themselves in the crowd on either side of the +way, just as the water tower, with the plunging horses foam-flecked and +heaving, dashed by. + +"They've sent for more engines from Frenchtown!" cried some one in the +throng. + +"They'll need all they can get." + +"The warehouse'll go next!" + +"They'd better use dynamite!" + +"This shows we ought to have a fire boat!" + +"This department don't know how to handle a blaze like that!" + +Remarks of this nature kept floating to the ears of the boys as they +hurried along, arm in arm, so they would not become separated in the +press that was on every side of them. + +Above the din sounded a shrill whistle, and a fire-engine, spouting +sparks, with the stoker at the back, clinging to the rail with one hand, +and with the other throwing soft coal on the glowing mass under the +boiler, crammed his head out to see how much farther the panting horses +had to run. + +The blazing elevator was hidden from sight of the boys by several +buildings that intervened, but by looking up they could see the lurid +sky, and the smoke-laden air, in which glowed dull red sparks, like +stars. Suddenly the crowd, of which the four chums formed a part, swung +around a corner. Then a terrible, but vivid scene was presented. + +On the end of a big wharf, with the black lake as a background, was the +flaming structure. It stood out boldly, like a picture framed in ebony, +illuminating itself by leaping, licking tongues of yellow fire, that +seemed to tumble and toss--to twist and coil about like devouring +serpents. + +Up shot the flames--far above the slanting, narrow roof of the elevator. +The windows shone out as though millions of candles had been placed in +them. Through some casements, darting spears of fire glanced, as if to +transfix anything in their path, not satisfied with what was within. The +piles of grain made a dense smoke, and the peculiar structure of the +building, like some immense chimney, gave a draught that seemed to doom +the elevator to complete destruction. + +At the foot of the building could be seen a dark mass of firemen, moving +here and there. In spots it was illuminated by little spurts of flame, +where the engines were puffing like mad to send the quenching water on +the fiercely burning timbers. + +"They'll never stop that fire!" shouted a man close to the chums. "The +roof'll cave in soon!" + +"Why don't they use the stand pipes in the elevator?" asked another +man. "No engine they've got can throw water to the roof." + +"The stand pipes are melted by now," was the answer. "They tried 'em, +but it got too hot. There she goes!" + +The flames seemed to make one final leap, as if to reach a higher point +in the air than they had yet attained. There was a sound as though a +great gun had exploded and the roof, blown off by the heated air inside, +and by the gases generated from the burning grain, was scattered into a +thousand pieces. + +Then, as if satisfied that it had accomplished what it set out to do, +the fire died down a little. The top stories of the elevator toppled in, +and the mass seemed to crumple up. Owing to the packed heaps of grain it +was burning slowly, now that most of the wood work was consumed. + +"That's another blow to Hayward!" spoke a voice so close to Fenn's ear +that the boy started in spite of himself. + +"Hush!" cautioned a man, who was beside the one who had first spoken, +"some one might hear you." + +"No one knows what I'm talking about," was the answer. "I guess Hayward +will be willing to talk business now. He can't stand many such losses +as this, even if he does own most of Bayville. I understand he didn't +carry much insurance on this grain, as it was stored for quick movement. +Now, when I see him--" + +The man stopped suddenly, for Fenn was looking right at him. Somehow the +youth knew instinctively that he was talking about the Mr. Hayward who +had been injured in the auto accident. What could it mean? Why was the +speaker glad that the westerner had suffered a loss in the elevator +fire? Fenn wanted to hear more. + +But the man who had first spoken, said nothing further. He grasped his +companion by the arm, and nodded toward Fenn. The other boys were still +watching the fire, and were some distance away from Stumpy. + +"Were you--" began the first speaker, looking at Fenn, when his companion +suddenly drew him back among the crowd. + +"Stop! Stop!" Fenn heard him whisper. "I must get hold of him and--" + +There was some mystery here. Fenn vaguely felt it, but he could not tell +what it was. There was a movement in the throng, and Fenn's chums were +pressed back to where he stood. + +"Here comes some more engines!" was the cry. + +Additional steamers, summoned from an adjoining city, rattled up. The +fire, which had died down, seemed to break out afresh, as the flames +seized on new material. + +"I tell you I'm going to find out about him!" + +This was the voice of the man who had spoken of Mr. Hayward. Fenn glanced +around. The fellow, who had a sinister face, was making his way toward +him. + +"Maybe they're thieves or pickpockets," thought Fenn. "I guess we'd +better get out of here while we have the chance." + +He leaned forward and grasped Bart by the arm. + +"Come on!" he hoarsely whispered. + +"What for?" inquired Bart. "The fire isn't half over." + +"Come on," repeated Fenn earnestly. "I think Captain Wiggs may want us." + +He was so insistent, and nodded in such a peculiar way that Bart realized +something unusual was in the wind. Pulling Ned and Frank close to him, +Fenn whispered: + +"I think some pickpockets are trying to rob us. I've brought my money +with me. Let's get out of here." + +The boys made a quick turn in the crowd, and worked their way to where +the press was not so thick. Fenn led the way, looking back to see if the +men were following. + +They were. The man with the sinister face, and his companion, were +trailing close after the boys. + +"Come on!" cried Fenn, suddenly breaking into a run. + +But the men were not to be so easily left behind. They, too, quickened +their pace, and pursued the four chums, though what their motive was the +boys could only guess. + + + + +CHAPTER IX + +OFF AGAIN + + +The boys soon found themselves mixed up in another part of the crowd, +that had, apparently, come down a side street leading to the lake front. +They had some trouble disengaging themselves from it, and, when they +again had a fairly clear street to run through, they were some distance +from the fire. + +"Did we lose 'em?" asked Fenn, panting from the run. + +"What? Who?" asked Frank, who did not exactly understand the cause for +the sudden retreat. + +"Those two--pickpockets," replied Fenn, not knowing exactly how to +classify the strange men. + +"Here comes a couple of fellows on the run," said Ned. "I guess they're +still after us. Let's wait and ask what they want. They haven't any +right to follow us." + +"No, no!" urged Fenn. "Come on back to the steamer." + +He seemed so much in earnest that his chums did not stop to ask +questions, but increased their speed. Just as they reached the wharf, +at the end of which the _Modoc_ was tied, another fire engine, +hastening to the elevator blaze, dashed by. + +There was a quick clanging of the gong, and a shrill screech from the +whistle. It was instantly followed by a shout. + +"The engine struck one of the men!" cried Frank, looking back. "He's +knocked down! Run over I guess! Come on back!" + +The boys hesitated. They did not want to leave an injured man, even if +he and his companion had been pursuing them. The street, at this point, +was deserted, save for the two strangers. The engine did not stop, the +horses being urged on by the driver, who did not want to have the +reputation of arriving last at the conflagration. + +"Come on back and help him," urged Bart, who was always anxious to aid +persons in distress, even if they were enemies. + +The others hesitated. It was rather a risk, Fenn thought. But the +problem was solved for them. The man who had been knocked down by the +engine arose to his feet. Supporting himself on the shoulder of his +companion he limped off up the street, and away from the boys. + +"I guess he isn't badly hurt," remarked Ned. "He'll not chase us any +more. That engine came along just in time." + +"Except I guess it's too late to help put out the fire," said Frank. +"There can't be much left of the elevator." + +"But what did we run for?" asked Ned. "Who were those chaps, Fenn?" + +Fenn explained what he had heard, and expressed the belief that the men +had some business enmity against Mr. Hayward. + +"They seemed delighted that the elevator, containing his grain, burned +down; or at least the one man did," he said. "Then, when they saw I was +listening, though I didn't really intend to, they acted as though they +wanted to get hold of me, and see why I was so interested. I thought +they might be pickpockets, but now I don't believe they were." + +"We must tell Captain Wiggs about it," suggested Frank. + +"I don't believe I will," answered Fenn. "I don't want him to laugh at +me, and I think he surely will if I suggest that the men chased us. +He'll probably think we took two harmless citizens for burglars. No, I +think the best plan will be to wait and see what turns up." + +"I'll tell you what you can do," spoke Ned. + +"What?" inquired Fenn. + +"You can ask Captain Wiggs who owned that grain in the burned elevator. +He'll know, as he was going to get a load there." + +"Good idea," responded Fenn. "I will." + +The boys were soon aboard the ship again. They found that the men in the +rowboat had returned, as the side of the elevator nearest the lake had +all burned away, and their hose was no longer effective. The fire was +under control now, but was still blazing well. Enough engines had arrived +to prevent it spreading. + +"Well, this knocks my plans all askew," remarked the commander of the +_Modoc_, when the boys came on deck. "I don't know where to get my +grain, now." + +"Did you say the same company that owned this steamer owned that grain?" +asked Fenn, seeing a good chance to obtain the information he wanted. + +"No, I said they owned the elevator," replied the captain. "The grain is +a separate matter. I don't know whose that was. Whoever it belonged to +won't get much good from it." + +"Is there any way of telling who owned it?" asked Fenn, for he thought, +even though the men had mentioned the name "Hayward," that it might be +some other man than the one injured in the auto accident--some one else +than the father of Ruth. + +"Why, I can tell by looking at my order slips," replied Mr. Wiggs. "Why +are you so interested?" + +"I was wondering if it was any one I knew," answered Fenn, a little +evasively, as he did not want to explain what had happened. + +"Um--let's see," and Captain Wiggs who, followed by the boys had gone to +the main cabin, began thumbing over the pages of a small book he took +from his pocket. "'Proceed to'--no, that's not it--'take cargo'--um--no, +it must be on the next page--Oh, yes, here it is. 'Get cargo of grain at +Lakeville, from Robert Hayward Company.' That's it. The grain belonged +to Robert Hayward--why--er--say, boys, that's the name of the man who +was hurt back there in Darewell--he and his daughter Ruth--you know +him--why, Fenn, he was at your house!" + +"So he was!" exclaimed Fenn, his knowledge thus unexpectedly confirmed. + +"Quite a remarkable coincidence!" went on the Captain. "Very strange! +Well, strange things are always happening. You didn't hear what started +the fire, did you?" + +"I heard a policeman say it was spontaneous combustion," said Frank, +"but they always give that as a cause, when they can't think of any +other." + +"I don't s'pose they'll ever find out," remarked the captain. "Well, I +can't do anything more. We'd better turn in, although it's most morning. +Soon as it gets daylight I'll have to hustle around and find out what +I'm going to do." + +Captain Wiggs was a very busy man the next day, sending messages to the +steamer's owners to ascertain their wishes. The boys visited the +elevator, in which great piles of grain were still smouldering, in +spite of the tons of water poured on them. Fenn kept a lookout for the +mysterious men, but did not see anything of them. + +Captain Wiggs had to remain tied up at Lakeville until he received +orders to proceed to the next port for a cargo that would be awaiting +him there. The boys spent the time on shore, visiting various scenes of +interest. + +"Well, we're off again!" cried the commander, on the morning of the +third day, as he came hurrying down the dock, waving a telegram in his +hand. "Tying-up is no fun. You may get under way as soon as possible, +Mr. Sidleton," he added to the first mate. + +Steam was up, and, in a short time the _Modoc_ was again plowing the +waters of Lake Erie. Gradually Lakeville was left behind, and soon they +were out of sight of land. + +"Ding-dong! Ding-dong! Ding-dong! Ding-dong!" + +A bell suddenly sounded, with queer double strokes. + +"Eight bells!" exclaimed Captain Wiggs, as he arose from a deck chair +where he had been sitting, to the boys. "Time for mess," and he led the +way toward the dining saloon. + +As he was about to descend the companionway he looked over the rail. +Astern of the _Modoc_ was a small steam yacht, coming on at a swift +speed. + +"That's queer," murmured the captain. + +"What is?" asked Fenn, for the boys were privileged characters. + +"That yacht," replied the commander. "She's been following us all the +morning; ever since we left Lakeville. I wonder what the game is? +Steward, bring me the glass," he called, and, when the binoculars were +handed to him, the captain took a long look at the pursuing craft. + + + + +CHAPTER X + +THE CHASE + + +For nearly a minute Captain Wiggs continued his observation of the +on-coming boat. Then, laying aside the glass, he remarked: + +"I can't make anything out of her. It's a strange boat. Never saw her +on the lakes before. And they seem to have an uncommon interest in us. +A couple of men on deck are taking turns in looking at us through a +telescope." + +"Two men?" asked Fenn, beginning to get excited. + +"There are two on deck, but of course there must be more somewhere +aboard," replied the captain. + +"And has one of them a--a sort of mean looking face?" went on Fenn. + +"Well, from what I can see of him through the glass, he doesn't look to +be a very cheerful chap." + +"I'll wager it's those men after us!" exclaimed Fenn, turning to his +chums. + +"What men?" inquired Captain Wiggs. + +"The men who chased us when we were at the elevator fire," and Fenn told +of the adventure. + +"I wish you had mentioned that to me before," said the commander, looking +grave. "This thing may be serious." + +"Why? Do you think they are thieves?" asked Bart. + +"There's no telling what they are," and the captain took another +observation at the steamer in the rear. "You know the lakes are part of +the dividing line between the United States and Canada. Often criminals +from both countries find it to their advantage to conduct some of their +operations on the water, and there are any number of questionable +characters plying on this lake. I can't make out why those men should +want you boys, or Fenn, more particularly, unless they think he may know +something of their operations, and they want to stop him from talking." + +"Well, they can't prevent me!" boasted Fenn. + +"Don't be too sure," cautioned the captain. "Of course you have nothing +to fear as long as you are with me, aboard the _Modoc_, but don't run +any chances while ashore. Meanwhile those fellows have got to catch us +first. They've got nerve, I must say, pursuing us as if they were +government officers and we were smugglers." + +"Do smugglers cross the lake?" asked Ned. + +"They try to, and, sometimes they succeed. But I wish you boys would go +down to dinner. I want to keep watch of this boat. When you finish, come +up on deck, and you can stand guard, while I eat. We'll keep tabs on her +then, and we needn't let any of the crew here know about it. It's just +as well to keep matters a little quiet until we find out what it all +means." + +The boys did not linger long over their dinner, and were soon on deck +again. They found Captain Wiggs gazing at the pursuing steam yacht +through the glass. + +"She's coming on," he said. "Seems to have plenty of speed, but I guess +we can show her a little ourselves. I'll give orders to the engineer to +increase our rate some. Then we'll see what happens. You keep watch, and +let me know when I come back." + +He handed the binoculars to Fenn, and went below. The four chums took +turns looking at the on-coming craft. Presently they noticed that their +own steamer was making faster progress through the water. + +"I guess we'll leave 'em behind now," observed Frank. + +"Then you've got another guess coming," responded Fenn. "They've put on +more steam." + +The other boat seemed to spurt through the waves that were piled up in +front of her sharp prow. She easily kept right after the _Modoc_, and +even seemed to approach closer. + +"I wonder what they'll do when they catch up to us?" asked Bart. + +"Wait until they catch us," suggested Ned. + +"Well, boys, how about it?" called Captain Wiggs, as he came on deck. +"Have you polished up the anchor chain, as I asked you to. The regular +polisher-boy is sick, and I'm short handed." + +"You didn't tell us--" began Fenn, when a smile on the face of the +commander warned him that it was only a joke. + +"How is our friend, the enemy?" inquired Captain Wiggs, reaching for the +glass. + +"Well, we haven't lost her," replied Frank. + +"So I see," observed the commander. "I think I'll have to try a little +trick." + +He went to the pilot house and soon the _Modoc_ was sweeping away from +her course in a long, graceful curve. + +"There, now we'll see if they are following us, or whether they are just +on the same course by accident, and are using us for pace-makers," +remarked the captain, as he came back to where the boys were. + +In less than a minute the course of the pursuing vessel was also +changed, and on she came, after the _Modoc_, the black smoke pouring +from her funnel, testifying to the fact that the engine room force was +piling on the fuel to make more steam. + +"She's going to catch us or burst her boilers," remarked the captain, +with a grim smile. "Well, we'll see. I made them show their hand. They +evidently believe we're bound for the Canadian shore, and they think +they have us outside the protection of the United States now, and can do +as they please." + +He hurried to the pilot house, and soon there were several signals of +the engine room bells. + +"We'll see if we can't get a few more knots out of her," observed the +commander as he came back, and took a hurried look at the yacht astern. +"I guess the _Modoc_ has some speed left in her yet, even if she is only +a freighter." + +True, the big steamer did go faster, but so did the pursuing boat. The +chase was leading straight toward Canada now. + +"Can't seem to shake 'em off," murmured the captain, with a somewhat +worried look on his face. "I've a good notion to lay-to, and see what +they want." + +"I--I wouldn't," said Fenn. + +"Why not?" asked the captain quickly. "You haven't done anything wrong; +have you?" + +"No, but--" + +"Then I think I'll just ask them the meaning of this unwarranted chase. +They haven't any right to keep after me like this, unless they're a +government vessel, and they're not that or they would have shown their +colors long ago. That's what I'll do. I'll stop!" + +He turned toward the pilot house to give the order. Fenn took up the +binoculars, which the captain had laid down, and looked through them at +the strange steam yacht. He could make out the two men on deck, one of +them--he with the sinister face--staring at the little knot of boys, who +seemed, so unaccountably, to have become involved in a mystery. + +Following the ringing of the engine room bells, the _Modoc's_ speed +began to slacken. Captain Wiggs came back to where the boys were and +remarked. + +"Now we'll see what will happen." + +Hardly had he spoken than there sounded from the pursuing craft, which +had not slackened speed, a shrill hissing. Then a white cloud appeared +to hover over her. + +"She's broken a steam pipe!" cried the captain. "Too much pressure! I +thought she couldn't stand it!" + +The strange craft was almost lost to sight in the cloud of white vapor +that enveloped her, while, from the midst of it, came excited cries. + + + + +CHAPTER XI + +ON LAKE HURON + + +"Somebody's hurt!" cried Fenn. + +"Shouldn't wonder," replied Captain Wiggs, coolly. "There generally is +when an explosion occurs in a boiler room." + +"Aren't we going to help them?" inquired Frank. + +"I'll give them any aid they need," said the commander. "We'll see how +much the damage amounts to. I'll steam back toward 'em." + +He gave the necessary orders, and soon the _Modoc_ was slowly approaching +the disabled craft. The clouds of steam had somewhat dispersed, but that +something was wrong was evident from the manner in which men were +hurrying about the deck of the recent pursuing yacht. + +"I guess it wasn't as bad as I thought," remarked Mr. Wiggs. "They seem +to have stopped the leak in the pipe. I hope none of the men are badly +scalded. I'll offer 'em help, and they can take it or leave it. They've +made enough trouble for me as it is." + +But the strange craft evidently did not desire any aid, nor did the +commanders of it seem to court any investigation of what had happened. +As the _Modoc_ approached the other boat's whistle sounded, and then it +slowly started off, like a lame dog running away from a fight with a +superior antagonist. + +"Had enough, eh?" remarked the captain. "I thought so. Well, I'm not +sorry that I don't have to get to close quarters with them. It looks as +if it was coming on to blow, and it's no joke to have to tow a disabled +boat on Lake Erie in a storm." + +Seeing that his proffered offer of help was declined Captain Wiggs +changed the course back to his original one. As the other craft turned +about, and steamed slowly away, Fenn watched through the glass, and the +last thing he could see was the man with the ugly face, standing at the +stern, gazing at the _Modoc_ through a telescope. + +"He'll know me next time, anyhow," thought Fenn, as he joined his chums, +who were talking of the strange finish of the chase. + +Discuss the recent happenings as they did, from all sides, the boys +could not get at the bottom of them. No more could Captain Wiggs. But +he soon found he had other things to think about than the chase which +had ended so abruptly, for the weather changed suddenly, and there were +indications of a heavy storm. + +"I'd like to make the Detroit River before the blow comes on hard," he +remarked. "I've got a pretty heavy load aboard, and the _Modoc_, while +she's a stanch craft, doesn't behave as well in a sea as she might. I've +lost considerable time through that elevator fire, and stopping on +account of those men chasing us, so I must make it up." + +The steamer was sent ahead at full speed, but the storm developed faster +than the captain had calculated so that, when still several miles from a +good harbor, the wind suddenly swooped out of the west and soon there +was a heavy sea running. + +"Why, it's almost like the ocean," remarked Ned as, standing well +forward, near the port rail, he looked across the lake and saw the big +waves. + +"You'll think so, if this keeps up," responded Captain Wiggs. "Lake Erie +can kick up as pretty a storm as I ever want to see, and I've been +through some hard ones, I can tell