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+*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 43197 ***
+
+Transcriber's Note:
+
+  Inconsistent hyphenation and spelling in the original document have
+  been preserved. Obvious typographical errors have been corrected.
+
+  Italic text is denoted by _underscores_.
+
+
+
+
+  [Illustration: Foot by foot the Sprite crept up to the Winner till the
+   two boats were racing side by side.
+
+   (_The Golden Boys and Their New Electric Cell_) _Page 35_]
+
+
+
+
+     THE GOLDEN BOYS
+     AND THEIR
+     NEW ELECTRIC CELL
+
+     BY L. P. WYMAN, PH.D.
+     Dean of Pennsylvania Military College
+
+     AUTHOR OF
+
+     "_The Golden Boys at the Fortress_," "_The Golden Boys
+     in the Maine Woods_," "_The Golden Boys with the
+     Lumber Jacks_," "_The Golden Boys on the
+     River Drive_."
+
+     A. L. BURT COMPANY
+     Publishers      New York
+
+
+
+
+     THE
+     GOLDEN BOYS SERIES
+
+
+A Series of Stories for Boys 12 to 16 Years of Age
+
+BY L. P. WYMAN, PH.D.
+
+Dean of the Pennsylvania Military College
+
+     The Golden Boys and Their New Electric Cell
+     The Golden Boys at the Fortress
+     The Golden Boys in the Maine Woods
+     The Golden Boys With the Lumber Jacks
+     The Golden Boys on the River Drive
+
+     Copyright, 1922
+     By A. L. BURT COMPANY
+
+
+
+
+THE GOLDEN BOYS AND THEIR NEW ELECTRIC CELL
+
+Made in "U. S. A."
+
+
+
+
+THE GOLDEN BOYS AND THEIR NEW ELECTRIC CELL
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER I.
+
+THE NEW CELL.
+
+
+"Say, Jack, do you have any idea that this thing is going to work?"
+
+"I don't know, Bob, the theory is all right, but how it will work out
+in practice is a cat of another color; one thing is sure, though, and
+that is if it don't work we are out of the running in the race, for
+the new boat the Jenkins boys have just bought, will run circles round
+the Sprite."
+
+"Well, we'll soon know, for it's about ready to test."
+
+This conversation took place one afternoon in the latter part of July
+in the basement of a house in Skowhegan, Maine. The room was fitted up
+as a combined workshop and laboratory, and a single glance would
+indicate that the two boys were by no means novices, for it contained
+many expensive and intricate pieces of machinery.
+
+Jack and Bob Golden, 15 and 17 years old respectively, were sons of a
+rich manufacturer, who had made a large part of his fortune through
+his own inventions. Mr. Golden was an indulgent father and seeing that
+his inventive genius had descended to his sons, had fitted up a modern
+machine shop and laboratory for them and had supplied them liberally
+with money for experiments. He had by no means been disappointed in
+the results, for although they were but boys, they had already worked
+out several designs, which had been patented and had proved very
+successful.
+
+Mr. Golden was proud of his boys and with good reason. They were large
+for their age, Bob standing 5 feet 10 inches in his stockings and Jack
+being but two inches shorter. They were fine, manly, looking fellows,
+and their clean-cut open faces told that they were generous to a fault
+and were boys to be trusted.
+
+The rest of the family consisted of Mrs. Golden, a small lovable
+woman, and a daughter Edna, 14 years old, who was almost worshipped by
+her big brothers. Altogether they were as happy and jolly a family as
+one would find in a long journey.
+
+Through the center of the town ran the Kennebec river, and six miles
+to the north lay a beautiful sheet of water, five miles long by two
+wide, known as Hayden Lake. Here the boys kept their motorboat, and as
+Mr. Golden had a large cottage on the shore of the lake, the family
+spent the greater part of the summer there. The shores of the lake
+were dotted with cottages, and probably thirty or more motor boats
+were owned by the people who made the place their summer home. During
+each summer many races were held, and proud indeed was the boy or man
+who secured the blue ribbon given to the winner of the final race held
+the first week in August.
+
+"I say, Jack," shouted Bob from the farther side of the room where he
+was closely watching a piece of electrical apparatus, "shut down the
+dynamo, will you? I want to look at these cells and see how they are
+coming. We ought to have about enough in the first one."
+
+"Right you are, son!" replied Jack as he turned a lever, and as the
+hum, which had filled the room ceased, he added, "There you are."
+
+Bending over a glass tank, which was about 12 inches square by 8 deep,
+and nearly filled with dilute sulphuric acid, Bob disconnected two
+wires and reaching in his hand, lifted out a cylinder of metal about 6
+inches long and 1½ inches thick.
+
+"Hurrah," he shouted, "she's almost full. Now in about a minute we'll
+know whether or not we've wasted our time during the last week. Have
+you got those caps all ready and is the motor in trim?"
+
+"Sure thing," replied Jack. "But say, Bob, I'm mighty nervous; suppose
+it don't work."
+
+"Well," said Bob slowly, "it won't be the first time we've had to try
+again. If there is any trouble I feel sure it's in the caps, for this
+manganese dioxide was made by the electric current, and if the caps
+make it decompose into manganese and oxygen, the same amount of
+electricity will be produced as was used in making it. It's the same
+principle as the regular storage battery, only we are going to do
+without the plates and sulphuric acid."
+
+"That's all right," said impatient Jack, "but hurry up and hitch it on
+and let's get the anxiety over with."
+
+While talking, Bob had screwed on to each end of the cylinder a metal
+cap which had attached to its middle an insulated wire. He now laid
+the cylinder on a table and fastened each of the wires to a terminal
+of a small, but powerful electric motor.
+
+"All right now, switch her on and let's see her hum."
+
+Instantly Jack threw over the lever, but, alas for the hopes of the
+boys, nothing resulted. As they looked at each other keen
+disappointment was evident on both faces. Almost instantly, however,
+Jack grabbed his brother by the arm and almost shouted.
+
+"Well, if I'm not the original clumsy Claude."
+
+"What is it? Tell me quick."
+
+"Why, don't you see? I gave you two positive caps instead of a
+positive and negative."
+
+Bob quickly picked up the cylinder, and a glance told him that his
+brother was right. Quickly unscrewing one cap he replaced it with a
+similar appearing one, but which was marked -- instead of +.
+
+"Now we're off again, switch her on," and this time, to their intense
+delight, no sooner was the switch thrown than the little motor sprang
+to life, and the armature began to revolve with a whirl which seemed
+to shout success to the two boys. Catching hold of each other's hands
+they danced about the room fairly shouting their joy.
+
+"For mercy sakes, what is this, a new kind of a war dance?" asked a
+mild voice, and stopping just at the beginning of a wild yell, the
+boys saw that their father had entered the room.
+
+"Oh, dad," cried both boys, running to him and catching him by the
+arms. "It works, it works. Just see it go."
+
+"Well, well, so it does, so it does," said Mr. Golden eagerly. "Boys,
+I certainly congratulate you; you have done a big thing and if it
+works as well as it seems to be doing, it will be one of the greatest
+inventions of the day."
+
+"Now," said Jack, "we must see how long it will--hold on a minute,"
+and to their amazement he rushed to the back door flung it open and
+dashed across the yard. He was gone fully five minutes and when he
+returned was panting for all he was worth.
+
+"Didn't you see him?" he demanded.
+
+"See who?" asked Bob.
+
+"Why, sure as I live, Fred Jenkins was looking in that window. He lit
+out, though, and got away before I could get out."
+
+"What do you suppose he wanted?" asked Mr. Golden.
+
+"Well, I'll tell you, dad," replied Bob. "Ever since we came down from
+the lake Fred and Will Jenkins have been trying to find out what we've
+been doing. You know they almost got us on that new vibrator we
+invented, owing to our carelessness in leaving it on the table one day
+when they came in."
+
+"Yes," broke in Jack, "and they are just mean enough to sneak round
+and try to steal our new storage cell."
+
+"We've got to be mighty careful this time," continued Bob, "and not
+let one of those caps get into their hands, for the secret of the
+whole thing is in them, as it is the action of the different metals
+composing them which starts the manganese dioxide to decomposing and
+converts its chemical energy into electricity."
+
+"Well, come on boys," said Mr. Golden as soon as Bob had finished.
+"Your mother sent me down to tell you to come to supper, and we
+mustn't be late, as she has company."
+
+"All right," was Bob's reply. "Just let me connect the motor with
+this clock. You see," he explained, "I have it arranged so that when
+it stops the clock will stop also and we can tell how long it has
+run."
+
+Several times that evening the boys ran down to the basement to see if
+the motor was still going, and as it was humming merrily at 10:30,
+they decided to go to bed and trust to the clock to tell them when it
+stopped.
+
+Early the next morning they rushed to the laboratory before they were
+half dressed, to find the motor silent and the hands of the clock
+pointing to 4:35.
+
+"Whoop," shouted Jack, as he caught sight of the face of the clock,
+"that's almost twelve hours, just think of it Bob. One of those
+cylinders will run the Sprite ten or twelve hours, and it wasn't full
+either."
+
+"It's sure great," returned Bob with no less enthusiasm. "I guess
+we'll show the Jenkins some sailing now."
+
+"That's what we will," agreed Jack. "Now we must get busy and fill
+some more of those cylinders."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER II.
+
+JACK TAKES A BATH.
+
+
+"Come there, I say, are you going to sleep all day?"
+
+Jack Golden was just dreaming that he had run the Sprite into a big
+rock and was much relieved to find that the resulting thump was
+nothing more serious than the bang of a pillow thrown at his head by
+his brother.
+
+"Hey, cut that out," he mumbled, but half awake. "What time is it,
+anyway?"
+
+"Time you were up and dressed," was Bob's answer. "Today is Wednesday,
+and the race is Saturday, and, take it from me, we have a lot of work
+cut out for us before then if we are going to get the Sprite ready."
+
+"I guess that's right, all right," was the sleepy answer. "If we're
+going to get that new motor installed in the Sprite, we sure have got
+to hustle. I'll be dressed in less than half a shake."
+
+It was not yet 5 o'clock, but the Golden boys were early risers,
+especially when they had work to do.
+
+Quickly dressing, they rushed down to the laboratory where they found
+old Mike busily engaged sweeping up the dirt they had made the day
+before. Mike McGinty was an Irishman and was very proud of that fact.
+It was his boast that "Ivery bone in my body is pure Irish, and don't
+you fergit it, young feller." He was about 40 years old, and for the
+last twenty years had been man-of-all-work for the Goldens. He was
+very quick witted, good natured, had a decided mechanical turn, and
+his "byes," as he called Bob and Jack, were "the finest iver," and woe
+betide the person who said anything against them in his hearing. A
+good part of his time was spent helping the boys in the laboratory,
+and he was so careful and trustworthy that they found his help almost
+indispensable.
+
+While waiting to be called to breakfast, the boys packed up what tools
+and material they would need, for as soon as possible they intended to
+start for the lake and put a new twenty horsepower electric motor in
+the Sprite. Jack had just put the last tool in place when the
+breakfast bell rang.
+
+As soon as the meal was finished, Bob said: "Jack, you run over to the
+garage and bring round the big car and Mike and I will get the stuff
+up from the lab."
+
+"Bejabers and do yees think ye're agoing to take all that truck in the
+car?"
+
+"Sure, Mike, there's lots of room in the back. Here's Jack now. Easy
+now with that motor and don't for mercy's sake, drop it. If we break
+it there'll be no time to get it fixed."
+
+In addition to the tools and motor they were taking a lot of cooked
+stuff, for they did not intend to come down till they had finished,
+and as the family were not at the lake just then, there was no one to
+cook for them, and the boys did not want to take the time, although
+they could cook when necessary.
+
+Soon all was packed in the rear of the car and saying goodbye to the
+folks, who had come to see them off, they started with Bob at the
+wheel, Jack beside him, while Mike sandwiched himself in the back
+seat.
+
+It was a run of about ten miles to the cottage, as it was at the
+extreme upper end of the lake, but Bob was a fast driver, and in about
+thirty minutes their destination hove in sight.
+
+"Well, byes, here we are, right side up wid care, bejabers," shouted
+Mike, tumbling out of the machine as it came to a stop. "Sure and I
+thought I'd break ivery blessed Irish bone in me body bumping round
+wid all that truck."
+
+"I guess Irish bones must be pretty strong," laughed Jack, as he
+unlocked the door of the boathouse.
+
+It was but a few minutes' work to unload, and soon all three were in
+the boathouse busily engaged taking the old engine out of the Sprite
+and so rapidly did they work, stopping only for a cold bite at noon,
+that by 6 o'clock it was all apart and out of the boat.
+
+"Now, Jack, while Mike and I are packing this stuff away suppose you
+take the canoe and see if you can get a few perch for supper,"
+proposed Bob. "You will find some worms in that pail in the corner."
+
+"Right you are, son, perch is my middle name," replied Jack, and in
+almost less time than it takes to tell it, he had the little canoe in
+the water and was paddling across toward a little cove, the best
+fishing ground on the lake.
+
+"Guess I'll try trolling first," he said to himself, and baiting a
+hook, he let out about forty feet of line and began rowing at a rate
+just sufficient to keep the canoe in motion. The fish bit well, and in
+less than a half hour he had a dozen fine perch flopping about in the
+bottom of the boat.
+
+"No use in catching more than we can use," he thought, as he reeled in
+his line and started for the other shore. Hardly had he taken up the
+oars however, when, looking up, he saw a new motorboat coming rapidly
+up the pond, and only a short distance away. "That's the Jenkins boys
+in their new boat, the Winner, and she sure is some boat," thought
+Jack.
+
+"Hello there, sonny, how they biting?" shouted Will Jenkins, as soon
+as they were within hearing distance.
+
+"Fair," replied Jack as shortly as possible, for he did not relish
+being called "sonny" by them.
+
+"Say," shouted Fred Jenkins, "are you going to enter the Sprite in the
+race Saturday?"
+
+"Mebbe."
+
+"Well, it won't be any use; we can run circles round your old tub with
+this boat."
+
+"She certainly does look fast," replied Jack.
+
+"Fast? She's a streak, and look at her name--that's no lie."
+
+While talking the Jenkins boys had shut down their engine, and the two
+boats were only about thirty feet apart.
+
+"Well, so long, we'll see you Saturday, if you can manage to keep in
+sight," taunted Fred, as he threw over the fly wheel of his engine.
+
+The Winner started off at a good speed straight for the canoe.
+Probably Fred did not intend to run Jack down, but he evidently
+purposed to come as close as possible without hitting and give him a
+good scare. But just as he was going to turn to avoid hitting the
+canoe, something went wrong with the tiller and the next moment Jack
+was in the water. He could swim like a fish and shaking the water out
+of his eyes he struck out for the canoe which was floating bottom up a
+few feet away.
+
+"You clumsy Claudes," he shouted as he caught hold of the canoe.
+"Isn't the lake big enough for you to turn your old scow in?" Jack was
+mad clear through, for it had looked to him as though Fred had hit him
+intentionally. Fortunately, the canoe was so light, that it was not
+stove in, and he had little trouble in righting it and climbing in.
+Meanwhile, the Winner had come about.
+
+"Say, Jack, I didn't mean to hit you; my tiller rope stuck and I
+couldn't turn her," said Fred. "Are you all right?"
+
+"I guess so, but the next time you want to give me a wider berth or
+I'll be tempted to put a head on you."
+
+"Ho, ho, hear the young bantam! Suppose you learn how to spell able."
+
+Jack said nothing more but paddled about and managed to pick up all
+but two or three of his fish, while the Winner headed down the lake
+and was soon lost to sight round the bend.
+
+"Just the same I don't believe he tried very hard not to hit me,"
+muttered Jack as he headed the canoe toward the cottage.
+
+He found that Bob and Mike had just finished packing away the old
+engine and told them what had happened.
+
+"Begorra," said Mike, "that was a mean trick. If I had them two young
+saplin's in me hands I'd rap their two heads together, so I would."
+
+"Well," said Bob, "perhaps it was as Fred said and only an accident,
+but he ought to be taught to be more careful. However no great harm is
+done and now let's go up to the house and get some supper; I'm hungry
+enough to eat those fish raw."
+
+Supper over and the dishes washed, it was nearly 9 o'clock, and the
+boys decided that they would go to bed and be up bright and early in
+the morning.
+
+It seemed to Bob that he had hardly touched the pillow when some one
+began to shake him and opening his sleepy eyes he saw Mike standing by
+his bed, holding a lantern in his hand.
+
+"Jump up and dress quick," he said, "some one is trying to get in to
+the boathouse. I was smoking a last pipe by the window and saw him
+sneaking round."
+
+By this time Jack also was awake and in less than a minute they were
+out of bed and had pulled on trousers and shoes.
+
+"Now, Mike, you slip down by the shore, and Jack and I will go round
+through the woods. Go easy now, for I want to find out who it is."
+
+The boathouse was about 100 feet from the cottage, and the boys crept
+quickly through the trees, which were not very dense. It was a bright
+moon-light night, and as they emerged from the woods and were within
+about twenty feet of the boathouse, they saw two boys close to the
+house, evidently trying to get a window open.
+
+"Come on now," whispered Bob, "let's make a rush for them."
+
+Springing from the bushes the two boys darted toward the boathouse,
+and before the intruders could recover from their surprise, they were
+grabbed and thrown to the ground. It is not to be supposed that they
+gave in without a struggle, and for a few moments the fight waged fast
+and furious. But the Golden boys were strong and the fight was over by
+the time Mike showed up.
+
+"Ah, I thought so," muttered Bob, as he turned his captive over. "What
+are you doing here this time of night, Will Jenkins?"
+
+"You let me up," was the dogged reply. "Can't a fellow take a walk
+without being jumped on?"
+
+"Yes," replied Bob, "but you can't get into our boathouse in the
+middle of the night, not if we see you first."
+
+"Aw, we weren't trying to get into your old shack. We were only
+walking by and happened to look in," was the sullen answer.
+
+"I don't believe a word of it," said Jack, letting up his captive, who
+proved to be Fred Jenkins. "They were trying to get in to find out
+what we have been doing."
+
+"Now see here," said Bob, letting his captive up, "you hike out of
+here and what's more you keep away, see?"
+
+"Yis and begorry," broke in Mike, "if I catch yees sneaking round
+here again sure and it's meself that'll be timpted to throw yees into
+the drink."
+
+Muttering something about getting even, the two crestfallen boys slunk
+away.
+
+"Now you byes go up to the house and go to bed," ordered Mike. "I'm
+agoing to sleep in the boathouse, and if them fellers come back here
+they'll think the auld bye hisself is after them."
+
+"All right," agreed Bob, "I guess that will be the best plan. Come on,
+Jack, it is nearly 1 o'clock, and we have a big day's work ahead for
+tomorrow."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER III.
+
+THE STOLEN CAP.
+
+
+"Say, Bob how fast do you suppose that new boat of the Jenkins boys
+will go?"
+
+"I don't know, but she is sure some speeder and I tell you what,
+sonny, the Sprite has got to cut through the wet a whole lot faster
+than she ever did before if we are going to hang on to that blue
+ribbon."
+
+It was late Friday afternoon, and Mike and the boys had just finished
+putting in the new motor.
+
+"Jack," continued Bob, "you run up to the house and get those end
+caps, will you, while Mike and I run the boat out? Just as soon as it
+gets a little dark I want to give her a try-out."
+
+Jack rushed off to the house while Mike swung open the big doors, and
+in a few moments the Sprite was floating at the pier. Just then Jack
+came running wildly down the path leading from the house, and as soon
+as he reached the wharf asked eagerly:
+
+"Didn't you say you left those caps in the table drawer in the
+bedroom?"
+
+"Yes, why, didn't you find them?"
+
+"No, they are not there."
+
+"But they must be. I saw them there this morning," insisted Bob.
+
+"Well they might have been there then, but they aren't there now, that
+is, not unless I've lost my eyesight, and I seem to see you fairly
+well," replied Jack grimly.
+
+"O pshaw, you probably overlooked them. Come on back to the house and
+I'll show you where they are," said Bob starting for the house on a
+run.
+
+"All right," answered Jack, close at his heels, "I'm from Missouri all
+right."
+
+In a moment the boys, with Mike bringing up the rear, reached the
+bedroom and as Bob yanked open the drawer, he said, "Some people never
+can find anything." But the next moment he started back in dismay, for
+although he had taken everything out of the drawer, the caps were not
+there.
+
+"Well that's mighty funny," he muttered. "I declare I saw those caps
+there this morning."
+
+"Who's loony now?" jeered Jack, as he saw the look of dismay on his
+brother's face.
+
+But the caps were gone and a thorough search of the room, and the
+entire house as well, failed to disclose them.
+
+"Well, begorra, one thing is certain sure," declared Mike, "them ere
+caps didn't walk out 'o here all by their lonesome. Somebody sure
+swiped 'em."
+
+Just then a loud cry of "Bob, Mike, come out here quick," brought them
+running down the stairs to the back door, where they found Jack on his
+hands and knees in the path which led to the woods back of the house.
+
+"Say, did either of you go out here since dinner?"
+
+"No," both replied.
+
+"Well then," continued Jack, "you know we had a hard shower just after
+dinner and these tracks were surely made since then."
+
+"By Jove, that's so," affirmed Bob, examining the tracks carefully.
+"And look here, these tracks were made by some one wearing sneakers.
+Now who wears sneakers round here?"
+
+"Why," replied Jack, "Fred and Will Jenkins most always wear them when
+they are up here."
+
+"That's so, and I'll bet a fishhook that one of them sneaked in here
+while we were at the boathouse," said Bob. "You remember, don't you
+Jack, that you saw one of them at the window of the lab when we were
+trying them? They must have suspected then that we were up to
+something, and then the fact that we have been hard at work here ever
+since would make them feel sure that we were doing something to the
+Sprite."
+
+"Begorra, and I'm jist agoing to go down to their place and make 'em
+hand 'em over," almost shouted Mike.
+
+"No, no, that won't do," said Bob. "You see, we have no positive
+proof that they took them, and of course they would deny it."
+
+"But, Bob," spoke up Jack. "We've just got to get those caps back.
+They can get them analyzed and find out how they are made and then our
+secret is up the flue, because most anyone who knows anything about
+storage batteries would know that we use either manganese or lead
+dioxide in the cylinder, and besides we haven't time to make any more
+before the race."
+
+"You're right there, son. Now just let me think a minute," said Bob,
+and then a moment later, "I'm going to try it. It's the only way and
+it may work."
+
+"What may work?" asked Jack.
+
+"Never mind just now, but I'm going to get those caps back if they
+haven't thrown them into the lake or break a tug trying."
+
+That night about 8.30, Bob, dressed in a dark suit and wearing
+sneakers, stole down to the boathouse, and getting into the little
+canoe, started paddling down the lake. The Jenkins cottage was about
+three miles from the head of the lake, on the east shore. It stood in
+a thick grove of cedars, about forty feet from the shore.
+
+Reaching a place, about a quarter of a mile from the cottage, just
+inside a point of land reaching out into the lake, Bob drew his canoe
+from the water and hid it in a little clump of bushes near the water's
+edge. Circling around away from the lake he approached the house from
+the rear. As he got within a few paces of the cottage, a dog began to
+bark and Bob shuddered as he knew that they kept a large collie which
+had a reputation of being very savage.
+
+"He's coming this way sure as guns," thought Bob, as he heard the
+animal creeping through the bushes. Picking up a stone about as large
+as his fist, which he felt under his feet, he crept back behind a
+tree, hoping that the dog would not follow. But this hope was not
+realized, for the keen-nosed animal had scented him, and with a low
+growl was approaching. Holding the stone tightly Bob waited for the
+attack which he saw was inevitable. Just then the moon came out from
+behind a cloud and by its light, he saw the brute almost upon him and
+about to spring. Drawing back his arm he let fly the rock. Bob had
+pitched on the Skowhegan high school team for two years, and his
+practice now stood him in good stead, for the stone flew true to the
+mark and hit the dog right between the eyes. With a single loud yelp
+he went down, gave a kick or two and was still.
+
+"By Gum, I believe I've killed him," said Bob to himself. "Well, it
+was either he or I and I'm mighty glad it wasn't I."
+
+Just then some one shouted from the house: "Here, Brave, come here,
+where are you?"
+
+Bob recognized Fred Jenkins' voice and then he heard two persons
+coming toward him. Quickly he grabbed hold of the dead animal and
+dragged it into some thick bushes. Hardly had he done this and dodged
+back behind the tree, when he heard Fred and Will Jenkins within a few
+feet of where he was standing.
+
+"Where do you suppose that dog went to?" he heard Fred say.
+
+"I don't know, but I guess likely he heard a rabbit or something and
+has gone on a chase after it," replied Will, adding a moment later,
+"Let's go back to the house. If he's on a rabbit trail we won't see
+him till morning."
+
+"No, I guess you won't," chuckled Bob as, much relieved, he heard them
+making their way back through the bushes. He waited till he thought
+they had had time to get back, then carefully creeping on his hands
+and knees he slowly approached the house.
+
+The front porch, as he knew, was built up from the ground, being faced
+with lattice work, while both ends were open. Carefully creeping
+closer, he slipped through the open end of the porch and stretched
+himself at full length on the ground. To his great disappointment he
+heard nothing for some time and was about to crawl out when he heard a
+door bang over his head, and the creaking of chairs told him that the
+boys had come out on the porch. To his delight he found that he could
+hear perfectly all that was said. For some time they talked about
+things of no interest to our hero, and he was getting pretty badly
+cramped from lying so long in one position, for he did not dare move,
+but just then he heard Will Jenkins say:
+
+"Fred, when are you going to take those caps down to the city and have
+them analyzed?"
+
+"Oh, some time the first of the week," was the reply, then he added,
+"If it wasn't for the race I'd take them down tomorrow."
+
+"Oh, well, I guess next week will do just as well, but I want it done
+as soon as possible," he heard Will say; then after a short pause he
+added: "I suppose those two swell heads will make a big howl, but they
+can't prove anything, and we have sure put them out of the race
+tomorrow."
+
+"Perhaps we can't prove it," thought Bob, "but here's betting that we
+come pretty near it."
+
+"Oh, by the way, where did you put them?" asked Fred a moment later to
+Bob's delight.
+
+"I've got 'em safe," was the reply, "in my coat pocket, in the closet
+in our room."
+
+"All right, you lock up and I'll go down to the spring and get a pail
+of water."
+
+Bob heard them go into the house and in a moment one came out and
+started for the spring, a little to one side of the house, while he
+could hear the other going about locking the windows. Soon the one
+with the water returned and in a short time all was quiet. Bob waited
+a little longer and then carefully crept out and sat down behind some
+bushes a few feet away.
+
+"I'll wait an hour," he thought as he looked at his watch and saw that
+it was a few minutes past 10 o'clock.
+
+It was hard work to keep awake and the time passed very slowly, but at
+last the watch told him that the hour was up. Going to the back of the
+house, he carefully examined the windows and finally found one that he
+thought he could unlock.
+
+"Well," he thought, "I never supposed that I would turn burglar, but
+I'm going to have one big try for those caps, so here goes."
+
+With a strong knife blade he managed to push back the catch, and
+quietly raised the window. Slowly and noiselessly he crept through and
+flashing his electric torch about, advanced to the front of the house.
