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diff --git a/old/54826-0.txt b/old/54826-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 373ccc9..0000000 --- a/old/54826-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,5274 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Mystery at Camp Lenape, by Carl Saxon - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: The Mystery at Camp Lenape - -Author: Carl Saxon - -Release Date: June 2, 2017 [EBook #54826] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MYSTERY AT CAMP LENAPE *** - - - - -Produced by Stephen Hutcheson and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - - - - - THE MYSTERY AT CAMP LENAPE - - - CARL SAXON - _Author of “Blackie Thorne at Camp Lenape”_ - - [Illustration: Decoration] - - BOOKS, INC. - NEW YORK BOSTON - - COPYRIGHT 1940, 1931 BY BOOKS, INC. - MANUFACTURED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - - - - - CONTENTS - - - I. Battle-Royal 7 - II. Sherlock on the Trail 16 - III. The Midnight Man 27 - IV. The Arm 35 - V. In the Name of the Law 44 - VI. Braves in Council 55 - VII. News and More News 65 - VIII. The Disappearing Act 75 - IX. Off for Pebble Beach 87 - X. The Man in Blue Again 96 - XI. The Lair of the Enemy 104 - XII. A Daring Resolve 112 - XIII. The Trunk Room 122 - XIV. So Long, Lenape! 131 - XV. Four in the Forest 141 - XVI. Hare and Hounds 152 - XVII. Jerry Gets a Ride 162 - XVIII. The Gypsy Van 174 - XIX. Shots on the Highway 183 - XX. The Last Trap 193 - XXI. The Secret of the Lodge 203 - XXII. Brotherly Love 214 - - - - - THE MYSTERY AT CAMP LENAPE - - - - - CHAPTER I - BATTLE-ROYAL - - -The Utway twins were at it again. - -“You are, too!” said Jake. - -“You’re another!” said Jerry. - -“And you’re his brother!” said Jake. - -It was “quiet hour” in Camp Lenape. The peace of Sunday afternoon hung -above the rows of white tents on the hillside above the placid lake. In -Tent Ten, however, the quiet was broken by a sudden uproar. - -Six wide-awake lads perched on upper bunks, grinning and nudging each -other. All eyes were turned on two bronze-haired, blue-eyed, sun-browned -boys who faced each other in the center of the tent. - -As they stood thus, it seemed as if there was only one boy, looking at -himself in a large mirror; for the Utway twins were so much alike that -others often wondered how one of them knew whether he was himself, or -his brother—whether Jerry did not sometimes wake in the morning and -think for a moment that he might possibly be Jake. The resemblance was -heightened by the fact that both wore identical outfits—the basketball -shorts and green-and-white jersey that served as the camp uniform. - -However, while Jerry wore a tennis sneaker on each foot, Jake wore only -one. The other shoe he brandished in an upraised arm with a threatening -air. - -“That’s talking,” put in “wild Willie” Sanders, from his perch above the -two brothers. “You tell him, Jake!” - -Jake turned on the speaker. “No noise from the nickel seats!” he warned. -“This is our business—no butting in. Now, Jerry, take back what you -said.” - -“Well, take back what you said!” responded Jerry with some spirit. “And -quit aiming that shoe at me! Put it down!” - -“Keep off!” - -The band of onlookers, now reinforced by the grinning faces of many -inmates of neighboring tents, chuckled with delight. It looked as if -there was going to be a fight at last. And the watchers knew from past -experience that if the Utway twins got to scrapping again, the resulting -action would do much to brighten up a dull Sunday afternoon. Therefore -they waited happily for the first gong of the coming battle. - -It looked as though Jerry meant business. With a swift rush he attempted -to snatch the menacing shoe from his brother’s hand. Jake neatly dodged, -and swung the improvised weapon in a dangerous arc. His fingers slipped -on the smooth rubber of the sole, and the shoe hurled itself with some -force at Jerry’s chest. - -Jerry grunted as the flying sneaker took him in the midriff. He was not -hurt, but he was mad. He had forgotten completely what the original -quarrel was about; he knew that the shoe had been flung by accident, but -didn’t care; all he thought of was to “get even” with Jake. He snatched -the nearest thing at hand, which happened to be a canteen belonging to -little Pete Lister, and flung it wildly at his brother. - -Jake dodged again, and returned this fire with an unwieldy missile that -proved to be Fat Crampton’s generously-built raincoat. This went wild of -the mark, and he ducked a whizzing flashlight while at the same time -reaching about for more ammunition. His hand touched “Sherlock” Jones’s -camera-case, and he was about to aim this at Jerry’s head when he was -taken full in the face with a canvas pillow, followed by a sweater and a -Boy Scout Handbook. - -“Hey!” cried Jones, jumping down from his bunk in alarm, now that his -treasured possession was in danger, “that’s my camera-case you got!” - -The contested object sailed past his ear and met its mark on Jerry’s -leg. By this time Jerry was in no frame of mind to distinguish friend -from enemy. He was seeing red, and the sight of young Jones dashing -toward him to regain his property raised his temper to the boiling -point. He reached out and greeted the oncoming boy with the contents of -a handy water-bucket. - -The bucket was half full, sufficient to make a drenching torrent which -reduced the hapless Jones to a sopping state. His cry of rage filled the -tent. Wild Willie Sanders came to his rescue, and together they advanced -on Jerry, who was now armed with a loose tent-peg swinging on the end of -its rope. - -Jake had taken advantage of his momentary freedom from attack to gather -together a goodly pile of ammunition—shoes, tennis rackets, pinecones, -pillows, and an empty wasp’s nest which Lefkowitz had collected as a -specimen. Chink Towner had entrenched himself on the top of a bunk, from -which fortified position he was able now and then to swipe the tumbling -combatants over the head with a pillow. Little Peter Lister managed to -give Fat Crampton a timely shove which sent him rolling between the legs -of his battling tent-mates. - -Objects of all sorts, from baseball bats to cakes of soap, flew through -the air and landed in the low bushes outside the tent. Battle-cries and -shouts of the wounded rent the calm Sunday afternoon air. - -The fight was no longer a private contest. The action had become -general. A whirling shoe had landed on “Kipper” Dabney, aide of Tent -Nine next door, and he had immediately led his cohorts in a vengeful -sally against their warlike neighbors. Somebody had refilled the empty -water-pail and was methodically doing his bit to make sure that not one -of the combatants was left undrenched. A scouting party from Tent Five -had raced downhill and were swiftly pulling the blankets from every bunk -and tossing them into the huckleberry bushes. Tent Ten was a -battleground of whirling arms, tumbling bodies, and flying weapons, -whereon no one knew his friend, and every boy fought for himself. - -“Stop!” - -A shrill voice of command cut through the tumult. Unseen by the rioters, -a short, erect man in scoutmaster’s uniform had appeared in their midst. - -“Stop this at once! Put those things down! Attention!” - -A boy on the outskirts of the group whistled in surprise. “Chickie! It’s -Mr. Colby!” He dodged behind a tree and disappeared. Silently the boys -from other tents faded from the scene, trying to look innocent and -peaceful. In ten seconds the members of Tent Ten were left alone amid -the ruins, under the stern gaze of Mr. Colby. - -“Attention! Line up!” - -Eight boys guiltily straightened, heels together. - -“You, Utway, drop that baseball bat! Now, what’s the meaning of this?” - -The councilor’s keen eyes flashed from one face to the next. The sudden -uproar had brought him running from his place at the leaders’ meeting on -the porch of the lodge. As officer of the day, it was his duty to take -charge of the camp program, inspect the tents, and assign merit points -for the conduct of each tent-group. He took his duties most seriously; a -short period of service in the National Guard had given him a mighty -respect for military discipline; and his strictness at all times was -well-known at Lenape. - -“Men, you are a disgrace!” he snapped. A few feathers from a ripped -pillow sifted down and settled upon the brim of his hat, but not a boy -dared to smile. “A disgrace! Now, who’s responsible for this?” - -His searching eye caught sight of the twins, standing together at one -end of the line. He well knew the reputation these husky brothers had -for unladylike conduct, and twice before had found it necessary to -separate them from each other’s grasp after sudden tussles. His lips -tightened as he stopped before Jerry, whose relinquished baseball bat -lay across his feet. - -“You again, eh? Fighting with your brother, were you, Jake? Or Jerry, -whichever you are?” - -“Well, you see——” - -“Never mind accusing anybody else! You’ll have to learn that camp is no -place for continual bickering! Look at this tent! You’ve made hay of the -whole place. I’ll make it my job to see that Tent Ten gets the booby can -for this——” The councilor’s words were broken off short, and he fell -back, clapping his hands to his head. - -He had been standing directly under the front tent pole, and the oil -lantern hanging there, which had somehow escaped being brought into the -fray, had suddenly descended from its nail at the top of the pole and -struck him full on the crown. The blow had been partly dulled by his -stiff hat, but he was smarting with anger. His bristling gaze fell on -the flushed face of Jake Utway, who stood beside the pole with defiance -in his eyes. - -“You—you did that, Utway! Don’t deny it!” - -Jake did not deny it. He had taken this means of defending his brother -from the full brunt of the guilt for the battle-royal. - -“Well, why don’t you stop picking on Jerry? He wasn’t the only one to -blame! All of us did some.” - -“You—you——Both you boys are incorrigible! Now, listen! You two must put -this tent in order at once—pick up everything, make all the beds, put -everything in its place! If this is not done, I shall recommend that you -serve ten hours apiece on the chain gang. No discipline—no discipline——” - -Still rubbing his injured brow tenderly, the enraged scoutmaster rushed -from the tent, not daring to trust his temper further. - -The group relaxed. “Guess that’ll fix you guys for soaking me with all -that water,” muttered Sherlock Jones. “Serves you right.” - -“Shut up,” said Jerry rudely. “Say, Jake, thanks. He sure did look sad -when that lantern bopped him! I knew right away you did it on purpose.” - -“Aw, he was picking on you,” answered Jake. “That’s all right. He got -even with us, though. It’s not going to be an easy job, cleaning up this -mess. Let’s get busy. Come on, pick up those blankets.” - -“You’re no cripple—pick ’em up yourself!” - -“Pick ’em up, you lazy loafer!” - -“Who’s a loafer?” - -“You are!” - -“You’re another!” - -“And you’re his brother!” - -The Utway twins were at it again. - - - - - CHAPTER II - SHERLOCK ON THE TRAIL - - -Sherlock Jones muttered vengefully to himself as he slowly stripped and -removed his sopping clothes after the battle. Moodily he donned a dry -outfit, pulled a sweater over his head, and stalked from the littered -tent. - -Between two pine trees a few yards away, a rustic bench had been built. -Sherlock sat down, drew a thin book from his pocket, and began to read. -He had barely cast his eye down one page when a shadow fell on his arm, -and he looked up to see Wild Willie Sanders surveying him curiously. - -“What’s bitin’ you?” asked Wild Willie. “You look mad as a wet hen.” - -Sherlock scowled. “Something terrible’s going to happen around this -camp!” he said with a profound air of secrecy. - -The other boy laughed scornfully. “Huh! That’s what you’re always -saying! Always acting mysterious, as if you thought somebody was going -to commit a murder any minute! Reading that book again, too, I see! -What’s the name of it?” - -With a swift movement, he jerked the thin volume from Sherlock’s hand, -and read the title. “‘How to Be a Detective in 10 Lessons, by the -Fireside Correspondence School.’ Say, what makes you think you’re a -natural-born sleuth, anyway?” - -Sherlock peered up pleadingly, blinking his pale blue eyes behind the -large, window-like lenses of a pair of horn-rimmed glasses that rested -on his long, inquisitive nose. “Here, give me that, Wild Willie! Give me -back that book!” - -“All right, Mr. Detective.” The boy tossed the book down, and grunted. -“Say, you better quit shadowing Chink Towner all over the place. He’s -getting mad about it, and told me he’d swat you one if you didn’t stop -following him.” - -Again Sherlock gave him a solemn glance. “Shh! I got information that -he’s a smuggler!” - -“A smuggler? What do you mean?” - -“Well, anyway, he’s probably a Chinese spy in disguise.” - -Wild Willie laughed derisively. “Say, I’ve known Chink Towner all my -life, and he’s no more a smuggler than the Chief is! Why he’s not even a -Chinaman—we just call him Chink because he kind of looks that way. You -better get these nutty ideas out of your head before you get hurt. It’s -just like that time you told me that Leggy and all the other colored -fellows in the kitchen were counterfeiters.” - -Sherlock winced. This affair was another of his failures to discover a -secret threat of Crime hanging over the heads of his fellow campers. One -evening soon after the camp season had started, he had been listening -outside the shack where these dusky young men lived, back of the -ice-house, and had heard the whirr of machinery and the proud voice of -Leggy, assistant cook, remarking: “Yas suh, dis here ma-sheen is sure -goin’ to make lots o’ money for us all!” His hope of fame as a great -detective was blasted next day in mess-hall, however, when that same -Leggy announced that he had “brought a sewing-machine to camp with him -and was prepared, for a nominal sum of money, to mend rips and tears in -the campers’ clothing.” - -“Never mind about that,” he said desperately. “People around this camp -are going to be pretty glad they’ve got a live-wire detective on the -job. Pretty soon you’ll wish you’d listened to me.” - -“Why? What’s going to happen?” - -“Some people around here will bear watching, that’s all!” Sherlock cast -a meaning glance in the direction of Tent Ten, where the twins had set -about clearing up the devastated tent and making up the bunks into a -semblance of orderliness. - -Wild Willie stared in unbelief, and again broke into a laugh. “You mean -the Utway brothers? Say, if you take my advice, you’ll keep away from -those two! Everybody knows they scrap with each other now and then, but -if you try to tackle one of them, you’ll have both of them coming down -on your neck! What have you got against them?” - -“Well,” said Sherlock slowly, “Jake threw around my good camera-case, -and Jerry dumped a whole bucket of water on me——” - -“That’s no crime, is it? What’s mysterious about that?” - -“You’ll see. Look at what they did to Mr. Colby—Jake knocked down a -lantern on him, on purpose, and I bet they’d like to do worse, if they -could. And he’s a councilor!” - -“You’re a born chump,” remarked his tent-mate hopelessly. “No use trying -to argue with you, Mr. Sherlock Holmes Junior. Some day, something -terrible is going to happen around camp, and then you’ll be a hero and -discover the mystery. _Oh_, yes!” Again came that scornful laugh. -“Listen, there goes the bugle sounding Recall. Sax McNulty promised to -tell some stories before swim, up at the big cherry tree. Are you -coming, or are you going to read your old book all day?” - -“You go ahead. I’m all right.” Sherlock again picked up his precious -book, but he did not read far. As soon as Wild Willie was out of sight, -he slipped the book into his pocket. He was convinced that the Utway -twins were a pair of villains. If he could catch them in some dark act, -and unmask them as dire disturbers of the peace of Camp Lenape—— - -Already a plan had formed in his mind. He would hide near them, watch -their movements, and if possible discover them in some suspicious act. - -The campus between the rows of tents was deserted now. Again silence -hovered over Camp Lenape, scene of many a summer adventure, some of -which have been written down elsewhere. The spreading lodge-building, -perched on the hillside midway between the mountain range and the waters -of Lake Lenape, was deserted. In the shadow by the kitchen door, -Sherlock could see Ellick, the jovial, chocolate-colored chef, sprawled -on the ground beside his three coffee-colored assistants, resting after -their labors of preparing the midday meal of camp fare. The waiting lad -could picture in his mind the scene under the wild-cherry tree in the -baseball field beyond the lodge, where a dozen grown men, the -councilors, sat, surrounded by the hundred lively boy campers who each -season came to live under canvas in the woods and to enjoy the delights -of this outdoor paradise. “Sax” McNulty, the comical leader who was in -charge of camp stunts, would be relating some stirring tale. All the -other councilors would be there—Wally Rawn, the swimmer; Lieutenant -Eames of West Point fame; Mr. Colby; Happy Face Frayne, the associate -director; and the rest. And somewhere among the group of listening boys -would be the Chief himself, the kindly director who knew all things. - -Among the crowd, Sherlock’s absence would not be noticed. He rose -swiftly, and managed to creep unseen into a clump of low bushes about -fifty yards below Tent Ten. From this vantage-point he was able to -overlook the activity of the two brothers, who labored moodily at their -task in the hot sun. - -It was no easy thing to discover all the missing objects which the -energetic raiders from other tents had thrown into the surrounding -shrubbery, and to arrange everything inside in apple-pie order for a -later inspection; and the better part of an hour passed before Jake and -Jerry sat on a newly-made bunk and rested from their labors. - -Sherlock, who had patiently squatted within the depths of a distant -huckleberry patch all the while, now saw his chance to creep -undiscovered to the space under the flooring of the tent, where he could -listen and perhaps overhear some incriminating words. Expertly he wormed -his way to this hiding-place, behind the unsuspecting backs of the -brothers, in time to catch the end of Jake’s last remark. - -“—you’re right, Jerry. We sure ought to do something. Everybody was in -on the scrap, and Colby didn’t have any right to put all this work on -us.” - -“He’s too strict, with all his talk about discipline,” responded Jerry -somberly. “From now on he’s going to be after us, especially when you -pushed the tent-pole and brought that lantern down on his dome; so we -might as well be hung for a sheep as a lamb.” - -“That’s the stuff! What’ll we do to him?” - -Sherlock, below them, stifled a gasp of horror. Here was mutiny, rank -rebellion against the authority of a councilor of Lenape, a grown man -and a scoutmaster! His jaw gaped as he listened. - -“I’ve been thinking,” said Jerry slowly. “I bet old Colby could be -scared out of his skin, even if he was a soldier once. You know that big -bull-frog Spaghetti Megaro caught the other day? I know where he keeps -it down in my tent. Let’s get it, and to-night, about twelve o’clock -when everybody’s asleep, we’ll slide down to Colby’s tent and chuck old -Mr. Frog into his bed! Talk about scared! Say, I’ll bet Old Discipline -will let out a yelp you can hear a mile!” - -“Boy, I can just hear it now!” agreed Jake, bursting into a laugh. “But -how are we going to stay awake that long? Twelve o’clock’s pretty late.” - -“I’ll fix that. I can wake up whenever I want to, you know. We can run a -long string across from my tent over here. Tie one end to your foot -before you go to sleep. When I wake up I’ll give it a pull and wake you -up, then get the frog, and meet you here. Then we’ll go down to Fifteen -and give Mr. Discipline the scare of his life!” - -“All set. I got a ball of cord in my locker we can use. Come on, -Jerry—we got time enough before swim to listen in on one of Sax -McNulty’s stories. Let’s go!” - - _Day is done, gone the sun, - From the lake, from the hills, from the sky—_ - -The full, rich notes of Taps rolled over the pines of Lenape and echoed -across the lake. Fat Crampton doused the Tent Ten lantern and climbed -heavily into his creaking bunk. - -“Good night, campers!” drawled the voice of Jim Avery, the lanky -councilor. Sleepy voices answered from the darkness. There was a slight -rustling from the direction of Jake Utway’s bunk. Sherlock Jones cocked -an ear. He knew that Jake, following the plan he had overheard that -afternoon, was attaching to his foot the cord which the twins had laid -down after nightfall to connect Tent Ten with Jerry’s bunk in Tent Eight -down the line. This method of communication was necessary because the -Chief in his wisdom made it a point to separate the two devoted brothers -into different tent-groups when the changes in tent assignments were -made at the end of each two-week period of camp. Therefore Jake was -given a place with Mr. Avery, while Jerry was nominally under the -guardianship of Dr. Cannon in Tent Eight. - -Sherlock smiled with satisfaction in the darkness. He, too, had a score -to pay off, and he would see that the brothers who had misused him would -not get off lightly. His preparations were made. Cautiously he felt -under his bunk to make sure that all the equipment he needed was at -hand. - -A few stars sparkled down through the softly-swaying pine branches. -Nothing was heard in the tent now save the heavy breathing of the weary -sleepers, led by Fat Crampton’s rumbling bass snore. Far up the mountain -behind camp a dog barked somewhere. The travelling spot of a flashlight -came up the path as the Chief passed by noiselessly on his nightly -round. Sherlock caught himself nodding—tried to jerk himself into -wakefulness—nodded again.... - -He woke with a start. A dim bulk of shadow moved against the dull -starlight; Jake Utway was dressing hastily in the dark. He waited until -Jake had slipped on his tennis shoes and had noiselessly tiptoed down -the steps. A light footfall from the path told him that Jerry was -joining the party. “Got the frog?” he heard Jake whisper; the forms of -the two brothers melted into the dark in the direction of Tent Fifteen. - -Sherlock waited no longer. He sprang from his blankets, and stripped off -his pajamas. He had, unseen by his tent-mates, slipped into bed fully -dressed beneath his nightwear. It was the work of a few instants to -slide his feet into a pair of moccasins and drop over the edge of the -tent floor. Clutched under one arm he carried his camera, his most -prized possession. In the other hand he bore a metal pan with a short -handle, and a package labeled “flashlight powder.” - - - - - CHAPTER III - THE MIDNIGHT MAN - - -Through the gloom the Utway twins felt their way down the hill, trusting -to the touch of their feet to keep them on the path that ran through the -pines on the northern edge of the campus. Jerry carried under his -sweater the bulging form of the big frog, whose long legs jerked -fitfully. - -Jake grabbed his brother’s arm. “Hark!” he whispered. “I thought I heard -something over to the right—there in the bushes!” They listened. - -“You must be dreaming still! I don’t hear anything. Come on! You aren’t -scared, are you?” - -“Aw, say! Let’s hurry up, though. We don’t want to get caught. You still -got Alexander good and tight?” - -Jerry resisted a particularly violent kick from Alexander, the frog, and -again moved forward. They were now close to the dull patch of canvas -that marked Tent Fifteen, the tent furthest away from the lodge. The -twins had marked beforehand the lower bunk occupied by Mr. Colby, which -was on the far side. With the greatest caution, the twins circled -through the underbrush and crept beneath the moorings of the tent-ropes. -The councilor’s bunk was now at hand. It was their aim to slip Alexander -beneath the blankets, and retreat into the cover of the pines, there to -await the startled yell that would tell them Mr. Colby had discovered -his slippery bedfellow. - -Jake put his mouth close to Jerry’s ear. “Say, I know I heard -something—there, right back of the tent! Somebody must be following us!” - -“Well, what of it? They can’t see us in the dark. All the more reason to -hurry. Ready?” He fished Alexander forth. “Quick, now—lift up the covers -and I’ll chuck him in——” He got no further. - -_Boom!_ A thunderous explosion came from a few feet away, and a -brilliant flare lit the scene like a flash of lightning. - -With daylight clearness, the startled raiders could see every feature of -their surroundings, standing out from the night. It was like a stage -play. The inside of Tent Fifteen was lit with a blinding radiance. In a -cleared space at the open rear of the tent, Sherlock Jones stood, a -flaming flashlight-pan held high over his head with one hand, his other -hand clicking the shutter of the camera, placed on a tripod and aimed -straight at the bunk over which bent the white faces of the Utway twins. -In the darkness, Sherlock had poured more powder into the pan than would -have been necessary to light the scene of action, and the resulting -explosion had been greater than he was prepared for. - -Jerry jumped backward, for in the momentary light from the pan he had -seen Mr. Colby’s eyes open and shut again, blinded by the dazzling -glare. The boy’s backward movement caused him to bump his head heavily -against the mooring-pole, and he saw more stars than those that shone in -the July heavens. Alexander dropped from his nerveless hand. - -Jake Utway, however, was the most startled of all those whose figures -stood out in that brief second of brightness. He could not hold in the -cry that came to his lips. Not six inches away from his was a face—the -face of a man, wild, desperate, knotted with fear! - -For some precious seconds he was too paralyzed to move. The flare had -died down, but in his mind’s eye still stood forth, every feature cut -clear in his memory, the face of the stranger. That twisted visage, he -was sure, belonged to no one of the leaders of Lenape, nor any of the -neighboring farmers that he knew. The head was completely bald, the eyes -staring from their sockets, clenched teeth glittering between pale, -drawn lips. He knew that never, as long as he lived, could he forget -that frozen mask of terror. - -It seemed ages before he could control his body enough to move. -Stumbling blindly beneath the mooring-pole, he made for the shelter of -the trees. Behind him came the shrill challenge of Mr. Colby: “Halt! Who -goes there? _What is it?_” - -Jake ran. He had gone about twenty yards when he tripped over a clump of -brush, fell forward perilously, crashed into the trunk of a tree. He lay -stunned where he fell. Dancing sparks flickered before his eyes; a slow -pain grew in the left side of his face, which had smashed against the -rough bark of a pine. - -From a few yards away came the crash of a struggling body, tearing its -way through the bushes. “Is that you, Jerry?” he called hoarsely, -finding his voice and struggling to a sitting position. There was no -answer, but the thrashing sound continued. What was it? - -The unknown thing was almost upon him now. His whole face stinging with -the recent blow, he tried to flounder to his feet. His upraised arm came -into contact with flesh! Some heavy body fell upon his, a writhing mass -of humanity. His groping hand clutched a bony arm clothed in some rough, -thin material. At least his unknown attacker was human! Gritting his -teeth, Jake Utway pulled himself together and grappled with his strange -antagonist. - -The battle was brief. The enemy seemed more bent upon escaping from -Jake’s clutch than remaining to wrestle. It was a question which of the -two was the more frightened. Jerry found and clung to a flailing leg -until a sudden kick sent him sprawling again. The branches of the -undergrowth crackled as the panic-stricken attacker fought his way free. - -Painfully Jake scrambled to his feet. With his body scratched by the -bushes and bruised in a dozen places, and his face throbbing from its -blow against the tree, he now thought of nothing but regaining his tent -undiscovered. Jerry must already have made his way back to his own tent. -Jake hoped that Mr. Avery was not among those hurrying forms that passed -near him in the dark, hastening toward the scene of commotion; but there -was a chance that he had not been disturbed, as the lanky councilor was -known throughout the camp as a sound sleeper who had to fight his way to -wakefulness at Reveille. Jake’s knowledge of the lay of the land now -stood him in good stead, and he quickly found the path and scurried -toward Tent Ten, stripping off his shirt and sweater as he went. He -breathed a sigh of relief as he came to the step of his own tent. -Nothing seemed out of the way. His peering eyes made sure that Mr. Avery -had not stirred. With shaking fingers Jake undressed fully, scrambled -into his pajamas, and got into the rumpled blankets a fraction of a -second before he heard steps at the tent door. - -The Chief’s low voice floated through the night. “Taking pictures, were -you? Well, Jones, if I didn’t know that you were a bit cuckoo, I might -wonder what you were up to. As it is——” - -“But, Ch-Chief!” Sherlock whimpered. “If you knew what I was taking a -picture of, you’d——” - -“Shh! Don’t wake up the whole camp!” came the command. “If you have any -explanation to make, you can save it until morning. Now, not another -word. You’ve made enough racket for one night!” - -Jake could not help grinning beneath the covers. Evidently Sherlock, -impeded with his camera and other apparatus, had not made his getaway in -time. What could the amateur detective have been doing there at that -hour? It must have been he whom they heard following them on their -expedition. Well, time enough to worry in the morning! He listened -sleepily as Sherlock stowed away his outfit, not dreaming that the -camera contained an exposed film which might be a highly incriminating -record of their midnight misdoings. - -Sherlock, however, made sure that his precious camera was carefully -placed in his locker. He was not minded to lose his sole evidence that -he had risked all to obtain proof of the raid. He cast a grim glance -toward Jake’s outstretched form as he donned his pajamas for the second -time that night. Little did the brothers reck that Sherlock Jones, the -detective, had not failed! - -Sherlock wakened in the morning a few minutes before Reveille, and -glanced across the tent to see if the adventure of the night had left -any marks upon his mutinous tent-mate. It had. The most blundering -detective could not have failed to note the clue which a tree-trunk had -left on the face of Jake Utway. His left eye was ringed about with an -inflamed patch of black-and-blue bruises—the most gorgeous “shiner” -Sherlock had seen in some time. As he looked, Jake opened the uninjured -eye and glanced achingly about him. His gaze fell on the grinning Jones, -sitting upright in his bunk. - -“How are all the frogs this morning?” Sherlock greeted him. “Say, you -ought to ask Ellick for a chunk of beefsteak to drape over that eye of -yours. In a couple days you’re going to have a bee-yootiful sunset on -your face. It’s already started to turn all colors of the rainbow.” - -Jake felt his eye tenderly. “There was some commotion in the night, and -I got up and must have walked into something,” he said, with due regard -for the truth. “You better shut up,” he added belligerently, “if you -don’t want to carry around one just like it.” - -Sherlock said nothing, but smiled to himself. He had already decided to -refer to his latest case under the resounding title of “The Clue of the -Black-and-Blue Eyebrow.” - - - - - CHAPTER IV - THE ARM - - -Sherlock’s opportunity to learn the results of his night’s work did not -come until the middle of the morning. The Lenape program gave no freedom -for detective labors until the period after squad-work had been -completed. Tent Ten had been assigned to policing the lodge, and as -Sherlock bent over his broom he cast many a dark glance at the busy -Utway brothers, fretting until the moment came when he would be able to -take his exposed film to the dark-room and discover the results of his -snapshotting expedition. At last Assembly sounded, and he headed for his -tent, carefully removed the film, and made his way to the small -dark-room that had been built under the lodge for the convenience of -camper photographers. - -As he shut the door, turned on the red electric bulb, and began laying -out hypo and the rest of the developing kit, he heard voices from the -kitchen directly overhead. Ellick was superintending the preparations -for lunch, and from his tone it was evident that his temper was not as -genial and kindly as usual. Ellick, it would seem, had a grievance. - -“Ah don’t no-how likes to think of a thief about de camp, Leggy,” he -complained. “Ah gives de boys and de councilors all dey can eat. Whaffor -dey want to come stealin’ around in de night to get bread and such?” - -Sherlock pricked up his ears. Here was another case for a bright -detective! Stealing from the kitchen! He awaited Leggy’s reply. - -“Don’t know, Chef!” the assistant answered. “You-all figure, maybe dey -gets hongry in de night, and a chunk o’ bread look mighty nice.” - -“Don’t talk foolishment! Whaffor dey have to bust de lock on de pantry -window jest ’cause dey gets a cravin’ for a snack? And what about de ax? -Suppose dey wakes in de middle o’ de night and gets a cravin’ to chop -down a few trees? Mah best hand-ax, stole right off de woodpile! No suh, -I don’t like to think any Lenape fellow goes about bustin’ into windows -and swipin’ dangerous wood-axes when folks is sleepin’.” - -“How much grub did dey-all take, Chef?” came a question in the voice of -Howard Chisel, the squat, bow-legged, ebony-faced lad who presided over -dishwashing operations. “Jest bread?” - -“No. More’n dat. Got off wid a couple cans o’ truck, and maybe some -potatuhs. Ah declare, if Ah don’t tell de Chief about dis fust thing. -Hookin’ a doughnut now and den is jest boy-tricks. Bustin’ windows and -stealin’ good sharp axes is somethin’ else again!” - -The listening boy made a note to ask Ellick for further details of this -latest crime. At present, he was too busy to lend his services in -another case. His hand shook slightly as he dipped the film in the -developing baths, watched with eyes glittering behind their large lenses -as the smoky negative cleared into masses of dark and light in the -bottom of the tray. Most of the surface was taken up with a black patch -that was in all likelihood the canvas of Tent Fifteen, but he would have -to make a clear print of the scene before the details would show beyond -question. He hung the fixed negative to dry and went out into the -sunshine to wait impatiently until a proof could be taken. - -Sherlock kicked his feet against a rock and thought over all the -information he had gathered about the Utway affair. He hoped that the -print he was making would show without question the full villainy of the -twins. If it did not, it would leave him in a predicament. Mr. Colby had -not seen either of the Utway twins, who had made their ways back to -their bunks without capture. Yes; the picture _must_ be a good one. -Sherlock rose and went back into the dark-room. - -With all the skill and care of which he was master, Sherlock Jones -toiled over the developing of the first print of the raiding scene. -Eagerly he bent over the developing bath as dark edges began to take -shape on the bit of white paper. Slowly, slowly, the details melted into -being, seeming to spring from the waters above the print. Now! The boy -switched the print into the fixing tray, turned on the white light, and -scrutinized his handiwork. - -One glance, and he was ready to cry out with disappointment. He bit his -lip. The explosion of the too-generous quantity of flashlight powder had -startled him, and in his haste, unsure of his hearings in the darkness, -he had twisted the camera on its tripod so that none of the action was -visible. Diagonally across the picture ran the rear flap of the tent. -The head and pillow of Mr. Colby showed with clearness, but the forms of -the Utway twins and Alexander the frog were cut off by the expanse of -the tent-fly. All that the picture revealed was a peaceful night-scene -in one corner of Tent Fifteen—nothing more. - -Had Sherlock not reminded himself that a good detective never gives way -to emotion or shows in his features the state of his feelings, he might -have stamped up and down the dark-room, raving at his failure. As it -was, he controlled his disappointment as best he could, and patiently -went over the picture a second time, to make sure that no detail had -escaped his notice. - -He was rewarded. In the upper corner of the print was something which at -first glance he had not seen. It appeared to be an arm, the hand -gripping one of the tent-ropes, the upper part near the body cut off by -the edge of the negative. With growing excitement, Sherlock drew from -his pocket the small magnifying lens he carried with him at all times. -Taking the wet print into the outdoor sunshine, he focussed his glass on -the mysterious detail. It _was_ an arm—and the lens showed plainly a -mark by which a detective could distinguish this arm from all other arms -in the vicinity. Upon the fleshy part of the under forearm was tattooed -the sketchy design of an American eagle with outstretched wings. - -Here was a clue, indeed! Sherlock quivered with renewed hope. The arm -could not belong to Mr. Colby. Although he could not say for sure, he -had never noticed that either of the Utway twins bore such a tattoo -mark, and it was unlikely that they could have kept secret such a -distinctive brand. Therefore they must have had with them an unknown -accomplice whom Sherlock, in the confusion of the moment, had not caught -sight of at the time of the raid. - -Who could it be? He thought over all the names of the campers of Tent -Fifteen. He could remember no one who wore on his arm the patriotic -stamp of an eagle. Well, there was one way of finding out. He could -examine every arm in camp. And this could be done quite easily when the -entire strength of the Lenape campers gathered on the dock for swim. - -The bugle-notes of Swim Call sounded over his head as he hastily cleared -away his developing paraphernalia and hung the precious print to dry, -hidden in a far corner. He put away the negative in his breast pocket -and raced down to his tent to change into swimming togs. Within a few -minutes he was on his way to the boat-dock at the edge of the lake. He -had already decided to refer to the Utway case in the future as “The -Clue of the Tattooed Arm.” - -The life-saving crew was already on duty, although only two or three -younger campers had made their appearance on the plank floor of the -dock. As Sherlock watchfully stepped out toward the far end, Wally Rawn, -the husky leader who directed swimming and was captain of the -life-saving organization made up of expert leaders and older boys, was -shouting to a black-haired boy wearing the crew emblem. This boy, Steve -Link by name, was rowing a round-bottomed steel rowboat some hundred -yards out beyond the diving-tower. Attached to the stern painter of his -craft was one of the camp canoes, which he was towing across the water -with heaving oar-strokes. - -“Where did you spot her, Steve?” Wally was shouting. - -Steve rested on the handles of his oars. “Way down almost to the dam!” -he answered. “She must have got loose last night and drifted with the -current. Had the dickens of a time finding her, too!” - -“Carelessness!” Wally Rawn muttered, shaking his head. “Somebody played -the dub and didn’t even tie up after using it. I’d think even a -tenderfoot would know that a canoe should be brought up and turned over -on the dock after a trip. A good way to lose a fine canoe!” - -He raised his arm to blow the whistle that would begin the swimming -period, and Sherlock made sure that Wally Rawn, at least, had no -tattooed eagle on his left arm. The dock was now crowded with campers, -and the shrill call had no sooner sounded than the air was full of -diving bodies and splashing spray as the boys of Lenape took to water. -The life-saving boats were now at their posts, guarding the safety of -the swimmers. - -Sherlock remained on the dock, where he had a full view of everyone. His -head jerked back and forth as he tried to follow every move of the group -of swimming boys, now grown to almost the full number of the camp. He -caught sight of Jerry and Jake Utway, whose flying bodies curved through -the air from the highest diving-platform and almost at the same instant -cleft the rippling surface of Lake Lenape. He watched them moodily as -they swung hand over hand toward the farthest lifeboat. At any rate, -neither of them bore a tattooed eagle on his arm! He must find the -mysterious accomplice. With renewed energy he swept the sportive, -glistening bodies of the gay swimmers with an intent gaze. - -When the final “All out!” whistle blew, the dejected Sherlock made his -way up the hill. He was baffled. His vigil had not revealed an -incriminating tattoo-mark on the arm of any of the campers or leaders -present. He must be patient and watchful, trusting to luck and his skill -at shadowing the suspected twins to bring forth some fresh clue. - -As he entered Tent Ten, the only one of his comrades before him was -little shock-headed Pete Lister, youngest and smallest lad in the -tent-group. The kid looked up as Jones came up the step. - -“Hey, Sherlock, look what I’m doing!” He squirmed over in his seat on -the unmade bunk, and waved an indelible pencil in the air. “See? Making -pictures, I am! Bet you never thought of this, Sherlock!” He stuck out -one sunburnt leg. The calf and thigh were a mass of scrawled, -deep-purple designs—crooked anchors, shaky outlines of American flags, -hearts, daggers, skulls, and Pete’s own name in wavering characters. -“You don’t need to worry—they come off easy. See? First you draw ’em, -then you wet the picture a little, and I’ll bet you couldn’t tell ’em -from a real tattoo-mark! Want to try it?” - -“No. No, thanks,” said Sherlock Jones bitterly. - - - - - CHAPTER V - IN THE NAME OF THE LAW - - -“This is the place,” said Jake Utway. He indicated the trampled patch of -bushes. “That’s the very tree that walloped me in the eye.” - -“Funny I didn’t see him when the flash went off,” mused Jerry. “But I -was busy, first with banging my head on the pole, and next in getting -back home quick. What do you think he was after?” - -Jake shrugged. “Search me! But after I tangled with him and he got away, -he made for the path that runs down through Church Glade to the lake. No -use trying to find any footprints now—too many of the campers have been -along since last night.” - -“Funny, all right.” Jerry strode back and forth through the low brush, -kicking away the branches and examining the soft ground closely. -“Nothing here, I guess. Let’s go, or we’ll have that snooping Jones -following us around again. Hold on—what’s this?” - -A bright bit of paper wrapper had caught his eye. He lifted the object -from beneath the tangle of leaves that had concealed it from all but the -sharpest scrutiny. “Huh,” said Jerry. “What’s a can of condensed milk -doing here?” - -Jake looked at the small can and its bright label. “Funny! That’s the -same brand Ellick uses in the kitchen!” - -“Do you think your bald-headed friend dropped it?” - -“Boy,” replied Jake with feeling, “if he was half as scared as I was, I -wouldn’t blame him for dropping a few arms and legs! Come on—stick that -can in your pocket and let’s stroll on. Just like you said, that -Sherlock kid is tagging after us again. I just saw him dodge behind a -tree. He’s been acting awful crazy ever since yesterday afternoon.” - -“I’ve’ got a better idea,” put in Jerry. “I’m sick of being shadowed -around every minute of the day by a goofy cluck with four eyes and no -brain! Detective, is he! Huh! We’ll give him something to detect.” He -set out through the woods at a rapid gait. - -“What’s up?” Jake had to take long strides to keep up with his brother. - -“He wants to shadow us. All right—but he’ll have to go some to keep us -in sight this afternoon! We’ll lead him a merry chase through the woods, -and by the time he gets back to camp he’ll be so sick of shadowing he -won’t bother us for a month!” - -“Swell! I tell you, we’ll take him up the side of the mountain and lose -him. Bet he don’t know the short-cut down; and it’ll take him until -after swim-time to find his way back!” - -The Utway twins were masters of woodcraft, and on various hikes had -explored the mountainous country west of Lenape so that they knew every -trail and landmark. It would be no difficult task for them to mislead -the blundering Sherlock. Jerry led the way cross-country with an easy -stride, taking care always to keep in the sight of the amateur detective -so that he would not lose hope thus soon, give up the chase as a bad -job, and return to camp. With Jake at his elbow, he cut through the low -pines and mountain maples beyond the Council Ring, crossed the wagon -road just below the bend, and skirting the marshy meadows below the -Hermit’s house, gained the base of the steep slide of boulders that -scarred the mountainside. - -“He’s still coming,” Jake assured his brother. “I saw him a minute ago, -down in that birch swamp. He was having a heap of trouble getting -through. Wait till he hits this patch!” - -It was dangerous going now. The rock-slide was an ancient glacial -moraine, that cut fan-wise down the face of the mountain. The two boys -crawled, leaped, and climbed from one huge, lichen-encrusted boulder to -the next, keeping a watchful eye for lurking snakes. They made a labored -progress diagonally across the slide, now and then covertly glancing -over their shoulders to keep watch on their victim. Sherlock, panting -heavily, had stopped to rest in the shade and wipe away the moisture -that had dripped from his brow to cloud the lenses of his spectacles. - -“He won’t come on here until we get across,” Jake muttered. “We could -spot him too easily, he thinks—as if we didn’t know every step he’s -taken since we started! Hurry up and get into the woods again; then we -can swing around to the short-cut and be back in camp before he gets -wise!” - -In ten minutes they had left the hapless Sherlock far behind. They were -now circling around the top of the rock-slide; far below toiled the -weary form of the detective, slipping and sliding across the rocks. Not -long after, their unerring trailing instinct led them through the -scrub-oak of the summit and brought them out on a little-used pathway -that ran straight as an arrow from the mountain-top down to the Lenape -lodge. It was, in fact, the line down which the water-supply for the -camp was piped, from a collecting reservoir below the spring near the -crest of the first mountain. A track had been cut through the woods when -the pipe was first laid, and although the way was still open, it was -seldom used, most of the campers preferring to take the road, which made -a more easy ascent. The Utway twins had discovered the overgrown path by -accident, and now made good use of their knowledge. - -They picked their way slowly through the forest, following the line of -leaden pipe which ran down the hillside, now stretching for yards along -the surface, now buried a few inches beneath the brown, needle-carpeted -soil. Knowing that hiking down a steep incline is more dangerous than -climbing, the twins, having no desire to lose any precious camping days -by being laid up with a sprained ankle, stepped cautiously with a slow, -woodsman’s pace. Once or twice they had to make their way around a -fallen tree trunk, and for some distance they lost sight of the -pipe-line altogether as they gingerly circled about a marshy bit of -ground where the hillside began sloping off above the wagon road. -Deer-flies buzzed in a cloud about their heads, and the stinging little -pests were so bothersome that both boys hung their handkerchiefs down -from their hats to flutter in the air and keep off the humming insects. - -Jerry first came in sight of the road, and broke into a run. The road -was cut in this place right across the hill, so that it was necessary, -in order to gain it, to drop down a low cliff-edge about the height of a -man. With a glorious leap Jerry surmounted the fringing brush and flew -downward through the air. He landed in a heap, missing by a hair’s -breadth the body of a man who squatted, hidden, in the shadow of the -overhanging edge. - -Jerry cried out to warn his brother. The man whose body he had barely -missed in his blind leap was on his feet in an instant. Jerry Utway -looked up, straight into the muzzle of a double-barrelled shotgun aimed -directly at his head. - -“Don’t move!” warned the stranger in grim tones. “You, there, up -above—hands up! Come out of those bushes! I’ve got you both covered!” - -Jake’s upraised hands appeared above, followed by his face, open-mouthed -with surprise. “What’s up?” he asked. - -“Never mind. Come down here where I can see you!” There was no mistaking -the urgency of that hard voice. “Now, you there, stay right where you -are on the ground. Not a move!” The man was dressed in some sort of a -blue uniform. He wore a shapeless, broad-brimmed felt hat, and his -trouser-legs were tucked into the tops of a pair of leather leggins. -“Why, you must be twins!” he exclaimed in astonishment. - -Jake slid down the slope in a cloud of dust and a shower of gravel. -“That’s right. But what’s the idea of the hold-up?” - -“Yes, what’s the idea?” added Jerry. “Look out that gun don’t go off. -You better not try anything with us, or you’ll have everybody in Camp -Lenape after you, Mister!” The boy’s bold words were somewhat belied by -the shakiness of the voice in which they were delivered. - -“Oh, from the camp, are you?” Slowly the man in blue lowered his weapon. -“Anybody else with you?” - -“No, sir. Hear that?” Through the woods drifted the familiar bugle-notes -of Swim Call. “We got to get back for swim, or we’ll be missed.” - -The stranger chuckled. “I see. Well, guess I won’t keep you.” He -grounded the wicked-looking shotgun. “Just a word of advice to you, -buddies, before you go. Be a little more careful how you drop on a -fellow’s neck right out of the sky. ‘Look before you leap’ is a motto -that still holds good.” - -Jerry rose and straightened his dusty clothing. “Yes, sir.” - -“And I further order you, in the name of the law, not to tell anybody at -the camp that you saw me. They’ll learn soon enough. Now, hop it!” - -The twins had no mind to argue with the law, backed by a gun. They -hopped it. They were twenty yards away before the man in blue called out -to them. - -“By the way, you haven’t seen any strange men around here in the last -day or so, have you?” - -“You’re the only one.” It was Jerry who replied. Jake caught his breath, -and reflectively felt the damaged flesh over his left eye. - -“Right. So long!” - -The twins did not speak until they had crossed the cleared ground above -the tents. As they approached Tent Ten, Jerry broke the silence. “It’s -too much for my feeble brain,” he said. “Wonder if he was after your -bald-headed friend?” - -“I give up. Come on—we’ll be late for swim. Wonder where Sherlock is -now? Hope he don’t get shot. If he don’t turn up for supper, maybe we’d -better go look for him.” - -Within the empty tent they quickly slipped into swimming suits and made -for the dock. The water was already alive with plunging bodies. At the -landward end of the dock, where the lake bottom sloped gently in a sandy -beach that was a favorite spot for the younger and more timid swimmers, -who could here sport about without getting beyond their depth, the twins -paused to watch a scene that never failed to arouse laughter. - -Billy the Crow was taking his daily bath. Billy was an aged black -ruffian who made Lenape his home, and was often to be seen hopping about -the tents or perching in a near-by tree, giving vent to his feelings in -no uncertain tones. At some time in his life Billy had been caught by -the hired man on a neighboring farm, who had, by slitting his tongue, -bestowed on the rascally bird the doubtful gift of speech. Billy knew -only a few words, but he made the most of them. This ceremony of taking -a bath at the edge of the lake was a stunt of which Billy was especially -proud. He now teetered on a flat rock at the water’s edge, urging -himself to overcome his timidity and bravely take the plunge. - -“Go on in, Billy!” said Billy with a squawk. “Go on in, Billy!” With one -pointed claw he gingerly tried the water. The laughing ring of boys -about him imitated his words and splashed the rock with water. Mr. -Carrigan, camp naturalist, sat on the planked floor of the dock, on -life-saving duty, his warning whistle dangling by its thong in his hand. - -“Mr. William Corvus Brachyrhyncos doesn’t seem to be fond of bathing,” -he observed. - -“Is that his full name?” Jerry Utway chuckled as Billy finally made up -his mind, and with a last “Go on in—aww-crk!” doused his rumpled -feathers into the rippling waters. “He’s taken enough baths to wash -himself white, but he still has to go through all that rigmarole first.” - -“Crows are funny birds,” said Mr. Carrigan. “He certainly is a pet -around here. Ellick must feed him crumbs from the kitchen.” Billy -finished his brief swim-period, and fluttered across to the dock to dry -and preen himself in the sun. “Here he comes, shaking water all over the -place. Hello, Billy! Oh, you would, would you?” - -“Hello, Billy!” mocked the bird. His bright eye had caught sight of the -dangling whistle, its metal bowl twinkling as the sun’s rays caught it. -A few hops took him to the councilor’s side. A sharp beak caught at the -thong, tried to drag the whistle from its owner’s hand. - -“Natural-born thieves, crows,” said Mr. Carrigan. “They’ll steal -anything that happens to catch their eye. Here, let go, Billy!” - -Billy, insulted, uttered a final scolding squawk and flew noisily to a -perch on a near-by tree. - - - - - CHAPTER VI - BRAVES IN COUNCIL - - -First Call for supper had already sounded before Sherlock Jones returned -to camp. He limped into Tent Ten weary, scratched, and footsore, and in -a dejected mood. It was a thankless task for a detective to try to -shadow a pair of expert woodsmen through the mountains. He had barely -time to wash his face and comb his rumpled hair before the camp was -called to stand Retreat at the regular sundown ceremony of lowering the -flag. His thoughts, as the buglers played To the Colors, were not -friendly toward the two spruce, innocent-looking brothers who stood -stiffly to attention at his side. It was beginning to look as though -Sherlock Jones, the great detective, was baffled. - -After the evening meal, Lieutenant Eames, officer of the day, announced -that Indian Council would convene that night at the usual summons. -Twilight found the braves assembling for the pow-wow. Figures of boys -and leaders, draped each in his blanket, trooped solemnly toward the -Council Ring on the north side of the campus. A hush fell upon the -circle of listening tent-tribes as they awaited the call that was -always, by long tradition, the signal for the ceremony to begin. - -Through the hush of the dusk came the soft, whistling call of the first -whippoorwill. Answer came from a near-by thicket. Amid the liquid chorus -the Chief rose from his seat, pulled his blanket about him, and spoke. - -“Braves and sagamores of the Lenape tribe, you have been gathered in -council by the call of the whippoorwill. Brave Sunfish will now light -the friendship fire in Indian fashion, with rubbing sticks.” - -Sunfish Linder stepped forth from his tent-group, and took his place on -the windward side of the fire, laid four-square in the center of the -ring to supply light rather than heat. He put one foot on the cedar -hearth-stick of his outfit, twisted the thong of the bow about the -spindle and placed the drilling-point into the point of the notched -hearth-stick. Holding the drill steady at the top with a soaped -drill-stone in his cupped hand, he began sawing the bow back and forth, -at first slowly, then with increasing speed. Friction of wood upon wood -caused a trickle of hot, powdery splinters to drop into the tinder-pan. -A few seconds of rapid action, and the pan held a glowing coal of -powder, which was dumped upon the prepared tinder. Sunfish swayed the -bunch of tinder back and forth in his cupped hands, breathed upon it -slightly. The glowing mass burst into a golden flame. The firemaker -thrust the blaze between the logs. As it caught, climbing yellow tongues -licked upward through the pile, and the friendship fire was alight. The -silent campers broke the spell with a chorus of approval in Indian-talk. -“How, how!” - -“Good medicine! May the spirit of the Great Manitou watch over and guide -our councils as we gather in peace this night,” said the Chief, and sat -again upon his stone dais. - -The Utway twins never failed to enjoy the council in the woods. -Something there is in the heart of every boy and man which only finds -itself when a close-knit band of their brethren gather together in -friendship beneath the star-sprinkled lodge of the great outdoors. The -two boys sat with one blanket thrown over their sturdy shoulders, -looking about the circle of faces thrown into bold relief by the ruddy -glare of the fire. The tent flares were now lit, each small fire glowing -in its brazier at the end of a pole marked with the tent totem. The -great totem pole of Lenape towered above the huddled groups on the south -side of the fireplace, its carved and painted emblems glaring forth -awesomely from time to time as a shower of sparks flew upward. Opposite, -on the north side, was the stone seat of the Chief, with its tall back -of silvery birch trunks, shaped in the form of a gigantic “L” standing -out from the blood-red blanket that curtained the majestic dais. The -fine-cut head of the Chief rose above his blankets, calm, powerful, -serene. At his side sat Sagamore “Happy Face” Frayne, Lenape scribe and -keeper of the birch-bark scroll. - -“We are now ready to hear the report of scouts of the Lenape tribe,” -announced the Chief. - -This was the time for any member of the group, if he wished, to rise, -bespeak the attention of the Chief and the assembled braves, and relate -the discovery of anything which might be of interest to the tribe. Mr. -Carrigan, now recognized under the title of “Sagamore Wise-Tongue” -because of his wide knowledge of nature-lore, rose and after addressing -the Chief, reported that he had seen a covey of spotted snipe, and that -the braves newly come to camp would soon have the rare chance to hunt -these nimble birds with bag and lantern. Brave Rolfe rose to ask the -name of the constellation of stars now riding overhead, and Brave Slater -of Tent Four was called upon by the Chief to give a short talk on the -signs now visible in the summer sky. Small Brave Barstow reported that -the kingfisher’s nest he had found by the lakeside now contained four -little fledglings. The report of each scout was greeted with the -approving murmur of “How!” - -Again the Chief rose, to open the period of reports for the welfare of -the tribe. This was the time for campers to tell of any observation -which they had made which might lead to the improvement of the camp in -any way—to point out steps that might be taken to keep the routine -orderly and effective, or offer to help build or repair camp equipment. -Instantly Steve Link was on his feet. - -“O Chief!” - -“Speak, Brave Link.” - -“This morning before swim I found that the Red Fox canoe was missing -from the dock. I took out a boat and finally found the lost canoe far -down at the end of the lake, drifting with its paddles on the bottom. I -questioned the braves of Tent Eleven, who had used it when they went out -after supper last night, and they said that they had left it bottom-up -on the dock when they returned. Someone else must have been responsible -for this carelessness. Now, every brave knows that such a canoe as the -Red Fox is valuable and must be treated with care. I would like to ask -that every brave who has passed his canoe-test consider himself duty -bound to make sure that our boats and canoes are treated as they should -be treated.” - -“How, how!” - -“A fine suggestion, Brave Link. Sagamore Happy Face will enter it on the -birch-bark scroll. Now”—the Chief’s face was serious in the -firelight—“now, I must say something which I have never, in my years as -Chief of Lenape, had to say before. There is a stain on the name of the -tribe. I dislike to say this, but—there is a thief among us.” - -“A thief!” A babble of voices came from the ring of braves. - -“Yes,” went on the Chief grimly; “someone among us here to-night—unless -I am gravely mistaken, which I hope I am—someone here has no right to -share the free and honest councils of our tribe.” With an outstretched -hand he silenced the rising flood of questions. “I will tell you what -has happened, and you may judge for yourselves. Several days ago Brave -Tompkins took off his gold ring to wash his hands, down by his tent. -When he looked for it a few minutes after, it had disappeared, although -he saw nobody near him at the time. When he told me about it, I thought -he might have lost it himself, and advised him to wait and see if it -turned up. But to-day, when Sagamore War-Canoe Munson told me that his -silver wrist-watch had vanished under somewhat the same circumstances, I -began to think that there must be a false brave among us, with light -fingers and a spotted heart. Then, this morning our faithful Ellick came -to me with the story of a robbery in the kitchen during the night.” - -“Ugh, ugh!” growled disapproving voices from the darkness. - -“Yes, bad medicine,” went on the speaker. “Ellick reports that the lock -of the pantry window was broken and a supply of food taken away. -Moreover, he says that a large hand-ax is missing from its place on the -woodpile.” - -The Utway twins listened breathlessly as the Chief went on. Sherlock -Jones stirred