you. This is nothing to what it will +be if the wind increases." + +And that the wind intended increasing was evident from the way it +howled over the big expanse of water, which was dotted with white-caps. +Through the waves the _Modoc_ labored, her powerful engines and screw +sending her ahead gallantly, though she rolled and pitched in a way to +make the boys think they were on an ocean liner instead of a lake +steamer. + +It grew quite dark, partly because of the clouds that gathered, and +because evening was approaching. Then the rain, which had held off for +a while, came down with a suddenness that was almost like a cloud +burst. Fortunately the boys, on the advice of the captain, had donned +oil-skins, and they were protected, though sometimes it seemed as if +the wind would drive the rain drops right through their garments. + +"This is a terrible storm!" exclaimed Ned, as he held on to the rail and +tried to peer ahead through the mist and blackness. + +"Wait!" fairly shouted the captain. "You haven't seen any more than the +beginning." + +"That's enough for me!" cried Fenn, as he made his way to the +companionway and went below. The other boys followed, as the commander +said it was hardly safe on deck. The _Modoc_ was now laboring amid the +big waves. The lookout, scanning the waste of waters for a sight of +land, could see nothing but blackness ahead. + +It did not seem quite so bad to the boys, after they were in the cabin, +though they had to sit braced in chairs to avoid tumbling out when the +vessel pitched and tossed, and it was quite a task to move about, for +there was danger of bringing up against some piece of furniture, or the +cabin partitions. + +"An ocean voyage isn't in it with this," declared Ned. "It's great!" + +"It may be, but it makes me feel sick," declared Fenn. "I'm going to lie +down in my bunk." + +This he did, saying he felt better when stretched out. The other boys +followed his example, as the pitching was a little too much for them. +They soon grew accustomed to it, however, and presently they noticed +that the motion seemed less violent. + +"We must have come to anchor," said Bart. + +"More likely we're inside some harbor," declared Ned. + +They went up on deck and found that, though it was still raining hard, +the wind had died down a little, which made the boat ride easier. + +"Where are we?" called Fenn, to Captain Wiggs, who was pacing the deck. + +"Just entering the Detroit River," was the reply. "We'll tie up at +Detroit for the night. How are you, boys?" + +"Better now," replied Ned. + +As soon as the _Modoc_ was well within the river the effects of the blow +were no longer noticeable. In a short time the steamer was tied up at a +dock and the boys turned in for the night. + +Captain Wiggs had some business to transact in Detroit, and spent nearly +all of the next day there, giving the boys a chance to go ashore and see +some of the sights. They resumed their trip that evening, through Lake +St. Clair, and proceeding without stop to Lake Huron. + +Emerging well out upon this vast body of inland water, the boys, one +bright morning, got a fine view of it. + +"Isn't it--isn't it big!" exclaimed Fenn. "It's--it's simply--" + +"Help him out, Ned," suggested Bart. "You ought to have some big +adjectives on hand, left over from that last French history lesson. +This is too much for Stumpy." + +"It certainly is a lot of water," commented Frank. "I thought Lake Erie +was big, but this seems to beat it." + +The boys stood at the rail, absorbed in the contemplation of the +beautiful scene before them. Captain Wiggs too, though he had viewed +the lake many times, could not but admire the beauty of it as it +sparkled in the morning sun. + +One of the men from the engine room suddenly appeared on deck, and, +standing behind the commander, who was explaining something to the boys, +waited until the captain had finished. + +"Did you wish to see me?" asked Mr. Wiggs, turning to the man. + +"Yes, sir. Mr. McDougall told me to ask you to step below, sir." + +"What's the trouble?" for the man seemed a little uneasy. + +"I don't know exactly, sir, but I think it's a leak." + +"A leak?" + +"Yes, sir. Mr. McDougall thinks some of the forward plates have +started." + +"It must have been the storm," commented Captain Wiggs, as he hastened +below. "Yet it's a good while taking effect. I hope it isn't serious." + + + + +CHAPTER XII + +NED GETS A FISH + + +"Hark!" exclaimed Bart. "What's that sound?" + +"The pumps!" replied Fenn. "They've started 'em. It must be a bad leak. +We'd better get life preservers." + +"Don't get excited," counseled Frank coolly. "Wait until you see how bad +it is. These steamers are all built with water-tight compartments, and +it would take quite a hole to make one of them sink. The starting of a +few plates wouldn't do it." + +His words calmed his chums, and, when Captain Wiggs came on deck, a few +minutes later, he announced that the leak was not a serious one, though +it would be necessary to go ashore to make repairs. + +It was found, on docking the _Modoc_ that the repairs would take about a +week, and this period the boys spent in making excursions on shore, in +the vicinity of the town. They had a good time, and the delay did not +seem very long because of the many interesting sights. + +They visited a large saw mill where the logs, that had been brought down +the lake in big rafts, were cut up into lumber, and the foreman of the +plant showed them the various processes through which the tree trunks +went before they were turned out in the shape of boards, planks or +timbers. + +"Well, we'll start in the morning, boys," announced Captain Wiggs one +night. "The _Modoc_ is in good shape again, and we'll have to make good +time from now on, because of our delays." + +Early the next morning the vessel was under way again. Out on Lake Huron +it steamed, plowing through the blue waters, under a sunny sky, while a +gentle breeze stirred up little waves. + +"Why don't you boys do some fishing?" asked Captain Wiggs, as he noticed +the four chums sitting near the after rail, talking among themselves. + +"We didn't know we could catch anything here," replied Ned. + +"I don't either," was the captain's answer, "but you can't tell until +you try. There is plenty of tackle aboard, and you might land something +nice. There are fish in the lake--plenty of 'em. The thing to do is to +catch 'em." + +The boys needed no other invitation, and soon they had lines trailing +over the stern of the ship, far enough away from the screw to avoid +getting tangled in the blades. Mr. Ackerman, the sick passenger, who +has improved considerably, also took a line, and joined the boys. + +"Let's see who gets the biggest fish," proposed Ned. + +"Let's see who gets the first one," supplemented Bart. "That's the best +test." + +It did not look as if luck was going to be very good, for the lines had +been over half an hour, and no one had had so much as a nibble. + +"This is getting tiresome," spoke Ned, as he assumed a more comfortable +position in his chair. Then he tied his line to his wrist, propped his +feet up on the rail, and lounged back. + +"Well, if that isn't a lazy way of fishing!" exclaimed Frank. "Why don't +you sit up?" + +"I will when I get a bite," replied Ned. + +They resumed their waiting, with that patience which is, or ought to be, +part of every angler's outfit. Suddenly Frank nudged Bart and pointed to +Ned. The latter had fallen asleep in his chair. + +"Let's play a joke on him," proposed Fenn in a whisper. "I'll tie him +fast in his chair." + +"No, let's pull up his line and fasten an old shoe, or something like +that to it," proposed Frank. "He'll think he has a big bite." + +They started to put this plan into operation, when, as they were about +to pull up Ned's line, they saw it suddenly straighten out. + +"He's got a bite!" exclaimed Fenn. + +"Yes, and a whopper, too," added Frank. + +"Look at it!" cried Bart, as some big fish, at the stern of the boat, +leaped out of the water and fell back with a splash. + +Then the line about Ned's wrist tightened. He felt the pull and +awakened. + +"I've got him!" he cried. "I've got the biggest one!" + +The next moment he went sprawling from his chair, while his arm was +straightened out in front of him, for the strong line, to which a big +fish was attached, was fairly pulling him along. + +"Look out! He'll go overboard!" cried Mr. Ackerman. + +Bart made one leap, and grabbed Ned around the waist. This saved the +luckless youth from being pulled over the rail, but it did not release +him from his predicament. + +"Oh! Ouch!" cried Ned. "It's pulling my arm off!" + +Indeed this seemed likely to happen, for the line was very strong, and +the lad had tied it securely about his wrist. It could not slip over his +hand, and the fish on the other end was tugging away for dear life. +Doubtless it would have been glad enough to escape, but it was fairly +caught, for as they afterward found, it had swallowed Ned's bait, hook +and all. + +"Let go!" yelled Ned to Bart, who was clinging to his waist. + +"If I do you'll go overboard!" replied Bart. He felt his chum slipping +from his grasp. "Give me a hand here!" Bart called to Fenn and Frank. + +They jumped to his aid, while Mr. Ackerman, in an excess of nervous +fright, ran up and down the deck shouting: + +"Captain! Captain Wiggs! Stop the ship! A shark has got hold of one of +the boys!" + +"What's that? What's the trouble?" asked the commander, hurrying up from +the cabin. + +"A shark has got Ned!" repeated the invalid. + +"Shark? In Lake Huron?" replied the commander. "You're crazy!" + +"Guess it must be a whale, by the way it pulls," said Bart. + +"It's one of the big lake fish!" exclaimed the captain. "They're as +strong as a pony. Wait, I'll cut the line!" + +"No, don't!" begged Ned, who, now that his three chums had hold of him, +was in no danger of going overboard, though the thin, but tough cord, +was cutting deep into his wrist, where he had foolishly tied it. + +"Here, lend a hand!" called Captain Wiggs to a sailor who was passing. +The man grabbed the line with both hands and soon was able, with the +help which Frank and Fenn gave him, to haul in the fish. It seemed as if +they really had a shark on the end of the line, but, when the finny +specimen was gotten on deck, it was seen that it was not as large as the +boys had imagined. + +"Who would have thought it was so strong?" asked Ned, rubbing his chafed +wrist. + +"The speed of the boat had something to do with it," said the captain. +"You were pulling on the fish broadside I guess, but it is a very strong +species even at that. They're not often caught on a hand line." + +"Are they good to eat?" asked Ned, wishing to derive some benefit from +his experience. + +"Some folks like 'em, but they're a little too strong for me," answered +the captain. "However, I think the crew will be glad to get it?" and he +looked questioningly at the sailor who had helped land the prize. + +"Yes, sir," replied the man, touching his cap. He took the fish to the +galley, where the cook prepared it for the men's dinner. The boys tasted +it, but did not care for the flavor. + +"Aren't you going to fish any more?" asked the captain, as he saw Ned +coiling up his line, after the fish had been taken away. + +"That's enough for one day," was the boy's reply. "The other fellows +can, if they like. My wrist is too sore." + +"Lucky you didn't tie the line to your toe," said Frank. + +"Why?" + +"Because you'd probably be walking lame now, if you had. As it is you +can't sign any checks for a while, I s'pose." + +"Oh, you and your checks!" exclaimed Ned, in no mood to have fun poked +at him. + +"Moral! Don't go to sleep while you're fishing," said Bart. + +"Well, I did better than you fellows did. You didn't get anything," +retorted the fisherman. + + + + +CHAPTER XIII + +CAUGHT IN THE LOCK + + +Ned, at the suggestion of the captain, put some salve on his wrist, for +the cord had cut through the flesh. Then he had Bart bandage it up. This +done the boys resumed their seats near the after rail, and talked about +Ned's exciting catch. + +"I hope you don't try such a thing again," remarked Mr. Ackerman, as he +came back from his cabin. "It's a little too much for my nerves." He +sank down in a deck chair, and the boys noticed that he was quite pale. +He seemed unable to get his breath. + +"Would you mind--would one of you mind, reaching in my pocket and +getting a bottle of smelling salts that I carry," he asked. "I think if +I took a sniff I'd feel better." + +"I will," volunteered Fenn, for Mr. Ackerman's hands hung limply by his +side, and he seemed incapable of helping himself. + +"Is this it?" asked Fenn, as he reached in the upper right hand pocket +of the invalid's vest and pulled out a small bottle. + +"No--no," was the answer, half whispered. "That is my headache cure. I +think it must be in the lower pocket." + +Fenn replaced the headache cure and explored the lower right-hand vest +pocket. + +"Is this it?" he inquired, drawing up a small box. + +"No, no--my dear young friend--those are my liver pills. Try again. I +think it must be on the other side." + +He still seemed too weak to raise his hands. Ned was about to call +Captain Wiggs, but Fenn made another try. + +"I have it!" he exclaimed, pulling out a shining metal tube. + +"No--no," said the invalid faintly, opening his eyes and looking at what +Fenn held up. "That's my asthma cure. Try the next pocket, please." + +"Say, he'll kick the bucket if Fenn doesn't find that medicine pretty +soon," whispered Frank. "Guess I'll help him." + +Fenn began a search of the lower left-hand vest pocket. He brought up a +bottle, containing a dark liquid. Wishing to make sure he had the right +stuff, he smelled of it, before asking Mr. Ackerman to open his eyes and +look at it. + +"Is that it?" whispered Ned. + +"Smells bad enough to be it," was Fenn's answer. + +"No, no. You haven't got it yet," spoke the invalid, in peevish tones. +"That is my heart remedy. I must kindly ask you to try again. I remember +now, it's in my right-hand coat pocket." + +Fenn replaced the heart cure and made one more attempt. This time he +brought up a short, squatty, round bottle. + +"That's it!" exclaimed the invalid joyfully, "Now, please hold it to my +nose. Not too close." + +However, he spoke too late, for Fenn had placed the open phial right +under Mr. Ackerman's nose. The invalid gave one sniff, and then jumped +from the chair as if he was shot. + +"Wow! Ouch! Help!" he cried. "That's strong ammonia! I use it for hay +fever. That's the wrong medicine! Oh! The back of my neck is coming +off!" + +He held his handkerchief to his face, the tears coming from his eyes +because of the strong stuff. + +"I remember now!" he managed to gasp. "I left my smelling salts in my +stateroom. But I can get them now. I'm better--much better!" + +"I believe he is," remarked Frank, when Mr. Ackerman had gone below. +"Say, isn't he the limit, with his different kind of medicines?" + +"You shouldn't make fun of him," spoke Bart. + +"Whew!" suddenly exclaimed the captain's voice. "I guess my invalid +passenger must have been around here," and he breathed in the +ammonia-laden air. + +"He seems to be quite sick," said Fenn. + +"Sick?" repeated the commander. "Say, I wouldn't want him to hear me, but +he's no more sick than I am. He's only got a touch of hypochondriacism." + +"Will--will he die soon of it?" asked Fenn. + +"Die? I wish I had his chance of living," went on the captain. "I guess +you don't quite understand. Maybe that word was too much for you. A +person who has hypochondriacism has a little stomach trouble, and the +rest is only imaginary. That's what Mr. Ackerman has. Every once in a +while he takes a trip with me, for the sake of his health, he says, but +I think it's to get away from working. Say, did he ask you to reach in +his pocket for some medicines for him?" + +"Yes," replied Fenn, "and I had quite a time finding it." + +"I should think you would. He's a regular walking drug store. If he'd +throw all his powders, pills and liquids away, and live out of doors, +he'd be all right in a month. I'm not making fun of him, but I wish +somebody would, some day. Maybe it would cure him." + +"He seemed pretty sick," ventured Bart. + +"But he was lively enough when he smelled that ammonia I gave him by +mistake," said Fenn. + +"Ammonia?" questioned the commander, and the boys then told him what had +happened. "Ha! Ho!" laughed Captain Wiggs. "That is the best joke yet! +Ammonia! Oh my! I'll bet he was lively! Why, I can smell it yet!" + +The little experience seemed to do Mr. Ackerman good, and it was several +days before he complained again. Then he was seemingly as badly off as +ever, taking some sort of medicine almost every hour. But the boys +understood him now, and did not waste so much sympathy on him. + +The _Modoc_ steamed on, covering many miles over Lake Huron until, +towards evening one afternoon, Captain Wiggs announced that morning +would find them at the entrance of St. Mary's river, the connecting link +between Lakes Huron and Superior. + +"Can you boys stand a little jarring?" he asked, as they were in the +main cabin, after supper. + +"Jarring? Why?" inquired Frank. + +"Because we've got to jump the ship over St. Mary's falls, and we don't +always make it the first time," was the answer, given with much gravity. +"Often we miss and fall back, and it jars the ship up quite a bit." + +"Oh, are we going through the 'Soo' canal?" asked Fenn eagerly, for he +had been reading up about the Great Lakes, just before coming on the +trip. + +"That's the only way of getting around the falls," replied the captain. +"I see you don't put much faith in my jumping story." + +"We have to go through a lock, don't we?" Bart wanted to know. + +"Yes," said Captain Wiggs, spreading a map out on the table, "we go +through the canal, and lock, being raised up several feet, to the level +of Lake Superior. If all goes well we'll be through the lock by noon +to-morrow." + +"Why do they call it the 'Soo' canal?" asked Ned. + +"Because it is named after the falls," was the commander's reply. "The +falls are called Sault Saint Marie, and that word which is spelled +'S-a-u-l-t' is pronounced as if it were spelled 'S-o-o.' It is a French +word, and means a leap, or water-fall. So you see when you say 'Sault +(Soo) Saint Marie' you are really saying 'St. Mary's Waterfall.' The +canal, and the city located along it, both take the name of the falls." + +The boys were up early the next morning to catch the first glimpse of +the canal, lock and falls. It was some time before they reached them, +however, and, when they did arrive at the canal, they found several +vessels ahead of them, and had to wait their turn for entering the lock. + +They had a fine view of the surrounding country and the falls of St. +Mary's, spanned by a big railroad bridge. When they approached the lock, +they saw that the canal was there divided by two walls of masonry making +two locks and enclosing a space that was laid out like a little park, +with grass plots and trees. Along the edges of the retaining walls, +which were very wide, many persons were walking. + +At last it was the turn of the _Modoc_ to enter the lock. She steamed +slowly ahead, and an empty grain barge was also sent in at the same +time, the lock being large enough for two vessels. + +When the craft were in, the immense gates were closed behind them. The +_Modoc_ and the grain barge were now shut up in something like a box of +masonry, with water for a bottom, and the sky for a top. The boys +watched the men open the water-gates that let in a flood of liquid that +swept in from Lake Superior, through the long canal. + +Slowly the two vessels began to rise. The water boiled and bubbled, +churning into foam as it forced its way in. It seemed as though it was +protesting at being made to hoist the ships, instead of being allowed to +course on to the mighty ocean. + +Up and up went the great craft, being lifted as easily by the powerful +water, as though some giant hand had reached down from the sky and was +elevating them. A few feet more and they would be able to steam out on +the upper lever of the canal, and thence into Lake Superior. + +Suddenly a rope, that held the grain barge from drifting too close to +the forward gates, parted. The churning of the water sent the clumsy +craft ahead, and, in a moment the bow was caught under one of the heavy +beams of the gate. As the water was still lifting, the nose of the craft +became depressed, while the stern rose. Then the barge swung over +against the _Modoc_, and a projection on it caught against the latter +craft. + +The barge was now held down, bow and stern, while, from beneath, it was +being lifted by an irresistible force of water. The barge careened to +one side, and the _Modoc_ began to heel over. + +"Shut off the water!" cried Captain Wiggs, who saw the danger. "Shut her +off, quick, or we'll be stove in!" + + + + +CHAPTER XIV + +MYSTERIOUS STRANGERS + + +Under the forward gates, and through openings in them, the water was +still bubbling and foaming, seeking to establish a level with that on +the other side of the barrier. Lower and lower sank the bow of the +barge, for it was held fast on the beam. The _Modoc_ heeled over more +and more. + +"Shut off the water!" again cried the captain. + +Then the attendants at the lock were made aware that something was +wrong. Orders were shouted; men ran to and fro. With immense levers they +shut the flood gates, and, slowly and sullenly, as though cheated of its +prey, the bubbling subsided. + +"We must pull the barge back!" cried one of the lock men, running up +along the cement wall. + +"No, don't do that," advised Captain Wiggs, as he stood on the bridge of +his vessel, while the boys, who were much alarmed by the impending +accident, had joined him, for they were permitted the run of the ship. + +"Why not?" asked the man. "We've got to free her from that gate beam." + +"Yes, but if you pull her out from under the edge of that beam suddenly, +she's sure to bound up, and then she'll come slap-bang against the side +of my craft. Besides, I think she's held so tight that you can't pull +her back." + +"What shall we do?" asked the man, recognizing that Captain Wiggs knew +what he was about. + +"Let the water out from the rear gate," was his suggestion. "That will +lower my vessel and the barge gradually. They'll assume their right +positions, and no damage will be done. Then you can raise us again, and +be sure no more ropes break. I don't want an accident like that again." + +The captain's advice was followed. When the water ceased coming in the +forward gate, the men ran to the rear one and opened the valves there. +Out rushed the imprisoned fluid, boiling and bubbling at a great rate. +Slowly the two big vessels began to sink. The barge swung away from the +_Modoc_ and then, a little later, when the water had fallen sufficiently, +the bow was released from the projecting beam. The two crafts were now +in the same positions they had been in when they first entered the lock. + +Men hastily fastened heavier ropes to the barge, and took several turns +about strong bitts, so the ship could not again drift into danger. Then +the flood was once more allowed to enter the lock. + +Again the vessels rose, and this time, without mishap, they were floated +to the higher level of the canal. The forward gates were opened and out +toward Lake Superior steamed the _Modoc_, followed by the slower grain +barge. The boys looked around them, being able to get a better view now, +as they were some distance higher, being on a level with the top of the +falls, off