+Although he had been there several times before, he had never been
+upstairs and did not know in what room the boys slept. His heart was
+beating so that he was almost afraid that some one would hear it, as
+he was beginning to realize that he was engaged in a very serious and
+dangerous undertaking. He did not know for sure whether or not the two
+boys were alone in the house, but as he had heard no one else on the
+porch he thought it probable that the rest of the family was at their
+home in Skowhegan.
+
+Very carefully he crept up the stairs and a flash of the torch showed
+him that four rooms opened from the hall. He stood still a moment and
+listened. The sound of deep breathing in one of the front rooms soon
+told him which was occupied and stepping to the door a flash showed
+him two forms in the bed.
+
+"This is the room," he thought, "and that must be the closet, by the
+head of the bed. It sure couldn't be in a worse place. Wonder if I can
+get the door open without waking them?"
+
+Like a cat he crept across the room and fumbled with his hand till he
+found the knob. The door squeaked slightly as he pulled it open, and
+one of the sleepers stirred and mumbled something about an electric
+boat. Bob's heart seemed to come almost into his throat, but in a
+minute the regular breathing of the sleeper reassured him and he edged
+into the closet. There were quite a lot of clothes hanging there, but
+he had not searched far when he felt something hard in one of the
+pockets, and the next instant he had transferred the precious caps to
+his own pocket.
+
+"Now for a quick get-away," he muttered. But it seemed that Bob's good
+luck was to end right there, for as he stepped out of the closet his
+foot caught in something on the floor, and he fell forward into the
+room with a crash that fairly shook the house.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IV.
+
+THE TRY-OUT.
+
+
+"Oh, Mr. Burglar, please don't hurt me."
+
+This was what Bob heard as he picked himself up from the floor. The
+room was pitch dark, but it was evident that both the boys in the bed
+had been awakened by the noise and that they were also in a state of
+terror. Taking advantage of their panic, Bob quickly found his way to
+the hall and flashing his light, ran down the stairs and out the front
+door. Just as he stepped from the porch a revolver shot rang out from
+an upper window.
+
+"Guess they got up enough spunk to get out of bed," chuckled Bob, as
+he crouched behind a convenient bush, and he could not resist the
+temptation to sing out, "Next time you steal anything you better not
+talk so loudly about where you hide it."
+
+"I'll have you arrested for burglary, Bob Golden," came in angry tones
+from the window.
+
+"All right, go ahead," replied Bob, "but I guess you'll have a fine
+time explaining how my property came to be in your coat pocket."
+
+He waited to hear no more, but making his way as quickly as possible
+to where he had left the canoe, he lost no time in getting it into the
+water. Jumping in he bent to the paddle with all his strength and in
+about a half hour rounded the point, just behind which was the
+boathouse. He found Jack and Mike waiting for him on the porch.
+
+"Gee, I thought you'd never come," said Jack. "Did you get them?"
+
+"I did that," chuckled Bob, getting out of the canoe, and then of
+course he had to tell them all about it.
+
+"Smart bye," said Mike, when he had finished, "Sure and you'd make one
+peach of a burglar."
+
+"Perhaps," said Bob, "but I don't fancy the part, it's bad for the
+nerves. Now," he continued, "it's about 2 o'clock and we must get some
+sleep for I want to be up by daybreak and give the Sprite a tryout
+before any one is about."
+
+"Well I guess I will stay up till you wake," proposed Mike, "in case
+they try to get those caps back."
+
+"Perhaps that would be the best plan," agreed Bob, "I don't believe
+they would have the nerve to try to get into the house, but they might
+try to break into the boathouse to injure the Sprite. It'll only be
+about three hours, for I want you to call us at 5 o'clock sharp."
+
+It seemed to the boys that they had hardly fallen asleep when they
+heard Mike pounding on the door. "All right," shouted Bob, "we'll be
+right down."
+
+Day was just breaking as they came out of the house. It took but a
+short time to get the Sprite into the lake, slip the cylinder in place
+and adjust the caps.
+
+"Now," said Jack eagerly, "for the first trip with electricity."
+
+It was surely an anxious moment to the boys, for if anything was
+wrong, there was but little time for adjustment.
+
+"Push her off, Mike, and then jump in," ordered Bob.
+
+Running the boat out to the end of the wharf, Mike gave her a push,
+jumping in as he did so, and a second later the Sprite was floating
+about twenty feet from the shore. Bob at once turned on the juice, as
+he expressed it, and to their delight the propeller began to beat the
+water.
+
+"Hurrah!" shouted both Jack and Mike, "She's going."
+
+"Yes, she's going," repeated Bob, heading her down the lake. "Now to
+see if she will make any kind of time."
+
+Slowly he pushed the switch over notch by notch, and faster and faster
+the Sprite cut through the water, till Jack declared that they were
+going fully as fast as they ever went with the old engine. "Have you
+got on full power?" he asked eagerly.
+
+"No," replied Bob, "only about half. But don't it seem funny not to
+hear her puff?"
+
+"It sure does," assented Jack, "but push her over and let's see how
+fast she can go."
+
+Faster and faster the boat cut through the water till it seemed to the
+boys that they were almost flying.
+
+"Jiminy-jumped-up!" ejaculated Mike, speaking for the first time, "but
+ye'll get a hot box if ye don't slow her down."
+
+"No danger of that," laughed Bob, "but we're going fifteen miles an
+hour if we're going an inch, and the best of it is she seems to be
+running in perfect order."
+
+They sailed about the lake for about an hour and expressed themselves
+as being well satisfied with the results and confident that they would
+be able to keep the coveted blue ribbon. As Jack expressed it, "The
+Winner would have to go a good deal faster that afternoon than she
+ever had before to justify her name."
+
+"Well, I guess we'd better go back now and get some eats," proposed
+Bob.
+
+"Second the motion," shouted Jack, "I'm hungry enough to eat almost
+anything."
+
+On the west shore of the lake, about half way down, was a grove where
+were a hotel, a summer theater and other places of amusement. Past the
+lake, about a quarter of a mile distant, ran a trolley line, about
+ten miles long, connecting the towns of Skowhegan and Madis. A spur
+track ran down to the lake almost to its edge.
+
+The starting point for the race was directly in front of the hotel,
+while the course was marked out by buoys and ran down the lake on the
+east side, up on the west side nearly to the head, then down to the
+starting point, making a course of about twelve miles.
+
+By 2.30 o'clock a large crowd of people had collected in the grove,
+for the great race was scheduled to start at 3.00, and promptly on
+time ten motor boats lined up ready for the starter's shot.
+
+Besides the Sprite and the Winner, there were the Eagle, a fast little
+sixteen-footer, carrying a ten horsepower, two-cylinder engine; the
+Chum, twenty feet long with fifteen horsepower, and the Rocket,
+eighteen feet long, equipped with an engine of fourteen horsepower.
+The other five boats I will not attempt to describe, as they did not
+figure prominently in the race.
+
+The Sprite was stationed farthest from the shore, then came the
+Winner, Eagle, Chum and Rocket in the order named.
+
+Many ugly glances did the owners of the Winner cast at the Sprite and
+its crew as they took their places, but no words passed between them
+till just before the start, when in a sneering tone, Fred Jenkins
+said, "Bet you a hundred dollars we beat you."
+
+"We don't bet," replied Bob.
+
+"Huh, afraid," sneered Will Jenkins. "Tell you what I'll do, I'll make
+it a hundred dollars or any amount you like that we come in twenty
+lengths ahead."
+
+"Nothing doing," calmly replied Bob, and at that moment the starter's
+voice rang out, "Are you all ready?"
+
+"Aye, aye, sir," was the response.
+
+"All right then, stand by," and a second later, crack, went his
+revolver. Instantly nine fly wheels were turned over, but Bob sitting
+in the bow of the Sprite turned the switch to the first notch.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER V.
+
+THE RACE.
+
+
+"Hurrah; hurrah!" shouted the crowd, "They're off."
+
+Down the lake swept the ten boats, the Winner taking the lead, closely
+followed by the Eagle, then came the Chum, the Rocket and the Sprite,
+the other boats bringing up the rear. By each buoy a boat was
+stationed to see that there was no cutting of corners. The boats
+passed the first buoy, about half a mile from the start, in the order
+named, the Winner being then about fifty feet ahead of the Sprite.
+
+"Say, Bob," asked Jack, "how much power you got on?"
+
+"Only about two-thirds," replied Bob. "But I don't believe the Winner
+is doing her best yet."
+
+"Well don't let her get any farther ahead if you can help it," advised
+Jack.
+
+"I won't," replied Bob grimly. "I'm going to try to close up a little
+now."
+
+Throwing the switch over another notch, the boys were gratified to
+find that they were creeping up on the Rocket, and by the time they
+had passed the second buoy at the foot of the lake, they had passed
+both the Rocket and the Chum, and only a half-length separated them
+from the Eagle, while the Winner was only a length ahead of its
+nearest rival.
+
+"I'm going to keep her like this," whispered Bob, "unless they go
+faster, and I think they are doing pretty near their best."
+
+All the way up the east side of the lake the three leading boats kept
+at about the same relative distance, while the rest of the fleet was
+hopelessly out of the race. As they passed the last buoy, about a mile
+from the end, Fred Jenkins turned and shouted, "Now we're going to
+show you some speed."
+
+The boys saw him turn his timer and almost immediately the Winner
+began to forge ahead of the others.
+
+"Look out, Bob," whispered excited Jack, "Don't let her get away from
+you."
+
+Bob's answer was to turn the switch another notch and in a very short
+time the Sprite had passed the Eagle and only a length separated the
+two leading boats.
+
+"I've still got two more notches," whispered Bob, "and I think they're
+doing their best, and we're gaining on them."
+
+Foot by foot the Sprite crept up on the Winner till, when they were
+about a half mile from the finish, the two boats were racing side by
+side.
+
+"Let her out another notch," urged Jack, and as Bob complied, Jack,
+delighted to see that they were drawing away from the Winner, could
+not keep from shouting, "Goodby, see you later." But only angry looks
+answered him.
+
+Just then they passed a small rowboat carrying a lady and two little
+girls, and a moment later the two boys were startled to hear a wild
+shriek. Turning they were just in time to see the Winner strike the
+small boat a glancing blow. The blow was not hard enough to cause the
+Winner to swerve from her course or to upset the boat, but it threw
+the girls into a panic, and standing up in the boat, it almost
+immediately capsized.
+
+"Quick, reverse her," shouted Jack and forgetful of the race Bob
+pushed back the switch and shot in the reverse, at the same time
+turning the tiller wheel to its full limit. It took but a moment for
+the boat to turn and start back full speed, while the Winner shot
+past, her course unchanged.
+
+"The miserable cowards," muttered Bob, "they aren't going to stop."
+
+In almost less time than it takes to tell it, the Sprite was back by
+the overturned boat. The woman was clinging to the end, but the two
+girls were nowhere to be seen. Quickly shutting off the power, Bob
+shouted: "Dive, Jack, dive." Over the side went Jack, followed a
+second later by Bob. The water was about twenty feet deep and very
+clear, and opening his eyes Bob saw something white about ten feet
+away and a few strokes enabled him to grasp it. Kicking out lustily he
+was soon above water, holding one of the little girls by the hair.
+Glancing about he soon spied Jack with the other girl swimming toward
+the Sprite, which had floated some distance away. However, it took
+them but a short time to reach her, and they soon had the two girls in
+the boat. They had not been in the water long, but both were
+unconscious.
+
+"Now, Jack, roll them on the bottom of the boat while I start her up
+and get the woman."
+
+Quickly she was pulled into the boat almost exhausted. "My girls, are
+they dead?" she moaned.
+
+"I don't think so," replied Bob, heading the Sprite full speed for the
+wharf, about a quarter of a mile distant.
+
+As the Sprite swung in toward the dock, she was greeted with a
+tremendous cheer by the crowd, which had watched the rescue, and as
+the boat struck, eager hands lifted the little girls, who had as yet
+shown no signs of life, from the boat. It happened that two doctors
+were present, and they at once set to work to bring back the lives so
+nearly gone. In a few moments, to the joy of the crowd, one of them
+began to show signs of life and a little later the other opened her
+eyes. When told that they would live, the joy and enthusiasm of the
+people knew no bounds, and Bob and Jack were nearly overwhelmed with
+praise. Among the first to reach them were Mr. and Mrs. Golden.
+
+"That was worth more, my boys, than winning all the races in the
+world," was Mr. Golden's greeting, as he took them in his arms, while
+the tears ran down the cheeks of their mother as she silently kissed
+them.
+
+"Where are those boys?" shouted a tall, broad-shouldered man as he
+pushed his way through the crowd, and then, as he saw them, "That was
+my wife and those were my little girls," and his eyes glistened as he
+tried to thank them. The boys tried to tell him that it was nothing,
+but he wouldn't have it so. It developed that he was a rich merchant
+from Philadelphia, by name, Samuel Wright, who had that summer
+purchased a cottage at the lake. Before he would let them go he had
+made them promise that they would call on him the next day or Monday.
+
+"Well, boys, I guess we had better be getting over to the 'Roost,'"
+said Mr. Golden, as soon as they could get away from the crowd. "Your
+mother has finished her canning and we are going to stay at the
+cottage a few weeks."
+
+As the boys stepped on the wharf, they were startled to see two men in
+the Sprite. They were bending over the motor, but straightened up as
+the boys approached.
+
+"Fine boat you have here," said the older of the two, a man about
+fifty years old, thick set and wearing a full beard. His companion was
+about five years younger, of rather slight build and smooth face.
+
+"Yes, she's pretty fair," returned Bob rather dryly, for he did not
+like the looks of the two men and did not relish the idea of them
+getting into the boat without permission. However, he did not want to
+appear too churlish.
+
+"Jack," said Bob, "you run up to the hotel and help bring down the
+stuff while I clean up the boat, will you?" A wink told Jack that Bob
+did not want to leave the boat alone, so he turned back to the hotel
+while Bob, seizing the painter, pulled the Sprite up to the wharf. The
+two men at once got out and, with an apology for their intrusion,
+turned away.
+
+In about ten minutes the Golden family, including Edna, appeared, well
+laden with suit cases and bundles.
+
+"Say, Bob," asked Mr. Golden, "do you think you can get us all over in
+one load? May is going too," May Brown was Edna's chum, of about her
+age and often spent several weeks at a time at the Golden cottage. She
+was a very jolly girl, and the Goldens were always glad to have her
+with them.
+
+"Sure thing," replied Bob, "lots of room."
+
+"Let's hurry then," said his mother, "I'm afraid you boys will catch
+cold in those wet clothes."
+
+"No danger of that," laughed Jack, "It isn't the first time we've been
+wet, eh, Bob?"
+
+Soon they were all aboard, bag and baggage and the Sprite's bow was
+headed up the lake.
+
+But what of the winners of the great race? As the Winner shot over the
+finish line, not a cheer greeted her, and her owners, seeing only
+hostile looks on the faces of the crowd, never stopped, but kept on
+down the lake.
+
+"Confound it," muttered Fred, "I guess we've botched things again."
+
+"Well, it's all your fault," growled Will, "I told you to stop."
+
+"I know you did, but I thought some of the other boats behind would be
+near enough to pick them up, and I didn't want to lose the race."
+
+"It seems, though, that we didn't exactly cover ourselves with glory
+by winning," said Will grimly.
+
+"I don't know why it is," argued Fred, "but it seems to me that those
+Golden boys are always getting the better of us. I wonder why it is
+that they are so much more popular than we? We have just as much
+money, if not more, than they."
+
+As is usually the case, these boys could not see that it was their
+own selfish dispositions which was the cause of their unpopularity.
+
+In a little over twenty minutes the Sprite was at the "Roost's"
+boathouse, and soon the merry party had landed and carried the baggage
+to the cottage. The boys, having put on dry clothing, proposed to the
+girls that a game of tennis would be a good way to pass the time while
+supper was being prepared, and soon Bob and May were contesting every
+point with Jack and Edna.
+
+That night, after the rest of the family had retired, the two boys sat
+by the window, in their room, talking over the events of the day.
+
+"Say, old man," Bob suddenly said, "I didn't like the looks of those
+fellows we caught in the Sprite this afternoon. Sure as guns they were
+trying to find out all they could about that motor. They didn't act
+right when they saw us."
+
+"Well, I guess you're right," returned Jack. "I think we had better
+get that cell patented as soon as possible, before some one steals
+it."
+
+"No, I don't want to do that yet. I have had something in mind for
+quite a while and I want to keep the construction of that cell a
+secret for at least a year."
+
+"What's your idea?"
+
+"Well, you remember reading, a while ago, in the Boston paper, that a
+prize of fifty thousand dollars had been offered to the first one to
+fly across the Atlantic. The difficulty has been," he continued, as
+Jack nodded assent, "that an airship can't carry enough gasoline, but
+we could take enough of those cylinders to send an aeroplane around
+the world."
+
+"Gee, wouldn't that be great? Do you suppose father would let us try
+it?"
+
+"I don't know, but I mean to ask him and if he gives his consent we'll
+have a try at it next summer. Now you see why I don't want to patent
+the cell. If the secret is known, even if it is patented, some one
+might get round it in some way and beat us."
+
+"Great head you've got, old man, and we'll do it, take my word for it,
+but I'm sleepy, so here goes for bed."
+
+In a short time both boys were sound asleep, but if they had known of
+the exciting events and dangers they were to pass through during the
+next few days, it is doubtful if their dreams would have been as
+pleasant.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VI.
+
+SOME ONE ELSE TAKES A BATH.
+
+
+The next day was Sunday, and the entire family, including Mike,
+attended church in the village of East Madison, about a mile from the
+cottage. The afternoon was spent in reading and talking, for the boys
+never went on the lake Sunday, except in case of necessity. Soon after
+breakfast the next day, Jack and Bob were sitting on the porch
+discussing plans for the day, when they saw a rowboat, containing two
+men, rounding the point. They watched them, with no particular
+interest, till it was evident that they were making for their wharf,
+then suddenly Jack declared, "They are the men who were in our boat
+the other day."
+
+"So they are," affirmed Bob, "Wonder what they want?"
+
+"Guess we'll have to wait and see," advised Jack.
+
+By this time the boat was within a few feet of the dock, and soon she
+was tied and the men were approaching the house.
+
+"Good morning, boys," said the older man, pleasantly, as they reached
+the steps. "Good morning," replied both boys. "Won't you come up and
+sit down?"
+
+"Thanks," and both accepted the invitation. "We've come up to have a
+little business talk," began the older man and without waiting for the
+boys to speak, he continued, "My name is Robert King, and this,"
+indicating his companion, "is William Reed. We are from Boston and are
+spending a few days at the hotel down the lake. Now we want to buy a
+motorboat, and seeing yours Saturday, we thought we might be able to
+strike a bargain with you."
+
+"Sorry, sir," broke in Bob, "but she is not for sale."
+
+"That's too bad," said Mr. King, "for she is just what we want. Of
+course," he continued, "we could get one like her, but it would take
+several days and we don't want to wait, as our time is limited. Now
+I'll tell you what we'll do. We are both rich men and money is no
+object to us, so we get what we want, and we are willing to pay you
+one thousand dollars for the boat."
+
+This, as the boys knew, was considerable more than the Sprite was
+worth, but Bob gave Jack a slight wink as he said:
+
+"That's a very generous offer, and much more than the Sprite is worth,
+but we don't wish to sell."
+
+"Suppose we make it two thousand dollars," spoke up Mr. Reed.
+
+"Nothing doing," replied Jack.
+
+"Then you won't sell at any price?" asked King.
+
+"No, not at any price," repeated Bob.
+
+"Well, would you rent her to us for a few days?"
+
+"Sorry, sir, but you see our vacation will be over in a short time,
+and we want her to use every day," replied Bob.
+
+"Very well, then, we'll bid you goodby," said Mr. King, as they both
+arose, but the look he gave them was by no means as pleasant as the
+one with which he had greeted them.
+
+As soon as the two men were out of hearing, Jack turned to his
+brother, "Pretty thin wasn't it?"
+
+"It sure was; all they were after was to get hold of that new battery.
+Something tells me that we are going to have trouble keeping our
+secret."
+
+At this moment their father came out on the porch.
+
+"Boys, can you take me across? I want to catch the nine-thirty
+downtown."
+
+"Sure thing," answered Jack, "but we'll have to hustle, as it's after
+nine now."
+
+On the way across the boys told their father about the visit of the
+two men and he agreed with them as to their motive. They landed Mr.
+Golden just in time for his car and, as they were casting off, they
+saw Mr. Wright running down the wharf towards them.
+
+"Don't forget, boys, that you are coming to see us today."
+
+"All right, sir," replied Bob, "We'll be down right after supper."
+
+"And bring your sister and her friend with you," invited Mr. Wright.
+
+"We'll do that," answered Jack eagerly.
+
+The boys made good time back to the cottage, and spent the rest of the
+day playing tennis with the girls and swimming in the lake. As soon as
+supper was over, accompanied by the two girls, they started down the
+lake to make their promised call.
+
+"Hope to goodness they don't make a big fuss over us," grumbled Jack.
+
+"Oh, you are too modest," declared Edna.
+
+They spent a very pleasant evening with the Wrights, although poor
+Jack's worst fears were realized, for it seemed that Mr. and Mrs.
+Wright could not praise them enough for saving their children. The two
+little girls, who were twins about ten years old, were very profuse
+with their thanks, fairly hugging both boys, to their embarrassment,
+which, however, greatly delighted both Edna and May. To their great
+surprise, Mr. Wright presented each of the boys with a very pretty
+gold watch "Not," he said, "to pay you for saving my girls, for I
+could never do that, but as a slight token of my gratitude."
+
+About nine o'clock they said good night and started for home. It was
+a beautiful evening and, although the moon was not yet up, the stars
+helped to make the darkness less intense. Bob ran the Sprite at about
+half speed, for, although they had an electric searchlight, he did not
+want to take any chances with the girls on board. They were about half
+way home and near the middle of the lake, when suddenly a rowboat
+loomed up dead ahead, and coming directly toward them. In it were two
+men. One was at the oars, while the other was sitting in the bow. In a
+moment the two boats were within speaking distance and a voice, which
+both boys recognized as King's hailed them.
+
+"I say, boys, can you give us a few matches; our lantern has gone out
+and we haven't a single one left."
+
+It happened that Bob had a box of safety matches in his pocket, and
+always willing to oblige, he shut off the power and soon the rowboat
+pulled up alongside. Reed caught hold of the side of the Sprite to
+steady his boat, while King dropped his oars and stood up in the boat,
+stretching forth his hand as if to take the box which Bob was holding
+out to him. But suddenly he was dumfounded to see, shining from King's
+hand, the barrel of a revolver.
+
+"Now, young fellow, we are desperate men and want no fooling. Just
+hand over that cell you are using to run that boat, and be mighty
+quick about it, too."
+
+"Why--why--what do you mean?" stammered Bob, for he was so amazed at
+the turn affairs had taken that he could hardly speak.
+
+"Quick, now, or we'll throw you all into the lake."
+
+"Oh, Bob," whispered Edna, "let them have it or they'll kill us."
+
+By this time Bob had partially recovered his senses, and his quick
+brain was trying to figure a way out of the difficulty, for he did not
+intend to give up the cell if he could help it. Fortunately, however,
+the problem was solved for him in a very unexpected manner. The stern
+of the rowboat was directly opposite the stern of the Sprite where
+Jack was sitting. The latter, quickly taking in the situation, rose to
+his feet, and suddenly giving a spring, landed, with his full weight,
+on the stern of the light rowboat. Under his one-hundred sixty pounds,
+the boat gave a heavy lurch and in a second King had lost his balance
+and fallen over backwards into the lake. Both girls screamed and Jack
+shouted as he scrambled back on board the larger boat. "Full speed
+ahead, Bob."
+
+When the rowboat lurched, Reed lost his hold and before he could
+recover it, the Sprite was darting up the lake, while a string of
+oaths from the rowboat followed them.
+
+"My, but that was great work, Jack, old fellow," exclaimed Bob. "I
+don't know how we would have saved the cell if you hadn't tipped that
+fellow out of the boat. How'd you happen to think of it?"
+
+"Didn't think of it at all," chuckled Jack, "Just did it without
+thinking."
+
+"Well," spoke up May, "it saved us and it was a mighty brave thing to
+do."
+
+"Now, turn off the soft soap spigot," ordered Jack, and they all
+laughed.
+
+They soon reached the wharf, and, running up to the house, told Mr.
+Golden what had happened.
+
+"This is serious, indeed," he declared, taking up the phone. He soon
+had the manager of the hotel on the wire, telling him of the hold-up.
+The manager, in turn, said that two men, calling themselves King and
+Reed had been stopping there for about a week and had started off for
+a row about eight o'clock that evening. He promised to have them
+arrested at once if they returned, but doubted very much if they would
+show up again. He suggested that Mr. Golden call up the police of
+Skowhegan and Madison and ask them to be on the lookout for them. This
+he did, describing the two men as well as he could from the boys'
+description, and the police promised to be on the watch. But although
+the country round about was well searched, no clue to them was found,
+but the rowboat was picked up the next morning near the foot of the
+lake.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VII.
+
+BOB DISAPPEARS.
+
+
+"It's your turn to get a pail of water, Bob."
+
+"All right, just let me finish this chapter."
+
+It was a couple of days after the events related in the last chapter.
+All the family were on the porch except Bob, who was inside reading.
+The drinking water, used by the Goldens, was brought from a spring,
+about fifty rods back of the house in the woods. The house was
+supplied with water from a deep well, but all liked the spring water
+much better for drinking, so the boys took turns going after it.
+
+Bob noticed that it was nearly ten o'clock when he closed his book,
+took his electric torch and getting a pail from the kitchen, started
+for the spring. The night was pitch dark, as it was cloudy and there
+was no moon, but the torch lit up the path in front of him so that he
+had no trouble in following it. As he reached the spring, he thought
+he heard a slight rustling in the bushes, but beyond thinking, "Guess
+that's a rabbit," he paid no attention to it. He was bending over the
+spring to fill his pail, when suddenly he was grabbed from behind,
+jerked over backwards and, before he could cry out, a hand was placed
+over his mouth and he felt himself held to the ground by two men.
+
+"Not a sound, if you value your life," hissed one of them, and then a
+gag was thrust into his mouth and he was rudely turned over on his
+stomach.
+
+"Quick, Bill, hand me those ropes," whispered one of the men, and in
+another minute his hands were securely bound behind his back.
+
+"Now let's get him out to the road as soon as we can," said the man
+who had done all the talking, and whose voice Bob recognized as
+belonging to the man he knew as King.
+
+He was roughly pulled to his feet, and with King clinging to his right
+and the other, whom Bob supposed to be Reed, hanging tightly to his
+left arm, they started for the road, about a half mile distant. The
+path was very rough, and as they flashed their light but seldom, it
+was some time before they reached the road. As they climbed the last
+fence, Bob could see dimly a large car standing by the roadside.
+Taking a large handkerchief from his pocket, King bound it tightly
+over Bob's eyes and ordered him to get into the back seat of the car.
+Poor Bob had to do as he was ordered, and was quickly followed by
+King, while the other man took the wheel.
+
+"Now, hit her up, Bill," whispered King, and the car bounded ahead.
+
+"It seems to me that Bob's an awful long time getting that pail of
+water," said Edna, getting out of the hammock. "I wish he'd hurry up,
+I'm nearly choked for a drink."
+
+"Same here," declared Jack. "He's been gone long enough to get a dozen
+pails. Guess I'll go meet him and hustle him up a bit."