eagerly within the folds of his blanket. - -“One word more, and I will not bring up this unpleasant subject again -to-night. Some one of you must know or guess who is guilty of these -strange disappearances. If anyone here comes to me and returns these -lost articles, and makes a clean breast of his misconduct, none of the -braves shall know of his trespass against the Lenape code. Are there -further reports for the welfare of the tribe? If not, we will pass to -the less serious part of our council.” - -The ranked listeners relaxed, and there was a laughing, expectant hum of -voices as “Guffy” Evans rose to challenge all comers to a talk-fest. The -challenge was immediately accepted, in the name of Tent Ten, by Sagamore -Avery, who therewith entered little Lefkowitz as their champion in this -jabbering contest. Sagamore Happy Face announced the subject: “Give a -two-minute speech on Why Polar Bears Don’t Wear Red Flannel Underwear,” -and gave the contestants thirty seconds to prepare their arguments. At -the command, the two opponents faced each other near the center of the -ring, and began a high-pitched, nonsensical stream of chatter about -nothing in particular. Lefkowitz was finally shouted into -speechlessness, and the victorious Guffy took his seat amid cheers and -cat-calls, while Soapy Mullins rose and called upon Lefty Reardon, the -baseball captain, to stand against him in a hand-wrestling tilt. - -After a series of boisterous games of “Buzz,” the fun was concluded by a -short ghost story from Sax McNulty, which sent shivers of horror chasing -up and down the spines of the younger campers. At last the Chief rose -and held out his arms in Benediction above the dying fire. - -“May the spirit of the all-seeing Manitou go with every brave as he -leaves his place at our council this night!” - -Flashlights pointed out the path as the drowsy braves filed toward their -tent homes. The Utway twins, although pleasantly tired from their active -day in the open, were nevertheless wakeful and alert. Behind them came -the low chatter of a pair of youngsters from Tent Seven. - -Jerry caught a phrase dropped by one of them, a small lad named Toots. -“Gee, I clean forgot to make my report of scouts. You remember, Al, that -when we saw that smoke from the woods across the lake, I said I’d report -it at council?” - -“What’s that?” Jerry questioned him. “You saw smoke across the lake?” - -“Yes,” said the boy eagerly, “me and Al here, we were out in a rowboat -over that way, and saw some smoke coming up like somebody had a campfire -in the woods.” - -“Hmm. Take my advice and don’t say anything about it. Not worth -mentioning.” But Jerry looked at Jake, who nodded back. The expanse of -heavily-wooded land across the lake was almost always deserted, so much -so that deer tracks were often to be discovered within its depths. A -campfire there was certainly a most unusual thing. - - - - - CHAPTER VII - NEWS AND MORE NEWS - - -“Come on, Jerry!” said Jake Utway. - -“We’ll go up and pitch down the chunks, and the other guys can stow them -away in the refrigerator.” - -“You’re on!” answered his brother, and began climbing the ladder. - -Tent Ten had been assigned, as their squad-work the next morning after -the council, to filling the large refrigerator in the pantry behind -Ellick’s large, airy kitchen. This duty required that they ascend to the -towerlike structure that housed the summer’s supply of ice for Camp -Lenape. In mid-winter, when the lake was sheeted over with a crystal -mass some six inches thick, a gang of men always came with saws and -teams of horses to harvest the ice and store it, between layers of -sawdust, in the Lenape ice-house for the use of the campers the -following season. - -It was the plan of the brothers to enter the ice-house, dig out the -embedded blocks required, and send these down the chute to their waiting -tent-mates, whose job it would be to wash away the sawdust and transport -the ice to Ellick’s gaping refrigerator. Armed with ice-tongs and a -large miner’s pick, Jake and Jerry climbed to the upper door of the -edifice, and entered its chill gloom. - -“Come on, work fast, if you don’t want to freeze!” advised Jerry. He -raised the pick and began clearing away the thick crust of sawdust in -one corner of the place, but paused as his brother made no move to aid -him. “Hey! Earn your keep, man! Don’t stand star-gazing all morning!” - -Jake was staring upward. The ice-house was solidly built, but at one -corner of the roof the sunlight slanted through a narrow crevice. The -watcher had for an instant seen that spot of light cut off by the -passage of a small body. Jake pointed. “Something up there, Jerry!” - -Jerry’s eyes were more accustomed to the darkness. “Why, you cluck, -that’s only Billy the crow! Hello, Billy!” - -“Hello, Billy!” the cackling echo drifted down from the roof. “Billy the -crow! Awr-rck!” - -“He probably lives up there,” went on Jerry in a matter-of-fact tone. -“Now, are we going to finish this job, or do I have to do it alone? Come -out of your trance!” - -Slowly Jake took his eyes from aloft, scraped away the sawdust with his -foot, and clutched the half-revealed cake of ice with his tongs. “Fire -away! But I got an idea, Jerry—and as soon as we chuck enough ice down, -I’m going to try it out.” - -The boys worked swiftly and silently after this, panting and shivering -slightly as they uncovered one slab of ice after another and sent them -crashing down the chute, after a shouted warning to their toiling -comrades on the ground. - -“There, guess that’ll hold Ellick for a while,” said Jerry at last, -resting from his labors. “Now, what’s this bright idea of yours, Jake?” - -“Billy’s still up there,” answered his brother. “I often wondered where -his nest was. Crows, as Sagamore Carrigan said down at the dock -yesterday afternoon, are funny birds. If you give me a boost on your -shoulders, I think I can climb up the side of the wall the rest of the -way.” - -“Don’t know what good that’ll do you,” said Jerry promptly, “but here -goes!” He cupped his hands, and Jake scrambled athletically to his -shoulders, bracing his body against the rough timbered side of the -building. Jerry grunted. “Uhh! Say, Jakie, you ought to be a sailor for -this job! Sailors are experts when it comes to climbing to crow’s -nests!” - -Billy ruffled his feathers and cast a beady, suspicious eye down upon -these proceedings. “Aww-rk!” he muttered. “Billy the crow! Go on in, -Billy!” With a series of angry squawks he edged through the narrow -opening in the roof and flew away to more interesting scenes. - -Jake was by this time clinging to the wall, far above the sawdust -surface where Jerry stood, head bent back, watching the climber’s -progress. Cautiously, arms spread eagled to seize any projection no -matter how small, Jake ascended precariously toward his goal. He was now -within arm’s length of the corner where the talkative crow had made his -entrance. Motes of dust danced in the beam of sunlight over his -shoulder, and his groping hand stirred up a mass of dust and cobwebs -which made him sneeze. In a far corner, on a ledge of rafters, his -fingers touched a hard, metallic object. - -“If you slip now,” called Jerry warningly, “you’ll get another black eye -to match the first one.” - -Jake grinned with satisfaction as the sunlight glittered on the thing he -held in his hand. - -“Crows are funny birds,” he remarked a second time. “Natural-born -thieves. Here, catch!” - -Jerry ducked, and deftly snatched the shining circle which came spinning -down at him. - -“Admiral Munson’s wrist-watch,” announced Jake. “And Terry Tompkins’ -ring is here too, along with a lot of other junk.” He was stuffing the -nondescript collection of articles into his pockets as he spoke. As -cautiously as he had come, he began descending from his lofty perch. - -“So _this_ is what you found in the crow’s nest!” said Jerry, and -whistled. “Jakie, you’re brighter than I thought you were. You put two -and two together, and get—a heap of assorted jewelry!” - -“Crows are very fond of bright objects, and will steal them and carry -them off to hide away, if they get a chance,” explained Jake with -condescension, leaping at last to the sawdust floor. “Yep, Billy was the -thief. Look here!” He drew out his treasure-trove. In his hand, in -addition to young Tompkins’ gold ring, lay a bit of crumpled tinfoil, -the rusted top of a pickle-jar, a silver dime, a few bent nails, and the -brass button from a scout uniform. - -“Wonderful!” breathed Jerry in mock admiration. “Say, you didn’t see -Ellick’s hand-ax up there, did you?” - -“Don’t be a sap. Come along—we’ll show the Chief he was wrong about -thinking there was a thief among the campers. Bet he’ll be tickled to -find that the thief wears feathers!” - -One after the other they slid down the ladder to the ground. Sherlock -Jones and Wild Willie Sanders were wrestling with a large slab of -sawdust-covered ice; they looked up curiously as the twins raced by -them, on their way to the Chief’s office in one corner of the lodge. - -As they stampeded across the mess hall to the small room that served the -camp director as an office, they found another visitor ahead of them. -The Utway twins almost fell over backward as they recognized the blue -uniform and leather leggins of the man who held the door-knob, calling a -parting sentence to the Chief standing within. - -“If you fellows see or hear anything of him, just get to the nearest -phone and call up the prison. They’ll know how to get in touch with us.” - -It was the man whom they had stumbled upon at the wagon road, who had -held them up at the point of a gun! The gun was in the crook of his -right arm now, as he turned and caught sight of them. - -“Why, hello, twins! Jumped on anybody’s neck lately?” he asked in a -hearty voice, clapping on his felt hat and striding toward the door of -the lodge. “So long. Be good boys!” - -Jake stared at Jerry in wonderment, and Jerry stared back. Who was this -stranger, whom they had first encountered in the woods? They were -aroused by the voice of the Chief. - -“Come in, boys. What have you there, Jake?” The Chief was the only -person in camp who was always sure which brother was which. He had from -long acquaintance discovered that Jerry had a tiny mole almost concealed -under the bronze-colored hair that fell over his left temple, which mark -served to distinguish him from his twin. - -Jake stammered out his tale. As the Chief listened, his forehead knit -into a puzzled frown. - -“So it was Billy all the time, eh?” he said as Jake finished. “You were -pretty clever to figure that out. I’m glad to hear that these things are -safe, and I’m sure Terry Tompkins and Mr. Munson will be, too. But that -makes the kitchen robbery all the more strange. With what we know now, -it’s impossible to connect the loss of these things with the person who -broke into the food-supply the other night. There’s still a thief loose -around Lenape, boys, and for some minutes now I’ve had the feeling that -I know who it is.” He placed Billy’s plunder on his desk, and sat down -thoughtfully. - -Jerry summoned up courage. “Excuse me, Chief—but who was that man that -just left here? Jake and I saw him guarding the road yesterday -afternoon. What’s he carrying a gun around for?” - -The Chief spun about in his chair and faced them. “He’s looking for a -thief, too,” he said slowly. - -“Who?” both boys cried in unison. - -“There’s no reason why I shouldn’t tell you, I guess—I’ll have to make -an announcement about it to everybody at lunch to-day. Boys, there’s a -dangerous man loose in this part of the country. Last Saturday night a -convict escaped from the state prison up beyond Elmville. He had some -hours’ start before he was found missing. The warden thought it likely -that he would head over this way, toward the mountains, where he might -hide in the woods for days and never be found. Guards were sent out, but -so far there’s been no sign of him. The man you just saw is one of the -prison guards, who is watching over this way. He tells me the escaped -prisoner is a man named Burk, serving a term of several years—for -robbery.” - -“Robbery!” - -“Now you can see why I thought until now that this prisoner might be in -the neighborhood and might have stolen this watch and ring. It’s too bad -the prison people didn’t warn me before now—no telling what might have -happened in the meantime. However, now we have been warned, and will be -on our guard.” - -“Did—did you tell the prisoner-keeper—the fellow who was just here—that -somebody broke into the pantry?” - -“Of course, Jerry. He seemed to think it might be an important clue, and -is getting a crew of men together to search the woods around the camp -more carefully. You see, there’s a reward offered for the capture of -this criminal, and naturally everybody is eager to earn it. Now, be -careful and don’t get very far away from the campus unless you have a -councilor along, boys! An escaped convict is a mighty dangerous -customer. And don’t say anything about what I’ve told you until after -lunch.” - -The Utway twins stared at each other again as the door of the office -closed behind them. Jerry seized Jake’s arm in an excited grip. “Why -didn’t you tell the Chief about the man you saw down by Fifteen the -other night?” he whispered urgently. - -“I didn’t have a chance. Besides, why should we give that prison guard -all the glory of capturing the convict?” - - - - - CHAPTER VIII - THE DISAPPEARING ACT - - -The Chief’s announcement that an escaped convict was in their -neighborhood fell like a bombshell in the midst of the campers assembled -at lunch. - -“All boys are forbidden to go out of sight of camp, unless a councilor -is along,” he ended. “We must take precautions until this dangerous man -is captured. Now, to-night we will assemble here in the lodge, for Stunt -Night. Every tent-group will be expected to have an act or other stunt -prepared, and prizes will go to the winners. Dismissed!” - -The groups scattered from the mess-hall to their respective tents to -pass the daily siesta hour which was set aside as a period of rest and -quiet from the brisk, noisy turmoil of the camp’s activity. Mr. Jim -Avery cocked his long legs up on the end of his bunk in Tent Ten. “We -have the whole afternoon to get ready,” he observed to his followers. -“That should give us plenty of time to work up a first-class stunt that -will bring home the prize. Anybody got any ideas?” - -Wild Willie Sanders spoke up. “We’ve got an edge on the other tents, -haven’t we? Here we are with Chink Towner, the most famous Mandarin -Magician in captivity. Say, I’ll bet we can put over a magic show that -will knock the rest of the tents silly!” - -“How about it, Chink?” - -“Sure, that’s right,” Chink Towner agreed modestly. “We could do it, all -right. I’ve got a lot of new tricks up my sleeve that nobody ever saw -before. The best one, though, needs to have Jerry Utway, and that means -we’d have to take Tent Eight into partnership with us.” - -“That can be arranged, I think,” said Mr. Avery. “I’ll speak to Dr. -Cannon about it. He knows it’s next to impossible to separate the twins. -And with fourteen campers on the job, it ought to be some show. Well, -what’s your trick?” - -“Yes, what is it?” asked the Utway twins together. - -“Well, it’s this way,” began the Mandarin Magician; “Wild Willie can -announce a big display of old Chinese hocus-pocus. We fix up a place on -the stage where I sit, and a crowd of you guys come around and want to -see some tricks. Then Fat Crampton comes along, and then I do a few easy -ones, just to show my stuff, and then——” He lowered his voice as his -comrades gathered about to hear the plan. Lefkowitz was sent over to -Tent Eight to bring in the other participants, who listened and agreed -to the scheme for a combined stunt that would make a most amusing -addition to the vaudeville program that night. As soon as Recall -sounded, the two groups of actors made for the Council Ring, where they -rehearsed excitedly most of the afternoon. - -Sherlock Jones did not join in the preparations for Stunt Night. He -retired alone to the dark-room, where he stared at a photograph and -pondered plans of his own. The announcement that a reward had been -offered for the capture of the escaped criminal had set his mind working -furiously on the problem of the Tattooed Arm. Indeed, the Chief’s -startling news was a leading topic of conversation in Lenape that -afternoon; but when supper-time brought no further information, the -subject was temporarily forgotten in anticipation of the evening’s -entertainment. - -No sooner had the dessert dishes been cleared away than the space in -front of the blackened fireplace was transformed into a stage. Benches -were ranged in rows for the seating of the camper audience, and a -makeshift curtain of bed-sheets strung on a wire was hung across that -end of the lodge. Darkness had just fallen when a boisterous crowd of -leaders and boys took their seats, awaiting the drawing of the curtain -on the opening act, announced by Sax McNulty, master of ceremonies, as -“Captain Colby’s Army,” a Tent Fifteen Feature Production. - -Joey Fellowes, who with his brother Ted made up the Lenape bugle corps, -sounded Reveille on his muted instrument. The curtains parted to reveal -a morning scene in Tent Fifteen. A great fuss was made by Ollie -Steffins, dressed in a scout uniform with many medals and much gold -braid, who in the person of Mr. Colby himself, went about getting the -snoring sleepers to waken for morning drill. The drowsy boys were -finally put on their feet and each armed with a broom-stick gun, with -which they went through a series of clumsy maneuvers, knocking each -other over the head, facing the wrong way, and otherwise tangling -themselves in a travesty of a squad of rookies at drill. The concluding -evolution brought them into line facing the audience, singing off key -their rallying song: - - “_We are Mr. Colby’s army, - Mr. Colby’s army we, - We cannot shoot, we won’t salute, - What earthly good are we?_” - -The curtains closed amid cheers, boos, and stamping of feet, during -which Mr. Colby sat with a self-conscious smile on his disciplinarian’s -face. - -The acts followed swiftly after that. Tent Twelve put on a pirate play, -Tent Three showed to advantage in a lady-like game of basketball, in -which each side begged the other to kindly accept the ball on pain of -being slapped on the wrist. Tent Four gave a ventriloquist act, with -Peanut Westover as the talking dummy. - -“The Mysterious Mandarin Magician,” with an all-star cast from Tents -Eight and Ten, was the next to the last number on the evening’s program. -At the parting of the curtain, Wild Willie Sanders in a high, battered -black silk hat, wearing the curling mustache of a circus ringmaster, -pointed out the main attraction to a gaping crowd of boys from the -participating tents, dressed in wild garbs of every description. -“Laydeez and gen-tul-men! The _one_ and _only_ Chinese magician, brought -at great expense from the Flowery Kingdom to mystify you to-night!” -Chink Towner, his naturally oriental cast of countenance exaggerated by -a line of grease-paint above each slanting eye, and dressed in a pair of -colorful silk pajamas borrowed from Councilor Lane, sat cross-legged -above the crowd on a blanket-draped table, his features masked in -Chinese calm. “Step right up, laydeez and gen-tul-men, and see the _one_ -and _only_!” - -Fat Crampton, tittering sweetly, walked by, dressed as a beautiful -damsel in a skirt fashioned from Howard Chisel’s spare kitchen apron. -The Mysterious Mandarin descended from his throne and expertly drew -half-dollars from the hat, sleeve, and nose of the “lady.” He then gave -an exhibition of sleight-of-hand, at which he was an adept of no mean -skill—making a collection of red balls appear and disappear between his -nimble fingers, shaking a flying pack of cards from his fan, collecting -the cards in a neat pile and drawing forth at one flip the card desired -by any of the nondescript crowd about him. - -When he returned to his elevated throne once more, Wild Willie announced -that the Mandarin would now display the powers of his X-ray eye. Chink -turned his back to the audience, and Happy Face Frayne, one of the -judges who would later award the prizes for the best performance of the -night, adjusted a bandage over the magician’s eyes to make sure there -was no deception. Jake Utway now walked out into the ranks of the -audience, and touched a sweater worn by one of the listeners. - -“What is the color of the object I am touching, Mandarin?” he called -out. - -“Blue,” answered the blindfolded Chink promptly. - -“Correct. Now what color am I touching?” Jake held up Soapy Mullins’ -neckerchief. - -“Orange.” - -“And now?” - -“White.” - -“Correct,” answered Jake, putting Slim Yerkes’ sailor hat back on the -astonished boy’s head. All about him were faces wonder-stricken at the -accuracy of the magician’s responses. Jake, however, was not astonished, -for he was in on the secret. The series of colors had been arranged with -Chink ahead of time, and all Jake had to do was to find and point to an -object of the required hue. “And now, what is the color of the thing I’m -pointing at?” He held a finger to his damaged left eye. - -“Rainbow!” - -A hearty laugh arose, for Jake’s “shiner” had indeed developed the color -of a sunset, and was by now one of the sights of the camp. - -“Here—I bet you my life I can do that, too!” broke in Spaghetti Megaro -of Tent Eight, now assuming his role in the show. - -“All right,” agreed Jake, returning to the stage. - -From his capacious bathrobe, Spaghetti drew forth a spreading assortment -of vegetables. “Now, Mandarin,” he said loudly, “I’m going to see if you -cheat me, huh? Tell me quick—what color is this spinach?” - -“Green.” - -“Well, what color is this lemon?” - -“Yellow.” - -“Right again. Now, I ask you, what color is this orange?” The Italian -boy held the fruit high in the air. - -“Orange.” - -“Plenty smart, all right.” Spaghetti shook his head and began eating the -orange. “No can foola da majish’!” - -This bit of comedy was greeted with high amusement by the audience. -Again Wild Willie stepped forward. - -“Laydeez and gen-tul-men, the Mysterious Magician will end his -exhibition with a death-defying display of his great powers. Never -before has this breath-taking miracle been performed on any stage! The -Mandarin will make a person vanish, and then make him appear again -somewhere else!” - -These words were Jake’s cue to move again. He glanced quickly overhead, -and made sure that Jerry was in his place, ready for the disappearing -act that would give a climax to their stunts. He was rewarded by a nod -from Jerry, who sat perched on the rafters high above the floor of the -lodge and the rows of watchers in the camp audience. This was Chink’s -great idea—a disappearing act in which the twins would take part. Jake, -dressed in his camp uniform, would be selected from the crowd to enter a -large packing-box on the stage, and at Chink’s command, a flashlight -would be thrown aloft, and Jerry dressed in a like costume, would swing -down from his high position and drop to the stage and there, his hidden -twin’s exact counterpart, would receive the applause due to this -miraculous reappearance. - -“Who wishes to disappear into thin air, laydeez and gen-tul-men?” cried -out Wild Willie. - -A chorus of voices rose on the stage, Jake’s among them. “I do!” “Me!” -“No, take me!” - -“You’ll do.” Wild Willie, according to plan, pointed out Jake, who -stepped forward. “You will now enter this large chest. No deception, -folks!” The boy in the high silk hat lifted the box to show that there -were no false bottoms or secret exits. “That’s right! Pretty soon you’ll -disappear, and come back from somewhere else. Now, step inside, and -you”—he pointed to Fat Crampton—“you sit on the lid. All set, Mandarin!” - -Chink again descended to the level of the stage, his blindfold now -removed. Calmly and impressively he took his hands from his sleeves. - -“Heap hard trick!” the magician grunted. “Make ’um white boy no-see, -plitty soon come-see some place else, velly smart!” He waved his arms -over the box, upon which Fat Crampton sat. “Hocus-pocus. Come _high_!” - -The audience was bent forward in silence. Jake, crouched within the -narrow darkness of the box, pictured to himself the scene outside. At -the magic words, a flashlight would shoot upward toward the rafters -where Jerry had taken his station, and Jerry would drop to the stage and -finish the act amid the plaudits of the crowd. - -“Hocus-pocus. Come _high_!” repeated Chink, in a nervous tone. Jake -wished he could see out of his tight prison, and wondered at the delay. -Titters came from the smaller boys in the front of the audience. Why -didn’t Jerry come down? - -“Come _high_!” Chink sounded disgruntled. “Maybe so white boy no come, -no can fly out. That’s all—goo’-bye!” - -The rings of the curtain rattled as they were drawn together to cut off -the scene. The big act had failed. There was a half-hearted clapping -from the audience, who of course did not see any point in the sudden -ending of the act. With such an anti-climax, the Magician sketch could -scarcely hope to win a prize. - -Jake squirmed in a frantic effort to get out of the box. “Get up, Fat!” -he called urgently, and felt the heavy boy’s weight removed from the -lid. Jake sprang out like a Jack-in-the box, alive with eagerness to see -why their carefully-laid scheme had fallen through. He met a disgusted -look from the grease-painted face of the Mysterious Mandarin. - -“Fine brother you’ve got!” muttered Chink. “I thought he was going to be -all ready up there when the time came!” - -“But—but he was!” stammered Jake. “I—I saw him up there just a minute -ago!” - -“Well, he’s not there now,” Chink growled, turning away. Jake cast his -eyes aloft. - -The beam of a flashlight still slanted upward toward the raftered corner -under the roof. But Jerry Utway was nowhere in sight! - - - - - CHAPTER IX - OFF FOR PEBBLE BEACH - - -Where was Jerry? - -Boys from Tent Four were crowding on the stage, getting the scene ready -for the next act. Jake Utway stood stock-still, gazing at the rafters -overhead, where his brother had been a moment since. He could not have -descended into the lodge unobserved in the short time Jake had spent in -his dark box. Why hadn’t he taken his cue and dropped to the stage at -Chink’s summons? It was not like Jerry to do a thing like that. There -must be some good reason—— - -Jake went over in his mind the plan they had made for this “disappearing -act” which had turned out to be a disappearance in real earnest. Jerry -was not to go on the stage with the others for the first part of the -magic show. He was to get the long ladder, climb silently to the roof of -the lodge porch, and then cautiously crawl through the open window in -the far gable of the building——That was it! The window! Why hadn’t he -thought of that before? Jake rushed through the bunch of amateur actors -dressing in the Chief’s office, and emerged on the lodge porch. A ladder -leaned against the building, but even in the dim light he could see that -Jerry was not on the ladder. - -He was aware of a voice at his elbow. “Looking for something?” It was -Sherlock Jones, who had followed him from the lodge. - -“Jerry! He’s gone!” Jake blurted. “He must have crawled out the window -again, and gone off somewhere. Why didn’t he tell me?” - -“Look for clues—that’s the thing to do in a case like this,” advised -Sherlock with a business-like air. “He must have climbed down the -ladder. Come on.” The two boys ran around to the steps, and presently -Sherlock snapped on his flashlight at the base of the ladder. - -“No footprints can show up on this rocky ground,” observed the -detective. Jake glanced wildly at the surrounding trees and bushes, as -if determined to make them give up their secret. - -“Jerry!” he shouted desperately. “_Jerry!_” - -There was no answer. Sherlock flickered his electric torch here and -there about the scene of action. “No, sir, not a thing—— Wait, though! -What’s this?” He caught the glint of metal about fifty yards in the -direction of the tents, and ran toward it. - -“This” proved to be a large-size can of tomatoes. A few paces down the -hill was a similar can, and another of beans. Sherlock held them up for -inspection. - -“Clues! Jake, do you know where these came from?” - -Jake groaned. It was as he feared. Even now Jerry might be wrestling in -the darkness with a deadly foe, or lying senseless in the woods, struck -down by a blow from behind—— - -“Come on!” he cried. “We’ve got to find him! Hurry!” - -Above them, from the lighted lodge, streamed out a blare of music from -the Lenape band. Pale stars glimmered overhead in the warm summer night. - -“Which way?” asked Sherlock calmly. - -Jake made no answer, but stumbled down the hillside, making to the left, -where he remembered he had lost sight of his antagonist the night of the -raid on Tent Fifteen. Then, the man had headed for the lake, and it was -probable that under the same conditions he would again do likewise. It -was a slim chance, but—— - -“Jerry!” - -Their footsteps guided by the yellow splash of brightness from the -flashlight, the two boys broke through the campus and into the stretch -of woods beyond. It seemed to Jake, as he raced through the night, that -hours had passed since he was released from the box to find Jerry -missing. - -“Not much chance—find anybody in these woods,” panted Sherlock, holding -his side. “Stop a second, Jake—give me time to get my breath——” - -“Wait here, then, if you’re winded,” answered Jake fiercely. “Here, lend -me the light, and I’ll come back for you. I tell you, I’ve _got_ to find -him!” Before the other could protest, he seized the flash and was on his -way toward the lake’s rim at a breakneck speed. - -He was now almost to the rustic bridge that cut across the stream -through the marsh at the head of the lake. Water shone glassily through -the trees at his right hand. A huddled form loomed ahead in the path -beyond the bridge, showing ghostly in the pale beam of the lamp. - -“Jerry!” - -“That you, Jake?” came his brother’s voice. - -“Jerry—what’s the matter? Are you all right?” - -“Sure.” Jerry rose and limped toward him. “I heard voices up the hill, -and thought it might be you. Who’s with you?” - -“I left that Jones kid up there—he got a stitch in his side. But are you -sure you’re not hurt?” - -“I got off into the marsh, and banged into some birch trees, that’s all. -To-night it seems to be my turn to chase around in the dark and bump -into things. But I’m sure sorry I spoiled the act.” - -“That’s all right, now I’m sure you’re safe,” answered Jake with relief. -“You saw him—the man?” - -“Clear as daylight. I happened to be looking out the little window in -the top of the lodge, just about the time you got into the box, and I -saw him sneaking down from the kitchen. He must have been prowling -around again, looking for something to eat, and thought it was a good -time to break in, when everybody was watching the show.” - -“And you went after him?” - -“There was just a chance to nab him—that’s why I didn’t yell out and get -the whole camp on his trail. He might have got clean away by that time. -Besides, we didn’t want to miss the reward, did we?” Jerry rubbed his -bruised arm, which had suffered when his untimely fall had put an end to -the chase. - -“You’re sure he was the man?” - -“Couldn’t have been anyone else, Jakie. But he spotted me when I was -coming down the ladder, and dropped his stuff and ran. I followed him -down about to here, and then I slipped on some muddy rocks and lost him. -But we know where to find him if we want him, don’t we?” - -“Shh!” Jake said warningly. “Here comes Dopey Sherlock. Don’t say a -word—he’s suspicious enough already.” - -The doughty detective had at last found his breath, and came stumbling -toward them. - -“So you found him, did you?” he asked. “What was he doing down here?” - -“Just taking a walk, Sherlock old boy,” said Jerry easily. “Anything -else you’d like to know?” - -“Yes—a whole lot. Did you drop some cans of tomatoes and stuff?” - -“Oh, they were just part of the show. If you’d been at the rehearsal -this afternoon, instead of moping around by yourself, you’d know all -about these things. Now, which would you rather do;”—Jake’s tone was -threatening—“shut up, or get a sock on that long nose of yours?” - -Sherlock glanced timidly about him, and retreated a few steps. He knew -that he was no match for the two Utway twins; and here in the darkness, -far from the campers and protecting leaders, it would be unwise to -arouse their ire. - - -Morning brought further news of the search for the escaped prisoner. The -Chief announced that a band of volunteers, under the direction of prison -guards, had made a prolonged search of the vicinity, but had found no -traces of the missing criminal. The object of their search had been free -for more than four days now, and it was thought by some that he might -have gotten clear away and escaped unseen to a far city where he could -go undetected for some time. However, it was best not to relax the -precautions they had made; and therefore the plans for tent hikes that -night would have to be changed. A storm of protest greeted these last -words, for the campers dearly liked the fun that always came when each -tent, under its leader, took its supper and made an evening’s camp in -some favorite spot a few miles from their usual haunts on the campus. -But the Chief was obdurate. - -At lunch, the Chief rose and stated that so many boys had come to him to -ask that his ban on the tent hikes be lifted, that he had decided to -allow these hikes to take place after all. He silenced the cheering with -a lifted hand, and added that no group should camp more than a mile away -from the lodge, and all should be in their own tents by ten o’clock at -the latest. - -This was good news. Noisy discussions took place at each table, as to -what spot should be selected as the site of their evening meal. Jerry -Utway shouted down the others at Dr. Cannon’s table, and finally got -them to lay claim to Pebble Beach, a narrow bit of ground on the -northeast border of the lake. - -“I’m going with Jerry’s gang, please!” requested Jake. Mr. Avery, who -had decided to take Tent Ten no farther away than Church Glade, gave a -ready consent; and so it was arranged. - -Directly the afternoon swim was over, the campers dressed in their -hiking outfits, and two boys were sent to draw each tent’s rations from -the kitchen. Jake and Jerry Utway, burdened with pans full of beans, raw -potatoes, bread, salt, butter, and other provisions, headed for the -dock, where two rowboats, filled with the remaining boys of Tent Eight, -waited to shove off for their short journey across to Pebble Beach. - -“I don’t much like the look of the sky,” observed Dr. Cannon, sitting in -the stern of one of the boats as the boys stowed away the provisions. -“But I guess we’ll be all right. Everybody got his poncho or raincoat? -If it starts to rain, we can get back to the dock in short order. Ready? -Shove off!” - -The two boats, manned by a husky youngster at each oar, drew away from -the dock, and shot across the placid water in the direction of their -chosen camping-ground. Thus calmly and unsuspectingly, Jake and Jerry -Utway, at the oars of the foremost boat, embarked upon the wildest night -of their lives. - - - - - CHAPTER X - THE MAN IN BLUE AGAIN - - -The two boats grated on the shingle of Pebble Beach, and their gay crews -disembarked and moored their craft to trees overhanging the water. Boys -ran in all directions, fetching dry wood to the circle of blackened -stones that marked the site of many a Lenape bivouac, and potatoes, in -their jackets of damp clay, were thrust into the first embers of the -small cooking fire that had been lighted under Dr. Cannon’s direction. - -While the supper they had brought was cooking, Spaghetti Megaro -organized a game of “duck-on-a-rock.” Twilight brought a gang of -ravenous campers in a cluster about the fire, watching with alert eyes -the drawing forth of the food whose steaming aroma, mingled with the -bitter tang of wood-smoke, made every mouth water. The sun faded out -into a gray foggy mass of clouds low-lying over the Lenape range across -the lake, and by the replenished fire’s glow, the boys squatted about -and ate their simple meal, spicing it with many a cheery quip and -good-natured jest. - -When pans and mess-kits had been washed by the simple method of rubbing -dirt on their surfaces to remove the grease, afterward dipping them in -the lake, dead limbs and brush were heaped on the fire, and in the -circle of light sent forth by the jolly blaze, the boys of Tent Eight -settled themselves for an evening of campfire talk. - -One story followed another, most of them having to do with strange -occurrences, haunted houses, ghosts whose touch made the victim’s hair -turn White in a single night. As the hours passed, the air about the -little encampment became decidedly spooky. A wailing wind had arisen, -and swept mournfully through the overhanging trees. Down the lake on the -other side, a leaping torch of flame marked the spot where Tent Two, -camped below the baseball field, had built a high fire that danced with -every gust and spouted a hail of sparks toward the murky sky. - -Oscar Hansen, a freckle-faced blonde boy, was relating the tale of the -Golden Hand. He raised his voice as the climax of his story drew near. -“—And he heard a footstep outside the door of the room, and a scary -voice said: ‘_Who’s got my Golden Hand?_’ Then he heard the door swing -open, and something said, in a louder voice: ‘_Who’s got my Golden -Hand?_’ But he couldn’t see anything there. His hair stood on end. He -sat up in bed. The thing was right at the foot of his bed, saying in an -awful screech: ‘_Who’s got_——’” - -“Good evening!” - -Everybody jumped, and little Barstow cried out in fear. A dislodged -stone rolled down into the fireplace. Peering eyes made out the towering -form of a stranger just beyond the circle of firelight. A man had come -upon them unawares as the group sat absorbed in the ghostly tale. - -“Hope I don’t interrupt your fun. But I saw the fire, and just thought -I’d step over and warm my hands a bit.” - -Dr. Cannon rose to greet the newcomer. “Glad to have you. We were -telling ghost stories, and I’m afraid you’ startled us a bit, Mr. ——” - -“Diker. I’m from the state penitentiary over beyond Elmville.” The -stranger shook hands, and pulled aside his slicker for a moment; the red -glow flashed on the metal of an official badge. “Glad to know you, sir. -Well, if it isn’t my friends the twins!” - -Jerry stuck his elbow in Jake’s ribs. It was the man in blue again! The -prison guard! Now that they looked closely, they could see that what -they had first taken for a stick in the man’s hand was in reality the -gun which he never seemed to be without. - -“Hello, boys. I’m just staying a minute,” the guard went on. “A warm -fire feels mighty good. I wouldn’t be surprised if we had a good-sized -storm before morning. You’re lucky you don’t have to prowl around here -in the dark all night, the way I do.” - -“Here, have a seat,” said Dr. Cannon hospitably. “You’re still after -that prisoner who got loose, I suppose. Are there any further -developments?” - -“No such luck. He’s disappeared completely; but sooner or later, he’ll -be starved out of the hole where he’s hiding, and then we’ll get him -again. It won’t be an easy job in these woods, though, because -Burk—that’s the man’s name—used to be a hunter’s guide and is a real -woodsman.” - -“What kind of a fellow is he? Any objection to telling us?” asked the -doctor. - -“None at all,” said Diker cheerfully. “From what I’ve seen Of him, Burk -is not a bad chap. Short, slender fellow—always quiet and well-behaved, -never gave any trouble, until last Saturday morning, when he was -discovered missing. We still can’t figure out how he got away from the -prison grounds. It was a foolish thing for him to do, too; he only had a -year more to serve, and now, when he’s caught, it will mean added time -for breaking prison.” Diker held out his hands thoughtfully over the -fire. “As I say, he was a guide for hunters—he knows the Lenape hills -about as well as anybody—and most of the year he was caretaker at the -Canoe Mountain Sportsman’s Club, down below Wallistown. Well, he was -caught stealing money or jewelry or something when he was there alone, -in charge of the place—I don’t think I ever rightly heard the exact -circumstances. Probably some temptation came his way, and he wasn’t -strong-willed enough to resist.” - -“He doesn’t sound like a very dangerous character,” remarked the doctor. - -“No, he’s not a fighter—but any man in a corner will fight for his -liberty when he has to do it. I wish we could get him soon, though—I’m a -bit tired of hiking through the country day and night in all sorts of -weather. If we could only spot the smoke of his fire, or——” - -“Say!” burst out Al Canning, nerving himself to speak. “Say, Mr. -Diker—you said something about smoke. Me and another kid named Toots saw -some smoke over here a couple days ago, right on this very side of the -lake! Down below a ways where the trees are thickest—we saw it from a -boat——” - -“So?” The prison guard bent a sharp glance on the flushed face of the -youngster. “Well, there’s a chance he may be in there. If nothing else -happens, I’ll take a bunch of deputies in there first thing to-morrow, -and if he’s there, we’ll get him! But say, young fellow, if you saw this -smoke several days ago, why didn’t you report it?” - -“Well,” stammered Al, “me and Toots were going to tell it at Council -Ring, but we forgot, and one of the Utway kids here said it wasn’t worth -mentioning.” He pointed to the twins, and stopped, breathless. - -Jake and Jerry faced the accusing glance of the guard. “Hmm! I seem to -run into you two wherever I go. Now, will you kindly tell me——” - -A crashing blast of thunder broke in upon his words, and a jagged stab -of lightning illuminated the sky. Dr. Cannon jumped up hastily. - -“Back to camp, boys!” he commanded. “Put out the fire, stow everything -in the boats, and head for the dock! Everybody put on his raincoat—the -storm will be here before we know it!” - -The rising wind whipped a few stinging drops against their faces as he -spoke. The prison guard stood motionless amid the bustle of breaking -camp. In a few moments the little beach was crowded with the campers, -who loaded their kits into the boats and climbed in after them. The fire -hissed as Linder poured a bucket of water over the embers. - -The return journey across to the dock was short, yet in that space of -time the storm broke in fury. Stiff, white-crested waves slapped against -the thwarts, and made smooth progress with the oars a difficult feat. -Jake and Jerry bent their backs with a will, and their round-bottomed -steel craft was the first to reach the dock. As the other two occupants -clambered out, with water steaming from their rubber ponchos, Jerry -caught his brother’s arm and drew him under the shelter of the diving -platform. - -“Whew, that was a close one!” he whispered. “That guard is sure -suspicious of us—I could see it in his eye. And he means what he says. A -gang of men can go over that patch of woods across the lake with a -fine-tooth comb, and they’ll find our convict as sure as shooting. This -is our only chance to get the reward—we’ll have to do it to-night!” - -“I’m game!” Jake brushed the raindrops from his hair with a swift -motion. - -“Don’t get undressed. As soon as everybody is asleep, crawl out and meet -me by the flagpole. Wear your poncho, and bring your big flashlight.” A -rumble of thunder capped his words. “Jakie, we’ve got to do it! We’ve -got to find our man, and bring him back!” - - - - - CHAPTER XI - THE LAIR OF THE ENEMY - - -Jerry Utway lay in his bunk, fully dressed, for about an hour after Taps -had summoned the campers to slumber. The storm had settled to a steady -drumming torrent that would probably persist far into the next day. The -sides of the tents had been lowered and fastened to the floor by their -grommets, to afford the fullest protection from the blast. An occasional -flash of lightning, accompanied by a crack of booming thunder, lit up -the familiar tent at intervals. Jerry shivered slightly as he stretched -out in his blankets and listened to the furious tattoo of drops on the -tent-fly over his head. He would have liked a less tempestuous night for -their expedition, but dawn would put an end to their hopes unless they -moved speedily. - -At last he judged it safe to make his getaway, and with infinite -patience crawled into his boots and poncho, and shielding his -flashlight, crept out into the night. The vicinity of the campus was -black as pitch. Jerry felt his way through dripping underbrush, in order -to avoid disturbing any sleeper. He found Jake by the flagpole, and -without a word the two brothers stumbled down to the boat-dock. - -On the unprotected platform of the dock they felt upon their wet faces -the full power of the storm. Wicked-sounding waves swirled through the -piles on which the dock was built; the little fleet of rowboats rocked -and pounded each other at their moorings. - -“Don’t put on your light,” cautioned Jake hoarsely. “That prison guard -may still be patrolling over across, and if he happened to spot us, the -game would be over. We’ll have to take a boat—we couldn’t get a canoe -launched in this water to-night.” - -“You untie a boat and pull it around in the lee of the dock, while I get -the oars.” - -In a few moments Jerry returned with the precious oars, and they were -shoved into the locks of the boat Jake had selected. Before putting off, -it was necessary to bail out the pool of rain-water that splashed in the -bottom of the craft, and this Jake did, using his sou’-wester hat as a -bail. When the duckboards beneath their feet no longer floated, the -brothers cast off, seized the oars, and headed about on their second -crossing that night. - -“Head straight across!” ordered Jerry. “I figure that if we keep right -into the teeth of the wind, we’ll come out at that pile of logs straight -across, where the deer-trail comes down to the lake. Heave!” - -Keeping the full sweep of the wind at their straining backs, the twins -worked the oars with a heaving, united swing. Spray dashed over the bows -and drenched their rubber garments; the rolling boat pitched and dived -as they met one white-capped wave after another, head on. The dim -structure of the diving-tower and the shore beyond faded swiftly into -the gloom; but after fifteen minutes of labor they had no other evidence -that their craft had made any progress in the direction they wished to -take. - -“Don’t quit!” grunted Jake. “Heave!” - -Several times the bows were swept around and they took water broadside -over the low gunwale before a frantic effort on the part of one or the -other could swing them on their course again. It seemed to both laboring -boys that hours had passed. - -Bump! The stem of the small vessel crashed against some unseen -obstruction, nearly throwing the young mariners headlong on to the -floor-boards. Both clung to their oars, and a wave lifted the boat from -its precarious position. - -“We rammed the top of a sunken log!” called Jerry, who was nearest the -bow. “I think it may be part of that big jam we headed for. Any idea -where we are?” - -“As I remember, the deer-trail is down to the right a few hundred yards. -What do you say we skim along offshore and try to find it?” - -“Good! Boy, I’m glad that’s over!” Jerry was breathing heavily from his -exertions. He pulled on his oar, shoved off from the dark mass of piled -logs an arm’s length away, and the boat began skirting the dimly-seen -shoreline. - -They had made the crossing in a Stygian darkness, but now the thunder -again commenced its ominous cannonade. An opportune bolt of heaven-sent -fire gave them a momentary glimpse of the shore on their port side, and -told them what they wanted to know. Jake made out the muddy delta where, -he remembered from a previous visit, the deer-trail began. Before the -gloom closed in again, he pulled about and began stroking madly toward -this landing. A thought struck him like a chill hand. Had a pair of -terrified eyes spotted their boat from the black shelter of the trees? -Did a desperate evil-doer lurk there, armed with Ellick’s sharpest -hand-ax, waiting for them to set foot on shore——? Jake shrugged. The -rowboat buried its nose squashily in the mud-bank, beneath the dripping -trunk of an overhanging tree. - -Without a sound the boys moored the painter to a convenient branch, and -cautiously removed the oars and placed them beneath the thwarts, along -the bottom of the boat. - -“We’ll have to bail her again before we go back—if we do go back,” -whispered Jerry grimly. “Can you get ashore from where you are?” - -“I think so.” Jake stood and clasped the slippery tree trunk with both -arms, and swung his body forward. His heavy boots made him a clumsy -climber; but in a moment he had scrambled through a fringing litter of -brush and twigs to firmer ground. Jerry followed in his track, almost -dropping his flashlight as he clambered through the treacherous brush; -and the boys found themselves once more together in the darkness of the -forest. - -“Stick to the trail—it’s our only guide,” advised Jake. He led the way, -recalling as best he could the twisting of the narrow track which they -had once followed by daylight on an idle exploring trip earlier in the -season. An infrequent lightning-flash was their only help, and it was no -wonder that they more than once wandered from the dim trail. - -Deep into the murky reaches of the woods, they paused for breath. So -far, they had seen or heard nothing save gloom-shrouded trees; the usual -storm-noises of the wilderness; and the crackling of branches that -marked their advance. - -“Now, which way?” asked Jerry guardedly. “I think the trail splits about -here. It’s getting late—if anybody in our tents wakes up, we’re sure to -be missed. No use waiting here.” His teeth were chattering from the damp -of the low ground. “Do you think we’ll have to give up?” - -Jake was staring intently ahead. “I thought I caught a little glow of -light over there just a second ago! If this rain would only hold up for -a while—— There! See it?” He seized his brother’s arm and pointed. - -Jerry peered anxiously into the mist. “Where?” - -“Not that way! Right ahead! It must be a fire! That’s our man, all -right! Guess he thinks he’s fairly safe on a night like this—and he sure -needs a fire; it’s chilly enough over here to freeze you stiff! Are you -ready?” - -“Sure, Jakie! No use trying to creep up on him, though. We’ll sneak as -close as we can, and then both rush him and jump him together! Come on, -let’s get it over with. He’s not much bigger than we are, and we’ll take -him by surprise!” - -“Don’t let him get hold of his ax, though!” Jake quivered with -excitement. “Ready?” He crept toward the low tinge of red light that -marked the outlaw’s risky campfire. - -They advanced unchallenged for some two hundred yards through the -dripping trees, in line with their goal. Their straining eyes could -barely make out a small heap of glowing branches at the mouth of what -seemed to be a rude shelter of sticks and dead limbs, which would cut -off the tiny glow from all other directions except the one from which -they approached. Not another sign of life came from the secret camp they -had risked so much to find. - -“Now!” said Jake sharply, and dashed forward. Jerry was right at his -side in a few strides. It was like the football days at school, with -Quarterback Jake carrying the ball, and his husky brother at his elbow, -crashing through the line—“Right through center!” Jerry was amazed to -hear that shout in his own voice. In the madness of that charge he had -sent forth the old battle-cry. - -Together the Utway twins galloped down upon their foe. From an opening -in the shelter beyond the fire appeared a pale, haggard face; a slender -body sprang forward to meet this surprise attack; a shrill scream burst -from the drawn lips. - -“_Stand back!_ You’ll never take me—you——” - -Involuntarily the twins slowed up in their tracks. A streak of -lightning, like the crack of doom, hit the earth at a terrifyingly short -distance away. The scene was illuminated as if by a thousand -searchlights. Their enemy, the searing mark of horror branded on his -face, cried out once more. His frail body quivered as if from a blow, -toppled weakly forward, and lay in a heap almost at their feet—face -forward, helpless, deathly still. - - - - - CHAPTER XII - A DARING RESOLVE - - -“He’s fainted!” - -Jake and Jerry stared in bewilderment at the inert body at their feet. -Their first thought was not one of triumph at this successful ending to -their quest. Rather, it was one of pity for the tortured man whose -desperate break for liberty had availed him nothing. Jerry was stirred -to action. - -“Get him into the lean-to! The poor fellow can’t hurt us now. Quick!” -The twins lifted the limp form and carried him gently into the low brush -shelter that he had built for protection against the elements. The rude -thatched roof held off the rain fairly well, and both boys removed their -ponchos, laying one on the ground, placing their unconscious burden upon -it, and covering the convict’s body with the other. Jerry pulled open -the rough gray shirt at the man’s throat, and fanned the bloodless face -with his hat. - -“Get some water, Jake! I think the creek is only a few steps away.” - -Jake departed. His brother snapped on his flashlight, and cast its beams -full upon his captive’s face. The man was not bald, as Jake had thought -when he had first encountered him; his hair had been shaved close to the -top of his head, but now a bristling stubble had grown to cover it. The -chin and jowls were also darkened with a rough growth of beard showing -blackly against the pallid face. Through bluish lips, the breath came in -quick sobs. The man’s body, under the close-drawn poncho, was slender -and wiry, and although but slightly taller than one of the twins, gave -the impression of some strength. - -Jake returned with his sou’-wester half full of water. He splattered a -few drops over the prisoner’s face, and forced a slight trickle down the -man’s throat. - -“Don’t choke him!” cautioned Jerry. “Here, I’ll rub his arms and chest. -He’s cold, and no wonder! Think of staying in this place for several -days, without any blankets or even a coat!” - -He began rubbing the man’s limbs briskly, and noted a flush of returning -color in the pale features. - -“That ought to bring him around,” observed Jake. “Say, he doesn’t look -much like a desperado, does he? Poor fellow, it’s a shame he has to——” - -“Shh!” Jerry paused, and tucked the protecting poncho about the body -again. He had seen an eyelid flicker in the light of their lamp. The -convict moaned feebly, opened his eyes, closed them again as the light -struck them. “Give him a little more water, Jakie.” - -Slowly their patient revived. His body jerked weakly. - -“You’re all right,” said Jake soothingly. “Don’t try to sit up. Can you -hear me?” - -The man fell back wearily. “You’ll never—take me—_there_—again——” he -murmured faintly. “I—I—water——” - -“Here you are. That’s it.” Jake propped him up, and held a handful of -water to his mouth. “Shade the light, Jerry. What do you think we ought -to do with him now?” - -“He’s half frozen. We’ll have to get him warm.” Jerry had meanwhile -noted a small pile of wood heaped under the eaves of the narrow shelter, -at the side of which lay the small ax which Ellick had missed after the -raid on his kitchen. “It won’t matter now if anybody sees the fire.” -Leaving his place at the man’s side, he stirred up the dying flames and -placed a few more sticks upon them. “It’s stopped raining for a while, I -think. We’ll bring him over here, where he can get warm.” - -Skillfully they brought their prisoner, still wrapped in the poncho, to -a sitting position at the mouth of the lean-to, close to the reviving -fire. The man’s breath was coming more easily now. His eyes were open, -and he watched their every move, without attempting to speak. - -“Think of it, Jake,” Jerry went on; “he’s been in the woods now for four -or five days, without any decent clothes, and only a little food to eat, -scared every minute that he will be caught again. It’s no wonder he’s -worn out.” He turned to the man. “When did you eat last?” - -The one addressed shook his head. “I—don’t know. Last night—got some -food—dropped it——” - -“That was Stunt Night!” put in Jake. “Sherlock and I found some cans of -tomatoes he dropped when you chased him. Say, if we only had—— By -jiminy, I just thought!” He reached in his breast pocket. “I got a -couple bars of chocolate to eat to-night on the picnic, and just -remembered them now.” - -The paper-wrapped candy he drew out was sodden and melted by contact -with his body, but the man’s eyes fastened themselves on them with mute -pleading as Jake tore away the tinfoil about the sticky mass. - -“Here—help yourself. Don’t eat it too fast, though, or it may make you -sick.” - -With shaking fingers, their starving captive seized the proffered food, -and wolfed it ravenously. - -“Feel better?” - -“I—I—— You boys are all right. Guess it’s no use. But—how did you find -me?” - -“We’re from Camp Lenape, across the lake. We’ve seen you before,” -answered Jake; “once when I ran into you the time that crazy Sherlock -Jones shot off his flashlight powder down by Tent Fifteen——” - -The man nodded. “I got some food over there. I remember. I tried to find -some clothes in a tent, but a big light went off, and——” - -“—And you tangled up with me in the woods,” finished the boy. “Guess we -were both pretty scared. Then, last night, Jerry here spotted you, -coming down from the kitchen——” - -“You know who I am?” - -“Sure,” said Jerry. “You’re Burk. But say, you don’t look much like a -thief and a jailbird. What did you do it for? I mean, how did you get in -trouble in the first place?” - -A smouldering fury came into Burk’s eyes. “I didn’t do it!” he cried. -“Do you hear me? I’m not guilty! And for more than a year I’ve been -penned up in that place—like an animal—an innocent man!” His voice had -risen to a high scream which echoed through the dripping darkness of the -forest. - -“Say! You mean you——” - -The man fell back, exhausted by his short outburst. “I don’t expect you -to believe me,” he said wearily. “Nobody believed me. Nobody. But it’s -true. There was a mistake, and everything was against me. Guess they -were justified—I couldn’t prove I didn’t take the necklace. The evidence -was too strong——” - -“What necklace?” asked Jake with interest. “They said you stole a -necklace somewhere?” - -“Don’t bother him now, Jake.” - -Burk sat up again. “I’m all right.” The warmth of the fire and the food -they had given him seemed to have bestowed fresh energy. “I want to tell -you, even if you don’t believe me. If I had been able to get away this -time, I think I could have proved my innocence, but it was no use. But -you boys, whoever you are, have been decent to me, and I want you to -know I wouldn’t lie to you. By the way, what are your names? I’d like to -know. Brothers, aren’t you?” - -“Twins. I’m Jerry Utway, and this is Jake. But what about the necklace?” - -Both boys had forgotten that they sat in the wet woods in the dead of -night, far from their friends, who might miss them at any moment. They -were intent only on hearing the story of this strange man. - -“It was about a year ago,” began Burk. “I’d always spent most of my time -in these mountains—my father was a hunting guide, and I became one, too, -after I went through high school. I had a pretty good job as steward and -caretaker of a place down on Canoe Mountain, west of Wallistown. It was -a sort of hunting lodge, belonging to a club of sportsmen. I lived in -the lodge all year round, and took out parties of deer-hunters and -fishermen during the season. Well, at this particular time there was -only one man staying at the lodge—a man named Collinge, a banker in the -city. He was going out fishing that afternoon by himself, and asked me -to take care of an expensive pearl necklace he had brought up with him. -His daughter was driving up next day with some friends—it was her -birthday, and he was giving her the necklace as a present. A party was -planned, and I had to get things ready. As it happened, I had a touch of -’flu at the time—I didn’t say anything about it, as I thought it was -just a bit of a cold, but I must have had a high fever that day. I took -the necklace. He told me to guard it carefully, as it was quite -valuable. That’s all.” - -“But what happened?” prompted Jake. - -“_What happened!