to their right. They saw a long string of vessels, some +waiting to enter the locks to proceed east, while others were coming +west. + +"That was a narrow escape," remarked Bart, when the ship was again +proceeding along. + +"Yes, we seem to be sort of up against lots of hard luck this trip," +remarked the captain. "I think you boys must be responsible." + +"How?" asked Fenn, for the captain looked serious. + +"Why, you're regular Jonahs. If there were any whales in these waters +I'd try the experiment of throwing one of you overboard, to see if I +couldn't change my luck." + +"I'd be willing to jump over and take a swim," volunteer Ned. "It looks +nice and cool in there, and it's hot up here." + +It was a warm July day, and the weather was humid and unpleasant. + +"Maybe when we get further out on Lake Superior, and come to some good +place to tie up, I'll give you a chance to take a dip," responded the +commander. "I'd like one myself." + +"Ned must take care not to go to sleep, or he'll be carried under by a +big fish," suggested Fenn, taking precautions to get beyond the reach of +his chum's arm. + +The _Modoc_ touched at a port of call that afternoon, and Captain Wiggs +found awaiting him a message which changed matters so that he did not +have to be in any hurry to conclude his voyage. + +"This will give us a chance to lay-to, and go ashore," he said to the +boys. "You might as well have a good time while you are on this cruise. +No telling when you'll get another." + +It was a day after this, one of the hottest that the boys ever +remembered, that the _Modoc_ came to anchor off shore, near a little +bay, on the edge of which, and about three miles away from where they +laid-to, was a good-sized town. + +"Now for a swim!" exclaimed Ned. "Can we take the boat and go ashore, +captain?" + +The desired permission being given, the four chums were soon rowing +toward where they saw a sandy beach, that seemed to be put there on +purpose for bathing. They hauled the boat up on shore and soon were +disporting themselves in the water. + +"Oh, this is something like!" exclaimed Fenn, as he proceeded to float +with nothing but his face out of the water. + +"Yes, you look just like a baby crocodile," replied Frank. + +"I do, eh?" asked Fenn, diving suddenly and coming up under Frank, whom +he ducked unceremoniously. + +"Here! Quit-erurgle-gurgle!" called the luckless one, as he sank out of +sight. + +Then the boys began to play tricks on each other, had impromptu races +and diving contests, and enjoyed themselves to the limit in the cool +water. + +"Let's dress and go on a little exploring trip," proposed Fenn, after +they had spent an hour in the lake. "We've got time enough before we +have to go aboard." + +His suggestion was well received, and soon the four chums were strolling +back from the lake, through the dense woods that bordered it. They had +not gone far before Frank, who was in advance, suddenly halted. He +motioned to the others to approach silently, and they joined him on +tip-toe. + +"What is it?" asked Ned. + +Frank pointed through the bushes. Beyond the screen of the underbrush +the boys could see a road. It did not seem to be much traveled, but what +attracted their attention was a big automobile, drawn back, and almost +hidden in the thicket. + +"The machine's been abandoned," was Bart's opinion. "It is probably +broken." + +"Hush!" cautioned Frank, and not a moment too soon, for, at that instant +two men stepped cautiously out of the bushes near the auto. One of them +produced a telescope, and pointed it at the lake, which was just visible +through the trees. + +The boys looked at the man. He seemed a rough sort of fellow, with an +unpleasant face. He was poorly dressed, and the lads noticed that, +standing against a tree near him, was a rifle. + +But it was a sight of the man's companion which caused the boys to stare +again and wonder. For the second man was a Chinese, though he wore +American clothes. Under his hat, however, could be seen the tell-tale +queue. + +The white man handed his Celestial companion the telescope, and murmured +something to him, evidently in Chinese. The other replied and applied +the glass to his eye. No sooner had he done so that he uttered an +exclamation, and began jumping about. + +The other man snatched the glass and took a look. Then they both talked +very excitedly, pointing to the lake and then at the auto. + +"I wonder what they can be up to?" whispered Fenn. + +At that moment he stepped on a loose branch. It broke with a sharp +report, and the Chinaman and the white man glanced to where the boys +were hidden. + +"Come on!" exclaimed Frank. "They may come after us!" + + + + +CHAPTER XV + +A QUEER FIND + + +Off through the woods ran the Darewell chums, and it needed but a +moment's listening to tell them that the two mysterious men were after +them. + +"Hurry!" called Frank to Fenn, who, because of his natural inability, +was not able to run as fast as could the others. "Come on, or they'll +catch you!" + +"I don't see--what we've done--that we--should run," panted the stout +youth. "These woods--are free. Why haven't we--a right to walk in them?" + +"This is out west and they do things differently from what they do where +we come from," responded Bart, looking back. "Evidently those men didn't +want to be observed." + +"Are they coming?" asked Ned. + +"No," replied Bart, pausing in his race, "they seemed to have stopped in +that little clearing we just passed through." + +"The Chinese is trying to induce the white man to come back," said +Frank. + +This was the case for, as the boys watched, they saw the pig-tailed +Celestial grasp his companion by the arm, and, pointing toward the lake, +fairly pull him back along the path they had come. + +"They must be interested in some boat," suggested Fenn. "Say, fellows," +he added hastily. "I'll bet I know what it is." + +"What?" inquired Bart, as he stooped over to pick a lot of burdock burrs +from his trousers. + +"These men have something to do with the two who chased us back at the +elevator fire. I'll bet they're part of the same gang, and they're +trying to work some trick on the _Modoc_! We ought to hurry back and +tell Captain Wiggs!" + +"Oh, you're 'way off!" declared Frank. "I don't believe these men even +know those who chased us." + +"Then who are they?" demanded Fenn. + +"I don't know," said Frank. "Evidently they are interested in some boat +they expect from across the lake. That is very evident from the way they +acted; looking through the telescope, and all that. Perhaps they have +mistaken our vessel for the one they are looking for." + +"No," remarked Bart. "I noticed when the Chinese pointed the glass he +aimed it in a different direction from that in which the _Modoc_ lies." + +"Then what boat are they expecting?" asked Ned. + +"That's too big a question for me," replied Bart. "It certainly is a +queer thing to see a Chinese and a white man in such close company, off +here in the woods." + +"And then the auto," put in Fenn. "What do you suppose that's for?" + +"It's part of the same game," was Frank's opinion. + +"Well, I don't know that it's up to us to discover it," went on Fenn. +"It's about time we got back to the ship, anyhow. Come on. We'll keep on +this way, and fetch around to the beach in a circle. Then we'll not run +across those two queer men." + +The boys advanced, laying their course as best they could. Now and then, +through the trees, they could get a glimpse of the lake, and they knew +they were going in the right direction. + +They came to a little gully, in a dense part of the woods, and had to +descend into it, to get across, as it extended for quite a distance in +either direction. Frank led the way, half slipping, half sliding down +the sides. As he reached the bottom he gave a startled cry that alarmed +his companions. + +"Hurt yourself?" asked Bart. + +"No, but look what I've found!" + +"A gold mine?" inquired Ned, with a laugh. + +"Part of a clothing store," replied Frank. "Look!" and he pointed to +where, behind a clump of trees, was a large pile of men's clothing, +hats, shoes, coats, vests, trousers and shirts. + +"That solves the mystery!" exclaimed Fenn. + +"How?" asked Bart. + +"Why there's been a big robbery! The men have hidden their booty in the +woods, until they have a chance to carry it away. Those two men we just +saw are members of the gang. They're keeping a look-out until their boat +comes and then they'll take the stuff away. Yes, that's it!" + +"I believe Fenn's right," declared Ned. + +"Do you?" asked Frank quietly. "Then how do you account for the fact +that all the garments are old? There's not a new one among 'em, not even +the shoes. You can see for yourself." + +The boys looked more closely at the garments, which were arranged in +piles, with canvas coverings tossed to one side, as though they had been +protected from the weather, and recently opened. They did not touch the +things, but it did not need a close inspection to show that Frank was +right. The garments were all old ones. + +"If there was a robbery it must have been of a second-hand store," went +on Frank, "and that's not likely. Besides, see here," and he pointed a +little farther off, where a heap of Chinese clothing lay on the ground. + +"Well, if this doesn't beat the Dutch!" exclaimed Bart. "What do you +make out of that?" + +It was a strange find. First to come across a Chinese and an American, +in excited conversation in the depths of the woods, and then to discover +a pile of clothes, such as are worn by white men, close to a heap, +evidently discarded by a band of Celestials, was sufficient, as Bart +said, to beat not only the Dutch, but the French, English, German, +Spanish and a few other nations. + +The boys went closer to the garments of the Celestials. These clothes, +as did the others, exhibited unmistakable signs of wear. But they were +not piled in orderly heaps; instead, being tossed carelessly together, +as if they were no longer of any service. + +"Isn't this a regular Chinese puzzle?" remarked Ned. + +"I believe they are Chinese smugglers!" chorused Fenn and Bart. + +"That's what," said Frank. "Those two men we saw were evidently the +look-outs, watching for the boat load to arrive. When the travelers from +the Flowery Kingdom land, they are brought here, to this secluded place, +and here they take off their blouses and wide pants, and put on old +American clothes. Old ones, so they attract no attention. I'll wager +that's the solution to this Chinese puzzle." + +"But where do the Chinamen come from?" asked Ned. "We're a good ways +from China." + +"From Canada," answered Frank. "I remember reading lately about a lot of +Chinese who were taken into Canada from the Pacific coast. They were +brought by rail to a place on Lake Superior about opposite here, and +smuggled into this country in boats." + +"That's right," agreed Bart. "I read how one boat load, which the +smugglers were bringing over, was caught in a storm, and all the Chinese +drowned." + +"But why do they bring them over?" asked Fenn, who was usually too full +of fun, or too interested in some girl, to pay much attention to current +events. + +"Why, there's a United States law against letting any more Chinese come +in," explained Frank. "The only way they can get in is to smuggle here. +It's easy to get them into Canada, and then, if they can make a trip +across the lake, and land in some secluded spot, they're all right, if +they're not discovered, and that is no easy matter, as the Chinese all +look so much alike." + +"Then that white man we saw must have been one of the agents engaged in +smuggling," said Bart. "I've read they have a regularly organized +company, and get good money from the Chinese whom they smuggle over. The +pig-tailed chap with him, was evidently a helper or interpreter, who was +on hand because the boat was expected." + +"That's why they were looking across the lake with a telescope then," +ventured Fenn. "Say, it's as clear as daylight now. I wonder if we +couldn't stay and see 'em land?" + +"Not much!" exclaimed Frank. "The chances are the plans are all off, for +the time being. That white man will suspect we were spying on him, and +when they ran back that time, I guess it was to signal to the boat not +to land. We must have given them quite a scare." + +"But what was the auto for?" asked Ned, who liked to go into details, +and who always wanted to know the why and wherefore of things. + +"I guess it was to take the Chinese to some place where they could stay +until it was safe to venture out," said Frank. "Sometimes they have to +jump around pretty lively, I imagine, especially if the government +detectives get after them." + +"Perhaps we'd better go and tell Captain Wiggs what we have discovered," +suggested Fenn. "He may want to notify the authorities." + +"Good idea," commented Bart. "Come on." + +As the boys started to leave the little gully where the clothing was +hidden, they heard a noise behind them. Turning quickly they saw the +white man and Chinese, as they broke through the underbrush. + +"They're after us!" exclaimed Fenn in a hoarse whisper. + + + + +CHAPTER XVI + +FIRE ON BOARD + + +But this time it proved to be the other way about. The two mysterious +men, at the sight of the boys, dived back into the woods again, and +showed no desire to come to closer acquaintance with them. Instead of +taking after the four chums, the men acted as though they feared +pursuit. + +"They're running away from us!" exclaimed Frank. "I guess we haven't +anything to fear from them." + +Suddenly, through the forest, there sounded a shrill steam whistle. + +"What's that?" asked Ned. + +"Captain Wiggs, signalling to us," replied Frank. "I guess we've stayed +in the woods too long. Come on." + +"Maybe it's the smugglers' boat," suggested Fenn. + +"I guess not," Frank remarked. "They've been signalled to keep off. +That was the _Modoc's_ whistle. I recognized it." + +Frank's words proved correct, for, when the boys reached the shore, they +again heard the signal, and saw steam coming from the whistle pipe of +the vessel on which they were cruising. + +"Look there!" exclaimed Frank, pointing off to the left. The boys +glanced in the direction, and saw a boat. From the funnels black smoke +was pouring, as if every effort was being made to get up steam. "That's +the smugglers' craft, very likely," the lad went on. "She's making fast +time away from here." + +Captain Wiggs listened gravely to what the boys had to tell him. He +agreed with Frank, that the smugglers of Chinese had tried to make a +landing, but, evidently, had been frightened off. + +"What will they do now?" asked Ned. + +"Change the landing place to some other locality," replied the captain. +"Up or down the coast. Up, I should say, seeing the way that steamer's +headed," and he pointed to the craft, with the black smoke hanging like +a cloud over it. The vessel was almost out of sight. + +"What will they do with the clothes?" asked Bart. + +"Oh, they'll take 'em along. Probably that's what the two men came to +get, when they saw you and ran away. It's a well organized business, +this Chinese smuggling, and there is a lot of money in it--for the +agents. They are probably saying all kinds of mean things about you, for +breaking up their plans." + +"Then I hope they don't catch us alone off in the woods, sometime," +remarked Fenn. "That Chinese didn't look like a very pleasant fellow to +meet after dark; especially if he had a grudge against you." + +"I think you've seen the last of 'em," declared Captain Wiggs. "If I +thought it worth while I'd notify the government authorities, but, by +the time I could get a message to 'em, the smugglers will be miles away. +There's no telling where they'll land next time. The steamer will hang +around the coast, until it gets a signal all is clear. Then the +pig-tails will be dumped into a boat, rowed ashore, and the vessel will +scoot off for another load in Canada." + +The anchor was broken out, hoisted, and soon, under a good head of +steam, the _Modoc_ was proceeding over Lake Superior at a fast rate, +for, though he carried no perishable freight, and had no special date +of arriving at Duluth, Captain Wiggs believed in doing what he had to do +as quickly as possible. + +That night Fenn, who was not sleeping as soundly as he should, in +consequence of having eaten too much supper, was awakened by hearing a +peculiar buzzing noise. At first he could not locate it, and then, after +sitting up in his bunk, he decided it came from the stateroom adjoining +his, and which had no occupant this voyage. + +"It sounds like a hive of bees," he said to himself. "I wonder if the +captain can have any in there." + +Then the absurdity of such an idea was apparent to him, and he smiled at +his notion. Still the buzzing continued, growing louder. Fenn was wide +awake now. + +"Maybe something is wrong with the ship," he reasoned. "That sound might +be water coming in through a leak. I think I'll tell the captain." + +He got up, and, moving about his stateroom, in search of his trousers +and slippers, he knocked a glass out of the rack. + +"What's that?" called Frank, who was a light sleeper. + +"It's me," replied Fenn. + +"What's the matter? Sick?" + +"No, but I heard a funny sound, and I want to find out what it is. Maybe +the boat's sprung another leak." + +"Oh, you're dreaming," commented Frank. "Go back to bed." + +"Well, you come in here and listen, if you think I'm dreaming," retorted +Fenn. + +Frank jumped out of his berth and came into his chum's room. The buzzing +had increased in intensity, and Frank had no difficulty in hearing it. + +"What did I tell you?" asked Fenn, in triumph. + +"It is a queer sound," admitted Frank. "What's in that next room?" + +"Nothing, that I know of. I passed it this morning, the door was open, +and it was empty." + +"Then let's have a look," suggested Frank, stepping out into the +passage. + +"Maybe you'd better--maybe it's a--" stammered Fenn. + +"Well, what?" demanded Frank. "Are you afraid?" + +"Maybe it's an infernal machine those smugglers put aboard," went on +Fenn. "It sounds just like one." + +"How do you know how an infernal machine sounds?" asked Frank. + +"Well, I mean like I've read of their sounding." + +"Oh, that's different. But this is no such thing. Besides, how could the +smugglers get one aboard? They haven't been near the ship." + +This was, of course, unanswerable, and Fenn followed Frank into the +corridor, and to the door of the stateroom, whence sounded the peculiar +buzzing noise. As they stood outside the portal it could be heard more +plainly. + +"Here goes!" whispered Frank, turning the knob. + +Both he and Fenn started back in surprise, at the sight which greeted +them. There, sitting in a steamer chair, in a big red bath robe, was the +invalid, Mr. Ackerman. On the bunk in front of him was a small box, from +which extended cords, terminating in shining metal tubes, which he held +in his hand. The buzzing was coming from the small box. + +"Oh, boys, I'm glad to see you!" exclaimed the man who thought he was +sick. + +"What's the matter?" asked Frank, in some alarm. + +"I'm taking a current of electricity, from my medical battery," was the +answer. + +"Electricity?" repeated the two chums, in questioning accents. + +"Yes, from the battery. You see I couldn't sleep, and I often find a +current of electricity is beneficial. I did not want to awaken Captain +Wiggs with the buzz of my machine, for it makes quite a noise, so I +brought it into this empty stateroom. I hope I didn't disturb you." + +Mr. Ackerman did not wait for the boys to answer. Instead he continued: + +"But I'm glad you came in. I want to take a stronger current, and it +goes better if I have some one to share it with me. If you will be so +kind, you can each take one of the tubes in your hand, and I will take +hold of your other hands. Thus we will form a circle, with me in the +center. I think I shall be able to get a current then, that will cause +me to go to sleep." + +The boys were a little apprehensive, for, though they had taken electric +"shocks" at school, during the experiments, they did not care for the +amusement. However, they did not like to refuse, so, rather gingerly, +Fenn grasped one handle, and Frank the other. Mr. Ackerman then did +something to the battery which made it buzz louder than ever. + +"All ready," he announced, as he grasped Fenn's right hand in his left +and Frank's left in his right. + +The instant that he did so it seemed as if the trio had been hit by +something. They all doubled up, the arms of the boys and the invalid +jerking like the legs of a frog. + +"Ow!" cried Fenn. + +"Let go!" called Frank. + +But there was no need for any one to let go. With an exclamation of +great astonishment, Mr. Ackerman jerked his hands from the involuntary +grip of the boys'. That at once broke the circuit, and the current +ceased to have any effect. The machine was still buzzing away, however. + +"Oh, dear! Oh, dear!" murmured the invalid. "I meant to turn on the weak +current, and I turned on the strong one! Did you get bad shocks, boys?" + +"Did we!" exclaimed Fenn. "Say, it feels as if I had eaten some strong +horse-radish by mistake." + +"It seems as if a mule kicked me," remarked Frank, rubbing his arms. + +"I'm very sorry," apologized Mr. Ackerman. "I really did not intend +that. I hope you believe I did not." He seemed quite distressed over the +happening. + +"That's all right," spoke Fenn, good-naturedly. "We know it was an +accident." + +"Rather a fortunate accident, too," went on the invalid. "My nerves are +much calmer now. I really think I shall be able to go to sleep. I must +have taken the right kind of a current without knowing it. I'll do it +the next time I find myself too wakeful." + +"Please excuse us from helping," begged Frank, with a smile. "It's a +little too much." + +"Oh, no, I wouldn't think of shocking you again," said Mr. Ackerman as +he began to take the battery apart for packing. "I shall take the +current alone. But there, I must not talk or I shall be awake again. I +must hurry and get to sleep." + +"Isn't he the limit!" exclaimed Fenn, when he and Frank were back in the +stateroom again. "He thinks that was fun for us." + +The electrical treatment appeared to improve the sick man, for, the next +day he was much better, and even laughed and joked about the night's +experience. + +The _Modoc_ continued on her course, putting many knots behind her, and +the boys were more and more delighted with their cruise, which every day +revealed to them new beauties of scenery. + +One afternoon, when they were within a day's travel of Duluth, Captain +Wiggs, who was sitting on deck with the four chums, arose suddenly and +began to sniff the air. + +"What's the matter? Is the cook burning the steak?" asked Fenn. + +"Something's burning," answered the commander, with a grave face. + +A moment later a sailor, much excited, came rushing up on deck. + +"Fire in the forward hold, sir!" he called. + + + + +CHAPTER XVII + +A STRANGE VISION + + +Captain Wiggs was not built on speed lines. He was short and squatty, +and inclined to be fat. But the way in which he hustled about as soon as +he heard what the sailor said was sufficient to qualify him to enter a +go-as-you-please race of almost any kind. + +With a few jumps he was at the companionway leading below, and, as he +went the boys could hear him call out: + +"Ring the fire alarm! Every man to his station! Someone tell the pilot +to slow down! Signal to the engineer to get the pumps in gear!" + +Nor were the members of the crew slow to carry out the commander's +instructions. One man rang the automatic fire alarm, that sounded