+
+So saying, he got his electric torch from the house, and started off
+along the path. He was somewhat surprised not to meet Bob, or to hear
+his merry whistle, but was not alarmed till he reached the spring and,
+flashing his light around, spied the pail, lying on its side a few
+feet away. "Well, that's funny," he thought, and putting two fingers
+in his mouth, he gave two long shrill whistles, their signal to each
+other. Receiving no reply, he made a hurried search of the bushes
+nearby, but beyond noticing evidence of a struggle, he found no trace
+of the missing boy.
+
+"Something has happened to Bob," he thought, now thoroughly alarmed.
+"There's been a fight here and I'll bet a fish hook that he's been
+kidnapped." In spite of the darkness, Jack nearly flew back to the
+cottage.
+
+"Dad, dad," he shouted, as he bounded on to the porch, "they've got
+Bob."
+
+"Who's got Bob? What do you mean?" asked Mr. Golden from upstairs,
+where he was getting ready for bed.
+
+"I don't know who's got him," cried excited Jack, "but there's been
+some kind of a fight at the spring, and he's gone."
+
+"It's impossible," declared Mr. Golden, who by this time had come down
+into the living room, where the family had gathered. "There's no one
+round here who would kidnap him."
+
+"How about those men who held us up on the lake the other night?"
+asked May.
+
+"By gracious, that's so," said Mr. Golden. "Why didn't I think of them
+before? Give me the phone, quick."
+
+As quickly as possible he called up the police of all the towns
+nearby, and told them what had happened. They all promised to be on
+the watch and to do all they could to catch the kidnappers.
+
+"That ought to get them," he declared, as he hung up the receiver.
+"Bob's been gone only about an hour, and they can't have taken him
+very far yet."
+
+"Oh dear, Oh dear! Do you suppose they will harm him?" sobbed Mrs.
+Golden.
+
+"No, my dear," assured her husband, trying to calm her, "I don't think
+they will dare to hurt him. 'If it is those two men who have him they
+will try to make him disclose the secret of the cell, for that's
+undoubtedly what they are after."
+
+No one in the house thought of going to bed, but sat around eagerly
+listening for the ring of the phone. Suddenly, at eleven-fifteen, it
+rang and Mr. Golden eagerly grabbed up the receiver.
+
+"Is this Mr. Golden?" came the voice over the wire.
+
+"Yes, yes," he replied eagerly, "Who is talking?"
+
+"This is Switzer."
+
+"Oh, yes, Mr. Switzer. Any news?"
+
+"Nothing much, but Joe has just come in and says that a big car just
+went over the bridge at about forty miles an hour. He shouted to them
+to stop, but they paid no attention, except to turn on more speed, and
+they were going so fast that he couldn't stop them nor get their
+number. But he's started off in his car and is going to try to follow
+'em, but I'm afraid it's not much use."
+
+Switzer was chief of police of Skowhegan.
+
+"Well, let me know at once if you hear anything," said Mr. Golden as
+he hung up the receiver. Then he told the rest what he had heard,
+adding, "There's no telling which way they are heading, even if it
+were they, which, of course, is not at all sure."
+
+The hours dragged slowly on. From time to time the phone rang, but it
+was always the same; no other clue had been found.
+
+"If he is not found by eight o'clock," said Mr. Golden, "I shall
+telegraph to Boston for a detective."
+
+Meanwhile, what of the missing boy? The car, into which he had been
+thrust, started off at high speed, and although he tried his best to
+keep track of its direction, it was impossible, and in less than ten
+minutes he had lost all idea as to which way they were going. He was
+unable to speak, owing to the gag in his mouth, and not a word was
+uttered by either of the men as the car rushed on through the night.
+They had been traveling for, what seemed to Bob, nearly two hours, and
+his bonds were cutting his wrists cruelly, when suddenly the car
+slowed up and the character of the road changed. From its roughness
+and the slow pace at which they were now moving he judged that they
+must be passing over a woods road. After proceeding in this manner for
+perhaps twenty minutes, the car stopped and for the first time, the
+man at the wheel spoke.
+
+"Well, here we are."
+
+It was Reed's voice sure enough.
+
+King immediately got out and ordered Bob to follow him. "You put the
+car up, Bill," he said, "and I'll escort our guest into the house."
+
+So saying, he took Bob by the arm and led him forward.
+
+"Now, step up," he ordered; and a moment later he announced, "Now
+we're going upstairs."
+
+As soon as they reached the top, King led him a few steps and then
+said:
+
+"Now we'll have a light and then I'll take off your blinders."
+
+He lit a small lamp, and then, to Bob's great relief, removed the gag
+and blindfold. Bob looked about him and saw that he was in a small
+bare room containing only a cot and a small table.
+
+"Say," he asked, "what's the meaning of all this, anyway?"
+
+"Ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies," answered King.
+"You'll know all about it in good time."
+
+"Well, just untie this rope, will you? It's cutting into my wrists
+like the dickens."
+
+"All right, but mind, now, no funny business. I've got a grudge
+against you for tipping me into the lake the other night, and if you
+get gay you'll get hurt, that's all."
+
+He at once untied the rope which bound Bob's hands and Bob began to
+pound them together, for so tightly had they been bound, that they
+were almost numb.
+
+"Now you can lie down on that cot and get some sleep if you want to,
+I'm going to bed downstairs."
+
+"Won't you tell me why you have brought me here?"
+
+"Not tonight, I won't tell you anything," was the gruff reply.
+
+So saying, King picked up the light and left the room, and Bob heard
+him lock the door behind him with a key and also shoot a bolt. He had
+noticed a single window near the foot of the cot and groped his way
+toward it. It was unlocked, but on raising it, he found that it was
+protected by heavy iron bars, not more than three inches apart.
+
+"Well," he thought, "here's a go for sure. Kidnapped in Maine in the
+twentieth century. Now wouldn't that jar you?" However, dark as the
+prospect seemed, Bob was a brave boy and by no means lost heart.
+
+"Gee, but the folks will be worried to death about me," he thought as
+he sat down on the cot. "I'll bet mother is crying her eyes out.
+Well," he said to himself a moment later, "guess I might as well lie
+down and try to get some sleep, for I'll be likely to need all my
+strength before I get through with this mess." So saying, he threw
+himself back on the cot, which, he found, made a by no means
+uncomfortable bed. "If they think they are going to make me tell them
+about that cell, they've got another think coming," he thought, just
+before he fell into a deep sleep.
+
+The sun was streaming in through the window when Bob awoke, and for a
+moment, he could not think where he was, then suddenly the events of
+the night before came back to him, and jumping up, he hastily stepped
+to the window. He could see nothing, however, but a dense forest. At
+this moment he heard the bolt shot back and the key turned in the
+lock. A moment later, Reed entered the room, carrying an old tin
+waiter on which were a cup of coffee, some sandwiches and a couple of
+eggs.
+
+"Well," thought Bob, "they don't intend to starve me at any rate."
+
+"Here's your breakfast, kid," announced Reed.
+
+The thought came into Bob's mind that he might overpower the man and
+make a sudden dash for liberty, but just then he heard King below, and
+realizing that he would be but a child in the hands of so powerful a
+man, he quickly gave up the idea. Laying the tray on the table, Reed
+at once left the room, locking the door behind him. Bob lost no time
+in falling to, for he was very hungry, and soon every crumb had
+vanished. In a little more than half an hour, he heard steps on the
+stairs, and both men came in, locking the door after them.
+
+"Now, kid," said King. "I'm going to tell you what we want with you.
+We've got you here a good ways from nowhere and you can't get away,
+and what's more, no one can find you here either. There isn't a road
+or a house anywhere near, so you can yell all you blamed please for
+all the good it will do you. Probably you can guess what we want. We
+happen to know that you have got on to a new kind of a storage battery
+and we mean to have it. Now, you tell us how it is made and as soon
+as we can send word to Boston, to our laboratory, and find out that
+you are telling the truth, we'll let you go. On the other hand, if you
+are stubborn, and refuse, you'll stay here and get all that's coming
+to you. We're desperate men and we're going to have it, so you might
+as well give in at once."
+
+While he had been talking, Bob had been thinking rapidly. That they
+meant to do as they said, he had not the least doubt, but he didn't
+intend to give in unless he found it necessary to save his life. "Let
+me have a few hours to think it over, will you?"
+
+"I'll give you till three o'clock, but don't think you can escape, for
+you can't. Even if you did get out, we have two of the ugliest dogs
+you ever saw watching below, and they'd tear you to pieces in a jiffy.
+Come on, Bill, we'll leave him awhile, but say, sonny," he added,
+turning to Bob once more, "we don't want to hurt you and you'd better
+give in and save trouble."
+
+"I'll think it over," was Bob's reply as they went out.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VIII.
+
+BOB ESCAPES--ALMOST
+
+
+About noon Reed came up bringing Bob's dinner, consisting of potatoes,
+trout, evidently caught nearby, and a glass of milk. "You better make
+the best of this," he said, "I'll tell you now that you won't get
+another bite to eat till you tell us what we want to know."
+
+Bob gave a sudden start. "So, that's your game, is it?" he asked.
+
+"Yes, that's our game, and as you look like a pretty good feeder, I
+guess it won't take long."
+
+"Perhaps not," said Bob, as Reed left.
+
+Poor Bob! He ate up every crumb of his dinner. The prospect was dark
+enough, to say the least, but he had not lost heart, for an idea had
+occurred to him which he intended to put into practice that night. As
+there was nothing else to do he spent the time lying on the cot
+thinking. About three o'clock, King looked in.
+
+"Ready to tell us?" he asked.
+
+"Not yet," was Bob's reply.
+
+"All right, just as you say. I suppose the old saying, that you can
+lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink, holds in your
+case, but if this horse don't drink pretty soon, he'll wish he'd never
+been born." Then, after a moment's pause, he continued, in a kinder
+tone: "Come now, boy, what's the use? We've got all the trump in this
+game and you've got to give in sooner or later, so why not do it now
+and save yourself trouble?"
+
+"You seem to be on top just at present, for a fact," agreed Bob, "but
+just the same I'm not going to give in just now." King muttered
+something about him soon wishing he had and left the room.
+
+That night he got no supper. Now, going without his meals did not, in
+the least, agree with Bob's disposition, at any time, and now he had
+much more than hunger to rouse his anger, and by eleven o'clock, he
+was, as he put it to himself, fighting mad.
+
+"I haven't heard any dogs and I don't believe they've got any," he
+thought. "Anyhow, I'm going to run the risk if I can get through that
+door." Fortunately, he had not been searched and as he had a good
+strong jackknife, it had occurred to him that he might cut a hole in
+the door large enough to get his hand through. He waited till one
+o'clock, and then began his attack. It was pretty hard cutting, as it
+was spruce, but he kept steadily at it and in about an hour had a
+small hole through, and another half hour of hard cutting enabled him
+to enlarge it sufficiently to pass his hand through, turn the key and
+slip back the bolt. "Now for it," he thought. "If they've got a dog
+I'll give him the fight of his life."
+
+Cautiously, he crept down the stairs, which creaked a little in spite
+of his efforts, holding the open knife in his hand. He finally reached
+the bottom without any mishap and, so far as he could tell, without
+being heard. Unlocking the door, he stepped softly out on the porch.
+It was a beautiful starlight night and, although there was no moon, it
+did not seem very dark. Bob was just beginning to feel easier, when he
+heard a low growl and, looking round, he saw a huge mastiff eyeing him
+a few feet away. "Good dog," he whispered, thinking he might make
+friends with him, but the brute continued to growl and slowly crept
+nearer.
+
+Bob saw that he was about to spring and braced himself for the attack.
+As the dog jumped, the boy drew back his right foot, and with a
+powerful kick caught him fairly in the stomach. With a low whine of
+pain, the dog fell back and without giving him time to recover, Bob
+sprang forward and, seizing him by the throat, plunged the knife blade
+to the handle in his side. The dog gave one howl and stiffened out.
+
+"One enemy the less," thought Bob as he rose to his feet, but he was
+not to get off so easily, for just then the door opened and Reed
+stepped out.
+
+"Thunder and lightning," he gasped, "How'd you get out."
+
+Bob did not stop to explain, but jumping off the porch and started on
+a run down the path.
+
+"Quick, Jim, he's getting away," shouted Reed, as he started after the
+escaping boy.
+
+Bob was a fast runner, but he was sadly handicapped by not knowing
+which way to go in the darkness, and the path was rough. Still, he
+might have escaped had he not met with a mishap. He had not gone more
+than a hundred yards, when his foot caught in a vine, and he fell
+forward on his face, his knife flying from his hand. Before he could
+pick himself up and start again, Reed was upon him. Bob did not intend
+to submit to capture a second time if he could help it, and, as he was
+caught round the body, he gave a sudden squirm, which broke Reed's
+hold, instantly drawing back his right arm, he struck out with all his
+strength. The blow was a heavy one, and caught Reed fairly on the
+nose, making him grunt with pain. It did not, however, put him out of
+the fight, and before Bob could turn and run, he felt a stinging blow
+on the ear, which dazed him for a second. He quickly recovered, and
+grabbing Reed, tried his best to force him to the ground.
+
+Although a small man, he was no means weak, and the struggle waged
+fast and furiously. Finally, Bob succeeded in getting a half nelson
+round his neck, and the next instant Reed felt himself hurled to the
+ground, which he struck with tremendous force. All the fight was
+knocked out of him, and once more Bob started to run, but alas for his
+hopes, he was too late, for just then King appeared on the scene.
+
+Bob was so nearly exhausted by this time, that he could make but
+little headway, and soon King grabbed him round the neck and bore him
+to the ground. He realized that it would be useless to struggle
+against this man, for he was almost a giant in strength.
+
+"So you thought you'd give us the slip, did you? Well, you're a slick
+one, that's a fact, and you're no coward either, but really we can't
+dispense with your company yet awhile," said the man as he dragged Bob
+to his feet.
+
+By this time Reed had managed to get on his feet. "D---- the brat," he
+growled, "he's strong as a moose. My nose is bleeding like a stuck
+pig, and it feels as though half my bones were broken."
+
+"Well, Bill, we can't blame the kid for trying to get away, but it
+beats me how he got out of that room, and, say, what was that dog
+doing? Guess he's no good."
+
+"I don't think he is much good any more," Bob couldn't help saying.
+"You'll find him on the porch."
+
+"If you've killed that dog, I'll take it out of your hide," growled
+Reed.
+
+"Easy there, Bill," admonished King, "I won't have the kid ill-treated
+for trying to get away and defending himself, and, if he had to kill
+the dog to do it, he had a right to. I admire bravery wherever I see
+it, but we'll fix things after this so that he won't have a chance to
+show his spunk to such good advantage."
+
+While talking, the two men had been leading Bob back to the house.
+Seeing the dog on the porch, Reed turned him over; "Well he's done for
+all right, confound him. I wouldn't have taken one hundred dollars for
+that dog," he said.
+
+"Come on now," urged King, "We'll see to him in the morning. I want to
+find out how this kid got out of that room."
+
+Reaching the top of the stairs and holding up the lantern, which he
+had grabbed up from the porch, the method was plainly apparent.
+
+"Well I'll be switched," said King. "Bill we ought to be ashamed of
+ourselves not to have searched him. I never thought of him having a
+knife that he could cut through that door with. You go down and get a
+board and some nails, and we'll soon have this fixed."
+
+The hole was boarded over, plenty of nails being used, and as he drove
+the last one, King said, "Now I'll look him over and see if he has
+anything else he can use."
+
+Bob knew it would be useless to resist, and so allowed himself to be
+searched, but nothing was found which they considered dangerous.
+
+"I guess, Bill, one of us had better stay up the rest of the night,"
+said King, as he finished his search. "I don't see how he could get
+away again, but we won't take any chances."
+
+As they were about to leave the room, Bob asked, "Can't you give me
+something to eat? I'm awfully hungry."
+
+"Sure thing," replied King. "There's a fine mess of trout downstairs,
+which Bill caught this afternoon, and I can boil some potatoes in no
+time. You just tell us what we want to know, and I'll have you a fine
+meal in less than half an hour."
+
+But Bob was not yet ready to give up. "Never mind," he said, "I guess
+I'm not so hungry as I thought I was."
+
+They went out and he heard them go down the stairs. Throwing himself
+on the cot he groaned, "Oh dear, to come so near to getting away and
+then fail. But," he thought, "I did my best, and I'll bet Reed's nose
+will be sore for a few days. If that blow had only caught him on the
+chin, I might have made it before King got there."
+
+He lay for a long time thinking how he could foil his captors.
+Suddenly, he sprang up. "Why not?" he said to himself. "It may work if
+I can carry through the bluff. Anyhow, it'll be better than starving
+here, and I'm going to try it."
+
+Having decided on a line of action, he once more threw himself on the
+cot and was soon asleep.
+
+No one came near him till nearly ten o'clock that morning, and by that
+time, Bob felt, as he expressed it, as though the bottom of his
+stomach had fallen out.
+
+"How goes it?" was King's greeting, as he entered the room, "Getting
+pretty hungry?"
+
+"Hungry!" growled Bob, "If you don't look out I may eat you up."
+
+King laughed, "What's the use of sticking it out any longer?" he
+asked. "You've got to give in or starve."
+
+"I'm beginning to think that's so," replied Bob, "I did intend to
+stick it out, but I'm too hungry."
+
+"That's the way to talk. Now you tell me all about it, and then I'll
+bring you up a good dinner. But mind now," he added, "if you don't
+tell it straight, I'll--I'll, well, your folks will never have the
+pleasure of seeing you again, that's all."
+
+"Well now, see here," began Bob, "I can't tell you how to make that
+cell so that you could do it."
+
+"Can't? Why not?" demanded King.
+
+"Because," continued Bob, "the success of it depends on the
+temperature at which the metals composing the caps are put together,
+and that point can be determined only by the looks of them, and I
+couldn't possibly describe it so that any one could detect the right
+point."
+
+"Then how are you going to work it?"
+
+"Why, didn't you say that you have a laboratory in Boston?"
+
+"Yes, but what of it?"
+
+"Well, why not take me there and let me make it for you?"
+
+King thought a moment and then said, "I don't altogether like that
+idea, but I'll talk it over with Bill and see what he says."
+
+As he was leaving the room, Bob added, "That's the best I can do. If I
+should tell you about it, and then you failed, you would blame me, and
+I'd have to suffer for it."
+
+King was gone about half an hour, and when he returned, he brought a
+good dinner with him.
+
+"We've decided to take you up, and here's your dinner," he said. "But
+now listen to me. My future depends on this thing; how, is none of
+your business, but I'd rather die than fail, so if you try any funny
+business, you can know what to expect."
+
+"How soon shall we start?" asked Bob.
+
+"We shall start, in the car, as soon as it is dark."
+
+"I don't know," thought Bob, after King had left the room, "whether
+I'm jumping out of the frying pan into the fire or not, but that
+dinner looks mighty good to me, so here goes."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IX.
+
+ON THE ROAD TO BOSTON
+
+
+"Well, the die is cast one way or the other," thought Bob, as he ate
+the last scrap of his dinner; "that sure did taste good." Then as a
+sudden thought struck him, he began hurriedly to search his pockets.
+As good luck would have it, he found a small note book, containing
+several blank leaves and a stub of a lead pencil. Hastily, he tore out
+a page and wrote the following note:
+
+     "I am confined in a house in the woods, have no idea
+     where, but it must be within twenty or thirty miles of
+     Skowhegan. King and Reed are taking me to Boston tonight,
+     in a car. Secret still safe."
+
+     BOB GOLDEN.
+
+Folding the paper, he wrote on the outside, "Will the finder of this
+paper please send it to Mr. Golden, Skowhegan?" He made several copies
+of the note, thinking as he did so, "If I can only get a chance to
+throw these out of the car, one of them, at least, may get to father.
+I don't know as it will do me much good, but it will let the folks
+know that I'm still alive."
+
+Supper was brought to him at five o'clock, and at seven, King came up
+to tell him that they were about to start. "Now, see here, boy," he
+said, "we don't want to be any harder on you than we can help, and if
+you give me your word that you won't try to get away, or make any
+trouble, we won't tie you."
+
+Bob thought he might as well promise as he knew they would make it
+impossible for him to escape if he did not, and he dreaded being tied,
+so he gave his word.
+
+"All right then," said King, "but mind now, that you keep it, because
+if you make any trouble, I'll have to tie you up and gag you."
+
+"Are we going all the way tonight?"
+
+King laughed. "I guess not; if we drove too fast, it would excite
+suspicion, and we'd have to drive like the dickens to make it in one
+night. No, we'll make Portland by daylight and lie low there till
+dark. But come on, now; there's Bill with the car. I shall have to
+blindfold you for awhile, for I suppose you are pretty well acquainted
+round here and I don't intend to let you know where this place is."
+
+He took a large handkerchief from his pocket as he spoke and tied it
+tightly over Bob's eyes.
+
+"Now mind, you don't take that off till I give you permission," he
+ordered, as he led him from the room and down the stairs.
+
+As they came out on the porch, Bob could hear a powerful car purring
+close at hand. He and King got into the rear seat.
+
+"Have you got the suitcases and the rest of the stuff, Bill?" asked
+King.
+
+"Yes, they're all in back there."
+
+"All right, then, let her go."
+
+Darkness was just falling as they started, and at first, their pace
+was very slow, as the road was too rough for any but the very slowest
+speed, at which a car could be run. In about twenty minutes, they came
+to the end of the woods road and the car turned into a much smoother
+highway, and Reed sent her forward at a lively clip.
+
+"Now, kid, you get down on the bottom of the car till it gets a little
+darker," ordered King, and Bob had to obey.
+
+They continued in this way for half an hour or a little more, when
+King said, "I guess it's dark enough now; you can get up on the seat
+again, and I'll take that rag off." As soon as this was done, Bob
+strained his eyes to see if he could tell where they were, but it was
+too dark to see much, and he was unable to so much as guess their
+location for some time. In about an hour, however, they passed a large
+house, which stood very near the road, and he at once recognized it
+as being but a few miles from Oakland. He was well acquainted with the
+road, as he had several times driven his father's car to Boston.
+
+Reed was running at about twenty miles an hour most of the time, and
+instead of passing through the towns, he choose roads, for the most
+part, which led around them. They lost considerable time in this way,
+but Bob figured that they, would probably get to Portland before
+daybreak.
+
+About one o'clock, they were passing over a particularly rough piece
+of road, when, bang, went one of the rear tires. "Hang it all, there's
+a blowout," growled Reed, bringing the car to a stop. "But it won't
+take long to slip on the extra rim."
+
+While they were waiting, Bob noticed that King did not watch him quite
+as closely as he had been doing, and he managed to slip his hand into
+his pocket and take out one of the notes he had written. In less than
+fifteen minutes, Reed announced that the job was finished, and just as
+they were about to start, Bob, carelessly hanging his hand over the
+edge of the car, let the note fall to the ground, unnoticed by either
+of the men. Nothing more worthy of note happened, except that he
+managed to drop a second note as they passed through the little town
+of Brunswick, and at about half past four, just as the dawn was
+beginning to light up the East, Reed drove the car into the yard of a
+house standing well back from the road.
+
+"Here we are," he announced, and King at once gave a peculiar whistle,
+which was soon answered by the raising of a window on the second
+floor.
+
+"Hello, Frank, is that you?" asked King.
+
+"Yes," was the answer. "What do you want?"
+
+"Come down here, and we'll tell you," answered King, and the window
+was at once shut. In a few moments, they were joined by a short man,
+about forty years old, who Reed greeted as Frank, shaking his hand
+cordially.
+
+"We're on our way to Boston, and we've got a young fellow here, who
+don't like our company any too well," explained King with a slight
+laugh, "and we want you to put us up till night, as it isn't good for
+our complexions to travel in the daytime. No one here, is there?"
+
+"No, it's all right. Just drive the machine into the barn and come in.
+I'll have breakfast ready in a few minutes, and then you can turn in.
+Been riding all night, hain't ye?"
+
+"Yes, and I guess we can do a little something in both the eating and
+sleeping line," answered King. "We haven't had any eats since we
+started."
+
+They had a fairly good meal, after which the man called Frank said,
+"You and the kid can go up in the south room, on the third floor, you
+know which one, and Bill can sleep on the lounge in the parlor."
+
+"All right," replied King, "Come on, kid."
+
+The room which they entered was small, and contained but a single bed.
+It was lighted by two small windows, about eight inches square, placed
+nearly six feet from the floor.
+
+"I guess you'll be safe here with me," declared King, as he locked the
+door, and put the key in his pocket. "I'm a very light sleeper, and I
+told Frank to keep his eyes peeled, so you'd better not try to get
+away."
+
+As Bob made no reply, King, removing only his coat, threw himself on
+the bed, telling Bob to do the same. As the boy was very sleepy, and
+somewhat tired from his long ride, he was not long in obeying.
+Although he did not feel that he was bound by his promise, while they
+were there, he realized that the chances of escape were so small, that
+it would be foolish to make the attempt, and deciding to await a more
+favorable opportunity, he was soon fast asleep.
+
+When he awoke, it was nearly three o'clock, and he was alone in the
+room. Jumping up, he tried the door, but, as he expected, it was
+locked. "Gee, but this sort of thing is getting on my nerves," he
+thought. "When we get to Boston, I'm going to do something desperate,
+if I have to, to get away."
+
+He could hear some one moving about, on the lower floor, from time to
+time, but no one came near him till nearly six o'clock, when King came
+up and told him to come down to supper. After the meal, they waited
+till it was fairly dark, and then started off again. Nothing of
+importance happened during the trip, and Bob found chances to drop two
+more notes as they passed through small towns.
+
+About three o'clock, they reached the outskirts of Boston, and King
+said, "Now I shall have to blindfold you again, and you will have to
+lie down on the bottom of the car."
+
+"What for?"
+
+"Never you mind what for," replied King, and then added, "You don't
+suppose I'm fool enough to let you see where we're going, do you?"
+
+Bob was forced to obey, but fortunately, for his position was far from
+comfortable, they were not far from their destination, and in less
+than a half hour the car stopped.
+
+"We're here at last," announced King, as he opened the door of the
+car, and taking Bob by the arm, led him up some steps into a house.
+Once inside, the blindfold was removed, and Bob saw that he was in,
+what appeared to be, a fairly good-sized, but poorly furnished house.
+The opening of the door had evidently aroused some one, for the stairs
+creaked, and glancing up, Bob saw a very small man, with a huge hump
+on his back, coming down.
+
+"Well, Nip, how's things?" asked King.
+
+"All O. K., sir," replied the hump-back, "but I didn't expect you back
+so soon."
+
+"No, I suppose not, but we're here and mighty hungry. Can't you give
+us a cold bite, quick?"
+
+"I guess I can find something. You wait here a minute," and the
+hump-back went toward the rear of the house.
+
+"We'll go in here and sit down till he's ready," said King, motioning
+Bob to precede him, into what seemed to be a small sitting room.
+
+They had not waited more than ten minutes, when they heard from the
+rear room, "All right, sir," and going through a long hall they
+entered a room, where they found a table set with a plain, but
+generous lunch of cold meat, bread and butter and apple pie. Bob did
+full justice to the meal and, as soon as they were through, King said,
+"Now we'll go upstairs and get a little sleep, but I want to get to
+work as soon as we can."
+
+He led Bob up some bare stairs, ushered him into a small room on the
+second floor and told him to make himself at home.