_” repeated Burk in despair. “That’s the question I’ve -been asking myself a hundred times a day, back yonder in the prison.” He -shivered. “Mr. Collinge came back that evening and found me lying on my -bed, raving with fever. The necklace was nowhere in sight. I couldn’t -tell him a thing—I couldn’t remember what I had done with it; I’d been -out of my head most of the time. Well, I don’t much blame him for -getting angry and thinking I had hidden it, stolen it to sell later. He -gave me until morning to produce the necklace or take the consequences -of being a thief. When morning came, I was better—but no matter how I -hunted all over the place, I couldn’t find the necklace.” - -“And you couldn’t remember?” - -“It was gone—that’s all. I was innocent—but how could I prove it? At the -trial, Mr. Collinge was decent enough, even if he had lost a great deal -of money; he asked the judge to deal with me leniently. But naturally -everybody thought I had yielded to temptation, and was refusing to -confess. Once in a thousand times, a jury will convict an innocent man. -This was the one unlucky time. I went behind the bars.” - -Burk stared at the flickering fire for several minutes, lost in -unspeakable thoughts. - -“Boys, don’t ever do anything that might lead to a prison cell. -It’s—it’s—— Well, never mind that. I stood it, and I must stand it -again, now you’ve caught me.” - -“Where were you going?” asked Jerry curiously. - -“Didn’t I tell you? I’ve had a feeling, all the time I was in jail, that -if I could only get back to the Canoe Mountain Lodge, I might be able -to—to find the necklace and prove I wasn’t guilty. I had a feeling I -might remember——” - -Jerry’s eyes were alive with enthusiasm. “You think if you got to the -lodge, it might all come back to you?” - -“That’s what I hoped. As far as I know, the necklace was never found. If -that’s true, it must still be there. If I could only——” - -“What do you say, Jakie?” Jerry Utway looked over at Jake, who nodded -back. - -The convict stared from one to the other. “What do you mean?” - -Jerry jumped up, pounding his fist in his palm. “We’ll give you your -chance—Jake and I will help you prove you’re not a thief! No matter what -happens, you’re going back to Canoe Mountain and try to find that -necklace! And we—we’ll go with you!” - - - - - CHAPTER XIII - THE TRUNK ROOM - - -The astonishing proposal of the twins took the man completely aback. He -turned his head away. A choking rose in his throat, and he rubbed his -eyes with the back of one hand. “Boys——” He swallowed several times -before he could go on. “Boys, nobody’s ever had as much faith in me as -you two are giving—— No use trying to tell you what it means to me, or -trying to thank you—— But I couldn’t ask you to do it. Any help you give -me will put you in reach of the law. No, I couldn’t do it. The game’s -up, and I’ll just have to make up my mind to go back——” - -“Here, that’s no way to talk!” put in Jerry with assumed roughness. -“Now, forget everything, except that from now on, we’re going to do all -we can to make you a free man.” - -The twins were glowing at the prospect of new and more daring adventure. -To protect Burk, to risk everything in a dash across country, in order -to prove him guiltless of the crime for which he was condemned—here was -a deed the thought of which set their hearts beating wildly! - -Jake outlined their campaign. “You can’t travel until you’re fed and -rested, Mr. Burk. And you can’t stay here—the prison guards will be -through here in a few hours. We’ll have to hide you, somewhere near -camp, where you can rest up for a while. To-morrow night we’ll start! -Just leave everything to us!” - -“The trunk room!” Jerry burst out. “That’s the place! Nobody ever goes -in there—he can sleep all day to-morrow, and even the police wouldn’t -think of looking right in the camp lodge!” - -“Good idea, Jerry. Now, if you think you can move, Mr. Burk, we’ll -start. Here it’s raining again, which is good—it’ll wash out our -tracks.” - -The boys helped the dazed man to his feet, and Jerry hung his poncho -over his new friend’s shoulders before helping Jake to try and remove -all traces of the little camp in the woods. The small fire was soon -buried in mud and brush; the lean-to was pushed over and pulled apart, -and the branches scattered as far as possible. Taking the ax, Jake led -the way back along the muddy trail to the boat. - -The little party found the shore of the lake without mishap, and pushed -off through a steady drizzle. Burk seemed lost in a daze. Only once did -he speak on the return journey. - -“Did—didn’t you say something, back there, about a reward?” - -“Sure,” the boy whispered. “You must have guessed they would offer some -money for your capture. That’s why we’ll have to keep you out of sight -all the time, until you find that necklace. Now, better not talk any -more—that prison guard might spot us.” - -The campus was undisturbed; no light showed anywhere through the rain. -It was probable that the twins had not been missed, and stood a good -chance of returning to their bunks undetected. Both boys were busily -planning their new adventure, and first and foremost in their thoughts -was the safety and comfort of the man they had promised to aid. - -Between the pillars supporting the downhill end of the lodge, a -loosely-boarded structure had been built next to the dark-room. This -large space was used for storing the trunks, suitcases, and warbags -which had served to transport the outfits of the campers from their -homes. The trunk room was seldom entered during the season. Jerry’s idea -of hiding Burk in this place, directly beneath the feet of the campers -as they assembled for meals, was not in reality such a dangerous scheme. -Unless he took to the open woods again, there was no other place on the -Lenape campus which afforded such secrecy and protection. All the man -had to do was to lie here snugly, resting and regaining his strength, -and unless he made a suspicious noise, he might go undiscovered for some -time. - -Jake pushed the door open a crack and tiptoed softly inside. The others -entered behind him, and Jerry snapped on his light. Their shadows -stretched gigantically across the rough floor and scaled the heaps of -piled trunks and suitcases. Dry, warm, protected, and seldom entered, -here was a good refuge for the outlaw. - -“If you hear anybody coming, you can hide behind a pile of trunks,” -pointed out Jerry. “You can easily stay here until to-morrow night. -Jakie, you see if you can make him comfortable. I’ll be right back.” - -Jerry left them, and went to the kitchen. His hunch was a good one. On -one of the tables he located a pile of pans and dishes which had been -brought in by the late-returning hikers that evening. His guarded -flashlight revealed that much unused food had also been returned. He -found a pan half full of beans, an untouched loaf of bread, some butter -and jam, and a can of pineapple which he opened before returning with -his trove to the trunk room. - -“Food,” he announced. “This will hold you down for a while, Mr. Burk. -We’ll try to bring more to-morrow, if we can do it safely. In the -meantime you can be having a long sleep.” - -“I found a good place,” said Jake. He pointed to a far corner of the -room, where an old, patched canvas, the remains of a worn-out tent, was -folded to form a rough bed. Burk wore Jake’s sweater over his wet -garments. The man had seized eagerly upon the food, and was stowing it -away in short order. - -“These boards may not be the softest bed in the world, but at any rate, -it’s better than the wet ground on a night like this,” Jake went on. “I -guess you’ll be able to sleep. But be careful not to stir around too -much. All day to-morrow, until taps, there will be at least a dozen -fellows around within a few feet of this place. And to-morrow night, -when everybody’s asleep, we’ll come and get you.” - -“And to-morrow, some time, we’ll smuggle in some decent clothes, and a -razor, and everything,” added Jerry. “Anything else you want?” - -Burk, his mouth full of food, shook his head. - -“Well, then, good night! And to-morrow——” - -The two boys went to the door. Burk rose and ran to them, seized their -hands. His voice shook, and he made no effort to hold back the tears -that welled in his eyes. - -“Good night, boys—and God bless you! God bless you!” - - -When Sherlock Jones awoke in the cold, gray morning, a few minutes -before Reveille, he had a feeling that something tremendous was going to -happen that day. The first thing his prying eyes lit upon was one of -Jake Utway’s boots, lying carelessly on the floor of the tent. The boot -was caked with sticky black mud almost to the knee. He pondered this -mysterious circumstance at odd moments during the morning, without any -satisfactory conclusion as to what Jake might have been doing in the -dead of night that would put his footgear into such a state. - -His feeling that great things were impending returned to him again and -again as the morning passed. The customary line-up for the flag-raising -was held on the lodge porch, as the rain was still dripping from -low-lying banks of cloud; but along toward morning swim-time the sky -cleared slightly, and by lunch a watery sun had appeared, to dry up the -muddy campus. - -All the time Sherlock had been on the job. Not once had the Utway twins -been out of his sight. - -At lunch, however, he came upon another clue. Jake appeared to be -unusually hungry; it seemed almost impossible for him to satisfy his -appetite. The long-nosed detective did not link this fact with the -further fact that Jake’s blouse, when he rose from table, bulged -suspiciously in front. - -After the meal, Sherlock moodily retired to the dark-room, his favorite -spot in which to think over his information, and to “deduce” results -therefrom. So far, he had little to go on. - -He listened idly for a few moments to the song of the care-free black -boy up in the kitchen. That brought to mind the recent robbery of the -pantry. Might this have something to do with the Utway case? - -A great light suddenly burst upon Sherlock Jones. A convict might be -badly in need of food. And an escaped fugitive might well serve as a -secret accomplice—— - -A creaking noise near him in the darkness brought him to wide-awake -alertness. Sherlock strained his ears, eager to catch any further sound. -Absolute silence followed. For a few moments the boy stood motionless; -then he softly tiptoed to the door, and flung it open. The Utway twins -were in sight, strolling easily down toward their tents. - -They had come from the trunk room! It had been their footsteps he had -heard. But what was their business there? Had they hidden something? -Perhaps the swag of some midnight burglary, something that might -incriminate them surely and swiftly? - -Yes, the trunk room was assuredly the key to all the problems that -confronted the amateur sleuth. Without making a sound, he stepped to the -door of the trunk room. - -It was a foolish step for young Detective Jones to make. Yet, whatever -his other failings, Sherlock could not be accused of lack of courage. He -turned the knob and pushed cautiously inside. - -At first he could see little; it was not until his eyes were accustomed -to the dimness of the room that he made out a heap of food on the floor, -piled high on a paper napkin. Food! For whom? For what? He allowed the -door to swing behind him, and bent forward to look more closely. He was -not aware of a shadowy body that crouched at his side, tense, ready to -spring on him from behind a heap of stacked trunks. - -Sherlock Jones did not have a chance to cry out. A muscular arm circled -his throat with a choking clasp. A bit of cloth was rammed into his open -mouth; wiry arms clutched his own with a grip like that of a steel trap. -His wild struggles were of no avail. He fell to the floor of the room, -borne down by a strength greater than his own. As he fell, he saw—or did -he dream?—that he was caught in the power of a stranger whose face was -invisible, but on whose arm was tattooed the design of a flying eagle. - - - - - CHAPTER XIV - SO LONG, LENAPE! - - -It was past ten o’clock that night when Jerry and Jake Utway tapped -softly on the door of the trunk room. The door opened a crack. - -“It’s us—the twins!” Jerry whispered urgently. “Are you all right?” - -“Yes. Come in,” responded a familiar voice. The two boys, with a -backward look into the starlit night, slid through the doorway, and Jake -snapped on his flashlight. - -They saw before them a stranger. No, it was Burk—but a different Burk, a -man new-made in the few hours since they had seen him. Now, they could -see that he was quite a young man, a being entirely different from the -haggard, bearded fugitive they had rescued. During siesta hour, as they -had promised, they had smuggled into the hiding-place not only food, but -also a razor with which Jake methodically scraped his upper lip every -two weeks or so. They had also made up a bundle of clothing extracted -from their camping outfits. But they had not expected such a -transformation as that which had produced this likeable young fellow who -now smiled back at them in the rays of the lantern. - -Burk had shed his drab convict’s clothing, torn and stained as it was. -He was now attired in garments contributed by the twins, and wore a -flannel shirt, black sweater under a Norfolk jacket, and Jake’s corduroy -trousers. A pair of stout army shoes had replaced his sodden prison -footwear. A cloth cap concealed his tell-tale cropped head; he would not -dare to remove that cap where others might see him. His shaving -operations had left a small, neat mustache on his lip, which gave him a -cocky, cheerful look. In fact, the food and rest he had taken had done -much to restore him to his old, care-free outlook upon life. This was a -surprising Burk; he was actually grinning at them, as though his whole -future did not depend upon the outcome of the adventure upon which they -were about to embark. - -“Is everything ready?” he asked. - -“Well,” answered Jake slowly, “we’ve had to make a few changes in our -plans. It’s this way. A goofy kid named Jones, in my tent, has gone and -gotten himself lost somewhere. Our leader is worried to death about what -might have happened to him—this kid is a nosy bird we nicknamed -Sherlock, and is always fussing around trying to detect things. He -didn’t show up for supper, and everybody’s been chasing all over the -place ever since, trying to find him. We’re supposed to be looking for -him now ourselves.” - -“I think, from what you say, that I know the boy you mean. Well, he -detected himself into some trouble.” - -“You’ve seen him? You know where he is?” - -“I do. If you’ll look over in the corner, there by my bed, you’ll find -him safe and sound, though a little scared.” - -The Utway twins pushed past the speaker, and tiptoed to the place -mentioned. Sure enough; there on the canvas lay Sherlock Jones, flat on -his back, his wrists pinioned behind him, a gag in his mouth held in -place by his own handkerchief, above which a pair of pale eyes goggled -through his thick glasses with a piteous, pleading look. For some hours -past, the amateur sleuth had been expecting a gruesome death any moment -from the mysterious stranger who had trapped him; now, at sight of the -notorious Utway brothers, he thought his last hour had struck. He -wriggled in his bonds helplessly. Through all the long time of his -captivity, Sherlock Jones had come to the conclusion that he didn’t want -to be a famous detective. If he ever got through this harrowing -experience alive, he’d never shadow another suspect again. - -“How—how did he get here?” gasped Jerry. - -“I’m sorry for the poor chap, boys, but it couldn’t be helped. He was -smart enough to find out where I was, and if I hadn’t tied him up, he -would have had me caught in the wink of an eye! It was the only thing I -could do.” - -“Well, that’s not so good,” put in Jake. “Dog-gone it, why did he have -to come snooping around right at this time? It’s a mess; it will make -our getaway all the harder. I thought that all we would have to do would -be to sneak out our stuff after Taps to-night, and hit the trail. But -right now, half the camp is chasing all over the place, looking for this -sap; if we try to get through now, they might easily spot us, and if we -stay here, they might decide to look in here any minute. What’ll we do -with him?” - -“Yes, what?” Jerry echoed. “If we don’t leave pretty quick, we’ll be -nabbed. Sherlock heard everything, and we don’t dare let him go now. -Even if we leave him here, he’ll work loose sooner or later, and that -will be even worse for us.” He glared at the prostrate Sherlock, the -whole cause of this hitch in their carefully laid plans. “I guess we’ll -just have to tie him tight and get as far away as we can before he’s -discovered.” - -“You two are ready to travel, then?” asked Burk. - -“We couldn’t get our blankets, because everybody in the tent is awake -and up,” said Jerry, “but that’s all right. We can start right away, -sure.” Both twins wore khaki hiking breeches, woolen stockings, flannel -shirts, and high shoes, and each wore a heavy mackinaw that would -protect him well from the cold. - -Burk’s tone was serious. “And you’re still determined to run away from -your friends and go with me? Don’t you think it would be wiser to let me -start off alone, and let me take my chance without involving you in my -trouble?” - -“Dead sure. We go with you. Honest, we can help you a lot—we know all -the trails around here, and we can hike fine. We’re with you to see this -through to the finish!” - -Jake, during this whispered discussion, had been lost in thought. Now he -broke out with the scheme that had occurred to him. “Listen! The only -thing we can do with Sherlock is to take him with us! Sounds crazy, I -know,” he went on, looking at their amazed faces, “but we can’t leave -him here to let the cat out of the bag as soon as we’re started. If we -can take him with us up the mountain and leave him somewhere, we’ll be -far away before he can find his way back and break the news. What do you -think? Anyway, we’ve got to do something right away; the longer we stick -around here, the less chance we’ll have to get clear. The campers are -buzzing all over the place like hornets; pretty soon the moon will rise, -and we won’t be able to get ten feet without being spotted. Do we take -him?” - -“That might be the way out,” said Burk slowly. “It’s my fault that we’re -in this fix, and I don’t want the poor fellow to suffer any more than he -has to. Let’s go!” The delay was telling on the man’s nerves. He longed -to get into the open, and start the dash for Canoe Mountain; each minute -they lingered would bring them fresh difficulties. “Here, I’ll take the -lad. You two lead the way.” - -Without ceremony, Burk lifted the helpless Sherlock and slung him over -his shoulder in the position known as “fireman’s lift.” The bound boy -was too helpless to put up a struggle as he was borne away in this -undignified fashion, and hung limply while Burk, with cat-like steps, -made for the door in the wake of the Utway twins. - -It was a fine night outside. The air smelled fresh and cool; later it -would be edged with the chill of the mountains, but now it was soft and -spicy with pine scents, and breathing it brought a recklessness to one’s -senses. The lodge above the little party was dark, but several lanterns -burned among the tents below them on the hillside, rivalling the far -pale radiance of the constellations in the summer heavens. Taking care -that not the slightest noise should disturb the watchful searchers -scattered in the darkness about them, the twins led the way past the -windows of the kitchen, scouted ahead as far as the side of the -ice-house, and beckoned the burdened man to follow. A breathless dash, -and they were in the cover of the low bushes that grew on the camp side -of the wood-road, and here they paused a moment for breath. - -Jake felt his brother’s fingers clutch his arm with a swift start. - -“Look!” breathed Jerry. Coming down the path were four or five dim -forms, their legs showing in the yellow pool of light from the big -lantern that marched with them. Burk also saw the advancing squad. -Unceremoniously he dumped his bound burden among the bushes, and flopped -down beside it, just in time. The lantern was swung high over the -bearer’s head, and a voice challenged them. - -“Who’s over there?” - -Jake recognized the tall, spare figure of his councilor. “It’s Jake!” he -called. “Did you find anything, Mr. Avery?” - -Jim Avery left the group a few steps, to meet them. Already he was -dangerously close upon the hidden figures. “No, not yet. We were just up -to the hospital tent. No sign of him. We’re going down to the dock again -now. Hadn’t you boys better get to bed?” - -“We can’t go to sleep as long as old Sherlock is missing,” responded -Jake truthfully. - -“Well, better go to the tent soon, anyway. And don’t get too far away -from camp!” - -The councilor hurried off to catch up with the rest of the search party. -Jake and Jerry breathed sighs of relief as the light was taken from -their faces, and they watched it bobbing off down the hill toward the -baseball field. - -“Whew! That was a close call! Jerry, I thought I’d yell if he came an -inch closer!” Jake drew his sleeve across his brow. “Guess we can start -again now, Mr. Burk. Can we help you any with packing Sherlock?” - -Burk was already on his feet again, lifting the inert body to his -shoulders. - -“I can manage, thanks,” he whispered. “But as soon as we get out of the -danger zone, I’m going to untie the poor chap. This must be hurting him. -He can’t do any damage now, if we untie him. I’m sure sorry I had to -lash him up this way.” - -He fell in behind the two boys, now striking through the patch of -cleared woodland that led to the road. Their plan was to follow the road -for about half a mile, circle the farm where it ended, and from there -head through the mountains southward, along the Lenape range toward -Canoe Mountain. The night was yet young, and they hoped to put some -miles between the camp and themselves before morning would force them to -stop, rest, and hide from any possible discovery. A sallow tinge on the -eastern horizon told them that the moon would shortly be rising, to -light them on their fleeting way. Behind them trudged the man Burk, his -burden heavy but his heart lighter than it had been for many a day, and -the taste of freedom on his lips. - -As they topped a rising knoll above the road, Jake Utway looked back. He -could still see a few dancing lights, like will-o’-the-wisps over the -camp. - -“So long, Lenape!” he said softly, and headed up the road, on the first -leg of their dash for Canoe Mountain. Something told him that he would -pass through many hazardous passages before he again saw the familiar -scenes of the camp by the lake. Their daring venture had taken them -outside the pale of law, now; every man’s hand would be against them. -There would be no ease for them until somehow, somewhere, they could -prove that the courts of the land had pronounced guilty an innocent man. - - - - - CHAPTER XV - FOUR IN THE FOREST - - -In the far corner of Farmer Podgett’s meadow the little party stopped. -They stood knee-high in tall grass by the fence, their legs spattered -with dew. Burk leaned his helpless load against the fence. - -“Listen, Sherlock,” said Jerry into his tent-mate’s ear; “if we untie -you, will you promise not to yell or try to get away? It won’t do you -any good now—we’re too far from camp for them to hear you. We don’t want -to hurt you unless you’re stubborn.” - -The captive nodded his head vigorously. He would promise anything in the -world to get free of those cutting ropes that bound him, and the gag -that almost stopped his breathing. Without more ado, Burk untied the -handkerchief that held the gag, and worked loose the knotted rope that -pinioned the boy’s arms. - -“There, son!” he said. “That feel better? Let me tell you, I didn’t want -to tie you up this way; I’m sorry I had to do it. No hard feelings?” - -For some minutes poor Sherlock could not speak. Had he not been leaning -against the timber fence, he would have toppled over to the ground, so -stiff were his cramped muscles. Jerry rubbed his arms briskly, and tears -came into Sherlock’s eyes as circulation returned to his aching wrists. - -“There, take it easy, old man,” counseled Burk. “We’ll hike along slow, -and you’ll soon limber up.” - -“Where—where are you taking me?” asked the boy fearfully. - -“Never mind now; you’ll find out later,” said Jerry. “Here, put on my -mackinaw; you’re cold. Now, let’s be on our way.” He helped young Jones -into the warm garment, and guided him along the fence to the gate. The -four passed through, and were soon lost in the shadow of the woods -again, heading southward. - -A bright half-moon was rising over the tree tops, and its beams slanted -through the leafy arches overhead, lighting their path. They followed a -trail which the twins knew ran along the foot of the range for some -miles, well above the rich farmlands below Lake Lenape. Podgett’s hounds -bayed afar as they passed beyond the sleeping farmhouse. Jake Utway was -in the lead; Jerry followed, his arm about the shoulders of their -captive; Burk brought up the rear guard, silent-footed, watchful, awake. -The pace was not brisk, as Sherlock was still unable to travel rapidly. -Thus, in silence, they threaded the trail through the woodlands. - -It was past midnight when Jake halted on a spur of hill. By the side of -the road was a spring he knew of, and all the hikers refreshed -themselves with an icy draught of its water. Off to their left they -caught a glimpse of moonlight glinting on the face of the lake. Jerry -shivered slightly; without his mackinaw, he felt the chill of the night -winds. - -“This is a good place to ditch Mr. Tagalong,” he observed. “Old Sherlock -won’t find his way home from here easily.” - -Sherlock, who had maintained a terrified silence during the march -through the woods, now cried out in horror. “You mean—you’d leave me -here? Alone? Please, Jerry, I never meant to do you any harm! Don’t -leave me!” - -“We can’t take you with us any farther,” said Jerry, cold-bloodedly. -“We’ve got enough trouble ourselves, without bothering with you. We’re -travelling light this trip.” - -“But—but—I’d be lost! I’m lost right now!” he pleaded. “There’s probably -a lot of bears in these woods. Do you want me to be eaten up?” - -“There’s no bears around here,” Jerry answered disdainfully. “Come on, -brace up, Sherlock. We can’t take you, and that’s that!” - -Sherlock turned pleadingly to Jake. “You and me are tent-mates, Jakie! -You won’t desert me up here, will you? We’ve been pretty good friends, -haven’t we? Just tell me what you want me to do, and I’ll do it. I can -hike fast, honest!” - -Jake shook his head. “Sorry, but we’ve got a long way to go, and a big -job to do.” - -“I know! I heard what you said back at camp—you’re going to help this -man get away from the police. Well, if you only don’t leave me, why, -I’ll help too! I swear I will!” - -Jake considered. “Think we could do it, fellows? I admit I hate to leave -him up here; he might hurt himself, and never get back. He’s not a bad -guy. We don’t dare let him tell what he knows, and maybe it would work -out all right if we took him along.” - -Jerry gave in. “All right; but he’ll sure have to travel to keep up with -us. What do you think, Mr. Burk?” - -Burk shrugged. “I don’t very well see what else we can do. You know who -I am, son?” - -“I don’t care if you are a—a convict! You said you were sorry you had to -tie me up, and I believe you! If I can help you get away, I’ll do it!” - -“You don’t understand,” explained Jake. “Mr. Burk is not trying to make -a getaway. He wants to get a chance to prove he’s not guilty.” - -“Then——” - -“We’ll tell you everything later. In the meantime, you can come along -with us and take your chance like the rest. But if you make one move to -give us away——” His unspoken words carried a threat that Sherlock did -not dare ignore. - -“I’ll come!” Young Detective Jones was feeling better already. After -all, if he could not expose a desperate criminal, the next most exciting -thing was joining that criminal’s band in an effort to baffle the forces -of the law. “Here, Jerry, take your mackinaw. I feel warm enough.” - -“Then let’s get going again,” urged Jake, rising. “We can’t stay here -all night; we’ll get too stiff to move if we sit down any longer.” - -Again they took the weary trail. Their steps now were slower; it took -more effort for them to keep up a ringing, mile-eating stride. Down in -his heart, the impatient Burk knew that he could not keep up the pace -many hours longer; his brief rest at Lenape had not been enough to make -up for the many days of starvation and exposure he had undergone. His -prison life, too, had taken from him his old endurance; he was no longer -the steel-muscled hunter he had been a year ago. And he realized that -the twins, for several nights, had taken considerably less than their -usual ration of sleep; their nightly forays had fatigued them, as he -could tell by their actions, and no doubt the attendant excitement had -also told upon them. One cannot live in an atmosphere of mysterious -incidents and midnight captures without paying for them in physical -strain. And Sherlock, the least hardy of them all, had been trussed up -tightly for half a day, and was in no condition to endure the demands of -a long hike in the dark. - -Left—right—left! The quartette, strung along the trail in Indian file, -lifted their feet more leadenly as one endless mile followed another. -The moon was right overhead now; they were a long way from Lenape, -marching somewhere on the flank of the mountains. Only the sound of -their footsteps attended them, except now and then the rasping -hunting-cry of an owl, that nocturnal marauder, and once, up the ridge, -the short bark of a fox. Several times they crossed the beds of swift -hill-streams, and once they floundered about in a spreading thicket of -rhododendrons for some minutes before Jerry, in the lead, found the -trail again. - -Sherlock Jones felt that he could not go another step. He was shivering -with the cold; if only they would stop this eternal, steady plodding, -mile after mile, and light a fire! Left—right—— He wondered if the twins -had brought any food on this mad trip; he could see that they were -hampered neither by provisions nor blankets—travelling light, as Jerry -had said. What would they eat? When would they stop? Were they going to -keep on this way for a thousand years, forever, putting one foot in -front of the other, with never a word—— A tear trickled down Sherlock’s -grimy cheek. He kept on. - -The strain of the past few days was putting its mark upon the twins. At -last Jerry paused in a little clear space beside a brook. Jake marched -past him, stumbled over a fallen branch, and almost fell. He turned his -face to them, white in the moonlight, and muttered drowsily, “Guess I -was asleep! I’ve heard of fellows falling asleep on their feet, but this -is the first time it ever happened to me! Where are we?” - -The rest of the party halted. “I calculate we’ve done about twelve miles -since we left your camp,” said Burk. “If we’ve kept straight south, we -should be a good distance away. I think you’ve been heading right, -because we’ve kept to the side of the mountain all the time. Wallistown -ought to be in striking distance, over that way; but I think we should -try to keep to the hills—too dangerous to get closer to town. Now, I can -see that you chaps are pretty well fagged out. You’ve stood the march -like soldiers, and not a word of complaint; but it’s clear to me we -can’t get any farther to-night. We’ll have to lay up until to-morrow -evening. Naturally I want to get to Canoe Mountain as soon as possible, -but it won’t do to start our trip with too big a jump. If we went much -farther to-night, we’d bite off more than we could chew—we’d be sore and -laid up with blisters and aches, and in no shape to put up a good race. -I’m the least tired of any of us. What do you say if I push ahead and -try to locate a place to stop?” - -The twins agreed; Sherlock had no breath to spare for talk. Burk took a -hitch in his corduroys, waved his hand, and springing across the brook, -vanished beyond, up the trail. - -The boys did not dare to sit down, for fear that their muscles would -stiffen in that position and they would not to be able to rise and walk -again. When their breathing became more regular, the Utway brothers -roused Sherlock and pushed on. They had not gone five hundred yards when -they made out a figure striding toward them in the moonlight. It was -Burk. - -“Good news!” he called. “Here’s a bit of luck! I happened to see the -moonlight striking on a glass window over here. Come on through! There’s -a little ramshackle hut here. Not a soul has been around for a long -time, as near as I can see. Probably this cabin was built by some -tie-cutters. Over this way!” - -They followed him, warmed to the heart by this smile of fortune. -Concealed amidst the trees, a hundred yards from the trail, was a low, -one-roomed shanty of slabs, chinked with clay. - -“There was no lock on the door,” explained the discoverer, “so I just -walked in. There’s a fireplace and some wood; we ought to be warm -enough, even if we have no blankets. And I guess we’re so tired that we -won’t mind bedding down on the floor, eh?” - -Jake threw his flashlight about the tiny dwelling. Dust rose from the -slab floor; cobwebs everywhere seemed to prove that the place had indeed -been deserted for some time past. It was a better refuge than they could -have hoped for; a snug little cabin where they could lie up until the -next evening brought them a chance to continue their long hike. - -Jerry was already busy, kindling a fire on the narrow stone hearth. -Welcome flames were soon leaping up to warm their numb bodies, and -Jerry, like the rest, considered their luck in finding such a haven in -the depths of the woods. But he had a more pressing matter in his head. -There were four of them, and they would have to pass at least one day -here, with nothing to eat but, perhaps, the few berries they could find -in the forest. Four hungry mouths! No fun marching on an empty stomach—— -The others were already stretched out on the floor, with their coats -under them, close beside the glowing hearth. Jerry scratched his head; -then fished in his pockets and drew out a handful of coins and counted -them. Not very much, but it would buy a few cans of beans, some bread, -and—— - -Jake lifted his head from the hard floor. “Listen, Sherlock,” he warned, -“don’t try to get out of here without letting us know. First move you -make toward that door, I’ll rise up and bust you one.” - -“I won’t move! I’m one of you now, Jake! I won’t run away!” - -“Well, don’t forget!” He saw Jerry still standing beside the fire. -“What’s biting you, Jerry? Why don’t you come to bed with the rest of -the gang? Want me to sing you a lullaby? What are you up to, anyway?” - -Jerry put his money back into his pocket, and yawned. “Oh, nothing!” he -answered. “Nothing at all. Good night. Say, I hope the owner of this -shanty don’t come rolling in along about morning. He’ll want to charge -us rent.” He chuckled. “Wonder what Mr. Jim Avery is thinking now, back -at camp?” - -A snore answered him. Jerry Utway spread his mackinaw across the least -rough patch of floor he could find, stretched out his full length with -feet toward the fire, and closed his weary eyes. “Nothing at all!” he -murmured drowsily. In five minutes he was asleep. - - - - - CHAPTER XVI - HARE AND HOUNDS - - -Jake Utway stirred uneasily. Something was digging into his hip, bluntly -shoving him back to consciousness. He sat up. Was it Reveille so soon? -But this wasn’t Tent Ten! For a moment he stared, sticky-eyed, into a -small fireplace heaped with flaky white wood-ash. In a flash it came -back to him—the escape from Lenape; the moonlight march with their -captive, Sherlock; the discovery of the shack in the woods—— Jake -groaned softly, and stretched his cramped body. - -“Anybody awake?” he asked drowsily. “Boy, but I’m stiff! This log -floor—maybe I shouldn’t have slept against the grain of the wood!” - -A loud sneeze at his side answered him, followed by a series of sniffles -and a second sneeze. He turned and discovered Sherlock Jones, with tears -in his pale eyes, rubbing his nose with a grimy handkerchief. - -“Bad coad!” explained the ex-detective with another sneeze. It was plain -that Sherlock was not made of the stuff of outlaw heroes. Reddened eyes, -a dripping nose, and chattering teeth were the penalties of his -moonlight jaunt and his night in the backwoods hut. “Very dasty coad! -Say, who pud this thig over be?” Sherlock had noticed for the first time -that a norfolk jacket had been carefully thrown over his body some time -in the night. It was the garment worn by Burk, who had evidently tucked -it about the sleeping boy as a protection against the night breezes that -penetrated through the cracks in the floor of the hut. “Where’s Bister -Burk? Oh, there you are. _A-choo!_ Thags very buch, Bister Burk. You -bust have been coad yourself!” - -“Forget it, old man!” Burk rolled over and yawned. “Sorry you have a -cold, though.” Of a sudden the man sprang up. “Where’s the other -fellow?” he cried. - -Jake looked about him. Jerry was not in the little room. - -“Where’s your brother? Did he tell you he was going out?” - -“Why, no!” said Jake. “He must be somewhere around, though. He can’t -have gone far.” - -The sun was high; a dazzling, glorious stream of light poured in through -a dusty window. Sherlock pointed with his handkerchief. - -“Whad’s that over the fireblace?” he snuffled. - -Jake jumped up to look. A bit of paper was stuck prominently into the -cracks of the stone mantel. It was an old envelope, on the face of which -was scrawled a few cramped lines of writing in pencil. “It’s a note—a -note from Jerry!” he exclaimed in surprise. “He’s—he’s gone!” - -“Gone!” echoed the man. - -“Yes; listen to this: ‘Dear Jakie and Others—We’ve got to have grub, so -I’m going to Wallistown. Will bring it as soon as I can. Will try to get -some news if I can. Don’t worry about me.—Jerry.’ Well, what do you -think of that?” - -“I thig it’s good,” sighed Sherlock. “I sure could eat somethig right -dow!” Burk said nothing, but took up a couple of holes in his belt. - -“That’s just like Jerry,” observed Jake, sticking the note in his -pocket. “He knew we’d have to stay here in hiding all day, and didn’t -want us to starve. We need grub, sure enough. But it’s no use for him to -tell us not to worry—anything in the world might happen to him in -Wallistown, and I won’t rest easy until I see him back here safe.” - -“You thig he may get into druble?” - -“Say, Sherlock, that cold of yours must be affecting your brain. Don’t -you know that everybody in the world will be after us, after what -happened last night? We can’t just disappear—the Chief and all the rest -back at camp will be hunting for us, and they’re sure to connect our -disappearance with Burk here. That’s why we can’t travel in the -daytime.” - -“But where do you wad to travel?” - -Jake threw up his hands. “Listen! It’s plain we’ve got to tell you -everything. Mr. Burk was put in jail for being a thief, but he didn’t -steal the necklace. If we can get to Canoe Mountain Lodge, he thinks we -can prove that he’s innocent. And we’ve got to get there! Now do you -savvy?” - -“Thad’s wad I thought all the tibe,” nodded Sherlock sagely. “I said -Bister Burk was all right, and I probise to help if I cad. _A-choo!_” - -“Well,” said Jake, “you can help us a lot—— Jiminy, what’s that?” - -It was small wonder that Jake was startled. A sound had broken the -stillness of the forest, a chilling, heart-gripping hullabaloo from the -north, toward Lenape—the high belling howl of a pack of hounds on a warm -trail. - -“Dogs!” Burk clenched his fists. “By heaven, they’ve got bloodhounds -out!” His pallid face went whiter still. - -“Bloodhounds! You mean—they’re pointing out our trail last night?” - -“Yes—listen!” It came again, the terrifying chorus of their sharp-nosed -pursuers. “They can’t be far off! Boys, we can’t stay here!” - -“But—where will we go?” said Jake, shakily. “If Jerry comes back here, -he’s sure to be caught!” - -“Can’t help that!” Burk was gathering together their few belongings over -his arm. He ran to the door, and cooked his ear up the trail. “Come -along!” - -Sherlock Jones, at the first awesome baying of the pack, had given -himself up for dead. Bloodhounds! He struggled weakly to his feet, found -Jake pulling his arm, leading him toward the door. - -“If we stay here, we’ll be cornered!” cried the man. “They’re not far -off now—they’ll be on us in a few minutes!” The baying call sounded -again, much louder, it seemed. “Hurry!” - -He plunged into the woods, looking back to see if the boys were -following. Jake was having difficulties; he had almost to push the -bewildered Sherlock every inch of the way. The vision of a pack of -fiendish hounds leaping at his throat, pulling him down, almost -paralyzed the poor lad; he stumbled along at Jake’s side, shivering, -sneezing, almost falling headlong. Again rose in the still air the -hunting-cry of the beasts on their track. - -Jake noticed that the man was leading them downhill, fighting his way -through the scratching underbrush. Where could they be going? In which -direction lay an instant’s safety from that yapping Nemesis at their -backs? The two boys leaped down a steep declivity, saw Burk standing in -a little ravine below. - -“Water!” he shouted. “We’ve got to wade in this brook a ways—that will -shake them off for a bit!” He started down the course of the swift -stream, splashing rainbow drops up to his knees, rattling stones with -his hurrying feet. - -Jake herded his charge into the water, and took the plunge himself, -driving Sherlock ahead of him down the rough descent. For some two -hundred yards they stumbled forward in panic, ankle-deep in the chill -rivulet. The stream was rapidly becoming wider, fanning outward to form -a little pool. Beyond, they saw Burk, wading waist-high across to a -little spot of grassland sheltered among tall poplar trees. - -“Come on!” he called. - -Somehow—Jake never could explain it to himself afterward—he forced the -stricken Sherlock through the pool and helped him to climb the muddy -bank, where the dazed boy lay where he fell, his thick glasses knocked -over one ear, his eyes streaming, caught in the clutch of a sneezing -fit. - -“I—I can’t go on!” Sherlock gasped. “I dow I probised to help—but—but——” - -Burk bent over him. “We’ve got to get away, old man! You can’t stay -here—they’ll find you in a minute.” He helped the boy to his feet, and -with Jake on the other side, they continued their mad progress, almost -dragging the limp body of young Jones between them. - -As they ran, Burk jerked out a few directions. “I think I know where we -are now. It’s dangerous ground—but the dogs have driven us out of the -mountains. We’ve got to find more water—that’s the only thing that will -shake them off our trail. And I think this little brook empties into -Lake Wallis——” - -Jake looked back over his shoulder. Above them, to the northward, he -caught a view of a figure for an instant, clear against the skyline—the -silhouette of a mounted man, galloping along the trail. Again came the -bloodthirsty belling of the hounds. Had they found the hut? - -Again the fugitives were among the trees. Of a sudden Sherlock Jones -collapsed; had they not caught him, he would have fallen headlong on his -face. Jake and Burk exchanged glances. With the pursuers so close on -their heels, burdened as they were with a helpless boy—— - -Sherlock was mumbling something, through chattering teeth. “You go -ahead—leave be here——” - -Jake shook him. “We won’t leave you, old scout! Just a few steps more——” - -“No—can’t bake it—— I’ll clibe a tree, so the dogs can’t get be——” - -“Do you think you can?” asked Burk eagerly. “Say, if you could get into -a tree, the dogs would stop for a while, and we might get free! If only -you could do it, hold them at bay for a few minutes——!” It was true that -the boy was a hindrance to their flight, and could be nothing but a -danger to them; but could he be left behind to hold the yapping hounds, -who were sure to pause if they found their quarry treed, he might gain -for them a few priceless seconds—— - -“I’ll do it! I said I’d help you, Bister Burk!” gulped Sherlock bravely. -“Just put be into a tree—a big tree——” - -“By George, that might do it!” said Burk, admiringly. “Come on, we’ll -hoist him up this one.” He indicated a smooth-barked poplar with a low -branch hanging just above them. “Give him a lift.” - -There was no time for delay. Like a sack of flour, Sherlock’s form was -heaved against the trunk of the tree with a mighty swing. He waved his -arms desperately, caught hold of the limb, and scrambled aloft amid a -shower of leaves and bark, kicking his dripping feet wildly behind him. -Like a treed raccoon, he huddled in a crotch of the tree and tried to -make himself small. - -“Rud!” he shouted to the two below. “I’b all right. I won’t tell theb a -thig!” - -The two on the ground hesitated no longer. Jake did not dare look back; -he had all he could do to keep up with the racing man at his side. - -“Sherlock’s game, all right!” he managed to gasp. “He came through fine; -I never thought he had it in him! Think he can hold them?” - -Through his mind flashed the thought that already their party was -scattered; Jerry was gone, Heaven alone knew where, and now Sherlock had -sacrificed himself so that the others might have an instant’s start. -Good old Sherlock! He had helped them after all—— They burst through the -last of the trees, into a spreading pasture land. - -“One chance in a hundred!” Burk was crying through clenched teeth. -“We’ll fool them yet! If we can only get as far as Lake Wallis—— Cross -water! Now, son, don’t try to say anything more now!” The two racing -fugitives dashed through the grass in the hot sunlight. “Save your -breath! We’ve got to run now as we never ran before!” - - - - - CHAPTER XVII - JERRY GETS A RIDE - - -Jerry had awakened about eight o’clock, scribbled his brief note, and -crept from the hut in the woods without disturbing any of his sleeping -companions. His mind was made up. Burk had said that Wallistown was not -far away, and there he could certainly purchase the food they needed so -badly. Since they were forced to hide here until nightfall, his brief -desertion would not hold up their march. And he knew they would be -hungry. He was hungry already. The keen, fresh morning air whipped up -his appetite as he hiked steadily down the trail. Birds were flashing -through the dewy thickets about him, caroling their morning-songs; not a -cloud hung in the sky. - -He came to an old moss-covered stone fence, crossed over, and found -himself in a lane, lined with tall elder bushes, with dark rich clusters -of small berries hanging among the leaves. A rich find! He filled his -mouth with the bitter-tasting fruit, which stained his hands a deep -purple as he ate. - -Feeling refreshed by this woodsy breakfast, he decided to follow the -lane. It led him half a mile, coming out at a white frame farmhouse -where a woman was washing clothes in the yard. She looked up as he -passed and watched him strangely, but said nothing, and he walked on to -the road beyond. This was a dirt-covered highway which evidently led in -the direction he wished to take. He swung along steadily through rich -farm-lands and pastures where cattle grazed. A hay-wagon driven by a man -in a large straw hat passed him; he did not look up, but had a feeling -that the driver was watching him steadily. The road twisted and curved -until Jerry had to get his bearings from the mountains before he was -sure he was on the right track. Two miles farther, he came to a signpost -that informed him that Wallis Springs lay to his left, while Wallistown -was still seven miles away. This hike was farther than he had supposed; -he might not be able to return to his comrades for some hours yet. -Nevertheless, he knew that Wallis Springs was nothing more than a little -group of summer cottages where he might not be able to purchase any -food; he must push on to Wallistown, at the foot of the lake. He swung -off down the curving road. - -The sun was now high overhead; he was hot, dusty, and a trifle tired. He -took off his mackinaw and slung it over his arm, wishing he had left it -behind. Now and then he could see to his left the fringe of trees that -bordered the big lake, and could make out the roofs of little cabins -occupied by people who were summering on its shores. The road twisted in -and out, following the wavy outline of the lake’s bank; no matter how -fast he tried to walk, Wallistown seemed to be as far away as ever. He -begged a glass of water from a friendly, red-faced woman who answered -his knock at a little cottage beside the road, and went on. Several -automobiles passed him, driving toward town, but none of their occupants -offered to stop and give him a lift, and he did not dare ask for a ride. -People who picked you up, he had found, were often very curious about -where you were going and why; they asked too many questions, and he was -in no frame of mind to undergo any cross-examinations this morning. It -was almost eleven o’clock when he halted to rest beside a bridge that -spanned a little stream which wandered toward the lake. - -A whirring drone sounded above him; a cross-shaped shadow skimmed across -a field by the road. An airplane hummed overhead, flying low, almost -hitting the tree tops. Jerry wondered idly why the pilot took a chance -of crashing by flying so close to the ground. The plane circled and -swung off toward the mountains, and Jerry dismissed it from his mind. If -he had known that this airplane was combing the country for traces of -Burk and the missing boys, he might not have dismissed it so easily. - -He rose and plodded ahead down the dusty road. Wallistown was in sight -now. He could see the group of two-story buildings that marked its main -street, leading from the wharf where a number of canoes, rowboats, and -small motor launches were tied up. It was getting late; he decided to -keep as far as possible from the center of town, where he might be -observed. There was no use taking any chances, and he must start right -back, to have time to carry the food he would purchase back over the -long miles that now separated him from his friends in the mountains. - -At one side of the wharf was a line of low buildings. Jerry left the -road and followed a wooden sidewalk along the bank of the lake, and made -out, on the front of the largest of these buildings, a sign that -proclaimed it to be a grocery and “general store.” This was as close to -the town as he wished to go. The sight of so many strange faces—people -who probably had never even heard of Camp Lenape—frightened him a -little. If he hadn’t come so far, and hadn’t known that his brother and -the rest were depending on him to bring them some grub, he might have -turned back right there. As it was, he quickened his pace and entered -the shadow of the store. - -The interior of the place was gloomy, after the sunlight outside, and -was filled with a thousand different odors, chief among them being those -of stale candy and dried fish. An old man was lounging in a chair which -leaned back against the counter; he moved his head lazily to look at -this customer. - -“What’ll ye have, bud?” - -“A couple cans of beans, and some other stuff—I don’t know just what.” - -“Wal, look around and pick ’em out. Guess we got what ye want,” the man -answered, and leaned back again with his arms behind his head. - -Jerry poked about among the shelves in the back of the store. They -wouldn’t have much chance to cook; better to take things that would -carry easily, and that they could eat cold—bread and cheese and -chocolate—— - -The old man Slammed the four legs of his chair to the floor with a bang, -as someone entered hurriedly through the door. - -“You got my order ready, Mr. Clay?” - -“Hullo, Rufe. Say, did ye find that canoe of yourn?” - -The newcomer was breathing heavily. Jerry darted a glance at him. He saw -a stringy youth with a pimpled face, garbed in a jersey and dingy white -flannels, whose voice now took on a tone of injury. - -“Yeah, we found it floatin’ down by the outlet. They must have landed in -some hurry; Talk about nerve! I was choppin’ some wood up by our place -above the Springs. These two come burstin’ out of the woods, runnin’ -like blazes, and got away with the canoe before I even had time to yell. -I run along shore about half a mile, but they had started across, and I -couldn’t do a thing. Pretty soon along comes a man on a horse, gallopin’ -along like mad. He asks me if I’ve seen this pair—he’s a deputy sheriff, -he says. You could have knocked me over with a feather when he tells me -that one of the guys who stole the canoe was this convict that’s been -missin’ from the Pen at Elmville!” - -“Ye don’t say! Wal, did he catch ’em?” - -“No, not yet. They got ashore by the outlet, like I told you. They’re -still loose around here somewheres; this sheriff feller says he hunted -’em with dogs, and got one, but these two got clean away.” - -Jerry was frozen in his place, one hand still gripping a can of corned -beef. It couldn’t be true! Hunted with dogs! And one of them captured! - -“They’ll get ’em,” said the old storekeeper with grim satisfaction; -“ye’ll see, Rufe, them fellers won’t get far. That there airyoplane they -got flyin’ around is like to spot ’em if they try to break across -country.” - -“I hope they do get caught,” said the youth vengefully. “Stealin’ my -canoe! Jimmy from the newspaper office was just tellin’ me this convict -feller had got some kids from a camp up the line to help him get away -last night. Must have been one of ’em I saw with this man——” - -“What did the boy look like?” Jerry blurted out, and instantly wished he -had bitten out his tongue rather than speak those words. His concern for -his brother had made him forget how perilous was his own position. - -The youth in flannels turned upon him slowly. “Well, if it’s any of your -affair, Mr. Butt-In, he was——” The speaker gasped, and surveyed Jerry -from head to toe. “Why—why—from what I saw of him, he looked just like -you!” - -The old man cackled with laughter. “Guess that’ll fix ’im, eh, Rufe? -Pretty fast answer, that!” - -“But, I mean he—he really does look like him! I only caught a glimpse of -this kid when he was runnin’ to the canoe, but I could swear——” - -The storekeeper’s chuckles broke off. “Don’t mean to say ye think this -young feller is a des-prit criminal, do ye, Rufe? Why, this feller come -in just as cool as a cucumber—wanted some beans, he says.” - -Jerry thought rapidly. “Well, I don’t want any now!” he said boldly. -“You can keep your old stuff. I don’t want to listen to all your talk, -after this!” He started with determination for the door. - -“Half a minute!” The youth called Rufe barred his way. “Maybe you -weren’t the same feller that took my canoe, but you act kind of funny to -me. Maybe you know somethin’ about all this.” - -Jerry did not pause. “You’re crazy! Just try to stop me!” His heart was -in his mouth, but he tried to look unconcerned, and pushed his way -ahead. The other looked as if he would hold him by force; but evidently -thinking better of it, he stepped aside, and Jerry passed out into the -street. - -His whole body was quivering at the suddenness of this encounter. -Sherlock caught—Jake and Burk escaping in a canoe from a mounted rider -who had tracked them! Why, he had left them sleeping miles away only a -few hours ago! And now—they must be near him, in danger, expecting any -moment to be taken! - -Briskly, he crossed the street, and walked hastily down toward the -business section of town, taking no notice of the groups of people who -passed him. Was the game up so soon? Rufe hadn’t looked very convinced—— -Jerry glanced guiltily over his shoulder. Down the street by a garage he -caught sight of a pair of flanneled legs in warm pursuit. He was being -followed! - -He turned the first corner he came to, leading into a narrow street, and -broke into a heated run. How far could he get before the youth behind -him saw his flight, and raised a hue and cry? Gritting his teeth, Jerry -plunged down the street. It was only two blocks long, and ended in a -high board fence. There was no way out; he was in a blind alley. Out of -the tail of his eye he caught sight of his pursuer, who had turned the -corner and was now in full cry after him, shouting something Jerry could -not make out. There was only one thing to do. Jerry leaped at the fence, -caught his hands in the rough top, and swung over. With smarting palms, -he landed in a heap on the other side. There was no time to waste. He -sprang up, and found himself in a little field full of daisies. Ahead -lay a line of telegraph wires, strung on poles fringing a shining -asphalt road. It must be the state highway! If he could only get to the -road before the youth behind him could manage to get over the fence——! -His breath was coming in painful, dry sobs; he couldn’t last much -longer—— - -Dimly he made out a car coming up the road from north, approaching him. -He waved an arm at it, and shouted, although he knew the driver could -not hear him. He was now half-way across the field; behind him came a -cry of rage as Rufe clambered to the top of the fence—— Jerry’s eyes lit -up as he saw the car on the highway slow down, come to a halt not a -hundred yards away. He would make it yet! He waved his arm at the man in -the driver’s seat. - -“Give me a ride?” - -He had to fight to get out the words. It was his last chance! To his -joy, the driver nodded, swung open the rear door of the big car. - -“Hop in!” came a man’s jovial voice from the back seat. Rufe was still -coming, but he was no runner, and the fence-climbing had winded him. -There was still time—— Jerry Utway almost fell into the back of the car, -sprawling across a pair of outstretched legs. The driver slammed the -door; the car, whose engine had not stopped, responded to the clutch and -slipped forward with a roar. Jerry pulled himself together and fell -backward into a seat, panting out his thanks. He looked up into the -round, jolly face of the man on his left who had told him to hop in. He -was wedged between this man and another, in the rear of the car. He -turned his head back; through the window he could see the baffled figure -of Rufe, shaking his fist at the rapidly-moving automobile. Jerry -grinned. - -He suddenly realized that he had left his mackinaw somewhere—probably -back in the grocery store, when he had walked out so hastily. Well, he -could get it back some time, later—— Just now he had a headache, and -things looked a little blurred. - -A voice rumbled at his side—his right side. It was the man whose face he -had not yet seen. “You were in quite a bit of a hurry back there, -weren’t you?” it drawled. “Well, you needn’t worry. You can rest -now—rest a long, long time. I thought you’d turn up again, twin, but I -didn’t expect it so soon!” - -Jerry knew that voice. He knew the man, too, even before he looked into -his face. With a cry, Jerry sank back into the seat of the speeding car. -It was Diker! Diker, the prison guard! The man in blue, whom he had last -seen at the campfire on Pebble Beach! And Diker’s arm was locked about -his own, in a firm, threatening grip! - - - - - CHAPTER XVIII - THE GYPSY VAN - - -Jake jumped ashore; Burk followed, and pushed the canoe far out, so that -it floated empty on the face of Lake Wallis. - -Never had Jake Utway taken a paddle in such a wild canoe race! It was -impossible that the two fugitives should still be at liberty. The boy -had given up hope long before they had reached the lake and taken the -canoe; their furious progress across the half-mile of water had seemed -the despairing effort of a dream; but here they were, miraculously -ashore again, and for the moment still free. Yet the dream feeling still -persisted; Jake moved his body as if he were wrapped in the twining -coils of a nightmare, when horrors beset the sleeper and all efforts to -escape the menacing shapes in pursuit are of no avail. - -“Tired, partner?” asked Burk. The man seemed to be made of whipcord; he -had taken the stern paddle in their mad dash, yet his set face showed no -trace of anything but determination. - -“I can keep going,” Jake managed to say. - -“We’ll have to get somewhere else pretty quick.” Burk pointed toward the -far shore from which they had come. “Look over there! See that little -motorboat just pushing out? Well, I’m pretty sure that the people in it -won’t take long to get over here and pick up our trail again. We’re in -for it again—but at least we’ve got a few minutes’ start.” - -“I’m ready. Which way?” - -Burk shook his head. “We’ve just got to trust to our luck now. They’ve -driven us out into the open; I’m not much good down here near town. -There’s only one way we can go.” - -They had landed on a little spit of gravel on the east side of Lake -Wallis, almost directly across from the town. There must have been -people over on the wharf who had seen them desert the canoe, who would -put their pursuers on the track at once; even now, hostile eyes might be -watching their every move. - -“Don’t run—somebody may be watching us, and get suspicious,” warned the -man, and set the example by walking rapidly away from the border of the -lake. Jake, following, tried to smile; he felt that he couldn’t run even -if his life depended upon it. They climbed a bushy slope, came out above -in a little glade aglow with maple and sumach. Burk darted a look -backward; the motorboat was already well on its way across, coming -toward them with a feather of spray on either side of its bows. - -“The state highway runs along here on this side somewhere,” remarked -Burk. “We’ll have to keep away from it; it’s dangerous for us right -now.” - -He swerved to the right to avoid crossing the ribbon of asphalt that cut -through the woods, and the two walked parallel to the files of telegraph -wires lining the highway. For five minutes or so they followed a course -which brought them ever nearer to Wallistown; and each of those passing -minutes, they knew, brought the net of capture ever closer. - -Suddenly Burk gave a sharp exclamation, and pointed. “Something funny -ahead!” he said warningly. - -It was too late to turn back. A few yards before them, the highway bent -toward them in a sharp angle. They stopped in their tracks, and looked -on a strange scene. - -The queerest vehicle Jake had ever seen was tilted drunkenly at the side -of the road at the outer corner of the bend. “Half flivver, half covered -wagon,” the boy described it to himself. Two little seats huddled behind -the steering-wheel; the remainder of the chassis was roofed over by a -spreading arc of canvas, patched and weatherworn, stretched over hoops -fastened in the truck-like body of the car, from the rear of which hung -down a few narrow steps. The right-hand wheel at the rear was firmly -bedded in the ditch; the opposite wheel in front was raised several -inches from the road. Two quaint figures stood mournfully gazing at the -ditched wheel. One of these was a short, very fat woman of middle age. -She stood with her stout arms akimbo, and with such a downcast look on -her dark face that Jake almost burst out laughing. Her arms glittered -with several bracelets, and large rings dangled from her ears. The man -at her side was also short and fat, and also wore earrings, and in one -hand swung a spreading black hat which, when worn, must have given him -the appearance of an Italian bandit in a stage melodrama. With his other -hand he was scratching among his graying locks with a perplexed air. - -He must have heard Burk and Jake approaching, for he wheeled about on -his toes, and flashed a dazzling display of white teeth at them. - -Jake had taken in the situation in an instant. - -“We’ll help you get back on