in +every part of the vessel. Another hurried to the bridge, where he +delivered the message about stopping the boat. The _Modoc_ at once began +to lose way and, a moment later, the vibration from the engine room +told the boys that the pumps had been started. + +"Let's go below and see if we can help," suggested Bart, and the four +chums went down in a hurry. They found men dragging lines of hose +forward where little curls of smoke began coming from an open hatchway. + +"Drown her out, men!" cried the captain. "It'll be all day with us if +the flames get loose in that dry freight!" + +Several of the men, dragging the snaky lines of hose, dropped down into +the hold. They called for water, and the captain signalled for it to be +turned on. The flat hose bulged out like a snake after a full meal, and +a splashing sound from below told that the quenching fluid was getting +in its work. + +"Can we do anything?" asked Fenn, as he saw Captain Wiggs taking off his +coat and donning oil skins. + +"Not now, I guess. You might stand by for orders though. There's no +telling into what this will develope." + +It was getting quite smoky below, and the hold, down into which the +commander had disappeared, was pouring out a volume of black vapor. + +"Tell 'em to send another line of hose!" came a voice from below, and +Fenn hurried to the engineer's room with the order. + +Several men sprang at once to obey. The hose was unreeled from a rack on +the partition, and run out to the hold. Then the engineer started +another pump, that had been held in reserve. + +There were now three lines of hose pouring water on the flames, which +the boys could not see. That the blaze was not succumbing so quickly as +had been hoped for, was evident by the shouts and excitement that came +from the depths of the ship. + +"Tell 'em to give us more water!" yelled the captain to the boys waiting +above. + +Frank rushed with the order, glad to escape the smoke, which was +momentarily growing thicker. + +"Tell him he's got all the water I can give him!" shouted the engineer, +above the noise of the clanking machinery. "One of the pumps has gone +out of commission!" + +Frank shouted what the engineer had said to Captain Wiggs, below in the +darkness. + +"Then we've got to batten down the hatches and turn live steam into this +hold!" was what the commander called back. "Tell him to get up a good +head!" + +Frank did so. When he returned Captain Wiggs was just making his way out +of the hold. He was black, and smoke-begrimed, while he dripped water +from every point of his yellow garments. + +"Is there any danger?" asked Ned. + +"There always is with a fire aboard a ship," answered the commander. +"But I think we'll be able to hold her down if we get plenty of steam. +Come on up, men," he added, and the sailors scrambled up. They looked +more like colored, than white men. + +Captain Wiggs acted quickly. When the last man was up, the hatches, or +coverings to the hold, were fastened down, and tarpaulins, wet with +water, to make them air tight, were spread over the top. Then, from +pipes which ran into the hold from below, and which were for use in +emergency, jets of live steam were blown into the compartment. + +This, the commander knew, would penetrate to every nook and corner, +reaching where water could not, and would soon quench the flames. + +"Now, all we can do is to wait," said the captain, as he sat down, for +he was almost exhausted. + +That was the hardest part of all. When one can be busy at something, +getting out of danger, or fighting a fire that can be seen, the nervous +fear is swallowed up in action. But to sit and wait--wait for the +unseen steam to do its work,--that was very trying. + +Still there was no help for it. Captain Wiggs looked to the other part +of the cargo, seeing that there was no danger of that taking fire. The +forward hold was separated from the others by thick bulkheads, and there +was little chance of the fire breaking through. The hull of the _Modoc_ +was of steel, and, provided the fire did not get hot enough to warp any +of the plates, there was small danger to the ship itself. + +"We'll have to head for shore, in case it becomes necessary to break out +the cargo," decided the captain, as he went on deck. "Come on, boys. We +can do nothing now, and we want to get some of this smoke out of our +lungs." + +The course of the ship was changed. Captain Wiggs got out his charts and +looked them over. + +"Where will we land?" asked Fenn. + +"Not much of anywhere," was the reply. "There is no good harbor this +side of Duluth, but I've got to do the best I can. There is a little +bay, about opposite here. There's no settlement near it, but I +understand there's a good shore, and I'm going to make for it, in case +this fire gets beyond my control." + +Urged on by all the steam the engines could take, though much was needed +for the fire, the vessel plowed ahead. + +"Land ho!" called the lookout, and the captain, taking an observation, +announced they were close to the bay of which he had spoken. When it was +reached it was found to be a secluded harbor, with nothing in sight on +the shores of it save a few old huts, that appeared to be deserted. + +"Not a very lively place," commented the captain. "Still, it will do all +right if we have to land the cargo." + +The anchor was dropped and then all there was to do was to wait for the +fire to be extinguished. + +The boys remained on deck, looking at the scenery about them. Back of +the bay, rising almost from the edge of the water, were a series of +steep cliffs, of bare rock for the most part, but studded, here and +there, with clumps of bushes and small trees, that somehow, found a +lodgement for their roots on little ledges. + +"It's a lonesome sort of place," remarked Fenn. "Not a soul within +sight." + +Hardly had he spoken than there was seen on the face of the cliff, as +if by a trick, the figure of a man. He seemed to come out, as does a +magic-lantern picture on a sheet, so quickly did he appear where, +before, there had been nothing but bare brown rock. + +"Look!" exclaimed Fenn, pointing. + +"A Chinaman!" exclaimed Bart. "One of the smugglers!" + +The boys jumped to their feet, and approached closer to the ship's rail, +to get a better view. + +As they did so the Chinese vanished as though the cliff wall had opened +and swallowed him up. + + + + +CHAPTER XVIII + +AN EXPLORING PARTY + + +"Well, what do you think of that?" asked Fenn, in surprised accents. +"Did he fall down?" + +"Doesn't look so," answered Frank. "I wonder if we really saw him, or +whether it was a sort of day dream?" + +"Oh, we saw him all right enough," said Bart. "He looked to me just like +the Chinaman we saw in the woods that day." + +"Just what I was going to remark," put in Ned. "I wonder if there are +any more men up on that cliff?" + +"What's the matter, boys?" asked Captain Wiggs, approaching at this +juncture. They told him what they had seen. + +"I don't see anything very surprising in that," replied the commander. +"Probably he has a laundry up there, and he was out looking for +customers." And the commander winked at the other chums, who joined in +a laugh at Fenn. + +"That's all right," announced the discomfited one. "But I'll wager +there's something queer back of all this. Do you know anything about +this locality, captain?" + +"Not a thing, and I wish I knew less. I'd never be here if it wasn't +for the fire. And I must take a look now, and see how our steam bath +is affecting it. I guess--" + +"Look there!" suddenly cried Fenn, pointing to the cliff, at the base of +which the lake waves were breaking. + +They all looked. There, on the face of the wall of rock, apparently +supported by nothing, stood four men, two of whom were Chinese, dressed +in the characteristic costume of that nation. The others were white men. +They were close together, near a little clump of bushes, that sprang +slantingly out from the surface of the cliff. + +"More of 'em, eh?" murmured the captain. "I wonder if they'll answer a +hail?" + +He put his hands, trumpet fashion, to his mouth, and was about to call +out, when a surprising thing happened. + +As the boys watched the men seemed to grow suddenly smaller. They fairly +went down out of sight, vanishing as completely as though they had sank +into the cliff. + +"Well, I never saw such a queer thing!" exclaimed Ned. "They acted just +like a Jack in the Box, when some one shuts the lid." + +"That expresses it exactly," admitted the captain. "It is a queer thing. +I think it will bear looking into. I wonder if they haven't something to +do with the Chinese smugglers." + +"That's what we thought." + +"I believe I'll go ashore and have a look," decided the commander of the +_Modoc_. "The government detectives ought to be told of what's going on +out here in this lonely place." + +Captain Wiggs would have carried his plan out, but for the fact that an +inspection of the hold showed the fire in the cargo to be smothered. The +steam had done the work effectively and there was no more danger. +Instead of having to remain in the secluded bay for some time, ready at +any moment, when danger threatened, to break out the cargo, the +commander found himself able to proceed to Duluth. + +This he decided on doing at once, as the exact extent of the fire-damage +could not be ascertained until he reached a port where he could unload. + +Accordingly all plans of making any examination of the strange actions +of the queer men were abandoned and, steam having been gotten up in the +main boilers, the engines were started and the _Modoc_ was once more +under way. + +As they left the little bay the boys kept close watch of the cliff, but +there were no signs of life upon the brown wall of rock. If the men were +somewhere within a cave on its surface, they did not show themselves. + +"I wonder if we'll ever solve that mystery?" inquired Bart, of no one in +particular, as the four chums paced the deck. + +"I'm going to," announced Fenn, decidedly. + +"Yes, you're going to do a lot," returned Ned, with a laugh. "You were +going to collect minerals, but I haven't seen you stowing any away +lately, for your collection." + +"That's so, I forgot all about 'em," admitted Fenn. "I've got lots of +time, though. You can't get any minerals out here," and he motioned to +the expanse of water that surrounded them. "But I'm going to look into +this Chinese business, though." + +"How?" asked Frank. "We're going farther and farther away every minute." + +"That's all right. We can come back," announced Fenn. + +"I thought you were going to Bayville to see Mr. Hayward, and--er--Miss +Ruth," went on Bart. "Especially Ruth." + +"Well, I may yet," replied Fenn. "Bayville isn't so far from here. In +fact it's within a short distance of where we anchored in that bay." + +"How do you know?" + +"I asked the captain," replied Fenn. "I was thinking of taking a boat +and rowing there, if we'd stayed long enough." + +"But how do you figure on getting there now?" asked Ned. + +"I'm coming back, after we get to Duluth," was the answer. "Captain +Wiggs has got to remain there for some time, and I don't see what there +is to keep us. It's a city, and we've had enough of city life for a +while. I was going to propose that, after we'd been there a couple of +days, we go off on a little side trip, coming back in time to go home on +the _Modoc_." + +"Good idea!" exclaimed Bart. "We could go on a little camping +expedition." + +"That was my idea," added Fenn. "We've got enough money with us to hire +a tent and a small outfit, all we'll need for a week or so. We've been +camping in the woods before, and we know how to take care of ourselves. +This cruising business is fine, but it's too lazy a life to suit me." + +"No, I s'pose we haven't had any excitement since we started," commented +Frank sarcastically. "There was the elevator fire, those men chasing us; +Ned nearly being pulled overboard with a fish; getting caught in the +lock; the steamer on fire and the queer men on the cliff. Oh, yes, we've +lived a very quiet and sedate life since we left home, Oh, yes, +exceedingly quiet." + +"Well, I mean--Oh, you know what I mean," said Fenn. "We need more +action--the kind we'll get if we go off on a trip by ourselves." + +"That's right," agreed Ned. "I'm with you, Stumpy. The sooner the +quicker." + +"When do we get to Duluth?" asked Bart. + +"Very soon now," answered Captain Wiggs, who, coming up behind the boys, +overheard the question. "I suppose you are all ready to enter port?" and +he looked quizzically at the boys. + +"Ready. How do you mean?" asked Fenn. + +"Why you can pass the quarantine regulations, I suppose? Let me look at +your tongues!" + +The boys were so surprised that, hardly knowing what they were doing, +they stuck them out for the captain's inspection. + +"Bad, very bad," he murmured. "I'll have to attend to this at once." And +he laughed heartily. + +"Sold again!" exclaimed Frank, as he drew in his tongue. "I thought we +were going to get even with him." + +"So we are," declared Bart. "If not now, on the trip home. We owe him +another one now." + +They were soon busy getting things in shape to go ashore and, when the +_Modoc_ tied up at a big wharf, they were all ready to go to the hotel +the captain had recommended, there to stay a couple of days, until they +could start on their little exploring expedition. + +The captain had offered no objection to this, and had told them the best +route to take. + +"But you must be back in time to sail with me on the homeward trip," +cautioned the captain, mentioning the date and time he expected to +start. "I'll not wait for you, remember. The _Modoc_ suffered very +little damage from the fire. Less than I feared and there will be no +delay." + +"We'll be here on time," Fenn assured him. + +The boys spent two busy days preparing for their side trip, and, bright +and early one morning, they took a train that was to convey them to a +little settlement, whence they were to start for a jaunt through the +woods, carrying their simple camping outfit with them. + + + + +CHAPTER XIX + +FENN BECOMES ILL + + +"Well, now, what's our program?" asked Frank when the four Darewell +chums were in the railroad train, speeding through the outskirts of +Duluth. "I s'pose Fenn will make a bee line for Bayville and see Ruth." + +"I intend to go there, not only to see Ruth, but to see her father," +announced Fenn coolly. "It's no more than right, is it? He invited us to +come and see him, if we ever got out this way, and here we are. It would +be mean not to pay a visit." + +"Oh, yes, Stumpy," remarked Ned. "We know just how you feel about it," +and he laughed, whereat Fenn blushed, for he was rather sensitive +concerning his liking for young ladies. + +"Leaving Mr. Hayward out of it, what do you intend to do, after we've +got our camp established?" asked Frank, looking at Fenn, with whom this +idea had originated. + +"I'm going to see what those men were doing on the cliff," was the +decided answer. "Maybe they were Chinese smugglers. If they were--" + +"Yes, if they were I s'pose Stumpy will climb up there single handed, +make 'em all prisoners, and then write a half-dime novel about it," put +in Bart. + +"Not exactly," answered Fenn. "I don't see what's to hinder me giving +information to the government, though, about the smugglers, if that's +what they are. I understand there's a reward for that sort of +information, and I could use a bit of spare cash as well as any one." + +"That's so!" exclaimed Ned. "I didn't think about that. I'm with you, +Stumpy." + +"You'll want half the reward, I guess," interjected Bart. + +"Sure," said Ned. "Who wouldn't? Why can't we all go in on this thing?" + +"Of course we can," declared Fenn. "We'll go camping somewhere back of +that cliff, and then we can--" + +"Hush! Not so loud!" suddenly cautioned Frank. Then, bending his head +closer to his chums, as they were sitting in two seats facing each other +he added: "There's a man a couple of seats back who's been watching us +pretty sharply ever since we began talking this way. I don't like his +looks." + +"Where is he?" asked Fenn in a whisper. + +"Don't look now," replied Frank, making a pretense of pointing out the +window at a bit of scenery. "He's staring right at us. It's the man with +the light hat, with a white ribbon band on, whom I mean. You can size +him up as soon as he turns his head." + +The boys cautiously waited for an opportunity, and took a quick +inspection of the man Frank had indicated. He was a total stranger to +the four Darewell lads, as far as any of them knew, but it did not take +long to disclose the fact that the man was much interested in them. + +He watched their every move, and, when any one of them spoke, the fellow +tried to catch what was said. The man seemed like an ordinary traveler, +and, except for a peculiar cast in one eye, was not bad looking. + +"Let's change our seats," suggested Fenn, when the train had proceeded +some miles farther, and the car was not so full. "We want to talk, and +we can't be whispering all the while." + +They moved farther away from the man with the cast in his eye, and were +once more discussing their plans, when Frank again noticed that the man +was listening. He, too, had moved up several seats, and, under pretense +of reading a paper, was straining his ears for whatever the boys said. + +"Let's go into the other car," proposed Fenn. "If he follows us there +we'll tell the conductor." + +But the man evidently did not care to run any more risks and the boys +were not further annoyed. + +"I wonder who he was?" asked Ned. "Perhaps he had something to do with +the smugglers." + +"Oh, I guess he was just some fellow more interested in the business of +other persons than in his own," replied Frank. "I hope we didn't talk +too much, so that he'll know what we are going to do." + +"That's so, he might go and give information to the government, and get +that reward," announced Fenn. "I wish we'd been more careful!" + +"Well, I guess he'll have his own troubles finding that cliff," was +Bart's opinion. "We didn't mention any special place. Our secret is safe +enough." + +After further consideration of what they had said the boys agreed with +this view. As they were now almost alone in the car they talked freely, +deciding on what to do when in the woods. + +They had brought a small sleeping tent with them, some guns which they +had hired and a limited supply of food. As they were going to be within +reach of small settlements, villages or, at the worst, scattered farm +houses, they calculated they could, from time to time, buy what they +needed to eat. + +They had made a careful study of a map of the country they intended to +utilize as part of their vacation trip, and decided on a place to camp +that was not far from where they had observed the queer actions of the +men on the cliff. It was also within a short distance of Bayville, +where, as has been said, Mr. Hayward and his daughter lived. + +They left the train at a station, near the foot of a small mountain, on +the slopes of which they were to pitch their tent. Their baggage and +supplies was piled up on the platform and, Frank, surveying it, +exclaimed: + +"Oh, dear, I wish we had that mule we used when we were rescuing my +father. He could carry a good deal of this stuff, and we wouldn't break +our backs." + +"Aw, don't mind a little thing like that!" advised Bart. "Why it's not +far, and we can make two trips if necessary." + +They decided this would be the best plan, and, taking what they could +carry, they set off into the woods, the station agent agreeing to look +after what baggage they left behind, until they came back for it. + +The weather was fine, and the air, in that northwestern region, was +clear and bracing. + +"I could carry twice as much as this," announced Ned, as he walked +along, balancing his load on his shoulder. + +"Here, take mine then!" cried Frank quickly. + +"Not to-day," retorted Ned with a laugh. "I was only figuratively +speaking." + +They picked out a good camping place, and, as they had brought the tent +with the first load, they set that up. + +"Now for the rest of the stuff, and we'll be in good shape for the +night," remarked Bart. "Come on, fellows. Why, Fenn, what's the matter?" +he asked quickly, as he noticed the stout youth seated on a log. + +"Me? Nothing. I'm all right." + +"No, you're not. You're as white as a sheet of paper," went on Bart. +"Don't you feel well?" + +"Sure. I'm all right. I guess I walked a little too fast; that's all." + +"Well, take a good rest before you make the second trip," advised Ned. + +"No, I'll tell you what we'll do," proposed Frank. "We three can easily +carry what stuff is back there at the depot. Let Fenn stay here and +rest, and we'll go back for it. Besides, we ought to leave somebody on +guard," he added quickly, fearing Fenn might object to anyone doing his +share of the work. + +"Oh, I'll be all right in a minute, fellows," said Fenn, trying to +smile, but making rather poor work of it. "It's the heat, I guess." + +"It is hot," agreed Bart. + +"You go ahead and I'll catch up to you," proposed Fenn. "I'm feeling a +little better now." + +"No, you stay here and we'll fetch the rest of the stuff," repeated +Frank, and he insisted on it, with such good reason, also pointing out +that if any tramps came along they might steal the tent, that Fenn +consented to remain on guard. In fact he was very glad to do so, as he +felt a curious sensation in his head and stomach, and he was not a +little alarmed, as he had never been seriously ill. + +"I hope he isn't going to be sick," observed Bart, as the boys started +back to the station. "We'll have to give up our camp if he is." + +"Oh, he'll be all right," asserted Ned, confidently. "It was only the +heat and the walk." + +"I hope so," rejoined Frank. + +But when the boys returned with the remainder of the camp stuff two +hours later, they found an unpleasant surprise awaiting them. + +In the tent, stretched out on some hemlock boughs which they had cut +before leaving, they found poor Fenn. He was very pale and his eyes were +closed. + +"He's asleep," whispered Ned. + +Frank entered softly and placed his hand on Fenn's head. + +"He's got a high fever," he said, with alarm in his voice. "Fellows, I'm +afraid Fenn's quite sick." + + + + +CHAPTER XX + +OUT ON A HUNT + + +Frank's announcement seemed to strike a cold chill to the hearts of Ned +and Bart. Sickness was something with which they had seldom come in +contact, and they did not know how to proceed. + +"I suppose we'd better get a doctor," ventured Ned. + +"Where?" inquired Frank as he came from the tent. "There isn't one +within five miles--maybe farther." + +"Haven't we any medicine?" asked Bart. "I thought you said you brought +some along." + +"So I did," replied Frank. "Stuff for burns, cuts and stomach aches, but +I don't know as it would be safe to give him anything when he has a +fever." + +"Have you got anything for a fever?" inquired Ned. + +"Yes, some of those little, white tasteless pills, that come in small +bottles. Homeopathic remedies they call 'em. I'll read the directions." + +At that instant Fenn murmured something. + +"He's talking!" exclaimed Frank, listening at the flap of the tent. + +"Water, mother. Give me a drink of water," spoke the sick boy. + +"He thinks he's home," said Ned. + +"Here, I'll get him a drink, and you read the directions on that bottle +of pills," directed Bart. "Maybe we can give him some." + +Fenn drank thirstily of the spring water Bart carried in to him, +scarcely opening his eyes, and, when he did, he did not know his chum. + +"The smugglers!" exclaimed the now delirious youth. "We'll