+
+"You'll occupy this room while you're our guest, and as it has been
+fitted up for just such guests as you, I hardly think you'll leave
+till we get ready to let you go," King laughed, as he left the room.
+
+The room was lighted by electric light, which King had turned on as
+they entered, and Bob proceeded at once to take account of stock, as
+he expressed it. The room contained only a bed and a single chair. It
+had but one window, and that was heavily barred. On examining the door
+he was surprised to find that it was made of steel.
+
+"I guess King was right when he said that guests in this room stayed
+till they were invited out," he thought. "Oh, well, I suppose I must
+get some sleep while I can, so here goes."
+
+It seemed to Bob that he had hardly fallen asleep, when he was
+somewhat rudely shaken, and opened his eyes to find King standing by
+the bed.
+
+"Come," he said, "it's seven o'clock, and I want to show you the
+laboratory and get to work."
+
+Bob rose sleepily and followed him downstairs. King led the way down
+to the basement, and into a large room. Bob needed but a glance to
+tell him that it was a fairly well-equipped laboratory.
+
+"Now, I want you to take a careful look around, see what we've got
+that you can use, and then, make out a list of what else you want.
+I'll get them this forenoon, and you can begin work right after
+dinner. Oh, by the way, how long will it take you to do the job?"
+
+"Well," replied Bob thoughtfully, "In my laboratory at home, I could
+probably make one in a week, but here, where I'm not used to things,
+it will probably take me ten days or more."
+
+"Ten fiddle sticks," cried King angrily, "You're trying to fool me.
+You've got to do it in much less time than that I can tell you."
+
+Bob knew that he could probably make one of the cells in a couple of
+days at the outside, but he intended to take all the time he could,
+and watch for a chance to escape, so he said calmly, "All right, if
+you can do it in less time, you'd better do it."
+
+"Well, well, hurry and get your list made out," demanded King testily.
+
+Bob walked around examining the laboratory and equipment for about a
+half hour and then asked for paper and pencil. They were quickly
+supplied, and sitting at a desk in one corner of the room, he soon
+handed King the following list:
+
+Two pounds of lead nitrate.
+
+One-half pound lead.
+
+One-half pound antimon.
+
+One-half pound copper.
+
+One-half pound tin.
+
+Ten or fifteen pounds of fine sand, suitable for making a mold.
+
+One copper cylinder, eight inches long by 1 and one-half inches in
+diameter.
+
+"How are you fixed for electrolysis?" he asked, as he handed King the
+list.
+
+"Guess we can fix you up all right. We've got a good storage battery
+and two or three glass tanks and considerable platinum. Now we'll go
+up and see if breakfast is ready," he said, putting the pager in his
+pocket.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER X.
+
+THE DETECTIVE ARRIVES.
+
+
+"But, father, isn't there something we can do?" asked Jack, for about
+the tenth time that day. It was about three o'clock in the afternoon
+of the day following Bob's disappearance. They had waited in vain for
+any news of the lost boy and at about eight-thirty o'clock, Mr. Golden
+had got into communication, by telephone, with a well-known detective
+agency in Boston and they had promised to have one of their best men
+there on the four-forty train.
+
+"Yes, I guess we can do something now. We'll run across in the Sprite,
+and catch the four o'clock trolley to town, which will get us there in
+time to meet that detective, Mr. Sharp."
+
+Glad of anything which promised action, Jack grabbed his cap and
+started for the boathouse. It had been a terrible day to him, for he
+was lost without Bob, and the thought that he might never see him
+again nearly drove him frantic. He and his father were soon in the
+Sprite speeding across the lake, and as they reached the wharf in
+front of the hotel, they saw Fred and Will Jenkins just getting into
+their boat.
+
+"Hello, Jack, heard anything from Bob yet?" asked Will.
+
+"No, not yet."
+
+"Well, let us know when you do. So long."
+
+Jack wasn't sure, but it seemed to him that there was a half sneer to
+Will's voice, and that both Fred and Will had an uneasy look about
+them.
+
+"Say, dad," he asked after he had removed the cell from the motor and
+put it in his pocket, "did you notice anything strange about those
+fellows."
+
+"Strange, what do you mean?" asked his father.
+
+"I hardly know, but somehow, I feel it in my bones, that they've had a
+hand in this business. Look here," and reaching his hand into his back
+pocket, he pulled out a small knife which he handed to his father,
+saying, "I found that about thirty feet from the spring this forenoon.
+It is not rusted any to speak of, so it couldn't have been there
+long."
+
+"Do you know whose it is?" asked his father.
+
+"I'm not sure," replied Jack, "but I've seen Will Jenkins use a knife
+which looked a good deal like this one. I'd have asked him about it,
+only I didn't think of it in time."
+
+"You be sure and tell the detective about it," said Mr. Golden. "Of
+course it doesn't prove anything, as there are probably lots of knives
+just like it in town."
+
+By this time they were on the car and in about thirty minutes they
+reached Skowhegan. As they passed down the street toward the station,
+they were stopped many times by friends, asking anxiously after Bob
+and by the time they reached the depot the train was whistling. As it
+drew in and came to a stop, a small man with a smooth face was the
+first to alight. There were not many passengers, and Mr. Golden knew
+most of them. The man who first got off, however, was a stranger, and
+he seemed to be looking for some one; Mr. Golden stepped up to him and
+asked if he was Mr. Sharp.
+
+"Right first time," was the reply, "and you must be Mr. Golden."
+
+Jack was then introduced, but he was much disappointed, for Mr. Sharp
+did not at all answer his idea of a detective. In common with most
+boys, he had always imagined a detective to be a very mysterious-looking
+person, while Mr. Sharp was indeed very ordinary in appearance.
+
+The trolley car was waiting only a couple of squares away for its
+return trip to the lake, and as soon as they obtained his suitcase
+from the baggage room, they started.
+
+"We'll be up in time for supper," said Mr. Golden, as they boarded the
+car.
+
+On the way up, Mr. Golden gave the detective an account of Bob's
+disappearance, including the events which preceded it. As there were
+but few people on the car, they could talk in low tones with no danger
+of being overheard. The detective said but little, except to ask a
+question now and then, but when they were in the Sprite, on their way
+across the lake, he said:
+
+"Mr. Golden, I want you to give me a careful description of those two
+men."
+
+"I guess Jack can do that better than I, as I only saw them once, and
+then took no particular notice of them."
+
+So Jack described them as well as he could, but the detective shook
+his head.
+
+"Can't place 'em. Your description of Reed would fit a dozen men I
+know, and while the other one puts me in mind of a fellow I once
+arrested for counterfeiting, I'm not sure. You didn't notice a scar on
+his upper lip, did you?"
+
+"No, I thought I told you that he had a mustache."
+
+"So you did, so you did," said the detective, "I must be getting
+forgetful."
+
+Supper was ready by the time they arrived at the cottage, and as soon
+as it was over, the detective asked to be shown the way to the
+spring, and once there, he made a thorough search of the immediate
+vicinity, but after nearly an hour had passed, he was forced to
+acknowledge that he had found no clue. As soon as they got back to the
+house, he called Boston on the telephone.
+
+"Hello, Bill? Yes. I want you to find out as quickly as possible the
+whereabouts of Jim Edwards. Yes, that's the fellow. Call me as soon as
+you get any news." He gave the number of the phone and then hung up.
+
+Early in the morning the phone rang, and Sharp was asked for. After a
+short conversation, he hung up the receiver, saying to Mr. Golden and
+Jack, who were in the room, "Nothing has been heard of that fellow
+Edwards since he got out of prison, nearly a year ago. Now, Jack, if
+you'll run me across in your boat, I'll go down to the village, and
+don't be surprised if you don't see me for a day or two."
+
+"This is a mighty fine boat you have," remarked Sharp, as they were
+skimming across the lake in the Sprite. "Is this the new cell?"
+
+"Yes," replied Jack, and then added bitterly, "I wish we'd never made
+the old thing, then Bob wouldn't have been kidnapped."
+
+"It's wonderful to think of you boys making a discovery like that.
+Why, do you realize what a tremendous lot of money there is in it?"
+
+"I suppose so, but I can't bear to think of it now that Bob's gone."
+
+They soon reached the hotel wharf, and the detective, taking Jack by
+the hand, said, "Keep up your courage, my boy; I don't think they will
+harm your brother, and sooner or later, we will be sure to find him."
+So saying, he started off toward the trolley, while Jack pushed off
+and sadly headed the Sprite for home.
+
+"Somehow, I don't think much of that detective," he thought, as he
+sped along. "He may be all right, and I suppose he is, but he hasn't
+got enough snap in him to suit me."
+
+Jack's adverse opinion of Sharp was increased tenfold, when he
+returned the following night and reported that he had been unable to
+find a single clue. "By the way," he said, "I tried to find those
+Jenkins boys to see if I could get anything out of them, but they left
+town on the early train yesterday, and no one seems to know where they
+have gone."
+
+It was late the next afternoon. Sharp had gone off early in the
+morning, saying that he would probably be back that night. Jack had
+spent the forenoon on the lake with his mother and the girls, trying
+to cheer them up. Mrs. Golden was rapidly giving away under the
+strain, while Edna's eyes were constantly red and swollen from crying.
+Mr. Golden had gone to his office that morning, but had returned on
+the twelve o'clock car, and they had met him at the wharf and taken
+him over in the Sprite. It was about four o'clock, and they were till
+on the porch, talking as usual about the missing boy.
+
+"Say, dad, I don't think much of that detective fellow," Jack was
+saying, when the phone rang sharply, and he ran into the house to
+answer it. A moment later he shouted, "Dad, you're wanted on the long
+distance." Mr. Golden came in quickly and took the receiver.
+
+"Is this Mr. Golden of Skowhegan?" came over the wire.
+
+"Yes."
+
+"This is the police station at Brunswick. A boy has just come in here
+with a note, which he says he found in the street. It's so covered
+with dirt, that it's pretty hard to read, but listen and I'll read
+what we've made out. Can you hear?"
+
+"Yes, yes, go ahead, I can hear all right."
+
+The voice then read the note, which Bob had dropped the night before.
+As Bob had thought, it didn't tell them much, but it let them know
+that he was alive and well, and that helped some and made them feel a
+little better. After Mr. Golden had finished telling them what he had
+heard, Jack said nothing for some moments, but sat thinking deeply.
+Suddenly, he looked up. "Dad," he said, "I want you to let me go to
+Boston. Bob's there, and I might be able to find him."
+
+"Why, my dear boy, what could you do in Boston. It is a big city,"
+spoke up Mrs. Golden, "and you don't know where they have taken him.
+Besides," she added sadly, "they might get you too."
+
+"I guess I could look out for myself. Jerusalem, but I've got to do
+something. I'm tired of this sitting round waiting for some one else
+to do it all, and," he added sadly, "this all don't seem to amount to
+a hill of beans. What do you say, dad?"
+
+"Well, I hardly know what to say," replied Mr. Golden. "We'll wait
+till Mr. Sharp returns, and see if he has any news." But, although
+they waited till nearly one o'clock, the detective did not come.
+
+They had all gone to bed but father and son. "Come, dad, say I may
+go," pleaded Jack.
+
+"Well, I'm not at all sure it's the wise thing, but something seems to
+tell me that I had better let you have your way."
+
+"Hurrah!" shouted Jack. "I'll be off on the five o'clock train."
+
+"No," said his father, "you had better wait till a later train, and
+perhaps I'll go with you, but I don't want to go till Sharp returns,
+and now let's go to bed."
+
+Sharp did not return the next morning, and at breakfast, Mr. Golden
+said, "Jack, I guess you had better take the noon train. If Sharp
+doesn't come with some news by that time, I'll wait and come later, if
+I think best."
+
+The thought that at last he was going to do something toward finding
+Bob filled Jack with joy, and by ten o'clock he was ready to start. He
+and Mr. Golden went across in the Sprite, after assuring his mother
+that he would be very careful and not get into trouble.
+
+"Now, my dear boy, be very careful and look out for yourself," said
+Mr. Golden, as he bade him goodby. "Go to Uncle Ben's tonight, and
+tomorrow, you had better go to the agency and have them detail a man
+to help you in your search," and then he added sadly, "It's like
+looking for a needle in a haystack, but if you don't get into trouble,
+it won't do any harm."
+
+"Don't worry about me," assured Jack, "I'll look out for myself and,"
+he added, "I'll find Bob if I have to go through Boston with a fine
+tooth comb."
+
+The Boston train pulled into the North station at eight o'clock, and
+as he was pretty hungry, Jack thought he would go into a restaurant
+just across the street, for supper, before going to his uncle's, as he
+lived in Winthrop, a town about five miles from the city, across the
+harbor. As he left the station, he caught sight of a man elbowing his
+way through the crowd, that made his heart thump.
+
+"On my soul, I believe that's Reed," he said half aloud, starting
+towards him. As he pushed forward he saw the man turn, and for an
+instant their eyes met, but the next moment the man had turned, and
+before Jack could get to him, he was lost in the crowd. He rushed
+about here and there, but to his dismay, he could not find him.
+
+"That was he, sure as guns," he thought, "and I believe he recognized
+me."
+
+He realized that his chances of finding him were virtually nil, and
+with a heavy heart, he entered the restaurant, and after a hasty
+supper, took a car for the ferry.
+
+It was a very dark night, and a drizzling rain was falling as he
+stepped on the ferryboat. There were not many people on board, and
+what few there were, at once went into the cabin to escape the rain.
+Jack, however, had on a raincoat and stood by the rail, watching the
+lights of the passing boats, and thinking what hard luck it was to
+find Reed so soon only to lose him again. The boat was about half-way
+across the harbor, which is about a mile and a half wide, when Jack
+felt himself seized from behind, and before he knew what had happened,
+he was hurling through the air into the dark water below.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XI.
+
+JACK IN TROUBLE.
+
+
+It seemed to Jack that he plunged down to a great depth, and when he
+finally rose to the surface, he was gasping for breath. His first
+thought was to free himself from his raincoat, and as soon as this was
+done, he struck out for the east side, as he thought he was a little
+more than half way across. Although a powerful swimmer, the choppy
+sea, caused by a brisk wind, and his clothing, which seemed to drag
+him down, made his progress difficult. He weakened rapidly, and before
+he was half way to the shore, fear struck him that he might not be
+able to reach it. Raising himself as far out of the water as possible,
+he looked about him, but it was very dark, and he could see but a few
+feet. No help was at hand, and summoning all his strength, he started
+to swim once more toward the lights, which now seemed farther away
+than at first. But his strokes were now very weak and his progress
+slow; still he kept doggedly on, for he was not a boy to give up so
+long as a particle of strength remained.
+
+After what seemed to him hours of struggle, he felt that he could keep
+up but a few moments more, and a dread fear seized his heart as he
+gave up hope. He thought not so much of himself, but of the father and
+mother, who might never know what had happened to him, and the thought
+nerved him to one more last effort.
+
+"It's no use," he thought, after taking a few feeble strokes, "I can't
+hold out any longer, I'm so tired."
+
+He tried, but his arms seemed numb and utterly refused to obey his
+will, and he was about to go under, when he felt himself seized by the
+collar and in another moment, found himself lying on his back on the
+bottom of a skiff, gasping for breath.
+
+As he slowly began to recover his strength, he looked up and saw that
+the boat contained two men, but he was unable to see their faces in
+the darkness.
+
+"Well, here's a rum go," he heard one of them say.
+
+"Right you are," replied the other. "That chap was about all in, I
+reckon. Lucky for him we came along when we did."
+
+"He'd sure gone down in another minute," declared the first speaker,
+"I'd never have seen him, it's so tarnational dark, if I hadn't
+happened to hit him wid the oar."
+
+"What'll we do with him?" asked the other.
+
+"Dunno, guess we might's well take him to the hole; might have
+something on him worth while," was the answer.
+
+They evidently thought that the boy was unconscious, and, in fact, so
+nearly played out was he, that he was unable to speak. The man at the
+oars, began to row again and soon the light boat was going at a lively
+pace, as they were rowing with the wind. Shortly, Jack became
+conscious that they were passing under a wharf, as the pace became
+slow, and occasionally the boat hit against the piling. The continued
+in this way for perhaps ten minutes, and then he felt the bottom of
+the boat grate on the shore.
+
+"See if he's come to, Jake," whispered the man who had been rowing.
+
+His companion reached over and shook him roughly by the arm.
+
+"I'm very much obliged to you for pulling me out," said Jack, weakly.
+"I sure thought it was all up with me."
+
+"That's all right," said the man in a low voice. "Think ye can stand
+up?"
+
+"I don't know, but I guess so. I'll try."
+
+Helped by the man, he succeeded in getting to his feet and crawled
+over the side of the boat to the ground.
+
+"I'm pretty wobbly," he gasped, "but I guess I'll be all right in a
+few minutes."
+
+"Here, Pete, you take hold of one arm and I'll take the other, and I
+guess we'll get him along all right."
+
+Jack stumbled along between the two men, for what seemed a long ways,
+but which was in reality only a few rods. He was too tired to take
+much notice of his surroundings, but soon saw, by the light of a dark
+lantern, which one of the men carried, that they were passing between
+heavy piles. Soon they came to a stone wall and it seemed to Jack that
+they must be at the end of their journey, but as they came closer, the
+light of the lantern showed a small hole, just large enough for a man
+to creep through.
+
+"I'll go first," said the man with the lantern, "then let the kid
+follow."
+
+He reached through and set the lantern down on the other side, and by
+dint of much squeezing and grunting, managed to push himself through.
+
+"Now you go, kid," ordered the other man.
+
+Jack was much smaller than the man who had gone first and crawled
+through without much difficulty, followed a moment later by the second
+man.
+
+"Now follow me, and mind you, keep close to the wall," whispered the
+man who carried the lantern, "and don't ye make any noise."
+
+Jack began to fear that he had fallen into evil hands, but there was
+nothing for him to do but to obey and follow where they led.
+
+The light was turned off, and they crept along in the darkness, Jack
+keeping one hand against the wall for some distance, when the man who
+led whispered, "Now, ye wait here a minute." Jack stopped, and in a
+minute heard the man give four raps on what sounded like a door.
+Almost instantly he heard a bolt shot back, and the next instant a
+door was flung open, letting out a flood of light. By its rays he
+could see that they were in a narrow passageway between two stone
+abutments.
+
+"What ye got there, Jake?" asked a woman's voice.
+
+"Dunno," was the somewhat surly reply. "Some kid we pulled out the
+harbor. Was about all in when we fished him out."
+
+"Well, seems to me yer taking a mighty big risk fetching him in here,"
+said the woman somewhat sharply.
+
+"Now don't ye go to butting in, old woman," snapped the man. "I guess
+me and Pete knows what we're about."
+
+They had entered the room, and Jack tumbled into a chair, too tired to
+stand up. He looked about him and saw that he was in a small room
+with a low ceiling and dirty with what seemed the accumulation of
+years. The woman who had admitted them might have been anywhere
+between thirty and sixty years old, but so dirty and slack looking was
+she, that it was impossible to guess her age any nearer. He now got a
+good look, for the first time, at the men who had saved him, and saw
+that their appearance was wholly in keeping with their surroundings.
+The older of the two might have been sixty, while the younger was ten
+or fifteen years his junior. Both had hard rough faces, and his heart
+sank as he realized how completely he was in their power.
+
+"Well, boy, have ye got yer wind back yet?" asked the older man.
+
+"I guess so," replied Jack, "but I still feel pretty weak.
+
+"S'pose so," grunted the man. "Now how'd ye get into the wet?"
+
+"I was crossing on a ferryboat and some one came up behind me and
+pushed me over."
+
+"Pshaw, ye don't say so!" exclaimed the younger man. "Now what de ye
+suppose he did that for?"
+
+"I'm sure I don't know," replied Jack, and then as nothing more was
+said for a moment, he continued, "I feel stronger now, and if you will
+kindly show me to the street, I think I'll go, and," he added, taking
+a pocketbook from his inside coat pocket, "if you'll take this
+ten-dollar bill for your trouble, I'll still feel very thankful to you
+for saving my life." From the look on the faces of the two men, as
+they saw the pocketbook, he realized that he had made a grave mistake,
+but it was too late now.
+
+"Not so fast, sonny," said the older man, "don't ye think yer life is
+worth more than ten dollars? Anyhow, Pete," he said, turning to the
+other man, "I reckon we can make mor'n that out of him, eh?"
+
+"Well, I'd hope so," was the reply.
+
+"How much money ye got there, kid?" asked the man called Jake.
+
+"About one hundred dollars," answered Jack, for he saw that they
+intended to have it, "and I'll give it all to you if you'll let me go
+now."
+
+"What yer say, Pete?" asked Jake, but it was the woman who answered.
+
+"Don't yer let him get away, Jake. Mebby his father'll think his
+life's worth a lot mor'n one hundred dollars."
+
+"Good for ye, old woman, mebby we can work that gag." Then, turning to
+Jack, he asked, "Who's yer old man, boy?"
+
+Jack hesitated a moment, and the man grabbed him roughly by the arm
+and said, "Speak up now, and no funny business, we're not to be fooled
+with."
+
+Seeing that it would be useless to resist, he answered, "My father's
+name is Golden, and he lives in Maine."
+
+"Got any rocks?" eagerly asked the woman.
+
+"A little, I suppose."
+
+"Huh," she grunted, "I guess when a kid like you runs round with one
+hundred dollars, and carrying a gold watch like this," she added,
+taking it from his vest pocket, "his old man's got plenty more."
+
+"Well, what do you intend to do with me?" asked Jack more boldly, for
+he was not easily scared, and, realizing that he was in the hands of a
+gang of harbor thieves, he had made up his mind to put on a bold
+front, trusting to his luck to get away. But no one answered him.
+
+"Where's Jim and Joe?" suddenly asked Jake, turning to the woman.
+
+"Gone over to the city."
+
+"When'll they be back?"
+
+"Not much 'fore morning, likely. The boss sent for 'em; said that he
+had a job on hand that might take all night."
+
+He then turned to Jack, "Hungry?"
+
+"No," replied Jack, "I had supper, but I'd like to get these wet
+clothes off and lie down if you aren't going to let me go."
+
+"Well, I s'pose they do feel kinder oneasy. Say, Mag, take him
+upstairs and lock him in the middle room. He can take his duds off,
+and they'll dry out by morning. I'm hungry's a bear and want supper,
+quick."
+
+"Seem's if you're always hungry," she growled, as she motioned Jack to
+follow her. "I'll be back in a jiff, and supper'll be ready's soon I
+can git it."
+
+She led him up a flight of dark rickety stairs and, passing along a
+narrow hallway, pushed him into a room, saying, "There's a cot there,
+and ye can strip and wring out yer duds and they'll dry by morning.
+But say, kid, don't yer try to get away, for take it from me, if Jake
+catches ye trying anything, he'll do ye up for keeps."
+
+She left him a small lamp with which she had lighted the way up, and
+going out, closed and locked the door.
+
+"Guess they forgot all about that one hundred dollars," thought Jack,
+as he held up the light and looked about him. The room contained no
+window, but there was a small opening in the ceiling, which seemed to
+open into a room above. The only thing in the room was an old broken
+cot.
+
+"Well," he thought, as he set the light on the floor, "I wasn't long
+in getting into trouble after I landed in Boston, that's sure; still I
+don't see how I could have avoided it. It must have been that man Reed
+who threw me over. He probably followed me, but I don't see why he
+tried to kill me. Perhaps he thought I had a clue as to where Bob is,"
+he mused.
+
+While these thoughts were running through his mind, he had been taking
+off his wet clothes. Stripping to the skin, he wrung out what water he
+could, and then spread them out on the floor. "Good thing it's so
+hot," he muttered, "or I'd get a fine cold, but I guess there's no
+danger in here, as it's hot enough to fry eggs. Well, guess I might as
+well take things as easy as possible."
+
+The cot was covered with an old sheet, which, strangely enough, seemed
+to be fairly clean, and wrapping it around him, he threw himself on
+the cot, too tired even to think any more, and in spite of the heat,
+was soon fast asleep.
+
+He dreamed that he was in a baker's shop, where many workmen were
+busily engaged baking bread. In some unaccountable manner, he was
+changed into an immense loaf of bread, and although he tried his best
+to tell the baker that he was a boy and not a loaf of bread, he was
+thrown into the oven. The heat grew more and more intense, until
+finally, when it seemed that he must be about done, he suddenly awoke.
+
+"Well," was his first thought, "that was a funny dream." Then he sat
+up, trying to think where he was. Soon remembrance returned, and with
+a groan he sank back.
+
+"Whew, but it's hot in here," he said to himself. "Don't believe I can
+get to sleep again; guess I'll turn up the light and see if my clothes
+are drying." As he stepped to the floor, the boards seemed almost hot
+to his feet.
+
+"Wonder what makes it so awful hot," he thought, as he turned up the
+light. Just then, he thought he heard a faint snapping sound from
+below, and an instant later, the odor of burning wood came to his
+nostrils, while he saw thin puffs of smoke curling up through the
+cracks of the floor.
+
+"My goodness," he thought as he realized his position, "the house is
+on fire and I'm locked in here!"
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XII.
+
+BOB BEGINS WORK ON A FAKE CELL.
+
+
+About noon, the hunchback brought Bob's dinner to him, and two hours
+later, King opened the door, saying, "Well, son, I guess I've got all
+you'll need, and now I want you to get to work at once."
+
+"All right, I suppose I might as well begin now as any time."
+
+"Now, let me tell you something," continued King, as they started down
+the stairs. "I know all about electricity and storage batteries and
+I'm going to watch you every minute, and if you try to fool me and
+don't make that cell right, I give you fair warning that it'll be the
+worse for you."
+
+Bob made no reply, but thought to himself, "If you can catch me before
+the thing is done and tested, you're a good deal smarter than I think
+you are." He fully realized that he was taking a desperate chance, for
+he knew that the cell, as he was going to make it, would not work, for
+he had tried one like it while he and Jack were experimenting. But he
+had made up his mind not to give the secret away, trusting that an
+opportunity to escape would present itself before he had finished. He
+had also resolved to work as slowly and to take as long a time about
+it as he dared.
+
+King led the way down to the laboratory and showed him the things he
+had bought. It would be tiresome to relate Bob's work in detail, and
+we shall tell about only those parts that are necessary to the story.
+
+He managed to use up that afternoon and the greater part of the next
+day making one cap, but about four o'clock he had to declare that part
+of the work done.
+
+"Now, what's next?" asked King.
+
+"We'll have to make another cap to go with this one."
+
+"Are they both alike?"
+
+"No, this one is positive and the other will have to be negative.
+We'll begin on that one in the morning."
+
+"Not much we won't," almost shouted King. "We'll start it right now,
+and we ought to have it done by twelve o'clock tonight. I believe
+you're loafing on the work anyway."
+
+"Believe what you please," said Bob, mad clear through, "but I'll tell
+you right now that I'm not going to work any more today, and what's
+more you can't make me either."
+
+"Can't, eh, we'll see about that," snapped King, coming toward Bob
+with clenched fist.
+
+Now, when Bob was real good and mad, he could be as stubborn as a
+mule, and he was in exactly that condition now, regardless of
+consequences. So, when King raised his fist as if to hit him, he
+stepped back, saying in a firm tone, "You hit me just once, and I
+won't do another bit of work on that thing if you kill me for it."