the road, Mister!” he said. “Come on, -partner—let’s give them a hand!” He gripped the ditched wheel, and tried -to lift it. - -The little man danced about on his toes, while his wife swung back and -forth until her bracelets and bangles tinkled in delight. - -Burk was now at the front of the car. He pulled back the emergency brake -lever, and Jake felt the strange vehicle starting to roll farther down -into the ditch. He put all his strength against the tailboard; the -little dark man was at his side. “Poosh—that’s right!” The boy heaved, -his face red with exertion; Burk had gripped the spokes of the wheel in -the ditch, and was bending all his effort to force the car from its -lodgment. The united strength of the three of them slowly shoved the -strange little vehicle up the slanting grade, and in half a minute the -car was back on the road again, headed toward Wallistown, no worse for -its plunge. - -“Many, many thanks—many!” the dark man cried happily. He clapped his -villainous-looking hat on his head, and scrambling into the seat, worked -the levers and steering-wheel back and forth to see that no damage had -been done. “You help fine! Come up, Maria!” - -“Yes, you help fine!” the little man repeated. “Now we go. You go, too?” - -“We’re going the same way you are,” said Jake quickly. “You—you couldn’t -give us a lift, could you?” - -“For sure! For sure!” Their new acquaintance was all smiles. “You help -me fine! I help you a little bit maybe.” - -They needed no second invitation and darted around to the tiny set of -steps that hung from the tailboard, sprang one after the other through -the slit in the canvas at the back, and tumbled into the body of the -caravan. An alarming pop-popping sounded in front; the wheels began to -move, and the car rattled down the highway at the breath-taking speed of -twenty miles an hour. - -Jake looked around the interior of the strange van. Overhead arched the -canvas roof, filtering the sunshine and splashed with moving shadows as -the car journeyed down the road. He found himself sitting on the edge of -a bunk built across the floor of the car, directly back of the driver’s -seat now occupied by the ridiculous couple whom they had helped. In one -corner was a small charcoal stove. The interior was heaped with all -sorts of things: a little tin trunk, cooking pots, a cage with a canary -chirping inside, bundles of clothing; from hooks swung more clothing, a -lantern, a jangling bucket, a spare tire. “A regular house on wheels!” -he told himself. “Wonder if these people are sure-enough gypsies?” - -The little dark man’s head appeared as if by magic through an opening -cut in the front of the canvas, his teeth showing white against his -sweeping mustachios. “That ees right! Make yourselfs like at home, eh?” - -“How far are you going?” Burk asked him. “To Wallistown?” - -The car bumped and shook dangerously; the head was withdrawn and the -machine put back on its course again. Then the rolling black eyes were -turned on them once more. “What town ees that?” - -“The one just down the road there.” - -“We do not like the towns. We just go on, and then go on some more. -Maybe we see nice place, we stop, eh? Maybe not.” A teeth-rattling lurch -of the car again demanded his full attention, and the conversation was -cut off. - -Burk shook his head. “I don’t know whether we’ve done the right thing or -not,” he said in a low tone. “These people seem to be going our way; but -it remains to be seen whether we’re any better off than we were.” - -“But, Burk—those people from the lake would have found us in no time if -we hadn’t got this lift! And now we’re going south, even if it’s not -very fast. And we’re hidden here under this cover, so that nobody will -see us, even if the police have sent out a description.” - -Burk nodded soberly. “I guess so. But you can be sure this highway is -the first place they’ll watch.” He peeped out through the flap in the -back of the caravan. “Look; we’re almost into Wallistown; if he stops -here, I might as well be back in my cell at the prison right now. I know -this was the only thing we could do; but maybe we’ve jumped out of the -frying pan into the fire.” The hunted man had never been at his ease -among crowds of people; now, he felt doubly unsure. - -Jake tried to reassure him. “Cheer up! We’re snug enough here for a -while, and it’ll give us time to think up a plan. We’ll make it yet, old -timer! Now, if I only knew where Jerry was, I think I’d feel pretty -good.” - -The creaking van shivered to a halt; bumped forward again. Burk chanced -another look outside. “We’ve crossed the main street of town,” he -whispered. “Looks like we’re going south after all.” - -“Sure! That’s the stuff!” Jake replied. “You see—it was a lucky thing we -were able to help out these gypsies, or whatever they are. If the cops -can find us here in this travelling house, they’re pretty good. Keep a -stiff upper lip, and we’ll make Canoe Mountain before dark!” - - - - - CHAPTER XIX - SHOTS ON THE HIGHWAY - - -“Yes, I thought you’d turn up again,” repeated Diker. Jerry felt the -man’s hand tighten on his arm. “You twins seem to have a habit of -popping into sight when least expected. The question is, which one are -you?” - -Jerry did not answer. - -“Well, that’s easily found out,” his captor went on. “I don’t know how -or when you got away, but if you were with Burk when the dogs made him -take to water, your legs ought to be wet. They’re not. Therefore, we’ll -get your brother when we get Burk.” He raised his voice to speak to the -man at Jerry’s left. “See, Warden—I told you this was one of ’em. Good -thing I spotted him when he was topping that fence, eh? Well, now Frank -can step on the gas. The others may be ahead of us, or they may be -behind, but sooner or later, we’ll get ’em!” - -The jolly-looking man at Jerry’s left now put in a word. “What was the -big idea, son?” he asked. “I’d think you were old enough to know better -than to trifle with the law, and help a convict get away. All your -leaders back there at the camp are worried to death about you kids. -Didn’t you think of that? Where were you trying to go?” - -“Anyone would have done the same thing!” Jerry burst out at last. “Burk -told us he wasn’t guilty, and we wanted to help him!” - -The jolly man smiled, looking jollier than ever. “My boy, I’ve been a -prison warden for twelve years, and I’ve never had a man in my charge -who’d admit he was guilty! Innocent men, every one of them—to hear them -tell it.” - -Jerry, in his efforts to show Burk’s innocence, forgot himself. “Let him -stay free a little longer, and he’ll prove he’s not guilty!” - -“Oh, he will, will he?” the man said sharply. “How will he do that?” - -The boy realized that he had said more than enough. He sank back in his -seat. But Diker, it seemed, was not through with his questions. - -“How’d you get down here to town so quickly?” he asked. Jerry shook his -head. “Won’t, tell anything, eh? Well, we’ll find out all about it -later. I don’t think you know where the others are anyway. You’re just -like the skinny lad we treed up in the hills.” - -“Sherlock?” - -“That his name? He wouldn’t say a word to us—all he did was sneeze. I -left Harris to take him along back. We got him, and now we’ve got -you—and the rest of the crowd can’t be far away.” - -The car slowed to a halt at a crossroads, where a motorcycle policeman -in the khaki uniform of a state officer sat vigilantly astride his -machine. Diker jumped out, and ran across to the man, hailing him as he -came. - -“See anything?” he asked. - -The man in khaki shook his head. “Nothing unusual. I’d swear they -haven’t come along this way.” - -“Well, keep your eyes open,” he was admonished. “That plane up there -will keep them from bolting toward the hills again. So long!” - -Diker jumped back into his seat, and again the car slid forward. Twice -more, as the miles went by, it stopped at the side of the road, and -Diker spoke to men who seemed to be posted on guard. Once, they passed a -car drawn up by the side of the road. It was a queer-looking affair, -Jerry noted, with a canvas top like a prairie schooner, and a chubby -little man who looked like a foreigner was pumping up a tire. They drove -by this roadside scene so rapidly, however, that Jerry could not make -out any details. - -Some time in the middle of the afternoon, the big car drew up in front -of the post-office of a little hamlet about fifteen miles south of -Wallistown. The driver got out and entered a small restaurant whose sign -proclaimed it the “Apple Hill Cafe—Tourists a Speciality”; he returned -with an armful of sandwiches and four bottles of pop. Diker waved to -Jerry to share this sketchy repast, and the boy was too famished to -refuse, since his only previous nourishment that day had been a few -elderberries, hours and hours before. He put away three ham sandwiches -in almost no time at all, and started to demolish one of the large -apples which the driver, whose name was Frank something-or-other, had -brought out in his pockets. - -“Well, Warden,” said Diker conversationally, taking a long pull at his -bottle of pop, “they surely couldn’t have gotten this far down in the -time since we know they got ashore up by Wallistown. Either they’re off -the road altogether, or else we’ve slipped up somehow. I guess we’ll -have to turn back. Shame to make you waste time on the chase this way, -but you know how it is.” - -“Burk used to live down this way, didn’t he?” asked the jolly-faced -warden. “He’ll know his way around now, if he’s gotten this far. No; I -don’t mind taking the time to end off this affair properly. I’m curious -to find out what our friend Burk is trying to do.” - -“If you’re ready to start back then, we’ll go.” Diker motioned to the -driver, who circled around the Apple Hill Post-Office, and the car -started on the return journey. - -About two miles out of Apple Hill, Frank slammed on the brakes. A man -stood in the center of the road, waving at them. Jerry recognized him as -one of the watchers they had spoken to on the journey down; a -farmerish-looking man who seemed to be some sort of constable. Without -delay, he ran to the side of the car, and hurriedly addressed the prison -guard. “Jest got a telephone call from the police-station in -Wallistown,” was his message. “They been inquirin’ around like, and -found a feller who was workin’ over on the side of the lake where your -man was seen to land from a canoe. This feller—road-mender, he is—was -workin’ by the side of the highway, and noticed some sort of outlandish -automobile stopped there for quite a while. He didn’t see nothin’ of -this convict feller, but he says if ye can find this queer auto, the -feller drivin’ might know somethin’ to help.” - -“What did this car look like?” asked the warden. - -“Like nothin’ else in the world, seems like. Said it had a canvas top, -like a Conestoga wagon, all fixed up to live in—the driver was a fat -little feller that looked like a wop, and he had his missus along. Catch -that pair, and mebbe they’ll tell you somethin’ ye ought to know!” - -“We passed that outfit up the road—remember?” burst out Diker. “Full -speed ahead, Frank! They were fixin’ up a tire when I saw ’em—they can’t -be very far from here! And pass me that gun of mine.” - -Frank carefully passed Diker’s shotgun over the back of his seat, and -the car roared ahead. Jerry peered forward with the rest. He had seen -that caravan and its funny little owner. Did he know anything about Jake -and Burk? Was it even possible that—— - -They rounded a sharp bend in the road. “There it is!” whooped Diker. -“Draw up beside them, and we’ll see what they know!” Again the driver -slammed on the brakes, and the car screamed to a halt a few yards ahead -of the oncoming van. Diker jumped out, shotgun in hand, and stood in -front of the strange canvas-covered car. “Halt, in the name of the law!” - -The caravan shivered to a rattling stop. The dark, fat couple on the -seat began jabbering at each other in some outlandish tongue. - -“Never mind that!” came Diker’s command. “Come down here in the road! -Now, I just want you to answer a few questions—— Quiet! How do you -expect me to talk when you’re gabblin’ like a bunch of turkeys?” - -“What ees it you do, Meester?” - -“Come down, I say! That’s right—now bring the lady.” Diker turned to his -chief. “I’ll bring ’em over to you, Warden, so you can ask ’em anything -you like. Over here, please! Gypsies, aren’t you?” - -Jerry, from his seat in the car, could look down upon the heads of the -two dark little people who were now lost in the cross-fire of questions -put to them by Diker and the warden. - -“Now, you stopped up by Lake Wallis a few hours ago. We’re looking for a -man, a convict, who has escaped and who was last seen at the place you -stopped. Know anything about him?” - -The little man almost had tears in his large rolling black eyes. “Ah, -Meester, I have hear of that wicked man! No, thanks to the saints I have -seen no wicked man—eh, Maria?” - -His gestures were comical, but Jerry Utway was not watching. Did his -eyes deceive him, or was there a ripple of movement behind the canvas -top of the other car? Was it really true that Jake and the man Burk -were—— - -“No,” the little stranger went on; “there was no wicked man. But—wait a -meenit—there was a very good man, a good man who help me poosh—and a -very good leetle boy——” - -Jerry, who had not taken his eyes from the opening in the canvas front -of the caravan, bit his lip to keep from shouting. For an instant, he -had seen a pale face peeping out there, and it was Jake’s face! They -were in that car, hiding under the canvas top! In another second the -fat, voluble little man would give them away, and then it would be all -over! - -Diker shifted his gun. “A man and a boy?” he cried. “Where are they -now?” - -Jerry saw his chance. All eyes were upon the strange couple. With a -swift movement, he leaned forward, over the driver’s shoulder. The keys -to the ignition were still in the lock on the dashboard. Deftly he -switched them off, and threw the bunch of keys as far as he could into -the bushes on the other side of the road! - -The men of the law, intent on their questioning, had been taken off -guard. For a moment they did not comprehend what had happened; and in -that moment Jerry Utway screamed his warning. - -“_Drive ahead, Jakie—drive!_” - -He felt the warden’s arms about him; he could not move. The driver -shouted: “He chucked away the keys!” and jumped out of the car, -colliding with the bewildered Diker. A motor whirred noisily; the -ungainly caravan lurched slowly forward. And Jake, good old Jakie, was -bending over the wheel, driving for dear life! - -“_Drive!_” - -The man called Frank was trying to disentangle himself from Diker’s -arms, still shouting: “He chucked away the keys! We can’t chase them -until we get those keys!” Diker fought his way free, bumped into the -fat, frightened-looking dark man, and at last got clear. He started to -run up the road in the wake of the caravan, which had slowly gained -speed and was rattling south at a good rate. Seeing that he could not -hope to overtake the car on foot, he stopped short, yelled a final -command to halt, and clapped his gun to his shoulder. - -“_Duck!_” shrieked Jerry, and felt the warden’s hand clapped over his -mouth. A double explosion boomed from the road. Diker had fired both -barrels. Jerry’s eyes hurt as he strained to see through the smoke. The -caravan jerked an instant, then moved on, gathered speed, and -disappeared from view at a curve in the road. - - - - - CHAPTER XX - THE LAST TRAP - - -In full career, the caravan pitched and creaked like a ship in a heavy -sea. Jake clung grimly to the wheel, expecting each minute to hear -another rain of lead rattle about his ears; but he doggedly notched the -little car to its highest speed, holding her to the road. - -Old Jerry had done it! In another minute they would have been bagged -without a struggle, but Jerry had given them the only chance for freedom -in sight. It would take their hunters some time to locate the keys of -the big car, turn it around, and pursue the van. A few minutes leeway -might do wonders! - -“Stop, stop, ye fool!” - -A man with a badge on his lapel was waving his arms wildly in front. -Jake shoved on more gas; the man who had sought to stop them leaped -blindly for his life, and they passed him in a cloud of dust. - -How far could they get at this rate? Jake leaned back and shouted, “All -right, Burk? ’Fraid we can’t get far, unless we get out of this bus -pretty quick.” - -Burk’s head appeared in the opening. Jake did not dare turn around, and -so did not see that his partner’s face was drawn with pain. “It’s—no -use, I guess, old man.” - -“Why, we’ve been in worse places than this! Soon as we get a bit farther -along, we’ll hop out and take to the hills again!” - -Burk shook his head. “We can’t make it. Only thing to do is—pull up and -wait for them.” - -“Come, Burk,” Jake protested; “we’re not far from Canoe Mountain now! -We’ll desert this car and run for it again!” - -“Can’t do it, son. Not a quitter—but I couldn’t run very far. Some of -that shot caught me in the leg. I—I——” - -“What?” Jake shoved on the brake, and the caravan rattled to a -standstill at the side of the road. He scrambled through the curtain, -and stared at Burk’s blanched face. “Let me see—did they get you bad? I -didn’t stop to think they might—— It was that fellow Diker with them; I -knew him right off.” He was rolling up the corduroy trousers on Burk’s -right leg as he spoke. - -“Whew! Looks bad; right in the calf of the leg. But it might be worse. -Do you see anything around I could use for a bandage?” - -Burk shook his head again. “Don’t bother. The prison people will be -along in a minute, and they’ll take care of us. Too bad it had to break -this way; why, we can see Canoe Mountain from here.” - -“How far is it?” Jake’s tone was filled with eagerness. - -“Only about five miles to the lodge. You take the road that leads out -from Apple Hill, just a little ways down here a piece. At the top of the -first mountain, you turn right on a short lane that goes straight to the -lodge. But why?” - -“Listen,” said Jake Utway swiftly; “can I leave you here all right? I -can see your wound is pretty bad, and you couldn’t walk a step with that -leg; but I’m still lively enough. We’re not licked yet. I’m going on!” - -Jake peered out the back of the caravan. Their enemies were not in sight -yet. Burk waved his hand in feeble protest. - -“The game’s up, old fellow. What could you do at——” - -“I don’t know, Burk. But I’m going anyway. I want to have a look at that -hunting lodge of yours. The prison bunch will take care of you I know. -Now, before I leave you, tell me—have you been able to remember anything -about where you might have put that necklace?” - -The man groaned softly. “I’m afraid not. I’ve tried and tried—but I -guess it’s hopeless.” - -There was not a minute to waste. Jake jumped to the ground. “So long, -Burk! I’ll be seeing you again. Cheer up!” he called gently, and began -hiking at a fast gait up the road toward the little village of Apple -Hill. - -A forlorn hope, if there ever was one, Jake Utway told himself as he -hastened toward the nearing cluster of houses that marked the crossroads -town. Of the four of them who had faced the new day in heartsome -spirits, he alone was the only one still uncaught. First Sherlock, then -Jerry, and now Burk—one, two, three!—one after another they had -sacrificed their liberty in order that the venture should go forward. -And it should go forward, to the very end, Jake promised himself. Canoe -Mountain or bust! It was part of playing the game, to keep on and on -toward the goal, as long as breath was left to struggle ahead—— - -A boy in overalls was riding slowly toward him on a bicycle. Jake halted -and waved his arm at the oncoming lad, who pulled to a stop, and eyed -him suspiciously. - -“Hello, kiddo,” smiled Jake. “Where do you live?” - -The boy scuffed the toe of his shoe into the dirt beside the road, and -gaped with open mouth before answering. He jerked a grimy thumb to the -right. “Yonder.” - -“Want to make some money?” - -The boy’s eyes widened. “Huh?” - -“I said, do you want to make a little extra money? Listen; I have to go -somewhere pretty quick. Lend me that bike of yours for a couple hours, -and I’ll pay you.” - -“Naw.” - -Jake fished in his pocket and pulled out all the cash he had been able -to bring with him. “Look! There’s almost four dollars there. Four bucks, -just for letting me ride your old bike for a little while! I promise to -bring it back in good shape.” The farmer lad shook his head. Jake -jingled the money in his palm. “You won’t have another chance to make -money this easily!” - -The boy pointed a finger at Jake’s scout knife, which he had drawn from -his pocket with the money. “What kinda knife’s that?” - -Time was getting short. “That’s a swell knife—look at all the blades -it’s got,” said Jake desperately. “Tell you what—I’ll give you the knife -and all this money too, if you let me borrow your wheel for just an hour -or two!” - -The added attraction of the knife was enough to sway the smaller boy’s -mind. He snatched it and the coins from Jake’s hand, and then slowly -climbed down off his bicycle. - -“You’re making a good swap, kid,” said Jake, gripping the handlebars. He -was surprised to find that the boy, as though he had suddenly changed -his mind, was clinging to the bicycle with determination. “Say, what’s -the matter?” - -The boy shook his head. A thought had just occurred to him. “How do I -know you’ll bring it back? Maybe you’ll bust it, or I’ll never see you -again!” - -Jake’s patience was rapidly giving out. “Look here!” he said. “You -haven’t got sense enough to take my promise. Well, see this mackinaw I’m -wearing? It’s a good coat, and worth two or three measly bikes like this -one!” He slipped off the garment, and held it out. “Here, take it. You -can keep that until I bring your bike back safe, just to show you I’m -not trying to steal anything. Do you get that?” The boy looked at the -coat, then at the money and knife in his hand. Jake tucked the coat -under the lad’s arm. “All right. You keep the mackinaw, and in a little -while I’ll bring this back to that red house over there—that’s where you -live, isn’t it?—and get back my coat.” - -Before the boy could change his mind or offer further objection, Jake -climbed into the saddle and began pedalling down the road toward Apple -Hill. He had not gone far when he heard a shout behind him, as if the -boy had already doubted the wisdom of his transaction; but he increased -his speed, and was shortly amid the houses of the town. - -He found the road to Canoe Mountain without any trouble, and speeded off -to the westward. Only a few miles away the low blue line of the hills, -bristling with pine and spruce trees on the skyline, pointed his goal. -About half a mile after he had left Apple Hill behind, the asphalt -paving ended, and the road became a dusty and rutted stretch of dirt. A -fine powder, stirred up by his progress, settled on his clothing, coated -his face and choked his nostrils. Yet he kept on, pedalling as hard as -he could go. - -Some three miles on his way, he came to the span of a concrete bridge, -which carried the road across a slowly-moving stream. Jake dismounted, -and wheeled the bicycle beneath the bridge, where a grassy bank spread -invitingly in the sunshine of the late afternoon. It was warm there, and -restful.... He needed a bit of rest, to get his breath back. - -Jake stretched his limbs out luxuriously. His hunger made him feel a -little light-headed. He closed his eyes for a moment to shut out the -bright sun. Burk—Jerry—the prison guard—hungry.... - -He awoke with a start. It was late. The sun was almost down, now; there -was a misty chill in the air beside the slowly-gliding brook. He jumped -up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. What had happened? The bicycle -lying at his side brought his memory back again. For several precious -hours he had been sleeping; he could have been at Canoe Mountain Lodge -by this time! Hurriedly he pulled together his scattered wits, and -climbed to the road. The coast was clear. He pushed the bicycle up the -embankment, mounted, and once more was riding toward the hills that -loomed darkly before him in the dusk. - -Timberlands began to line the road now. Night was dropping its curtain -over the countryside; lights twinkled in far-off farmhouses in the -valley. He was soon aware that the road was rising steadily; he was on -the mountainside, surrounded by dark thickets and ghostly trees; an -uncanny, haunted feeling came over him. He could hardly see the road -before him; he felt for his flashlight, and smothered an exclamation. He -must have left his light in the pocket of his mackinaw, now in the -possession of the boy back at Apple Hill. - -The road was now too steep for riding; all the strength of his muscles -could not drive the machine forward. He jumped off, and began a slow -trudge upward, trundling the bicycle beside him. - -It took him fully half an hour to reach the summit of the mountain. The -hunting lodge could not be far away now. If his venture was a wild goose -chase, at any rate that chase would soon be at an end. - -The weariness of his journey had blotted out all sense of reality; he -did not even think of the hopelessness of burglarizing a strange house -and searching there for evidence of an incident which had happened more -than twelve months ago. - -His feet sounded hollowly on some sort of wooden steps. They must lead -up to the door of the lodge! He leaned his bicycle against a rustic -railing, and stumbled wearily across the resounding boards of a porch. -If only he had his flashlight! But no matter—— This must be the door. -His hand sought out the latch, and he started back in surprise. It was -open! - -Could anyone be within? But no, there were no lights showing anywhere -about the place. Some carelessness, no doubt. He pushed lightly on the -door; it gave before his hand, and he stepped over the threshold, into a -room. - -Jake Utway tried to scream, but a lump had risen in his throat, and he -could not get the words out. In a far corner of the strange room a red -coal, like a cigar-end, glowed and died. A freezing paralysis of fear -ran down his spine; in his ears pulsed loudly the pounding beat of his -heart. - -“Come right in, son,” said a voice that was horribly jovial. “You’re a -bit late. But you’ve come at last.” - -The door slammed behind him like the crack of judgment. Some heavy body -had thrown itself against the panels, and now stood ready to bar his -way. All the hazardous escapes of his flight from Lenape had been of no -avail. From this last, dark trap there was no escape. - - - - - CHAPTER XXI - THE SECRET OF THE LODGE - - -“Don’t move!” warned the Voice from the dark. “You can light up the lamp -now, Frank.” - -The man at Jake’s back felt his way a few yards to the left. The sound -of a match scratched on the sole of a shoe came to Jake’s ear; a tiny -yellow flame blossomed, was held to the wick of an oil-lamp. The man -called Frank replaced the glass chimney of the lamp, and stepped back to -his post by the door. - -“Sit down, bud. You must be tired.” - -Jake Utway stared across at the speaker. His new enemy sat in an -armchair by a dead fireplace, calmly smoking a cigar and smiling easily. - -“You’re Jake, aren’t you?” he went on. “You look so much like your -brother that I feel I know you already. But no tricks, mind!” he -chuckled. “That brother of yours has fooled us enough for one -day—throwing the keys of the car away, just when he saw his chance to -help you.” - -Never taking his eyes from the smiling man, Jake sank into a chair. - -“That’s right! We’ll be heading back in a few minutes; might as well get -your breath before we go. Now, Jake, you can tell me just exactly what -you expected to do here at this lodge.” - -“Who are you, sir?” Jake countered. - -“I suppose you didn’t see me in the car when we stopped your covered -wagon up the road. I happen to be warden of the Elmville -Penitentiary—your friend Burk escaped from my charge, and naturally I -wanted to get him back again.” - -“How is he—Burk?” - -“Oh, don’t you worry about him! He got a few buckshot in the leg, but we -bandaged him up, and he’ll be walking around as good as ever in a day or -two. He’s gone back with Diker and your brother some time ago.” - -“Who told you I was coming here?” demanded Jake. - -“Burk himself. Told me you’d been good to him, and he didn’t want you to -come to harm. Very earnest about it, too. Yes, I must say I’m learning a -lot about our friend Burk in these last few days.” - -Jake considered. “Have you found out that he’s not a thief?” he asked -boldly. - -Again the man smiled, wearily. “You’re pretty young, Jake. I admit Burk -was always well-behaved when he was serving his time, and he looks like -a decent sort. No doubt he told you a yarn that sounded convincing -enough—why, every man at Elmville can make himself out to be a saint, if -you give him a chance! But I have yet to find any proof that John Burk -was not given every benefit of the doubt when his case was tried at -law.” - -Jake struggled upright, his eyes blazing. “It—it might be law, but is it -justice? Why, sir, he—he——” The boy fell back, his strength spent. The -warden jumped up and came to his side. - -“Here, son—you must be worn out! Frank, get that thermos bottle of hot -chocolate from the car, and have that caretaker make up some -sandwiches.” He patted Jake’s shoulder. “Bet you haven’t had a thing to -eat to-day. No wonder you look worn out.” - -The boy closed his eyes. “I am tired, I guess. But I really mean it, -sir. Burk didn’t steal that necklace any more than I did.” - -“All right. Don’t talk any more now. We’ll have some hot food for you in -a minute.” - -The man resumed his seat, and began puffing on his cigar in silence. As -the minutes passed, Jake looked about him. The room seemed to be the -main hall of the hunting lodge. Over the fireplace he made out a dim -shape, the mounted head of a large buck deer. The walls were hung with -Indian blankets; a case of books stood in one corner, and a rack of guns -and fishing-rods in another. The place was fitted out in rough comfort, -and at another time Jake might have delighted in examining everything -which the sportsmen who owned the club had collected. As it was, he -waited motionless until Frank reappeared with a steaming cup of -chocolate, some sandwiches, and a dish of hot soup. - -“Feel better now?” the warden asked, as Jake swallowed the last of the -heartening liquid. The man had removed his hat, and Jake could now see -that his hair was snow-white. “If you’re ready for a ride, there’s -nothing to keep us here any longer.” - -“But—but, sir, give me a chance to explain!” The warm food had brought -back much of Jake’s strength, and with it his fighting spirit. If they -departed from Canoe Mountain Lodge now, there would never be another -opportunity to clear up the mystery of the necklace, and Burk would be -worse off than before. Here, if anywhere, lay the heart of that mystery, -and although Jake Utway had no clear idea as to the way of its solution, -he felt that the walls of the lodge must contain some clue that would -lead them to the truth. - -The warden shook his head patiently. “You fellows have risked everything -to get to this place, but Burk himself confessed to me awhile ago that -he had no definite aim in view, except to hunt around some more for that -necklace. What can you know that he doesn’t know?” - -Jake stood up. Strength was flooding back into his aching body, and he -spoke with a confidence that could not fail to impress the white-haired -man. It was a confidence based not upon reason, but upon the boy’s -feeling that Burk had spoken the truth. Into his mind flashed the -picture of that night of storm across the lake from the Lenape dock; he -could almost see the convict’s drawn face, and hear the earnest ring of -his voice as he told his story to his two young captors—— - -“Mr. Warden,” he began, “I feel sure that you know there’s something -strange about this case of Burk’s; otherwise, you wouldn’t have taken so -much trouble to talk to him after you caught him, or to come here and -wait for me. You believe that the law is right, but you’re not sure in -your mind that a mistake hasn’t been made; and you want to be fair to -Burk and give him a chance to prove that there has been a mistake. Isn’t -that right?” - -The jollity of the warden’s face dropped from it like a mask. He leaned -forward, and his cigar dropped from his fingers. - -“That might be so, son. But——” - -“You’ve asked yourself: Why didn’t Burk get far away from this part of -the country when he had the chance? Why did he risk getting caught, as -he was caught, simply to come here to Canoe Mountain, if he knew he was -guilty?” - -The warden leaned back again. “That’s easily explained, Jake. Many times -a man will give way to temptation, and steal something of great value. -Even if he’s caught, he will refuse to tell where he has hidden the -thing, hoping that when he gets out of prison he will be able to come -back, take the object from its hiding-place, and sell it for what he can -get. Burk knew where he had hidden the necklace, and was coming back to -get it.” - -“Suppose I could prove to you that Burk didn’t know where he put it?” - -The man smiled, and shook his head. “That would be a mighty hard thing -to prove. But if you could do that, and the necklace was restored to its -owner, it might make some difference——” - -“All right. Now, here’s another thing. Why should Burk steal that -necklace? He had never done anything like that before. He had a good -job, which he liked, and as caretaker here had been in a position of -trust. He must have known that he would be caught at once. He might have -run away with the pearls in Mr. Collinge’s absence; but he was still -here, and didn’t try to get away. He has said all along that he was -innocent. The disappearance of the necklace has brought him nothing but -trouble. Why should he risk ruining his whole life to take it?” - -“You’d make a good lawyer, Jake!” the man said slowly. “Hear that, -Frank? The lad is convincing me in spite of myself. But you haven’t -answered the big question, Bud: What did happen to that necklace?” - -“I’m coming to that.” Jake’s words were coming out in a rush now. He -must make them understand; he must prove to them that his friend Burk, -by this time no doubt back again in his hated cage, was blameless of -this crime. “What happened to the necklace? The answer is: Burk was -sick. Have you ever had the ’flu? Then you can picture what happened to -him that day. He was out of his head. His one thought must have been to -put the thing in a safe place, and then lie down on his bed in peace. -Can you blame him for not being able to remember what he had done, or -where he hid the thing?” - -“But why wasn’t it found?” the man asked quickly. “A valuable thing like -a necklace doesn’t disappear so easily. And the case was well-known; -why, I’ll venture to say that this whole place here has been gone over -with a fine-tooth comb at least a dozen times in the past year! And as -far as we know, the necklace has never been found.” - -Jake cast his eyes about the large room, noting where several doors led -off to the back of the lodge. “Tell me, sir,” he said at last; “if the -necklace could be found, and if it could be proved that Burk was sick -and didn’t know what he had done with it—that he had hidden it for -safekeeping, and not for his own gain—would Burk be set free?” - -“I could safely say,” said the warden, “that if such was the case, the -facts would be put before the Pardon Board, and I myself would make a -point of urging that Burk be released. But you can see for yourself that -it’s an almost impossible job. Now, let’s forget all this foolishness, -and start back. It’s getting late.” - -Jake did not move. “Did you say that the man who is now the caretaker is -in back somewhere?” - -“Yes, he is, but——” - -“Could I talk to him, please?” - -The warden opened his mouth as if to object, but thought better of it, -and in a forbearing tone asked the chauffeur, Frank, to call the -caretaker. - -The latter must have been just outside the door, in the kitchen of the -lodge, for he shambled in at once, looking with curious eyes at the -strangers who had invaded his domain in the name of the law. He was a -bent little man, with a drooping brown mustache, and he stood in -silence, resting on one foot, waiting for someone to speak. - -Jake faced him. “Can you show me the room where Burk used to sleep, when -he was working here?” - -The caretaker darted a look at the warden, who motioned for him to -answer. “Wal, yes, guess I can. Sleep there myself; my room now.” - -He led the way toward the rear of the building, and the others followed, -with Frank bearing the oil-lamp behind them. The room which they entered -lay in the far corner of the lodge, a narrow little place with brown -boarded walls, within which there was barely space enough for a small -cot-bed, a chair, and a tiny dresser. The warden surveyed the room -curiously, but Jake went straight to the bed, and turned down the -covers. Then he wheeled on the caretaker. - -“Is this bed the same as when Burk was here?” he asked sharply. - -“Wal, just about. Covers are the same, mostly, but that there’s a new -mattress I just got last week.” - -“Where’s the old mattress?” - -“Chucked it outside on the woodpile. Why?” - -Jake Utway did not pause to reply. In an instant he was into the hall, -racing through the lighted kitchen, and out the back door. - -“Stop him!” shouted the warden. “Get him, Frank! It’s another trick!” - -But Jake had gone no farther than the woodpile. In the light that -streamed from the open kitchen window, he was feeling about among the -wreckage of a worn-out cotton mattress, which had been thrown upon the -heap of firewood in the rear of the lodge. Frank, still carrying the -lamp, held his arm until the warden and the caretaker joined them. - -“Let me go!” cried Jake impatiently. “Hold that lamp down closer, will -you? I can’t see very well——” - -“What in the world——” began the warden. His words were cut short. Jake -had found a short slit in the heavy striped ticking that encased the -stuffing of the old mattress. His hand slid through; he felt about for a -moment, and drew his hand out again. In the yellow light of the lamp, -everyone could see the object which dangled from his clenched fingers. A -short string of gleaming, milky-white bubbles flashed before the -astounded eyes of the three men. - -“It was a long guess, but it was right!” exclaimed Jake Utway in -triumph. “Here’s the pearl necklace, safe and sound! Burk wouldn’t have -put it away in a place like this, if he hadn’t been sick, and it was the -first place he thought of hiding them! And now, Mr. Warden—I’ll hold you -to your promise to do all you can to set John Burk free!” - - - - - CHAPTER XXII - BROTHERLY LOVE - - -Jake Utway woke from a restless doze as the car bumped over the rough -road behind Camp Lenape. He looked about him with sleep-sodden eyes as -the driver, Frank, drew up outside the lodge. There was a light in the -Chief’s office, and the Chief himself must have heard the noise of their -motor, for he appeared at once, holding up a lantern so that he could -see the newcomers. - -His face lighted up as he saw Jake, huddled in the back of the machine -beside the warden of Elmville. - -“Well, there you are at last!” he exclaimed with a sigh of relief. -“Jerry has been in bed for an hour, and I stayed up on the chance that I -might hear something of you. Now that you’re really here, I admit that a -big load is off my mind.” He turned to the warden. “I don’t know how to -thank you, sir, for picking up the boys as you have done. I’m sorry that -two Lenape fellows have caused you so much trouble.” - -“No trouble!” cried the warden genially. “Now, let’s not keep young Jake -here away from his bed any longer with all our talk. He’s earned a good -night’s sleep.” - -“That so? Well, hop along, Jake. We’ll talk this over with you and your -brother in the morning.” - -The words sounded ominous, but Jake was too tired to worry about what -the morning would bring. He stumbled off toward Tent Ten, hardly aware -of what he was doing; but as he left, he heard the Chief invite the two -men into the lodge for a cup of coffee, and the three of them -disappeared into the building talking together in confidential tones. -Jake fell like a log upon his bunk, without taking off any of his -stained garments; but Mr. Avery was awake, and soon tucked the worn-out -boy between his blankets. - -The next morning, after breakfast, the Utway twins stood outside the -door of the Chief’s office with beating hearts. They had not been given -any chance to speak to each other since their separate returns to camp -late the previous night; and now that they were back in the familiar -scenes of Lenape, their wild adventure seemed like a mad dream. How -could they have run away from camp without thinking of the worry and -trouble that this disobedient act would cause their leaders and the -Chief? - -Jerry knocked shakily upon the door. At the call of “Come in!” the two -culprits entered the office and stood waiting for judgment. - -They could not read the look on the Chief’s face as he stood regarding -them quizzically. “We-ell!” he said slowly, and paused. - -“We—we’re sorry, Chief!” blurted out Jerry. “We didn’t think about -making a lot of trouble for you and our leaders. We just wanted to -help—— But I guess it’s no use trying to tell how we felt about it.” - -“Do you think you did right in leaving Lenape without telling anybody?” - -Jerry shook his head miserably. - -“What about you, Jake?” - -“I’m sorry too, Chief. We thought we were helping Burk, but maybe we -were wrong. When you put it up to us that way, it makes us feel as if -we—we——” - -The man nodded. “I could talk to you for an hour about camp discipline, -and it wouldn’t mean as much to you as those words of yours mean, boys. -Your own consciences are better judges than I could ever hope to be. And -I won’t say that you didn’t have some excuse. As things have turned out, -no harm has been done, luckily for you.” - -The Chief tapped with a pencil on his desk for an instant, and then -began speaking softly, almost to himself. - -“I talked with the warden last night after you went to bed, Jake. And he -said several things about you boys which I won’t repeat; but he made me -see that Lenape hasn’t done all it might do for you two. From now on, I -shall expect you to use all your extra energy in being better campers. -You both have lots of pep, and in Burk’s case your efforts turned out to -be of great value. Keep on putting that pep to work to help the other -fellow at Lenape! You know how to do it.” - -He rose with a smile, and held out his hand. The twins straightened, and -looked their leader full in the eyes. “Thanks, Chief,” said Jerry -huskily. “We’ll try.” - -“We sure will!” added Jake. - -Silently the Chief took their hands, and gave each a hearty grip. - -“Oh, by the way, boys,” he said, as they turned to go, “I have some news -for you. Last night the warden told me some things about this fellow -Burk that interested me a lot. When he’s free again, as he should be if -the warden means what he says, I shouldn’t be surprised if I could find -a job around camp where Burk might be of use.” - -Jake and Jerry Utway held back their feelings until they were almost out -on the porch. Then they broke loose. - -“Hurray for Chief!” they shouted. “Yay, Chief! Yay, Lenape!” - - -The hospital tent was full to overflowing with laughing boys. In the -midst of them, clad in pajamas, Sherlock Jones sat up in a comfortable -white bed, leaning back on his pillows with sparkling eyes. Now and then -he paused in his talk to blow his long nose resoundingly, but otherwise -seemed none the worse for his adventure on the mountain and his wetting -in the brook when the hounds were on his trail. He was the center of -interest, and it was plain to be seen that he was enjoying his brief -moment in the limelight of fame. - -About him sat or stood all the members of the Tent Ten group, and a -number of other boys who listened joyously to his tale. Chink Towner and -Wild Willie Sanders perched at the foot of his bed; Fat Crampton, with -wide eyes and open mouth, hung upon his words; Steve Link was there, and -Sunfish Linder, and Spaghetti Megaro, and many others. - -“And were you scared when those big bloodhounds jumped up at the tree -and tried to get you?” piped up little Pete Lister. - -“Say, I hung on and said my prayers!” answered Sherlock amid laughter. -“But pretty soon along came a man named Harris, and he chained ’em up, -and after that it was all right.” - -“But how did Jake and the man get away so quick?” asked Soapy Mullins. - -“You’ll have to ask him that.” - -“I tried to ask him this morning,” put in Lefkowitz, “but he wouldn’t -tell me a thing. But he came to camp real late last night; I was awake -and saw him get here.” - -“We’ll know all about it pretty soon,” observed Gil Shelton, who was -sitting on the steps of the tent. “Here they both come now, up from the -lodge. Guess they want to see you, Sherlock.” - -Sherlock drew forth his handkerchief. “I used to think I was some -punkins as a detective,” he announced, “but I’ll say right here that the -Utway twins have got it all over me when it comes to solving mysteries. -From now on, I resign! A thousand mysteries can happen around this camp, -and I won’t lift my little finger!” - -A low cheer broke forth as the two brothers stepped into the shadow of -the tent-house. “Yay, Jake! Yay, Jerry!” - -Jake grinned. “Hello, Sherlock, old boy! How have you been since I last -saw you? Get down that tree all right?” - -Sherlock smiled back. “I’m all right. How are you two?” - -“We’re cinders,” announced Jerry. “We’ve just been listening to the -Chief, and boy, we’re never going to run away from camp again! From now -on, I’m going to be the best little boy you ever saw. And I really mean -it. I felt like a penny waiting for change after the Chief got through -talking. Man, I’d sooner get pinched by the cops ten times, than have -the Chief look at me like that again!” - -“You said it,” added Jake. “I’d rather get shot at ten times than feel -as low as I did just now. But the Chief is one grand fellow. He made us -see how wrong we were to run away from Lenape the way we did, but he -knew what really happened, and said he hoped Burk would get his pardon -soon, and that he’d find a job around camp for Burk to do when he got -out!” - -“But what did happen?” - -“How did Burk get caught?” - -“Where were you all the time?” - -Questions rose from a dozen clamorous throats, and the crowd of excited -campers closed in about the two brothers. - -“Well,” said Jerry slowly, “it’ll take a long time to tell. We were only -away from camp for one day, but boy, what a day!” - -“It seemed like a hundred years!” agreed Jake. “And say, wasn’t that -farmer kid surprised when we drove up last night and I gave him back his -bicycle! Guess he thought he had my mackinaw for keeps!” - -“That reminds me,” said Jerry. “I’ll have to write to that storekeeper -down at Wallistown to send mine back. But you fellows will have to get -Jake to tell the story. He’s the one that did everything, and got to -Canoe Mountain. I got nabbed before we were half-way there.” - -“Yeah!” said Jake scornfully. “I wouldn’t have got very far if you -hadn’t seen us in the gypsy flivver, and hadn’t thrown away the keys to -the warden’s car. And it was your idea for us to go to Canoe Mountain in -the first place.” - -“That wasn’t anything. But I call it real smart of you to figure out -that Burk had stowed away those pearls in his mattress!” - -“Listen, Jerry Utway!” said Jake, and there was a glint in his bright -blue eyes. “We found Burk together, and we never could have put it -across if we hadn’t been working together all the time. Sherlock here -helped a lot, too, although he didn’t know it. Now, for goodness sake, -nail up that trap of yours until you can say something with some sense -to it!” - -“I will not!” answered Jerry stoutly. “You’re a hero, that’s what you -are—a bloomin’ hero!” - -“I’m not! Don’t call me names! Take that back!” - -“You are, too! I won’t take it back. You’re a bloomin’ hero!” - -Jake seized a heavy hot-water bottle that lay at the foot of Sherlock’s -bed, and wielded it threateningly. The circle of boys widened about the -two brothers, and laughing campers nudged each other and winked. For -almost a week now, the Utway twins had been strangely peaceable. They -had been driven by the mystery that had surrounded Camp Lenape to join -forces and forget their brotherly strife in a common cause and in the -face of a common danger. But now that they were back home again at -Lenape, a friendly little battle might clear the air, make them feel -themselves once more. - -“That’s the boy, Jake!” urged Chink Towner. “Give him the works!” - -“Key down, you Chinaman!” cried Jake. “I know what I’m doing.” Again he -wielded the hot-water bottle menacingly, hefting it as if on the point -of hurling it full at his brother. “Now, Jerry, you take that back!” - -“You’re a hero, a bloomin’ hero!” chanted Jerry, tauntingly. - -“And you’re another!” - -“And you’re his brother!” - -Sherlock Jones flashed a mock-terrified glance at the two embattled -brothers. - -“Help!” he cried, and slid down into the bed, pulling the covers -protectingly over his head. “The Utway twins are at it again!” - - - THE END - - - - - Transcriber’s Notes - - ---Copyright notice provided as in the original—this e-text is public - domain in the country of publication. - ---Silently corrected palpable typos; left non-standard spellings and - dialect unchanged. - ---In the text versions, delimited italics text in _underscores_ (the - HTML version reproduces the font form of the printed book.) - - - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's The Mystery at Camp Lenape, by Carl Saxon - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MYSTERY AT CAMP LENAPE *** - -***** This file should be named 54826-0.txt or 54826-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/4/8/2/54826/ - -Produced by Stephen Hutcheson and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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margin-right:auto; margin-left:auto; } - p.csmaller { max-width:38em; } - p.csmallest { max-width:40em; } - blockquote { max-width:23em; } - - - div.verse { max-width:25em; margin-right:auto; margin-left:auto; } - div.bq { margin-left:auto; margin-right:auto; max-width:23em; } -/* book advertisements */ - p.bkad {font-size:125%; font-weight:bold; margin-top:2em; max-width:20em; margin-right:auto; margin-left:auto; } - p.bkpr {font-size:90%; } - p.bkrv { } - dl.blist dt { margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em; } - dl.blist, dl.biblio { margin-left:auto; margin-right:auto; max-width:25em; } - - dl.int { margin-left:auto; margin-right:auto; max-width:25em; } - dl.int dt {margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em; } - dl.int dd {margin-left:2em; } -</style> -</head> -<body> - - -<pre> - -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Mystery at Camp Lenape, by Carl Saxon - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: The Mystery at Camp Lenape - -Author: Carl Saxon - -Release Date: June 2, 2017 [EBook #54826] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MYSTERY AT CAMP LENAPE *** - - - - -Produced by Stephen Hutcheson and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - -</pre> - -<div id="cover" class="img"> -<img id="coverpage" src="images/cover.jpg" alt="The Mystery at Camp Lenape" width="500" height="755" /> -</div> -<div class="box"> -<h1>THE MYSTERY AT CAMP LENAPE</h1> -<p class="center"><b>CARL SAXON</b> -<br /><span class="small"><i>Author of “Blackie Thorne at Camp Lenape”</i></span></p> -<div class="img" id="p1"> -<img src="images/p1.jpg" alt="Decoration" width="200" height="132" /> -</div> -<p class="center">BOOKS, INC. -<br /><span class="small">NEW YORK</span> <span class="hst"><span class="small">BOSTON</span></span></p> -</div> -<p class="center small">COPYRIGHT 1940, 1931 BY BOOKS, INC. -<br />MANUFACTURED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA</p> -<h2>CONTENTS</h2> -<dl class="toc"> -<dt><span class="cn">I. </span><a href="#c1">Battle-Royal</a> 7</dt> -<dt><span class="cn">II. </span><a href="#c2">Sherlock on the Trail</a> 16</dt> -<dt><span class="cn">III. </span><a href="#c3">The Midnight Man</a> 27</dt> -<dt><span class="cn">IV. </span><a href="#c4">The Arm</a> 35</dt> -<dt><span class="cn">V. </span><a href="#c5">In the Name of the Law</a> 44</dt> -<dt><span class="cn">VI. </span><a href="#c6">Braves in Council</a> 55</dt> -<dt><span class="cn">VII. </span><a href="#c7">News and More News</a> 65</dt> -<dt><span class="cn">VIII. </span><a href="#c8">The Disappearing Act</a> 75</dt> -<dt><span class="cn">IX. </span><a href="#c9">Off for Pebble Beach</a> 87</dt> -<dt><span class="cn">X. </span><a href="#c10">The Man in Blue Again</a> 96</dt> -<dt><span class="cn">XI. </span><a href="#c11">The Lair of the Enemy</a> 104</dt> -<dt><span class="cn">XII. </span><a href="#c12">A Daring Resolve</a> 112</dt> -<dt><span class="cn">XIII. </span><a href="#c13">The Trunk Room</a> 122</dt> -<dt><span class="cn">XIV. </span><a href="#c14">So Long, Lenape!</a> 131</dt> -<dt><span class="cn">XV. </span><a href="#c15">Four in the Forest</a> 141</dt> -<dt><span class="cn">XVI. </span><a href="#c16">Hare and Hounds</a> 152</dt> -<dt><span class="cn">XVII. </span><a href="#c17">Jerry Gets a Ride</a> 162</dt> -<dt><span class="cn">XVIII. </span><a href="#c18">The Gypsy Van</a> 174</dt> -<dt><span class="cn">XIX. </span><a href="#c19">Shots on the Highway</a> 183</dt> -<dt><span class="cn">XX. </span><a href="#c20">The Last Trap</a> 193</dt> -<dt><span class="cn">XXI. </span><a href="#c21">The Secret of the Lodge</a> 203</dt> -<dt><span class="cn">XXII. </span><a href="#c22">Brotherly Love</a> 214</dt> -</dl> -<div class="pb" id="Page_7">7</div> -<h1 title="">THE MYSTERY AT CAMP LENAPE</h1> -<h2 id="c1"><span class="h2line1">CHAPTER I</span> -<br /><span class="h2line2">BATTLE-ROYAL</span></h2> -<p>The Utway twins were at it again.</p> -<p>“You are, too!” said Jake.</p> -<p>“You’re another!” said Jerry.</p> -<p>“And you’re his brother!” said Jake.</p> -<p>It was “quiet hour” in Camp Lenape. The -peace of Sunday afternoon hung above the rows -of white tents on the hillside above the placid -lake. In Tent Ten, however, the quiet was -broken by a sudden uproar.</p> -<p>Six wide-awake lads perched on upper bunks, -grinning and nudging each other. All eyes were -turned on two bronze-haired, blue-eyed, sun-browned -boys who faced each other in the center -of the tent.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_8">8</div> -<p>As they stood thus, it seemed as if there was -only one boy, looking at himself in a large -mirror; for the Utway twins were so much alike -that others often wondered how one of them -knew whether he was himself, or his brother—whether -Jerry did not sometimes wake in the -morning and think for a moment that he might -possibly be Jake. The resemblance was heightened -by the fact that both wore identical outfits—the -basketball shorts and green-and-white jersey -that served as the camp uniform.</p> -<p>However, while Jerry wore a tennis sneaker on -each foot, Jake wore only one. The other shoe -he brandished in an upraised arm with a threatening -air.</p> -<p>“That’s talking,” put in “wild Willie” -Sanders, from his perch above the two brothers. -“You tell him, Jake!”</p> -<p>Jake turned on the speaker. “No noise from -the nickel seats!” he warned. “This is our -business—no butting in. Now, Jerry, take back -what you said.”</p> -<p>“Well, take back what you said!” responded -Jerry with some spirit. “And quit aiming that -shoe at me! Put it down!”</p> -<p>“Keep off!”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_9">9</div> -<p>The band of onlookers, now reinforced by the -grinning faces of many inmates of neighboring -tents, chuckled with delight. It looked as if there -was going to be a fight at last. And the watchers -knew from past experience that if the Utway -twins got to scrapping again, the resulting action -would do much to brighten up a dull Sunday -afternoon. Therefore they waited happily for -the first gong of the coming battle.</p> -<p>It looked as though Jerry meant business. -With a swift rush he attempted to snatch the -menacing shoe from his brother’s hand. Jake -neatly dodged, and swung the improvised -weapon in a dangerous arc. His fingers slipped -on the smooth rubber of the sole, and the shoe -hurled itself with some force at Jerry’s chest.</p> -<p>Jerry grunted as the flying sneaker took him -in the midriff. He was not hurt, but he was mad. -He had forgotten completely what the original -quarrel was about; he knew that the shoe had -been flung by accident, but didn’t care; all he -thought of was to “get even” with Jake. He -snatched the nearest thing at hand, which happened -to be a canteen belonging to little Pete -Lister, and flung it wildly at his brother.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_10">10</div> -<p>Jake dodged again, and returned this fire with -an unwieldy missile that proved to be Fat -Crampton’s generously-built raincoat. This went -wild of the mark, and he ducked a whizzing flashlight -while at the same time reaching about for -more ammunition. His hand touched “Sherlock” -Jones’s camera-case, and he was about to -aim this at Jerry’s head when he was taken full -in the face with a canvas pillow, followed by a -sweater and a Boy Scout Handbook.</p> -<p>“Hey!” cried Jones, jumping down from his -bunk in alarm, now that his treasured possession -was in danger, “that’s my camera-case you got!”</p> -<p>The contested object sailed past his ear and -met its mark on Jerry’s leg. By this time Jerry -was in no frame of mind to distinguish friend -from enemy. He was seeing red, and the sight -of young Jones dashing toward him to regain his -property raised his temper to the boiling point. -He reached out and greeted the oncoming boy -with the contents of a handy water-bucket.</p> -<p>The bucket was half full, sufficient to make a -drenching torrent which reduced the hapless -Jones to a sopping state. His cry of rage filled -the tent. Wild Willie Sanders came to his rescue, -and together they advanced on Jerry, who was -now armed with a loose tent-peg swinging on the -end of its rope.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_11">11</div> -<p>Jake had taken advantage of his momentary -freedom from attack to gather together a goodly -pile of ammunition—shoes, tennis rackets, pinecones, -pillows, and an empty wasp’s nest which -Lefkowitz had collected as a specimen. Chink -Towner had entrenched himself on the top of a -bunk, from which fortified position he was able -now and then to swipe the tumbling combatants -over the head with a pillow. Little Peter Lister -managed to give Fat Crampton a timely shove -which sent him rolling between the legs of his -battling tent-mates.</p> -<p>Objects of all sorts, from baseball bats to cakes -of soap, flew through the air and landed in the -low bushes outside the tent. Battle-cries and -shouts of the wounded rent the calm Sunday -afternoon air.</p> -<p>The fight was no longer a private contest. The -action had become general. A whirling shoe had -landed on “Kipper” Dabney, aide of Tent Nine -next door, and he had immediately led his cohorts -in a vengeful sally against their warlike neighbors. -Somebody had refilled the empty water-pail -and was methodically doing his bit to make -sure that not one of the combatants was left -undrenched. A scouting party from Tent Five -had raced downhill and were swiftly pulling the -blankets from every bunk and tossing them into -the huckleberry bushes. Tent Ten was a battleground -of whirling arms, tumbling bodies, and -flying weapons, whereon no one knew his friend, -and every boy fought for himself.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_12">12</div> -<p>“Stop!”</p> -<p>A shrill voice of command cut through the -tumult. Unseen by the rioters, a short, erect -man in scoutmaster’s uniform had appeared in -their midst.</p> -<p>“Stop this at once! Put those things down! -Attention!”</p> -<p>A boy on the outskirts of the group whistled -in surprise. “Chickie! It’s Mr. Colby!” He -dodged behind a tree and disappeared. Silently -the boys from other tents faded from the scene, -trying to look innocent and peaceful. In ten -seconds the members of Tent Ten were left alone -amid the ruins, under the stern gaze of Mr. -Colby.</p> -<p>“Attention! Line up!”</p> -<p>Eight boys guiltily straightened, heels together.</p> -<p>“You, Utway, drop that baseball bat! Now, -what’s the meaning of this?”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_13">13</div> -<p>The councilor’s keen eyes flashed from one face -to the next. The sudden uproar had brought him -running from his place at the leaders’ meeting on -the porch of the lodge. As officer of the day, -it was his duty to take charge of the camp program, -inspect the tents, and assign merit points -for the conduct of each tent-group. He took his -duties most seriously; a short period of service in -the National Guard had given him a mighty respect -for military discipline; and his strictness at -all times was well-known at Lenape.</p> -<p>“Men, you are a disgrace!” he snapped. A -few feathers from a ripped pillow sifted down -and settled upon the brim of his hat, but not a -boy dared to smile. “A disgrace! Now, who’s -responsible for this?”</p> -<p>His searching eye caught sight of the twins, -standing together at one end of the line. He -well knew the reputation these husky brothers -had for unladylike conduct, and twice before had -found it necessary to separate them from each -other’s grasp after sudden tussles. His lips -tightened as he stopped before Jerry, whose relinquished -baseball bat lay across his feet.</p> -<p>“You again, eh? Fighting with your brother, -were you, Jake? Or Jerry, whichever you are?”</p> -<p>“Well, you see——”</p> -<p>“Never mind accusing anybody else! You’ll -have to learn that camp is no place for continual -bickering! Look at this tent! You’ve made hay -of the whole place. I’ll make it my job to see -that Tent Ten gets the booby can for this——” -The councilor’s words were broken off short, -and he fell back, clapping his hands to his head.