catch 'em! +Don't let Ruth fall into the cave. Look out!" + +The boys were much frightened, especially Ned and Bart. Frank, from the +experience he had had with his father, knew a little more than did the +others about cases of illness. He read what it said on the bottle of +pills and decided it would be safe to give Fenn several of the pellets. + +"Now, we'd better get the camp in shape for night," said Frank. "We've +got to stay here until morning, no matter what happens. We can't move +Fenn until he's better." + +"Maybe he'll not get better," remarked Ned, rather gloomily. + +"Oh, cut out such ideas," advised Frank. "He'll be all right. Probably +his stomach is upset. Now hustle around and get a fire going. I want +some hot coffee, and so do you. Then we'll all feel better, after a bit +of grub." + +Once Bart and Ned had something definite to do they did not worry so +much about Fenn. Frank took a look at him, now and then, in the midst of +the work of making the camp. + +"He's asleep," he announced after one inspection. "I think his fever's +going down some." + +"That's good," commented Bart, his face losing some of its worried look. + +The boys ate a hasty supper and then made a more comfortable bed for +Fenn. The tent was big enough for all four to stretch out under it, but +the three chums decided they would take turns sitting up, in order to +administer to the sick lad. + +Frank gave him some more medicine during the night, and, by twelve +o'clock, Fenn was somewhat better, though he still had a fever. + +It seemed that morning would never come, but, at length, there shone +through the forest a pale, gray light, that turned to one of rosy hue, +and then the golden sunbeams streamed through the trees. + +"Thank goodness the night's gone," exclaimed Ned, who had the last +watch. "It seems as if we'd been here a week, instead of a few hours." + +"How is he?" asked Bart of Frank, who had assumed the role of doctor. + +"No worse, at any rate," he said, as he felt of his chum's head. + +"Do you think we ought to get a physician?" + +"I think we'll see how he is to-day," answered Frank. "If he doesn't get +any worse I believe it will work off. I'll give him some more medicine." + +There must have been some virtue in the pills, for, by noon, Fenn's skin +was much cooler, and he had began to perspire, a sure sign that the +fever was broken. His mind, too, was clear. + +"What's the matter? What happened?" he asked. "Was I sick?" + +"I guess it was a little touch of sun-stroke," replied Frank with a +laugh. "How do you feel?" + +"Pretty good, only weak. I'm hungry and thirsty." + +"That's a good sign. I guess we can fix you up." + +Fenn made a fairly good meal on canned chicken and some biscuits which +Ned concocted out of a package of prepared flour. + +"I think I can get up now," announced the sick youth, as he finished the +last of his meal. + +"No you don't!" exclaimed Frank. "I'm the trained nurse in charge +to-day, and you stay in the tent until night, anyhow." + +Fenn wanted to disobey, but he found he was weaker than he thought, so +he was glad to stretch out on the blanket, spread over the fragrant +hemlock boughs. He was so much better by night that the boys were +practically assured he was out of danger. They felt correspondingly +happy, and prepared as fine a meal as they could in celebration of the +event. + +Fenn ate sparingly, however, and then fell off into a sound, healthful +sleep. His three comrades took turns during the night watch, but there +was nothing for them to do, save, now and then, to replenish the camp +fire. + +The next day Fenn was so much better that he insisted on getting up, but +he did not have much ambition to do things. + +"We'll go hunting, as soon as you are able," announced Frank, after +breakfast. "Our pantry isn't very well stocked." + +"Don't wait for me," urged Fenn. "Go ahead. I can stay in camp, and look +after things while you three are gone. I'll take my turn at hunting a +little later." + +At first the boys would not hear of this, but, after Fenn pointed out +that they must have stuff to eat, they agreed to go hunting the next +day, leaving him alone in camp, if it was found, by morning, that he was +well enough. + +Fortunately this proved to be the case and Ned, Frank and Bart, carrying +the guns they had hired in Duluth, started off, cautioning Fenn to take +care of himself, and not to wander away from the tent. + +"We'll be back as soon as we have shot something to eat," promised Bart. + +It was rather lonesome in camp for Fenn, after his chums had left. At +first he sat in front of the tent, watching the antics of some squirrels +who, emboldened by hunger, came quite close to pick up crumbs. Fenn +scorned to shoot at them. + +"I think I'm strong enough to take a little walk," decided the youth, +after an hour or so of idleness. "It will do me good. Besides, I want to +get a line on just where that cliff is, on which we saw the queer men." + +He started off, and found he had regained nearly all his former strength. +It was a fine day, and pleasant to stroll through the woods. + +Fenn wandered on, aiming for the lake, which was some distance away from +where the tent was pitched. Suddenly, as he was going through a little +glade, he heard a noise on the farther side of the clearing, as though +some one had stepped on, and broken, a tree branch. Looking quickly up +he saw, half screened by a clump of bushes, two Chinamen, and a white +man. + +The odd trio, whose advance had alarmed Fenn, stopped short. Then one of +the Celestials muttered some lingo to the other. An instant later the +three drew back in the bushes, and Fenn could hear them hurrying away. + +"I'm on the track of the smugglers!" he exclaimed. "I'm going to follow +them and see where they go! I must be nearer the cliff than I thought." + +Off Fenn started, after the three men. If he had known what lay before +him he would have hesitated a long time before doing what he did. But +Fenn did not know. + + + + +CHAPTER XXI + +THE CHINESE BUTTON + + +Game was not so plentiful in the woods about the camp, as the three +chums had hoped. Frank, Ned and Bart tramped along, keeping a close +watch for anything that would promise to restock the larder, but, for +some time, the most they saw, were numbers of small birds--too small to +shoot. + +"Why can't we scare up a covey of partridges?" asked Ned, rather +disgustedly, after they had been out an hour or more. + +"Why don't you wish for a herd of deer, or a drove of bears, that is if +bears go in droves," suggested Bart. "You want things too easy, you do." + +"I don't care whether they're easy or not, as long as there are some of +them," retorted Ned. "I'd like to hear how this gun sounds when it's +shot off." + +"Hark! What's that?" exclaimed Bart, looking up as a sudden whirring +noise was audible in the air over their heads. + +The boys looked up, and, to their surprise, saw a big flock of wild +ducks, flying quite low. It was rather early in the season for them, as +they learned later, but they did not stop to think of that. Without +further words, they raised their guns and blazed away. + +"Hurrah! We got some!" yelled Ned, as he saw several of the wild fowl +tumbling earthward. + +"The other barrel!" exclaimed Frank. "We may not get another chance, and +we'd better kill enough to last us a week." + +They fired again, and killed several more of the ducks. They found the +birds to be in fairly good condition, though they would be fatter later +on. + +"They will make fine eating!" remarked Bart, as he held up a string of +the wild fowl. "Maybe Fenn won't like to set his teeth in a nice browned +piece of roast duck." + +"Providing he is well enough to eat it," added Ned. + +"Oh, he'll be well enough," was Frank's answer. "But I'd like to get +something else besides duck." + +"Well, we've got plenty of time yet," suggested Bart. "Let's go a little +farther." + +Slinging their game over their shoulders, and reloading their guns, the +boys once more started off. They had not gone far before a commotion in +a clump of underbrush, just ahead of where Ned was walking, startled the +lad into sudden activity. + +"Here's something!" he called in a hoarse whisper. + +"Yes, and it's liable to come out and shake hands with you, and ask how +you like the weather, if you yell that way again," remarked Frank. +"Don't you know any better than to call out like that when you're +hunting?" + +"I couldn't help it," whispered Ned. "I saw something big and black. I +think it's a bear." + +"A bear! Where?" cried Bart in a whisper, cocking his gun. + +"Go easy," advised Frank. "We stand a swell chance of killing a bear +with these light shotguns. Where is it, Ned?" + +The boys were all speaking in low tones, and had come to a halt in a +little circle of trees. All about them was thick underbrush, from the +midst of which had issued the disturbance that caused Ned to exclaim. + +"There it is!" he said, grasping Frank by the arm, and pointing toward +something dark. At that moment it moved, and a good-sized animal darted +forward, right across the trail, in front of the boys, and, an instant +later was scrambling up a tall tree as if for dear life. + +"Fire!" cried Ned, suiting the action to the word. He aimed point-blank +at the creature, but, when the smoke cleared away, there was no dead +body to testify to his prowess as a hunter. + +"Missed!" exclaimed Ned disgustedly. "And it was a fine chance to bowl +over a bear cub, too." + +"Bear cub?" repeated Frank. "Take a look at what you think is a bear +cub." + +Frank pointed to the tree, up which the animal had climbed. There, away +out on the end of a rather thin limb, it crouched, looking down on the +boys--a huddled bunch of fur. + +"A raccoon!" exclaimed Bart. "You're a fine naturalist, you are, Ned. +Why didn't you take it for a giraffe or an elephant?" + +"That's all right, you'd have made the same mistake if you had seen it +first," retorted Ned. "I'm going to have a shot at it, anyway." + +He raised his gun, but the raccoon, probably thinking now was the +opportunity to show that he believed in the old maxim, to the effect +that discretion is the better part of valor, made a sudden movement and +vanished. + +"See!" exclaimed Ned triumphantly. "He knew I was some relation to Davy +Crockett. He didn't exactly want to come down, but he had some business +to attend to in another tree." + +"That's an easy way of getting out of it," remarked Bart, "but I'll +wager you would have missed worse than I did if you had shot." + +"Oh, come on and stop scrapping!" exclaimed Frank. + +"We're not scrapping," retorted Ned. "Only I say I'm as good a shot as +he is." + +"You can prove it, by shooting at a mark, when we get back to camp," +suggested Frank. "Just now we're out hunting, not trying to decide a +rifle match." + +But word seemed to have gone through the woods that three mighty boy +hunters were abroad, and all the game appeared to have gone into hiding. +Tramp as the chums did, for several miles, they got no further sight of +anything worth shooting at. + +"I guess we'll have to be content with the ducks, and go back," remarked +Frank, after a somewhat long jaunt in silence. "Fenn may be lonesome +waiting for us." + +"I know my stomach is lonesome for something to eat," returned Bart. +"The sooner some of these ducks are roasting, or stewing or cooking in +whatever is the quickest way, the better I'll like it." + +"All right, let's head for camp," agreed Ned, and, having picked out +their trail, by the help of a compass they carried, they were soon +journeying toward where their tent was set up. + +"I hope Fenn is all right," remarked Frank, as they trudged onward. + +"All right? Why shouldn't he be?" inquired Bart. + +"Well, I was a little worried about leaving him alone." + +"Why Fenn is able to take care of himself," declared Ned. "Besides, +what's there to be afraid of?" + +"I don't know," admitted Frank. "But suppose another spell of fever +should suddenly develop, and he was all alone? It wouldn't be very +nice." + +"Well, he was as anxious to have us go as we were to start off," +remarked Bart. + +"I know it, but still, I can't help feeling a little anxious." + +"Oh, he'll be all right," declared Bart, confidently. "He'll have a +good fire ready for us, coffee made, and all we'll have to do will be +to clean these ducks and put them to roast." + +"I hope so," replied Frank. + +The boys, in the excitement of the chase, had gone farther into the +woods than they had anticipated on starting out. Consequently it was +later than they expected when they got to where they saw landmarks that +told them they were near camp. + +"It's only about half a mile farther now," remarked Bart. + +"Give a yell," suggested Ned. "Fenn will hear it and know we are +coming." + +The three chums united their voices in a loud hallo; and, when the +echoes had died away, they listened for an answering cry. None came, +and the woods were silent, save for the noises made by birds flitting +here and there in the branches of the trees. + +"He didn't hear us," said Ned. "Try again." + +"Maybe--maybe he isn't there," suggested Frank, in a low voice. + +"Of course he is!" declared Ned. "Maybe he's asleep." + +"I guess he didn't hear us," suggested Bart. "The wind is blowing the +wrong way. Let's yell again." + +Once more they shouted, but with no effect. There came no answering +hail. + +"Come on!" called Frank, increasing his speed. The boys spoke but +seldom during the remainder of the tramp to camp. When they came in +sight of the tent they strained their eyes for a sight of their chum. +He was nowhere to be seen. + +"Probably he's inside, lying down," spoke Ned. + +It needed but a glance within the canvas shelter, to show that Fenn was +not there. In the gathering dusk Frank gave a hasty glance about the +locality. The embers of what had been the campfire, were cold. There was +no sign that Fenn had been there recently, or that he had made any +preparations to receive his chums. + +"He must have gone off in the woods and forgotten to come back," +suggested Bart. "Maybe he went hunting on his own account." + +"If he had, he'd have taken his gun," replied Frank, pointing to where +the weapon stood in a corner of the tent. + +"Then he's out for a walk," declared Bart. + +"He's staying rather late," commented Frank. "I hope--" + +Frank did not finish his sentence. Suddenly, he darted forward and +picked up something off the ground. + +"What is it?" asked Bart. + +For answer Frank held it out on the palm of his hand. It was a small +object and the two boys had to bend close to see what it was. They saw +one of the peculiar brass buttons that serve to hold the loops with +which a Chinese blouse is fastened. + +"A Chinese button!" exclaimed Bart, in a whisper. + +"The Chinamen have been here!" added Ned. + +"It looks as if the smugglers had Fenn," said Frank solemnly. "They must +have sneaked in here and carried him off!" + + + + +CHAPTER XXII + +FENN'S MISHAP + + +Fenn had not gone very far, in pursuit of the two Chinamen and their +white companion, before he became aware that he was not as strong as he +thought he was. In his legs there was strange trembling, and his head +felt dizzy. + +"I guess I was sicker than I imagined," he said to himself, as he kept +doggedly on. "But I'll trail 'em. I'm going to find out where they are +staying, how they get to the cliff, and what it's all about." + +Ahead of him Fenn could hear the trio making their way through the +underbrush. They seemed to be following some trail, as there was a +faintly-defined path through the woods at this point. + +"They must be preparing to smuggle in a shipload of Chinese," thought +Fenn. "Probably it's the same gang we scared off farther down the lake. +They've come up here. Oh, if I had some way of sending word to a +government detective, I could catch 'em in the very act! But, if I can +find out where the landing place is I can show the officers how to get +to it. That is, if they don't take the alarm and skip out. They must +know me by this time." + +The trail was becoming more difficult to follow. It still led toward the +lake and Fenn was sure he was on the right track. Already he had visions +of what he would do with the reward money, after he had given his chums +their shares. + +"Whew! But I'm getting tired!" exclaimed the lad, after making his way +through a particularly thick bit of underbrush. "I wish some of the +fellows were along to take up the chase. I wonder if they're going much +farther?" + +He paused a moment to rest, and listened intently for a sound of the +retreating footsteps of those ahead of him. + +"Why," he exclaimed, after a second or two. "I can't hear them!" + +There were no sounds save those made by the birds and small beasts of +the forest. + +"They've distanced me!" Fern exclaimed. "I couldn't keep up with them! +Now I've lost track of them! What shall I do?" + +He was trembling, partly from excitement, and partly from nervousness +and weakness. A mist seemed to come before his eyes. He looked about +him and saw, off to the left, a little hill. + +"I'll climb that, and see if I can catch a glimpse of them," he said, +speaking aloud. The sound of his own voice seemed to bring his +confidence back to him. His legs lost their trembling and he felt +stronger. + +Up to the summit of the hill he made his way, finding it a more toilsome +climb than he had imagined. He reached the top. Below him, stretched out +like a narrow ribbon of gray on a background of green, was the little +trail he had been following, and which had been taken by the three men. +It wound in and out among the woods, extending toward the lake, a +glimpse of the shining water of which Fenn could just catch. + +Something moving on the trail caught his eye. He looked intently at it, +and, the next moment he exclaimed: + +"There they are! They're hurrying along as if a whole band of detectives +was after them, instead of me alone. Now to see if I can't catch up to +them." + +He gave one more look at the two Celestials and the white man, who, +every moment were nearing their goal, and then, hurried down the other +side of the hill, to cut across through the woods at the foot, and so +reach the trail. + +Fenn had not gone more than a dozen steps when suddenly, having made a +jump over a large boulder in his path, he came down rather heavily on +the other side, in the midst of a clump of ferns. + +There was a curious sinking of the ground, as though it had caved in. +Fenn felt himself falling, down, down, down! He threw out his hands, and +tried to grab something. He grasped a bunch of fern, but this went down +with him. + +"Help! Help!" he instinctively called, though he knew no one was within +hearing, save, perhaps, those three strange men, and he did not believe +they would help him if they did hear his calls for aid. + +Fenn was slipping and sliding down some inclined chute that seemed to +lead from the summit of the hill, into the interior of the earth. It was +so dark he could see absolutely nothing and all he could feel around him +were walls of dirt. + +They seemed strangely smooth, and he wondered how he could slide over +them and not feel bumps from rough stones which must surely be jutting +out here and there from the sides of the shaft down which he had +tumbled. + +He put out his hands, endeavoring to find something to grasp to stay his +progress, and then he discovered the reason for his smooth passage. + +The walls of the curious slanting tunnel, in which he had been made an +involuntary prisoner, were composed of smooth clay. Down them water was +slowly dripping, from some subterranean spring, making the sides as +smooth and slippery as glass. + +Fenn tried in vain to dig his fingers into the walls, in order to stay +his progress, but he only ran the risk of tearing his nails off, and he +soon desisted. All he could do was to allow himself to be carried along +by the force of gravity, and the incline of the tunnel was not so great +as to make his progress dangerous. + +"It's the stopping part I've got to worry about," thought poor Fenn. "I +wonder what's at the end of all this?" + +Suddenly, as he was sliding along, feet foremost, in the darkness, his +outstretched right hand came in contact with something that caused him +to start in terror. It was a round, thin slimy object, that seemed +stretched out beside him. + +"A snake!" he exclaimed. "I've fallen into a den of serpents!" + +He drew his hand quickly away, fear and disgust overpowering him for a +moment. Then the thing seemed to be at his left hand. This time, in +spite of himself, his fingers closed around it. + +"A rope! It's a rope!" he cried aloud, as he vainly tried to catch hold +of it and stay his sliding downward. But the rope slipped from his +fingers, and his journey down the curious shaft was unstayed. + +"This must have been dug by men," thought Fenn. "I'll wager the smugglers +had something to do with it. Why, maybe it's one of the ways they land +their men. That's it! I must be sliding right down into the lake. They +use the rope with which to pull themselves up the slippery tunnel." + +This idea seemed feasible to him, and he made further efforts to grasp +the rope, in order that he might stop and pull himself up, instead of +being carried on into Lake Superior. + +For that this was to be his fate he now feared, since, as near as he +could tell, the tunnel sloped in that direction. But though he +occasionally felt the rope, first on one side of him, and then on the +other, he could not get a sufficient grasp on the slippery strands, +covered as they were with clay, to check his progress. + +"I guess I'm doomed to go to the bottom," he thought. "If I only fall +into deep water it won't be so bad. I can swim out. But if I land on the +rocks--" + +Fenn did not like to think about it. In fact his heart was full of terror +at his strange situation, and only his natural courage kept him from +giving way to despair. But he was filled with a dogged determination to +save himself if he could, even at the end. + +Though it has taken quite a while to describe Fenn's queer mishap, it did +not take him long to accomplish it. He was slipping along at considerable +speed, being shunted from side to side as the tunnel widened or narrowed, +but, on the whole, being carried onward and downward in a fairly straight +line. + +Suddenly the blackness was illuminated the least bit by a tiny point of +light below and in front of him. It looked like an opening. + +"There's daylight ahead," thought the boy. "That must be where the fresh +air comes from," for he had noticed that the tunnel was not close, but +that a current of air was circulating through it. Fenn was wrong as to +the source of this supply, as he learned later, but he had little time +to speculate on this matter, for, much sooner than he expected, he had +reached the spot of the light. + +He saw, suddenly looming before him, an opening that marked the end of +the tunnel. The shaft gave a sharp upward turn and Fenn was shot up and +out, just as are packages that are sent down those iron chutes from the +sidewalk into store basements. + +A moment later the boy, covered with mud from head to foot, found +himself on a narrow ledge on the face of a cliff overlooking Lake +Superior. He lay, partly stunned for a moment, and blinking at the +strong light into which he had come from the darkness of the shaft. + +Below him rolled the great lake, on which he and his chums had so +recently been sailing in the _Modoc_. Fenn arose to his feet, and +gave a glance about him. + +"It's the same place!" he murmured. "The same place where we saw the men +who so mysteriously disappeared! I'm on the track of their secret!" + +He looked