+
+King dropped his fist, and the two looked each other in the eyes for a
+full minute without speaking. "You'll work tonight or you'll get no
+supper," he finally threatened.
+
+"Get no supper, eh?" snapped Bob. "If I get no supper tonight,
+there'll be no cell made tomorrow, just remember that," and then, as
+King did not at once reply, he continued, "Now see here, no one yet,
+except my parents, ever made me do a thing I'd made up my mind not to
+do, and I've made it up good and hard, right now, and you can't make
+me back down. You've got me in your power, and I suppose you can put
+me out of the way if you want to, but that won't get you the cell, so
+what are you going to do about it?"
+
+King realized that he was licked, and gave in, with as good grace as
+he could muster. "All right," he growled, "have your own way."
+
+Bob was much relieved when he realized that he had won, for although
+he had put up a bold front, he had by no means felt as confident as
+his looks indicated. He spent the next forenoon getting the copper
+cylinder and the tank ready for the electrolysis, telling King that he
+had decided not to make the other cap till the cylinder was done,
+although he could easily have done the work in an hour. After dinner
+he dissolved the lead nitrate in water, poured the solution into the
+tank, and adjusted the cap.
+
+"Have you a piece of platinum foil?" he asked King.
+
+"What do you want that for?"
+
+"Why, you see I make this cylinder the positive pole of the circuit
+and have to have the platinum for the negative."
+
+"All right, I guess I can find a piece," he replied.
+
+Bob hoped that he couldn't, and, as a matter of fact, he could have
+used a piece of copper just as well, but, he thought, "if he will only
+go out after some and leave me here, I might find a way to escape."
+But, to his disappointment, it was soon forthcoming, and putting it in
+place he was soon obliged to acknowledge that he was ready to turn on
+the current.
+
+"How much do you want?" asked King.
+
+"One and four-tenths volts and six tenths of an ampere," replied Bob.
+
+As the current was turned on, King watched the cylinder closely, and
+soon he could see that a dark brown powder was collecting on the
+outside.
+
+"Hold on a minute," said Bob, "I forgot to insulate the outside of
+that cylinder. Have you a piece of rubber tubing, large enough to slip
+on over it?"
+
+"I guess so, but it seems to me that you are all the time forgetting
+something or other."
+
+The correction was soon made, and the cylinder returned to the bath.
+After the current had been running about half an hour, King purposed
+that they take the cylinder out and see if they were getting any
+results, as they could not see the inside of it while it was in the
+tank. Glad of any delay, Bob readily assented, and as soon as it was
+removed, it was seen that a very small amount of the powder had coated
+the inside.
+
+"Humph," growled King. "It's mighty slow. Won't it go faster if we use
+more juice?"
+
+"Yes," replied Bob, "but it will be too loose and spongy." This was
+the truth, as he had found by experiment, and he was very glad that
+this part of the work would have to go slowly, whether or no. When
+supper time came, King proposed that they leave the current running
+all night, but Bob wouldn't hear to it.
+
+"No," he said, "I must be here to watch it, for I know what to expect
+if it don't pan out, and much depends on how that peroxide of lead is
+deposited. Either you turn off the current or I quit."
+
+King knew from past experience that it would be useless to threaten
+and grudgingly yielded the point. "Shall we take the cylinder out?" he
+asked.
+
+"Of course," replied Bob, "I thought you knew something about this
+kind of work."
+
+King muttered something about wanting to make sure, and leaving the
+laboratory they went up to supper.
+
+That night about ten o'clock, as Bob was lying on his bed trying, as
+usual, to think of some way to escape, he heard the key turn in the
+lock and the hunchback entered.
+
+"Mr. King sent me up to tell you to go to sleep good and early for
+he's going to call you at five o'clock."
+
+"Oh, he did, did he?" returned Bob. "Well, you just tell him that I'll
+go to sleep when I get good and ready and not a minute before. Do you
+get that?"
+
+While speaking, he had got off the bed and gradually approached the
+hunchback. As he finished, he suddenly grabbed him round the neck, and
+before the dwarf had time to defend himself, he was hurled to the far
+side of the room. Bob made a quick dash for the door and in an instant
+had it closed and locked behind him. Quickly, he turned and darted
+down the stairs, but before he reached the next floor, he heard the
+man shouting and pounding on the door. "I must hurry," he thought,
+taking the next flight three steps at a time. He had reached the lower
+floor and was unlocking the front door, when a door at his left flew
+open and both King and Reed rushed out.
+
+"What's all this?" demanded King; then as he saw who it was, he sprang
+forward and grabbed Bob by the shoulders and roughly yanked him back.
+"So you thought you'd give us the slip, did you? How'd you get out of
+that room?"
+
+Poor Bob's heart sank as he realized that his attempt was a failure,
+and he made no reply.
+
+"We'll soon find out," said King. "Come on now," and he made Bob
+precede him up the stairs.
+
+"You miserable runt," he shouted, as he unlocked the door and saw the
+dwarf. "What does this mean?"
+
+"Gee," replied the latter, "he jumped me so quick, I didn't know what
+was up before he was out of the room and I was locked in."
+
+"Don't blame him," broke in Bob, "it wasn't his fault."
+
+"Well, the next time I send you up here, just deliver your message
+through the door, do you understand?"
+
+"I certainly do. I won't give him a chance to get hold of me again,"
+declared the dwarf, rubbing his arm.
+
+Bob was much cast down as they went out. "But I won't give up," he
+thought as he was undressing. "But, confound it, I've got to do
+something pretty soon for I'm not going to make that job pan out
+nearly as long as I thought I could."
+
+Before he slept that night, he had resolved upon a bold stroke for
+liberty, which he was resolved to put into execution at the very first
+opportunity.
+
+About eight o'clock the next morning, Bob realized that his chance had
+come. King was watching the cell while he was standing about three
+feet to one side. Suddenly, Bob drew back his right arm and before
+King could defend himself, he struck. The blow was a jim dandy, as Bob
+afterward expressed it. It caught King fairly on the jaw and he went
+down like a log, knocking over the tank as he fell. Bob quickly leaned
+over him and took the key of the laboratory from his pocket, where he
+had seen him put it several times.
+
+"Now, if I can only get out," he thought as he unlocked the door and
+stole softly up the stairs.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIII.
+
+BOB'S ESCAPE.
+
+
+Bob's heart beat wildly as he crept up the stairs, for he had resolved
+to let no one stop him if he could help it, knowing that it would go
+hard with him if he again fell into King's hands. He reached the top
+of the flight without hearing any one and quickly passed through the
+dining room to the front hall, and for the second time since his
+imprisonment, he was at the front door. The hall had a vestibule and
+just as he succeeded in getting the inner door open he heard a key
+turn in the outer door, and before he had time to dodge back, it swung
+open and Reed entered.
+
+Coming thus suddenly face to face, it would be hard to say which was
+more at a loss what to do, but as soon as he could speak, Reed gasped,
+"You?"
+
+"Yes, me," answered Bob, "and if you don't step aside and let me pass,
+some one is going to get hurt and don't you forget it."
+
+"Where's Jim?" Reed demanded, shutting the door.
+
+"What's left of him is down stairs, and I rather guess he'll stay
+there a while."
+
+As Bob had taken the precaution to lock the door of the laboratory
+after he came out and had the key in his pocket, he felt that he had
+little to fear from that quarter for a time at least, even if King had
+come to.
+
+"Your little game is up," he continued, "and you might as well step
+aside and save trouble and perhaps your head as well."
+
+"Think so?" sneered Reed, and Bob saw him reach his hand back toward
+his hip pocket and before he was able to spring forward, he was
+looking into the barrel of a .32.
+
+"Now, my young friend, I rather guess you will reconsider your
+conclusion. I don't want to hurt you, but I'd much prefer putting a
+bullet through you to letting you get away. Now, about face and march
+down to the laboratory again, and no monkey shines, or this here gun
+will be apt to go off, for when I get excited, my finger gets twitchy,
+and remember, if it does go off, the bullet will come out of the end
+that's pointing at you."
+
+All this had probably not taken over a minute, but during that time,
+Bob had been doing some quick thinking and had resolved that, gun or
+no gun, he was not going to lose this chance. They passed out into the
+dining room, Reed following Bob at a distance of perhaps six feet.
+Reaching the door, at the head of the stairs, Bob pretended that he
+was trying to open it.
+
+"It seems to be locked," he said, "Guess the wind must have blown it
+shut."
+
+"Well, hold on a minute, I've got a key in my pocket."
+
+Bob turned and saw that Reed had lowered the revolver a little as he
+searched his pocket for the key. It was the chance he wanted. Like a
+flash he leaped, and before the startled man could raise his arm, his
+wrist was seized and given a powerful twist, which sent the revolver
+spinning to the other side of the room. Reed, maddened to the point of
+frenzy, struggled with all his strength, and he was no mean
+antagonist, but Bob knew that he was fighting for his liberty, if not
+for his life, and fought as he had never fought before. Round the room
+they struggled, knocking over the chairs as they fought. Once the man
+got the boy down on his back, and with his hand on his throat, began
+to choke him, but Bob managed to squirm over, and, getting to his
+knees, flung one arm round Reed's neck, and giving a powerful twist
+made him lose his hold. Both quickly rose to their feet and stood
+facing each other, panting for breath. Suddenly, catching sight of the
+revolver on the floor near his feet, Reed made a move toward it. But
+the movement gave Bob the chance he wanted, and, springing forward,
+he swung his right arm with all the strength he could muster. His fist
+landed squarely on the man's right eye, and he went down in a heap. He
+was not knocked out, but the blow gave Bob time to grab up the
+revolver, and by the time Reed was on his feet again, he took his turn
+at looking down the barrel.
+
+"Now, my old friend, I guess I'll have to ask you to recognize that
+conclusion you spoke of a few moments ago. This thing don't look quite
+so good at that end, does it? Give my regards to your friend below, if
+you can get enough life in him to accept them."
+
+So saying, he backed out of the room into the hall, still pointing the
+revolver at the man, who stood looking daggers at him, but not daring
+to move, and this time reached the street without mishap.
+
+"Whew!" he thought, as he slipped the revolver into his pocket, "that
+was some exciting time while it lasted. Well, I'm free at last and
+I'll take mighty good care that they don't get me again. Wonder which
+way I'd better go?"
+
+Although well acquainted with a good part of Boston, as he looked
+about him he had no idea in what part of the city he was, except that
+it was one of the poorer districts.
+
+Coming to the harbor front, he turned toward the south, judging that
+the ferry was in that direction. He had gone but a few squares, when
+he heard the cry of fire, and glancing down a side street which led to
+the water's edge, he saw a number of men and boys running toward an
+old house near the water and about a square from where he was
+standing.
+
+"Guess I'll see what's doing," he thought as he turned and started to
+run down the street.
+
+Coming opposite the house, which stood somewhat apart by itself, he
+saw that it was a three-story frame structure, and the flames were
+already visible through the windows of the first floor, while smoke
+was pouring from those of the first and second stories.
+
+"It won't last ten minutes," said a man standing next to him, "the
+walls will fall in before the fire engine gets here."
+
+"Are the people all out?" asked Bob.
+
+"Dunno, guess so. Don't see any one, do you?"
+
+But, at that moment, a figure appeared at a front third-story window
+and shouted for help. At the sound of the voice, Bob's heart almost
+stopped beating, and shading his eyes with his hand, he gazed eagerly
+upward. "It can't be possible," he thought, "but that was Jack's voice
+sure as guns, and what's more, it looks like him." Just then, the boy
+gave another wild cry for help.
+
+"My soul, that's Jack," he groaned, "sure as fate. Quick," he shouted,
+"where's a ladder?"
+
+The cry was taken up by the crowd, and in a minute, a man pushed his
+way through the crowd, carrying a fairly long ladder. Eager hands
+seized it and raised it toward the boy, but alas for their hopes, it
+reached only to the middle of the second story window, too short by
+nearly eight feet. Bob gave a groan, but just then he saw a store on
+the opposite side of the street, and rushing across, he darted in. "A
+coil of rope," he shouted, but there was no one there. Just at that
+moment, however, a man rushed in, and hearing Bob's cry, darted to the
+back part of the store, to return almost instantly, dragging about
+twenty feet of rope after him. Snatching the end of the rope from his
+hand, Bob rushed back across the street rapidly coiling it as he ran.
+By the time he reached the foot of the ladder the smoke and flames
+were pouring from the windows in great clouds and the entire front of
+the house was tottering.
+
+"Can't do it," shouted a man, "it'll fall before you can get up."
+
+"I'm going to do it anyway," muttered the boy as he started to ascend.
+
+The heat was terrific, and the smoke nearly choked him, but he fought
+his way upward rung by rung. It seemed that he would never reach the
+top, as the rungs of the ladder were so hot they fairly blistered his
+hands and the walls threatened to fall at any moment, but he did it,
+and bracing himself by putting one foot through the ladder, he grasped
+one end of the rope in his right hand, holding the coil in his left.
+
+"Now, Jack, catch it," he shouted.
+
+"Great guns, Bob, how'd you get here?"
+
+"Never mind now, catch this rope," and he threw it up toward the
+window with all the strength he had left, which was not very much. By
+rare good fortune Jack caught it.
+
+"Quick, now, fasten it to something, this wall won't last much
+longer."
+
+Jack disappeared for what seemed to Bob a long time, but at last he
+saw him at the window again.
+
+"I've got it," he shouted.
+
+"All right, now, come down while I hold this end."
+
+Jack swung himself from the window and came down the rope hand over
+hand and soon had his feet on the top rung of the ladder.
+
+"Now, quick, we haven't a second to lose," cried Bob, as he started to
+descend. "Are you all right?"
+
+"Sure thing, look out, I'm coming," shouted Jack.
+
+By this time several of the rungs were on fire, and two or three broke
+as Bob stepped on them, but he managed to keep his hold, and, reaching
+the ground, looked up to see Jack half way down. But, now the ladder
+was so weakened that, as the boy stepped on to the next rung, it
+swayed and broke fairly in two, and at that instant, the entire front
+of the building fell in with a tremendous crash.
+
+Jack, however, was safe. He had felt the ladder, as well as the wall,
+going and had managed to throw himself backward away from the burning
+building. He fell only about eight feet and landed on his feet unhurt.
+Running quickly back, away from the intense heat, the two boys hugged
+each other in a frenzy of joy, while the crowd set up a great shout of
+gladness.
+
+"You saved my life, old man, but for mercy sakes, how did you get
+here?"
+
+"It's too long a story to tell now," replied Bob, "let's try to get
+out of this crowd."
+
+Although many tried to detain them, the two boys managed to slip away
+just as a fire engine, with a great ringing of bells, dashed on to the
+scene.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIV.
+
+ON THE KIDNAPPER'S TRAIL.
+
+
+The two boys were pretty well tired out from the strain through which
+they had just passed and they both had several bad burns on their
+hands, which, now that the excitement was over, began to assert
+themselves. They had not walked far when they saw a small park, where
+were some benches, and Jack proposed that they sit down and rest up a
+bit. As he knew that Bob had been taken to Boston, naturally the
+latter was the more surprised of the two on seeing his brother there,
+and as soon as they were seated on a bench Bob said:
+
+"Now, Jack, tell me all about it, quick, and then I'll give you an
+account of my racket."
+
+So Jack, starting from the time Bob disappeared, told him all that had
+happened. When he reached the point where we left him, he said:
+
+"I tell you what, Bob, when I found that those rascals had varmoused
+and left me locked in that burning house, I was scared. I pounded on
+the door and yelled till I was hoarse and when no one came I was
+about ready to give up. By this time the room was pretty full of
+smoke, and my eyes smarted so that I could hardly keep them open and
+the floor was so hot, that I had to fairly dance, and it was getting
+hotter every minute. I had managed to get my clothes on by this time
+and started to see if I could kick a hole in the door, but it was too
+strong and I could make no impression on it."
+
+"Couldn't you cut a hole in it with your knife?" asked Bob.
+
+"I thought of that, but I had lost my knife somewhere. Well, just as I
+thought that all hope was gone, I remembered that there was a hole
+about two feet square in the ceiling at one end of the room. It was
+fully eight feet from the floor, but I took the cot and leaned it
+against the wall and managed, by climbing up on it, to reach the edge
+of the opening and climb up through. I found myself in an empty room
+running the entire length of the house. There was a stairway at the
+other end and I ran to it, but the smoke was pouring up in clouds and
+I could see that the stairs were ablaze and the room below full of
+fire, so I didn't dare to risk it. I thought then it was all up with
+me, but it was a little cooler up there and I managed to get one of
+the front windows open, and you know the rest. I tell you, Bob, old
+man, you never looked so good to me as you did coming up that ladder
+with the rope in your hand. I think I should have jumped in another
+two minutes. But, now tell me all about yourself. Where have you been
+and how did you get away?"
+
+Then Bob gave him a full account of his adventures and when he told
+how he had hit Reed on the nose, Jack said, "Good enough for him, wish
+I'd been there." Then, when Bob had finished, he asked, "But why do
+you suppose Reed pushed me overboard? It must have been he."
+
+"Of course it was," answered Bob, "there's no one else who would do it
+except King and it couldn't have been he, for he was with me at the
+time. I suppose he saw you, and thinking you might make trouble for
+them, he probably thought he would dispose of you."
+
+"I guess that's about the way of it, leastwise, that's the way I
+figured it out. Hello, there's a cop; suppose we ask him where we
+are."
+
+They soon learned that they were only about a half mile from the
+station, and as they were well rested, they decided that they would go
+there and take the train for their Uncle Ben's in Winthrop.
+
+Reaching the station, they found a train about to leave, and in less
+than a half hour, they were getting off at Winthrop Beach. Uncle Ben's
+house was but a few minutes' walk from the station and soon they were
+ringing the bell, and their Aunt Lucy answered it.
+
+"Why, it's Bob and Jack," she cried as she saw them. "Where did you
+come from? My, but I'm glad to see you," and without giving them time
+to speak, she grabbed one in each arm and gave them a good hug and
+kiss.
+
+"Where's Uncle Ben?" asked Bob as soon as he could get the question
+in.
+
+"He had to go to the bank, but I expect him out on the next train, as
+he said he was only going to stay a little while. But there, I'll bet
+you haven't had any lunch and are as hungry as two young bears. Come
+right in and we'll have something to eat in less than no time."
+
+"How are all the folks?" asked Aunt Lucy, as they sat down.
+
+"Fine and dandy," replied Jack, "but my goodness, Bob, we must call
+them up right off. Can I use the 'phone, auntie?"
+
+The 'phone was in the front hall and Jack was gone some little time,
+but at last he returned. Just as they began to eat, the door opened
+and Uncle Ben entered the room. He was no less delighted to see the
+boys than Aunt Lucy had been, and the meal was a merry one. The boys
+said nothing regarding their adventures till the lunch was over, then
+Bob said:
+
+"Uncle Ben, we've got quite a long story to tell you."
+
+"Is that so? Well, fire away."
+
+So Bob began and told them all about their adventures. He was
+interrupted many times by expressions of horror and indignation from
+Uncle Ben and Aunt Lucy.
+
+"Well, of all the happenings," declared Uncle Ben, when he had
+finished. "Say, Bob, do you think you can find that house where they
+had you?"
+
+"Yes, I think so. It was in East Boston, 54 Uhl street. I noticed the
+number of the house and the street as I ran out."
+
+"That's in one of the worst sections of the city," declared Uncle Ben.
+"Now, boys, if you are not too tired we must take the next train to
+the city and report this to the police, and we may be in time to catch
+them. The scoundrels, they must be caught and punished if possible;
+it's not safe to have them at large."
+
+Both boys declared that they were not tired, and, as the next train
+left in about fifteen minutes, they started at once.
+
+In a short time they reached East Boston and took the ferry across.
+
+"It must have been here that I went overboard," said Jack as they were
+about half way across, and he shuddered as he looked down at the
+water. "I wouldn't want to go through that again."
+
+"I should say not," said Uncle Ben. "Oh, by the way, Jack, you didn't
+see either of those fellows round the house after the fire, did you?"
+
+"No, I never thought a thing about them."
+
+"Well, they ought to be found and locked up, for they undoubtedly
+intended to rob you, and were probably going to make your father pay a
+big sum of money."
+
+"Yes, I guess that's so," agreed Jack, "but then they saved my life
+and I'd rather call it square."
+
+"Well, if that's the way you feel about it," said Uncle Ben, "we won't
+say anything to the captain about them."
+
+Reaching the other side of the harbor, they lost no time in getting a
+car, which took them to State street, where was the police station of
+which Uncle Ben's friend was captain.
+
+"Is Captain Long in?" he asked a sergeant, who was sitting at the desk
+as they entered.
+
+"I think so, sir, please wait a moment and I'll see." Touching a bell
+on his desk, he ordered the attendant to see if the captain was in his
+office.
+
+"Right, sir," said the man going out.
+
+He was back in a minute, and telling them that Captain Long would see
+them at once, conducted them through several rooms into his private
+office.
+
+"Why, hello Ben," greeted a large broad-shouldered man, wearing the
+uniform of a police captain, as they were ushered into the room. "Come
+to give yourself up?"
+
+"Not just yet, Harry. These are my two nephews from Maine," he said,
+introducing the boys, "I think likely you've seen them around my
+house, but I guess you've never met them."
+
+The captain expressed himself as pleased to know them, and then
+motioning them to sit down, asked:
+
+"Now, what can I do for you?"
+
+"Well, Harry," answered Uncle Ben, "these two youngsters have been
+through enough to turn your hair gray." Then turning to Bob, he said:
+"Tell him your story as quickly as you can, for every minute may
+count."
+
+So, for the third time that day Bob gave an account of his kidnapping,
+only this time he made it as brief as possible. The captain said
+nothing till he had finished, but they could see that he was not
+losing a word.
+
+"Give me as careful a description of those two men as you can," he
+ordered, and Bob obeyed.
+
+"This is indeed serious," said the captain, turning to Mr. Golden when
+Bob had finished. "I'll bet you my cap that the smaller of the two men
+is Jim the Penman, and if that's right, he is one of the most wanted
+men in the country today. Why, there's a reward of $10,000 for him,
+and that other fellow may be Oily Joe; they have worked together a
+good bit and are two of the most expert counterfeiters in the world.
+The two of them have given us a lot of trouble. I'm mighty glad you
+came to me, although I'm afraid it's too late, as they've probably
+skipped, but we'll make a try for them and it's possible we may be on
+time."
+
+He touched a button on his desk, and an officer entered.
+
+"Have the patrol out at once with six of the best men available," he
+ordered, "Report to me here. Let's see," he said, as the man saluted
+and retired, "you said 54 Uhl street. That's over across the ferry."
+
+In less than two minutes a knock sounded and at the captain's "come
+in," six uniformed policemen entered. Quickly, he explained the
+situation to them and gave his orders.
+
+"The driver will let you out about two squares this side of the house,
+and I'll be there by the time you are, and tell you how to arrange
+things."
+
+He gave them the address and saluting, they left the room.
+
+"Don't lose a minute," he shouted as the last man went out.
+
+"Now," said Captain Long, turning to Mr. Golden and the boys, "don't
+you want to come along with me in my car?"
+
+"We sure do," cried both boys together, and even Uncle Ben seemed no
+less anxious.
+
+"All right then, this way," and he led them out to the street.
+
+His car, a powerful two-seated machine, stood in front of the station
+house, the chauffeur dozing on the front seat, but he sprang to
+activity as he heard the captain's voice.
+
+Quickly, they entered the machine, Captain Long giving the direction
+to the driver, and just as they started, the patrol whizzed by, the
+horses at full gallop.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XV.
+
+THE COUNTERFEITER'S DEN.
+
+
+They passed the patrol just as they reached the ferry and all crossed
+together. Reaching the other side, the machine soon distanced the
+patrol, and, after running for about ten minutes, the captain told the
+driver to stop and the car drew up at the curb.
+
+"The place is only two squares away," he explained, "and we'll wait
+here for the patrol."
+
+It came dashing up in a few moments and the men got out.
+
+"Now, two of you go round by Clear street, and come up by the back
+way," ordered the captain, "and two more go up Clover a couple of
+blocks and then turn down Front, which will bring you to the front of
+the house. The rest of you wait here a few moments, and then go
+straight there and we'll follow about a square behind. Now, don't make
+any noise till we are all there, but if you see any one leave the
+house, arrest him at once."
+
+Four of the men saluted and started off in the directions ordered,
+and, after waiting five minutes, the other two left, followed a moment
+later by the captain and the Goldens. Arriving at the house, they
+found the four officers there.
+
+"Are the others round back?" asked the captain.
+
+"Yes, sir," answered one of the men.
+
+"See any one?"
+
+"No, sir."
+
+"All right then, you wait here and I'll ring the bell." This he did,
+but no one answered the summons.
+
+"Guess they've skipped," said one of the men.
+
+After ringing several times, Captain Long said:
+
+"Two of you stay here and the rest of us will go round to the rear,
+and see if we can get in without smashing a door, and," he added,
+"keep an eye on those side windows."
+
+They found the two officers waiting at the rear.
+
+"Seen anything?" asked Captain Long.
+
+"Not a thing," was the reply.
+
+They found the back door locked with the key on the inside, and,
+remarking that he guessed they would have to break a window, the
+captain took a small diamond glass cutter from his pocket and
+scratched a circle about six inches in diameter on the window pane,
+just above the catch. A quick push shoved it in, and reaching his hand
+through, he soon had the window open.
+
+"Now, Bill," he said, turning to one of the men, "you jump in and
+unlock the door."
+
+"In a minute they were in the house, and passing through to the front
+door, admitted the others. Leaving one man on guard at the front door,
+another at the rear, while a third was stationed in the middle room,
+the rest made a thorough search of the upper part of the house. But,
+to their disappointment, they found no one. They returned to the first
+floor and the captain said:
+
+"Now we'll go down to the basement."
+
+Bob found the room looking about as he had left it earlier in the day,
+except that King was no longer there. He showed them the cylinder, on
+which he had been at work, and which he found lying on the floor. They
+made a careful search of the room, but found nothing of an
+incriminating nature and were about to return upstairs, when Jack, had
+been looking over a desk in one corner of the room shouted:
+
+"Come over here a minute, I believe I've found something."
+
+He had noticed a piece of paper lying partly concealed, under one
+corner of the desk and had moved it slightly to get the paper without
+tearing it, when he noticed a break in the flooring, and on moving the
+desk a little farther, he saw a small ring in the floor.
+
+"I believe there's a trap door here," he declared as they came over to
+where he was.
+
+It was but a moment's work to shove the desk out of the way, and sure
+enough, there was a trap door about two feet square. One of the
+officers took hold of the ring, and a second later they were gazing
+down into a pitch-black hole. Captain Long kneeled down and flashed
+the light from an electric torch into the space below.
+
+"Jove," he shouted, "here's a find sure enough; I'm going down and the
+rest of you follow."
+
+It was a large room about twenty feet long by twelve feet wide. The
+walls were of brick, and so far as they could see, there was no break
+in them. The room was lighted by several incandescent electric lights,
+which one of the men had turned on. Looking around, they found that
+the room contained an electric furnace, such as is used for melting
+bullion, a small printing press, and several other pieces of
+machinery, which the captain recognized as pertaining to the making of
+counterfeit money. They also found several dies for stamping quarters
+and half dollars, as well as a number of plates for printing bills of
+ten and twenty dollar denominations. Several pounds of lead and
+copper, together with a smaller amount of silver and gold was also
+found.