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_14">14</div> -<p>He had been standing directly under the front -tent pole, and the oil lantern hanging there, -which had somehow escaped being brought into -the fray, had suddenly descended from its nail -at the top of the pole and struck him full on the -crown. The blow had been partly dulled by his -stiff hat, but he was smarting with anger. His -bristling gaze fell on the flushed face of Jake -Utway, who stood beside the pole with defiance -in his eyes.</p> -<p>“You—you did that, Utway! Don’t deny -it!”</p> -<p>Jake did not deny it. He had taken this means -of defending his brother from the full brunt of -the guilt for the battle-royal.</p> -<p>“Well, why don’t you stop picking on Jerry? -He wasn’t the only one to blame! All of us did -some.”</p> -<p>“You—you——Both you boys are incorrigible! -Now, listen! You two must put this tent -in order at once—pick up everything, make all -the beds, put everything in its place! If this is -not done, I shall recommend that you serve ten -hours apiece on the chain gang. No discipline—no -discipline——”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_15">15</div> -<p>Still rubbing his injured brow tenderly, the -enraged scoutmaster rushed from the tent, not -daring to trust his temper further.</p> -<p>The group relaxed. “Guess that’ll fix you -guys for soaking me with all that water,” muttered -Sherlock Jones. “Serves you right.”</p> -<p>“Shut up,” said Jerry rudely. “Say, Jake, -thanks. He sure did look sad when that lantern -bopped him! I knew right away you did it on -purpose.”</p> -<p>“Aw, he was picking on you,” answered Jake. -“That’s all right. He got even with us, though. -It’s not going to be an easy job, cleaning up this -mess. Let’s get busy. Come on, pick up those -blankets.”</p> -<p>“You’re no cripple—pick ’em up yourself!”</p> -<p>“Pick ’em up, you lazy loafer!”</p> -<p>“Who’s a loafer?”</p> -<p>“You are!”</p> -<p>“You’re another!”</p> -<p>“And you’re his brother!”</p> -<p>The Utway twins were at it again.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_16">16</div> -<h2 id="c2"><span class="h2line1">CHAPTER II</span> -<br /><span class="h2line2">SHERLOCK ON THE TRAIL</span></h2> -<p>Sherlock Jones muttered vengefully -to himself as he slowly stripped and removed -his sopping clothes after the battle. Moodily he -donned a dry outfit, pulled a sweater over his -head, and stalked from the littered tent.</p> -<p>Between two pine trees a few yards away, a -rustic bench had been built. Sherlock sat down, -drew a thin book from his pocket, and began to -read. He had barely cast his eye down one page -when a shadow fell on his arm, and he looked up -to see Wild Willie Sanders surveying him curiously.</p> -<p>“What’s bitin’ you?” asked Wild Willie. -“You look mad as a wet hen.”</p> -<p>Sherlock scowled. “Something terrible’s going -to happen around this camp!” he said with a -profound air of secrecy.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_17">17</div> -<p>The other boy laughed scornfully. “Huh! -That’s what you’re always saying! Always acting -mysterious, as if you thought somebody was -going to commit a murder any minute! Reading -that book again, too, I see! What’s the name of -it?”</p> -<p>With a swift movement, he jerked the thin -volume from Sherlock’s hand, and read the title. -“‘How to Be a Detective in 10 Lessons, by the -Fireside Correspondence School.’ Say, what -makes you think you’re a natural-born sleuth, -anyway?”</p> -<p>Sherlock peered up pleadingly, blinking his -pale blue eyes behind the large, window-like -lenses of a pair of horn-rimmed glasses that -rested on his long, inquisitive nose. “Here, give -me that, Wild Willie! Give me back that book!”</p> -<p>“All right, Mr. Detective.” The boy tossed -the book down, and grunted. “Say, you better -quit shadowing Chink Towner all over the place. -He’s getting mad about it, and told me he’d swat -you one if you didn’t stop following him.”</p> -<p>Again Sherlock gave him a solemn glance. -“Shh! I got information that he’s a smuggler!”</p> -<p>“A smuggler? What do you mean?”</p> -<p>“Well, anyway, he’s probably a Chinese spy -in disguise.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_18">18</div> -<p>Wild Willie laughed derisively. “Say, I’ve -known Chink Towner all my life, and he’s no -more a smuggler than the Chief is! Why he’s not -even a Chinaman—we just call him Chink because -he kind of looks that way. You better get these -nutty ideas out of your head before you get hurt. -It’s just like that time you told me that Leggy -and all the other colored fellows in the kitchen -were counterfeiters.”</p> -<p>Sherlock winced. This affair was another of -his failures to discover a secret threat of Crime -hanging over the heads of his fellow campers. -One evening soon after the camp season had -started, he had been listening outside the shack -where these dusky young men lived, back of the -ice-house, and had heard the whirr of machinery -and the proud voice of Leggy, assistant cook, remarking: -“Yas suh, dis here ma-sheen is sure -goin’ to make lots o’ money for us all!” His -hope of fame as a great detective was blasted -next day in mess-hall, however, when that same -Leggy announced that he had “brought a sewing-machine -to camp with him and was prepared, for -a nominal sum of money, to mend rips and tears -in the campers’ clothing.”</p> -<p>“Never mind about that,” he said desperately. -“People around this camp are going to be pretty -glad they’ve got a live-wire detective on the job. -Pretty soon you’ll wish you’d listened to me.”</p> -<p>“Why? What’s going to happen?”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_19">19</div> -<p>“Some people around here will bear watching, -that’s all!” Sherlock cast a meaning glance in -the direction of Tent Ten, where the twins had -set about clearing up the devastated tent and -making up the bunks into a semblance of orderliness.</p> -<p>Wild Willie stared in unbelief, and again broke -into a laugh. “You mean the Utway brothers? -Say, if you take my advice, you’ll keep away -from those two! Everybody knows they scrap -with each other now and then, but if you try to -tackle one of them, you’ll have both of them -coming down on your neck! What have you got -against them?”</p> -<p>“Well,” said Sherlock slowly, “Jake threw -around my good camera-case, and Jerry dumped -a whole bucket of water on me——”</p> -<p>“That’s no crime, is it? What’s mysterious -about that?”</p> -<p>“You’ll see. Look at what they did to Mr. -Colby—Jake knocked down a lantern on him, on -purpose, and I bet they’d like to do worse, if they -could. And he’s a councilor!”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_20">20</div> -<p>“You’re a born chump,” remarked his tent-mate -hopelessly. “No use trying to argue with -you, Mr. Sherlock Holmes Junior. Some day, -something terrible is going to happen around -camp, and then you’ll be a hero and discover the -mystery. <i>Oh</i>, yes!” Again came that scornful -laugh. “Listen, there goes the bugle sounding -Recall. Sax McNulty promised to tell some -stories before swim, up at the big cherry tree. -Are you coming, or are you going to read your -old book all day?”</p> -<p>“You go ahead. I’m all right.” Sherlock -again picked up his precious book, but he did not -read far. As soon as Wild Willie was out of -sight, he slipped the book into his pocket. He -was convinced that the Utway twins were a pair -of villains. If he could catch them in some dark -act, and unmask them as dire disturbers of the -peace of Camp Lenape——</p> -<p>Already a plan had formed in his mind. He -would hide near them, watch their movements, -and if possible discover them in some suspicious -act.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_21">21</div> -<p>The campus between the rows of tents was deserted -now. Again silence hovered over Camp -Lenape, scene of many a summer adventure, -some of which have been written down elsewhere. -The spreading lodge-building, perched on the -hillside midway between the mountain range and -the waters of Lake Lenape, was deserted. In the -shadow by the kitchen door, Sherlock could -see Ellick, the jovial, chocolate-colored chef, -sprawled on the ground beside his three coffee-colored -assistants, resting after their labors of -preparing the midday meal of camp fare. The -waiting lad could picture in his mind the scene -under the wild-cherry tree in the baseball field -beyond the lodge, where a dozen grown men, the -councilors, sat, surrounded by the hundred lively -boy campers who each season came to live under -canvas in the woods and to enjoy the delights of -this outdoor paradise. “Sax” McNulty, the -comical leader who was in charge of camp stunts, -would be relating some stirring tale. All the -other councilors would be there—Wally Rawn, -the swimmer; Lieutenant Eames of West Point -fame; Mr. Colby; Happy Face Frayne, the associate -director; and the rest. And somewhere -among the group of listening boys would be the -Chief himself, the kindly director who knew all -things.</p> -<p>Among the crowd, Sherlock’s absence would -not be noticed. He rose swiftly, and managed -to creep unseen into a clump of low bushes about -fifty yards below Tent Ten. From this vantage-point -he was able to overlook the activity of the -two brothers, who labored moodily at their task -in the hot sun.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_22">22</div> -<p>It was no easy thing to discover all the missing -objects which the energetic raiders from other -tents had thrown into the surrounding shrubbery, -and to arrange everything inside in apple-pie -order for a later inspection; and the better part -of an hour passed before Jake and Jerry sat on -a newly-made bunk and rested from their labors.</p> -<p>Sherlock, who had patiently squatted within -the depths of a distant huckleberry patch all the -while, now saw his chance to creep undiscovered -to the space under the flooring of the tent, where -he could listen and perhaps overhear some incriminating -words. Expertly he wormed his way to -this hiding-place, behind the unsuspecting backs -of the brothers, in time to catch the end of Jake’s -last remark.</p> -<p>“—you’re right, Jerry. We sure ought to do -something. Everybody was in on the scrap, and -Colby didn’t have any right to put all this work -on us.”</p> -<p>“He’s too strict, with all his talk about discipline,” -responded Jerry somberly. “From now -on he’s going to be after us, especially when you -pushed the tent-pole and brought that lantern -down on his dome; so we might as well be hung -for a sheep as a lamb.”</p> -<p>“That’s the stuff! What’ll we do to him?”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_23">23</div> -<p>Sherlock, below them, stifled a gasp of horror. -Here was mutiny, rank rebellion against the authority -of a councilor of Lenape, a grown man -and a scoutmaster! His jaw gaped as he listened.</p> -<p>“I’ve been thinking,” said Jerry slowly. “I -bet old Colby could be scared out of his skin, even -if he was a soldier once. You know that big bull-frog -Spaghetti Megaro caught the other day? I -know where he keeps it down in my tent. Let’s -get it, and to-night, about twelve o’clock when -everybody’s asleep, we’ll slide down to Colby’s -tent and chuck old Mr. Frog into his bed! Talk -about scared! Say, I’ll bet Old Discipline will -let out a yelp you can hear a mile!”</p> -<p>“Boy, I can just hear it now!” agreed Jake, -bursting into a laugh. “But how are we going -to stay awake that long? Twelve o’clock’s pretty -late.”</p> -<p>“I’ll fix that. I can wake up whenever I want -to, you know. We can run a long string across -from my tent over here. Tie one end to your foot -before you go to sleep. When I wake up I’ll give -it a pull and wake you up, then get the frog, and -meet you here. Then we’ll go down to Fifteen -and give Mr. Discipline the scare of his life!”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_24">24</div> -<p>“All set. I got a ball of cord in my locker we -can use. Come on, Jerry—we got time enough -before swim to listen in on one of Sax McNulty’s -stories. Let’s go!”</p> -<div class="verse"> -<p class="t0"><i>Day is done, gone the sun,</i></p> -<p class="t0"><i>From the lake, from the hills, from the sky—</i></p> -</div> -<p>The full, rich notes of Taps rolled over the -pines of Lenape and echoed across the lake. Fat -Crampton doused the Tent Ten lantern and -climbed heavily into his creaking bunk.</p> -<p>“Good night, campers!” drawled the voice of -Jim Avery, the lanky councilor. Sleepy voices -answered from the darkness. There was a slight -rustling from the direction of Jake Utway’s -bunk. Sherlock Jones cocked an ear. He knew -that Jake, following the plan he had overheard -that afternoon, was attaching to his foot the cord -which the twins had laid down after nightfall to -connect Tent Ten with Jerry’s bunk in Tent -Eight down the line. This method of communication -was necessary because the Chief in his wisdom -made it a point to separate the two devoted -brothers into different tent-groups when the -changes in tent assignments were made at the -end of each two-week period of camp. Therefore -Jake was given a place with Mr. Avery, while -Jerry was nominally under the guardianship of -Dr. Cannon in Tent Eight.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_25">25</div> -<p>Sherlock smiled with satisfaction in the darkness. -He, too, had a score to pay off, and he -would see that the brothers who had misused him -would not get off lightly. His preparations were -made. Cautiously he felt under his bunk to make -sure that all the equipment he needed was at -hand.</p> -<p>A few stars sparkled down through the softly-swaying -pine branches. Nothing was heard in -the tent now save the heavy breathing of the -weary sleepers, led by Fat Crampton’s rumbling -bass snore. Far up the mountain behind camp -a dog barked somewhere. The travelling spot of -a flashlight came up the path as the Chief passed -by noiselessly on his nightly round. Sherlock -caught himself nodding—tried to jerk himself -into wakefulness—nodded again....</p> -<p>He woke with a start. A dim bulk of shadow -moved against the dull starlight; Jake Utway -was dressing hastily in the dark. He waited until -Jake had slipped on his tennis shoes and had -noiselessly tiptoed down the steps. A light footfall -from the path told him that Jerry was joining -the party. “Got the frog?” he heard Jake -whisper; the forms of the two brothers melted -into the dark in the direction of Tent Fifteen.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_26">26</div> -<p>Sherlock waited no longer. He sprang from -his blankets, and stripped off his pajamas. He -had, unseen by his tent-mates, slipped into bed -fully dressed beneath his nightwear. It was the -work of a few instants to slide his feet into a pair -of moccasins and drop over the edge of the tent -floor. Clutched under one arm he carried his -camera, his most prized possession. In the other -hand he bore a metal pan with a short handle, and -a package labeled “flashlight powder.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_27">27</div> -<h2 id="c3"><span class="h2line1">CHAPTER III</span> -<br /><span class="h2line2">THE MIDNIGHT MAN</span></h2> -<p>Through the gloom the Utway twins felt -their way down the hill, trusting to the touch -of their feet to keep them on the path that ran -through the pines on the northern edge of the -campus. Jerry carried under his sweater the -bulging form of the big frog, whose long legs -jerked fitfully.</p> -<p>Jake grabbed his brother’s arm. “Hark!” he -whispered. “I thought I heard something over -to the right—there in the bushes!” They listened.</p> -<p>“You must be dreaming still! I don’t hear -anything. Come on! You aren’t scared, are -you?”</p> -<p>“Aw, say! Let’s hurry up, though. We don’t -want to get caught. You still got Alexander -good and tight?”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_28">28</div> -<p>Jerry resisted a particularly violent kick from -Alexander, the frog, and again moved forward. -They were now close to the dull patch of canvas -that marked Tent Fifteen, the tent furthest away -from the lodge. The twins had marked beforehand -the lower bunk occupied by Mr. Colby, -which was on the far side. With the greatest -caution, the twins circled through the underbrush -and crept beneath the moorings of the tent-ropes. -The councilor’s bunk was now at hand. It was -their aim to slip Alexander beneath the blankets, -and retreat into the cover of the pines, there to -await the startled yell that would tell them Mr. -Colby had discovered his slippery bedfellow.</p> -<p>Jake put his mouth close to Jerry’s ear. “Say, -I know I heard something—there, right back of -the tent! Somebody must be following us!”</p> -<p>“Well, what of it? They can’t see us in the -dark. All the more reason to hurry. Ready?” -He fished Alexander forth. “Quick, now—lift -up the covers and I’ll chuck him in——” He -got no further.</p> -<p><i>Boom!</i> A thunderous explosion came from a -few feet away, and a brilliant flare lit the scene -like a flash of lightning.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_29">29</div> -<p>With daylight clearness, the startled raiders -could see every feature of their surroundings, -standing out from the night. It was like a stage -play. The inside of Tent Fifteen was lit with a -blinding radiance. In a cleared space at the open -rear of the tent, Sherlock Jones stood, a flaming -flashlight-pan held high over his head with one -hand, his other hand clicking the shutter of the -camera, placed on a tripod and aimed straight -at the bunk over which bent the white faces of the -Utway twins. In the darkness, Sherlock had -poured more powder into the pan than would -have been necessary to light the scene of action, -and the resulting explosion had been greater than -he was prepared for.</p> -<p>Jerry jumped backward, for in the momentary -light from the pan he had seen Mr. Colby’s eyes -open and shut again, blinded by the dazzling -glare. The boy’s backward movement caused -him to bump his head heavily against the mooring-pole, -and he saw more stars than those that -shone in the July heavens. Alexander dropped -from his nerveless hand.</p> -<p>Jake Utway, however, was the most startled -of all those whose figures stood out in that brief -second of brightness. He could not hold in the -cry that came to his lips. Not six inches away -from his was a face—the face of a man, wild, -desperate, knotted with fear!</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_30">30</div> -<p>For some precious seconds he was too paralyzed -to move. The flare had died down, but in -his mind’s eye still stood forth, every feature cut -clear in his memory, the face of the stranger. -That twisted visage, he was sure, belonged to no -one of the leaders of Lenape, nor any of the -neighboring farmers that he knew. The head -was completely bald, the eyes staring from their -sockets, clenched teeth glittering between pale, -drawn lips. He knew that never, as long as he -lived, could he forget that frozen mask of terror.</p> -<p>It seemed ages before he could control his body -enough to move. Stumbling blindly beneath the -mooring-pole, he made for the shelter of the trees. -Behind him came the shrill challenge of Mr. -Colby: “Halt! Who goes there? <i>What is it?</i>”</p> -<p>Jake ran. He had gone about twenty yards -when he tripped over a clump of brush, fell forward -perilously, crashed into the trunk of a tree. -He lay stunned where he fell. Dancing sparks -flickered before his eyes; a slow pain grew in the -left side of his face, which had smashed against -the rough bark of a pine.</p> -<p>From a few yards away came the crash of a -struggling body, tearing its way through the -bushes. “Is that you, Jerry?” he called -hoarsely, finding his voice and struggling to a -sitting position. There was no answer, but the -thrashing sound continued. What was it?</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_31">31</div> -<p>The unknown thing was almost upon him now. -His whole face stinging with the recent blow, he -tried to flounder to his feet. His upraised arm -came into contact with flesh! Some heavy body -fell upon his, a writhing mass of humanity. His -groping hand clutched a bony arm clothed in -some rough, thin material. At least his unknown -attacker was human! Gritting his teeth, Jake -Utway pulled himself together and grappled -with his strange antagonist.</p> -<p>The battle was brief. The enemy seemed more -bent upon escaping from Jake’s clutch than remaining -to wrestle. It was a question which of -the two was the more frightened. Jerry found -and clung to a flailing leg until a sudden kick -sent him sprawling again. The branches of the -undergrowth crackled as the panic-stricken attacker -fought his way free.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_32">32</div> -<p>Painfully Jake scrambled to his feet. With his -body scratched by the bushes and bruised in a -dozen places, and his face throbbing from its -blow against the tree, he now thought of nothing -but regaining his tent undiscovered. Jerry must -already have made his way back to his own tent. -Jake hoped that Mr. Avery was not among those -hurrying forms that passed near him in the dark, -hastening toward the scene of commotion; but -there was a chance that he had not been disturbed, -as the lanky councilor was known throughout the -camp as a sound sleeper who had to fight his way -to wakefulness at Reveille. Jake’s knowledge of -the lay of the land now stood him in good stead, -and he quickly found the path and scurried -toward Tent Ten, stripping off his shirt and -sweater as he went. He breathed a sigh of relief -as he came to the step of his own tent. Nothing -seemed out of the way. His peering eyes made -sure that Mr. Avery had not stirred. With shaking -fingers Jake undressed fully, scrambled into -his pajamas, and got into the rumpled blankets -a fraction of a second before he heard steps at -the tent door.</p> -<p>The Chief’s low voice floated through the -night. “Taking pictures, were you? Well, -Jones, if I didn’t know that you were a bit -cuckoo, I might wonder what you were up to. -As it is——”</p> -<p>“But, Ch-Chief!” Sherlock whimpered. “If -you knew what I was taking a picture of, -you’d——”</p> -<p>“Shh! Don’t wake up the whole camp!” -came the command. “If you have any explanation -to make, you can save it until morning. -Now, not another word. You’ve made enough -racket for one night!”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_33">33</div> -<p>Jake could not help grinning beneath the covers. -Evidently Sherlock, impeded with his camera -and other apparatus, had not made his getaway -in time. What could the amateur detective -have been doing there at that hour? It must -have been he whom they heard following them -on their expedition. Well, time enough to worry -in the morning! He listened sleepily as Sherlock -stowed away his outfit, not dreaming that the -camera contained an exposed film which might -be a highly incriminating record of their midnight -misdoings.</p> -<p>Sherlock, however, made sure that his precious -camera was carefully placed in his locker. He -was not minded to lose his sole evidence that he -had risked all to obtain proof of the raid. He -cast a grim glance toward Jake’s outstretched -form as he donned his pajamas for the second -time that night. Little did the brothers reck -that Sherlock Jones, the detective, had not failed!</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_34">34</div> -<p>Sherlock wakened in the morning a few minutes -before Reveille, and glanced across the tent -to see if the adventure of the night had left any -marks upon his mutinous tent-mate. It had. -The most blundering detective could not have -failed to note the clue which a tree-trunk had left -on the face of Jake Utway. His left eye was -ringed about with an inflamed patch of black-and-blue -bruises—the most gorgeous “shiner” -Sherlock had seen in some time. As he looked, -Jake opened the uninjured eye and glanced -achingly about him. His gaze fell on the grinning -Jones, sitting upright in his bunk.</p> -<p>“How are all the frogs this morning?” Sherlock -greeted him. “Say, you ought to ask Ellick -for a chunk of beefsteak to drape over that eye of -yours. In a couple days you’re going to have a -bee-yootiful sunset on your face. It’s already -started to turn all colors of the rainbow.”</p> -<p>Jake felt his eye tenderly. “There was some -commotion in the night, and I got up and must -have walked into something,” he said, with due -regard for the truth. “You better shut up,” he -added belligerently, “if you don’t want to carry -around one just like it.”</p> -<p>Sherlock said nothing, but smiled to himself. -He had already decided to refer to his latest case -under the resounding title of “The Clue of the -Black-and-Blue Eyebrow.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_35">35</div> -<h2 id="c4"><span class="h2line1">CHAPTER IV</span> -<br /><span class="h2line2">THE ARM</span></h2> -<p>Sherlock’s opportunity to learn the results -of his night’s work did not come until -the middle of the morning. The Lenape program -gave no freedom for detective labors until the -period after squad-work had been completed. -Tent Ten had been assigned to policing the lodge, -and as Sherlock bent over his broom he cast many -a dark glance at the busy Utway brothers, fretting -until the moment came when he would be -able to take his exposed film to the dark-room and -discover the results of his snapshotting expedition. -At last Assembly sounded, and he headed -for his tent, carefully removed the film, and made -his way to the small dark-room that had been -built under the lodge for the convenience of -camper photographers.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_36">36</div> -<p>As he shut the door, turned on the red electric -bulb, and began laying out hypo and the rest of -the developing kit, he heard voices from the -kitchen directly overhead. Ellick was superintending -the preparations for lunch, and from his -tone it was evident that his temper was not as -genial and kindly as usual. Ellick, it would -seem, had a grievance.</p> -<p>“Ah don’t no-how likes to think of a thief -about de camp, Leggy,” he complained. “Ah -gives de boys and de councilors all dey can eat. -Whaffor dey want to come stealin’ around in de -night to get bread and such?”</p> -<p>Sherlock pricked up his ears. Here was another -case for a bright detective! Stealing from -the kitchen! He awaited Leggy’s reply.</p> -<p>“Don’t know, Chef!” the assistant answered. -“You-all figure, maybe dey gets hongry in de -night, and a chunk o’ bread look mighty nice.”</p> -<p>“Don’t talk foolishment! Whaffor dey have -to bust de lock on de pantry window jest ’cause -dey gets a cravin’ for a snack? And what about -de ax? Suppose dey wakes in de middle o’ de -night and gets a cravin’ to chop down a few trees? -Mah best hand-ax, stole right off de woodpile! -No suh, I don’t like to think any Lenape fellow -goes about bustin’ into windows and swipin’ dangerous -wood-axes when folks is sleepin’.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_37">37</div> -<p>“How much grub did dey-all take, Chef?” -came a question in the voice of Howard Chisel, -the squat, bow-legged, ebony-faced lad who -presided over dishwashing operations. “Jest -bread?”</p> -<p>“No. More’n dat. Got off wid a couple cans -o’ truck, and maybe some potatuhs. Ah declare, -if Ah don’t tell de Chief about dis fust thing. -Hookin’ a doughnut now and den is jest boy-tricks. -Bustin’ windows and stealin’ good sharp -axes is somethin’ else again!”</p> -<p>The listening boy made a note to ask Ellick for -further details of this latest crime. At present, -he was too busy to lend his services in another -case. His hand shook slightly as he dipped the -film in the developing baths, watched with eyes -glittering behind their large lenses as the smoky -negative cleared into masses of dark and light -in the bottom of the tray. Most of the surface -was taken up with a black patch that was in all -likelihood the canvas of Tent Fifteen, but he -would have to make a clear print of the scene -before the details would show beyond question. -He hung the fixed negative to dry and went out -into the sunshine to wait impatiently until a proof -could be taken.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_38">38</div> -<p>Sherlock kicked his feet against a rock and -thought over all the information he had gathered -about the Utway affair. He hoped that the -print he was making would show without question -the full villainy of the twins. If it did not, -it would leave him in a predicament. Mr. Colby -had not seen either of the Utway twins, who had -made their ways back to their bunks without -capture. Yes; the picture <i>must</i> be a good one. -Sherlock rose and went back into the dark-room.</p> -<p>With all the skill and care of which he was -master, Sherlock Jones toiled over the developing -of the first print of the raiding scene. -Eagerly he bent over the developing bath as dark -edges began to take shape on the bit of white -paper. Slowly, slowly, the details melted into -being, seeming to spring from the waters above -the print. Now! The boy switched the print -into the fixing tray, turned on the white light, -and scrutinized his handiwork.</p> -<p>One glance, and he was ready to cry out with -disappointment. He bit his lip. The explosion -of the too-generous quantity of flashlight powder -had startled him, and in his haste, unsure of his -hearings in the darkness, he had twisted the camera -on its tripod so that none of the action was -visible. Diagonally across the picture ran the -rear flap of the tent. The head and pillow of -Mr. Colby showed with clearness, but the forms -of the Utway twins and Alexander the frog were -cut off by the expanse of the tent-fly. All that -the picture revealed was a peaceful night-scene in -one corner of Tent Fifteen—nothing more.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_39">39</div> -<p>Had Sherlock not reminded himself that a -good detective never gives way to emotion or -shows in his features the state of his feelings, he -might have stamped up and down the dark-room, -raving at his failure. As it was, he controlled -his disappointment as best he could, and patiently -went over the picture a second time, to make -sure that no detail had escaped his notice.</p> -<p>He was rewarded. In the upper corner of the -print was something which at first glance he had -not seen. It appeared to be an arm, the hand -gripping one of the tent-ropes, the upper part -near the body cut off by the edge of the negative. -With growing excitement, Sherlock drew from -his pocket the small magnifying lens he carried -with him at all times. Taking the wet print into -the outdoor sunshine, he focussed his glass on -the mysterious detail. It <i>was</i> an arm—and the -lens showed plainly a mark by which a detective -could distinguish this arm from all other arms -in the vicinity. Upon the fleshy part of the under -forearm was tattooed the sketchy design of an -American eagle with outstretched wings.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_40">40</div> -<p>Here was a clue, indeed! Sherlock quivered -with renewed hope. The arm could not belong to -Mr. Colby. Although he could not say for sure, -he had never noticed that either of the Utway -twins bore such a tattoo mark, and it was unlikely -that they could have kept secret such a distinctive -brand. Therefore they must have had with them -an unknown accomplice whom Sherlock, in the -confusion of the moment, had not caught sight -of at the time of the raid.</p> -<p>Who could it be? He thought over all the -names of the campers of Tent Fifteen. He could -remember no one who wore on his arm the patriotic -stamp of an eagle. Well, there was one -way of finding out. He could examine every arm -in camp. And this could be done quite easily -when the entire strength of the Lenape campers -gathered on the dock for swim.</p> -<p>The bugle-notes of Swim Call sounded over -his head as he hastily cleared away his developing -paraphernalia and hung the precious print to dry, -hidden in a far corner. He put away the negative -in his breast pocket and raced down to his -tent to change into swimming togs. Within a -few minutes he was on his way to the boat-dock -at the edge of the lake. He had already decided -to refer to the Utway case in the future as “The -Clue of the Tattooed Arm.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_41">41</div> -<p>The life-saving crew was already on duty, although -only two or three younger campers had -made their appearance on the plank floor of the -dock. As Sherlock watchfully stepped out -toward the far end, Wally Rawn, the husky -leader who directed swimming and was captain of -the life-saving organization made up of expert -leaders and older boys, was shouting to a black-haired -boy wearing the crew emblem. This boy, -Steve Link by name, was rowing a round-bottomed -steel rowboat some hundred yards out beyond -the diving-tower. Attached to the stern -painter of his craft was one of the camp canoes, -which he was towing across the water with heaving -oar-strokes.</p> -<p>“Where did you spot her, Steve?” Wally was -shouting.</p> -<p>Steve rested on the handles of his oars. “Way -down almost to the dam!” he answered. “She -must have got loose last night and drifted with -the current. Had the dickens of a time finding -her, too!”</p> -<p>“Carelessness!” Wally Rawn muttered, shaking -his head. “Somebody played the dub and -didn’t even tie up after using it. I’d think even a -tenderfoot would know that a canoe should be -brought up and turned over on the dock after a -trip. A good way to lose a fine canoe!”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_42">42</div> -<p>He raised his arm to blow the whistle that -would begin the swimming period, and Sherlock -made sure that Wally Rawn, at least, had no -tattooed eagle on his left arm. The dock was now -crowded with campers, and the shrill call had no -sooner sounded than the air was full of diving -bodies and splashing spray as the boys of Lenape -took to water. The life-saving boats were now -at their posts, guarding the safety of the swimmers.</p> -<p>Sherlock remained on the dock, where he had a -full view of everyone. His head jerked back and -forth as he tried to follow every move of the -group of swimming boys, now grown to almost -the full number of the camp. He caught sight -of Jerry and Jake Utway, whose flying bodies -curved through the air from the highest diving-platform -and almost at the same instant cleft the -rippling surface of Lake Lenape. He watched -them moodily as they swung hand over hand -toward the farthest lifeboat. At any rate, -neither of them bore a tattooed eagle on his arm! -He must find the mysterious accomplice. With -renewed energy he swept the sportive, glistening -bodies of the gay swimmers with an intent gaze.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_43">43</div> -<p>When the final “All out!” whistle blew, the -dejected Sherlock made his way up the hill. He -was baffled. His vigil had not revealed an incriminating -tattoo-mark on the arm of any of the -campers or leaders present. He must be patient -and watchful, trusting to luck and his skill at -shadowing the suspected twins to bring forth -some fresh clue.</p> -<p>As he entered Tent Ten, the only one of his -comrades before him was little shock-headed Pete -Lister, youngest and smallest lad in the tent-group. -The kid looked up as Jones came up the -step.</p> -<p>“Hey, Sherlock, look what I’m doing!” He -squirmed over in his seat on the unmade bunk, -and waved an indelible pencil in the air. “See? -Making pictures, I am! Bet you never thought -of this, Sherlock!” He stuck out one sunburnt -leg. The calf and thigh were a mass of scrawled, -deep-purple designs—crooked anchors, shaky -outlines of American flags, hearts, daggers, -skulls, and Pete’s own name in wavering characters. -“You don’t need to worry—they come -off easy. See? First you draw ’em, then you -wet the picture a little, and I’ll bet you couldn’t -tell ’em from a real tattoo-mark! Want to try -it?”</p> -<p>“No. No, thanks,” said Sherlock Jones bitterly.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_44">44</div> -<h2 id="c5"><span class="h2line1">CHAPTER V</span> -<br /><span class="h2line2">IN THE NAME OF THE LAW</span></h2> -<p>“This is the place,” said Jake Utway. He -indicated the trampled patch of bushes. -“That’s the very tree that walloped me in the -eye.”</p> -<p>“Funny I didn’t see him when the flash went -off,” mused Jerry. “But I was busy, first with -banging my head on the pole, and next in getting -back home quick. What do you think he was -after?”</p> -<p>Jake shrugged. “Search me! But after I -tangled with him and he got away, he made for -the path that runs down through Church Glade -to the lake. No use trying to find any footprints -now—too many of the campers have been along -since last night.”</p> -<p>“Funny, all right.” Jerry strode back and -forth through the low brush, kicking away the -branches and examining the soft ground closely. -“Nothing here, I guess. Let’s go, or we’ll have -that snooping Jones following us around again. -Hold on—what’s this?”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_45">45</div> -<p>A bright bit of paper wrapper had caught his -eye. He lifted the object from beneath the -tangle of leaves that had concealed it from all but -the sharpest scrutiny. “Huh,” said Jerry. -“What’s a can of condensed milk doing here?”</p> -<p>Jake looked at the small can and its bright -label. “Funny! That’s the same brand Ellick -uses in the kitchen!”</p> -<p>“Do you think your bald-headed friend -dropped it?”</p> -<p>“Boy,” replied Jake with feeling, “if he was -half as scared as I was, I wouldn’t blame him for -dropping a few arms and legs! Come on—stick -that can in your pocket and let’s stroll on. Just -like you said, that Sherlock kid is tagging after -us again. I just saw him dodge behind a tree. -He’s been acting awful crazy ever since yesterday -afternoon.”</p> -<p>“I’ve’ got a better idea,” put in Jerry. “I’m -sick of being shadowed around every minute of -the day by a goofy cluck with four eyes and no -brain! Detective, is he! Huh! We’ll give him -something to detect.” He set out through the -woods at a rapid gait.</p> -<p>“What’s up?” Jake had to take long strides -to keep up with his brother.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_46">46</div> -<p>“He wants to shadow us. All right—but he’ll -have to go some to keep us in sight this afternoon! -We’ll lead him a merry chase through the -woods, and by the time he gets back to camp he’ll -be so sick of shadowing he won’t bother us for a -month!”</p> -<p>“Swell! I tell you, we’ll take him up the side -of the mountain and lose him. Bet he don’t know -the short-cut down; and it’ll take him until after -swim-time to find his way back!”</p> -<p>The Utway twins were masters of woodcraft, -and on various hikes had explored the mountainous -country west of Lenape so that they knew -every trail and landmark. It would be no difficult -task for them to mislead the blundering -Sherlock. Jerry led the way cross-country with -an easy stride, taking care always to keep in the -sight of the amateur detective so that he would -not lose hope thus soon, give up the chase as a -bad job, and return to camp. With Jake at his -elbow, he cut through the low pines and mountain -maples beyond the Council Ring, crossed -the wagon road just below the bend, and skirting -the marshy meadows below the Hermit’s house, -gained the base of the steep slide of boulders that -scarred the mountainside.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_47">47</div> -<p>“He’s still coming,” Jake assured his brother. -“I saw him a minute ago, down in that birch -swamp. He was having a heap of trouble getting -through. Wait till he hits this patch!”</p> -<p>It was dangerous going now. The rock-slide -was an ancient glacial moraine, that cut fan-wise -down the face of the mountain. The two boys -crawled, leaped, and climbed from one huge, -lichen-encrusted boulder to the next, keeping a -watchful eye for lurking snakes. They made a -labored progress diagonally across the slide, now -and then covertly glancing over their shoulders -to keep watch on their victim. Sherlock, panting -heavily, had stopped to rest in the shade and -wipe away the moisture that had dripped from -his brow to cloud the lenses of his spectacles.</p> -<p>“He won’t come on here until we get across,” -Jake muttered. “We could spot him too easily, -he thinks—as if we didn’t know every step he’s -taken since we started! Hurry up and get into -the woods again; then we can swing around to the -short-cut and be back in camp before he gets -wise!”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_48">48</div> -<p>In ten minutes they had left the hapless Sherlock -far behind. They were now circling around -the top of the rock-slide; far below toiled the -weary form of the detective, slipping and sliding -across the rocks. Not long after, their unerring -trailing instinct led them through the scrub-oak -of the summit and brought them out on a little-used -pathway that ran straight as an arrow from -the mountain-top down to the Lenape lodge. It -was, in fact, the line down which the water-supply -for the camp was piped, from a collecting -reservoir below the spring near the crest of the -first mountain. A track had been cut through the -woods when the pipe was first laid, and although -the way was still open, it was seldom used, most -of the campers preferring to take the road, which -made a more easy ascent. The Utway twins had -discovered the overgrown path by accident, and -now made good use of their knowledge.</p> -<p>They picked their way slowly through the -forest, following the line of leaden pipe which ran -down the hillside, now stretching for yards along -the surface, now buried a few inches beneath the -brown, needle-carpeted soil. Knowing that hiking -down a steep incline is more dangerous than -climbing, the twins, having no desire to lose any -precious camping days by being laid up with a -sprained ankle, stepped cautiously with a slow, -woodsman’s pace. Once or twice they had to -make their way around a fallen tree trunk, and -for some distance they lost sight of the pipe-line -altogether as they gingerly circled about a -marshy bit of ground where the hillside began -sloping off above the wagon road. Deer-flies -buzzed in a cloud about their heads, and the stinging -little pests were so bothersome that both boys -hung their handkerchiefs down from their hats to -flutter in the air and keep off the humming insects.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_49">49</div> -<p>Jerry first came in sight of the road, and broke -into a run. The road was cut in this place right -across the hill, so that it was necessary, in order -to gain it, to drop down a low cliff-edge about -the height of a man. With a glorious leap Jerry -surmounted the fringing brush and flew downward -through the air. He landed in a heap, missing -by a hair’s breadth the body of a man who -squatted, hidden, in the shadow of the overhanging -edge.</p> -<p>Jerry cried out to warn his brother. The man -whose body he had barely missed in his blind leap -was on his feet in an instant. Jerry Utway -looked up, straight into the muzzle of a double-barrelled -shotgun aimed directly at his head.</p> -<p>“Don’t move!” warned the stranger in grim -tones. “You, there, up above—hands up! -Come out of those bushes! I’ve got you both -covered!”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_50">50</div> -<p>Jake’s upraised hands appeared above, followed -by his face, open-mouthed with surprise. -“What’s up?” he asked.</p> -<p>“Never mind. Come down here where I can -see you!” There was no mistaking the urgency -of that hard voice. “Now, you there, stay right -where you are on the ground. Not a move!” -The man was dressed in some sort of a blue uniform. -He wore a shapeless, broad-brimmed felt -hat, and his trouser-legs were tucked into the -tops of a pair of leather leggins. “Why, you -must be twins!” he exclaimed in astonishment.</p> -<p>Jake slid down the slope in a cloud of dust -and a shower of gravel. “That’s right. But -what’s the idea of the hold-up?”</p> -<p>“Yes, what’s the idea?” added Jerry. “Look -out that gun don’t go off. You better not try -anything with us, or you’ll have everybody in -Camp Lenape after you, Mister!” The boy’s -bold words were somewhat belied by the shakiness -of the voice in which they were delivered.</p> -<p>“Oh, from the camp, are you?” Slowly the -man in blue lowered his weapon. “Anybody else -with you?”</p> -<p>“No, sir. Hear that?” Through the woods -drifted the familiar bugle-notes of Swim Call. -“We got to get back for swim, or we’ll be -missed.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_51">51</div> -<p>The stranger chuckled. “I see. Well, guess -I won’t keep you.” He grounded the wicked-looking -shotgun. “Just a word of advice to you, -buddies, before you go. Be a little more careful -how you drop on a fellow’s neck right out of the -sky. ‘Look before you leap’ is a motto that still -holds good.”</p> -<p>Jerry rose and straightened his dusty clothing. -“Yes, sir.”</p> -<p>“And I further order you, in the name of the -law, not to tell anybody at the camp that you -saw me. They’ll learn soon enough. Now, hop -it!”</p> -<p>The twins had no mind to argue with the law, -backed by a gun. They hopped it. They were -twenty yards away before the man in blue called -out to them.</p> -<p>“By the way, you haven’t seen any strange -men around here in the last day or so, have you?”</p> -<p>“You’re the only one.” It was Jerry who replied. -Jake caught his breath, and reflectively -felt the damaged flesh over his left eye.</p> -<p>“Right. So long!”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_52">52</div> -<p>The twins did not speak until they had crossed -the cleared ground above the tents. As they approached -Tent Ten, Jerry broke the silence. -“It’s too much for my feeble brain,” he said. -“Wonder if he was after your bald-headed -friend?”</p> -<p>“I give up. Come on—we’ll be late for swim. -Wonder where Sherlock is now? Hope he don’t -get shot. If he don’t turn up for supper, maybe -we’d better go look for him.”</p> -<p>Within the empty tent they quickly slipped -into swimming suits and made for the dock. The -water was already alive with plunging bodies. -At the landward end of the dock, where the lake -bottom sloped gently in a sandy beach that was -a favorite spot for the younger and more timid -swimmers, who could here sport about without -getting beyond their depth, the twins paused to -watch a scene that never failed to arouse laughter.</p> -<p>Billy the Crow was taking his daily bath. Billy -was an aged black ruffian who made Lenape his -home, and was often to be seen hopping about the -tents or perching in a near-by tree, giving vent to -his feelings in no uncertain tones. At some time -in his life Billy had been caught by the hired man -on a neighboring farm, who had, by slitting his -tongue, bestowed on the rascally bird the doubtful -gift of speech. Billy knew only a few words, but -he made the most of them. This ceremony of -taking a bath at the edge of the lake was a stunt -of which Billy was especially proud. He now -teetered on a flat rock at the water’s edge, urging -himself to overcome his timidity and bravely take -the plunge.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_53">53</div> -<p>“Go on in, Billy!” said Billy with a squawk. -“Go on in, Billy!” With one pointed claw he -gingerly tried the water. The laughing ring of -boys about him imitated his words and splashed -the rock with water. Mr. Carrigan, camp naturalist, -sat on the planked floor of the dock, on -life-saving duty, his warning whistle dangling by -its thong in his hand.</p> -<p>“Mr. William Corvus Brachyrhyncos doesn’t -seem to be fond of bathing,” he observed.</p> -<p>“Is that his full name?” Jerry Utway chuckled -as Billy finally made up his mind, and with a -last “Go on in—aww-crk!” doused his rumpled -feathers into the rippling waters. “He’s taken -enough baths to wash himself white, but he still -has to go through all that rigmarole first.”</p> -<p>“Crows are funny birds,” said Mr. Carrigan. -“He certainly is a pet around here. Ellick must -feed him crumbs from the kitchen.” Billy finished -his brief swim-period, and fluttered across -to the dock to dry and preen himself in the sun. -“Here he comes, shaking water all over the place. -Hello, Billy! Oh, you would, would you?”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_54">54</div> -<p>“Hello, Billy!” mocked the bird. His bright -eye had caught sight of the dangling whistle, its -metal bowl twinkling as the sun’s rays caught it. -A few hops took him to the councilor’s side. A -sharp beak caught at the thong, tried to drag the -whistle from its owner’s hand.</p> -<p>“Natural-born thieves, crows,” said Mr. Carrigan. -“They’ll steal anything that happens to -catch their eye. Here, let go, Billy!”</p> -<p>Billy, insulted, uttered a final scolding squawk -and flew noisily to a perch on a near-by tree.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_55">55</div> -<h2 id="c6"><span class="h2line1">CHAPTER VI</span> -<br /><span class="h2line2">BRAVES IN COUNCIL</span></h2> -<p>First Call for supper had already sounded -before Sherlock Jones returned to camp. He -limped into Tent Ten weary, scratched, and footsore, -and in a dejected mood. It was a thankless -task for a detective to try to shadow a pair of -expert woodsmen through the mountains. He -had barely time to wash his face and comb his -rumpled hair before the camp was called to stand -Retreat at the regular sundown ceremony of lowering -the flag. His thoughts, as the buglers -played To the Colors, were not friendly toward -the two spruce, innocent-looking brothers who -stood stiffly to attention at his side. It was beginning -to look as though Sherlock Jones, the -great detective, was baffled.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_56">56</div> -<p>After the evening meal, Lieutenant Eames, officer -of the day, announced that Indian Council -would convene that night at the usual summons. -Twilight found the braves assembling for the -pow-wow. Figures of boys and leaders, draped -each in his blanket, trooped solemnly toward the -Council Ring on the north side of the campus. A -hush fell upon the circle of listening tent-tribes as -they awaited the call that was always, by long -tradition, the signal for the ceremony to begin.</p> -<p>Through the hush of the dusk came the soft, -whistling call of the first whippoorwill. Answer -came from a near-by thicket. Amid the liquid -chorus the Chief rose from his seat, pulled his -blanket about him, and spoke.</p> -<p>“Braves and sagamores of the Lenape tribe, -you have been gathered in council by the call of -the whippoorwill. Brave Sunfish will now light -the friendship fire in Indian fashion, with rubbing -sticks.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_57">57</div> -<p>Sunfish Linder stepped forth from his tent-group, -and took his place on the windward side of -the fire, laid four-square in the center of the ring -to supply light rather than heat. He put one foot -on the cedar hearth-stick of his outfit, twisted the -thong of the bow about the spindle and placed the -drilling-point into the point of the notched hearth-stick. -Holding the drill steady at the top with -a soaped drill-stone in his cupped hand, he began -sawing the bow back and forth, at first slowly, -then with increasing speed. Friction of wood -upon wood caused a trickle of hot, powdery -splinters to drop into the tinder-pan. A few seconds -of rapid action, and the pan held a glowing -coal of powder, which was dumped upon the prepared -tinder. Sunfish swayed the bunch of tinder -back and forth in his cupped hands, breathed -upon it slightly. The glowing mass burst into a -golden flame. The firemaker thrust the blaze -between the logs. As it caught, climbing yellow -tongues licked upward through the pile, and the -friendship fire was alight. The silent campers -broke the spell with a chorus of approval in Indian-talk. -“How, how!”</p> -<p>“Good medicine! May the spirit of the Great -Manitou watch over and guide our councils as -we gather in peace this night,” said the Chief, and -sat again upon his stone dais.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_58">58</div> -<p>The Utway twins never failed to enjoy the -council in the woods. Something there is in the -heart of every boy and man which only finds itself -when a close-knit band of their brethren gather -together in friendship beneath the star-sprinkled -lodge of the great outdoors. The two boys sat -with one blanket thrown over their sturdy shoulders, -looking about the circle of faces thrown -into bold relief by the ruddy glare of the fire. -The tent flares were now lit, each small fire glowing -in its brazier at the end of a pole marked with -the tent totem. The great totem pole of Lenape -towered above the huddled groups on the south -side of the fireplace, its carved and painted emblems -glaring forth awesomely from time to time -as a shower of sparks flew upward. Opposite, on -the north side, was the stone seat of the Chief, -with its tall back of silvery birch trunks, shaped in -the form of a gigantic “L” standing out from the -blood-red blanket that curtained the majestic -dais. The fine-cut head of the Chief rose above -his blankets, calm, powerful, serene. At his side -sat Sagamore “Happy Face” Frayne, Lenape -scribe and keeper of the birch-bark scroll.</p> -<p>“We are now ready to hear the report of scouts -of the Lenape tribe,” announced the Chief.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_59">59</div> -<p>This was the time for any member of the group, -if he wished, to rise, bespeak the attention of the -Chief and the assembled braves, and relate the -discovery of anything which might be of interest -to the tribe. Mr. Carrigan, now recognized under -the title of “Sagamore Wise-Tongue” because -of his wide knowledge of nature-lore, rose -and after addressing the Chief, reported that he -had seen a covey of spotted snipe, and that the -braves newly come to camp would soon have the -rare chance to hunt these nimble birds with bag -and lantern. Brave Rolfe rose to ask the name -of the constellation of stars now riding overhead, -and Brave Slater of Tent Four was called upon -by the Chief to give a short talk on the signs now -visible in the summer sky. Small Brave Barstow -reported that the kingfisher’s nest he had found -by the lakeside now contained four little fledglings. -The report of each scout was greeted with -the approving murmur of “How!”</p> -<p>Again the Chief rose, to open the period of reports -for the welfare of the tribe. This was the -time for campers to tell of any observation which -they had made which might lead to the improvement -of the camp in any way—to point out steps -that might be taken to keep the routine orderly -and effective, or offer to help build or repair camp -equipment. Instantly Steve Link was on his -feet.</p> -<p>“O Chief!”</p> -<p>“Speak, Brave Link.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_60">60</div> -<p>“This morning before swim I found that the -Red Fox canoe was missing from the dock. I -took out a boat and finally found the lost canoe -far down at the end of the lake, drifting with its -paddles on the bottom. I questioned the braves -of Tent Eleven, who had used it when they went -out after supper last night, and they said that -they had left it bottom-up on the dock when they -returned. Someone else must have been responsible -for this carelessness. Now, every brave -knows that such a canoe as the Red Fox is valuable -and must be treated with care. I would like -to ask that every brave who has passed his canoe-test -consider himself duty bound to make sure -that our boats and canoes are treated as they -should be treated.”</p> -<p>“How, how!”</p> -<p>“A fine suggestion, Brave Link. Sagamore -Happy Face will enter it on the birch-bark scroll. -Now”—the Chief’s face was serious in the firelight—“now, -I must say something which I have -never, in my years as Chief of Lenape, had to say -before. There is a stain on the name of the tribe. -I dislike to say this, but—there is a thief among -us.”</p> -<p>“A thief!” A babble of voices came from the -ring of braves.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_61">61</div> -<p>“Yes,” went on the Chief grimly; “someone -among us here to-night—unless I am gravely mistaken, -which I hope I am—someone here has no -right to share the free and honest councils of our -tribe.” With an outstretched hand he silenced -the rising flood of questions. “I will tell you -what has happened, and you may judge for yourselves. -Several days ago Brave Tompkins took -off his gold ring to wash his hands, down by his -tent. When he looked for it a few minutes after, -it had disappeared, although he saw nobody near -him at the time. When he told me about it, I -thought he might have lost it himself, and advised -him to wait and see if it turned up. But -to-day, when Sagamore War-Canoe Munson told -me that his silver wrist-watch had vanished under -somewhat the same circumstances, I began to -think that there must be a false brave among us, -with light fingers and a spotted heart. Then, this -morning our faithful Ellick came to me with the -story of a robbery in the kitchen during the -night.”</p> -<p>“Ugh, ugh!” growled disapproving voices -from the darkness.</p> -<p>“Yes, bad medicine,” went on the speaker. -“Ellick reports that the lock of the pantry window -was broken and a supply of food taken away. -Moreover, he says that a large hand-ax is missing -from its place on the woodpile.”</p> -<p>The Utway twins listened breathlessly as the -Chief went on. Sherlock Jones stirred eagerly -within the folds of his blanket.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_62">62</div> -<p>“One word more, and I will not bring up this -unpleasant subject again to-night. Some one of -you must know or guess who is guilty of these -strange disappearances. If anyone here comes -to me and returns these lost articles, and makes a -clean breast of his misconduct, none of the braves -shall know of his trespass against the Lenape -code. Are there further reports for the welfare -of the tribe? If not, we will pass to the less serious -part of our council.”</p> -<p>The ranked listeners relaxed, and there was a -laughing, expectant hum of voices as “Guffy” -Evans rose to challenge all comers to a talk-fest. -The challenge was immediately accepted, in the -name of Tent Ten, by Sagamore Avery, who -therewith entered little Lefkowitz as their champion -in this jabbering contest. Sagamore Happy -Face announced the subject: “Give a two-minute -speech on Why Polar Bears Don’t Wear Red -Flannel Underwear,” and gave the contestants -thirty seconds to prepare their arguments. At -the command, the two opponents faced each other -near the center of the ring, and began a high-pitched, -nonsensical stream of chatter about -nothing in particular. Lefkowitz was finally -shouted into speechlessness, and the victorious -Guffy took his seat amid cheers and cat-calls, -while Soapy Mullins rose and called upon Lefty -Reardon, the baseball captain, to stand against -him in a hand-wrestling tilt.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_63">63</div> -<p>After a series of boisterous games of “Buzz,” -the fun was concluded by a short ghost story -from Sax McNulty, which sent shivers of horror -chasing up and down the spines of the younger -campers. At last the Chief rose and held out his -arms in Benediction above the dying fire.</p> -<p>“May the spirit of the all-seeing Manitou go -with every brave as he leaves his place at our -council this night!”</p> -<p>Flashlights pointed out the path as the drowsy -braves filed toward their tent homes. The -Utway twins, although pleasantly tired from -their active day in the open, were nevertheless -wakeful and alert. Behind them came the low -chatter of a pair of youngsters from Tent Seven.</p> -<p>Jerry caught a phrase dropped by one of them, -a small lad named Toots. “Gee, I clean forgot -to make my report of scouts. You remember, -Al, that when we saw that smoke from the woods -across the lake, I said I’d report it at council?”</p> -<p>“What’s that?” Jerry questioned him. “You -saw smoke across the lake?”</p> -<p>“Yes,” said the boy eagerly, “me and Al here, -we were out in a rowboat over that way, and saw -some smoke coming up like somebody had a -campfire in the woods.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_64">64</div> -<p>“Hmm. Take my advice and don’t say anything -about it. Not worth mentioning.” But -Jerry looked at Jake, who nodded back. The -expanse of heavily-wooded land across the lake -was almost always deserted, so much so that deer -tracks were often to be discovered within its -depths. A campfire there was certainly a most -unusual thing.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_65">65</div> -<h2 id="c7"><span class="h2line1">CHAPTER VII</span> -<br /><span class="h2line2">NEWS AND MORE NEWS</span></h2> -<p>“Come on, Jerry!” said Jake Utway.</p> -<p>“We’ll go up and pitch down the chunks, -and the other guys can stow them away in the -refrigerator.”</p> -<p>“You’re on!” answered his brother, and began -climbing the ladder.</p> -<p>Tent Ten had been assigned, as their squad-work -the next morning after the council, to filling -the large refrigerator in the pantry behind -Ellick’s large, airy kitchen. This duty required -that they ascend to the towerlike structure that -housed the summer’s supply of ice for Camp -Lenape. In mid-winter, when the lake was -sheeted over with a crystal mass some six inches -thick, a gang of men always came with saws and -teams of horses to harvest the ice and store it, between -layers of sawdust, in the Lenape ice-house -for the use of the campers the following season.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_66">66</div> -<p>It was the plan of the brothers to enter the ice-house, -dig out the embedded blocks required, and -send these down the chute to their waiting tent-mates, -whose job it would be to wash away the -sawdust and transport the ice to Ellick’s gaping -refrigerator. Armed with ice-tongs and a large -miner’s pick, Jake and Jerry climbed to the -upper door of the edifice, and entered its chill -gloom.