at the ledge on which he stood. It was long and narrow, and, +not far from where he was, he saw a partly-round opening, that seemed to +be the mouth of another shaft, leading straight down. + +"Well, more wonders!" exclaimed Fenn, walking toward it. As he did so, +he was startled to see the head of a man emerge from the second shaft. +The fellow gave one look at Fenn and then, with a cry of warning to some +one below, he disappeared. + +Fenn, startled and somewhat alarmed, hesitated. He was on the brink of +an odd discovery. + + + + +CHAPTER XXIII + +THE SEARCH + + +Following the finding of the Chinese button, and Frank's conclusion +that the smugglers had carried Fenn off, the three chums, back in camp, +startled by the terror the thought gave them, stood looking at each +other for several seconds. They did not quite know what to make of it. + +"Do you really think the smugglers have him?" asked Ned, of Frank. + +"Well, it certainly looks so. Fenn is gone, and this button is evidence +that some Chinese have been here." + +"But might not Fenn be off in the woods somewhere, and the Chinese have +paid a visit here while he was away?" asked Bart. + +"Of course that's possible. But I don't believe Fenn, sick as he was, +would remain away so long." + +"Couldn't that brass button come from some other garment than one worn +by a Chinaman?" inquired Ned. + +"It could, but for the fact that it has some Chinese characters stamped +on the under side, where the shank is," and Frank showed his chums the +queer marks, probably made by the Celestial manufacturer. "Then, here's +another bit of evidence," and he pointed to the ground. + +Ned and Bart looked. There, in the soft earth, they plainly saw several +footprints, made by the peculiar, thick-soled sharp-pointed shoes the +Chinese wear. + +"They've been here all right," admitted Bart in a low voice. "What's to +be done about it?" + +"I think we ought to see if we can't find Fenn," declared Ned. "We ought +to follow and see where these Chinese footsteps lead. Maybe Fenn is held +a prisoner." + +"That's what we ought to do," agreed Frank. "However, it is too late to +do anything much now. It will soon be night. I think we'd better get +something to eat, sleep as much as we can, and start off the first +thing in the morning. Maybe we can trail the smugglers by following +the Chinese footprints, and, in that way, we may find--Fenn." + +Frank hesitated a bit over his chum's name, and there was a catch in his +voice. The other boys, too, were somewhat affected. + +"Oh, we'll find him all right," declared Ned, confidently, to cover up +the little feeling he had manifested. "If those smugglers have him, +why--we'll take him away from them, that's all." + +"That's the way to talk!" exclaimed Frank. "Now let's get some grub. +What did we shoot all these ducks for?" + +The chums soon had a meal ready, but, it must be confessed, the ducks +did not taste as good as they expected they would. However, that was +more because of their anxiety over Fenn, than from any defect in the +birds or their cooking. + +Morning came at last, after what the three Darewell boys thought was the +longest night they had ever experienced. They only slept in dozes, and, +every now and again, one of them would awake and get up, to see if there +were any signs of the missing Fenn. + +"Poor Stumpy," murmured Ned, on one occasion, when a crackling in the +underbrush had deluded him into the belief that his chum had returned, +but which disturbance was only caused by a prowling fox. "Poor Fenn! I +hope he's in no danger!" + +If he could have seen Fenn at that moment he would have had good reason +for expressing that hope. + +"Now for the trail!" exclaimed Bart when, after a hasty breakfast, the +three boys, shouldering their guns, were ready to start. "Which way, +Frank? You seem to have run across the track of these smugglers, and +it's up to you to follow it. Lead on." + +"I guess we'll have no difficulty in following the trail as far as it +goes," remarked Frank. "When a Chinaman goes walking he leave a track +that can't be duplicated by any other person or animal. Lucky it didn't +rain in the night, for what tracks there are will still be plain. And we +don't have to worry about a crowd walking over the place where they +were. We're not troubled by many neighbors in these woods." + +They started off with Frank in the lead, and he kept a careful watch for +the Chinese footprints. At first they were easy to follow, as the ground +was soft, and the queer cork-soled shoes had been indented deeply in the +clay. But, after a time, the marks became so faint that, only here and +there could they be distinguished. + +Then it became necessary for Frank to station one of his chums at the +place where the last step was seen, and prospect around, considerably in +advance, until he picked up the next one. + +"If we had a hound we wouldn't have all this trouble," he said. + +"But, seeing as we haven't, we'll have to be our own dogs," retorted +Ned. "I guess we can manage it." + +They followed the footprints of the one Chinaman for a mile or more, and +then they came to an end with an abruptness that was surprising, +particularly as the last one was plainly to be seen in a patch of soft +mud. + +"Well, he evidently went up in a balloon," announced Bart. + +"It does look so, unless he had a pair of wings in his pocket," +supplemented Ned. + +Frank went on ahead, looking with sharp eyes, for a recurrence of the +prints. He went so far into the woods that Bart called to him. + +"Do you think he jumped that distance?" + +"I don't know," replied Frank. "I'm going to look--" + +He stopped so suddenly that his chums were alarmed and ran forward to +where he was. They found him staring at some marks in the earth, and the +marks were those they sought--the footprints of the Chinese. + +"How in the world did he ever get over that space without touching the +ground?" inquired Ned. "He must be a wonder, or else have a pair of +those seven-league-boots I used to read about in a fairy book, when I +was a kid." + +"Look there!" exclaimed Bart, pointing up to a tree branch overhead. + +"Horse hair!" exclaimed Ned. "I didn't know a horse could switch his +tail so high." + +"Horses nothing!" retorted Bart. "That's hair from the queue of a +Chinaman, or I'll eat my hat!" + +"But what's it doing up in the tree?" demanded Frank. + +"That's how he fooled us," replied Bart. "He thought some one might +trail him, and when he got to a good place, he took to the trees. They +are thick enough here so he could swing himself along from limb to limb, +and, after he covered twenty-five feet or more, he let himself down. It +was a good Chinese trick, but we got on to it. His pigtail caught in a +branch. I guess it hurt him some." + +"Yes, here are his footsteps again, as plain as ever," said Frank, +pointing to where the queer marks were to be seen. + +"But, say, we've forgotten one thing," said Ned suddenly. + +"What?" asked Bart. + +"We haven't looked for Fenn's footprints. All along we've been paying +attention to only the marks made by the Chink. Now where does Fenn come +in? This Chinese fellow couldn't carry him; could he?" + +"Not unless the Chink was one of the gigantic Chinese wrestlers I've +read about," admitted Bart. "That's so, Ned. We have forgotten all about +Fenn's footprints." + +The three boys looked at each other. In their anxiety at following the +trail of the queer marks they had lost sight of the fact that they +wanted a clue to Fenn, as well as to the smugglers. + +"I suppose we'd better go back to camp and begin all over," suggested +Ned. + +"No," decided Frank, after a moment's thought. "Let's try these prints a +little longer. Maybe they'll lead us to some place where we can get on +Fenn's trail." + +The others agreed to this plan, and, once more, they took up the search. +They had not gone far before Frank, who was again in the lead, called +out: + +"Here we are, fellows! This explains it!" + +Ned and Bart hurried forward. They found that Frank had emerged upon a +well-defined trail, that led at right angles to the one they had been +following. But, stranger than that was what the trail showed. + +There, in plain view, were the footprints of two Chinese and the +unmistakable mark of a white man's foot. + +"There were two parties of smugglers!" exclaimed Ned. + +"Either that, or one member of the single party made a cut through the +woods, came to our camp, and then joined the others right here," said +Frank. + +"Still, I don't see anything of Fenn," remarked Bart. + +"No? What's that?" demanded Frank quickly, pointing to footprints, quite +some distance back of the others. + +"Fenn's! I'll be jiggered!" cried Bart. "I can tell them by the triangle +mark, made with hobnails that he hammered into the heels of his shoes, +after we decided to come on this trip. He said that would prevent him +slipping around on deck." + +"Those are Fenn's footsteps all right--unless some one else has his +shoes," declared Ned. "Come on! We're on the right trail at last." And +the boys hurried forward, hope once more strong in their hearts. + + + + +CHAPTER XXIV + +FENN IS CAPTURED + + +For several seconds after he had observed the man's head disappear down +the hole in the ledge, Fenn waited. He wanted to see if the fellow had +gone for reinforcements, or had retreated. After a minute or two Fenn +decided that the man was as much frightened as he himself was. + +"I'll take a look down that hole," he decided. "I'm not in very good +shape for visiting company," he went on, with a look at his clay-covered +clothes, "but I don't believe those chaps are very particular. I wonder +what I'm up against? This is a queer country, with holes in the ground +almost at every turn, leading to no one knows where." + +He advanced toward the shaft, down which the man had vanished, and, as +he reached the edge, he saw that it contained a ladder. + +The ladder was made of tree trunks, with the branches cut off about a +foot from where they joined on, leaving projections sticking up at a +slight angle, and making a good hold for the hands and feet. + +"Well, I s'pose I'm foolish to do this all alone, and that I had better +go back to camp and get the boys," murmured Fenn, as he prepared to +descend. "But, if I do, the smugglers may escape, and I'll lose the +reward. There must be an opening at the bottom of this shaft that leads +right out on the lake shore. When the boats land the smuggled-in +Chinamen, they are probably taken up this shaft, then through the one I +slid down, and so into the woods, and from there they are spirited +wherever they want to go." + +He looked into the shaft, and listened intently, but could hear no +sound. He was surprised to see that the opening, leading down to he +could only guess where, was dimly lighted, seemingly in a natural +manner. But his wonder at this ceased when, having gone down a little +way, he noticed that the walls of the shaft were pierced, in the +direction of the lake, with small openings, through which light came. + +The shaft, he then saw, was either a natural one, or had been bored, +straight down the cliff, and at no great distance from the perpendicular +face of it. The sides seemed to be of soft rock, or hard clay, and the +tree-trunk ladders were fastened up against the walls by long wooden +stakes, driven in deeply. There were several tree trunks, one after +another, and from the smoothness of the jutting prongs it was evident +that they were often used. + +Down Fenn climbed, stopping every now and then to peer through the +ventilating and light holes. He caught glimpses of the great lake, that +lay at the foot of the cliff, toward the bottom of which he was +descending in this strange manner. + +"Queer I don't hear or see anything more of those men I was chasing," +mused the boy as he paused a moment opposite one of the air holes to get +his breath. "I wonder what became of the two Chinese and the white chap? +Then there's that man who stuck his head up out of this hole. He looked +like a miner, for his hat was all covered with dirt. That reminds me, +where's my hat?" + +Instinctively he looked about him, as though he would find it hanging on +one of the prongs of the tree-trunk ladder, which might answer as a hat +rack. Then he laughed at himself. + +"I remember now," he said. "It flew off when I fell through that clump +of fern into the hole I thought led to China. Guess I'll have to make my +bow without my hat." + +He glanced below him. It seemed as if he was at the last of the +ventilating openings for, further down, there were no glimmerings of +daylight, which was fast waning. Then, as he looked, he caught the +flickering of a torch, not far down. It waved to and fro, casting queer +shadows on the walls of the shaft, and then the person holding it seemed +coming up the ladder. + +"Now there's going to be trouble," thought Fenn. "We can't pass on this +thing. Either he's got to wait until I get down, or I'll have to go all +the way back to the top. I wonder if I better yell to let him know I'm +here? No, that wouldn't be just the thing. I'll try to slip around +between the wall and the ladder, and, maybe, he'll pass me." + +Fenn proceeded to put this rather risky plan into operation. Holding on +by both hands to one of the projecting branches he endeavored to swing +himself around. The man with the torch was coming nearer and nearer. + +Suddenly Fenn's hold slipped. He tried to recover himself but without +avail. The next moment his hands lost their grip and he went plunging +down into the darkness below, faintly illuminated by the smoking torch. +Then he knew no more. + +When Fenn came to his senses it was only with the utmost difficulty that +he could recall what had happened. He had a hazy recollection of having +been in some dark hole--then a light was seen--then he slipped--then +came blackness and then-- + +He tried to raise himself from where he lay, and a rustling told him he +was reclining on a bed of straw. By the light of a torch stuck in the +earthen wall of what seemed to be a cavern, Fenn could make out the +shadows of several men, grotesquely large and misshapen, moving about. +From the distance came a peculiar noise, as of machinery. + +Fenn's brain cleared slowly, though from the ache in his head, he knew +he must have had quite a fall. He raised himself on his elbow, and +gradually came to a sitting position. He drew a long breath, and started +to get up. + +As he did so, he felt some one place his hands on his chest, and push +him back, not rudely, but with enough firmness to indicate that he was +to lie down. Instinctively he struggled against what seemed to him a dim +shape in the half-darkness. + +"Lie down," a man's voice commanded. "You'll be all right in a little +while. You had quite a fall." + +"What's the matter? Where am I? Who are you?" asked Fenn. + +"That's all right now, sonny," was the reply in such soothing tones, as +one sometimes uses toward a fretful child. "You're in safe hands." + +"Has the kid woke up?" called a voice from the blackness beyond the +circle of light cast by the torches. + +"Yes," answered the man who had made Fenn lie down. + +Following the words there was a sudden increase in the illumination of +the cavern, and Fenn saw a big man approaching, carrying a torch. With +him were several others. One of them had a rope. + +"Are you--are you going to make me a prisoner?" asked Fenn, his heart +sinking. + +"That's what we are." + +Just then another man flashed a torch in the boy's face. No sooner had +he done so than he called out: + +"Great Scott! If it isn't the very kid I chased!" + +Fenn glanced quickly up and saw, standing before him, the man with the +sinister face--the man who had pursued him at the elevator fire. Beside +him was a man with a peculiar cast in one eye, and Fenn knew he was the +fellow who had listened to the conversation of the chums in the railroad +car. + + + + +CHAPTER XXV + +AN UNEXPECTED MEETING + + +Along the trail, which they had thus suddenly come upon, fairly ran +Frank, Ned and Bart. Now that they were sure Fenn was ahead of them, +though they could not tell how long since he had passed that way, they +were anxious to find their chum as soon as possible. + +"It looks as if Fenn was chasing the Chinese and the white man, instead +of them being after him," suggested Ned. + +"Unless they are leading him with a rope," remarked Frank. "In that case +he would be marching behind." + +"Well, I'll bet they'd have a fine time making Fenn march along with a +rope on him," said Bart. "He'd lie down and make 'em drag him. That +would be Fenn's way." + +"Unless he's too sick to make any resistance," replied Frank, who seemed +to take a gloomy view of it. + +"Well, there's no good wasting time talking about it," declared Bart. +"What we want to do is to find Fenn. Then we'll know exactly how it +was." + +"That's right; save our breaths to make speed with," added Ned. + +Though the boys were not lagging on the trail, they increased their pace +until they were going along at a dog trot, which carried them over a +considerable space in a short time, yet was not too tiring. They caught +occasional glimpses of the marks left by the feet of the Chinese and the +white man, as well as prints of Fenn's shoes. + +"There they go, up that hill!" exclaimed Ned, who, for the time being, +was in the advance. + +"Who? The men?" called Bart quickly. + +"No, the footprints. Come on," and he led the way up the little hill, up +which Fenn had hurried the day previous, with such disastrous results. +Fortunately the pace was beginning to tell on Ned, and, as he reached +the summit, and started down the other side, he slowed up. It was to +this circumstance that he avoided stepping right into the hole of the +shaft, down which Fenn had taken that queer-sliding journey. + +"Look here!" yelled Ned, so excitedly that his two companions fairly +jumped up to gain his side, thinking he must have come upon either Fenn +or one of the men. "Somebody has fallen down that hole!" + +That was very evident, for the fresh earth on the edges, the scattered +and torn clumps of fern, and the general disturbance about the mouth of +the pit, showed that all too plainly. + +"See!" suddenly exclaimed Bart. "There's his hat!" and, turning to one +side he picked it up from the ground, where it had fallen when poor Fenn +took his tumble. "This shows he was here." + +"We were sure enough of that before," said Frank, "but it certainly does +seem to indicate that Fenn went down there. I wonder whether he fell, or +whether those men thrust him down?" + +Bart threw himself, face downward, close to the edge of the hole. He +looked carefully at the marks on the edges. Then he got up and began +looking about in a circle. Finally, he walked back some distance down +the hill. + +"I have it!" he finally announced. + +"All right, let's have it and see if we agree with you," spoke Ned. + +"Fenn came up this hill all alone," declared Bart. "If you had looked +closely enough you could see that the footprints of the Chinese and the +white man go around the base of the hill to the right. Probably they +made a turn, when Fenn wasn't looking. He thought they went up the hill. +He hurried after them, and stepped right into this trap. Probably it was +covered over with leaves or grass, and he couldn't see it, until it was +too late. That's my theory." + +"And I believe you're right," declared Frank. "It sounds reasonable." + +"Then the next question is; what are we going to do about it?" inquired +Ned. "No use standing here discussing what happened, or how it happened. +What we want to do is to get busy and rescue Fenn." + +"That's the way to talk," declared Frank. + +"Wait a minute," suggested Bart. Once more he got down close to the +hole, and peered into the depths. + +"See anything?" asked Ned. + +"There a way to get down," replied Bart, after a moment. + +"How; a ladder?" + +"No. Ropes. See, there are cables fastened to the sides of this shaft, +and it looks as if they had been used several times." + +Bart reached down and got hold of a clay-covered rope, one of those +which Fenn had tried so vainly to grasp. + +"That's funny," remarked Frank. "Looks as if this was a regular +underground railway system." + +"I'll bet that's what it is," cried Ned. "This must be one of the means +whereby the smugglers get the Chinamen ashore. Why didn't we think of it +before? Let's go down there. We can easily do it by holding on to the +ropes." + +"It's too risky," decided Frank. "There's no telling what is at the +bottom." + +"But we've got to save Fenn!" exclaimed Bart, who rather sided with Ned. + +"I know that, but there's no use running recklessly into danger. We +can't help him that way. If he's down that hole, or in the hands of the +smugglers, we can do him more good by keeping out of that pit, or away +from the scoundrels, than we can by falling into their hands. Fenn needs +some one outside to help him, not some one in the same pickle he's in." + +Frank's vigorous reasoning appealed to his chums, and, though they would +have been willing to brave the unknown dangers of the hole, they +admitted it would be best to try first some other means of rescuing +their chum. + +"Let's prospect around a bit," proposed Frank. "Maybe we can find some +other way of discovering where this hole leads to. The lake can't be +far away, and if we can get down to the shore we may see something that +will give us a clue." + +"All right, come on," said Bart, and the Darewell chums started down the +hill, in the direction of Lake Superior. + +As they emerged upon a bluff, which overlooked the vast body of water, +they came to a pause, so impressed were they, even in their anxiety, +with the beautiful view that stretched out before them. Under the bright +rays of the morning sun the lake sparkled like a sheet of silver. + +"I wish we were all safe together again, aboard the _Modoc_," remarked +Ned, after a moment's pause. + +"Same here," echoed Bart. "But, if we're--" + +He was interrupted by a sound off to the left. Gazing in that direction +the boys saw, coming along the trail toward them, a man and girl. +Something about them seemed familiar. + +"Mr. Hayward!" cried Ned. + +"And his daughter!" added Frank, in a lower voice. + +"Well! Well!" exclaimed the man, whose lucky escape from the automobile +accident in Darewell, had led to the boys' acquaintance with him. "If +here aren't my young friends, the Darewell Chums, come to pay me a +visit! I'm very glad to see you, but I thought there were four of you." + +"So there are, father," interrupted Ruth. "Where is Fenn?" she asked, +turning quickly to the three boys. "Is he ill--didn't he come with you?" + +"He's lost!" replied Frank. "We're hunting for him." + +"Lost?" repeated Mr. Hayward. "How? Where?" + +Frank briefly related what had happened since they had started from +Darewell on the cruise to Duluth. + +"Well I never!" exclaimed Robert Hayward. "That's a great story! And the +last trace you have of him is down that hole?" + +"The very last," answered Ned, looking at Ruth, and not blaming Fenn for +thinking she was pretty. + +"This must be looked into," declared Mr. Hayward. "Lucky I happened to +be out here with my daughter. You see I live several miles from here, +but to-day, Ruth and I decided to take a little trip. I--I wanted to +look at some land I--some property I am interested in out here. I was on +my way to it when I saw you boys." + +The man seemed to have a curious hesitation in his manner and his +words, and Ruth, too, appeared under some strain. But the boys were too +anxious about their comrade to pay much attention to this. + +"Come on!" suddenly called Mr. Hayward. + +"Where are you