+
+"I'm mighty sorry that we didn't get the rascals," declared Captain
+Long, "but this find is well worth our while."
+
+He started to mount the ladder, telling the others to follow him, when
+a very astonishing thing happened. Suddenly the trap door banged down
+and at the same time the lights went out, while a mocking laugh
+sounded from above. Quickly, the captain sprang up the ladder, and
+bracing himself, pushed with all his strength against the door, but it
+did not so much as budge.
+
+"We're trapped, sure as fate," he said, as he gave it up and came down
+the ladder. "Where do you suppose those fellows were hid all the
+time?"
+
+"They probably had some secret hiding place which we didn't find,"
+declared Mr. Golden.
+
+"I guess that's about the size of it. Here, Bill, I guess you and Fred
+are the strongest, you two get up on that ladder and see if you can
+make any impression on that door. I wonder how, in the name of all
+that's funny, they have fastened it, for I didn't see any lock on it."
+
+The two officers did as ordered, but in spite of their most strenuous
+efforts, they could make no impression on it. They did, however, make
+a most decided impression on the ladder, for suddenly it broke near
+the middle, and the two came tumbling down in a heap. Fortunately,
+they were not hurt by the fall and laughed as they picked themselves
+up.
+
+"Well, we're in a pretty fix, sure enough," declared Captain Long. "I
+should have left one of you on guard, but I never thought of those
+fellows being in hiding there after the way we searched the place.
+It's a good thing I left word at the station where we were going, but
+the rest of the force will sure have the laugh on us."
+
+"Say, do you smell anything?" suddenly asked Bob.
+
+"Seem's though I do," replied two of the officers sniffing.
+
+No one spoke for a moment and then Captain Long said:
+
+"My God, men, that's coal gas and it's getting stronger every minute.
+Those devils have turned it in here somehow. Quick," he almost
+shouted, "we've got to get out of here at once or we'll all be dead
+men in less than ten minutes."
+
+By this time the odor of the gas was very strong and was rapidly
+getting stronger. Several of the officers were equipped with electric
+torches, and using them, they made a hurried search of the walls to
+see if by chance there was any opening which they had overlooked
+before, but nothing of the kind could they find.
+
+"Gee, but I'm getting sleepy," said one of the men.
+
+"We'll all be worse than sleepy in about a minute," groaned another.
+
+"Well," spoke up Mr. Golden, "It's hard to die penned up like this,
+but if it's God's will, let us meet it like men."
+
+"Oh, what'll my poor wife and babies do?" groaned the man who had
+spoken before.
+
+But little more was said. Bob got hold of Jack's hand and whispered:
+
+"It'll be an easy death, old man."
+
+"I know," replied Jack. "I'm not afraid, but I do wish we could see
+the folks."
+
+The deadly gas was rapidly getting in it's work, and three of the
+officers were already stretched on the floor, while the others were
+breathing heavily. Bob's head was swimming and he knew that he would
+be unconscious in another moment. He stretched himself out on the
+floor, putting one arm around the neck of Jack, who was already lying
+down. The other arm he stretched out along the floor, and as he did
+so, suddenly his fingers felt an iron ring. Hardly knowing what he
+did, he began to pull on it. To his surprise, he felt it give, and
+summoning all his remaining strength, he rose to his knees and gave a
+quick yank to it. A trap door opened, letting in a rush of cool fresh
+air. It partially revived him and he shouted.
+
+"Quick, here's a way out."
+
+Only Mr. Golden and the captain were conscious, and they dragged
+themselves, as quickly as possible, to the opening.
+
+The inrush of air had cleared the gas away from the open door
+somewhat, and Mr. Golden had strength enough to whisper:
+
+"You and the captain go down the hole quickly and I'll try to pass the
+others down to you."
+
+Quickly lowering himself over the edge, Bob found himself in a passage
+way about three feet wide where the air was perfectly fresh, and
+coming through with a strong draft. He felt much stronger at once. In
+an instant, the captain had followed him, dragging Jack with him.
+
+"I'm afraid we'll never be able to get them all out," he gasped, "but
+this draft is carrying the gas out and it's not so bad as it was."
+
+Mr. Golden succeeded in dragging two of the men to the opening, where
+they were grabbed by Bob and the captain, and dragged a few feet along
+the passageway. But now his strength gave out, and as Bob grabbed the
+third man and pulled him through, Mr. Golden fell unconscious half way
+through the opening. The captain caught him and dragged him through
+and Bob said:
+
+"I'll get the rest."
+
+Without waiting for a reply, he lifted himself through the opening, an
+electric torch in his hand. The gas had been driven out so that it
+was not so very bad, and he soon succeeded in getting the last man
+out. As he again lowered himself through the opening, he closed the
+trap door after him. Jack and three of the men, as well as Mr. Golden
+had, by this time, somewhat revived, and in a short time two others
+came to and were able to sit up, but the last one brought out still
+lay as one dead.
+
+"Now, let's see where this passage leads to," said Captain Long, "but
+two of you stay with Ed and keep moving his arms up and down and I
+guess he'll come round all right."
+
+The rest started forward, by the light of their torches, and after
+walking about a block, they came to a flight of stone steps. Mounting
+these they found themselves in the kitchen of an old house, which
+seemed to be deserted.
+
+"Two of you fellows go back and get the rest and we'll wait here,"
+ordered Captain Long.
+
+In a short time they returned with the others. The man called Ed had
+revived, but was not able to walk, and two of the officers had carried
+him through the passageway.
+
+"We were certainly fortunate to get out of that alive," declared Uncle
+Ben, solemnly.
+
+"Indeed we were," agreed Captain Long. "If Bob hadn't hit on that ring
+just when he did, we'd all been past help by this time." Then, turning
+to the officers, he asked, "How are you fellows feeling now?"
+
+All declared that they were all right, with the exception of Ed, who
+was still pretty weak.
+
+"All right then, one of you take him to the patrol and the rest of us
+will go back to that house and see if we can find those fellows this
+time."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVI.
+
+BUT THE BIRDS HAD FLOWN.
+
+
+As they were on the way back to the house, Jack turned to Bob, who was
+walking beside him and said:
+
+"I hope to goodness that our adventures for today are about through. I
+tell you what, coming so near to death twice in one day is a bit too
+strenuous to suit me."
+
+They soon reached the house and entered by the front door, which they
+found unlocked, with drawn revolvers. The room smelled strongly of
+gas, but they quickly opened the windows, and it was soon nearly all
+driven out. They searched the house as before, but with no success and
+finally came to the laboratory. Here the gas was pretty bad, but one
+of the officers soon found where it was turned on and shut it off.
+They were, however, unable to find the secret hiding place of the
+counterfeiters, although they searched for some time. At last the
+captain said:
+
+"Well, I guess we'll have to give it up for now, but I'm going to
+leave two of you men here to keep watch, and I'll send some one to
+relieve you as soon as I get back to the station." Then, turning to
+Mr. Golden, "We might as well be going now, I'm not going to have that
+stuff down there removed till tomorrow."
+
+On their way back Bob said that they must take the night train for
+home, as their parents would be anxious to see them, but Uncle Ben
+said:
+
+"Your Aunt Lucy and I intended to run down to Skowhegan in a few days
+anyway, and if you'll wait till morning, we'll all go together in the
+car. We'll telephone as soon as we get back to the house and then
+we'll get an early start tomorrow. What do you say?"
+
+The boys eagerly agreed to this plan, and by the time it was settled
+they were at the ferry where they said goodby to Captain Long.
+
+The latter went at once to the station house and sent out a general
+alarm for the apprehension of the counterfeiters, but we will say here
+that they were not caught.
+
+On their way to Winthrop, Uncle Ben asked the two boys to say nothing
+to Aunt Lucy regarding their narrow escape, as it would worry her, and
+they promised to be careful and not let it out in her hearing.
+
+It was nearly suppertime when they reached home, and Jack at once
+called up his father and told him of their plans, while Bob gave his
+aunt an account of their afternoon's trip, carefully avoiding,
+however, any mention of their being locked in the counterfeiter's den.
+
+"It's too bad they escaped," she said when he had finished.
+
+Uncle Ben then told her of their plans for the morrow, and she said
+she guessed she could get ready in time, although it was pretty short
+notice.
+
+As the boys were very tired after such a strenuous day, they were in
+bed before nine o'clock.
+
+"We want to be off by six o'clock," shouted Uncle Ben, as they went up
+stairs, "and I'll have to pull you out by five."
+
+"All right," answered Jack, "we'll be ready."
+
+After they were undressed they did not forget to kneel down by the bed
+and thank their heavenly Father for His care over them.
+
+"George, but this has been some exciting day," declared Jack as he
+tumbled into bed, closely followed by Bob. "I don't think I would care
+to go through that mess again."
+
+"I should say not," agreed Bob, "we might not get off so lucky next
+time. I don't believe we'll ever be any nearer death again, till our
+time comes, than we were this afternoon."
+
+"I guess you're right there," then suddenly, "Say, Bob, do you suppose
+we've seen the last of those two fellows?"
+
+"Hard to tell, but I sure hope so. I'd feel a good bit better if we'd
+caught them this afternoon."
+
+"Same here," came sleepily from Jack.
+
+They were too tired to talk any longer and were soon fast asleep.
+
+They were still sleeping soundly, when a little before five o'clock,
+their uncle awoke them.
+
+"It's too bad to wake you, boys," he said, "but breakfast is almost
+ready, and we've got to be off in about an hour."
+
+They were soon dressed and running downstairs found a hearty breakfast
+awaiting them, to which they did full justice.
+
+Mr. Golden's car was a big roomy Lozier, and by six o'clock they were
+off. They took the chauffeur with them, although the boys, taking
+turns, drove the greater part of the way. They reached Portland by
+eleven o'clock, and stopped there for dinner. When nearly to
+Waterville, about twenty-five miles from the cottage, a tire blew out,
+but as this was their only mishap, they did not complain, and a new
+one was quickly substituted. The run up from the latter city was made
+in a little over an hour, and they reached the cottage shortly after
+six o'clock. The boys were greeted as heroes by their parents and the
+girls, and there was great rejoicing over their safe return, old Mike
+coming in for his share, the tears fairly rolling down his cheeks as
+he grasped their hands saying:
+
+"Begorra and I always did say you byes had more lives nor a cat, and
+all ways were sure to land on your fate."
+
+While eating supper, Bob and Jack in turn, gave a full account of
+their adventures, except that they said nothing about being so nearly
+killed by gas, and their mother's face paled as she realized how
+nearly she had lost one, if not both of her boys. When they had
+finished, their father said:
+
+"We must keep a sharp lookout for those rascals, although I hardly
+think they will dare to show up here again."
+
+"Say, dad," asked Jack, "where's that detective?"
+
+"We haven't seen or heard from him since you left," answered his
+father.
+
+Uncle Ben agreed with his brother that the boys should be very
+careful, saying:
+
+"There's been a lot in the papers about those fellows, that is if
+they're the ones we think they are, and they have a reputation for
+daring that has seldom been equaled."
+
+"Well," remarked Bob, "I hope they keep away, as I've had all of their
+company that I care about for a while at least."
+
+"Same here," agreed Jack, "but I say, it's mighty funny what's got
+that Sharp detective."
+
+He had hardly spoken when the doorbell rang, and as the maid opened it
+the detective walked in. When he saw Bob his eyes stuck out, as Jack
+after expressed it, as large as saucers.
+
+"Well, I'll be blowed," he cried, "where in the world did you come
+from?"
+
+And then the story had to be told over again.
+
+"Well, I'll be blessed," uttered the detective, when they had
+finished, "Guess I'm getting too old for a job of this kind. Here I've
+been working night and day, and have scoured the country for a
+distance of twenty miles in every direction, and didn't get a smell,
+and you," turning to Jack, "find him first whack off the reel."
+
+"I didn't find him," declared Jack, "He found me," and he added, "it
+was a mighty lucky find for me."
+
+Mr. Sharp seemed very much downcast, but Mr. Golden assured him that
+he was sure that he had done all that any one could have done.
+
+"You, of course, didn't know that he had been taken to Boston, and the
+two boys meeting as they did was a coincidence, which wouldn't happen
+twice in a thousand years. No, you needn't reproach yourself in the
+least."
+
+After this the detective felt much better, but remarked that it was
+the third time in his twenty years as a detective that he had been
+beaten.
+
+Uncle Ben then proposed that they take a run across the lake in the
+Sprite and get their trunk, which they had sent by express, and which
+ought to be at the hotel. The women folks decided that they wouldn't
+go, so Mr. Golden, Uncle Ben, Mr. Sharp, who wanted to catch the night
+train for Boston, and the two boys, composed the crew.
+
+"So that's the wonderful cell that all the trouble has been about, is
+it?" asked Uncle Ben, as they started. "Well, it certainly is a big
+thing and I'm proud of you boys."
+
+On the way across, they told Mr. Golden of their narrow escape in the
+counterfeiter's den, and why they had kept silent about it at the
+table. He shuddered, as he realized how near death they had been and
+said that they had done just right in not letting their mother and
+aunt know about it, and Mr. Sharp declared that he was going to take
+up the search for them as soon as he got to Boston.
+
+They obtained the trunk, and saying goodby to the detective and
+wishing him good luck, started back for the cottage, which they
+reached about nine o'clock, and, as they were all tired, they soon
+retired for the night.
+
+The boys spent the next day sailing on the lake with the girls, while
+their father and uncle went down to Skowhegan, having some business
+to attend to. Late in the afternoon the four young people went fishing
+and, in a short time, caught a good mess which they had for supper.
+
+That night, as the boys were getting ready for bed, Jack suddenly
+said:
+
+"I say, Bob, what's the trouble with fitting up our motorcycles with
+electric motors and running them with the cells?"
+
+"Just the thing! Wonder why we didn't think of that before."
+
+"Huh, that's easy, guess we've had our minds fairly full of something
+else, lately."
+
+"That's a fact, we have," agreed Bob, "We'll go down on the wheels,
+first thing in the morning and see what we can do. I guess likely we
+can get the motors at Watson's, and if we can make it a go, we'll have
+some bikes."
+
+Right after breakfast the next morning, they got their motorcycles out
+and in less than fifteen minutes, were in Watson's store in Skowhegan.
+Fortunately, he had two small motors, of ten horsepower each, on hand,
+which seemed to the boys to be just what they wanted, and asking him
+to send them up to the house at once, they were soon in the laboratory
+hard at work.
+
+"You start on a couple sets of caps, Jack, and I'll get the
+electrolysis apparatus going and fill a few cylinders," Bob had said
+as soon as they got there. By noon, Jack had the caps done, as he had
+everything at hand to work with and knew how to do it, and by five
+o'clock, they had taken the engines apart and had the wheels all ready
+for the installation of the motors.
+
+"Come on now and get washed up," called Bob, as he shut down the
+dynamo and took out two cylinders, which, he was pleased to see, were
+full. "That's eight we've filled today, but come get a move, we must
+catch that five o'clock car or we'll be late to supper."
+
+Edna and May met them at the wharf, in the Sprite, and by six-thirty
+they were eating supper and telling the family about their day's work.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVII.
+
+THE NEW ELECTRIC MOTORCYCLE.
+
+
+Bright and early the next morning found the boys hard at work again.
+They were very skillful at this kind of work, and by three o'clock the
+motors were clamped in place, the cylinders installed and everything
+ready for a tryout. The current was turned on by twisting the
+left-hand grip and, as that controlled the entire running part, it was
+very simple.
+
+"My goodness, Bob," said Jack, as he straightened up, after making the
+last connection, "I'll bet these machines don't weigh more than half
+as much as they did before."
+
+"No, I guess they don't. These motors are very light compared with the
+gasoline engines, and they're what made the most of the weight. Now,
+let's take them out on the road and see how they'll go."
+
+Wheeling the machines out by the basement door, they were soon on the
+road in front of the house.
+
+"Well, here goes," cried Jack, jumping into the saddle and giving the
+grip a slight turn.
+
+Off he went up the road, followed a moment later by Bob. The wheels
+ran perfectly and with no noise except the low humming of the motors,
+which could be heard, but a few feet away. They were going at about
+twenty-five miles an hour and were using but a small part of their
+power.
+
+"Say, old man," shouted Bob, as he rode up beside his brother, "this
+is going some, eh?"
+
+"It sure is," was the reply. "It beats the old gasoline engines all to
+pieces. I wonder how fast they will go?"
+
+"Shouldn't wonder if they would hit a hundred, but there's a good
+stretch, let's let 'em out a little and see what they'll do."
+
+Slowly twisting the grips, they increased their speed till Bob
+declared that they were going fully a mile a minute, which he declared
+was plenty fast enough for him. But, even then they had not used
+nearly all their power. They were delighted with the result of their
+work, and as they slowed down, Jack said:
+
+"This must be about the next thing to flying."
+
+"I guess it is," agreed Bob, "but next summer if father'll let us,
+we'll do some real flying. I say, son, do you realize what these cells
+will mean to an airplane? Just think of the great decrease in weight
+and the increase in power."
+
+"Sure thing," replied Jack, no less enthusiastically, "but we better
+be getting back now."
+
+They had ridden some five or six miles out into the country and were
+passing through a piece of woods, but now brought their wheels to a
+stop just after rounding a curve in the road.
+
+"Yes, I guess we had better be getting back," agreed Bob, "It's nearly
+four now," he added, looking at his watch. "Let's see how long it
+takes us; we ought to make it in about eight minutes."
+
+They had just started to mount their wheels, when they heard a shrill
+cry and the rapid pounding of a horse's hoofs, and before they had
+time to ask themselves what it was, a light carriage, drawn by a
+spirited horse going at full gallop, dashed round the curve. The
+carriage, which was swaying from side to side of the road, held a
+young girl, and it was evident that she had lost control of the horse.
+So quickly had it happened, that the boys barely had time to get their
+wheels out of the way as the horse dashed past.
+
+"It's Evelyn Nason," gasped Bob, as he recovered his wits, "and did
+you see one of the reins was broken? Come, we've got to catch her."
+
+They quickly mounted their wheels and turned on the power, but Bob's
+wheel failed to respond. With a cry of dismay he got off, shouting to
+Jack, who was already some distance away.
+
+"Something's wrong with my wheel; go after her."
+
+But Jack was out of hearing and without looking back, he faced after
+the runaway, which was dashing down the road in a cloud of dust. He
+knew that about a mile farther on, there was a very steep hill, at the
+foot of which ran a wide brook, and here the road made a sharp turn
+before it led over a narrow bridge. The bridge was a high one, as the
+stream ran through a deep gully, and unless the turn was made safely,
+he knew that horse and carriage would be dashed over a stone abutment
+to the stream, several feet below, as there was only a very flimsy
+fence by the roadside at this point. All this ran through Jack's mind
+as he raced along, and he realized that if he was to do any good he
+must catch the team before it reached the top of this hill. Turning on
+still more power, he was soon almost flying along the road, and in a
+short time was alongside the carriage.
+
+As he passed it, he stood up in the saddle, leaning forward, his hands
+still grasping the handle grips. He was now opposite the horse's head,
+and quickly shutting off the power, he straightened up, stood on the
+saddle, and leaped with all his might for the head of the maddened
+brute. His leap was true and he caught the bridle near the bit with
+both hands and hanging on with a bull-dog grip, gradually brought the
+horse to a stop right on the brow of the hill.
+
+"I--I guess you had better get out now," he gasped, still holding the
+horse by the bridle.
+
+The girl, who was about fifteen and very pretty, obeyed.
+
+"Oh, Jack," she cried, as she got on to the ground, "I never was so
+scared in my life, and you have saved me. If Prince had gone down that
+awful hill I'd have been killed sure."
+
+"I guess it's more than likely, Evelyn, but how did it happen?"
+
+"Why, just before I got to that turn in the road, where you were,
+Prince shied at a piece of paper that blew across the road, and I
+yanked on the reins. One of them broke and, of course, after that I
+had no control of him, and I didn't know what to do. I set out to
+jump, but he was going so fast that I didn't dare to."
+
+By this time, Bob had ridden up, having located the trouble with his
+wheel, which was only a wire that had slipped from a connection.
+
+"You got him, did you, Jack, old fellow? I knew you'd do it if any one
+could," he shouted, as he dismounted.
+
+"Indeed he did," said Evelyn, "and it was the bravest thing I ever
+saw. Why, he stood right up in the saddle and jumped! I never saw
+anything like it."
+
+They found that a buckle where the rein was fastened to the bit had
+given way, and by means of some stout cord, which Bob had in his
+pocket, it was soon temporarily repaired.
+
+Evelyn Nason was a friend of the Goldens, and the two families were
+very intimate. Jack had long been her particular hero, and now, more
+than ever; it was natural that she should think there was none like
+him.
+
+"You'll have to drive me back, Jack," she now declared, "I'm so
+nervous I'd never dare to drive back alone."
+
+"All right, wait till I turn him around."
+
+The horse, which now seemed quiet enough, was soon turned, and Evelyn
+and Jack got in the carriage. Bob mounted his wheel, and holding
+Jack's by one hand, started off ahead.
+
+Mr. Nason was on the porch waiting for them. He had seen Bob riding
+home with Jack's wheel, and naturally had asked him where his brother
+was, and Bob told him what had happened.
+
+As her father helped Evelyn out of the carriage, tears came into his
+eyes as he kissed her, saying:
+
+"Bob told me all about it, dear."
+
+"Oh, papa, Jack saved my life. Wasn't he splendid?"
+
+"My dear boy," cried Mr. Nason, as he grasped Jack's head, "you saved
+my little girl and I shall never forget it. It was a very brave act."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVIII.
+
+BOB AND JACK GO ON A HUNT.
+
+
+"Say, Jack, I've got an idea," said Bob that night after they were in
+bed.
+
+"All right, fire ahead, I'm listening. You do say something sensible
+once in a while and I'm willing to take a chance."
+
+"Well, I believe we could find that house where I was shut up."
+
+"Think so?" asked Jack, full of interest now.
+
+"Of course I'm not sure, but I recognized a house not more than seven
+or eight miles from it, and if we go there on the wheels, we could
+search the country pretty well in a short time. Let's try it tomorrow.
+What do you say?"
+
+"I say yes, that is, if father will let us, and what's more, we'll
+find it, too, if they haven't lugged it off. We have to be mighty
+careful though, for those fellows may be in hiding there."
+
+At the breakfast table, the next morning, Bob announced their plan,
+but Mr. Golden shook his head.
+
+"I'm afraid you'll get into trouble," he declared.
+
+"But," argued Jack, "we ought to do something toward finding those
+fellows and, if we can locate the house, we can have it searched by
+officers and have them nabbed if they are there."
+
+Mr. Golden finally consented, but made them promise that they would be
+very careful and not run any risks. Getting the cook to put them up a
+good lunch, they were soon ready to start.
+
+"That house," explained Bob, as they rode along side by side, "can't
+be many miles this side of Oakland. We'll go to Waterville first and
+then cross over to Oakland, then we'll take the road to Norridgewock
+and look for that woods road. I suppose we might go by the way of
+Norridgewock. It would be shorter, but I guess the roads are better
+the other way."
+
+The road to Skowhegan was rough and mostly down hill, and they did not
+dare to run very fast, but once outside the latter town, on the road
+to Waterville, they let the machines out and reached the city in
+forty-five minutes from the time they left home. As they rode through
+the city, people stared in amazement at them as they failed to hear
+the customary chug-chug of the engine.
+
+They made no stop and were soon in Oakland, a little village about
+three miles to the west of Waterville. Here they stopped at a drug
+store for a glass of soda water, as the ride had made them thirsty.
+When they came out, they found that several people had collected and
+were examining the wheels.
+
+"Say, bub, what kind of an engine you got here?" asked one man.
+
+Now neither of the boys liked being called "bub," but they had been
+taught to be polite, and Jack explained that it was an electric motor.
+
+"Well--well, I want to know! How do you run it?"
+
+"Oh, that's a secret," laughed Bob, as they got into the saddles and
+rode off.
+
+In about fifteen minutes they reached the house which Bob had
+recognized, and turning to his brother, he said:
+
+"Now, Jack, here's where our search begins. It can't be very far from
+here and as it's only ten o'clock now, we've got several hours to
+hunt."
+
+"Wouldn't it be a good plan to inquire at the house and see if they
+know anything about the place?"
+
+"Not a bad idea," agreed Bob, getting off his wheel and running it
+into the yard. Telling Jack, who had followed him, to hold the cycles
+he knocked on the door. A slovenly looking woman answered the knock,
+and when he explained their errand, she gave a sudden start and said
+rather gruffly:
+
+"No, I don't know of no such place," and shut the door in his face.
+
+"I'll just bet my old hat that she does, all the same," declared Bob,
+as he rejoined his brother, then as the latter agreed with him, he
+added:
+
+"I guess we better not make any more inquiries round here; some of
+these people may be in league with those fellows."
+
+Mounting, they proceeded and had gone only about a mile, when they
+came to where the road forked.
+
+"Any idea which is the right road?" asked Jack, as he stopped his
+wheel and dismounted.
+
+"Not an idea. Guess we'll flip a penny. Heads to the right, tails to
+the left, here goes."
+
+Heads it was, so they started off to the right. It was a fairly smooth
+road, so they made pretty good speed for about three miles, when Bob
+said:
+
+"Now we'd better slow up a little and begin to look carefully. If
+we're on the right track that road can't be a great ways from here,
+and it may be nearer than I think."
+
+"Do you know which side of the road it is?"
+
+"Yes, it's to our right. Now let's ride on slowly and keep our eyes
+peeled."
+
+Much of the way was through thick woods, and as they rode slowly
+along, they closely scanned the woods to their right, watching for a
+woods road. They had gone on in this way for several miles, when
+suddenly, they came out of a thick piece of woods. So far, they had
+seen nothing that in anyway resembled what they were after, but, about
+a mile farther on, Jack spied a rough road leading through a field to
+the right.
+
+"Suppose that's it?" he asked, bringing his wheel to a stop.
+
+"No, that can't be it, because I'm sure that it was in the woods, for
+I remember hearing the branches hit the top of the car all the way
+along till we got out where we turned into the main road, and another
+thing, I remember just before we turned, the car giving a terrific
+lurch as though we had crossed a good-sized gully beside the road, and
+you see, there's no such place here. No, this is not the road and we
+might as well go on."
+
+They rode on for several miles, part of the time passing through
+woods, when they went slowly, and again through the open, where they
+speeded up. Finally, about eleven-thirty, Bob stopped his wheel and
+said:
+
+"I guess we've taken the wrong road and might as well go back and try
+the other one."
+
+To this Jack agreed, and by the time they reached the forks of the
+road, it was noon, and as they saw a small spring near the roadside,
+they decided to eat their lunch before going on. They had just
+finished, when they saw a farmer, followed by a huge mastiff, coming
+toward them.
+
+"Gee, Bob, just look at the size of that dog, will you?"
+
+"He sure is some dog all right," replied Bob. "I wouldn't want to meet
+him when he wasn't feeling in a good humor."
+
+By this time the man was within speaking distance.
+
+"Say, young fellers, what yer want round here?" he asked in a harsh
+tone, while his manner was most offensive.
+
+"Why," asked Bob, pleasantly, "do you own this road?"
+
+"Now don't you get gay with me, young feller."
+
+"No one's getting gay; you asked me a question and I asked you one.