</p> -<p>“Come on, work fast, if you don’t want to -freeze!” advised Jerry. He raised the pick and -began clearing away the thick crust of sawdust -in one corner of the place, but paused as his -brother made no move to aid him. “Hey! Earn -your keep, man! Don’t stand star-gazing all -morning!”</p> -<p>Jake was staring upward. The ice-house was -solidly built, but at one corner of the roof the -sunlight slanted through a narrow crevice. The -watcher had for an instant seen that spot of light -cut off by the passage of a small body. Jake -pointed. “Something up there, Jerry!”</p> -<p>Jerry’s eyes were more accustomed to the darkness. -“Why, you cluck, that’s only Billy the -crow! Hello, Billy!”</p> -<p>“Hello, Billy!” the cackling echo drifted -down from the roof. “Billy the crow! -Awr-rck!”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_67">67</div> -<p>“He probably lives up there,” went on Jerry -in a matter-of-fact tone. “Now, are we going -to finish this job, or do I have to do it alone? -Come out of your trance!”</p> -<p>Slowly Jake took his eyes from aloft, scraped -away the sawdust with his foot, and clutched the -half-revealed cake of ice with his tongs. “Fire -away! But I got an idea, Jerry—and as soon as -we chuck enough ice down, I’m going to try it -out.”</p> -<p>The boys worked swiftly and silently after -this, panting and shivering slightly as they uncovered -one slab of ice after another and sent -them crashing down the chute, after a shouted -warning to their toiling comrades on the ground.</p> -<p>“There, guess that’ll hold Ellick for a while,” -said Jerry at last, resting from his labors. -“Now, what’s this bright idea of yours, Jake?”</p> -<p>“Billy’s still up there,” answered his brother. -“I often wondered where his nest was. Crows, -as Sagamore Carrigan said down at the dock -yesterday afternoon, are funny birds. If you -give me a boost on your shoulders, I think I can -climb up the side of the wall the rest of the way.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_68">68</div> -<p>“Don’t know what good that’ll do you,” said -Jerry promptly, “but here goes!” He cupped -his hands, and Jake scrambled athletically to his -shoulders, bracing his body against the rough -timbered side of the building. Jerry grunted. -“Uhh! Say, Jakie, you ought to be a sailor for -this job! Sailors are experts when it comes to -climbing to crow’s nests!”</p> -<p>Billy ruffled his feathers and cast a beady, suspicious -eye down upon these proceedings. -“Aww-rk!” he muttered. “Billy the crow! Go -on in, Billy!” With a series of angry squawks -he edged through the narrow opening in the roof -and flew away to more interesting scenes.</p> -<p>Jake was by this time clinging to the wall, far -above the sawdust surface where Jerry stood, -head bent back, watching the climber’s progress. -Cautiously, arms spread eagled to seize any projection -no matter how small, Jake ascended precariously -toward his goal. He was now within -arm’s length of the corner where the talkative -crow had made his entrance. Motes of dust -danced in the beam of sunlight over his shoulder, -and his groping hand stirred up a mass of dust -and cobwebs which made him sneeze. In a far -corner, on a ledge of rafters, his fingers touched -a hard, metallic object.</p> -<p>“If you slip now,” called Jerry warningly, -“you’ll get another black eye to match the first -one.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_69">69</div> -<p>Jake grinned with satisfaction as the sunlight -glittered on the thing he held in his hand.</p> -<p>“Crows are funny birds,” he remarked a -second time. “Natural-born thieves. Here, -catch!”</p> -<p>Jerry ducked, and deftly snatched the shining -circle which came spinning down at him.</p> -<p>“Admiral Munson’s wrist-watch,” announced -Jake. “And Terry Tompkins’ ring is here too, -along with a lot of other junk.” He was stuffing -the nondescript collection of articles into his -pockets as he spoke. As cautiously as he had -come, he began descending from his lofty perch.</p> -<p>“So <i>this</i> is what you found in the crow’s -nest!” said Jerry, and whistled. “Jakie, you’re -brighter than I thought you were. You put two -and two together, and get—a heap of assorted -jewelry!”</p> -<p>“Crows are very fond of bright objects, and -will steal them and carry them off to hide away, -if they get a chance,” explained Jake with condescension, -leaping at last to the sawdust floor. -“Yep, Billy was the thief. Look here!” He -drew out his treasure-trove. In his hand, in addition -to young Tompkins’ gold ring, lay a bit of -crumpled tinfoil, the rusted top of a pickle-jar, -a silver dime, a few bent nails, and the brass -button from a scout uniform.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_70">70</div> -<p>“Wonderful!” breathed Jerry in mock admiration. -“Say, you didn’t see Ellick’s hand-ax -up there, did you?”</p> -<p>“Don’t be a sap. Come along—we’ll show the -Chief he was wrong about thinking there was a -thief among the campers. Bet he’ll be tickled to -find that the thief wears feathers!”</p> -<p>One after the other they slid down the ladder -to the ground. Sherlock Jones and Wild Willie -Sanders were wrestling with a large slab of sawdust-covered -ice; they looked up curiously as the -twins raced by them, on their way to the Chief’s -office in one corner of the lodge.</p> -<p>As they stampeded across the mess hall to the -small room that served the camp director as an -office, they found another visitor ahead of them. -The Utway twins almost fell over backward as -they recognized the blue uniform and leather -leggins of the man who held the door-knob, calling -a parting sentence to the Chief standing -within.</p> -<p>“If you fellows see or hear anything of him, -just get to the nearest phone and call up the -prison. They’ll know how to get in touch with -us.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_71">71</div> -<p>It was the man whom they had stumbled upon -at the wagon road, who had held them up at the -point of a gun! The gun was in the crook of his -right arm now, as he turned and caught sight of -them.</p> -<p>“Why, hello, twins! Jumped on anybody’s -neck lately?” he asked in a hearty voice, clapping -on his felt hat and striding toward the door of -the lodge. “So long. Be good boys!”</p> -<p>Jake stared at Jerry in wonderment, and Jerry -stared back. Who was this stranger, whom they -had first encountered in the woods? They were -aroused by the voice of the Chief.</p> -<p>“Come in, boys. What have you there, -Jake?” The Chief was the only person in camp -who was always sure which brother was which. -He had from long acquaintance discovered that -Jerry had a tiny mole almost concealed under -the bronze-colored hair that fell over his left -temple, which mark served to distinguish him -from his twin.</p> -<p>Jake stammered out his tale. As the Chief -listened, his forehead knit into a puzzled frown.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_72">72</div> -<p>“So it was Billy all the time, eh?” he said as -Jake finished. “You were pretty clever to -figure that out. I’m glad to hear that these -things are safe, and I’m sure Terry Tompkins -and Mr. Munson will be, too. But that makes the -kitchen robbery all the more strange. With what -we know now, it’s impossible to connect the loss -of these things with the person who broke into -the food-supply the other night. There’s still a -thief loose around Lenape, boys, and for some -minutes now I’ve had the feeling that I know -who it is.” He placed Billy’s plunder on his -desk, and sat down thoughtfully.</p> -<p>Jerry summoned up courage. “Excuse me, -Chief—but who was that man that just left here? -Jake and I saw him guarding the road yesterday -afternoon. What’s he carrying a gun around -for?”</p> -<p>The Chief spun about in his chair and faced -them. “He’s looking for a thief, too,” he said -slowly.</p> -<p>“Who?” both boys cried in unison.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_73">73</div> -<p>“There’s no reason why I shouldn’t tell you, -I guess—I’ll have to make an announcement -about it to everybody at lunch to-day. Boys, -there’s a dangerous man loose in this part of the -country. Last Saturday night a convict escaped -from the state prison up beyond Elmville. He -had some hours’ start before he was found missing. -The warden thought it likely that he would -head over this way, toward the mountains, where -he might hide in the woods for days and never be -found. Guards were sent out, but so far there’s -been no sign of him. The man you just saw is -one of the prison guards, who is watching over -this way. He tells me the escaped prisoner is a -man named Burk, serving a term of several years—for -robbery.”</p> -<p>“Robbery!”</p> -<p>“Now you can see why I thought until now -that this prisoner might be in the neighborhood -and might have stolen this watch and ring. It’s -too bad the prison people didn’t warn me before -now—no telling what might have happened in -the meantime. However, now we have been -warned, and will be on our guard.”</p> -<p>“Did—did you tell the prisoner-keeper—the -fellow who was just here—that somebody broke -into the pantry?”</p> -<p>“Of course, Jerry. He seemed to think it -might be an important clue, and is getting a crew -of men together to search the woods around the -camp more carefully. You see, there’s a reward -offered for the capture of this criminal, and -naturally everybody is eager to earn it. Now, be -careful and don’t get very far away from the -campus unless you have a councilor along, boys! -An escaped convict is a mighty dangerous customer. -And don’t say anything about what I’ve -told you until after lunch.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_74">74</div> -<p>The Utway twins stared at each other again as -the door of the office closed behind them. Jerry -seized Jake’s arm in an excited grip. “Why -didn’t you tell the Chief about the man you saw -down by Fifteen the other night?” he whispered -urgently.</p> -<p>“I didn’t have a chance. Besides, why should -we give that prison guard all the glory of capturing -the convict?”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_75">75</div> -<h2 id="c8"><span class="h2line1">CHAPTER VIII</span> -<br /><span class="h2line2">THE DISAPPEARING ACT</span></h2> -<p>The Chief’s announcement that an escaped -convict was in their neighborhood fell like -a bombshell in the midst of the campers assembled -at lunch.</p> -<p>“All boys are forbidden to go out of sight of -camp, unless a councilor is along,” he ended. -“We must take precautions until this dangerous -man is captured. Now, to-night we will assemble -here in the lodge, for Stunt Night. Every tent-group -will be expected to have an act or other -stunt prepared, and prizes will go to the winners. -Dismissed!”</p> -<p>The groups scattered from the mess-hall to -their respective tents to pass the daily siesta hour -which was set aside as a period of rest and quiet -from the brisk, noisy turmoil of the camp’s -activity. Mr. Jim Avery cocked his long legs up -on the end of his bunk in Tent Ten. “We have -the whole afternoon to get ready,” he observed -to his followers. “That should give us plenty -of time to work up a first-class stunt that will -bring home the prize. Anybody got any ideas?”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_76">76</div> -<p>Wild Willie Sanders spoke up. “We’ve got -an edge on the other tents, haven’t we? Here we -are with Chink Towner, the most famous Mandarin -Magician in captivity. Say, I’ll bet we can -put over a magic show that will knock the rest -of the tents silly!”</p> -<p>“How about it, Chink?”</p> -<p>“Sure, that’s right,” Chink Towner agreed -modestly. “We could do it, all right. I’ve got -a lot of new tricks up my sleeve that nobody ever -saw before. The best one, though, needs to have -Jerry Utway, and that means we’d have to take -Tent Eight into partnership with us.”</p> -<p>“That can be arranged, I think,” said Mr. -Avery. “I’ll speak to Dr. Cannon about it. He -knows it’s next to impossible to separate the -twins. And with fourteen campers on the job, it -ought to be some show. Well, what’s your -trick?”</p> -<p>“Yes, what is it?” asked the Utway twins -together.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_77">77</div> -<p>“Well, it’s this way,” began the Mandarin -Magician; “Wild Willie can announce a big display -of old Chinese hocus-pocus. We fix up a -place on the stage where I sit, and a crowd of -you guys come around and want to see some -tricks. Then Fat Crampton comes along, and -then I do a few easy ones, just to show my stuff, -and then——” He lowered his voice as his comrades -gathered about to hear the plan. Lefkowitz -was sent over to Tent Eight to bring in the other -participants, who listened and agreed to the -scheme for a combined stunt that would make a -most amusing addition to the vaudeville program -that night. As soon as Recall sounded, the two -groups of actors made for the Council Ring, -where they rehearsed excitedly most of the afternoon.</p> -<p>Sherlock Jones did not join in the preparations -for Stunt Night. He retired alone to the dark-room, -where he stared at a photograph and pondered -plans of his own. The announcement that -a reward had been offered for the capture of the -escaped criminal had set his mind working furiously -on the problem of the Tattooed Arm. Indeed, -the Chief’s startling news was a leading -topic of conversation in Lenape that afternoon; -but when supper-time brought no further information, -the subject was temporarily forgotten in -anticipation of the evening’s entertainment.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_78">78</div> -<p>No sooner had the dessert dishes been cleared -away than the space in front of the blackened -fireplace was transformed into a stage. Benches -were ranged in rows for the seating of the camper -audience, and a makeshift curtain of bed-sheets -strung on a wire was hung across that end of the -lodge. Darkness had just fallen when a boisterous -crowd of leaders and boys took their seats, -awaiting the drawing of the curtain on the opening -act, announced by Sax McNulty, master of -ceremonies, as “Captain Colby’s Army,” a Tent -Fifteen Feature Production.</p> -<p>Joey Fellowes, who with his brother Ted made -up the Lenape bugle corps, sounded Reveille on -his muted instrument. The curtains parted to reveal -a morning scene in Tent Fifteen. A great -fuss was made by Ollie Steffins, dressed in a -scout uniform with many medals and much gold -braid, who in the person of Mr. Colby himself, -went about getting the snoring sleepers to waken -for morning drill. The drowsy boys were finally -put on their feet and each armed with a broom-stick -gun, with which they went through a series -of clumsy maneuvers, knocking each other over -the head, facing the wrong way, and otherwise -tangling themselves in a travesty of a squad of -rookies at drill. The concluding evolution -brought them into line facing the audience, singing -off key their rallying song:</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_79">79</div> -<div class="verse"> -<p class="t0">“<i>We are Mr. Colby’s army,</i></p> -<p class="t"><i>Mr. Colby’s army we,</i></p> -<p class="t0"><i>We cannot shoot, we won’t salute,</i></p> -<p class="t"><i>What earthly good are we?</i>”</p> -</div> -<p>The curtains closed amid cheers, boos, and stamping -of feet, during which Mr. Colby sat with a -self-conscious smile on his disciplinarian’s face.</p> -<p>The acts followed swiftly after that. Tent -Twelve put on a pirate play, Tent Three showed -to advantage in a lady-like game of basketball, -in which each side begged the other to kindly accept -the ball on pain of being slapped on the -wrist. Tent Four gave a ventriloquist act, with -Peanut Westover as the talking dummy.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_80">80</div> -<p>“The Mysterious Mandarin Magician,” with -an all-star cast from Tents Eight and Ten, was -the next to the last number on the evening’s program. -At the parting of the curtain, Wild Willie -Sanders in a high, battered black silk hat, -wearing the curling mustache of a circus ringmaster, -pointed out the main attraction to a gaping -crowd of boys from the participating tents, -dressed in wild garbs of every description. -“Laydeez and gen-tul-men! The <i>one</i> and <i>only</i> -Chinese magician, brought at great expense from -the Flowery Kingdom to mystify you to-night!” -Chink Towner, his naturally oriental cast of -countenance exaggerated by a line of grease-paint -above each slanting eye, and dressed in a -pair of colorful silk pajamas borrowed from -Councilor Lane, sat cross-legged above the crowd -on a blanket-draped table, his features masked in -Chinese calm. “Step right up, laydeez and gen-tul-men, -and see the <i>one</i> and <i>only</i>!”</p> -<p>Fat Crampton, tittering sweetly, walked by, -dressed as a beautiful damsel in a skirt fashioned -from Howard Chisel’s spare kitchen apron. The -Mysterious Mandarin descended from his throne -and expertly drew half-dollars from the hat, -sleeve, and nose of the “lady.” He then gave an -exhibition of sleight-of-hand, at which he was an -adept of no mean skill—making a collection of -red balls appear and disappear between his nimble -fingers, shaking a flying pack of cards from -his fan, collecting the cards in a neat pile and -drawing forth at one flip the card desired by any -of the nondescript crowd about him.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_81">81</div> -<p>When he returned to his elevated throne once -more, Wild Willie announced that the Mandarin -would now display the powers of his X-ray eye. -Chink turned his back to the audience, and -Happy Face Frayne, one of the judges who -would later award the prizes for the best performance -of the night, adjusted a bandage over -the magician’s eyes to make sure there was no -deception. Jake Utway now walked out into the -ranks of the audience, and touched a sweater -worn by one of the listeners.</p> -<p>“What is the color of the object I am touching, -Mandarin?” he called out.</p> -<p>“Blue,” answered the blindfolded Chink -promptly.</p> -<p>“Correct. Now what color am I touching?” -Jake held up Soapy Mullins’ neckerchief.</p> -<p>“Orange.”</p> -<p>“And now?”</p> -<p>“White.”</p> -<p>“Correct,” answered Jake, putting Slim -Yerkes’ sailor hat back on the astonished boy’s -head. All about him were faces wonder-stricken -at the accuracy of the magician’s responses. -Jake, however, was not astonished, for he was -in on the secret. The series of colors had been -arranged with Chink ahead of time, and all Jake -had to do was to find and point to an object of -the required hue. “And now, what is the color -of the thing I’m pointing at?” He held a finger -to his damaged left eye.</p> -<p>“Rainbow!”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_82">82</div> -<p>A hearty laugh arose, for Jake’s “shiner” had -indeed developed the color of a sunset, and was -by now one of the sights of the camp.</p> -<p>“Here—I bet you my life I can do that, too!” -broke in Spaghetti Megaro of Tent Eight, now -assuming his role in the show.</p> -<p>“All right,” agreed Jake, returning to the -stage.</p> -<p>From his capacious bathrobe, Spaghetti drew -forth a spreading assortment of vegetables. -“Now, Mandarin,” he said loudly, “I’m going -to see if you cheat me, huh? Tell me quick—what -color is this spinach?”</p> -<p>“Green.”</p> -<p>“Well, what color is this lemon?”</p> -<p>“Yellow.”</p> -<p>“Right again. Now, I ask you, what color -is this orange?” The Italian boy held the fruit -high in the air.</p> -<p>“Orange.”</p> -<p>“Plenty smart, all right.” Spaghetti shook his -head and began eating the orange. “No can -foola da majish’!”</p> -<p>This bit of comedy was greeted with high -amusement by the audience. Again Wild Willie -stepped forward.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_83">83</div> -<p>“Laydeez and gen-tul-men, the Mysterious -Magician will end his exhibition with a death-defying -display of his great powers. Never -before has this breath-taking miracle been performed -on any stage! The Mandarin will make -a person vanish, and then make him appear again -somewhere else!”</p> -<p>These words were Jake’s cue to move again. -He glanced quickly overhead, and made sure that -Jerry was in his place, ready for the disappearing -act that would give a climax to their stunts. He -was rewarded by a nod from Jerry, who sat -perched on the rafters high above the floor of -the lodge and the rows of watchers in the camp -audience. This was Chink’s great idea—a disappearing -act in which the twins would take part. -Jake, dressed in his camp uniform, would be selected -from the crowd to enter a large packing-box -on the stage, and at Chink’s command, a -flashlight would be thrown aloft, and Jerry -dressed in a like costume, would swing down from -his high position and drop to the stage and there, -his hidden twin’s exact counterpart, would receive -the applause due to this miraculous reappearance.</p> -<p>“Who wishes to disappear into thin air, laydeez -and gen-tul-men?” cried out Wild Willie.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_84">84</div> -<p>A chorus of voices rose on the stage, Jake’s -among them. “I do!” “Me!” “No, take -me!”</p> -<p>“You’ll do.” Wild Willie, according to plan, -pointed out Jake, who stepped forward. “You -will now enter this large chest. No deception, -folks!” The boy in the high silk hat lifted the -box to show that there were no false bottoms or -secret exits. “That’s right! Pretty soon you’ll -disappear, and come back from somewhere else. -Now, step inside, and you”—he pointed to Fat -Crampton—“you sit on the lid. All set, Mandarin!”</p> -<p>Chink again descended to the level of the stage, -his blindfold now removed. Calmly and impressively -he took his hands from his sleeves.</p> -<p>“Heap hard trick!” the magician grunted. -“Make ’um white boy no-see, plitty soon come-see -some place else, velly smart!” He waved his -arms over the box, upon which Fat Crampton -sat. “Hocus-pocus. Come <i>high</i>!”</p> -<p>The audience was bent forward in silence. -Jake, crouched within the narrow darkness of -the box, pictured to himself the scene outside. -At the magic words, a flashlight would shoot upward -toward the rafters where Jerry had taken -his station, and Jerry would drop to the stage -and finish the act amid the plaudits of the crowd.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_85">85</div> -<p>“Hocus-pocus. Come <i>high</i>!” repeated Chink, -in a nervous tone. Jake wished he could see out -of his tight prison, and wondered at the delay. -Titters came from the smaller boys in the front -of the audience. Why didn’t Jerry come down?</p> -<p>“Come <i>high</i>!” Chink sounded disgruntled. -“Maybe so white boy no come, no can fly out. -That’s all—goo’-bye!”</p> -<p>The rings of the curtain rattled as they were -drawn together to cut off the scene. The big -act had failed. There was a half-hearted clapping -from the audience, who of course did not -see any point in the sudden ending of the act. -With such an anti-climax, the Magician sketch -could scarcely hope to win a prize.</p> -<p>Jake squirmed in a frantic effort to get out of -the box. “Get up, Fat!” he called urgently, -and felt the heavy boy’s weight removed from the -lid. Jake sprang out like a Jack-in-the box, -alive with eagerness to see why their carefully-laid -scheme had fallen through. He met a disgusted -look from the grease-painted face of the -Mysterious Mandarin.</p> -<p>“Fine brother you’ve got!” muttered Chink. -“I thought he was going to be all ready up there -when the time came!”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_86">86</div> -<p>“But—but he was!” stammered Jake. “I—I -saw him up there just a minute ago!”</p> -<p>“Well, he’s not there now,” Chink growled, -turning away. Jake cast his eyes aloft.</p> -<p>The beam of a flashlight still slanted upward -toward the raftered corner under the roof. But -Jerry Utway was nowhere in sight!</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_87">87</div> -<h2 id="c9"><span class="h2line1">CHAPTER IX</span> -<br /><span class="h2line2">OFF FOR PEBBLE BEACH</span></h2> -<p>Where was Jerry?</p> -<p>Boys from Tent Four were crowding on -the stage, getting the scene ready for the next -act. Jake Utway stood stock-still, gazing at the -rafters overhead, where his brother had been a -moment since. He could not have descended into -the lodge unobserved in the short time Jake had -spent in his dark box. Why hadn’t he taken his -cue and dropped to the stage at Chink’s summons? -It was not like Jerry to do a thing like -that. There must be some good reason——</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_88">88</div> -<p>Jake went over in his mind the plan they had -made for this “disappearing act” which had -turned out to be a disappearance in real earnest. -Jerry was not to go on the stage with the others -for the first part of the magic show. He was to -get the long ladder, climb silently to the roof -of the lodge porch, and then cautiously crawl -through the open window in the far gable of the -building——That was it! The window! Why -hadn’t he thought of that before? Jake rushed -through the bunch of amateur actors dressing in -the Chief’s office, and emerged on the lodge -porch. A ladder leaned against the building, but -even in the dim light he could see that Jerry was -not on the ladder.</p> -<p>He was aware of a voice at his elbow. “Looking -for something?” It was Sherlock Jones, who -had followed him from the lodge.</p> -<p>“Jerry! He’s gone!” Jake blurted. “He -must have crawled out the window again, and -gone off somewhere. Why didn’t he tell me?”</p> -<p>“Look for clues—that’s the thing to do in a -case like this,” advised Sherlock with a business-like -air. “He must have climbed down the ladder. -Come on.” The two boys ran around to -the steps, and presently Sherlock snapped on his -flashlight at the base of the ladder.</p> -<p>“No footprints can show up on this rocky -ground,” observed the detective. Jake glanced -wildly at the surrounding trees and bushes, as if -determined to make them give up their secret.</p> -<p>“Jerry!” he shouted desperately. “<i>Jerry!</i>”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_89">89</div> -<p>There was no answer. Sherlock flickered his -electric torch here and there about the scene of -action. “No, sir, not a thing—— Wait, -though! What’s this?” He caught the glint of -metal about fifty yards in the direction of the -tents, and ran toward it.</p> -<p>“This” proved to be a large-size can of tomatoes. -A few paces down the hill was a similar -can, and another of beans. Sherlock held them -up for inspection.</p> -<p>“Clues! Jake, do you know where these came -from?”</p> -<p>Jake groaned. It was as he feared. Even now -Jerry might be wrestling in the darkness with a -deadly foe, or lying senseless in the woods, struck -down by a blow from behind——</p> -<p>“Come on!” he cried. “We’ve got to find -him! Hurry!”</p> -<p>Above them, from the lighted lodge, streamed -out a blare of music from the Lenape band. Pale -stars glimmered overhead in the warm summer -night.</p> -<p>“Which way?” asked Sherlock calmly.</p> -<p>Jake made no answer, but stumbled down the -hillside, making to the left, where he remembered -he had lost sight of his antagonist the night of -the raid on Tent Fifteen. Then, the man had -headed for the lake, and it was probable that -under the same conditions he would again do -likewise. It was a slim chance, but——</p> -<p>“Jerry!”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_90">90</div> -<p>Their footsteps guided by the yellow splash of -brightness from the flashlight, the two boys broke -through the campus and into the stretch of woods -beyond. It seemed to Jake, as he raced through -the night, that hours had passed since he was released -from the box to find Jerry missing.</p> -<p>“Not much chance—find anybody in these -woods,” panted Sherlock, holding his side. -“Stop a second, Jake—give me time to get my -breath——”</p> -<p>“Wait here, then, if you’re winded,” answered -Jake fiercely. “Here, lend me the light, and -I’ll come back for you. I tell you, I’ve <i>got</i> to -find him!” Before the other could protest, he -seized the flash and was on his way toward the -lake’s rim at a breakneck speed.</p> -<p>He was now almost to the rustic bridge that -cut across the stream through the marsh at the -head of the lake. Water shone glassily through -the trees at his right hand. A huddled form -loomed ahead in the path beyond the bridge, -showing ghostly in the pale beam of the lamp.</p> -<p>“Jerry!”</p> -<p>“That you, Jake?” came his brother’s voice.</p> -<p>“Jerry—what’s the matter? Are you all -right?”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_91">91</div> -<p>“Sure.” Jerry rose and limped toward him. -“I heard voices up the hill, and thought it might -be you. Who’s with you?”</p> -<p>“I left that Jones kid up there—he got a -stitch in his side. But are you sure you’re not -hurt?”</p> -<p>“I got off into the marsh, and banged into -some birch trees, that’s all. To-night it seems to -be my turn to chase around in the dark and bump -into things. But I’m sure sorry I spoiled the -act.”</p> -<p>“That’s all right, now I’m sure you’re safe,” -answered Jake with relief. “You saw him—the -man?”</p> -<p>“Clear as daylight. I happened to be looking -out the little window in the top of the lodge, -just about the time you got into the box, and I -saw him sneaking down from the kitchen. He -must have been prowling around again, looking -for something to eat, and thought it was a good -time to break in, when everybody was watching -the show.”</p> -<p>“And you went after him?”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_92">92</div> -<p>“There was just a chance to nab him—that’s -why I didn’t yell out and get the whole camp on -his trail. He might have got clean away by that -time. Besides, we didn’t want to miss the reward, -did we?” Jerry rubbed his bruised arm, which -had suffered when his untimely fall had put an -end to the chase.</p> -<p>“You’re sure he was the man?”</p> -<p>“Couldn’t have been anyone else, Jakie. But -he spotted me when I was coming down the ladder, -and dropped his stuff and ran. I followed -him down about to here, and then I slipped on -some muddy rocks and lost him. But we know -where to find him if we want him, don’t we?”</p> -<p>“Shh!” Jake said warningly. “Here comes -Dopey Sherlock. Don’t say a word—he’s suspicious -enough already.”</p> -<p>The doughty detective had at last found his -breath, and came stumbling toward them.</p> -<p>“So you found him, did you?” he asked. -“What was he doing down here?”</p> -<p>“Just taking a walk, Sherlock old boy,” said -Jerry easily. “Anything else you’d like to -know?”</p> -<p>“Yes—a whole lot. Did you drop some cans -of tomatoes and stuff?”</p> -<p>“Oh, they were just part of the show. If you’d -been at the rehearsal this afternoon, instead of -moping around by yourself, you’d know all about -these things. Now, which would you rather do;”—Jake’s -tone was threatening—“shut up, or get -a sock on that long nose of yours?”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_93">93</div> -<p>Sherlock glanced timidly about him, and retreated -a few steps. He knew that he was no -match for the two Utway twins; and here in the -darkness, far from the campers and protecting -leaders, it would be unwise to arouse their ire.</p> -<p class="tb">Morning brought further news of the search -for the escaped prisoner. The Chief announced -that a band of volunteers, under the direction -of prison guards, had made a prolonged search -of the vicinity, but had found no traces of the -missing criminal. The object of their search had -been free for more than four days now, and it -was thought by some that he might have gotten -clear away and escaped unseen to a far city where -he could go undetected for some time. However, -it was best not to relax the precautions they had -made; and therefore the plans for tent hikes that -night would have to be changed. A storm of protest -greeted these last words, for the campers -dearly liked the fun that always came when each -tent, under its leader, took its supper and made -an evening’s camp in some favorite spot a few -miles from their usual haunts on the campus. -But the Chief was obdurate.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_94">94</div> -<p>At lunch, the Chief rose and stated that so -many boys had come to him to ask that his ban -on the tent hikes be lifted, that he had decided -to allow these hikes to take place after all. He -silenced the cheering with a lifted hand, and -added that no group should camp more than a -mile away from the lodge, and all should be in -their own tents by ten o’clock at the latest.</p> -<p>This was good news. Noisy discussions took -place at each table, as to what spot should be -selected as the site of their evening meal. Jerry -Utway shouted down the others at Dr. Cannon’s -table, and finally got them to lay claim to Pebble -Beach, a narrow bit of ground on the northeast -border of the lake.</p> -<p>“I’m going with Jerry’s gang, please!” requested -Jake. Mr. Avery, who had decided to -take Tent Ten no farther away than Church -Glade, gave a ready consent; and so it was arranged.</p> -<p>Directly the afternoon swim was over, the -campers dressed in their hiking outfits, and two -boys were sent to draw each tent’s rations from -the kitchen. Jake and Jerry Utway, burdened -with pans full of beans, raw potatoes, bread, salt, -butter, and other provisions, headed for the dock, -where two rowboats, filled with the remaining -boys of Tent Eight, waited to shove off for their -short journey across to Pebble Beach.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_95">95</div> -<p>“I don’t much like the look of the sky,” observed -Dr. Cannon, sitting in the stern of one -of the boats as the boys stowed away the provisions. -“But I guess we’ll be all right. Everybody -got his poncho or raincoat? If it starts to -rain, we can get back to the dock in short order. -Ready? Shove off!”</p> -<p>The two boats, manned by a husky youngster -at each oar, drew away from the dock, and shot -across the placid water in the direction of their -chosen camping-ground. Thus calmly and unsuspectingly, -Jake and Jerry Utway, at the oars -of the foremost boat, embarked upon the wildest -night of their lives.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_96">96</div> -<h2 id="c10"><span class="h2line1">CHAPTER X</span> -<br /><span class="h2line2">THE MAN IN BLUE AGAIN</span></h2> -<p>The two boats grated on the shingle of -Pebble Beach, and their gay crews disembarked -and moored their craft to trees overhanging -the water. Boys ran in all directions, fetching -dry wood to the circle of blackened stones that -marked the site of many a Lenape bivouac, and -potatoes, in their jackets of damp clay, were -thrust into the first embers of the small cooking -fire that had been lighted under Dr. Cannon’s -direction.</p> -<p>While the supper they had brought was cooking, -Spaghetti Megaro organized a game of -“duck-on-a-rock.” Twilight brought a gang of -ravenous campers in a cluster about the fire, -watching with alert eyes the drawing forth of -the food whose steaming aroma, mingled with -the bitter tang of wood-smoke, made every mouth -water. The sun faded out into a gray foggy -mass of clouds low-lying over the Lenape range -across the lake, and by the replenished fire’s glow, -the boys squatted about and ate their simple -meal, spicing it with many a cheery quip and -good-natured jest.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_97">97</div> -<p>When pans and mess-kits had been washed by -the simple method of rubbing dirt on their surfaces -to remove the grease, afterward dipping -them in the lake, dead limbs and brush were -heaped on the fire, and in the circle of light sent -forth by the jolly blaze, the boys of Tent Eight -settled themselves for an evening of campfire -talk.</p> -<p>One story followed another, most of them having -to do with strange occurrences, haunted -houses, ghosts whose touch made the victim’s -hair turn White in a single night. As the hours -passed, the air about the little encampment became -decidedly spooky. A wailing wind had -arisen, and swept mournfully through the overhanging -trees. Down the lake on the other side, -a leaping torch of flame marked the spot where -Tent Two, camped below the baseball field, had -built a high fire that danced with every gust and -spouted a hail of sparks toward the murky sky.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_98">98</div> -<p>Oscar Hansen, a freckle-faced blonde boy, was -relating the tale of the Golden Hand. He raised -his voice as the climax of his story drew near. -“—And he heard a footstep outside the door -of the room, and a scary voice said: ‘<i>Who’s got -my Golden Hand?</i>’ Then he heard the door -swing open, and something said, in a louder -voice: ‘<i>Who’s got my Golden Hand?</i>’ But he -couldn’t see anything there. His hair stood on -end. He sat up in bed. The thing was right at -the foot of his bed, saying in an awful screech: -‘<i>Who’s got</i>——’”</p> -<p>“Good evening!”</p> -<p>Everybody jumped, and little Barstow cried -out in fear. A dislodged stone rolled down into -the fireplace. Peering eyes made out the towering -form of a stranger just beyond the circle of -firelight. A man had come upon them unawares -as the group sat absorbed in the ghostly tale.</p> -<p>“Hope I don’t interrupt your fun. But I saw -the fire, and just thought I’d step over and warm -my hands a bit.”</p> -<p>Dr. Cannon rose to greet the newcomer. -“Glad to have you. We were telling ghost -stories, and I’m afraid you’ startled us a bit, -Mr. ——”</p> -<p>“Diker. I’m from the state penitentiary over -beyond Elmville.” The stranger shook hands, -and pulled aside his slicker for a moment; the red -glow flashed on the metal of an official badge. -“Glad to know you, sir. Well, if it isn’t my -friends the twins!”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_99">99</div> -<p>Jerry stuck his elbow in Jake’s ribs. It was -the man in blue again! The prison guard! Now -that they looked closely, they could see that what -they had first taken for a stick in the man’s hand -was in reality the gun which he never seemed to -be without.</p> -<p>“Hello, boys. I’m just staying a minute,” the -guard went on. “A warm fire feels mighty good. -I wouldn’t be surprised if we had a good-sized -storm before morning. You’re lucky you don’t -have to prowl around here in the dark all night, -the way I do.”</p> -<p>“Here, have a seat,” said Dr. Cannon hospitably. -“You’re still after that prisoner who -got loose, I suppose. Are there any further -developments?”</p> -<p>“No such luck. He’s disappeared completely; -but sooner or later, he’ll be starved out of the -hole where he’s hiding, and then we’ll get him -again. It won’t be an easy job in these woods, -though, because Burk—that’s the man’s name—used -to be a hunter’s guide and is a real woodsman.”</p> -<p>“What kind of a fellow is he? Any objection -to telling us?” asked the doctor.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_100">100</div> -<p>“None at all,” said Diker cheerfully. “From -what I’ve seen Of him, Burk is not a bad chap. -Short, slender fellow—always quiet and well-behaved, -never gave any trouble, until last Saturday -morning, when he was discovered missing. -We still can’t figure out how he got away from -the prison grounds. It was a foolish thing for -him to do, too; he only had a year more to serve, -and now, when he’s caught, it will mean added -time for breaking prison.” Diker held out his -hands thoughtfully over the fire. “As I say, he -was a guide for hunters—he knows the Lenape -hills about as well as anybody—and most of the -year he was caretaker at the Canoe Mountain -Sportsman’s Club, down below Wallistown. -Well, he was caught stealing money or jewelry -or something when he was there alone, in charge -of the place—I don’t think I ever rightly heard -the exact circumstances. Probably some temptation -came his way, and he wasn’t strong-willed -enough to resist.”</p> -<p>“He doesn’t sound like a very dangerous character,” -remarked the doctor.</p> -<p>“No, he’s not a fighter—but any man in a -corner will fight for his liberty when he has to -do it. I wish we could get him soon, though—I’m -a bit tired of hiking through the country day -and night in all sorts of weather. If we could -only spot the smoke of his fire, or——”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_101">101</div> -<p>“Say!” burst out Al Canning, nerving himself -to speak. “Say, Mr. Diker—you said something -about smoke. Me and another kid named -Toots saw some smoke over here a couple days -ago, right on this very side of the lake! Down -below a ways where the trees are thickest—we -saw it from a boat——”</p> -<p>“So?” The prison guard bent a sharp glance -on the flushed face of the youngster. “Well, -there’s a chance he may be in there. If nothing -else happens, I’ll take a bunch of deputies in -there first thing to-morrow, and if he’s there, -we’ll get him! But say, young fellow, if you saw -this smoke several days ago, why didn’t you report -it?”</p> -<p>“Well,” stammered Al, “me and Toots were -going to tell it at Council Ring, but we forgot, -and one of the Utway kids here said it wasn’t -worth mentioning.” He pointed to the twins, -and stopped, breathless.</p> -<p>Jake and Jerry faced the accusing glance of -the guard. “Hmm! I seem to run into you two -wherever I go. Now, will you kindly tell -me——”</p> -<p>A crashing blast of thunder broke in upon his -words, and a jagged stab of lightning illuminated -the sky. Dr. Cannon jumped up hastily.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_102">102</div> -<p>“Back to camp, boys!” he commanded. “Put -out the fire, stow everything in the boats, and -head for the dock! Everybody put on his raincoat—the -storm will be here before we know it!”</p> -<p>The rising wind whipped a few stinging drops -against their faces as he spoke. The prison guard -stood motionless amid the bustle of breaking -camp. In a few moments the little beach was -crowded with the campers, who loaded their kits -into the boats and climbed in after them. The -fire hissed as Linder poured a bucket of water -over the embers.</p> -<p>The return journey across to the dock was -short, yet in that space of time the storm broke in -fury. Stiff, white-crested waves slapped against -the thwarts, and made smooth progress with the -oars a difficult feat. Jake and Jerry bent their -backs with a will, and their round-bottomed steel -craft was the first to reach the dock. As the -other two occupants clambered out, with water -steaming from their rubber ponchos, Jerry -caught his brother’s arm and drew him under -the shelter of the diving platform.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_103">103</div> -<p>“Whew, that was a close one!” he whispered. -“That guard is sure suspicious of us—I could -see it in his eye. And he means what he says. A -gang of men can go over that patch of woods -across the lake with a fine-tooth comb, and they’ll -find our convict as sure as shooting. This is our -only chance to get the reward—we’ll have to do -it to-night!”</p> -<p>“I’m game!” Jake brushed the raindrops -from his hair with a swift motion.</p> -<p>“Don’t get undressed. As soon as everybody -is asleep, crawl out and meet me by the flagpole. -Wear your poncho, and bring your big flashlight.” -A rumble of thunder capped his words. “Jakie, -we’ve got to do it! We’ve got to find our -man, and bring him back!”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_104">104</div> -<h2 id="c11"><span class="h2line1">CHAPTER XI</span> -<br /><span class="h2line2">THE LAIR OF THE ENEMY</span></h2> -<p>Jerry Utway lay in his bunk, fully -dressed, for about an hour after Taps had -summoned the campers to slumber. The storm -had settled to a steady drumming torrent that -would probably persist far into the next day. -The sides of the tents had been lowered and fastened -to the floor by their grommets, to afford -the fullest protection from the blast. An occasional -flash of lightning, accompanied by a crack -of booming thunder, lit up the familiar tent at -intervals. Jerry shivered slightly as he stretched -out in his blankets and listened to the furious -tattoo of drops on the tent-fly over his head. He -would have liked a less tempestuous night for -their expedition, but dawn would put an end -to their hopes unless they moved speedily.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_105">105</div> -<p>At last he judged it safe to make his getaway, -and with infinite patience crawled into his boots -and poncho, and shielding his flashlight, crept -out into the night. The vicinity of the campus -was black as pitch. Jerry felt his way through -dripping underbrush, in order to avoid disturbing -any sleeper. He found Jake by the flagpole, and -without a word the two brothers stumbled down -to the boat-dock.</p> -<p>On the unprotected platform of the dock they -felt upon their wet faces the full power of the -storm. Wicked-sounding waves swirled through -the piles on which the dock was built; the little -fleet of rowboats rocked and pounded each other -at their moorings.</p> -<p>“Don’t put on your light,” cautioned Jake -hoarsely. “That prison guard may still be patrolling -over across, and if he happened to spot -us, the game would be over. We’ll have to take -a boat—we couldn’t get a canoe launched in this -water to-night.”</p> -<p>“You untie a boat and pull it around in the -lee of the dock, while I get the oars.”</p> -<p>In a few moments Jerry returned with the -precious oars, and they were shoved into the locks -of the boat Jake had selected. Before putting -off, it was necessary to bail out the pool of rain-water -that splashed in the bottom of the craft, -and this Jake did, using his sou’-wester hat as -a bail. When the duckboards beneath their feet -no longer floated, the brothers cast off, seized the -oars, and headed about on their second crossing -that night.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_106">106</div> -<p>“Head straight across!” ordered Jerry. “I -figure that if we keep right into the teeth of the -wind, we’ll come out at that pile of logs straight -across, where the deer-trail comes down to the -lake. Heave!”</p> -<p>Keeping the full sweep of the wind at their -straining backs, the twins worked the oars with -a heaving, united swing. Spray dashed over the -bows and drenched their rubber garments; the -rolling boat pitched and dived as they met one -white-capped wave after another, head on. The -dim structure of the diving-tower and the shore -beyond faded swiftly into the gloom; but after -fifteen minutes of labor they had no other evidence -that their craft had made any progress in -the direction they wished to take.</p> -<p>“Don’t quit!” grunted Jake. “Heave!”</p> -<p>Several times the bows were swept around and -they took water broadside over the low gunwale -before a frantic effort on the part of one or the -other could swing them on their course again. It -seemed to both laboring boys that hours had -passed.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_107">107</div> -<p>Bump! The stem of the small vessel crashed -against some unseen obstruction, nearly throwing -the young mariners headlong on to the floor-boards. -Both clung to their oars, and a wave -lifted the boat from its precarious position.</p> -<p>“We rammed the top of a sunken log!” called -Jerry, who was nearest the bow. “I think it may -be part of that big jam we headed for. Any idea -where we are?”</p> -<p>“As I remember, the deer-trail is down to the -right a few hundred yards. What do you say we -skim along offshore and try to find it?”</p> -<p>“Good! Boy, I’m glad that’s over!” Jerry -was breathing heavily from his exertions. He -pulled on his oar, shoved off from the dark mass -of piled logs an arm’s length away, and the boat -began skirting the dimly-seen shoreline.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_108">108</div> -<p>They had made the crossing in a Stygian darkness, -but now the thunder again commenced its -ominous cannonade. An opportune bolt of -heaven-sent fire gave them a momentary glimpse -of the shore on their port side, and told them -what they wanted to know. Jake made out the -muddy delta where, he remembered from a previous -visit, the deer-trail began. Before the -gloom closed in again, he pulled about and began -stroking madly toward this landing. A thought -struck him like a chill hand. Had a pair of terrified -eyes spotted their boat from the black shelter -of the trees? Did a desperate evil-doer lurk -there, armed with Ellick’s sharpest hand-ax, -waiting for them to set foot on shore——? Jake -shrugged. The rowboat buried its nose squashily -in the mud-bank, beneath the dripping trunk of -an overhanging tree.</p> -<p>Without a sound the boys moored the painter -to a convenient branch, and cautiously removed -the oars and placed them beneath the thwarts, -along the bottom of the boat.</p> -<p>“We’ll have to bail her again before we go -back—if we do go back,” whispered Jerry grimly. -“Can you get ashore from where you are?”</p> -<p>“I think so.” Jake stood and clasped the slippery -tree trunk with both arms, and swung his -body forward. His heavy boots made him a -clumsy climber; but in a moment he had scrambled -through a fringing litter of brush and twigs -to firmer ground. Jerry followed in his track, -almost dropping his flashlight as he clambered -through the treacherous brush; and the boys -found themselves once more together in the darkness -of the forest.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_109">109</div> -<p>“Stick to the trail—it’s our only guide,” advised -Jake. He led the way, recalling as best -he could the twisting of the narrow track which -they had once followed by daylight on an idle -exploring trip earlier in the season. An infrequent -lightning-flash was their only help, and it -was no wonder that they more than once wandered -from the dim trail.</p> -<p>Deep into the murky reaches of the woods, -they paused for breath. So far, they had seen -or heard nothing save gloom-shrouded trees; the -usual storm-noises of the wilderness; and the -crackling of branches that marked their advance.</p> -<p>“Now, which way?” asked Jerry guardedly. -“I think the trail splits about here. It’s getting -late—if anybody in our tents wakes up, we’re -sure to be missed. No use waiting here.” His -teeth were chattering from the damp of the low -ground. “Do you think we’ll have to give up?”</p> -<p>Jake was staring intently ahead. “I thought -I caught a little glow of light over there just a -second ago! If this rain would only hold up for -a while—— There! See it?” He seized his -brother’s arm and pointed.</p> -<p>Jerry peered anxiously into the mist. -“Where?”</p> -<p>“Not that way! Right ahead! It must be a -fire! That’s our man, all right! Guess he thinks -he’s fairly safe on a night like this—and he sure -needs a fire; it’s chilly enough over here to freeze -you stiff! Are you ready?”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_110">110</div> -<p>“Sure, Jakie! No use trying to creep up on -him, though. We’ll sneak as close as we can, and -then both rush him and jump him together! -Come on, let’s get it over with. He’s not much -bigger than we are, and we’ll take him by surprise!”</p> -<p>“Don’t let him get hold of his ax, though!” -Jake quivered with excitement. “Ready?” He -crept toward the low tinge of red light that -marked the outlaw’s risky campfire.</p> -<p>They advanced unchallenged for some two -hundred yards through the dripping trees, in -line with their goal. Their straining eyes could -barely make out a small heap of glowing branches -at the mouth of what seemed to be a rude shelter -of sticks and dead limbs, which would cut off the -tiny glow from all other directions except the one -from which they approached. Not another sign -of life came from the secret camp they had risked -so much to find.</p> -<p>“Now!” said Jake sharply, and dashed forward. -Jerry was right at his side in a few -strides. It was like the football days at school, -with Quarterback Jake carrying the ball, and -his husky brother at his elbow, crashing through -the line—“Right through center!” Jerry was -amazed to hear that shout in his own voice. In -the madness of that charge he had sent forth the -old battle-cry.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_111">111</div> -<p>Together the Utway twins galloped down -upon their foe. From an opening in the shelter -beyond the fire appeared a pale, haggard face; a -slender body sprang forward to meet this surprise -attack; a shrill scream burst from the drawn -lips.</p> -<p>“<i>Stand back!</i> You’ll never take me—you——”</p> -<p>Involuntarily the twins slowed up in their -tracks. A streak of lightning, like the crack of -doom, hit the earth at a terrifyingly short distance -away. The scene was illuminated as if by a -thousand searchlights. Their enemy, the searing -mark of horror branded on his face, cried out -once more. His frail body quivered as if from -a blow, toppled weakly forward, and lay in a -heap almost at their feet—face forward, helpless, -deathly still.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_112">112</div> -<h2 id="c12"><span class="h2line1">CHAPTER XII</span> -<br /><span class="h2line2">A DARING RESOLVE</span></h2> -<p>“He’s fainted!”</p> -<p>Jake and Jerry stared in bewilderment -at the inert body at their feet. Their first thought -was not one of triumph at this successful ending -to their quest. Rather, it was one of pity for the -tortured man whose desperate break for liberty -had availed him nothing. Jerry was stirred to -action.</p> -<p>“Get him into the lean-to! The poor fellow -can’t hurt us now. Quick!” The twins lifted -the limp form and carried him gently into the -low brush shelter that he had built for protection -against the elements. The rude thatched roof -held off the rain fairly well, and both boys removed -their ponchos, laying one on the ground, -placing their unconscious burden upon it, and -covering the convict’s body with the other. Jerry -pulled open the rough gray shirt at the man’s -throat, and fanned the bloodless face with his -hat.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_113">113</div> -<p>“Get some water, Jake! I think the creek -is only a few steps away.”</p> -<p>Jake departed. His brother snapped on his -flashlight, and cast its beams full upon his captive’s -face. The man was not bald, as Jake had -thought when he had first encountered him; his -hair had been shaved close to the top of his head, -but now a bristling stubble had grown to cover -it. The chin and jowls were also darkened with -a rough growth of beard showing blackly against -the pallid face. Through bluish lips, the breath -came in quick sobs. The man’s body, under the -close-drawn poncho, was slender and wiry, and -although but slightly taller than one of the twins, -gave the impression of some strength.</p> -<p>Jake returned with his sou’-wester half full of -water. He splattered a few drops over the prisoner’s -face, and forced a slight trickle down the -man’s throat.</p> -<p>“Don’t choke him!” cautioned Jerry. “Here, -I’ll rub his arms and chest. He’s cold, and no -wonder! Think of staying in this place for several -days, without any blankets or even a coat!”</p> -<p>He began rubbing the man’s limbs briskly, and -noted a flush of returning color in the pale -features.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_114">114</div> -<p>“That ought to bring him around,” observed -Jake. “Say, he doesn’t look much like a desperado, -does he? Poor fellow, it’s a shame he has -to——”</p> -<p>“Shh!” Jerry paused, and tucked the protecting -poncho about the body again. He had -seen an eyelid flicker in the light of their lamp. -The convict moaned feebly, opened his eyes, -closed them again as the light struck them. -“Give him a little more water, Jakie.”</p> -<p>Slowly their patient revived. His body jerked -weakly.</p> -<p>“You’re all right,” said Jake soothingly. -“Don’t try to sit up. Can you hear me?”</p> -<p>The man fell back wearily. “You’ll never—take -me—<i>there</i>—again——” he murmured -faintly. “I—I—water——”</p> -<p>“Here you are. That’s it.” Jake propped -him up, and held a handful of water to his mouth. -“Shade the light, Jerry. What do you think -we ought to do with him now?”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_115">115</div> -<p>“He’s half frozen. We’ll have to get him -warm.” Jerry had meanwhile noted a small pile -of wood heaped under the eaves of the narrow -shelter, at the side of which lay the small ax which -Ellick had missed after the raid on his kitchen. -“It won’t matter now if anybody sees the fire.” -Leaving his place at the man’s side, he stirred up -the dying flames and placed a few more sticks -upon them. “It’s stopped raining for a while, I -think. We’ll bring him over here, where he can -get warm.”</p> -<p>Skillfully they brought their prisoner, still -wrapped in the poncho, to a sitting position at -the mouth of the lean-to, close to the reviving fire. -The man’s breath was coming more easily now. -His eyes were open, and he watched their every -move, without attempting to speak.</p> -<p>“Think of it, Jake,” Jerry went on; “he’s -been in the woods now for four or five days, without -any decent clothes, and only a little food to -eat, scared every minute that he will be caught -again. It’s no wonder he’s worn out.” He -turned to the man. “When did you eat last?”</p> -<p>The one addressed shook his head. “I—don’t -know. Last night—got some food—dropped -it——”</p> -<p>“That was Stunt Night!” put in Jake. -“Sherlock and I found some cans of tomatoes he -dropped when you chased him. Say, if we only -had—— By jiminy, I just thought!” He -reached in his breast pocket. “I got a couple -bars of chocolate to eat to-night on the picnic, -and just remembered them now.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_116">116</div> -<p>The paper-wrapped candy he drew out was -sodden and melted by contact with his body, but -the man’s eyes fastened themselves on them with -mute pleading as Jake tore away the tinfoil about -the sticky mass.</p> -<p>“Here—help yourself. Don’t eat it too fast, -though, or it may make you sick.”</p> -<p>With shaking fingers, their starving captive -seized the proffered food, and wolfed it ravenously.</p> -<p>“Feel better?”</p> -<p>“I—I—— You boys are all right. Guess -it’s no use. But—how did you find me?”</p> -<p>“We’re from Camp Lenape, across the lake. -We’ve seen you before,” answered Jake; “once -when I ran into you the time that crazy Sherlock -Jones shot off his flashlight powder down by -Tent Fifteen——”</p> -<p>The man nodded. “I got some food over -there. I remember. I tried to find some clothes -in a tent, but a big light went off, and——”</p> -<p>“—And you tangled up with me in the -woods,” finished the boy. “Guess we were both -pretty scared. Then, last night, Jerry here -spotted you, coming down from the -kitchen——”</p> -<p>“You know who I am?”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_117">117</div> -<p>“Sure,” said Jerry. “You’re Burk. But say, -you don’t look much like a thief and a jailbird. -What did you do it for? I mean, how did you -get in trouble in the first place?”</p> -<p>A smouldering fury came into Burk’s eyes. -“I didn’t do it!” he cried. “Do you hear me? -I’m not guilty! And for more than a year I’ve -been penned up in that place—like an animal—an -innocent man!” His voice had risen to a high -scream which echoed through the dripping darkness -of the forest.</p> -<p>“Say! You mean you——”</p> -<p>The man fell back, exhausted by his short outburst. -“I don’t expect you to believe me,” he -said wearily. “Nobody believed me. Nobody. -But it’s true. There was a mistake, and everything -was against me. Guess they were justified—I -couldn’t prove I didn’t take the necklace. -The evidence was too strong——”</p> -<p>“What necklace?” asked Jake with interest. -“They said you stole a necklace somewhere?”</p> -<p>“Don’t bother him now, Jake.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_118">118</div> -<p>Burk sat up again. “I’m all right.” The -warmth of the fire and the food they had given -him seemed to have bestowed fresh energy. “I -want to tell you, even if you don’t believe me. If -I had been able to get away this time, I think I -could have proved my innocence, but it was no -use. But you boys, whoever you are, have been -decent to me, and I want you to know I wouldn’t -lie to you. By the way, what are your names? -I’d like to know. Brothers, aren’t you?”</p> -<p>“Twins. I’m Jerry Utway, and this is Jake. -But what about the necklace?”</p> -<p>Both boys had forgotten that they sat in the -wet woods in the dead of night, far from their -friends, who might miss them at any moment. -They were intent only on hearing the story of -this strange man.</p> -<p>“It was about a year ago,” began Burk. “I’d -always spent most of my time in these mountains—my -father was a hunting guide, and I became -one, too, after I went through high school. I had -a pretty good job as steward and caretaker of a -place down on Canoe Mountain, west of Wallistown. -It was a sort of hunting lodge, belonging -to a club of sportsmen. I lived in the lodge all -year round, and took out parties of deer-hunters -and fishermen during the season. Well, at this -particular time there was only one man staying -at the lodge—a man named Collinge, a banker -in the city. He was going out fishing that afternoon -by himself, and asked me to take care of an -expensive pearl necklace he had brought up with -him. His daughter was driving up next day with -some friends—it was her birthday, and he was -giving her the necklace as a present. A party -was planned, and I had to get things ready. As -it happened, I had a touch of ’flu at the time—I -didn’t say anything about it, as I thought it -was just a bit of a cold, but I must have had a -high fever that day. I took the necklace. He -told me to guard it carefully, as it was quite valuable. -That’s all.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_119">119</div> -<p>“But what happened?” prompted Jake.</p> -<p>“<i>What happened!</i>” repeated Burk in despair. -“That’s the question I’ve been asking myself a -hundred times a day, back yonder in the prison.” -He shivered. “Mr. Collinge came back that -evening and found me lying on my bed, raving -with fever. The necklace was nowhere in sight. I -couldn’t tell him a thing—I couldn’t remember -what I had done with it; I’d been out of my head -most of the time. Well, I don’t much blame him -for getting angry and thinking I had hidden it, -stolen it to sell later. He gave me until morning -to produce the necklace or take the consequences -of being a thief. When morning came, I was -better—but no matter how I hunted all over the -place, I couldn’t find the necklace.”