going, father?" asked Ruth. + +"I'm going to find Fenn Masterson. I think I have a clue that will help +us," and he strode forward, followed by his daughter and the wondering +boys. + + + + +CHAPTER XXVI + +FENN'S ODD DISCOVERY + + +Mutual surprise showed on the face of Fenn, as well as on the countenance +of the man who made this surprising announcement in the cave, where we +have left that rather unfortunate youth. The boy, who had been prepared +to meet a band of Chinese smugglers, now saw before him the mysterious +person, who appeared to have some interest in the affairs of Mr. Hayward, +and who seemed to be pleased that misfortune should overtake the man who +had recovered from the auto accident near Fenn's house. + +"Well, how'd you get here?" asked the man gruffly, advancing closer to +the captive, and holding his torch to throw the light on Fenn's face. + +"Slid part way, and climbed the rest," answered the lad, who decided to +remain as cool as possible under the circumstances. + +"Humph! Well, I reckon you know where you are now?" + +"I haven't the least idea, except that I'm under ground." + +"Yes, and you're liable to stay here for some time. You'll find, before +I get through with you, that it isn't healthy, out in this country, to +pay too much attention to the business of other folks. I'll pay you back +for spying on me. I thought I'd gotten rid of you some time ago, but I +see you're still after me." + +"I'm not after you," answered Fenn. "I didn't expect to see you down +here. Nor am I spying on you. You're mistaken." + +"Weren't you trying to hear what I was saying--the night of the +fire--aren't you in the employ of Robert Hayward?" demanded the man, +asking his questions too quickly to permit of any answer. + +"I'm not employed by Mr. Hayward, though I know him, and he is a friend +of mine," declared Fenn. "I wasn't intentionally listening to what you +were saying that night, but, when I found you were an enemy of Mr. +Hayward, I wanted to know more about you." + +"How do you know I am his enemy?" asked the man. + +"From the way you talked. Besides, why did you chase after me, and try +to catch us on the _Modoc_?" + +"That's something for me to know, and for you to find out," replied the +man, with an unpleasant laugh. "You're too wise, you are." + +"Maybe I'll find out more than you want me to," retorted Fenn. + +"No danger. I'm going to put you where you can't do anything for a +while, and, after you've cooled down a bit, I'll think of what to do +next. Tom, come here," he called. + +A big man approached, and, at a nod from the fellow of the sinister +countenance, gathered Fenn up in his arms, in spite of the resistance +the lad made. Fenn soon found it was useless to struggle, so he remained +quietly in the grip of the burly chap. + +"Take him to the inner cave," directed the man, whom the others addressed +as Dirkfell, "and then come back. We need you in getting this last load +out. After that we'll take a rest." + +Fenn tried to see where he was being carried, but it was almost +impossible in the darkness. There were several flickering torches, +stuck in the earthen walls of the cavern, here and there, and, by the +glimmers of them, the youth could see men hurrying to and fro. Some +carried picks and others shovels, while some bore boxes that seemed to +be very heavy. + +"I wonder what sort of a place I've gotten into," thought Fenn. "Maybe +it's--yes, I'll bet that's what it is--a gold mine!" + +For a moment the thought of this made his heart beat strangely fast. +Then cooler reason came to him, and he recalled that the region around +Lake Superior contained no gold, though there were mines of other +minerals, some quite valuable. + +This train of thought was interrupted by the sudden stopping of the man +who was carrying him, as though he was a baby. The fellow stooped down, +kicked a door open with his foot, and, the next moment Fenn found +himself in a small cave, lighted by a lantern hanging over a rough +table, around which several chairs were drawn. + +"Here's where you stay until the boss tells you to come out," fairly +growled the man. + +Fenn did not reply, and the fellow withdrew, taking care, as the lad +noted, to lock the door after him. No sooner was the portal closed, than +Fenn began an inspection of the place. He took the lantern and held it +close to the door. It was made of heavy planks, and the fastening seemed +to be on the outside. As for the remainder of the cave, the walls were +composed of hard clay, or harder rock. The place was a sort of niche, +hollowed out from the larger cavern. + +"Well, I seem to be in a pickle," observed Fenn grimly. "That comes of +prying too much into other people's affairs, I s'pose. No help for it, +however. I'm here and the next question is how to get away. I wish the +boys were with me--no, I don't either. It's bad enough to be here +myself, without getting them into trouble. + +"I guess they'll be surprised when they get back to camp and find me +gone. I wish I'd left some sort of a message. They won't know where to +look for me." + +But Fenn did not give his chums credit for their energy. The prisoner +made a circuit of his dungeon, and concluded there was no way, at +present, of getting out. He readily got rid of the rope that fastened +his arms behind him. + +"I will just take another look at that door," mused Fenn, when, having +completed his tour of inspection, which did not take him long, he again +found himself in front of the portal. He held the lantern up as high as +he could. "If I stood on a chair I could see better," he reasoned. He +got one of the rough pieces of furniture, mounted it, and, was just +raising the light up to the top of the door when his hand slipped and +the lantern fell, smashing the glass, and extinguishing the wick. + +"Hu!" exclaimed Fenn, standing on the chair in the darkness. "Lucky it +didn't explode and set fire to the oil. I'd been worse off then I am +now." + +He was in total darkness, and was about to get down off the chair, and +grope his way back to the table, when a gleam of light, showing through +a crack in the door, attracted his attention. + +"Somebody is coming," he said. "Maybe they're going to let me out. Or, +perhaps, they heard the lantern fall." + +But, as he looked, he saw that the gleam was not made by a torch or +lantern being carried by someone approaching his dungeon. Instead it +came from several torches stuck in the wall of the main cave. + +And, by the light of these torches Fenn made an odd discovery. Several +men were digging in the sides of the cavern, loosening the clay and +soft rock with picks and shovels. They were piling the material in +boxes which were loaded into a car, that ran on a small track, and were +hurried off, to some place that the boy could not see. + +As he watched he saw Dirkfell approach, and, by signs and gestures, for +Fenn could not hear at that distance, the man urged the laborers to work +faster. + +"They're mining," thought Fenn. "It must be valuable stuff, too, or they +wouldn't take out such small quantities. And they must be working in +secret, or they wouldn't take all the precautions they do, to remain +hidden. There's something queer back of all this, and I'd like to see +what it is." + +Fenn applied his eye closely to the crack in the door. He could see the +men gathered about a cavity in the cavern wall, on which they were +working, and, from the way in which they pointed at something the boy +believed they must have come upon a rich deposit of whatever ore they +were mining. + +"I wish I was out of this place!" exclaimed Fenn to himself. "If I had +the boys here to help me I'll bet we could escape, and then there'd be a +different story to tell. + +"There must be an opening, somewhere," he reasoned. "That air comes from +under the door. It's fresh, so there must be some communication directly +with the outer air, from the big cave." + +He stretched out flat on his face, and put his eyes as close as he could +to the bottom of the portal. He saw light beneath it, and, jumping up, +exclaimed: + +"That's it! I see a way to get out. But I must wait until the men have +gone!" + +An idea had come to Fenn. The floor of the small cave he was in, was of +earth. Between it and the bottom of the door, was quite a space. If he +could enlarge this space, it might be possible for him to crawl under +the door, and this he resolved to attempt, as soon as it would be safe. + +He felt in his pocket to see if his knife was there, and his heart beat +more rapidly as his fingers closed on the handle. It contained a large, +strong blade, and he thought he could do his digging with it. But it +would be necessary to wait until the men got out of the way, and, if +they worked in two shifts, this would not occur. + +Anxiously Fenn waited. Every minute seemed an hour as he sat there in +the darkness, now and then kneeling down to peer under the door, to see +if the men had gone. But, every time, he saw them at their queer +operations, or taking something from the walls of the cave. + +He fell into a doze, to be awakened by the entrance of some one into his +apartment. + +"Where's the light?" asked a voice Fenn recognized as belonging to the +man who had carried him in. + +"It fell and broke," he answered. + +"Humph! Well, I'll bring another. The boss didn't give no orders to +leave you in the dark. Here's some grub. It's supper time." + +"What day is it?" asked Fenn. + +"Thursday. Why?" + +The boy did not answer. He knew, however, that he had been in the cave a +much shorter time than he supposed. It was the evening of the same day +he had started to follow the smugglers. Now he appeared to have lost +track of them, but he was in the power of a gang as bad, if not worse. + +The man brought another lantern, and also some water. The food was +coarse, but Fenn ate it with a good deal of relish. + +"Guess you'll have to sleep on the table," the man went on, as he threw +some blankets down. "There's no bed in this hotel," and he laughed. + +But Fenn was too busy thinking of his plan to escape, to care about a +bed. He hoped, now that it was night, the men would stop working. And, +in this, he was not disappointed. Some one called a signal through the +cavern, and the men, dropping their tools, and taking their torches with +them, filed out of sight of the boy, watching from beneath the door. + +He wanted to begin his digging at once, but concluded it would be safer +to postpone it a while. He was sure it must have been several hours that +he waited there in the silence. Then, taking an observation, and finding +the outer cavern to be in blackness, he commenced to burrow under the +door, like a dog after a hidden rabbit. + +The big blade of his knife easily cut into the soft clay, and, working +hard for some time, he had quite an opening beneath the portal. He tried +to squeeze through, but found he was a bit too big for it. + +"A little more and I can slip out," he whispered to himself. + +Faster and faster he plied the knife, loosening the earth, and throwing +it back with his hands. Once more he tried and, though it was a tight +squeeze, he managed to wiggle out. + +"Now!" he mused. "If I don't run into anybody I can get to the foot of +the shaft, and go up that ladder. Guess I'll take the light." + +He reached back under the door, and got hold of the lantern, which he +had placed near the hole, slipping it under his coat so that the gleams +would not betray him. Then, remembering, as best he could which way the +man had carried him, he stole softly along, on the alert for any of the +miners. + +He had not gone more than a dozen feet, and had just turned a corner, +which showed him a straight, long tunnel, that, he believed, led to the +foot of the shaft, when, to his consternation, he heard a noise. At the +same time a voice called: + +"Hey! Where you goin'?" + +Fenn resolved to chance all to boldness. Taking the lantern from under +his coat, that he might see to run through the cave, he sprang forward, +toward what he believed was the shaft down which he had come on the +tree-trunk ladder. + +"Stop! Stop!" called someone behind him, but Fenn kept on. + + + + +CHAPTER XXVII + +A TIMELY RESCUE + + +Fenn's fear, and his fierce desire to escape from the cave, lent him +speed. Forward he went, faster than he had ever run before. Suddenly +there loomed up before him a dim, hazy light, but it was the illumination +from the sun, and not from an artificial source. + +"It must be morning!" the boy thought. "I worked at that hole all night. +But how is it that the sun shines down the shaft? I didn't believe it +could. There's something strange here!" + +All these thoughts flashed through his mind while he ran on, intent on +distancing his pursuer, who was close behind him. Fenn could hear the +man's footsteps. Once more the fellow shouted: + +"Hey! Stop! You don't know where you're goin'!" + +"I don't, eh?" thought Fenn. "Well, I guess I do. I'm going to get away +from you, that's where I'm going." + +The dim light became plainer now. Fenn could see that it came through +an opening in the cave; an opening that was close to the ground. Clearly +then, this could not be the shaft down which he had come. He was +puzzled, but he kept on. + +He threw away the lantern, for he did not need it any longer to see +where to go. Several other voices joined in the shouts of alarm, and in +urging Fenn to stop. He did not answer but kept on. + +"If I can once get outside they'll not dare to carry me back," the lad +reasoned. "It's only a little farther now." + +He was panting from the run, for the exertion, following his illness, +and the experience he had gone through, was too much for him. He felt +that he could go no farther. Yet he knew if he halted now the men would +get him, and he feared for the consequences that might follow his +attempt to escape. + +"Oh, if only some of the boys were here!" was his almost despairing +thought. "If ever I needed help I do now!" + +The light was so good now that Fenn could distinguish the sides of the +cave. He saw that he was running along a straight tunnel, quite high and +wide, but which narrowed, like a funnel, as it approached the opening +toward which he was speeding. + +"I wonder if there's room for me to get out?" he thought. "And I wonder +where I'll be when I get out?" + +"Hold on! Hold on!" yelled the man back of Fenn. "You'll get hurt if you +go any farther!" + +"And I'll get hurt if I go back," whispered Fenn, pantingly. + +"Stop! Stop!" cried another voice which the lad recognized as Dirkfell's. +"Come back! I'll not harm you!" + +"He's too late with that promise," Fenn thought. + +A few seconds later he was at the opening of the cave. He fairly sprang +through it, finding it large enough to give him passage standing upright. +He leaped out, so glad was he to leave behind the terrors of the dark +cave, and the mysterious men, who seemed so anxious to keep him a +prisoner. + +"Free!" Fenn almost shouted as he passed the edge of the opening. He was +about to give an exultant cry, but it was choked on his lips. + +For the opening was on the sheer edge of a cliff, without the semblance +of a foothold beyond it, and below it there sparkled the blue waters of +Lake Superior! + +Fenn felt himself falling. He was launched through the air by his leap +for liberty, and, a moment later, the lake had closed over his head! + +Meanwhile Mr. Hayward, followed by his daughter, Frank, Bart and Ned was +hurrying along, bent on discovering and rescuing Fenn. True, they did +not know where he was, but Mr. Hayward had a clue he wished to follow. +As he hastened along, he told the boys what it was. + +"My daughter and I have been sort of living in the woods for the past +week," he said. "We have taken auto trips as far as the machine would +go, and then have tramped the rest of the way. I want to see how my land +is. It is some property I bought a good while ago, and which I never +thought amounted to much. But I have a chance to sell it now, and I may +dispose of it. + +"I was looking along the lake shore, the other day, for some of my land +extends out there,--and I saw a boat, containing some Chinese and a +white man. It was being rowed up and down the shore, and I thought, at +the time, the men acted rather suspiciously. They seemed to be waiting +for something to happen. I was too busy to pay much attention to them, +but I believe now that they were part of that smugglers' band you speak +of." + +"Why didn't you tell the police, father?" asked Ruth. "To think of poor +Fenn being captured by them." + +"We are not sure he is captured by them, Ruth," said Mr. Hayward. "At +any rate I'm going to the point on shore near where I saw the boat. It +may be there is a tunnel running from that place on the hill, where Fenn +disappeared, right down to the lake. In that case we may find some trace +of him there. This region used to be worked by some ancient race, I +understand, who dug deep into the earth after certain minerals and ores. +There are several tunnels, shafts and queer passages through the hills +and along shore, I have heard; shafts that used to give access to the +mines. They have long been abandoned, but it is just possible that the +smugglers may have discovered and utilized them." + +"Maybe they're hiding in a cave, somewhere, now," suggested Ned, "and +perhaps they have Fenn a prisoner." + +"Oh dear! Isn't it dreadful!" exclaimed Ruth, with a shudder. The other +boys could not help wishing she was as anxious about them as she was +over Fenn. It made up, in a great measure, for all he was likely to +suffer, Bart thought. He looked closely at Ruth. She seemed strangely +excited, as though she feared some nameless terror. + +"This way!" called Mr. Hayward, leading the little party of rescuers +through a short cut, and down a sloping bank to the shore of the lake. +"Here we are. Now the boat, when I saw it, was right opposite that +little point of land," and he motioned to indicate where he meant. + +At that instant Bart saw something black bobbing about on the surface of +the lake. + +"What's that?" he cried, pointing to it. + +"A boat!" exclaimed Ruth. "There is the boat now, daddy!" + +"It's too small for a boat," replied Mr. Hayward. "It's a man! It's some +one in the lake!" he added excitedly. "And he's about done for, too! +I'll swim out and get him!" + +Before any of the boys could offer, or indeed make any move, to go to +the rescue, Mr. Hayward had thrown off the heaviest of his clothing and +plunged in. With powerful strokes he made for the black object, which, +as the others could see, was a person making feeble efforts to swim +ashore. + +With anxious eyes the three chums and Ruth watched the rescue. They saw +Mr. Hayward reach the bobbing head, saw him place an arm about the +exhausted swimmer, and then strike out for shore. + +A few minutes later the man was able to wade. In his arms he carried an +almost inert bundle. + +"I got him, boys!" he called. + +"Who?" asked Ruth. + +"Fenn Masterson! I was just in the nick of time. He was going down for +the final plunge," and with that he laid the nearly-unconscious form of +Fenn down on the sandy shore. + + + + +CHAPTER XXVIII + +RUTH TELLS HER SECRET + + +"Quick! We must hurry him to a doctor!" exclaimed Ruth, as she bent down +over Fenn. "Will he die, daddy?" + +"I think not. He'll be all right in a little while. But we'll take him +to our house. Lucky the auto is not far away." + +"I'm--I'm all right," gasped Fenn, faintly. "I was just tired out, +that's all. I didn't swallow any water. There--there seemed to be some +sort of a current setting against the shore, and--I couldn't make any +headway." + +He sat up, looking rather woe-begone, soaking wet as he was, and with +some of the red clay still clinging to his clothes. Mr. Hayward was +hastily donning his outer garments over his wet things. + +"I'll have the auto around in a jiffy!" he exclaimed. "Lucky it's +summer, and you'll not take cold. Just rest yourself, Fenn, until I come +back, and we'll have you all right again." + +"But how in the world did you ever get into the lake?" asked Ruth, as +her father hurried away. + +"I jumped in." + +"Jumped in!" repeated Bart. "How was that?" + +"Now we mustn't ask him too many questions," interrupted Ruth. "He's not +able to answer." + +"Oh yes I am," replied the lad who had been through rather strenuous +times in the last few hours. Thereupon he briefly related what had +happened since his chums left him to go hunting, ending up with his +unexpected plunge into the lake. In turn Bart told how they had searched +for him, and how, having met Mr. Hayward and his daughter, the hunt was +brought to such a timely ending. + +"But what were those men taking out of the cave?" asked Frank, when Ruth +had gone down the shore, along which a road ran, to see if her father +was returning. + +"That's what we've got to discover," answered Fenn. "I think there's a +valuable secret back of it. We'll go--" + +But further conversation was interrupted by the arrival of the auto--the +same big touring car that had so nearly come to grief in Darewell. The +four boys got in, Fenn was wrapped in a lap robe, to prevent getting +chilled on the quick ride that was to follow, and the car was sent +whizzing along an unfrequented road to Mr. Hayward's home, several miles +away. + +The three chums wanted to ask Fenn all sorts of questions about his +experiences, but Ruth, who constituted herself a sort of emergency +nurse, forbade them. + +"You'll have time enough after he has had a rest," she said. "Besides, +he's just gotten over a fever, you say. Do you want him to get another? +It looks as though he was." + +And that was just what happened. When the auto reached Mr. Hayward's +home Fenn was found to be in considerable distress. His cheeks were hot +and flushed and he was put to bed at once, though he insisted, with his +usual disregard of trifles that concerned himself, that he was "all +right." + +A physician was summoned, and prescribed quiet, and some soothing +medicine. + +"He has had a severe shock," he said, "and this, on top of his former +attack of fever, from which he had barely recovered, has caused a slight +relapse. It is nothing dangerous, and, with careful nursing he will be +all right in a few days." + +"Then, I'm going to take care of him," declared Ruth. "It will be a +chance to pay back some of his, and his folks' kindness to me and my +father. Now mind, I don't want you boys to speak to Fenn unless I give +you permission," and she laughed as she shook her finger at the chums to +impress this on them. + +Fenn, under the influence of the medicine, soon fell into a deep sleep, +which, the pretty nurse said, was the best thing in the world for him. + +"I guess we'd better go back to camp," proposed Bart. "All we brought +away from there are the guns, and some one might come along and steal +the other stuff, which isn't ours." + +"That's so, those smugglers are still around I suppose," added Ned. "We +had better get back, I think." + +"You'll do nothing of the sort," declared Mr. Hayward good-naturedly. +"You're going to be my guests, or I'll be very much offended. We've not +got such a fine place as some, but you're welcome to what there is. If +things were different--but there, I want you to stay." + +He seemed affected by something, and his manner was so queer that the +boys could not help noticing it. Ruth, too, appeared embarrassed, and, +at first, Bart and his chums thought it might be that she was not +prepared for company, since, as her mother was dead, she had the whole +care of the house, though there was a servant to help her. But her +invitation, which she added to that of her father's, assured the boys +that they would be very