+Now, as you asked yours first, I'll answer it and then you can do as
+you please about answering mine, but I think we have a right here in
+the public road without being growled at. Now then, we are taking a
+ride on our wheels seeing the country."
+
+The farmer looked rather uneasy while Bob was talking.
+
+"Huh, mebby so, but yer the fellers what stopped at my house down the
+road here a bit, 'bout two hours ago, and was asking the old woman
+something about a house what was hid in the woods, hain't yer?"
+
+"Yes, we did stop and make an inquiry," replied Bob. "Anything wrong
+about that?"
+
+"Mebby not, only they hain't any sech place round here and yer needn't
+go to hunting for any."
+
+"Well," asked Jack, laughing slightly, "if there's no such place
+where's the harm in our looking for it?"
+
+The farmer perceived that he had made a slip, and grumbling something
+about fool kids poking their noses round where they had no business,
+he started off up the road to the right, the dog following close
+behind.
+
+"Well, well, the plot thickens, as the hero says in the play. Jack,
+that man knows something about that place, and what's more, he don't
+want us to know anything about it."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIX.
+
+THEY FIND THE HOUSE BUT LOSE A CAP.
+
+
+As soon as the farmer disappeared, the boys started off once more,
+taking the left-hand road. After riding five or six miles, they
+entered a thick woods and about a half a mile farther on they came to
+a bridge, leading over a small, shallow stream. This bridge had been
+newly repaired as they could see that the plank flooring had been but
+little used.
+
+"By jimminy, but I believe we're getting warm now," cried Bob, as he
+stopped his wheel on the bridge. "See where the road leads down
+through the brook there?"
+
+"Yes," replied Jack leaning over the rail. "They must have crossed
+that way while the bridge was being fixed. But what of it?"
+
+"Just this of it. I remember that just a few minutes after we turned
+into the main road that night, the machine suddenly stopped and then
+turned down a very rough, steep place just like this, and after going
+a few feet, came back into the road again, and I'll bet my cap that
+this is the place. Funny I didn't think of it before, for this bridge
+brought it to my mind. They hadn't taken the blindfold off then, so,
+of course, I couldn't see anything, but, this is the place sure as
+guns, and that road can't be more than a mile off."
+
+"Well, come on," urged Jack, impatiently, as he mounted his wheel,
+"we'll soon find it if you're right."
+
+They rode on slowly, closely watching the right-hand side of the road
+and had not gone quite a mile when Jack's keen eyes spied a slight
+break in the thick trees.
+
+"Hurrah!" he called, "here's something that looks promising"; and then
+as Bob came up, "there's your woods road and there's your gully."
+
+"I believe you're right, now what had we better do?"
+
+"How far do you think the house is from the road?"
+
+"Not more than a third of a mile I should say. Now I don't think we'd
+better take the wheels in there, because the road is so rough that if
+we should have to make a quick getaway, we could go much faster
+without them."
+
+"Then let's hide them in the bushes and hoof it," proposed Jack.
+
+"I kinder hate to leave them, but I guess it's the best way out. Come
+on."
+
+They led the motorcycles along the woods road for perhaps a dozen
+yards and then turned off into the thick wood to the left, and after
+pushing along about two rods, Bob suddenly said:
+
+"There's just the place, right by that birch tree. The bushes in front
+there are so thick that no one can see them."
+
+Pushing on they carefully hid them there and then turned back to the
+road.
+
+"I don't think we'd better follow the road," advised Bob, "for we
+might meet some one. Let's go parallel to it, but through the woods a
+little to the left." This they did and had gone about a quarter of a
+mile when Jack whispered:
+
+"Say Bob, do you know we left the caps on the wheels?"
+
+"Gracious, that's so; think we'd better go back and get them?"
+
+"Oh, I guess they'll be all right; we must be most there now. Let's
+risk it."
+
+So they pushed on, and had gone but a little farther, when Bob,
+peering through the trees, saw an opening in the woods, and a moment
+later a low two-story log house, standing on the farther edge, was
+visible. Jack was a few feet behind and, placing his finger on his
+lips, Bob motioned him to come on.
+
+"That the place, sure as guns," he whispered, "Right out in front
+here is where I had that fight with Reed."
+
+"Guess you're right, but I don't see any signs of life there, do you?"
+
+"No, but we'll camp down here a while and watch."
+
+Bob had hardly spoken, when they heard a low growl a little to their
+left.
+
+"Goodness, there's a dog," whispered Jack, and the next moment a huge
+mastiff, similar to the one they had seen with the farmer, sprang
+toward them.
+
+"Quick, Bob, your pistol," gasped Jack.
+
+The boys always carried water pistols, loaded with strong ammonia
+water, when they went off on their motorcycles, and now they were to
+stand them in good stead. As Jack spoke, he jumped back, reaching for
+his pistol, which he carried in his back pocket, but before he could
+get it out the dog was upon him. Quickly thrusting forward his left
+arm, the dog caught him by the elbow, but the stout canvas, of which
+their jackets were made, prevented the sharp teeth from going through.
+By this time, Bob had his pistol out, and stepping forward, he shot
+the contents fairly into the face of the enraged beast. He let go his
+hold and with a loud yelp of pain, sprang backward, and began wildly
+clawing the dirt and leaves.
+
+"Did he bite you, Jack?" asked Bob anxiously.
+
+"Nope, nary a bite, you were too quick for him. But I think we'd
+better hike out of here. If there's anybody in that house, they must
+have heard that howl, and will likely investigate."
+
+"That's right, you know we promised mother not to run any risks; come
+on."
+
+Hastily they began to retrace their steps, but as there were no signs
+of pursuit, they soon slowed up a little.
+
+"Don't believe there was a soul there," panted Jack, "but we found the
+house and that's one good job done anyhow, and I guess we'd better be
+content with that for today, but I would have liked to take a peep in
+that house."
+
+By this time, they were in sight of the tree where they had left the
+wheels, but, when they hurried forward to drag them out, to their
+great consternation, no wheels were there.
+
+"Jerusalem!" gasped Bob, "they're gone!"
+
+"Well, what do you know about that?" echoed Jack. "If this isn't a
+pretty kettle of fish! Are you sure this was the place?"
+
+"'Course it is. Here's the big birch tree and you can see where the
+bushes are trampled down. Oh, if we'd only taken those caps with us!
+But come on, we mustn't stand here doing nothing. We've got to get
+those wheels back, and let's hurry out to the road and see if we can
+see anything of them."
+
+As they hurried along, Bob continued, "If King or Reed spotted us I
+guess it's all up, but it may be that some country lout saw us leave
+'em there and has swiped 'em. If that's the case, we may get 'em
+back."
+
+"We'll do our best anyhow," panted Jack, as they raced along.
+
+They soon reached the main road, and quickly looked both ways, but
+nothing of the wheels was to be seen.
+
+For a moment the two boys looked at each other in helpless despair,
+then Jack, casting his eyes on the ground, said:
+
+"Here, quick, Bob, see here's their tracks."
+
+Sure enough, in the dusty road the tracks of two wheels, leading in
+the direction from which they had come, were plainly visible.
+
+"See, here's our tracks on this side of the road and there's the
+others," and a second later he added, "There's only one fellow; see
+where he walked between 'em."
+
+"Right you are, Sherlock," shouted Bob, "come on now, on the run."
+
+They set off at a rapid pace, their hopes away up. They ran nearly two
+miles, both being in good training, before they saw any one, then as
+they rounded a turn, they saw the object of their pursuit, walking
+rapidly about two hundred yards ahead of them, between the two wheels.
+
+"Come on now as fast as you can leg it," said Bob, "Let's get as near
+him as we can before he sees us."
+
+They were within two hundred feet of the thief, when he turned and saw
+them.
+
+"Hey, you, drop those wheels!" shouted Jack.
+
+The man hesitated a minute and then dropped the wheels on the road
+and, springing to one side, started off across a field at the top of
+his speed. In another minute they had reached the wheels, and with a
+cry of joy, Jack grabbed his up saying:
+
+"Guess we're in luck again." But the next moment his spirits were
+dashed, when Bob suddenly cried:
+
+"Look, Jack, he's taken one of my caps." Then, before Jack could
+speak, he said: "You look out for this wheel, I'm going after that
+chap."
+
+The man by this time was some distance away and running as fast as he
+could go, but Bob remembered that a little farther along a road
+branched off to the left, and hoping to cut him off, he jumped on
+Jack's wheel and fairly flew down the road in a cloud of dust. Coming
+to the branch road he turned and had ridden but a short distance when
+he saw the man climbing a fence, beside the road, just a little ahead.
+So quietly did the wheel run that Bob was nearly upon him before he
+was aware of his presence. He was a tall fellow, about twenty years
+old, dressed in overalls. Seeing that Bob was alone, he made no
+further attempt to escape, but stood in the middle of the road
+panting, as Bob came up.
+
+Stopping the wheel and jumping off, he demanded:
+
+"See here, what do you mean by taking our wheels?"
+
+"Huh, don't yer wish yer knew? What yer going ter do about it anyhow?"
+he asked with a sneer.
+
+"Well," replied Bob slowly, "you've taken a cap off one of the
+machines and if you give it to me at once, there'll be no trouble, but
+if you don't, why I'll just naturally have to take it away from you,
+sonny."
+
+The tall youth laughed loudly, then stepping closer to Bob, shook his
+fist in his face, saying:
+
+"I'm not saying I got the cap, but, if you think I have, mebby you'd
+better pitch in right now 'fore you forgit it."
+
+Bob knew that the country youth was much stronger than he, as he was
+all of thirty pounds heavier, but he had taken several lessons in
+wrestling and boxing, and also was familiar with a number of the holds
+of the Japanese which had been taught him by a Jap friend. He
+therefore felt confident of his ability to handle the country boy,
+unless he had a similar training, which he doubted.
+
+"Won't give it to me then?" asked Bob.
+
+"Give yer nothing," the farmer boy started to answer, but before he
+had time to finish, Bob had made a rush and grabbed him round the
+waist.
+
+"Easy now or you'll be apt to get hurt," he said, as he clasped his
+arms round Bob's shoulders.
+
+This was exactly what Bob wanted, and giving a sudden twist to his
+body, he exerted all his strength, and threw the fellow fairly over
+his head. He came down with a heavy thud and was probably more
+surprised than he had ever been before in his life. He was not hurt,
+however, and quickly jumping to his feet, he made a wild rush for Bob,
+shouting:
+
+"I'll fix you for that, you blamed dude."
+
+He was more careful this time, however, and for two or three minutes
+they sparred, neither being able to strike a decisive blow. Bob found
+that the fellow was by no means ignorant of the art of boxing, as he
+soon got a blow on the nose, which made it bleed freely, but as one of
+his opponent's eyes were closed, he felt that he was at least holding
+his own.
+
+"Blame yer, I'll get yer now," and the fellow aimed a powerful blow at
+Bob's head. If he had landed, his words would undoubtedly have come
+true, but Bob jumped nimbly to one side, and the country boy nearly
+fell forward from the impetus of his blow. Bob saw his chance, and
+quickly jumping forward, he grabbed him round the neck and, getting
+his knee in the small of his back, he pulled his head backward, a
+trick he had learned from the Jap.
+
+"Gosh amighty, yer breaking my neck," gasped the fellow, now
+absolutely helpless, and the more he struggled, the more Bob's grip
+hurt.
+
+Bob knew that he had him at his mercy, and freeing one arm, while he
+held him tightly with the other, he reached into the pocket of his
+overalls, and to his joy, pulled out the stolen cap. But his troubles
+were not yet over, for just then he heard the sound of rapidly
+approaching steps, and turning, he saw the farmer, who had questioned
+them that noon coming towards them on the run and only about one
+hundred feet away.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XX.
+
+BOB AND JACK RETURN FROM THE HUNT.
+
+
+As Bob saw the farmer coming, he had to do some pretty quick thinking,
+for it was evident that he was hostile to him for some unknown reason,
+and he did not intend to fall into his power if he could help it.
+Fortunately, he had left his motorcycle standing in the road, about
+ten feet away in the opposite direction from which the farmer was
+approaching. Giving the man he was holding a powerful shove, which
+sent him sprawling into the ditch by the roadside, he made a quick
+rush for the wheel, snapped up the rest and, giving the handle a
+slight turn, vaulted into the saddle. But he was just a fraction of a
+second too late, for as he started off, the farmer caught him by the
+coat tail. He had presence of mind to turn off the power before the
+wheel fell over sideways, and springing to the side, stood facing the
+farmer.
+
+"Now, you young cub, what does all this mean?"
+
+Bob had a habit of acting on the impulse of the moment, and before the
+farmer had time to put up his hands, biff! he was lying on his back
+in the middle of the road. By this time the younger man had picked
+himself from the gutter, and hastily running forward, bent over the
+fallen man, who Bob thought was probably his father.
+
+"I'll have the law on yer for this," he shouted. "I guess yer've
+killed him."
+
+"Will, eh?" said Bob, stepping forward.
+
+His fighting blood was now at red heat, and he felt able to fight a
+dozen men. "Well, if you feel like taking the law into your hands,
+come on, and I'll give you one of the most interesting little picnics
+you ever saw. I was only playing before."
+
+But he had evidently had enough, for he made no move toward reopening
+hostilities.
+
+"All right then, guess I'll be going. By the way, your father'll come
+round all right in a minute. I didn't hit him very hard."
+
+Just then the farmer gave a groan and opened his eyes, saying feebly:
+
+"Laws amighty, did a mule kick me?"
+
+Bob waited no longer, but, picking up his wheel, rode off unmolested.
+Just as he reached the corner where the road joined the main highway,
+he met Jack trudging along pushing his wheel.
+
+"Well, old man," he shouted, "How'd you make out? Did you get it?"
+
+"Did I get it?" repeated Bob, reaching his hand in his pocket, and
+pulling out the cap. "What do you say to this?"
+
+"I say it's great luck."
+
+"You may think so, but quite considerable of a fight had a good deal
+to do with it. Look at my nose. But," he laughed, "you ought to see
+the other fellow."
+
+By this time he had screwed the cap in place.
+
+"Come on," he said, "let's ride back a little way. Something back here
+I want to show you."
+
+"What is it?" asked Jack as they mounted and started back.
+
+"Oh, nothing much, only the road jumped up and hit a fellow on the
+back of the head a few minutes ago and I want to see how he's getting
+along. There are two of them, but I don't think there's much fight
+left in either."
+
+He explained what had happened, as they rode along, and as he
+finished, they came in sight of Bob's late antagonists. The older man
+was just staggering to his feet, and riding up to within about twenty
+feet, Bob said pleasantly:
+
+"Came round all right, did he?"
+
+He turned and let out such a string of oaths as the boys had never
+before heard. When he stopped for lack of breath, Bob said:
+
+"If that's the way you feel about it, I guess the less said the
+better, and we'll bid you good night. Come on, Jack."
+
+They turned and rode slowly away turning their heads just in time to
+see both men shaking their fists at them.
+
+"Well, that chapter is ended," remarked Jack, as they rode off.
+"Wonder what the next one will be like. We've certainly had some
+excitement since we made those cells."
+
+"That's so," agreed Bob, looking at his watch. "It's after three now,
+and we'd better make tracks for home. You know mother will begin to
+worry about four o'clock if we're not there."
+
+The road to Skowhegan, five miles down the Kennebec, was very sandy,
+and it was impossible for them to make good time. It was four-fifteen
+when they crossed the bridge in Skowhegan, but they made up for lost
+time on the run up to the lake and reached the cottage just as the
+clock was striking four-thirty.
+
+All the folks were on the porch, including their father and Uncle Ben,
+who had come up from town in the car, a short time before. The story
+of the day's adventures was soon told, and Mr. Golden declared that on
+the morrow they would get some officers and visit the log house in the
+woods.
+
+"Well, I declare!" said May. "You two boys do beat all when it comes
+to getting into scrapes and getting out of them again. It must be lots
+of fun. Wish I was a boy."
+
+"That's all right as long as you do get out all right," remarked Jack
+a little dryly, "but there wouldn't have been so much fun to some of
+the messes we've been in lately if they hadn't turned out as they did.
+Please excuse me."
+
+"Come on, Bob," shouted Jack, "that lake looks good to me. We've got
+just time for a good swim before supper."
+
+The girls both declared it would be just the thing, and all four
+rushed into the house and upstairs, to reappear in an incredibly short
+time clad in bathing suits. The girls could both swim nearly as well
+as the boys, and soon they were having a splendid time in the clear
+water of the lake. They swam and dived, ducking each other whenever
+opportunity offered, until Mrs. Golden called that it was time to get
+dressed for supper.
+
+The next morning, while they were at breakfast, the telephone rang and
+Mr. Golden went into the front room to answer it.
+
+"What's that you say?" they heard him ask, "Mercy, is that so? I'll
+come right down, be there in less than a half hour."
+
+When he returned to the dining room, his face was pale and his voice
+trembled, as he said:
+
+"Bob, get the car out as soon as possible; the bank has been robbed."
+
+"Robbed!" cried Mrs. Golden, as they all sprang to their feet. "How
+much did they get?"
+
+"I don't know, I don't suppose they can tell yet, but Riggs said it
+was a large amount."
+
+By this time the boys were at the garage, only a short distance from
+the house, and shouting to Sandy, the chauffeur, had the car out by
+the time their father and Uncle Ben were ready.
+
+"Can we go?" asked Bob.
+
+"Why, yes, I suppose so, but you'll get there sooner if you take your
+wheels. You coming, Ben?"
+
+"Guess I will," replied the latter, and telling the women that they
+would 'phone as soon as they could, they were off, the boys leading
+the way on the motorcycles.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXI.
+
+BOB AND JACK THINK THEY HAVE A CLUE.
+
+
+The First National Bank of Skowhegan, of which Mr. Golden was
+president, is situated on Water street. Behind it runs the Kennebec
+river through a rock gorge, nearly fifty feet deep. At the time of our
+story, the bank building was new, having been built only the year
+before. It was thoroughly modern in every respect, and contained what
+was supposed to be a burglar-proof vault.
+
+The boys soon distanced the car and in exactly eleven minutes from the
+time they started were in front of the bank. They found a crowd of
+several hundred people collected in the street, for such a thing as a
+bank robbery in Skowhegan had never been known, and there was great
+excitement. Hurriedly, they pushed the wheels into a livery stable
+nearby, which was run by a friend of theirs, and then pushing their
+way through the crowd, managed to reach the sidewalk, in front of the
+bank, but here the people were so closely packed, that they were
+forced to stop.
+
+"Guess we'll have to wait for dad," panted Jack, after a vigorous
+shove had failed to make an opening.
+
+"Gee, but this is worse than a football game," declared Bob, "but
+here's dad now," as a big policeman pushed his way through the crowd
+shouting:
+
+"Stand back now and let Mr. Golden through."
+
+The mass of people slowly gave way, and Mr. Golden, followed closely
+by Bob and Jack, who had grabbed hold of his coat tails as he pushed
+his way past, finally succeeded in reaching the steps of the bank. The
+door was at once opened by Mr. Riggs, the old cashier, and Mr. Golden
+and Uncle Ben, who was with them, entered closely followed by the two
+boys.
+
+"Oh, to think that I should live to see this day!" moaned the cashier,
+as he closed and locked the door behind them.
+
+"How did they get in?" was Mr. Golden's first question.
+
+The cashier pointed to the door and a glance was sufficient to
+disclose the means of entrance. Two doors, separated by a small
+vestibule, led into the bank. The outer door was fitted with a heavy
+plate glass window, but the inner one was of solid oak. This had been
+cut through by means of a bit, and a hole about twenty inches in
+diameter sawed out. A similar opening had been made in the glass of
+the outer door, a circular piece having been cut out, evidently with a
+diamond, and then, cemented back in again so cleverly, that it was not
+noticeable except on close inspection.
+
+Going to the vault at the rear of the bank, they found an irregular
+hole, nearly sixteen inches in diameter, through the solid steel door.
+The edges of this hole had a fused appearance, and Mr. Golden at once
+said:
+
+"Undoubtedly the work of experts, and they must have used an
+oxy-acteylene blowpipe flame to cut through that door."
+
+Bob had been doing some pretty deep thinking, and now he caught hold
+of his father's sleeve and said:
+
+"Of course, I may be a way off, but I believe that those fellows who
+kidnapped me are the ones who did this job."
+
+"I think so, too," broke in Jack, "We know that they are criminals and
+what were they doing round here if they weren't up to some such job?
+You see," he continued, as his father was about to speak, "they didn't
+come here after those cells, because they didn't know anything about
+them till they saw the boat the day of the race. I believe they
+intended to rob the bank in the first place and then they saw our boat
+and thought that if they could get hold of our secret, it would pay
+them better than this job. That's the way I've got it doped out."
+
+"And I believe Jack's right, dad," broke in Bob. "Something I heard
+that man Reed say just after they got me in the car that night has
+just come to me. I didn't think much of it at the time; it has never
+occurred to me till just now."
+
+"What was it?" eagerly asked Mr. Golden.
+
+"Why, we had gone but a little ways when I heard Reed say, in a low
+voice. 'How about that other job, Bill?' and King replied angrily,
+'Shut up, you fool!' Then as Reed started to say something, he
+whispered, 'That can wait awhile; it won't spoil.'"
+
+"I really believe the boys are right," declared Uncle Ben. "There is
+little doubt in my mind that when you get those two men you will have
+the robbers of this bank."
+
+"I'll tell you what," broke in Bob, "if those two fellows did it, I'll
+bet a cent they'll go straight to the place where they took me, that
+we found yesterday. You see they think no one knows about it and that
+they will be safe there."
+
+"Then we'd better get some officers and get after them as quickly as
+possible," declared Uncle Ben.
+
+"I guess we might as well try it," assented Mr. Golden, "seeing it's
+the only clue we have. Mr. Riggs, see if Mr. Switzer is out there and
+if he is, have him come in, will you?"
+
+The cashier disappeared, but was back almost immediately, followed by
+a powerfully built man about forty years old, the chief of police of
+Skowhegan.
+
+"Hello, Switzer, glad you were at hand," cried Mr. Golden.
+
+"Just got here," panted the officer, who appeared nearly out of
+breath. "I went over to Smithfield fishing early this morning and
+didn't know about it till I got there, and then I hustled back as fast
+as I could."
+
+It may be well to explain here, that Skowhegan does not have a regular
+police force who give all their time to it. Mr. Switzer, besides being
+chief, was a butcher, and the rest of the force, consisting of five
+men, held different positions in the town.
+
+Mr. Golden quickly pointed out what has been described, and then told
+him of Bob's suspicion.
+
+"Just the thing to do," he declared. "George and Fred are outside and
+I'll get them and we'll start at once."
+
+"We'll go in my car," said Mr. Golden. "I guess it's as fast as any in
+town, and will carry six of us all right, and the boys can go on their
+wheels, can't you, Bob?"
+
+"Sure thing," the both replied.
+
+"All right then, that's settled. Now let's get off as soon as
+possible. My car is right over there on the corner."
+
+They went out and Mr. Golden and Uncle Ben at once made their way to
+the car, while Mr. Switzer searched through the crowd for his
+officers. Bob and Jack hurried to where they had left their wheels and
+were back at the corner in almost no time, where they were soon joined
+by the three officers.
+
+"Now, where to?" asked the chief, as he took his seat by the driver.
+
+"Norridgewock first," answered Bob, as he jumped into his saddle, and
+he added, as he turned on the power, "here's where we break all the
+speed laws ever made."
+
+"You boys keep within sight of us," shouted Mr. Golden, as they dashed
+across the bridge.
+
+In spite of the bad road, they reached Norridgewock in nineteen
+minutes. On the way, Mr. Golden told Uncle Ben and the officers that
+Riggs had said that nearly one hundred thousand dollars in cash and
+negotiable securities had been taken.
+
+They made no stop at Norridgewock, but at once took the road leading
+to Oakland. Here the going was much better and in a little less than
+half an hour after leaving Norridgewock, they were within a mile of
+the woods road, which led to the big house. The boys were about a
+quarter of a mile ahead of the car and stopped here to wait for the
+rest of the party.
+
+"Are we 'most there?" asked Mr. Golden, as the car came up to them and
+stopped.
+
+"Yes, it's only about a mile from here, and I thought we'd better stop
+before we got any nearer, and make our plans," explained Bob.
+
+"My idea," said Mr. Switzer, "is to leave the car by the side of the
+main road and go the rest of the way on foot. You see," he explained,
+"if we took it too close they would hear it and skip, that is,
+providing they're there."
+
+All agreed that this was the best plan.
+
+"Now, Bob," asked the chief, "how far from the main road is that
+house?"
+
+"I should say a little more than a quarter of a mile."
+
+"And how large is the clearing round it?"
+
+"At the back the trees grow up close to the house, but in front there
+is a clearing of perhaps half an acre."
+
+"Then, three of us had better get round to the back of the house,
+while the rest approach it from the front. George, you and Bob and Mr.
+Golden," indicating Uncle Ben, "can circle round and get behind. The
+rest of us will give you plenty of time to get there and then we'll go
+up to the house and demand admittance."
+
+To this plan all agreed, and they started again, the boys keeping just
+in front of the car. They had gone about a mile, when Bob held up his
+hand for them to stop.
+
+"See that big elm just ahead there?" he asked, pointing with his
+finger. "Well, the road is about ten feet the other side of that
+tree."
+
+But just then something happened which caused a complete change in
+their plans.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXII.
+
+THE CHASE.
+
+
+Bob and Jack were a few feet ahead of the others, when the former
+suddenly stopped.
+
+"Don't you hear that motor, Jack?"
+
+"I do now, and I believe it's a car coming out that woods road."
+
+The rest of the party had now joined the boys, and the sound of the
+approaching car was plainly audible.
+
+"That must be them," said Bob in a low voice. "Now what'd we better
+do?"
+
+"We'll hide in the bushes on each side of the road," proposed Mr.
+Switzer, "and when they come along, we'll jump out and stop 'em. You
+all got guns?"
+
+It turned out that only the policemen had revolvers, so the chief, Mr.
+Golden and Uncle Ben hid on one side of the woods road, while the
+other two policemen and the boys concealed themselves on the other.
+
+"Now," whispered the chief, "don't make a sound till I tell 'em to
+stop, then you cover 'em with your guns and if they try to get away,
+let 'em have it, but don't shoot to kill if you can help it 'cause we
+want to get those fellows alive if we can."
+
+Nothing more was said and in a few minutes the car was near at hand,
+as they could tell by the sound, and, peering through the bushes, Bob
+spied a large car coming slowly along the road. Two men were on the
+front seat.
+
+"I believe that's King driving," whispered Bob, "though he's shaved
+off his beard."
+
+At that instant, Chief Switzer sprang out into the middle of the road
+in front of the car, closely followed by Mr. Golden and Uncle Ben,
+while the other policemen and the boys followed suit from their side.
+
+"Halt, in the name of the law," shouted the chief, flourishing his
+revolver.
+
+The car was about ten feet from them as the order was given, and
+instead of obeying, the driver suddenly put on high speed and the car
+shot toward them. So quickly was it done that they had barely time to
+save themselves from being run down by jumping to one side as the car
+shot by and turned into the main road heading toward Oakland.
+
+"Gosh, they'll get away sure as thunder," shouted Switzer, as he fired
+his revolver after the vanishing car. "Come on, we've got to chase
+them."
+
+It took them but an instant to reach the road and, to their delight,
+they found that Sandy, seeing the car come out, had brought their
+machine up.