</p> -<p>“And you couldn’t remember?”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_120">120</div> -<p>“It was gone—that’s all. I was innocent—but -how could I prove it? At the trial, Mr. Collinge -was decent enough, even if he had lost a -great deal of money; he asked the judge to deal -with me leniently. But naturally everybody -thought I had yielded to temptation, and was refusing -to confess. Once in a thousand times, a -jury will convict an innocent man. This was the -one unlucky time. I went behind the bars.”</p> -<p>Burk stared at the flickering fire for several -minutes, lost in unspeakable thoughts.</p> -<p>“Boys, don’t ever do anything that might lead -to a prison cell. It’s—it’s—— Well, never -mind that. I stood it, and I must stand it again, -now you’ve caught me.”</p> -<p>“Where were you going?” asked Jerry curiously.</p> -<p>“Didn’t I tell you? I’ve had a feeling, all the -time I was in jail, that if I could only get back -to the Canoe Mountain Lodge, I might be able -to—to find the necklace and prove I wasn’t -guilty. I had a feeling I might remember——”</p> -<p>Jerry’s eyes were alive with enthusiasm. -“You think if you got to the lodge, it might all -come back to you?”</p> -<p>“That’s what I hoped. As far as I know, the -necklace was never found. If that’s true, it must -still be there. If I could only——”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_121">121</div> -<p>“What do you say, Jakie?” Jerry Utway -looked over at Jake, who nodded back.</p> -<p>The convict stared from one to the other. -“What do you mean?”</p> -<p>Jerry jumped up, pounding his fist in his -palm. “We’ll give you your chance—Jake and -I will help you prove you’re not a thief! No -matter what happens, you’re going back to Canoe -Mountain and try to find that necklace! And -we—we’ll go with you!”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_122">122</div> -<h2 id="c13"><span class="h2line1">CHAPTER XIII</span> -<br /><span class="h2line2">THE TRUNK ROOM</span></h2> -<p>The astonishing proposal of the twins took -the man completely aback. He turned his -head away. A choking rose in his throat, and he -rubbed his eyes with the back of one hand. -“Boys——” He swallowed several times before -he could go on. “Boys, nobody’s ever had as -much faith in me as you two are giving—— No -use trying to tell you what it means to me, or trying -to thank you—— But I couldn’t ask you to -do it. Any help you give me will put you in -reach of the law. No, I couldn’t do it. The -game’s up, and I’ll just have to make up my mind -to go back——”</p> -<p>“Here, that’s no way to talk!” put in Jerry -with assumed roughness. “Now, forget everything, -except that from now on, we’re going to -do all we can to make you a free man.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_123">123</div> -<p>The twins were glowing at the prospect of new -and more daring adventure. To protect Burk, to -risk everything in a dash across country, in order -to prove him guiltless of the crime for which he -was condemned—here was a deed the thought of -which set their hearts beating wildly!</p> -<p>Jake outlined their campaign. “You can’t -travel until you’re fed and rested, Mr. Burk. -And you can’t stay here—the prison guards will -be through here in a few hours. We’ll have to -hide you, somewhere near camp, where you can -rest up for a while. To-morrow night we’ll start! -Just leave everything to us!”</p> -<p>“The trunk room!” Jerry burst out. “That’s -the place! Nobody ever goes in there—he can -sleep all day to-morrow, and even the police -wouldn’t think of looking right in the camp -lodge!”</p> -<p>“Good idea, Jerry. Now, if you think you -can move, Mr. Burk, we’ll start. Here it’s raining -again, which is good—it’ll wash out our -tracks.”</p> -<p>The boys helped the dazed man to his feet, and -Jerry hung his poncho over his new friend’s -shoulders before helping Jake to try and remove -all traces of the little camp in the woods. The -small fire was soon buried in mud and brush; the -lean-to was pushed over and pulled apart, and the -branches scattered as far as possible. Taking the -ax, Jake led the way back along the muddy trail -to the boat.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_124">124</div> -<p>The little party found the shore of the lake -without mishap, and pushed off through a steady -drizzle. Burk seemed lost in a daze. Only once -did he speak on the return journey.</p> -<p>“Did—didn’t you say something, back there, -about a reward?”</p> -<p>“Sure,” the boy whispered. “You must have -guessed they would offer some money for your -capture. That’s why we’ll have to keep you out -of sight all the time, until you find that necklace. -Now, better not talk any more—that prison -guard might spot us.”</p> -<p>The campus was undisturbed; no light showed -anywhere through the rain. It was probable that -the twins had not been missed, and stood a good -chance of returning to their bunks undetected. -Both boys were busily planning their new adventure, -and first and foremost in their thoughts -was the safety and comfort of the man they had -promised to aid.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_125">125</div> -<p>Between the pillars supporting the downhill -end of the lodge, a loosely-boarded structure had -been built next to the dark-room. This large -space was used for storing the trunks, suitcases, -and warbags which had served to transport the -outfits of the campers from their homes. The -trunk room was seldom entered during the season. -Jerry’s idea of hiding Burk in this place, -directly beneath the feet of the campers as they -assembled for meals, was not in reality such a -dangerous scheme. Unless he took to the open -woods again, there was no other place on the -Lenape campus which afforded such secrecy and -protection. All the man had to do was to lie -here snugly, resting and regaining his strength, -and unless he made a suspicious noise, he might -go undiscovered for some time.</p> -<p>Jake pushed the door open a crack and tiptoed -softly inside. The others entered behind him, -and Jerry snapped on his light. Their shadows -stretched gigantically across the rough floor and -scaled the heaps of piled trunks and suitcases. -Dry, warm, protected, and seldom entered, here -was a good refuge for the outlaw.</p> -<p>“If you hear anybody coming, you can hide -behind a pile of trunks,” pointed out Jerry. -“You can easily stay here until to-morrow night. -Jakie, you see if you can make him comfortable. -I’ll be right back.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_126">126</div> -<p>Jerry left them, and went to the kitchen. His -hunch was a good one. On one of the tables he -located a pile of pans and dishes which had been -brought in by the late-returning hikers that evening. -His guarded flashlight revealed that much -unused food had also been returned. He found -a pan half full of beans, an untouched loaf of -bread, some butter and jam, and a can of pineapple -which he opened before returning with his -trove to the trunk room.</p> -<p>“Food,” he announced. “This will hold you -down for a while, Mr. Burk. We’ll try to bring -more to-morrow, if we can do it safely. In the -meantime you can be having a long sleep.”</p> -<p>“I found a good place,” said Jake. He -pointed to a far corner of the room, where an -old, patched canvas, the remains of a worn-out -tent, was folded to form a rough bed. Burk wore -Jake’s sweater over his wet garments. The man -had seized eagerly upon the food, and was stowing -it away in short order.</p> -<p>“These boards may not be the softest bed in -the world, but at any rate, it’s better than the wet -ground on a night like this,” Jake went on. “I -guess you’ll be able to sleep. But be careful not -to stir around too much. All day to-morrow, until -taps, there will be at least a dozen fellows -around within a few feet of this place. And to-morrow -night, when everybody’s asleep, we’ll -come and get you.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_127">127</div> -<p>“And to-morrow, some time, we’ll smuggle in -some decent clothes, and a razor, and everything,” -added Jerry. “Anything else you -want?”</p> -<p>Burk, his mouth full of food, shook his head.</p> -<p>“Well, then, good night! And to-morrow——”</p> -<p>The two boys went to the door. Burk rose and -ran to them, seized their hands. His voice shook, -and he made no effort to hold back the tears that -welled in his eyes.</p> -<p>“Good night, boys—and God bless you! God -bless you!”</p> -<p class="tb">When Sherlock Jones awoke in the cold, gray -morning, a few minutes before Reveille, he had -a feeling that something tremendous was going -to happen that day. The first thing his prying -eyes lit upon was one of Jake Utway’s boots, -lying carelessly on the floor of the tent. The -boot was caked with sticky black mud almost to -the knee. He pondered this mysterious circumstance -at odd moments during the morning, without -any satisfactory conclusion as to what Jake -might have been doing in the dead of night that -would put his footgear into such a state.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_128">128</div> -<p>His feeling that great things were impending -returned to him again and again as the morning -passed. The customary line-up for the flag-raising -was held on the lodge porch, as the rain was -still dripping from low-lying banks of cloud; but -along toward morning swim-time the sky cleared -slightly, and by lunch a watery sun had appeared, -to dry up the muddy campus.</p> -<p>All the time Sherlock had been on the job. -Not once had the Utway twins been out of his -sight.</p> -<p>At lunch, however, he came upon another clue. -Jake appeared to be unusually hungry; it seemed -almost impossible for him to satisfy his appetite. -The long-nosed detective did not link this fact -with the further fact that Jake’s blouse, when he -rose from table, bulged suspiciously in front.</p> -<p>After the meal, Sherlock moodily retired to the -dark-room, his favorite spot in which to think -over his information, and to “deduce” results -therefrom. So far, he had little to go on.</p> -<p>He listened idly for a few moments to the song -of the care-free black boy up in the kitchen. -That brought to mind the recent robbery of the -pantry. Might this have something to do with -the Utway case?</p> -<p>A great light suddenly burst upon Sherlock -Jones. A convict might be badly in need of food. -And an escaped fugitive might well serve as a -secret accomplice——</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_129">129</div> -<p>A creaking noise near him in the darkness -brought him to wide-awake alertness. Sherlock -strained his ears, eager to catch any further -sound. Absolute silence followed. For a few -moments the boy stood motionless; then he softly -tiptoed to the door, and flung it open. The Utway -twins were in sight, strolling easily down toward -their tents.</p> -<p>They had come from the trunk room! It had -been their footsteps he had heard. But what was -their business there? Had they hidden something? -Perhaps the swag of some midnight -burglary, something that might incriminate them -surely and swiftly?</p> -<p>Yes, the trunk room was assuredly the key to -all the problems that confronted the amateur -sleuth. Without making a sound, he stepped to -the door of the trunk room.</p> -<p>It was a foolish step for young Detective Jones -to make. Yet, whatever his other failings, Sherlock -could not be accused of lack of courage. He -turned the knob and pushed cautiously inside.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_130">130</div> -<p>At first he could see little; it was not until his -eyes were accustomed to the dimness of the room -that he made out a heap of food on the floor, piled -high on a paper napkin. Food! For whom? -For what? He allowed the door to swing behind -him, and bent forward to look more closely. -He was not aware of a shadowy body that -crouched at his side, tense, ready to spring on him -from behind a heap of stacked trunks.</p> -<p>Sherlock Jones did not have a chance to cry -out. A muscular arm circled his throat with a -choking clasp. A bit of cloth was rammed into -his open mouth; wiry arms clutched his own with -a grip like that of a steel trap. His wild struggles -were of no avail. He fell to the floor of the room, -borne down by a strength greater than his own. -As he fell, he saw—or did he dream?—that he -was caught in the power of a stranger whose face -was invisible, but on whose arm was tattooed the -design of a flying eagle.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_131">131</div> -<h2 id="c14"><span class="h2line1">CHAPTER XIV</span> -<br /><span class="h2line2">SO LONG, LENAPE!</span></h2> -<p>It was past ten o’clock that night when Jerry -and Jake Utway tapped softly on the door of -the trunk room. The door opened a crack.</p> -<p>“It’s us—the twins!” Jerry whispered -urgently. “Are you all right?”</p> -<p>“Yes. Come in,” responded a familiar voice. -The two boys, with a backward look into the starlit -night, slid through the doorway, and Jake -snapped on his flashlight.</p> -<p>They saw before them a stranger. No, it was -Burk—but a different Burk, a man new-made in -the few hours since they had seen him. Now, -they could see that he was quite a young man, a -being entirely different from the haggard, -bearded fugitive they had rescued. During -siesta hour, as they had promised, they had -smuggled into the hiding-place not only food, -but also a razor with which Jake methodically -scraped his upper lip every two weeks or so. -They had also made up a bundle of clothing extracted -from their camping outfits. But they had -not expected such a transformation as that -which had produced this likeable young fellow -who now smiled back at them in the rays of the -lantern.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_132">132</div> -<p>Burk had shed his drab convict’s clothing, torn -and stained as it was. He was now attired in -garments contributed by the twins, and wore a -flannel shirt, black sweater under a Norfolk -jacket, and Jake’s corduroy trousers. A pair of -stout army shoes had replaced his sodden prison -footwear. A cloth cap concealed his tell-tale -cropped head; he would not dare to remove that -cap where others might see him. His shaving -operations had left a small, neat mustache on his -lip, which gave him a cocky, cheerful look. In -fact, the food and rest he had taken had done -much to restore him to his old, care-free outlook -upon life. This was a surprising Burk; he was -actually grinning at them, as though his whole -future did not depend upon the outcome of the -adventure upon which they were about to embark.</p> -<p>“Is everything ready?” he asked.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_133">133</div> -<p>“Well,” answered Jake slowly, “we’ve had to -make a few changes in our plans. It’s this way. -A goofy kid named Jones, in my tent, has gone -and gotten himself lost somewhere. Our leader -is worried to death about what might have happened -to him—this kid is a nosy bird we nicknamed -Sherlock, and is always fussing around -trying to detect things. He didn’t show up for -supper, and everybody’s been chasing all over the -place ever since, trying to find him. We’re supposed -to be looking for him now ourselves.”</p> -<p>“I think, from what you say, that I know the -boy you mean. Well, he detected himself into -some trouble.”</p> -<p>“You’ve seen him? You know where he is?”</p> -<p>“I do. If you’ll look over in the corner, there -by my bed, you’ll find him safe and sound, -though a little scared.”</p> -<p>The Utway twins pushed past the speaker, and -tiptoed to the place mentioned. Sure enough; -there on the canvas lay Sherlock Jones, flat on -his back, his wrists pinioned behind him, a gag in -his mouth held in place by his own handkerchief, -above which a pair of pale eyes goggled through -his thick glasses with a piteous, pleading look. -For some hours past, the amateur sleuth had been -expecting a gruesome death any moment from -the mysterious stranger who had trapped him; -now, at sight of the notorious Utway brothers, he -thought his last hour had struck. He wriggled -in his bonds helplessly. Through all the long -time of his captivity, Sherlock Jones had come to -the conclusion that he didn’t want to be a famous -detective. If he ever got through this harrowing -experience alive, he’d never shadow another suspect -again.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_134">134</div> -<p>“How—how did he get here?” gasped Jerry.</p> -<p>“I’m sorry for the poor chap, boys, but it -couldn’t be helped. He was smart enough to find -out where I was, and if I hadn’t tied him up, he -would have had me caught in the wink of an eye! -It was the only thing I could do.”</p> -<p>“Well, that’s not so good,” put in Jake. -“Dog-gone it, why did he have to come snooping -around right at this time? It’s a mess; it will -make our getaway all the harder. I thought that -all we would have to do would be to sneak out -our stuff after Taps to-night, and hit the trail. -But right now, half the camp is chasing all over -the place, looking for this sap; if we try to get -through now, they might easily spot us, and if we -stay here, they might decide to look in here any -minute. What’ll we do with him?”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_135">135</div> -<p>“Yes, what?” Jerry echoed. “If we don’t -leave pretty quick, we’ll be nabbed. Sherlock -heard everything, and we don’t dare let him go -now. Even if we leave him here, he’ll work loose -sooner or later, and that will be even worse for -us.” He glared at the prostrate Sherlock, the -whole cause of this hitch in their carefully laid -plans. “I guess we’ll just have to tie him tight -and get as far away as we can before he’s discovered.”</p> -<p>“You two are ready to travel, then?” asked -Burk.</p> -<p>“We couldn’t get our blankets, because everybody -in the tent is awake and up,” said Jerry, -“but that’s all right. We can start right away, -sure.” Both twins wore khaki hiking breeches, -woolen stockings, flannel shirts, and high shoes, -and each wore a heavy mackinaw that would protect -him well from the cold.</p> -<p>Burk’s tone was serious. “And you’re still -determined to run away from your friends and -go with me? Don’t you think it would be wiser -to let me start off alone, and let me take my -chance without involving you in my trouble?”</p> -<p>“Dead sure. We go with you. Honest, we -can help you a lot—we know all the trails around -here, and we can hike fine. We’re with you to see -this through to the finish!”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_136">136</div> -<p>Jake, during this whispered discussion, had -been lost in thought. Now he broke out with the -scheme that had occurred to him. “Listen! The -only thing we can do with Sherlock is to take him -with us! Sounds crazy, I know,” he went on, -looking at their amazed faces, “but we can’t -leave him here to let the cat out of the bag as soon -as we’re started. If we can take him with us up -the mountain and leave him somewhere, we’ll be -far away before he can find his way back and -break the news. What do you think? Anyway, -we’ve got to do something right away; the longer -we stick around here, the less chance we’ll have -to get clear. The campers are buzzing all over -the place like hornets; pretty soon the moon will -rise, and we won’t be able to get ten feet without -being spotted. Do we take him?”</p> -<p>“That might be the way out,” said Burk -slowly. “It’s my fault that we’re in this fix, and -I don’t want the poor fellow to suffer any more -than he has to. Let’s go!” The delay was telling -on the man’s nerves. He longed to get into -the open, and start the dash for Canoe Mountain; -each minute they lingered would bring them fresh -difficulties. “Here, I’ll take the lad. You two -lead the way.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_137">137</div> -<p>Without ceremony, Burk lifted the helpless -Sherlock and slung him over his shoulder in the -position known as “fireman’s lift.” The bound -boy was too helpless to put up a struggle as he -was borne away in this undignified fashion, and -hung limply while Burk, with cat-like steps, -made for the door in the wake of the Utway -twins.</p> -<p>It was a fine night outside. The air smelled -fresh and cool; later it would be edged with the -chill of the mountains, but now it was soft and -spicy with pine scents, and breathing it brought -a recklessness to one’s senses. The lodge above -the little party was dark, but several lanterns -burned among the tents below them on the hillside, -rivalling the far pale radiance of the constellations -in the summer heavens. Taking care -that not the slightest noise should disturb the -watchful searchers scattered in the darkness -about them, the twins led the way past the -windows of the kitchen, scouted ahead as far as -the side of the ice-house, and beckoned the burdened -man to follow. A breathless dash, and they -were in the cover of the low bushes that grew on -the camp side of the wood-road, and here they -paused a moment for breath.</p> -<p>Jake felt his brother’s fingers clutch his arm -with a swift start.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_138">138</div> -<p>“Look!” breathed Jerry. Coming down the -path were four or five dim forms, their legs showing -in the yellow pool of light from the big -lantern that marched with them. Burk also saw -the advancing squad. Unceremoniously he -dumped his bound burden among the bushes, and -flopped down beside it, just in time. The lantern -was swung high over the bearer’s head, and a -voice challenged them.</p> -<p>“Who’s over there?”</p> -<p>Jake recognized the tall, spare figure of his -councilor. “It’s Jake!” he called. “Did you -find anything, Mr. Avery?”</p> -<p>Jim Avery left the group a few steps, to meet -them. Already he was dangerously close upon -the hidden figures. “No, not yet. We were just -up to the hospital tent. No sign of him. We’re -going down to the dock again now. Hadn’t you -boys better get to bed?”</p> -<p>“We can’t go to sleep as long as old Sherlock -is missing,” responded Jake truthfully.</p> -<p>“Well, better go to the tent soon, anyway. -And don’t get too far away from camp!”</p> -<p>The councilor hurried off to catch up with the -rest of the search party. Jake and Jerry -breathed sighs of relief as the light was taken -from their faces, and they watched it bobbing off -down the hill toward the baseball field.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_139">139</div> -<p>“Whew! That was a close call! Jerry, I -thought I’d yell if he came an inch closer!” Jake -drew his sleeve across his brow. “Guess we can -start again now, Mr. Burk. Can we help you -any with packing Sherlock?”</p> -<p>Burk was already on his feet again, lifting the -inert body to his shoulders.</p> -<p>“I can manage, thanks,” he whispered. “But -as soon as we get out of the danger zone, I’m going -to untie the poor chap. This must be hurting -him. He can’t do any damage now, if we untie -him. I’m sure sorry I had to lash him up this -way.”</p> -<p>He fell in behind the two boys, now striking -through the patch of cleared woodland that led to -the road. Their plan was to follow the road for -about half a mile, circle the farm where it ended, -and from there head through the mountains -southward, along the Lenape range toward -Canoe Mountain. The night was yet young, and -they hoped to put some miles between the camp -and themselves before morning would force them -to stop, rest, and hide from any possible discovery. -A sallow tinge on the eastern horizon -told them that the moon would shortly be rising, -to light them on their fleeting way. Behind them -trudged the man Burk, his burden heavy but his -heart lighter than it had been for many a day, -and the taste of freedom on his lips.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_140">140</div> -<p>As they topped a rising knoll above the road, -Jake Utway looked back. He could still see a -few dancing lights, like will-o’-the-wisps over the -camp.</p> -<p>“So long, Lenape!” he said softly, and headed -up the road, on the first leg of their dash for -Canoe Mountain. Something told him that he -would pass through many hazardous passages before -he again saw the familiar scenes of the camp -by the lake. Their daring venture had taken -them outside the pale of law, now; every man’s -hand would be against them. There would be no -ease for them until somehow, somewhere, they -could prove that the courts of the land had pronounced -guilty an innocent man.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_141">141</div> -<h2 id="c15"><span class="h2line1">CHAPTER XV</span> -<br /><span class="h2line2">FOUR IN THE FOREST</span></h2> -<p>In the far corner of Farmer Podgett’s meadow -the little party stopped. They stood knee-high -in tall grass by the fence, their legs spattered -with dew. Burk leaned his helpless load -against the fence.</p> -<p>“Listen, Sherlock,” said Jerry into his tent-mate’s -ear; “if we untie you, will you promise -not to yell or try to get away? It won’t do you -any good now—we’re too far from camp for them -to hear you. We don’t want to hurt you unless -you’re stubborn.”</p> -<p>The captive nodded his head vigorously. He -would promise anything in the world to get free -of those cutting ropes that bound him, and the -gag that almost stopped his breathing. Without -more ado, Burk untied the handkerchief that -held the gag, and worked loose the knotted rope -that pinioned the boy’s arms.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_142">142</div> -<p>“There, son!” he said. “That feel better? -Let me tell you, I didn’t want to tie you up this -way; I’m sorry I had to do it. No hard feelings?”</p> -<p>For some minutes poor Sherlock could not -speak. Had he not been leaning against the -timber fence, he would have toppled over to the -ground, so stiff were his cramped muscles. Jerry -rubbed his arms briskly, and tears came into -Sherlock’s eyes as circulation returned to his -aching wrists.</p> -<p>“There, take it easy, old man,” counseled -Burk. “We’ll hike along slow, and you’ll soon -limber up.”</p> -<p>“Where—where are you taking me?” asked -the boy fearfully.</p> -<p>“Never mind now; you’ll find out later,” said -Jerry. “Here, put on my mackinaw; you’re -cold. Now, let’s be on our way.” He helped -young Jones into the warm garment, and guided -him along the fence to the gate. The four passed -through, and were soon lost in the shadow of the -woods again, heading southward.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_143">143</div> -<p>A bright half-moon was rising over the tree -tops, and its beams slanted through the leafy -arches overhead, lighting their path. They followed -a trail which the twins knew ran along the -foot of the range for some miles, well above the -rich farmlands below Lake Lenape. Podgett’s -hounds bayed afar as they passed beyond the -sleeping farmhouse. Jake Utway was in the -lead; Jerry followed, his arm about the shoulders -of their captive; Burk brought up the rear guard, -silent-footed, watchful, awake. The pace was -not brisk, as Sherlock was still unable to travel -rapidly. Thus, in silence, they threaded the trail -through the woodlands.</p> -<p>It was past midnight when Jake halted on a -spur of hill. By the side of the road was a spring -he knew of, and all the hikers refreshed themselves -with an icy draught of its water. Off to -their left they caught a glimpse of moonlight -glinting on the face of the lake. Jerry shivered -slightly; without his mackinaw, he felt the chill -of the night winds.</p> -<p>“This is a good place to ditch Mr. Tagalong,” -he observed. “Old Sherlock won’t find his way -home from here easily.”</p> -<p>Sherlock, who had maintained a terrified -silence during the march through the woods, now -cried out in horror. “You mean—you’d leave -me here? Alone? Please, Jerry, I never meant -to do you any harm! Don’t leave me!”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_144">144</div> -<p>“We can’t take you with us any farther,” said -Jerry, cold-bloodedly. “We’ve got enough -trouble ourselves, without bothering with you. -We’re travelling light this trip.”</p> -<p>“But—but—I’d be lost! I’m lost right now!” -he pleaded. “There’s probably a lot of bears in -these woods. Do you want me to be eaten up?”</p> -<p>“There’s no bears around here,” Jerry answered -disdainfully. “Come on, brace up, Sherlock. -We can’t take you, and that’s that!”</p> -<p>Sherlock turned pleadingly to Jake. “You -and me are tent-mates, Jakie! You won’t desert -me up here, will you? We’ve been pretty good -friends, haven’t we? Just tell me what you want -me to do, and I’ll do it. I can hike fast, honest!”</p> -<p>Jake shook his head. “Sorry, but we’ve got a -long way to go, and a big job to do.”</p> -<p>“I know! I heard what you said back at camp—you’re -going to help this man get away from -the police. Well, if you only don’t leave me, -why, I’ll help too! I swear I will!”</p> -<p>Jake considered. “Think we could do it, -fellows? I admit I hate to leave him up here; he -might hurt himself, and never get back. He’s -not a bad guy. We don’t dare let him tell what -he knows, and maybe it would work out all right -if we took him along.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_145">145</div> -<p>Jerry gave in. “All right; but he’ll sure have -to travel to keep up with us. What do you think, -Mr. Burk?”</p> -<p>Burk shrugged. “I don’t very well see what -else we can do. You know who I am, son?”</p> -<p>“I don’t care if you are a—a convict! You -said you were sorry you had to tie me up, and I -believe you! If I can help you get away, I’ll do -it!”</p> -<p>“You don’t understand,” explained Jake. -“Mr. Burk is not trying to make a getaway. -He wants to get a chance to prove he’s not -guilty.”</p> -<p>“Then——”</p> -<p>“We’ll tell you everything later. In the meantime, -you can come along with us and take your -chance like the rest. But if you make one move -to give us away——” His unspoken words -carried a threat that Sherlock did not dare ignore.</p> -<p>“I’ll come!” Young Detective Jones was -feeling better already. After all, if he could not -expose a desperate criminal, the next most exciting -thing was joining that criminal’s band in an -effort to baffle the forces of the law. “Here, -Jerry, take your mackinaw. I feel warm -enough.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_146">146</div> -<p>“Then let’s get going again,” urged Jake, rising. -“We can’t stay here all night; we’ll get too -stiff to move if we sit down any longer.”</p> -<p>Again they took the weary trail. Their steps -now were slower; it took more effort for them to -keep up a ringing, mile-eating stride. Down in -his heart, the impatient Burk knew that he could -not keep up the pace many hours longer; his brief -rest at Lenape had not been enough to make up -for the many days of starvation and exposure he -had undergone. His prison life, too, had taken -from him his old endurance; he was no longer -the steel-muscled hunter he had been a year ago. -And he realized that the twins, for several nights, -had taken considerably less than their usual -ration of sleep; their nightly forays had fatigued -them, as he could tell by their actions, and no -doubt the attendant excitement had also told -upon them. One cannot live in an atmosphere -of mysterious incidents and midnight captures -without paying for them in physical strain. And -Sherlock, the least hardy of them all, had been -trussed up tightly for half a day, and was in no -condition to endure the demands of a long hike -in the dark.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_147">147</div> -<p>Left—right—left! The quartette, strung -along the trail in Indian file, lifted their feet more -leadenly as one endless mile followed another. -The moon was right overhead now; they were a -long way from Lenape, marching somewhere on -the flank of the mountains. Only the sound of -their footsteps attended them, except now and -then the rasping hunting-cry of an owl, that -nocturnal marauder, and once, up the ridge, the -short bark of a fox. Several times they crossed -the beds of swift hill-streams, and once they -floundered about in a spreading thicket of rhododendrons -for some minutes before Jerry, in the -lead, found the trail again.</p> -<p>Sherlock Jones felt that he could not go -another step. He was shivering with the cold; -if only they would stop this eternal, steady plodding, -mile after mile, and light a fire! Left—right—— He -wondered if the twins had -brought any food on this mad trip; he could see -that they were hampered neither by provisions -nor blankets—travelling light, as Jerry had said. -What would they eat? When would they stop? -Were they going to keep on this way for a -thousand years, forever, putting one foot in front -of the other, with never a word—— A tear -trickled down Sherlock’s grimy cheek. He kept -on.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_148">148</div> -<p>The strain of the past few days was putting its -mark upon the twins. At last Jerry paused in -a little clear space beside a brook. Jake marched -past him, stumbled over a fallen branch, and -almost fell. He turned his face to them, white in -the moonlight, and muttered drowsily, “Guess -I was asleep! I’ve heard of fellows falling asleep -on their feet, but this is the first time it ever happened -to me! Where are we?”</p> -<p>The rest of the party halted. “I calculate -we’ve done about twelve miles since we left your -camp,” said Burk. “If we’ve kept straight -south, we should be a good distance away. I -think you’ve been heading right, because we’ve -kept to the side of the mountain all the time. -Wallistown ought to be in striking distance, over -that way; but I think we should try to keep to -the hills—too dangerous to get closer to town. -Now, I can see that you chaps are pretty well -fagged out. You’ve stood the march like soldiers, -and not a word of complaint; but it’s clear to -me we can’t get any farther to-night. We’ll have -to lay up until to-morrow evening. Naturally I -want to get to Canoe Mountain as soon as possible, -but it won’t do to start our trip with too big -a jump. If we went much farther to-night, we’d -bite off more than we could chew—we’d be sore -and laid up with blisters and aches, and in no -shape to put up a good race. I’m the least tired -of any of us. What do you say if I push ahead -and try to locate a place to stop?”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_149">149</div> -<p>The twins agreed; Sherlock had no breath to -spare for talk. Burk took a hitch in his corduroys, -waved his hand, and springing across the -brook, vanished beyond, up the trail.</p> -<p>The boys did not dare to sit down, for fear -that their muscles would stiffen in that position -and they would not to be able to rise and walk -again. When their breathing became more regular, -the Utway brothers roused Sherlock and -pushed on. They had not gone five hundred -yards when they made out a figure striding toward -them in the moonlight. It was Burk.</p> -<p>“Good news!” he called. “Here’s a bit of -luck! I happened to see the moonlight striking -on a glass window over here. Come on through! -There’s a little ramshackle hut here. Not a soul -has been around for a long time, as near as I can -see. Probably this cabin was built by some tie-cutters. -Over this way!”</p> -<p>They followed him, warmed to the heart by -this smile of fortune. Concealed amidst the -trees, a hundred yards from the trail, was a low, -one-roomed shanty of slabs, chinked with clay.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_150">150</div> -<p>“There was no lock on the door,” explained -the discoverer, “so I just walked in. There’s a -fireplace and some wood; we ought to be warm -enough, even if we have no blankets. And I -guess we’re so tired that we won’t mind bedding -down on the floor, eh?”</p> -<p>Jake threw his flashlight about the tiny dwelling. -Dust rose from the slab floor; cobwebs -everywhere seemed to prove that the place had -indeed been deserted for some time past. It was -a better refuge than they could have hoped for; -a snug little cabin where they could lie up until -the next evening brought them a chance to continue -their long hike.</p> -<p>Jerry was already busy, kindling a fire on the -narrow stone hearth. Welcome flames were soon -leaping up to warm their numb bodies, and Jerry, -like the rest, considered their luck in finding such -a haven in the depths of the woods. But he had -a more pressing matter in his head. There were -four of them, and they would have to pass at -least one day here, with nothing to eat but, perhaps, -the few berries they could find in the forest. -Four hungry mouths! No fun marching on an -empty stomach—— The others were already -stretched out on the floor, with their coats under -them, close beside the glowing hearth. Jerry -scratched his head; then fished in his pockets and -drew out a handful of coins and counted them. -Not very much, but it would buy a few cans of -beans, some bread, and——</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_151">151</div> -<p>Jake lifted his head from the hard floor. -“Listen, Sherlock,” he warned, “don’t try to get -out of here without letting us know. First move -you make toward that door, I’ll rise up and bust -you one.”</p> -<p>“I won’t move! I’m one of you now, Jake! -I won’t run away!”</p> -<p>“Well, don’t forget!” He saw Jerry still -standing beside the fire. “What’s biting you, -Jerry? Why don’t you come to bed with the rest -of the gang? Want me to sing you a lullaby? -What are you up to, anyway?”</p> -<p>Jerry put his money back into his pocket, and -yawned. “Oh, nothing!” he answered. “Nothing -at all. Good night. Say, I hope the owner -of this shanty don’t come rolling in along about -morning. He’ll want to charge us rent.” He -chuckled. “Wonder what Mr. Jim Avery is -thinking now, back at camp?”</p> -<p>A snore answered him. Jerry Utway spread -his mackinaw across the least rough patch of floor -he could find, stretched out his full length with -feet toward the fire, and closed his weary eyes. -“Nothing at all!” he murmured drowsily. In -five minutes he was asleep.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_152">152</div> -<h2 id="c16"><span class="h2line1">CHAPTER XVI</span> -<br /><span class="h2line2">HARE AND HOUNDS</span></h2> -<p>Jake Utway stirred uneasily. Something -was digging into his hip, bluntly shoving him -back to consciousness. He sat up. Was it -Reveille so soon? But this wasn’t Tent Ten! For -a moment he stared, sticky-eyed, into a small fireplace -heaped with flaky white wood-ash. In a -flash it came back to him—the escape from -Lenape; the moonlight march with their captive, -Sherlock; the discovery of the shack in the -woods—— Jake groaned softly, and stretched -his cramped body.</p> -<p>“Anybody awake?” he asked drowsily. “Boy, -but I’m stiff! This log floor—maybe I shouldn’t -have slept against the grain of the wood!”</p> -<p>A loud sneeze at his side answered him, followed -by a series of sniffles and a second sneeze. -He turned and discovered Sherlock Jones, with -tears in his pale eyes, rubbing his nose with a -grimy handkerchief.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_153">153</div> -<p>“Bad coad!” explained the ex-detective with -another sneeze. It was plain that Sherlock was -not made of the stuff of outlaw heroes. Reddened -eyes, a dripping nose, and chattering teeth -were the penalties of his moonlight jaunt and -his night in the backwoods hut. “Very dasty -coad! Say, who pud this thig over be?” Sherlock -had noticed for the first time that a norfolk -jacket had been carefully thrown over his body -some time in the night. It was the garment worn -by Burk, who had evidently tucked it about the -sleeping boy as a protection against the night -breezes that penetrated through the cracks in the -floor of the hut. “Where’s Bister Burk? Oh, -there you are. <i>A-choo!</i> Thags very buch, Bister -Burk. You bust have been coad yourself!”</p> -<p>“Forget it, old man!” Burk rolled over and -yawned. “Sorry you have a cold, though.” Of -a sudden the man sprang up. “Where’s the -other fellow?” he cried.</p> -<p>Jake looked about him. Jerry was not in the -little room.</p> -<p>“Where’s your brother? Did he tell you he -was going out?”</p> -<p>“Why, no!” said Jake. “He must be somewhere -around, though. He can’t have gone far.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_154">154</div> -<p>The sun was high; a dazzling, glorious stream -of light poured in through a dusty window. -Sherlock pointed with his handkerchief.</p> -<p>“Whad’s that over the fireblace?” he snuffled.</p> -<p>Jake jumped up to look. A bit of paper was -stuck prominently into the cracks of the stone -mantel. It was an old envelope, on the face of -which was scrawled a few cramped lines of writing -in pencil. “It’s a note—a note from Jerry!” -he exclaimed in surprise. “He’s—he’s gone!”</p> -<p>“Gone!” echoed the man.</p> -<p>“Yes; listen to this: ‘Dear Jakie and Others—We’ve -got to have grub, so I’m going to -Wallistown. Will bring it as soon as I can. -Will try to get some news if I can. Don’t worry -about me.—Jerry.’ Well, what do you think of -that?”</p> -<p>“I thig it’s good,” sighed Sherlock. “I sure -could eat somethig right dow!” Burk said nothing, -but took up a couple of holes in his belt.</p> -<p>“That’s just like Jerry,” observed Jake, sticking -the note in his pocket. “He knew we’d have -to stay here in hiding all day, and didn’t want us -to starve. We need grub, sure enough. But it’s -no use for him to tell us not to worry—anything -in the world might happen to him in Wallistown, -and I won’t rest easy until I see him back here -safe.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_155">155</div> -<p>“You thig he may get into druble?”</p> -<p>“Say, Sherlock, that cold of yours must be -affecting your brain. Don’t you know that -everybody in the world will be after us, after -what happened last night? We can’t just disappear—the -Chief and all the rest back at camp -will be hunting for us, and they’re sure to connect -our disappearance with Burk here. That’s why -we can’t travel in the daytime.”</p> -<p>“But where do you wad to travel?”</p> -<p>Jake threw up his hands. “Listen! It’s plain -we’ve got to tell you everything. Mr. Burk was -put in jail for being a thief, but he didn’t steal -the necklace. If we can get to Canoe Mountain -Lodge, he thinks we can prove that he’s innocent. -And we’ve got to get there! Now do you -savvy?”</p> -<p>“Thad’s wad I thought all the tibe,” nodded -Sherlock sagely. “I said Bister Burk was all -right, and I probise to help if I cad. <i>A-choo!</i>”</p> -<p>“Well,” said Jake, “you can help us a lot—— Jiminy, -what’s that?”</p> -<p>It was small wonder that Jake was startled. A -sound had broken the stillness of the forest, a -chilling, heart-gripping hullabaloo from the -north, toward Lenape—the high belling howl of -a pack of hounds on a warm trail.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_156">156</div> -<p>“Dogs!” Burk clenched his fists. “By heaven, -they’ve got bloodhounds out!” His pallid face -went whiter still.</p> -<p>“Bloodhounds! You mean—they’re pointing -out our trail last night?”</p> -<p>“Yes—listen!” It came again, the terrifying -chorus of their sharp-nosed pursuers. “They -can’t be far off! Boys, we can’t stay here!”</p> -<p>“But—where will we go?” said Jake, shakily. -“If Jerry comes back here, he’s sure to be -caught!”</p> -<p>“Can’t help that!” Burk was gathering together -their few belongings over his arm. He -ran to the door, and cooked his ear up the trail. -“Come along!”</p> -<p>Sherlock Jones, at the first awesome baying -of the pack, had given himself up for dead. -Bloodhounds! He struggled weakly to his feet, -found Jake pulling his arm, leading him toward -the door.</p> -<p>“If we stay here, we’ll be cornered!” cried the -man. “They’re not far off now—they’ll be on -us in a few minutes!” The baying call sounded -again, much louder, it seemed. “Hurry!”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_157">157</div> -<p>He plunged into the woods, looking back to see -if the boys were following. Jake was having difficulties; -he had almost to push the bewildered -Sherlock every inch of the way. The vision of -a pack of fiendish hounds leaping at his throat, -pulling him down, almost paralyzed the poor lad; -he stumbled along at Jake’s side, shivering, sneezing, -almost falling headlong. Again rose in the -still air the hunting-cry of the beasts on their -track.</p> -<p>Jake noticed that the man was leading them -downhill, fighting his way through the scratching -underbrush. Where could they be going? -In which direction lay an instant’s safety from -that yapping Nemesis at their backs? The two -boys leaped down a steep declivity, saw Burk -standing in a little ravine below.</p> -<p>“Water!” he shouted. “We’ve got to wade -in this brook a ways—that will shake them off for -a bit!” He started down the course of the swift -stream, splashing rainbow drops up to his knees, -rattling stones with his hurrying feet.</p> -<p>Jake herded his charge into the water, and took -the plunge himself, driving Sherlock ahead of -him down the rough descent. For some two hundred -yards they stumbled forward in panic, -ankle-deep in the chill rivulet. The stream was -rapidly becoming wider, fanning outward to -form a little pool. Beyond, they saw Burk, wading -waist-high across to a little spot of grassland -sheltered among tall poplar trees.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_158">158</div> -<p>“Come on!” he called.</p> -<p>Somehow—Jake never could explain it to himself -afterward—he forced the stricken Sherlock -through the pool and helped him to climb the -muddy bank, where the dazed boy lay where he -fell, his thick glasses knocked over one ear, his -eyes streaming, caught in the clutch of a sneezing -fit.</p> -<p>“I—I can’t go on!” Sherlock gasped. “I -dow I probised to help—but—but——”</p> -<p>Burk bent over him. “We’ve got to get away, -old man! You can’t stay here—they’ll find you -in a minute.” He helped the boy to his feet, and -with Jake on the other side, they continued their -mad progress, almost dragging the limp body -of young Jones between them.</p> -<p>As they ran, Burk jerked out a few directions. -“I think I know where we are now. It’s dangerous -ground—but the dogs have driven us out of -the mountains. We’ve got to find more water—that’s -the only thing that will shake them off -our trail. And I think this little brook empties -into Lake Wallis——”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_159">159</div> -<p>Jake looked back over his shoulder. Above -them, to the northward, he caught a view of a -figure for an instant, clear against the skyline—the -silhouette of a mounted man, galloping along -the trail. Again came the bloodthirsty belling of -the hounds. Had they found the hut?</p> -<p>Again the fugitives were among the trees. Of -a sudden Sherlock Jones collapsed; had they not -caught him, he would have fallen headlong on -his face. Jake and Burk exchanged glances. -With the pursuers so close on their heels, burdened -as they were with a helpless boy——</p> -<p>Sherlock was mumbling something, through -chattering teeth. “You go ahead—leave be -here——”</p> -<p>Jake shook him. “We won’t leave you, old -scout! Just a few steps more——”</p> -<p>“No—can’t bake it—— I’ll clibe a tree, so -the dogs can’t get be——”</p> -<p>“Do you think you can?” asked Burk eagerly. -“Say, if you could get into a tree, the dogs -would stop for a while, and we might get free! If -only you could do it, hold them at bay for a few -minutes——!” It was true that the boy was a -hindrance to their flight, and could be nothing -but a danger to them; but could he be left behind -to hold the yapping hounds, who were sure to -pause if they found their quarry treed, he might -gain for them a few priceless seconds——</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_160">160</div> -<p>“I’ll do it! I said I’d help you, Bister Burk!” -gulped Sherlock bravely. “Just put be into a -tree—a big tree——”</p> -<p>“By George, that might do it!” said Burk, -admiringly. “Come on, we’ll hoist him up this -one.” He indicated a smooth-barked poplar with -a low branch hanging just above them. “Give -him a lift.”</p> -<p>There was no time for delay. Like a sack of -flour, Sherlock’s form was heaved against the -trunk of the tree with a mighty swing. He -waved his arms desperately, caught hold of the -limb, and scrambled aloft amid a shower of leaves -and bark, kicking his dripping feet wildly behind -him. Like a treed raccoon, he huddled in a crotch -of the tree and tried to make himself small.</p> -<p>“Rud!” he shouted to the two below. “I’b -all right. I won’t tell theb a thig!”</p> -<p>The two on the ground hesitated no longer. -Jake did not dare look back; he had all he could -do to keep up with the racing man at his side.</p> -<p>“Sherlock’s game, all right!” he managed to -gasp. “He came through fine; I never thought -he had it in him! Think he can hold them?”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_161">161</div> -<p>Through his mind flashed the thought that already -their party was scattered; Jerry was gone, -Heaven alone knew where, and now Sherlock -had sacrificed himself so that the others might -have an instant’s start. Good old Sherlock! He -had helped them after all—— They burst -through the last of the trees, into a spreading -pasture land.</p> -<p>“One chance in a hundred!” Burk was crying -through clenched teeth. “We’ll fool them yet! -If we can only get as far as Lake Wallis—— Cross -water! Now, son, don’t try to say anything -more now!” The two racing fugitives -dashed through the grass in the hot sunlight. -“Save your breath! We’ve got to run now as -we never ran before!”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_162">162</div> -<h2 id="c17"><span class="h2line1">CHAPTER XVII</span> -<br /><span class="h2line2">JERRY GETS A RIDE</span></h2> -<p>Jerry had awakened about eight o’clock, -scribbled his brief note, and crept from the -hut in the woods without disturbing any of his -sleeping companions. His mind was made up. -Burk had said that Wallistown was not far away, -and there he could certainly purchase the food -they needed so badly. Since they were forced -to hide here until nightfall, his brief desertion -would not hold up their march. And he knew -they would be hungry. He was hungry already. -The keen, fresh morning air whipped up his appetite -as he hiked steadily down the trail. Birds -were flashing through the dewy thickets about -him, caroling their morning-songs; not a cloud -hung in the sky.</p> -<p>He came to an old moss-covered stone fence, -crossed over, and found himself in a lane, lined -with tall elder bushes, with dark rich clusters of -small berries hanging among the leaves. A rich -find! He filled his mouth with the bitter-tasting -fruit, which stained his hands a deep purple as -he ate.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_163">163</div> -<p>Feeling refreshed by this woodsy breakfast, he -decided to follow the lane. It led him half a mile, -coming out at a white frame farmhouse where a -woman was washing clothes in the yard. She -looked up as he passed and watched him -strangely, but said nothing, and he walked on to -the road beyond. This was a dirt-covered highway -which evidently led in the direction he wished -to take. He swung along steadily through rich -farm-lands and pastures where cattle grazed. A -hay-wagon driven by a man in a large straw hat -passed him; he did not look up, but had a feeling -that the driver was watching him steadily. The -road twisted and curved until Jerry had to get -his bearings from the mountains before he was -sure he was on the right track. Two miles farther, -he came to a signpost that informed him -that Wallis Springs lay to his left, while Wallistown -was still seven miles away. This hike was -farther than he had supposed; he might not be -able to return to his comrades for some hours yet. -Nevertheless, he knew that Wallis Springs was -nothing more than a little group of summer cottages -where he might not be able to purchase any -food; he must push on to Wallistown, at the foot -of the lake. He swung off down the curving -road.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_164">164</div> -<p>The sun was now high overhead; he was hot, -dusty, and a trifle tired. He took off his mackinaw -and slung it over his arm, wishing he had -left it behind. Now and then he could see to his -left the fringe of trees that bordered the big lake, -and could make out the roofs of little cabins occupied -by people who were summering on its -shores. The road twisted in and out, following -the wavy outline of the lake’s bank; no matter -how fast he tried to walk, Wallistown seemed to -be as far away as ever. He begged a glass of -water from a friendly, red-faced woman who answered -his knock at a little cottage beside the -road, and went on. Several automobiles passed -him, driving toward town, but none of their occupants -offered to stop and give him a lift, and -he did not dare ask for a ride. People who picked -you up, he had found, were often very curious -about where you were going and why; they asked -too many questions, and he was in no frame of -mind to undergo any cross-examinations this -morning. It was almost eleven o’clock when he -halted to rest beside a bridge that spanned a -little stream which wandered toward the lake.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_165">165</div> -<p>A whirring drone sounded above him; a cross-shaped -shadow skimmed across a field by the -road. An airplane hummed overhead, flying -low, almost hitting the tree tops. Jerry wondered -idly why the pilot took a chance of crashing by -flying so close to the ground. The plane circled -and swung off toward the mountains, and Jerry -dismissed it from his mind. If he had known -that this airplane was combing the country for -traces of Burk and the missing boys, he might -not have dismissed it so easily.</p> -<p>He rose and plodded ahead down the dusty -road. Wallistown was in sight now. He could -see the group of two-story buildings that marked -its main street, leading from the wharf where a -number of canoes, rowboats, and small motor -launches were tied up. It was getting late; he -decided to keep as far as possible from the center -of town, where he might be observed. There was -no use taking any chances, and he must start -right back, to have time to carry the food he -would purchase back over the long miles that -now separated him from his friends in the -mountains.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_166">166</div> -<p>At one side of the wharf was a line of low -buildings. Jerry left the road and followed a -wooden sidewalk along the bank of the lake, and -made out, on the front of the largest of these -buildings, a sign that proclaimed it to be a -grocery and “general store.” This was as close -to the town as he wished to go. The sight of so -many strange faces—people who probably had -never even heard of Camp Lenape—frightened -him a little. If he hadn’t come so far, and hadn’t -known that his brother and the rest were depending -on him to bring them some grub, he might -have turned back right there. As it was, he -quickened his pace and entered the shadow of the -store.</p> -<p>The interior of the place was gloomy, after the -sunlight outside, and was filled with a thousand -different odors, chief among them being those of -stale candy and dried fish. An old man was -lounging in a chair which leaned back against -the counter; he moved his head lazily to look at -this customer.</p> -<p>“What’ll ye have, bud?”</p> -<p>“A couple cans of beans, and some other stuff—I -don’t know just what.”</p> -<p>“Wal, look around and pick ’em out. Guess -we got what ye want,” the man answered, and -leaned back again with his arms behind his head.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_167">167</div> -<p>Jerry poked about among the shelves in the -back of the store. They wouldn’t have much -chance to cook; better to take things that would -carry easily, and that they could eat cold—bread -and cheese and chocolate——</p> -<p>The old man Slammed the four legs of his chair -to the floor with a bang, as someone entered hurriedly -through the door.</p> -<p>“You got my order ready, Mr. Clay?”</p> -<p>“Hullo, Rufe. Say, did ye find that canoe of -yourn?”</p> -<p>The newcomer was breathing heavily. Jerry -darted a glance at him. He saw a stringy youth -with a pimpled face, garbed in a jersey and dingy -white flannels, whose voice now took on a tone of -injury.</p> -<p>“Yeah, we found it floatin’ down by the outlet. -They must have landed in some hurry; Talk -about nerve! I was choppin’ some wood up by -our place above the Springs. These two come -burstin’ out of the woods, runnin’ like blazes, and -got away with the canoe before I even had time -to yell. I run along shore about half a mile, but -they had started across, and I couldn’t do a thing. -Pretty soon along comes a man on a horse, gallopin’ -along like mad. He asks me if I’ve seen -this pair—he’s a deputy sheriff, he says. You -could have knocked me over with a feather when -he tells me that one of the guys who stole the -canoe was this convict that’s been missin’ from -the Pen at Elmville!”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_168">168</div> -<p>“Ye don’t say! Wal, did he catch ’em?”</p> -<p>“No, not yet. They got ashore by the outlet, -like I told you. They’re still loose around here -somewheres; this sheriff feller says he hunted ’em -with dogs, and got one, but these two got clean -away.”</p> -<p>Jerry was frozen in his place, one hand still -gripping a can of corned beef. It couldn’t be -true! Hunted with dogs! And one of them -captured!</p> -<p>“They’ll get ’em,” said the old storekeeper -with grim satisfaction; “ye’ll see, Rufe, them -fellers won’t get far. That there airyoplane they -got flyin’ around is like to spot ’em if they try to -break across country.”</p> -<p>“I hope they do get caught,” said the youth -vengefully. “Stealin’ my canoe! Jimmy from -the newspaper office was just tellin’ me this convict -feller had got some kids from a camp up the -line to help him get away last night. Must have -been one of ’em I saw with this man——”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_169">169</div> -<p>“What did the boy look like?” Jerry blurted -out, and instantly wished he had bitten out his -tongue rather than speak those words. His concern -for his brother had made him forget how -perilous was his own position.</p> -<p>The youth in flannels turned upon him slowly. -“Well, if it’s any of your affair, Mr. Butt-In, he -was——” The speaker gasped, and surveyed -Jerry from head to toe. “Why—why—from -what I saw of him, he looked just like you!”</p> -<p>The old man cackled with laughter. “Guess -that’ll fix ’im, eh, Rufe? Pretty fast answer, -that!”</p> -<p>“But, I mean he—he really does look like him! -I only caught a glimpse of this kid when he was -runnin’ to the canoe, but I could swear——”</p> -<p>The storekeeper’s chuckles broke off. “Don’t -mean to say ye think this young feller is a des-prit -criminal, do ye, Rufe? Why, this feller -come in just as cool as a cucumber—wanted some -beans, he says.”</p> -<p>Jerry thought rapidly. “Well, I don’t want -any now!” he said boldly. “You can keep your -old stuff. I don’t want to listen to all your talk, -after this!” He started with determination for -the door.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_170">170</div> -<p>“Half a minute!” The youth called Rufe -barred his way. “Maybe you weren’t the same -feller that took my canoe, but you act kind of -funny to me. Maybe you know somethin’ about -all this.”</p> -<p>Jerry did not pause. “You’re crazy! Just -try to stop me!” His heart was in his mouth, -but he tried to look unconcerned, and pushed his -way ahead. The other looked as if he would hold -him by force; but evidently thinking better of -it, he stepped aside, and Jerry passed out into -the street.</p> -<p>His whole body was quivering at the suddenness -of this encounter. Sherlock caught—Jake -and Burk escaping in a canoe from a mounted -rider who had tracked them! Why, he had left -them sleeping miles away only a few hours ago! -And now—they must be near him, in danger, expecting -any moment to be taken!</p> -<p>Briskly, he crossed the street, and walked hastily -down toward the business section of town, -taking no notice of the groups of people who -passed him. Was the game up so soon? Rufe -hadn’t looked very convinced—— Jerry glanced -guiltily over his shoulder. Down the street by a -garage he caught sight of a pair of flanneled legs -in warm pursuit. He was being followed!</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_171">171</div> -<p>He turned the first corner he came to, leading -into a narrow street, and broke into a heated run. -How far could he get before the youth behind -him saw his flight, and raised a hue and cry? -Gritting his teeth, Jerry plunged down the street. -It was only two blocks long, and ended in a high -board fence. There was no way out; he was in -a blind alley. Out of the tail of his eye he caught -sight of his pursuer, who had turned the corner -and was now in full cry after him, shouting something -Jerry could not make out. There was only -one thing to do. Jerry leaped at the fence, -caught his hands in the rough top, and swung -over. With smarting palms, he landed in a heap -on the other side. There was no time to waste. -He sprang up, and found himself in a little field -full of daisies. Ahead lay a line of telegraph -wires, strung on poles fringing a shining asphalt -road. It must be the state highway! If he could -only get to the road before the youth behind him -could manage to get over the fence——! His -breath was coming in painful, dry sobs; he -couldn’t last much longer——</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_172">172</div> -<p>Dimly he made out a car coming up the road -from north, approaching him. He waved an arm -at it, and shouted, although he knew the driver -could not hear him. He was now half-way across -the field; behind him came a cry of rage as Rufe -clambered to the top of the fence—— Jerry’s -eyes lit up as he saw the car on the highway slow -down, come to a halt not a hundred yards away. -He would make it yet! He waved his arm at the -man in the driver’s seat.