welcome. + +"You can't rough it so much as you could out in the woods," said Ruth, +"but I think you'll like it here. We have a motor boat, and you may wish +to run it on the lake." + +"A motor boat!" exclaimed Bart. "That settles it! We stay!" + +"But what about our camp stuff?" asked Frank. + +"I'll send a man to gather it up and ship it back to Duluth," said Mr. +Hayward. "There's no need of you going back there at all. I'll be glad +to have you stay. We're a little upset on account of--" + +He stopped suddenly, and glanced at his daughter, who did not appear to +be listening to what he was saying. But she heard, nevertheless, as was +shown by her next remark. + +"Oh, dad means some of the servants have gone," quickly explained Ruth. +"You see we had too many," she went on. "I decided we could get along +with one, for I want to help do the work. I must learn to be a +housekeeper, you know," and she blushed a little. "We're not upset a +bit, daddy. You see, I'll manage." + +It seemed as though something sad was worrying Mr. Hayward, but, he soon +recovered his usual spirits, and got the boys to give him directions for +shipping back their camp stuff. + +"Now, I'll look after it," he said, as he prepared to leave the house, +having changed his wet garments for dry ones. "I have some other matters +to attend to, and I may not be back until late. I guess you can get +along here. You can pretend you're camping out, and, if you get tired of +that, Ruth will show you where the motor boat is. Only, don't upset," +and, with that caution, he left them. + +The three chums decided they would try the boat at once, and, Ruth, +having ascertained that they knew how to run one, showed them where the +launch was kept in a neat boat-house on the shore of Lake Superior. + +"Don't be gone too long," she said. "You can't tell what will happen to +Fenn." + +"I guess he couldn't be in better hands," said Frank, with a bow. + +"Oh, thank you!" exclaimed Ruth, with a pretty blush. + +"That'll do you," observed Bart, nudging Frank with his elbow. "I'll +tell Fenn when he gets well." + +Ruth returned to her patient, after urging the three chums to be back in +time for dinner. She found Fenn awake, and with unnaturally bright eyes. + +"You must go to sleep," she told him. + +"I can't sleep." + +"Why not?" + +"I'm thinking of something." + +"What about?" she asked with a little laugh. "About all the wonderful +adventures you had?" + +"Partly, and about that cave. It's the same one." + +"The same one? What do you mean?" + +"The same one you talked about when you were at our house. The mysterious +cave, where the men were at work. I see it all now. It's the same cave! +There is some secret about it! Tell me what it is. Don't you remember +what you said? You wanted to find the cave, but couldn't. I have found +it!" + +"Oh!" exclaimed Ruth. She drew back as if frightened. "Oh!" she cried +again. "Can it be possible. It seems like a dream! Can it be my cave?" + +"Tell me about it," suggested Fenn, for even his illness could not deter +him from trying to solve the mystery. + +"I am going to tell you a secret," answered Ruth. "It is something I +have told no one. You know my father is--or, rather he was--quite +wealthy. He owned considerable property, and was counted a millionaire. +But lately, through some misfortune, he has lost nearly all his wealth. +I suspect, though I do not know for sure, that some wicked men have +cheated him out of it. But he does not know that I am aware of his loss. +He has kept it a secret and he tries to keep up when he is with me, but +I can see the strain he is under. He does not want me to suffer, dear +daddy! But I don't mind. I don't care for money as long as I have him. + +"He thinks he can get his wealth back again, and so he has been making +all sorts of sacrifices in order that I may continue to live here, in +the same style we used to. But I found out about it. I discharged all +the servants but one, to save money, and I am economizing in other +ways." + +"But about the cave," insisted Fenn. + +"It sounds almost like a dream," went on Ruth. "One day, when I was +walking through the woods around here, just before daddy and I took that +automobile trip East, I was on a ledge of the cliff, about opposite +where you were in the lake to-day. That particular ledge is not there +now, as a landslide carried it away, but it was quite large, and easy +to get to, when I was on it. I was after some peculiar flowers that grew +there. + +"As I was gathering them I saw an opening in the cliff, and I could look +right into a large cave. I was so surprised I did not know what to do, +and, much more so, when I saw several men at work. They seemed to be +taking stuff out--valuable stuff, for they were very careful with it. I +must have made some noise, for one of the men came to where I was +looking in. + +"He was very angry, and tried to grab me. I drew back, and nearly toppled +off the ledge into the lake. Then the man threatened me. He said if I +ever told what I saw something dreadful would happen to me. + +"I was much frightened, and hurried away. I was going to tell my father +of what I had seen, but the memory of the man's threat prevented me. The +thing got on my mind so I was taken ill. Then came the automobile trip +and the accident. But I could not forget the cave. It seemed like a bad +dream, and it followed me. I did not know I had mentioned it in my +delirium at your house, until you told me. Then I was frightened lest +something happen to you, as well as to myself, and I begged you never to +refer to it. But I could not forget it. All the while I kept wondering +who those men were, and what they were taking out. I thought perhaps +they might have found gold. Of course it was foolish, and, sometimes I +think it was all only a bad dream. Only it is not a dream about poor +daddy losing all his money." + +"And it isn't any dream about that cave!" exclaimed Fenn, sitting up in +bed. "It's real. There are men in it taking out something I think is +valuable. They are doing it secretly, too. I don't know who it belongs +to, but we'll soon find that out. By some curious chance I have +discovered the same cave you looked into. I'll take you to it, and +we'll see what those men are digging out. I'm going to get right up and +go back there. I'm all right! We must go before the men take all the +stuff! Where are the boys? Tell them to come here and help me dress." + +"No, no!" exclaimed Ruth. "The doctor said you must be kept quiet!" + +"I'm going to go back to that cave!" declared Fenn, and, getting out of +bed, clad in a big bath robe, he began to hunt for his clothes, which, +however were not in the room, having been taken to the laundry to be +pressed. + +"Mary! Mary!" called Ruth to the servant. "Telephone for the doctor. +Tell him Fenn is delirious!" + + + + +CHAPTER XXIX + +A BAFFLING SEARCH + + +Fenn sat down rather suddenly on hearing Ruth make that announcement. He +grew calm. + +"All right," he said, good-naturedly, "there's no use alarming you. I'm +not delirious. I never felt better in my life. That sleep I had was +fine. My fever is all gone. But, go ahead, if you want to. Send for the +doctor. I don't mind. I know what he'll say, and then I can go and hunt +for that cave." + +"Oh, Fenn, are you sure you're all right?" asked Ruth, much reassured by +the cool manner in which the boy spoke. + +"Sure. Here, feel of my pulse. It's as slow as yours." + +Ruth did so, and, having had some experience in cases of illness, she +realized that Fenn's fever had gone down. + +"You do seem better," she acknowledged. "However, I think it would be a +good thing for the doctor to see you. I don't want you to run any +chances." + +"All right," agreed Fenn. + +The physician came again and said that, much to his surprise, Fenn's +illness was not as alarming as had at first appeared. + +"Can't I go out?" asked the lad, not telling what for. + +"Hum--ah--er--um--well, it's a little risky, but then--well, I guess you +can," and, after much humming and hawing the medical man gave his +consent and left, shaking his head over the perverseness of those who +were always in a hurry. + +"Now send up my clothes, please," begged Fenn, when the doctor was +safely away. "We'll solve the mystery of that cave in jig style." + +"Hadn't we better wait for the other boys?" suggested Ruth. "Besides it's +nearly dinner time, and you ought to eat something." + +"Good idea," declared Fenn, but, whether it was the one about eating, or +waiting for the boys he did not say. + +Frank, Bart and Ned were rather late getting back from the motor boat +ride, but they had such a good time that no one blamed them. Mr. Hayward +also returned, and it was quite a merry party that gathered about the +table. That is all except Mr. Hayward. He seemed to be rather worried +over something, and, at times, was rather distracted, his thoughts +evidently being elsewhere. + +"What's worrying you, daddy?" asked Ruth, after a while. + +"Nothing, my dear. Why?" + +"You're not eating at all." + +"I'm not very hungry. But come, we must go with Fenn and see if we can't +help him locate that cave. I don't imagine we shall find anything of any +account. Most likely the men were engaged in working an abandoned mine +from which the prehistoric inhabitants took everything of value. Perhaps +the men were those Chinese smugglers. I have telephoned word to the +Government authorities about them, and some detectives may arrive any +minute." + +"Those men were not smugglers," declared Fenn. "They were taking +something valuable from that mine, and they were so secretive about +it that I'm sure they had no right to the stuff." + +"Well, we'll soon see," declared Mr. Hayward. + +"Where are we going to begin?" asked Bart. + +"Let's go up to that hole, where we found Fenn's hat, and work down," +suggested Ned. + +"That's no good," declared the lad who had made the queer passage. "That +chute only comes out on the ledge, where the main shaft begins. If we +could get to the ledge we'd be all right." + +"I think we can get there without crawling or sliding down that dark, +roped passage," said Mr. Hayward. "But I was going to suggest that we +take the motor boat and cruise along near where we picked Fenn up. If we +found the opening in the cliff, from where he jumped, it would be easier. +It is rather difficult to get to the ledge." + +"I think that's the best idea," remarked Frank. + +"May I go with you, daddy?" asked Ruth, a bright flush of excitement +coming into her cheeks. + +"Maybe I can find the--" She stopped suddenly. + +"I'm afraid not. There might be danger," said her father, not noticing +her last remark. + +"I'm not afraid." + +"I wouldn't," said Fenn quickly. "Those men that I saw, didn't have any +weapons, but they might be ugly customers, just the same." + +"I think you had better remain at home, my dear," decided the girl's +father, and, somewhat against her will, she consented, after a whispered +conference with Fenn. + +The others were soon in the motor launch, and were cruising along the +lake shore, as near as possible to where Fenn had leaped into the water. +Narrowly they scanned the face of the cliff, for a sight of the opening +from which Fenn had jumped. They went up and down for half a mile, in +either direction, but there was no sign of it. + +"Are you sure you jumped out of a hole, Stumpy?" asked Bart. + +"Sure. I remember catching just a glimpse of that point of land before I +went under water." + +"Then the opening into the cave ought to be somewhere near here," +remarked Mr. Hayward, bringing the boat to a stop. + +Once more they scanned the cliff, going as close to shore as they could. +There appeared to be no break in the surface of the palisade. + +"I guess we'll have to try the ledge," announced Mr. Hayward. "We can go +down that tree-trunk ladder, but it's more risky than this way." + +He was about to head the craft for a landing place, in order to begin +the tramp through the woods, to a point whence the ledge could be +reached, when the attention of all in the motorboat was attracted by +something happening on shore. From the bushes dashed a Chinaman, his +pig-tail streaming in the wind. Behind him came a man, with a revolver +in his hand. + +"Stop! You almond-eyed scare-crow!" he exclaimed. "I'm not going to hurt +you!" + +But the Chinaman only ran the faster. Suddenly the man raised his +revolver and fired in the air. The Celestial stopped as though he had +been shot. + +"I thought that would fetch you!" shouted the man, and, a moment later, +he had the handcuffs on the representative of the Flowery Kingdom. + +"That's one of the smugglers!" cried Fenn. "The police must be after +them!" + +"What's the trouble?" asked Mr. Hayward, of the white man, as the boat +neared shore. + +"Chinese smugglers," was the short answer. "We got the whole crowd a +while ago, just as they were landing a boat load in a secluded cove. But +are you Mr. Hayward?" + +"I am." + +"I was told to look out for you. I understand you gave the information +that led to the capture." + +"I did, but these boys here told me of it. They're to get whatever +reward is coming." + +"Oh, there's a reward all right. This fellow got away when we were +bagging the rest. I had a hard chase after him, and I wanted to catch +him, as he's one of the ring-leaders. But what are you doing here; on +the lookout for some more of the Chinks?" + +"No, we're searching for a queer cave where Fenn, one of these boys +here, was kept a prisoner. There have been some strange goings on in +these parts, and I'd like to get at the bottom of them. I thought maybe +the smugglers had a hand in it." + +At the mention of the cave, concerning which Mr. Hayward gave the +government officer a few details, as Fenn had related them to him, the +Chinese captive seemed suddenly interested. When Mr. Hayward told how +they had so far, conducted a baffling search, for the entrance, the +Celestial exclaimed: + +"Me show you." + +"What does he mean?" asked Mr. Hayward. + +"Blessed if I know," answered the officer. "What's that, John?" + +"Me show hole in glound. Me know. Clum that way," and he pointed a short +distance up the lake. + +"Do you suppose he knows where the entrance is?" asked Mr. Hayward. + +"Shouldn't wonder," replied the detective. "Those Chinks know more than +they'll tell. Probably he knows the game is up, and he may think, if he +plays into our hands, he'll get off easier." + +"That's lite!" exclaimed the Chinese with a grin. "Me turn state's +evidence. Me know. Me show you." + +"I guess he's an old hand at the game," commented the officer. "Probably +it wouldn't be a bad plan to follow his advice. Wait, I'll summon a +couple of my men, and we'll go along. No telling what we'll run up +against." + +He blew a shrill signal on a whistle he carried and soon two men emerged +from the woods on the run. They did not appear surprised to see their +chief with the prisoner, and at a word from him they got into the motor +boat, the handcuffed Celestial meekly following. + +"Now, John, which way," asked the detective, who introduced himself as +Mr. Harkness. + +"Up by bluushes," replied the Chinese, pointing to a clump which grew on +the cliff. "Hole behind bluushes, so no can see. Smart trick. Me know." + +"I believe he does," commented Mr. Harkness. "I'll unhandcuff him, and +he can show us," and he removed the irons from the almond-eyed chap. + +The motor boat was put over to where the Chinaman indicated. It came to +a stop at the foot of a sheer cliff, right under the clump of bushes, +which grew about thirty feet up from the surface of the water. + +"How in the world are we going to get up there without a ladder?" asked +Fenn. "We should have brought one along." + +"Here ladder!" suddenly exclaimed the Celestial, who, at a question from +one of the officers gave his name as Lem Sing. "Me get ladder." + +Lem Sing took hold of a stone that jutted out from the face of the cliff. +He pulled on it, and it came out in his hand. To it was attached a strong +cord, extending up somewhere inside the cliff, Lem Sing gave a vigorous +yank, and something surprising happened. + +The clump of bushes vanished, and, in their place, was a round hole. + +"That's where I jumped from!" exclaimed Fenn. + +But this was not all. Down the cliff, out of the hole in the face of it, +came tumbling a strong rope ladder, being fastened somewhere inside the +hole. + +"That how up get!" exclaimed Lem Sing, with a grin. "Now can up-go!" + +"Sure we can 'up-go'!" exclaimed Mr. Harkness. "Come on, boys," and he +began to ascend the ladder, which swayed rather dangerously. + + + + +CHAPTER XXX + +THE DISCOVERY--CONCLUSION + + +The others followed, one at a time, leaving one of the detectives in +charge of Lem Sing. + +"Now, Fenn, lead the way," called Mr. Hayward. + +"I guess they've all gone," said Fenn. "There don't seem to be any of +the miners here, now." + +Hardly had he spoken when, turning a corner in the shaft, the party came +upon a curious scene. In a big chamber, the same one which Fenn had +viewed from the crack in the door of his small prison, there were half a +score of men, working by the light of torches, digging stuff from the +walls of the cave, and carrying it out in small boxes. + +"Here they are!" shouted Fenn. "This is the place, and they're at work!" + +"To the shaft!" shouted some one. "They're after us!" + +There was a hurrying and scurrying to escape, and, before the detectives +or Mr. Hayward could make any move to capture the men, they had all +disappeared. + +"Come on!" cried Mr. Harkness. "Show us the way to the shaft where the +ladder is, Fenn! Maybe we can nab some of 'em." + +"It isn't worth while," declared Mr. Hayward. "These men were evidently +afraid of being caught, but, from what I can see, they were not doing +anything unlawful." + +"No," admitted Mr. Harkness. "We caught the last of them when we got Lem +Sing. But what were these men digging?" + +"I'll take a look," answered Robert Hayward. + +Suddenly he gave a cry, as he took some of the soft earth in his +fingers. + +"Say, this is almost as good as a silver mine!" exclaimed Mr. Hayward. +"This stuff is in great demand! It's used by chemists, and they can't +get enough of it." + +"Lucky for the man who owns this land," commented Mr. Harkness. "But I +don't see that it concerns us. Guess I'd better be going." + +"Why, man, this is my land!" suddenly exclaimed Mr. Hayward. "I own a +big tract in here, but I believed it was worthless, and I was about to +sell it very cheap. Now--well, say, you couldn't buy it! My fortune is +made again!" + +"Boys," he went on, a little more soberly, "you don't know it, but I've +been in quite a hole lately. The house where I live was about to be sold +for a mortgage. But my daughter never knew. She--" + +"Yes, she did," interrupted Fenn. "She knew all about it, and she was +trying to help you!" + +"She did? You don't mean it!" + +Then Fenn explained; telling of Ruth's strange remarks while in a +delirium at his house, her unexpected discovery of the cave, the man's +threat, her long silence under fear of it, and her desire to aid her +father to recover his wealth. + +"Well, this gets me!" exclaimed Mr. Hayward. "Ruth is a girl that's hard +to beat." + +They went to the foot of the shaft, where Fenn had come down, but there +were no men to be seen. + +"Let them go," suggested Mr. Hayward. "I've got all I want, and I must +hurry and tell my daughter the news, bless her heart!" + +"It was all Fenn's good luck," declared Ruth, when the story had been +told. "You ought to reward him, daddy." + +"Reward him! Well, I guess I will. And the other boys, too. Nothing is +too good for them." + +The Chinese smugglers were punished for their attempt to break the +United States immigration laws, and the Celestials they tried to land +were sent back to Canada. + +Lem Sing had planned the trick so that by pulling on the rope the bushes +dropped back out of sight, and the ladder came down. The miners used +this device to send away the valuable clay, and it was by this queer +hole that the men on the cliff so mysteriously appeared and disappeared +when the boys were watching them from the deck of the _Modoc_. + +The two Chinamen and the white man, whom Fenn had followed, were the +advance party, looking to see if the coast was clear for a landing which +had once been unintentionally frustrated by the boys, and, the visit of +the one Chinese to the camp was only to discover if the lads were +detectives, which Lem at first feared. While Fenn was following the men, +one had slipped behind him and gone to the camp, to see if it was +deserted. It was this fellow who had dropped the button which gave +Frank, Ned and Bart their clue. + +"But what I can't understand," said Fenn, "is why that man Dirkfell +should chase us the night of the fire, and pursue us in the steam yacht. +Do you know him, Mr. Hayward?" + +"Dirkfell!" exclaimed the gentleman. "I should say I did, to my sorrow. +It was through business dealings with him that I lost all my wealth. He +held the mortgage on this house, and was about to buy that land, under +which the cave is located. He has long borne a grudge against me--a +grudge for which there is no excuse, for I never injured him. When he +heard of my loss in the elevator fire I presume he could not help saying +how glad he was. Then, probably, when he saw you looking at him so +sharply, Fenn, he imagined you must be some agent of mine. He was +evidently in fear of being found out in his secret mining operations +under my land, and that was why he made such an effort to catch you, +even following the _Modoc_. I understand now, why he was so anxious to +get possession of this land that I considered worthless. But I beat him +at his own game, thanks to you and your chums." + +"And your daughter did her part," said Fenn, "for she saw the cave +first." + +"Of course she did, God bless her." + +"I don't understand how the Chinese smugglers and the miners both used +the cave and the secret entrances," said Frank. + +"I didn't until I had a talk with the detectives," said Mr. Hayward. +"The Chinese used the cave a long time before Dirkfell was aware of +what valuable stuff was in it. He and his gang worked in harmony with +the Celestials." + +"Are they going to try to catch him?" asked Fenn. + +"No, it's not worth while, since they have broken up the smuggling gang. +I guess Dirkfell will not show himself in these parts soon again." + +Nor did he, or any of his gang. The boys spent a week with Mr. Hayward. +Then they started back to Duluth, to join Captain Wiggs. + +They found the _Modoc_ ready to sail, and they were warmly welcomed by +the commander. + +"Well, we've certainly had some strenuous happenings this trip," +observed Frank. "I don't think we'll have such lively times again." But +he was mistaken, they did have plenty of adventures, and what some of +them were I shall relate in another book, to be called "Bart Keene's +Hunting Days." + + +THE END + + + + + Transcriber's Notes: + + --Text in italics is enclosed by underscores (_italics_). + + --Punctuation and spelling inaccuracies were silently corrected. + + --Archaic and variable spelling has been preserved. + + --Variations in hyphenation and compound words have been preserved. + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Fenn Masterson's Discovery, by Allen Chapman + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FENN MASTERSON'S DISCOVERY *** + +***** This file should be named 37929.txt or 37929.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/3/7/9/2/37929/ + +Produced by Donald Cummings and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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