+
+"Pile in, quick," shouted the chief, but although they obeyed as
+quickly as possible, the fugitives were nearly a half mile ahead when
+they started.
+
+The boys rushed to where they had left their wheels, about a hundred
+feet away, and by the time they reached them and mounted they were
+quite a distance in the rear.
+
+"Now, let 'em out," shouted Jack, as he sprang into the saddle, and
+turning on the power, fairly flew down the road closely followed by
+Bob, and before they had gone a mile, they were up with their father's
+car.
+
+"I'm afraid we're going to lose 'em," they heard the chief say, as
+they drew up, one on each side of the car. "We're not gaining an inch.
+Getting all the speed you can out of her, Sandy?"
+
+"I've got her wide open," was the reply.
+
+Bob knew that there was a long, steep hill to ascend a little farther
+on and hoped that they would gain on them there, as his father's car
+was a splendid hill climber and he had a few weeks before taken that
+same hill on high gear. A moment later, as they swung round a curve,
+the hill was at hand, and Bob shouted to Sandy telling him not to
+shift.
+
+They could see the robber's car about half way up the hill, and going
+slowly, evidently on low gear. Sandy hit the foot of the hill at a
+terrific pace and, as the car went up on high gear, they could see
+that they were gaining rapidly. But the robbers had too great a start
+and reached the top several hundred yards ahead. The road was now
+slightly down hill for a mile or more, and they could see that, under
+the reckless driving of the robber, whose car must have been making
+nearly seventy miles an hour, they were rapidly losing ground, for Mr.
+Golden had told Sandy not to go faster than he considered safe.
+
+"I want to catch them as badly as any one, but I'm not going to risk
+killing all of us to do it," he declared.
+
+"He'll wreck his car and break their necks, sure as fate, if he don't
+slow up," thought Bob.
+
+But the robbers reached the foot of the hill in safety and had gained
+all the ground they had lost in climbing the hill. For a number of
+miles now, the road was fairly level and the race continued without
+much change in their relative distance.
+
+The two boys were now riding a little behind the car, and suddenly
+Jack turned to Bob, saying:
+
+"I say, Bob, we're never going to catch 'em at this rate."
+
+"Don't look like it. They've sure got some speedy car, and of course
+they're reckless about driving."
+
+Just then they reached the outskirts of Oakland, and, as they had to
+stop to inquire which way the robbers had gone, they lost still more
+ground. Quickly learning, however, that they had taken a road which
+would probably lead them, by a round-about way to Portland, they told
+their informant to tell the police to telephone to the latter city to
+be on the watch for them, and again took up in the chase.
+
+As they started off, Bob said to Jack:
+
+"Say, Jack, we could catch 'em easily on these wheels."
+
+"Sure we could, we've been running only about half speed, but what
+good would it do? We couldn't stop 'em, could we?"
+
+"Perhaps not, but my idea is this. Let's get a couple of revolvers
+from the policemen and ride up behind them and see if we can't put a
+hole in one of their tires."
+
+"Good," shouted Jack, "Come on, let's go get em."
+
+Putting on more power, as they had lagged behind a little, while they
+were talking, they quickly overtook the car.
+
+"Hey, there," shouted Jack, as they rode up along side, "Give us a
+couple of your revolvers and we'll try to shoot a hole in their tire."
+
+"Think you can do it?" asked the chief, leaning out of the car.
+
+"Don't know, but we can try it. You'll never catch 'em at this rate
+and it's the only chance I see."
+
+"All right, here you are," answered the chief, leaning out and handing
+each of the boys a revolver. "Go get 'em. But you look sharp, now.
+Those fellows are probably armed and won't hesitate to shoot if they
+are cornered."
+
+"Yes, boys," joined in Mr. Golden, "don't you get too close to them."
+
+"We'll be careful," replied Bob. "Come on, Jack, now let her out and
+we'll show them some real speed," and as they turned on the power,
+they rapidly left the car behind.
+
+But they had lost more ground than they thought, and they rode for
+fully six miles before catching sight of the robbers, and had begun to
+fear that they had lost them. But, finally they caught sight of the
+car about a half mile ahead, and giving the motors a little more
+current, they rapidly crept up till they were within two hundred yards
+of them.
+
+Suddenly, they saw the man who was not driving, turn his head, and as
+he saw them, he said something to his companion, and then, turning in
+his seat, he drew his revolver.
+
+"He is going to shoot," shouted Jack, and the next instant a shot rang
+out followed by several others. But, the swaying car made accurate
+shooting impossible, and he emptied the chamber without doing any
+harm, although Bob heard one bullet whiz past his head.
+
+"He couldn't hit a barn at the rate he's going," shouted Jack. "Come
+on, let's get a little nearer and then we'll try our hand at it."
+
+They waited till they were within about one hundred and fifty feet and
+then Bob fired, followed a moment later by Jack. They were both good
+shots with the revolver, but, under the condition, they knew that it
+would be more good luck than anything else if they succeeded in
+hitting a tire. By this time, the man they supposed to be Reed,
+although he now wore a mustache, had his gun loaded again and began
+firing, but, fortunately, with no effect.
+
+Jack had but one shot left when a ball from Reed's revolver passed
+through his hat.
+
+"Gee, that's getting a little too close for comfort," he muttered.
+
+Taking careful aim, he slowly pressed the trigger and this time a loud
+report followed the bark of the revolver.
+
+"Got 'em," he shouted as both turned off the power and pressed on the
+brakes.
+
+He had indeed got 'em more thoroughly than he supposed, for as the air
+left one of the rear tires, they saw the car suddenly swerve to the
+right, and before the driver could regain control, it had turned
+turtle into the ditch by the road side.
+
+"Gracious, I guess that ends them," cried Bob, as they brought their
+wheels to a standstill not more than seventy feet from the overturned
+car.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXIII.
+
+THE ROUND UP.
+
+
+The boys, thinking that the robbers might still be able to shoot, went
+back a little way until they saw the other car coming.
+
+"Well, you got them, sure enough," declared Mr. Switzer, as the car
+drew up and came to a stop, "but I guess, by the looks, they're both
+dead. We'd better have our guns ready though, for they may be able to
+shoot," he added turning to his men.
+
+Their fears were groundless, however, for on approaching the
+overturned car, they found that both men were unconscious, although
+they were alive. Reed, who had lost the false mustache he had been
+wearing had been thrown from the car and, having struck his head on a
+rock, was lying a few feet away, stunned, while King was pinned under
+the car, and groaning heavily. It was necessary to get the jack from
+the other car and raise the machine before they could drag him out. He
+slowly opened his eyes and groaned as they bore him to the car.
+
+It took some time to bring Reed around, but finally he began to show
+signs of life and soon sat up and looked around in a dazed manner. As
+his eyes rested for an instant on Jack, a shudder ran through him and
+he muttered something about not doing a very good job and sank back
+with a moan.
+
+They found the stolen money and securities in a box under the car,
+which was badly wrecked, and Mr. Golden took it in charge.
+
+"Now," said Mr. Switzer, speaking to Mr. Golden, "if you are willing,
+George and I'll take these fellows back to Skowhegan in your car.
+There's a house just around that turn where a man by the name of Berry
+lives, and he'll probably hitch up and take the rest of you back to
+Oakland and you can catch the train there for home."
+
+"All right," replied Mr. Golden, "I guess that will be the best plan,
+and the boys can go along with you on their wheels."
+
+So it was arranged, and the two injured robbers were made as
+comfortable as possible on the back seat of the car with Mr. Switzer,
+after he had slipped handcuffs on them. They said nothing except that
+King said he believed his left leg was broken, and it was paining him
+a good deal.
+
+"You're both mighty lucky that your necks aren't broken," declared
+Switzer.
+
+"I don't know as it's so very lucky for us, either," said Reed
+moodily.
+
+The other officer took his seat in front with Sandy, and as they
+started off, Mr. Switzer shouted:
+
+"I'll send some one out to tow their machine in."
+
+The return trip was made without incident, the boys following the car.
+The prisoners were not inclined to talk and refused to answer any
+questions. On reaching Skowhegan, they were taken to the jail and a
+doctor summoned, who found that King's left leg was broken below the
+knee. Beyond a good sized lump on the back of his head and a severe
+shaking up, Reed was not injured.
+
+The authorities at Boston were notified, and it turned out that Reed
+was the long-wanted Jim the Penman, and, as Captain Long had
+suspected, King proved to be the man known as Oily Joe. They were both
+sentenced to twenty years' imprisonment in the state prison of
+Massachusetts.
+
+As the boys, accompanied by Mr. Switzer, left the jail, after hearing
+the doctor's report regarding the condition of the robbers, Bob told
+him of his suspicions regarding the farmer and his son, with whom they
+had the trouble the day before.
+
+"That must be looked into," declared Mr. Switzer. "It certainly looks
+as though they were mixed up in it somehow. Tell you what I think we'd
+better do. It's only ten-thirty now; suppose we take your father's
+car and drive right back there and see what we can find out about it."
+
+To this the boys readily agreed, and taking the other policeman with
+them they started, waiting only long enough for Bob to call up his
+mother and tell her the news.
+
+They reached the place in a little over an hour, and as they drove
+into the yard, the farmer was sitting on the back door step. As soon
+as he saw them, he rose and started to go into the house, but Mr.
+Switzer was too quick for him, and drawing his revolver, he pointed it
+at the man ordering him to stop. He wisely obeyed and Switzer told him
+to come to the car.
+
+"Is this the man?" he asked, turning to Bob.
+
+"Yes, he's the man all right."
+
+The chief then explained the situation to him and told him that he had
+better make a clean breast of it. The man was very much frightened and
+his voice trembled as he spoke, telling them that he would tell them
+all he knew.
+
+According to the man's account, the house in the woods belonged to
+him. It had been built by a man from New York, three years ago, who
+intended to use it as a summer home, but his wife had died before it
+was completely furnished, and he had bought it at a very low price.
+King and Reed had driven into his yard one afternoon, a week or so
+ago, in an automobile. The smaller of the two, Reed, had said that he
+was a wealthy business man from Boston and that King was his servant.
+He, Reed, had suffered from a nervous breakdown, and his doctor had
+ordered him to go way somewhere, with his man, where he could be
+perfectly quiet and where no one would bother him, and they were
+looking for a place which they could rent.
+
+He had at once thought of the log house in the woods and had offered
+to show it to them. On seeing it, Reed had declared it to be just the
+thing and had paid him a month's rent in advance. He had thought that
+Reed was pretty healthy looking for a sick man, but considered it none
+of his business so long as he got his money. He had seen but little of
+them, but did know that they were away most of the time. Yes, he
+thought it strange, seeing that he wanted to be perfectly quiet, but
+here again, it was none of his affair and he had not bothered his head
+about it.
+
+Bob asked him why he had been so hostile toward Jack and him, and why
+his son had stolen their wheels, and why he had kept the cap, on
+abandoning them. He said, in explanation, that Reed had called at the
+house one day, and during their conversation had told him that two
+boys had stolen an invention from him. Some kind of a storage battery,
+the secret of which was in some metal caps. He had said that he was
+very anxious to get back at least one of the caps as he had lost the
+formula for making them and had been unable to get the right
+proportion of metals. Asked why he didn't have the boys arrested, he
+had replied that, unfortunately, he had no proof that they had stolen
+it, but that he would give one thousand dollars to get one of the
+caps. So, it happened that when he had seen the boys the day before,
+and had noticed the electric motors on their wheels, he had at once
+jumped to the conclusion that they were the boys Reed had told him
+about. So, seeing a good chance, as he thought, to make one thousand
+dollars honestly and without much trouble, he and his son, who had
+been at work in a field nearby, had followed them, and he guessed they
+knew the rest.
+
+The farmer's story sounded plausible enough as he told it, and, as
+they had no evidence to the contrary, Mr. Switzer said he guessed
+probably he was all right, but cautioned him to be more careful in the
+future or he might get into trouble, and telling him that he might be
+called as a witness, proposed that they start back.
+
+"I don't know I'm sure," he said to the boys, on the way back,
+"whether that fellow was telling the truth or not, but as long as we
+caught the robbers, I don't see that we'd gain anything by arresting
+him and I guess we'd have a pretty hard time proving anything against
+him."
+
+"Well, I got one good crack at him anyhow," chuckled Bob, "and I guess
+that son of his will think twice the next time, before he tackles a
+dude."
+
+As the car drew up in front of the bank, they found that their father
+and the others had returned and getting their wheels, the boys lost no
+time in starting for the cottage, as they felt, according to Jack,
+hollow clear to the toes. Mrs. Golden said that he and Uncle Ben had
+eaten lunch and would be up later as he had some business to attend to
+at the bank.
+
+As they rode through the town, they had to stop a dozen times and
+receive congratulations from their friends, and it was nearly two
+o'clock when they reached the cottage. However, they found a good
+lunch awaiting them, as their father had 'phoned that they were
+coming. While eating, they gave their mother, their aunt and the two
+girls an account of the events of the forenoon.
+
+"I am very glad," declared Mrs. Golden, "that they are caught, as I
+would never have felt easy with them at large."
+
+Mr. Golden and Uncle Ben came up in time for supper and the evening
+was spent in talking over the events of the last few days.
+
+The next night, when Mr. Golden came up from Skowhegan, he told the
+boys that he had a surprise for them.
+
+"What is it?" both asked eagerly.
+
+"I received a telegram this afternoon from Captain Long, saying that a
+check for ten thousand dollars had been sent to you, which is the
+reward offered for the capture of Jim the Penman and Oily Joe."
+
+The boys were surprised, and of course delighted, for they had not
+thought of a reward, although they now remembered that Captain Long
+had told them that one had been offered.
+
+"But, father, don't you think that Mr. Switzer and the other policemen
+ought to have part of it?" asked Bob.
+
+"No," replied his father, "I hardly think so. They only did their duty
+in arresting them, while you were really the ones who caught them.
+What do you say, Ben?"
+
+Uncle Ben agreed with their father, in thinking that the reward
+belonged to them alone, but Jack proposed that they would feel better
+about it if they gave them a part, and Mr. Golden smilingly told them
+to do as they thought best. So, after talking it over, they decided to
+give them one thousand dollars each. Mr. Switzer and the other two men
+were much pleased when the boys gave them the money, and all decided
+that they had not expected any part of it as they considered that it
+belonged to the boys.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXIV.
+
+CONCLUSION.
+
+
+"Say, Bob, what'll we do with this money?"
+
+The check had been received on the day following Mr. Golden's
+announcement, and as soon as the boys got into bed that night they
+began to talk about it.
+
+"Well, I'll tell you my idea. You remember what I said before I was
+kidnapped, about that prize of fifty thousand dollars for flying
+across the Atlantic, don't you? Well, tomorrow, let's ask dad about it
+and if he says we may try it, we can use it to buy an airplane next
+summer. What do you say?"
+
+"What do I say? I say that, for a youth of your tender years, you have
+a mighty level head, and that last remark of yours is certainly a
+corker."
+
+The next morning, at breakfast, they broached the subject to their
+father.
+
+"Well, I never!" declared Uncle Ben, "What in the name of common sense
+will you boys think of next? But of course, you are only fooling."
+
+"Indeed we're not," declared Bob, emphatically.
+
+"But sober earnest now, Bob, do you think the scheme is practical?"
+asked his father.
+
+"I don't see why not. Lots of aviators can stay in the air as long as
+their gasoline will hold out and the only reason they can't fly
+farther is because they can't carry enough fuel. Now we could carry
+enough of those cylinders to take an airship round the world."
+
+"Well, well," said their father, as he rose from the table, "there's
+lots of time to think of that between now and next summer. I won't say
+yes, and I won't say no at present, but we'll see."
+
+It was now the beginning of the last week in August and the boys spent
+the next few days delightfully, sailing in the Sprite, fishing,
+swimming and playing tennis with the girls. To Jack's secret delight
+Mrs. Golden invited Evelyn Nason to spend a week with them, and as she
+was a lively girl, they were a very jolly party, and Mike declared
+that they made more noise than a barrel of monkeys.
+
+September came around too soon, and Uncle Ben announced that the next
+day he and Aunt Lucy must start for home. All were very sorry to have
+them go, for they all loved them dearly.
+
+"Don't forget, boys, that you are to spend a week with us next
+Christmas," was the last thing Aunt Lucy said, as they started off in
+their big car.
+
+Two days later, May and Evelyn went home and the Roost seemed quite
+deserted, and the Goldens began to think about leaving the lake for
+the summer.
+
+It was Wednesday evening, and they were going to close the cottage the
+following Friday. They were all sitting around the open fire in the
+living room, for the night was chilly.
+
+"Boys," said Mr. Golden, throwing down the paper he had been reading,
+"how would you like to be tin soldiers?"
+
+"Tin soldiers? What in the world do you mean?" asked Jack, as they all
+laughed.
+
+"Well, I'll tell you. This afternoon a friend from Philadelphia was in
+the bank and he was telling me about a military college near there,
+where his boy went last year, and he praised it so highly, that I
+thought it might be a good place for you. I believe in military
+training," he continued, "as it teaches, besides other things,
+alertness and efficiency. I have very much regretted that I did not
+have the advantage of such training, and I would like my boys to have
+it. What do you say?"
+
+The boys thought for a moment and looked at each other. Finally Bob
+said:
+
+"I think it would be bully; how about you, Jack?"
+
+"Same here. Do they teach cavalry there, dad?"
+
+"Yes, they give courses in infantry, cavalry and artillery."
+
+"That'll be great," declared both boys.
+
+"Then you think you would like to go, do you?"
+
+"Yes, sir, I think it will be just the place for us," answered Bob and
+Jack said the same.
+
+"All right then, we'll consider it settled and I'll write to the
+president the first thing in the morning as the term opens the
+seventeenth."
+
+The boys talked about it for a long time that night, after they were
+in bed, and the more they thought about it, the more anxious they were
+to go.
+
+Friday morning came, and after a final sail in the Sprite, she was
+pulled into the boathouse and made snug for the winter. Needless to
+say, the cells were taken to Skowhegan for safe keeping. By noon, the
+Roost was ready to be closed, and after lunch, they left for their
+town home, the boys on their motorcycles and the rest of the family in
+the car.
+
+"This has been a splendid summer," declared Bob, as they were about to
+start, "in spite of all the trouble we've had, and I've had more
+excitement than I expected to have all my life."
+
+"That's so," agreed Jack and then added soberly, "we certainly ought
+to be very thankful that everything turned out so well."
+
+One day, about a week after they came down from the lake, Mr. Golden
+said, at the supper table:
+
+"Mr. Jenkins was in the bank today and said that Fred and Will were
+coming home tomorrow, and that he had decided to send them to the same
+college where you're going."
+
+Instantly the faces of the two boys fell.
+
+"He said," continued their father, "that he wished you two were more
+intimate with them."
+
+"I don't," said Jack. "They're too mean and selfish and then you can't
+trust them. I'm mighty sorry they're going there."
+
+"Oh, well," declared Bob, "I guess there'll be room enough for them
+and us, too."
+
+It was Thursday and they were to leave the following Monday, and so we
+will leave them, busy and happy in their last minute preparations for
+their new life in college.
+
+And so we shall take leave of them for a short time. Their subsequent
+adventures will be found in a succeeding volume entitled "THE GOLDEN
+BOYS AT THE FORTRESS."
+
+
+THE END.
+
+
+
+
+     The Boy Allies
+     With the Navy
+
+     (Registered in the United States Patent Office)
+
+    By ENSIGN ROBERT L. DRAKE
+
+Handsome Cloth Binding.
+
+Frank Chadwick and Jack Templeton, young American lads, meet each
+other in an unusual way soon after the declaration of war.
+Circumstances place them on board the British cruiser "The Sylph" and
+from there on, they share adventures with the sailors of the Allies.
+Ensign Robert L. Drake, the author, is an experienced naval officer,
+and he describes admirably the many exciting adventures of the two
+boys.
+
+     THE BOY ALLIES ON THE NORTH SEA PATROL; or, Striking the
+     First Blow at the German Fleet.
+
+     THE BOY ALLIES UNDER TWO FLAGS; or, Sweeping the Enemy
+     from the Seas.
+
+     THE BOY ALLIES WITH THE FLYING SQUADRON; or, The Naval
+     Raiders of the Great War.
+
+     THE BOY ALLIES WITH THE TERROR OF THE SEA; or, The Last
+     Shot of Submarine D-16.
+
+     THE BOY ALLIES UNDER THE SEA; or, The Vanishing Submarine.
+
+     THE BOY ALLIES IN THE BALTIC; or, Through Fields of Ice to
+     Aid the Czar.
+
+     THE BOY ALLIES AT JUTLAND; or, The Greatest Naval Battle
+     of History.
+
+     THE BOY ALLIES WITH UNCLE SAM'S CRUISERS; or, Convoying
+     the American Army Across the Atlantic.
+
+     THE BOY ALLIES WITH THE SUBMARINE D-32; or, The Fall of
+     the Russian Empire.
+
+     THE BOY ALLIES WITH THE VICTORIOUS FLEETS; or, The Fall of
+     the German Navy.
+
+For sale by all booksellers, or sent postpaid on receipt of price by
+the publishers
+
+A. L. BURT COMPANY, 114-120 East 23rd St., New York
+
+
+
+
+     The Boy Allies With
+     the Army
+
+     (Registered in the United States Patent Office)
+
+     By CLAIR W. HAYES
+
+Handsome Cloth Binding.
+
+In this series we follow the fortunes of two American lads unable to
+leave Europe after war is declared. They meet the soldiers of the
+Allies, and decide to cast their lot with them. Their experiences and
+escapes are many, and furnish plenty of the good, healthy action that
+every boy loves.
+
+     THE BOY ALLIES AT LIEGE; or, Through Lines of Steel.
+
+     THE BOY ALLIES ON THE FIRING LINE; or, Twelve Days Battle
+     Along the Marne.
+
+     THE BOY ALLIES WITH THE COSSACKS; or, A Wild Dash Over the
+     Carpathians.
+
+     THE BOY ALLIES IN THE TRENCHES; or, Midst Shot and Shell
+     Along the Aisne.
+
+     THE BOY ALLIES IN GREAT PERIL; or, With the Italian Army
+     in the Alps.
+
+     THE BOY ALLIES IN THE BALKAN CAMPAIGN; or, The Struggle to
+     Save a Nation.
+
+     THE BOY ALLIES ON THE SOMME; or, Courage and Bravery
+     Rewarded.
+
+     THE BOY ALLIES AT VERDUN; or, Saving France from the
+     Enemy.
+
+     THE BOY ALLIES UNDER THE STARS AND STRIPES; or, Leading
+     the American Troops to the Firing Line.
+
+     THE BOY ALLIES WITH HAIG IN FLANDERS; or, The Fighting
+     Canadians of Vimy Ridge.
+
+     THE BOY ALLIES WITH PERSHING IN FRANCE; or, Over the Top
+     at Chateau Thierry.
+
+     THE BOY ALLIES WITH THE GREAT ADVANCE; or, Driving the
+     Enemy Through France and Belgium.
+
+     THE BOY ALLIES WITH MARSHAL FOCH; or, The Closing Days of
+     the Great World War.
+
+For sale by all booksellers, or sent postpaid on receipt of price by
+the publishers
+
+A. L. BURT COMPANY, 114-120 East 23rd St., New York
+
+
+
+
+     The Boy Scouts Series
+
+     By HERBERT CARTER
+
+     THE BOY SCOUTS' FIRST CAMP FIRE; or, Scouting with the
+     Silver Fox Patrol.
+
+     THE BOY SCOUTS IN THE BLUE RIDGE; or, Marooned Among the
+     Moonshiners.
+
+     THE BOY SCOUTS ON THE TRAIL; or, Scouting through the Big
+     Game Country.
+
+     THE BOY SCOUTS IN THE MAINE WOODS; or, The New Test for
+     the Silver Fox Patrol.
+
+     THE BOY SCOUTS THROUGH THE BIG TIMBER; or, The Search for
+     the Lost Tenderfoot.
+
+     THE BOY SCOUTS IN THE ROCKIES; or, The Secret of the
+     Hidden Silver Mine.
+
+     THE BOY SCOUTS ON STURGEON ISLAND; or, Marooned Among the
+     Game Fish Poachers.
+
+     THE BOY SCOUTS DOWN IN DIXIE; or, The Strange Secret of
+     Alligator Swamp.
+
+     THE BOY SCOUTS AT THE BATTLE OF SARATOGA. A story of
+     Burgoyne's defeat in 1777.
+
+     THE BOY SCOUTS ALONG THE SUSQUEHANNA; or, The Silver Fox
+     Patrol Caught in a Flood.
+
+     THE BOY SCOUTS ON WAR TRAILS IN BELGIUM; or, Caught
+     Between the Hostile Armies.
+
+     THE BOY SCOUTS AFOOT IN FRANCE; or, With the Red Cross
+     Corps at the Marne.
+
+For sale by all booksellers, or sent postpaid on receipt of price by
+the publishers
+
+A. L BURT COMPANY, 114-120 East 23rd St., New York
+
+
+
+
+     Our Young Aeroplane Scout Series
+
+     (Registered in the United States Patent Office)
+
+     By HORACE PORTER
+
+Handsome Cloth Binding.
+
+A series of stories of two American boy aviators in the great European
+war zone. The fascinating life in mid-air is thrillingly described.
+The boys have many exciting adventures, and the narratives of their
+numerous escapes make up a series of wonderfully interesting stories.
+
+     OUR YOUNG AEROPLANE SCOUTS IN FRANCE AND BELGIUM; or,
+     Saving the Fortunes of the Trouvilles.
+
+     OUR YOUNG AEROPLANE SCOUTS IN GERMANY.
+
+     OUR YOUNG AEROPLANE SCOUTS IN RUSSIA; or, Lost on the
+     Frozen Steppes.
+
+     OUR YOUNG AEROPLANE SCOUTS IN TURKEY; or, Bringing the
+     Light to Yusef.
+
+     OUR YOUNG AEROPLANE SCOUTS IN ENGLAND; or, Twin Stars in
+     the London Sky Patrol.
+
+     OUR YOUNG AEROPLANE SCOUTS IN ITALY; or, Flying with the
+     War Eagles of the Alps.
+
+     OUR YOUNG AEROPLANE SCOUTS AT VERDUN; or, Driving Armored
+     Meteors Over Flaming Battle Fronts.
+
+     OUR YOUNG AEROPLANE SCOUTS IN THE BALKANS; or, Wearing the
+     Red Badge of Courage.
+
+     OUR YOUNG AEROPLANE SCOUTS IN THE WAR ZONE; or, Serving
+     Uncle Sam In the Cause of the Allies.
+
+     OUR YOUNG AEROPLANE SCOUTS FIGHTING TO THE FINISH; or,
+     Striking Hard Over the Sea for the Stars and Stripes.
+
+     OUR YOUNG AEROPLANE SCOUTS AT THE MARNE; or, Harrying the
+     Huns From Allied Battleplanes.
+
+     OUR YOUNG AEROPLANE SCOUTS IN AT THE VICTORY; or, Speedy
+     High Flyers Smashing the Hindenburg line.
+
+For sale by all booksellers, or sent postpaid on receipt of price by
+the publishers
+
+A. L. BURT COMPANY, 114-120 East 23rd St., New York
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Golden Boys and Their New Electric
+Cell, by L. P. Wyman
+
+*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 43197 ***