</p> -<p>“Give me a ride?”</p> -<p>He had to fight to get out the words. It was -his last chance! To his joy, the driver nodded, -swung open the rear door of the big car.</p> -<p>“Hop in!” came a man’s jovial voice from the -back seat. Rufe was still coming, but he was no -runner, and the fence-climbing had winded him. -There was still time—— Jerry Utway almost -fell into the back of the car, sprawling across a -pair of outstretched legs. The driver slammed -the door; the car, whose engine had not stopped, -responded to the clutch and slipped forward with -a roar. Jerry pulled himself together and fell -backward into a seat, panting out his thanks. He -looked up into the round, jolly face of the man -on his left who had told him to hop in. He was -wedged between this man and another, in the rear -of the car. He turned his head back; through -the window he could see the baffled figure of -Rufe, shaking his fist at the rapidly-moving automobile. -Jerry grinned.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_173">173</div> -<p>He suddenly realized that he had left his mackinaw -somewhere—probably back in the grocery -store, when he had walked out so hastily. Well, -he could get it back some time, later—— Just -now he had a headache, and things looked a -little blurred.</p> -<p>A voice rumbled at his side—his right side. It -was the man whose face he had not yet seen. -“You were in quite a bit of a hurry back there, -weren’t you?” it drawled. “Well, you needn’t -worry. You can rest now—rest a long, long -time. I thought you’d turn up again, twin, but I -didn’t expect it so soon!”</p> -<p>Jerry knew that voice. He knew the man, too, -even before he looked into his face. With a cry, -Jerry sank back into the seat of the speeding car. -It was Diker! Diker, the prison guard! The -man in blue, whom he had last seen at the campfire -on Pebble Beach! And Diker’s arm was -locked about his own, in a firm, threatening grip!</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_174">174</div> -<h2 id="c18"><span class="h2line1">CHAPTER XVIII</span> -<br /><span class="h2line2">THE GYPSY VAN</span></h2> -<p>Jake jumped ashore; Burk followed, and -pushed the canoe far out, so that it floated -empty on the face of Lake Wallis.</p> -<p>Never had Jake Utway taken a paddle in such -a wild canoe race! It was impossible that the two -fugitives should still be at liberty. The boy had -given up hope long before they had reached the -lake and taken the canoe; their furious progress -across the half-mile of water had seemed the despairing -effort of a dream; but here they were, -miraculously ashore again, and for the moment -still free. Yet the dream feeling still persisted; -Jake moved his body as if he were wrapped in the -twining coils of a nightmare, when horrors beset -the sleeper and all efforts to escape the menacing -shapes in pursuit are of no avail.</p> -<p>“Tired, partner?” asked Burk. The man -seemed to be made of whipcord; he had taken the -stern paddle in their mad dash, yet his set face -showed no trace of anything but determination.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_175">175</div> -<p>“I can keep going,” Jake managed to say.</p> -<p>“We’ll have to get somewhere else pretty -quick.” Burk pointed toward the far shore from -which they had come. “Look over there! See -that little motorboat just pushing out? Well, -I’m pretty sure that the people in it won’t take -long to get over here and pick up our trail again. -We’re in for it again—but at least we’ve got a -few minutes’ start.”</p> -<p>“I’m ready. Which way?”</p> -<p>Burk shook his head. “We’ve just got to trust -to our luck now. They’ve driven us out into the -open; I’m not much good down here near town. -There’s only one way we can go.”</p> -<p>They had landed on a little spit of gravel on -the east side of Lake Wallis, almost directly -across from the town. There must have been -people over on the wharf who had seen them desert -the canoe, who would put their pursuers on -the track at once; even now, hostile eyes might -be watching their every move.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_176">176</div> -<p>“Don’t run—somebody may be watching us, -and get suspicious,” warned the man, and set the -example by walking rapidly away from the border -of the lake. Jake, following, tried to smile; -he felt that he couldn’t run even if his life depended -upon it. They climbed a bushy slope, -came out above in a little glade aglow with maple -and sumach. Burk darted a look backward; the -motorboat was already well on its way across, -coming toward them with a feather of spray on -either side of its bows.</p> -<p>“The state highway runs along here on this -side somewhere,” remarked Burk. “We’ll have -to keep away from it; it’s dangerous for us right -now.”</p> -<p>He swerved to the right to avoid crossing the -ribbon of asphalt that cut through the woods, -and the two walked parallel to the files of telegraph -wires lining the highway. For five minutes -or so they followed a course which brought -them ever nearer to Wallistown; and each of -those passing minutes, they knew, brought the -net of capture ever closer.</p> -<p>Suddenly Burk gave a sharp exclamation, and -pointed. “Something funny ahead!” he said -warningly.</p> -<p>It was too late to turn back. A few yards -before them, the highway bent toward them in -a sharp angle. They stopped in their tracks, and -looked on a strange scene.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_177">177</div> -<p>The queerest vehicle Jake had ever seen was -tilted drunkenly at the side of the road at the -outer corner of the bend. “Half flivver, half -covered wagon,” the boy described it to himself. -Two little seats huddled behind the steering-wheel; -the remainder of the chassis was roofed -over by a spreading arc of canvas, patched and -weatherworn, stretched over hoops fastened in -the truck-like body of the car, from the rear of -which hung down a few narrow steps. The right-hand -wheel at the rear was firmly bedded in the -ditch; the opposite wheel in front was raised several -inches from the road. Two quaint figures -stood mournfully gazing at the ditched wheel. -One of these was a short, very fat woman of -middle age. She stood with her stout arms -akimbo, and with such a downcast look on her -dark face that Jake almost burst out laughing. -Her arms glittered with several bracelets, and -large rings dangled from her ears. The man at -her side was also short and fat, and also wore -earrings, and in one hand swung a spreading -black hat which, when worn, must have given him -the appearance of an Italian bandit in a stage -melodrama. With his other hand he was scratching -among his graying locks with a perplexed -air.</p> -<p>He must have heard Burk and Jake approaching, -for he wheeled about on his toes, and flashed -a dazzling display of white teeth at them.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_178">178</div> -<p>Jake had taken in the situation in an instant.</p> -<p>“We’ll help you get back on the road, Mister!” -he said. “Come on, partner—let’s give -them a hand!” He gripped the ditched wheel, -and tried to lift it.</p> -<p>The little man danced about on his toes, while -his wife swung back and forth until her bracelets -and bangles tinkled in delight.</p> -<p>Burk was now at the front of the car. He -pulled back the emergency brake lever, and Jake -felt the strange vehicle starting to roll farther -down into the ditch. He put all his strength -against the tailboard; the little dark man was at -his side. “Poosh—that’s right!” The boy -heaved, his face red with exertion; Burk had -gripped the spokes of the wheel in the ditch, and -was bending all his effort to force the car from its -lodgment. The united strength of the three of -them slowly shoved the strange little vehicle up -the slanting grade, and in half a minute the car -was back on the road again, headed toward -Wallistown, no worse for its plunge.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_179">179</div> -<p>“Many, many thanks—many!” the dark man -cried happily. He clapped his villainous-looking -hat on his head, and scrambling into the seat, -worked the levers and steering-wheel back and -forth to see that no damage had been done. -“You help fine! Come up, Maria!”</p> -<p>“Yes, you help fine!” the little man repeated. -“Now we go. You go, too?”</p> -<p>“We’re going the same way you are,” said -Jake quickly. “You—you couldn’t give us a -lift, could you?”</p> -<p>“For sure! For sure!” Their new acquaintance -was all smiles. “You help me fine! I help -you a little bit maybe.”</p> -<p>They needed no second invitation and darted -around to the tiny set of steps that hung from -the tailboard, sprang one after the other through -the slit in the canvas at the back, and tumbled -into the body of the caravan. An alarming pop-popping -sounded in front; the wheels began to -move, and the car rattled down the highway at -the breath-taking speed of twenty miles an hour.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_180">180</div> -<p>Jake looked around the interior of the strange -van. Overhead arched the canvas roof, filtering -the sunshine and splashed with moving shadows -as the car journeyed down the road. He found -himself sitting on the edge of a bunk built across -the floor of the car, directly back of the driver’s -seat now occupied by the ridiculous couple whom -they had helped. In one corner was a small -charcoal stove. The interior was heaped with all -sorts of things: a little tin trunk, cooking pots, -a cage with a canary chirping inside, bundles of -clothing; from hooks swung more clothing, a -lantern, a jangling bucket, a spare tire. “A regular -house on wheels!” he told himself. “Wonder -if these people are sure-enough gypsies?”</p> -<p>The little dark man’s head appeared as if by -magic through an opening cut in the front of the -canvas, his teeth showing white against his sweeping -mustachios. “That ees right! Make yourselfs -like at home, eh?”</p> -<p>“How far are you going?” Burk asked him. -“To Wallistown?”</p> -<p>The car bumped and shook dangerously; the -head was withdrawn and the machine put back -on its course again. Then the rolling black eyes -were turned on them once more. “What town -ees that?”</p> -<p>“The one just down the road there.”</p> -<p>“We do not like the towns. We just go on, -and then go on some more. Maybe we see nice -place, we stop, eh? Maybe not.” A teeth-rattling -lurch of the car again demanded his full -attention, and the conversation was cut off.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_181">181</div> -<p>Burk shook his head. “I don’t know whether -we’ve done the right thing or not,” he said in -a low tone. “These people seem to be going -our way; but it remains to be seen whether we’re -any better off than we were.”</p> -<p>“But, Burk—those people from the lake -would have found us in no time if we hadn’t got -this lift! And now we’re going south, even if it’s -not very fast. And we’re hidden here under this -cover, so that nobody will see us, even if the -police have sent out a description.”</p> -<p>Burk nodded soberly. “I guess so. But you -can be sure this highway is the first place they’ll -watch.” He peeped out through the flap in the -back of the caravan. “Look; we’re almost into -Wallistown; if he stops here, I might as well be -back in my cell at the prison right now. I know -this was the only thing we could do; but maybe -we’ve jumped out of the frying pan into the -fire.” The hunted man had never been at his -ease among crowds of people; now, he felt doubly -unsure.</p> -<p>Jake tried to reassure him. “Cheer up! We’re -snug enough here for a while, and it’ll give us -time to think up a plan. We’ll make it yet, old -timer! Now, if I only knew where Jerry was, -I think I’d feel pretty good.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_182">182</div> -<p>The creaking van shivered to a halt; bumped -forward again. Burk chanced another look outside. -“We’ve crossed the main street of town,” -he whispered. “Looks like we’re going south -after all.”</p> -<p>“Sure! That’s the stuff!” Jake replied. -“You see—it was a lucky thing we were able -to help out these gypsies, or whatever they are. -If the cops can find us here in this travelling -house, they’re pretty good. Keep a stiff upper -lip, and we’ll make Canoe Mountain before -dark!”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_183">183</div> -<h2 id="c19"><span class="h2line1">CHAPTER XIX</span> -<br /><span class="h2line2">SHOTS ON THE HIGHWAY</span></h2> -<p>“Yes, I thought you’d turn up again,” repeated -Diker. Jerry felt the man’s hand -tighten on his arm. “You twins seem to have a -habit of popping into sight when least expected. -The question is, which one are you?”</p> -<p>Jerry did not answer.</p> -<p>“Well, that’s easily found out,” his captor -went on. “I don’t know how or when you got -away, but if you were with Burk when the dogs -made him take to water, your legs ought to be -wet. They’re not. Therefore, we’ll get your -brother when we get Burk.” He raised his voice -to speak to the man at Jerry’s left. “See, Warden—I -told you this was one of ’em. Good thing -I spotted him when he was topping that fence, -eh? Well, now Frank can step on the gas. The -others may be ahead of us, or they may be behind, -but sooner or later, we’ll get ’em!”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_184">184</div> -<p>The jolly-looking man at Jerry’s left now put -in a word. “What was the big idea, son?” he -asked. “I’d think you were old enough to know -better than to trifle with the law, and help a convict -get away. All your leaders back there at -the camp are worried to death about you kids. -Didn’t you think of that? Where were you trying -to go?”</p> -<p>“Anyone would have done the same thing!” -Jerry burst out at last. “Burk told us he wasn’t -guilty, and we wanted to help him!”</p> -<p>The jolly man smiled, looking jollier than ever. -“My boy, I’ve been a prison warden for twelve -years, and I’ve never had a man in my charge -who’d admit he was guilty! Innocent men, every -one of them—to hear them tell it.”</p> -<p>Jerry, in his efforts to show Burk’s innocence, -forgot himself. “Let him stay free a little -longer, and he’ll prove he’s not guilty!”</p> -<p>“Oh, he will, will he?” the man said sharply. -“How will he do that?”</p> -<p>The boy realized that he had said more than -enough. He sank back in his seat. But Diker, it -seemed, was not through with his questions.</p> -<p>“How’d you get down here to town so -quickly?” he asked. Jerry shook his head. -“Won’t, tell anything, eh? Well, we’ll find out -all about it later. I don’t think you know where -the others are anyway. You’re just like the -skinny lad we treed up in the hills.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_185">185</div> -<p>“Sherlock?”</p> -<p>“That his name? He wouldn’t say a word to -us—all he did was sneeze. I left Harris to take -him along back. We got him, and now we’ve got -you—and the rest of the crowd can’t be far -away.”</p> -<p>The car slowed to a halt at a crossroads, where -a motorcycle policeman in the khaki uniform of a -state officer sat vigilantly astride his machine. -Diker jumped out, and ran across to the man, -hailing him as he came.</p> -<p>“See anything?” he asked.</p> -<p>The man in khaki shook his head. “Nothing -unusual. I’d swear they haven’t come along this -way.”</p> -<p>“Well, keep your eyes open,” he was admonished. -“That plane up there will keep them -from bolting toward the hills again. So long!”</p> -<p>Diker jumped back into his seat, and again -the car slid forward. Twice more, as the miles -went by, it stopped at the side of the road, and -Diker spoke to men who seemed to be posted on -guard. Once, they passed a car drawn up by the -side of the road. It was a queer-looking affair, -Jerry noted, with a canvas top like a prairie -schooner, and a chubby little man who looked -like a foreigner was pumping up a tire. They -drove by this roadside scene so rapidly, however, -that Jerry could not make out any details.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_186">186</div> -<p>Some time in the middle of the afternoon, the -big car drew up in front of the post-office of a -little hamlet about fifteen miles south of Wallistown. -The driver got out and entered a small -restaurant whose sign proclaimed it the “Apple -Hill Cafe—Tourists a Speciality”; he returned -with an armful of sandwiches and four bottles -of pop. Diker waved to Jerry to share this -sketchy repast, and the boy was too famished to -refuse, since his only previous nourishment that -day had been a few elderberries, hours and hours -before. He put away three ham sandwiches in -almost no time at all, and started to demolish one -of the large apples which the driver, whose name -was Frank something-or-other, had brought out -in his pockets.</p> -<p>“Well, Warden,” said Diker conversationally, -taking a long pull at his bottle of pop, “they -surely couldn’t have gotten this far down in the -time since we know they got ashore up by Wallistown. -Either they’re off the road altogether, or -else we’ve slipped up somehow. I guess we’ll -have to turn back. Shame to make you waste -time on the chase this way, but you know how it -is.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_187">187</div> -<p>“Burk used to live down this way, didn’t he?” -asked the jolly-faced warden. “He’ll know his -way around now, if he’s gotten this far. No; I -don’t mind taking the time to end off this affair -properly. I’m curious to find out what our friend -Burk is trying to do.”</p> -<p>“If you’re ready to start back then, we’ll go.” -Diker motioned to the driver, who circled around -the Apple Hill Post-Office, and the car started -on the return journey.</p> -<p>About two miles out of Apple Hill, Frank -slammed on the brakes. A man stood in the -center of the road, waving at them. Jerry recognized -him as one of the watchers they had spoken -to on the journey down; a farmerish-looking man -who seemed to be some sort of constable. Without -delay, he ran to the side of the car, and hurriedly -addressed the prison guard. “Jest got a -telephone call from the police-station in Wallistown,” -was his message. “They been inquirin’ -around like, and found a feller who was workin’ -over on the side of the lake where your man was -seen to land from a canoe. This feller—road-mender, -he is—was workin’ by the side of the -highway, and noticed some sort of outlandish -automobile stopped there for quite a while. He -didn’t see nothin’ of this convict feller, but he -says if ye can find this queer auto, the feller -drivin’ might know somethin’ to help.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_188">188</div> -<p>“What did this car look like?” asked the -warden.</p> -<p>“Like nothin’ else in the world, seems like. -Said it had a canvas top, like a Conestoga wagon, -all fixed up to live in—the driver was a fat little -feller that looked like a wop, and he had his -missus along. Catch that pair, and mebbe they’ll -tell you somethin’ ye ought to know!”</p> -<p>“We passed that outfit up the road—remember?” -burst out Diker. “Full speed ahead, -Frank! They were fixin’ up a tire when I saw -’em—they can’t be very far from here! And -pass me that gun of mine.”</p> -<p>Frank carefully passed Diker’s shotgun over -the back of his seat, and the car roared ahead. -Jerry peered forward with the rest. He had seen -that caravan and its funny little owner. Did he -know anything about Jake and Burk? Was it -even possible that——</p> -<p>They rounded a sharp bend in the road. -“There it is!” whooped Diker. “Draw up beside -them, and we’ll see what they know!” Again -the driver slammed on the brakes, and the car -screamed to a halt a few yards ahead of the oncoming -van. Diker jumped out, shotgun in hand, -and stood in front of the strange canvas-covered -car. “Halt, in the name of the law!”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_189">189</div> -<p>The caravan shivered to a rattling stop. The -dark, fat couple on the seat began jabbering at -each other in some outlandish tongue.</p> -<p>“Never mind that!” came Diker’s command. -“Come down here in the road! Now, I just want -you to answer a few questions—— Quiet! How -do you expect me to talk when you’re gabblin’ -like a bunch of turkeys?”</p> -<p>“What ees it you do, Meester?”</p> -<p>“Come down, I say! That’s right—now bring -the lady.” Diker turned to his chief. “I’ll bring -’em over to you, Warden, so you can ask ’em -anything you like. Over here, please! Gypsies, -aren’t you?”</p> -<p>Jerry, from his seat in the car, could look down -upon the heads of the two dark little people who -were now lost in the cross-fire of questions put -to them by Diker and the warden.</p> -<p>“Now, you stopped up by Lake Wallis a few -hours ago. We’re looking for a man, a convict, -who has escaped and who was last seen at the -place you stopped. Know anything about him?”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_190">190</div> -<p>The little man almost had tears in his large -rolling black eyes. “Ah, Meester, I have hear of -that wicked man! No, thanks to the saints I -have seen no wicked man—eh, Maria?”</p> -<p>His gestures were comical, but Jerry Utway -was not watching. Did his eyes deceive him, or -was there a ripple of movement behind the canvas -top of the other car? Was it really true that -Jake and the man Burk were——</p> -<p>“No,” the little stranger went on; “there was -no wicked man. But—wait a meenit—there was -a very good man, a good man who help me poosh—and -a very good leetle boy——”</p> -<p>Jerry, who had not taken his eyes from the -opening in the canvas front of the caravan, bit -his lip to keep from shouting. For an instant, he -had seen a pale face peeping out there, and it was -Jake’s face! They were in that car, hiding under -the canvas top! In another second the fat, voluble -little man would give them away, and then it -would be all over!</p> -<p>Diker shifted his gun. “A man and a boy?” -he cried. “Where are they now?”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_191">191</div> -<p>Jerry saw his chance. All eyes were upon the -strange couple. With a swift movement, he -leaned forward, over the driver’s shoulder. The -keys to the ignition were still in the lock on the -dashboard. Deftly he switched them off, and -threw the bunch of keys as far as he could into -the bushes on the other side of the road!</p> -<p>The men of the law, intent on their questioning, -had been taken off guard. For a moment -they did not comprehend what had happened; -and in that moment Jerry Utway screamed his -warning.</p> -<p>“<i>Drive ahead, Jakie—drive!</i>”</p> -<p>He felt the warden’s arms about him; he could -not move. The driver shouted: “He chucked -away the keys!” and jumped out of the car, colliding -with the bewildered Diker. A motor -whirred noisily; the ungainly caravan lurched -slowly forward. And Jake, good old Jakie, was -bending over the wheel, driving for dear life!</p> -<p>“<i>Drive!</i>”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_192">192</div> -<p>The man called Frank was trying to disentangle -himself from Diker’s arms, still shouting: -“He chucked away the keys! We can’t chase -them until we get those keys!” Diker fought -his way free, bumped into the fat, frightened-looking -dark man, and at last got clear. He -started to run up the road in the wake of the -caravan, which had slowly gained speed and was -rattling south at a good rate. Seeing that he -could not hope to overtake the car on foot, he -stopped short, yelled a final command to halt, -and clapped his gun to his shoulder.</p> -<p>“<i>Duck!</i>” shrieked Jerry, and felt the warden’s -hand clapped over his mouth. A double explosion -boomed from the road. Diker had fired both -barrels. Jerry’s eyes hurt as he strained to see -through the smoke. The caravan jerked an instant, -then moved on, gathered speed, and disappeared -from view at a curve in the road.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_193">193</div> -<h2 id="c20"><span class="h2line1">CHAPTER XX</span> -<br /><span class="h2line2">THE LAST TRAP</span></h2> -<p>In full career, the caravan pitched and creaked -like a ship in a heavy sea. Jake clung grimly -to the wheel, expecting each minute to hear -another rain of lead rattle about his ears; but he -doggedly notched the little car to its highest -speed, holding her to the road.</p> -<p>Old Jerry had done it! In another minute -they would have been bagged without a struggle, -but Jerry had given them the only chance for -freedom in sight. It would take their hunters -some time to locate the keys of the big car, turn -it around, and pursue the van. A few minutes -leeway might do wonders!</p> -<p>“Stop, stop, ye fool!”</p> -<p>A man with a badge on his lapel was waving -his arms wildly in front. Jake shoved on more -gas; the man who had sought to stop them leaped -blindly for his life, and they passed him in a -cloud of dust.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_194">194</div> -<p>How far could they get at this rate? Jake -leaned back and shouted, “All right, Burk? -’Fraid we can’t get far, unless we get out of this -bus pretty quick.”</p> -<p>Burk’s head appeared in the opening. Jake -did not dare turn around, and so did not see that -his partner’s face was drawn with pain. “It’s—no -use, I guess, old man.”</p> -<p>“Why, we’ve been in worse places than this! -Soon as we get a bit farther along, we’ll hop out -and take to the hills again!”</p> -<p>Burk shook his head. “We can’t make it. -Only thing to do is—pull up and wait for them.”</p> -<p>“Come, Burk,” Jake protested; “we’re not -far from Canoe Mountain now! We’ll desert -this car and run for it again!”</p> -<p>“Can’t do it, son. Not a quitter—but I -couldn’t run very far. Some of that shot caught -me in the leg. I—I——”</p> -<p>“What?” Jake shoved on the brake, and the -caravan rattled to a standstill at the side of the -road. He scrambled through the curtain, and -stared at Burk’s blanched face. “Let me see—did -they get you bad? I didn’t stop to think they -might—— It was that fellow Diker with them; -I knew him right off.” He was rolling up the -corduroy trousers on Burk’s right leg as he -spoke.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_195">195</div> -<p>“Whew! Looks bad; right in the calf of the -leg. But it might be worse. Do you see anything -around I could use for a bandage?”</p> -<p>Burk shook his head again. “Don’t bother. -The prison people will be along in a minute, and -they’ll take care of us. Too bad it had to break -this way; why, we can see Canoe Mountain from -here.”</p> -<p>“How far is it?” Jake’s tone was filled with -eagerness.</p> -<p>“Only about five miles to the lodge. You take -the road that leads out from Apple Hill, just a -little ways down here a piece. At the top of the -first mountain, you turn right on a short lane -that goes straight to the lodge. But why?”</p> -<p>“Listen,” said Jake Utway swiftly; “can I -leave you here all right? I can see your wound is -pretty bad, and you couldn’t walk a step with -that leg; but I’m still lively enough. We’re not -licked yet. I’m going on!”</p> -<p>Jake peered out the back of the caravan. -Their enemies were not in sight yet. Burk waved -his hand in feeble protest.</p> -<p>“The game’s up, old fellow. What could you -do at——”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_196">196</div> -<p>“I don’t know, Burk. But I’m going anyway. -I want to have a look at that hunting lodge -of yours. The prison bunch will take care of you -I know. Now, before I leave you, tell me—have -you been able to remember anything about where -you might have put that necklace?”</p> -<p>The man groaned softly. “I’m afraid not. -I’ve tried and tried—but I guess it’s hopeless.”</p> -<p>There was not a minute to waste. Jake -jumped to the ground. “So long, Burk! I’ll -be seeing you again. Cheer up!” he called -gently, and began hiking at a fast gait up the -road toward the little village of Apple Hill.</p> -<p>A forlorn hope, if there ever was one, Jake -Utway told himself as he hastened toward the -nearing cluster of houses that marked the crossroads -town. Of the four of them who had faced -the new day in heartsome spirits, he alone was -the only one still uncaught. First Sherlock, then -Jerry, and now Burk—one, two, three!—one -after another they had sacrificed their liberty in -order that the venture should go forward. And -it should go forward, to the very end, Jake -promised himself. Canoe Mountain or bust! It -was part of playing the game, to keep on and on -toward the goal, as long as breath was left to -struggle ahead——</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_197">197</div> -<p>A boy in overalls was riding slowly toward him -on a bicycle. Jake halted and waved his arm at -the oncoming lad, who pulled to a stop, and eyed -him suspiciously.</p> -<p>“Hello, kiddo,” smiled Jake. “Where do you -live?”</p> -<p>The boy scuffed the toe of his shoe into the -dirt beside the road, and gaped with open mouth -before answering. He jerked a grimy thumb to -the right. “Yonder.”</p> -<p>“Want to make some money?”</p> -<p>The boy’s eyes widened. “Huh?”</p> -<p>“I said, do you want to make a little extra -money? Listen; I have to go somewhere pretty -quick. Lend me that bike of yours for a couple -hours, and I’ll pay you.”</p> -<p>“Naw.”</p> -<p>Jake fished in his pocket and pulled out all the -cash he had been able to bring with him. “Look! -There’s almost four dollars there. Four bucks, -just for letting me ride your old bike for a little -while! I promise to bring it back in good shape.” -The farmer lad shook his head. Jake jingled the -money in his palm. “You won’t have another -chance to make money this easily!”</p> -<p>The boy pointed a finger at Jake’s scout knife, -which he had drawn from his pocket with the -money. “What kinda knife’s that?”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_198">198</div> -<p>Time was getting short. “That’s a swell -knife—look at all the blades it’s got,” said Jake -desperately. “Tell you what—I’ll give you the -knife and all this money too, if you let me borrow -your wheel for just an hour or two!”</p> -<p>The added attraction of the knife was enough -to sway the smaller boy’s mind. He snatched it -and the coins from Jake’s hand, and then slowly -climbed down off his bicycle.</p> -<p>“You’re making a good swap, kid,” said Jake, -gripping the handlebars. He was surprised to -find that the boy, as though he had suddenly -changed his mind, was clinging to the bicycle -with determination. “Say, what’s the matter?”</p> -<p>The boy shook his head. A thought had just -occurred to him. “How do I know you’ll bring -it back? Maybe you’ll bust it, or I’ll never see -you again!”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_199">199</div> -<p>Jake’s patience was rapidly giving out. -“Look here!” he said. “You haven’t got sense -enough to take my promise. Well, see this -mackinaw I’m wearing? It’s a good coat, and -worth two or three measly bikes like this one!” -He slipped off the garment, and held it out. -“Here, take it. You can keep that until I bring -your bike back safe, just to show you I’m not -trying to steal anything. Do you get that?” -The boy looked at the coat, then at the money -and knife in his hand. Jake tucked the coat -under the lad’s arm. “All right. You keep the -mackinaw, and in a little while I’ll bring this -back to that red house over there—that’s where -you live, isn’t it?—and get back my coat.”</p> -<p>Before the boy could change his mind or offer -further objection, Jake climbed into the saddle -and began pedalling down the road toward -Apple Hill. He had not gone far when he heard -a shout behind him, as if the boy had already -doubted the wisdom of his transaction; but he -increased his speed, and was shortly amid the -houses of the town.</p> -<p>He found the road to Canoe Mountain without -any trouble, and speeded off to the westward. -Only a few miles away the low blue line of the -hills, bristling with pine and spruce trees on the -skyline, pointed his goal. About half a mile after -he had left Apple Hill behind, the asphalt paving -ended, and the road became a dusty and rutted -stretch of dirt. A fine powder, stirred up by his -progress, settled on his clothing, coated his face -and choked his nostrils. Yet he kept on, pedalling -as hard as he could go.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_200">200</div> -<p>Some three miles on his way, he came to the -span of a concrete bridge, which carried the road -across a slowly-moving stream. Jake dismounted, -and wheeled the bicycle beneath the -bridge, where a grassy bank spread invitingly in -the sunshine of the late afternoon. It was warm -there, and restful.... He needed a bit of -rest, to get his breath back.</p> -<p>Jake stretched his limbs out luxuriously. His -hunger made him feel a little light-headed. He -closed his eyes for a moment to shut out the -bright sun. Burk—Jerry—the prison guard—hungry....</p> -<p>He awoke with a start. It was late. The sun -was almost down, now; there was a misty chill in -the air beside the slowly-gliding brook. He -jumped up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. -What had happened? The bicycle lying at his -side brought his memory back again. For several -precious hours he had been sleeping; he could -have been at Canoe Mountain Lodge by this -time! Hurriedly he pulled together his scattered -wits, and climbed to the road. The coast was -clear. He pushed the bicycle up the embankment, -mounted, and once more was riding toward the -hills that loomed darkly before him in the dusk.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_201">201</div> -<p>Timberlands began to line the road now. -Night was dropping its curtain over the countryside; -lights twinkled in far-off farmhouses in the -valley. He was soon aware that the road was -rising steadily; he was on the mountainside, surrounded -by dark thickets and ghostly trees; an -uncanny, haunted feeling came over him. He -could hardly see the road before him; he felt for -his flashlight, and smothered an exclamation. He -must have left his light in the pocket of his mackinaw, -now in the possession of the boy back at -Apple Hill.</p> -<p>The road was now too steep for riding; all the -strength of his muscles could not drive the machine -forward. He jumped off, and began a slow -trudge upward, trundling the bicycle beside him.</p> -<p>It took him fully half an hour to reach the -summit of the mountain. The hunting lodge -could not be far away now. If his venture was -a wild goose chase, at any rate that chase would -soon be at an end.</p> -<p>The weariness of his journey had blotted out -all sense of reality; he did not even think of the -hopelessness of burglarizing a strange house and -searching there for evidence of an incident which -had happened more than twelve months ago.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_202">202</div> -<p>His feet sounded hollowly on some sort of -wooden steps. They must lead up to the door -of the lodge! He leaned his bicycle against a -rustic railing, and stumbled wearily across the -resounding boards of a porch. If only he had his -flashlight! But no matter—— This must be the -door. His hand sought out the latch, and he -started back in surprise. It was open!</p> -<p>Could anyone be within? But no, there were -no lights showing anywhere about the place. -Some carelessness, no doubt. He pushed lightly -on the door; it gave before his hand, and he -stepped over the threshold, into a room.</p> -<p>Jake Utway tried to scream, but a lump had -risen in his throat, and he could not get the words -out. In a far corner of the strange room a red -coal, like a cigar-end, glowed and died. A freezing -paralysis of fear ran down his spine; in his -ears pulsed loudly the pounding beat of his heart.</p> -<p>“Come right in, son,” said a voice that was -horribly jovial. “You’re a bit late. But you’ve -come at last.”</p> -<p>The door slammed behind him like the crack of -judgment. Some heavy body had thrown itself -against the panels, and now stood ready to bar his -way. All the hazardous escapes of his flight from -Lenape had been of no avail. From this last, -dark trap there was no escape.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_203">203</div> -<h2 id="c21"><span class="h2line1">CHAPTER XXI</span> -<br /><span class="h2line2">THE SECRET OF THE LODGE</span></h2> -<p>“Don’t move!” warned the Voice from the -dark. “You can light up the lamp now, -Frank.”</p> -<p>The man at Jake’s back felt his way a few -yards to the left. The sound of a match scratched -on the sole of a shoe came to Jake’s ear; a tiny -yellow flame blossomed, was held to the wick of -an oil-lamp. The man called Frank replaced the -glass chimney of the lamp, and stepped back to -his post by the door.</p> -<p>“Sit down, bud. You must be tired.”</p> -<p>Jake Utway stared across at the speaker. His -new enemy sat in an armchair by a dead fireplace, -calmly smoking a cigar and smiling easily.</p> -<p>“You’re Jake, aren’t you?” he went on. -“You look so much like your brother that I feel -I know you already. But no tricks, mind!” he -chuckled. “That brother of yours has fooled us -enough for one day—throwing the keys of the -car away, just when he saw his chance to help -you.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_204">204</div> -<p>Never taking his eyes from the smiling man, -Jake sank into a chair.</p> -<p>“That’s right! We’ll be heading back in a -few minutes; might as well get your breath before -we go. Now, Jake, you can tell me just -exactly what you expected to do here at this -lodge.”</p> -<p>“Who are you, sir?” Jake countered.</p> -<p>“I suppose you didn’t see me in the car when -we stopped your covered wagon up the road. I -happen to be warden of the Elmville Penitentiary—your -friend Burk escaped from my -charge, and naturally I wanted to get him back -again.”</p> -<p>“How is he—Burk?”</p> -<p>“Oh, don’t you worry about him! He got a -few buckshot in the leg, but we bandaged him -up, and he’ll be walking around as good as ever -in a day or two. He’s gone back with Diker and -your brother some time ago.”</p> -<p>“Who told you I was coming here?” demanded -Jake.</p> -<p>“Burk himself. Told me you’d been good to -him, and he didn’t want you to come to harm. -Very earnest about it, too. Yes, I must say I’m -learning a lot about our friend Burk in these last -few days.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_205">205</div> -<p>Jake considered. “Have you found out that -he’s not a thief?” he asked boldly.</p> -<p>Again the man smiled, wearily. “You’re -pretty young, Jake. I admit Burk was always -well-behaved when he was serving his time, and -he looks like a decent sort. No doubt he told you -a yarn that sounded convincing enough—why, -every man at Elmville can make himself out to -be a saint, if you give him a chance! But I have -yet to find any proof that John Burk was not -given every benefit of the doubt when his case -was tried at law.”</p> -<p>Jake struggled upright, his eyes blazing. “It—it -might be law, but is it justice? Why, sir, -he—he——” The boy fell back, his strength -spent. The warden jumped up and came to his -side.</p> -<p>“Here, son—you must be worn out! Frank, -get that thermos bottle of hot chocolate from the -car, and have that caretaker make up some sandwiches.” -He patted Jake’s shoulder. “Bet you -haven’t had a thing to eat to-day. No wonder -you look worn out.”</p> -<p>The boy closed his eyes. “I am tired, I guess. -But I really mean it, sir. Burk didn’t steal that -necklace any more than I did.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_206">206</div> -<p>“All right. Don’t talk any more now. We’ll -have some hot food for you in a minute.”</p> -<p>The man resumed his seat, and began puffing -on his cigar in silence. As the minutes passed, -Jake looked about him. The room seemed to be -the main hall of the hunting lodge. Over the fireplace -he made out a dim shape, the mounted head -of a large buck deer. The walls were hung with -Indian blankets; a case of books stood in one -corner, and a rack of guns and fishing-rods in -another. The place was fitted out in rough comfort, -and at another time Jake might have -delighted in examining everything which the -sportsmen who owned the club had collected. As -it was, he waited motionless until Frank reappeared -with a steaming cup of chocolate, some -sandwiches, and a dish of hot soup.</p> -<p>“Feel better now?” the warden asked, as Jake -swallowed the last of the heartening liquid. The -man had removed his hat, and Jake could now see -that his hair was snow-white. “If you’re ready -for a ride, there’s nothing to keep us here any -longer.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_207">207</div> -<p>“But—but, sir, give me a chance to explain!” -The warm food had brought back much of Jake’s -strength, and with it his fighting spirit. If they -departed from Canoe Mountain Lodge now, -there would never be another opportunity to clear -up the mystery of the necklace, and Burk would -be worse off than before. Here, if anywhere, lay -the heart of that mystery, and although Jake -Utway had no clear idea as to the way of its solution, -he felt that the walls of the lodge must contain -some clue that would lead them to the truth.</p> -<p>The warden shook his head patiently. “You -fellows have risked everything to get to this -place, but Burk himself confessed to me awhile -ago that he had no definite aim in view, except -to hunt around some more for that necklace. -What can you know that he doesn’t know?”</p> -<p>Jake stood up. Strength was flooding back -into his aching body, and he spoke with a confidence -that could not fail to impress the white-haired -man. It was a confidence based not upon -reason, but upon the boy’s feeling that Burk had -spoken the truth. Into his mind flashed the picture -of that night of storm across the lake from -the Lenape dock; he could almost see the convict’s -drawn face, and hear the earnest ring of his -voice as he told his story to his two young captors——</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_208">208</div> -<p>“Mr. Warden,” he began, “I feel sure that -you know there’s something strange about this -case of Burk’s; otherwise, you wouldn’t have -taken so much trouble to talk to him after you -caught him, or to come here and wait for me. -You believe that the law is right, but you’re not -sure in your mind that a mistake hasn’t been -made; and you want to be fair to Burk and give -him a chance to prove that there has been a mistake. -Isn’t that right?”</p> -<p>The jollity of the warden’s face dropped from -it like a mask. He leaned forward, and his cigar -dropped from his fingers.</p> -<p>“That might be so, son. But——”</p> -<p>“You’ve asked yourself: Why didn’t Burk -get far away from this part of the country when -he had the chance? Why did he risk getting -caught, as he was caught, simply to come here to -Canoe Mountain, if he knew he was guilty?”</p> -<p>The warden leaned back again. “That’s easily -explained, Jake. Many times a man will give -way to temptation, and steal something of great -value. Even if he’s caught, he will refuse to tell -where he has hidden the thing, hoping that when -he gets out of prison he will be able to come back, -take the object from its hiding-place, and sell it -for what he can get. Burk knew where he had -hidden the necklace, and was coming back to get -it.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_209">209</div> -<p>“Suppose I could prove to you that Burk -didn’t know where he put it?”</p> -<p>The man smiled, and shook his head. “That -would be a mighty hard thing to prove. But if -you could do that, and the necklace was restored -to its owner, it might make some difference——”</p> -<p>“All right. Now, here’s another thing. Why -should Burk steal that necklace? He had never -done anything like that before. He had a good -job, which he liked, and as caretaker here had -been in a position of trust. He must have known -that he would be caught at once. He might have -run away with the pearls in Mr. Collinge’s absence; -but he was still here, and didn’t try to get -away. He has said all along that he was innocent. -The disappearance of the necklace has -brought him nothing but trouble. Why should -he risk ruining his whole life to take it?”</p> -<p>“You’d make a good lawyer, Jake!” the man -said slowly. “Hear that, Frank? The lad is -convincing me in spite of myself. But you -haven’t answered the big question, Bud: What -did happen to that necklace?”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_210">210</div> -<p>“I’m coming to that.” Jake’s words were -coming out in a rush now. He must make them -understand; he must prove to them that his -friend Burk, by this time no doubt back again in -his hated cage, was blameless of this crime. -“What happened to the necklace? The answer -is: Burk was sick. Have you ever had the ’flu? -Then you can picture what happened to him that -day. He was out of his head. His one thought -must have been to put the thing in a safe place, -and then lie down on his bed in peace. Can you -blame him for not being able to remember what -he had done, or where he hid the thing?”</p> -<p>“But why wasn’t it found?” the man asked -quickly. “A valuable thing like a necklace -doesn’t disappear so easily. And the case was -well-known; why, I’ll venture to say that this -whole place here has been gone over with a fine-tooth -comb at least a dozen times in the past -year! And as far as we know, the necklace has -never been found.”</p> -<p>Jake cast his eyes about the large room, noting -where several doors led off to the back of the -lodge. “Tell me, sir,” he said at last; “if the -necklace could be found, and if it could be proved -that Burk was sick and didn’t know what he had -done with it—that he had hidden it for safekeeping, -and not for his own gain—would Burk -be set free?”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_211">211</div> -<p>“I could safely say,” said the warden, “that -if such was the case, the facts would be put before -the Pardon Board, and I myself would make -a point of urging that Burk be released. But -you can see for yourself that it’s an almost impossible -job. Now, let’s forget all this foolishness, -and start back. It’s getting late.”</p> -<p>Jake did not move. “Did you say that the -man who is now the caretaker is in back somewhere?”</p> -<p>“Yes, he is, but——”</p> -<p>“Could I talk to him, please?”</p> -<p>The warden opened his mouth as if to object, -but thought better of it, and in a forbearing tone -asked the chauffeur, Frank, to call the caretaker.</p> -<p>The latter must have been just outside the -door, in the kitchen of the lodge, for he shambled -in at once, looking with curious eyes at the -strangers who had invaded his domain in the -name of the law. He was a bent little man, with -a drooping brown mustache, and he stood in -silence, resting on one foot, waiting for someone -to speak.</p> -<p>Jake faced him. “Can you show me the room -where Burk used to sleep, when he was working -here?”</p> -<p>The caretaker darted a look at the warden, -who motioned for him to answer. “Wal, yes, -guess I can. Sleep there myself; my room now.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_212">212</div> -<p>He led the way toward the rear of the building, -and the others followed, with Frank bearing -the oil-lamp behind them. The room which they -entered lay in the far corner of the lodge, a -narrow little place with brown boarded walls, -within which there was barely space enough for -a small cot-bed, a chair, and a tiny dresser. The -warden surveyed the room curiously, but Jake -went straight to the bed, and turned down the -covers. Then he wheeled on the caretaker.</p> -<p>“Is this bed the same as when Burk was -here?” he asked sharply.</p> -<p>“Wal, just about. Covers are the same, -mostly, but that there’s a new mattress I just got -last week.”</p> -<p>“Where’s the old mattress?”</p> -<p>“Chucked it outside on the woodpile. Why?”</p> -<p>Jake Utway did not pause to reply. In an -instant he was into the hall, racing through the -lighted kitchen, and out the back door.</p> -<p>“Stop him!” shouted the warden. “Get him, -Frank! It’s another trick!”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_213">213</div> -<p>But Jake had gone no farther than the woodpile. -In the light that streamed from the open -kitchen window, he was feeling about among the -wreckage of a worn-out cotton mattress, which -had been thrown upon the heap of firewood in -the rear of the lodge. Frank, still carrying the -lamp, held his arm until the warden and the caretaker -joined them.</p> -<p>“Let me go!” cried Jake impatiently. “Hold -that lamp down closer, will you? I can’t see very -well——”</p> -<p>“What in the world——” began the warden. -His words were cut short. Jake had found a -short slit in the heavy striped ticking that encased -the stuffing of the old mattress. His hand -slid through; he felt about for a moment, and -drew his hand out again. In the yellow light of -the lamp, everyone could see the object which -dangled from his clenched fingers. A short string -of gleaming, milky-white bubbles flashed before -the astounded eyes of the three men.</p> -<p>“It was a long guess, but it was right!” exclaimed -Jake Utway in triumph. “Here’s the -pearl necklace, safe and sound! Burk wouldn’t -have put it away in a place like this, if he hadn’t -been sick, and it was the first place he thought -of hiding them! And now, Mr. Warden—I’ll -hold you to your promise to do all you can to set -John Burk free!”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_214">214</div> -<h2 id="c22"><span class="h2line1">CHAPTER XXII</span> -<br /><span class="h2line2">BROTHERLY LOVE</span></h2> -<p>Jake Utway woke from a restless doze as -the car bumped over the rough road behind -Camp Lenape. He looked about him with sleep-sodden -eyes as the driver, Frank, drew up outside -the lodge. There was a light in the Chief’s -office, and the Chief himself must have heard the -noise of their motor, for he appeared at once, -holding up a lantern so that he could see the -newcomers.</p> -<p>His face lighted up as he saw Jake, huddled -in the back of the machine beside the warden of -Elmville.</p> -<p>“Well, there you are at last!” he exclaimed -with a sigh of relief. “Jerry has been in bed -for an hour, and I stayed up on the chance that -I might hear something of you. Now that you’re -really here, I admit that a big load is off my -mind.” He turned to the warden. “I don’t -know how to thank you, sir, for picking up the -boys as you have done. I’m sorry that two -Lenape fellows have caused you so much -trouble.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_215">215</div> -<p>“No trouble!” cried the warden genially. -“Now, let’s not keep young Jake here away from -his bed any longer with all our talk. He’s earned -a good night’s sleep.”</p> -<p>“That so? Well, hop along, Jake. We’ll -talk this over with you and your brother in the -morning.”</p> -<p>The words sounded ominous, but Jake was too -tired to worry about what the morning would -bring. He stumbled off toward Tent Ten, hardly -aware of what he was doing; but as he left, he -heard the Chief invite the two men into the lodge -for a cup of coffee, and the three of them disappeared -into the building talking together in -confidential tones. Jake fell like a log upon his -bunk, without taking off any of his stained garments; -but Mr. Avery was awake, and soon -tucked the worn-out boy between his blankets.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_216">216</div> -<p>The next morning, after breakfast, the Utway -twins stood outside the door of the Chief’s office -with beating hearts. They had not been given -any chance to speak to each other since their -separate returns to camp late the previous night; -and now that they were back in the familiar -scenes of Lenape, their wild adventure seemed -like a mad dream. How could they have run -away from camp without thinking of the worry -and trouble that this disobedient act would cause -their leaders and the Chief?</p> -<p>Jerry knocked shakily upon the door. At the -call of “Come in!” the two culprits entered the -office and stood waiting for judgment.</p> -<p>They could not read the look on the Chief’s -face as he stood regarding them quizzically. -“We-ell!” he said slowly, and paused.</p> -<p>“We—we’re sorry, Chief!” blurted out -Jerry. “We didn’t think about making a lot of -trouble for you and our leaders. We just wanted -to help—— But I guess it’s no use trying to tell -how we felt about it.”</p> -<p>“Do you think you did right in leaving -Lenape without telling anybody?”</p> -<p>Jerry shook his head miserably.</p> -<p>“What about you, Jake?”</p> -<p>“I’m sorry too, Chief. We thought we were -helping Burk, but maybe we were wrong. When -you put it up to us that way, it makes us feel as -if we—we——”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_217">217</div> -<p>The man nodded. “I could talk to you for an -hour about camp discipline, and it wouldn’t mean -as much to you as those words of yours mean, -boys. Your own consciences are better judges -than I could ever hope to be. And I won’t say -that you didn’t have some excuse. As things -have turned out, no harm has been done, luckily -for you.”</p> -<p>The Chief tapped with a pencil on his desk for -an instant, and then began speaking softly, almost -to himself.</p> -<p>“I talked with the warden last night after you -went to bed, Jake. And he said several things -about you boys which I won’t repeat; but he -made me see that Lenape hasn’t done all it might -do for you two. From now on, I shall expect -you to use all your extra energy in being better -campers. You both have lots of pep, and in -Burk’s case your efforts turned out to be of great -value. Keep on putting that pep to work to help -the other fellow at Lenape! You know how to -do it.”</p> -<p>He rose with a smile, and held out his hand. -The twins straightened, and looked their leader -full in the eyes. “Thanks, Chief,” said Jerry -huskily. “We’ll try.”</p> -<p>“We sure will!” added Jake.</p> -<p>Silently the Chief took their hands, and gave -each a hearty grip.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_218">218</div> -<p>“Oh, by the way, boys,” he said, as they turned -to go, “I have some news for you. Last night -the warden told me some things about this fellow -Burk that interested me a lot. When he’s free -again, as he should be if the warden means what -he says, I shouldn’t be surprised if I could find a -job around camp where Burk might be of use.”</p> -<p>Jake and Jerry Utway held back their feelings -until they were almost out on the porch. -Then they broke loose.</p> -<p>“Hurray for Chief!” they shouted. “Yay, -Chief! Yay, Lenape!”</p> -<p class="tb">The hospital tent was full to overflowing with -laughing boys. In the midst of them, clad in -pajamas, Sherlock Jones sat up in a comfortable -white bed, leaning back on his pillows with -sparkling eyes. Now and then he paused in his -talk to blow his long nose resoundingly, but -otherwise seemed none the worse for his adventure -on the mountain and his wetting in the brook -when the hounds were on his trail. He was the -center of interest, and it was plain to be seen that -he was enjoying his brief moment in the limelight -of fame.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_219">219</div> -<p>About him sat or stood all the members of the -Tent Ten group, and a number of other boys who -listened joyously to his tale. Chink Towner and -Wild Willie Sanders perched at the foot of his -bed; Fat Crampton, with wide eyes and open -mouth, hung upon his words; Steve Link was -there, and Sunfish Linder, and Spaghetti -Megaro, and many others.</p> -<p>“And were you scared when those big bloodhounds -jumped up at the tree and tried to get -you?” piped up little Pete Lister.</p> -<p>“Say, I hung on and said my prayers!” answered -Sherlock amid laughter. “But pretty -soon along came a man named Harris, and he -chained ’em up, and after that it was all right.”</p> -<p>“But how did Jake and the man get away so -quick?” asked Soapy Mullins.</p> -<p>“You’ll have to ask him that.”</p> -<p>“I tried to ask him this morning,” put in Lefkowitz, -“but he wouldn’t tell me a thing. But -he came to camp real late last night; I was awake -and saw him get here.”</p> -<p>“We’ll know all about it pretty soon,” observed -Gil Shelton, who was sitting on the steps -of the tent. “Here they both come now, up from -the lodge. Guess they want to see you, Sherlock.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_220">220</div> -<p>Sherlock drew forth his handkerchief. “I used -to think I was some punkins as a detective,” he -announced, “but I’ll say right here that the -Utway twins have got it all over me when it -comes to solving mysteries. From now on, I resign! -A thousand mysteries can happen around -this camp, and I won’t lift my little finger!”</p> -<p>A low cheer broke forth as the two brothers -stepped into the shadow of the tent-house. -“Yay, Jake! Yay, Jerry!”</p> -<p>Jake grinned. “Hello, Sherlock, old boy! -How have you been since I last saw you? Get -down that tree all right?”</p> -<p>Sherlock smiled back. “I’m all right. How -are you two?”</p> -<p>“We’re cinders,” announced Jerry. “We’ve -just been listening to the Chief, and boy, we’re -never going to run away from camp again! -From now on, I’m going to be the best little boy -you ever saw. And I really mean it. I felt like -a penny waiting for change after the Chief got -through talking. Man, I’d sooner get pinched -by the cops ten times, than have the Chief look -at me like that again!”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_221">221</div> -<p>“You said it,” added Jake. “I’d rather get -shot at ten times than feel as low as I did just -now. But the Chief is one grand fellow. He -made us see how wrong we were to run away -from Lenape the way we did, but he knew what -really happened, and said he hoped Burk would -get his pardon soon, and that he’d find a job -around camp for Burk to do when he got out!”</p> -<p>“But what did happen?”</p> -<p>“How did Burk get caught?”</p> -<p>“Where were you all the time?”</p> -<p>Questions rose from a dozen clamorous throats, -and the crowd of excited campers closed in about -the two brothers.</p> -<p>“Well,” said Jerry slowly, “it’ll take a long -time to tell. We were only away from camp for -one day, but boy, what a day!”</p> -<p>“It seemed like a hundred years!” agreed -Jake. “And say, wasn’t that farmer kid surprised -when we drove up last night and I gave -him back his bicycle! Guess he thought he had -my mackinaw for keeps!”</p> -<p>“That reminds me,” said Jerry. “I’ll have to -write to that storekeeper down at Wallistown to -send mine back. But you fellows will have to -get Jake to tell the story. He’s the one that did -everything, and got to Canoe Mountain. I got -nabbed before we were half-way there.”</p> -<p>“Yeah!” said Jake scornfully. “I wouldn’t -have got very far if you hadn’t seen us in the -gypsy flivver, and hadn’t thrown away the keys -to the warden’s car. And it was your idea for us -to go to Canoe Mountain in the first place.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_222">222</div> -<p>“That wasn’t anything. But I call it real -smart of you to figure out that Burk had stowed -away those pearls in his mattress!”</p> -<p>“Listen, Jerry Utway!” said Jake, and there -was a glint in his bright blue eyes. “We found -Burk together, and we never could have put it -across if we hadn’t been working together all the -time. Sherlock here helped a lot, too, although -he didn’t know it. Now, for goodness sake, nail -up that trap of yours until you can say something -with some sense to it!”</p> -<p>“I will not!” answered Jerry stoutly. -“You’re a hero, that’s what you are—a bloomin’ -hero!”</p> -<p>“I’m not! Don’t call me names! Take that -back!”</p> -<p>“You are, too! I won’t take it back. You’re -a bloomin’ hero!”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_223">223</div> -<p>Jake seized a heavy hot-water bottle that lay -at the foot of Sherlock’s bed, and wielded it -threateningly. The circle of boys widened about -the two brothers, and laughing campers nudged -each other and winked. For almost a week now, -the Utway twins had been strangely peaceable. -They had been driven by the mystery that had -surrounded Camp Lenape to join forces and forget -their brotherly strife in a common cause and -in the face of a common danger. But now that -they were back home again at Lenape, a friendly -little battle might clear the air, make them feel -themselves once more.</p> -<p>“That’s the boy, Jake!” urged Chink Towner. -“Give him the works!”</p> -<p>“Key down, you Chinaman!” cried Jake. “I -know what I’m doing.” Again he wielded the -hot-water bottle menacingly, hefting it as if on -the point of hurling it full at his brother. “Now, -Jerry, you take that back!”</p> -<p>“You’re a hero, a bloomin’ hero!” chanted -Jerry, tauntingly.</p> -<p>“And you’re another!”</p> -<p>“And you’re his brother!”</p> -<p>Sherlock Jones flashed a mock-terrified glance -at the two embattled brothers.</p> -<p>“Help!” he cried, and slid down into the bed, -pulling the covers protectingly over his head. -“The Utway twins are at it again!”</p> -<p class="tbcenter"><span class="small">THE END</span></p> -<h2>Transcriber’s Notes</h2> -<ul> -<li>Copyright notice provided as in the original—this e-text is public domain in the country of publication.</li> -<li>Silently corrected palpable typos; left non-standard spellings and dialect unchanged.</li> -<li>In the text versions, delimited italics text in _underscores_ (the HTML version reproduces the font form of the printed book.)</li> -</ul> - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's The Mystery at Camp Lenape, by Carl Saxon - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MYSTERY AT CAMP LENAPE *** - -***** This file should be named 54826-h.htm or 54826-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/4/8/2/54826/ - -Produced by Stephen Hutcheson and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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Thus, we do not -necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper -edition. - -Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search -facility: www.gutenberg.org - -This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. - - - -</pre> - -</body> -</html> diff --git a/old/54826-h/images/cover.jpg b/old/54826-h/images/cover.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index df173e2..0000000 --- a/old/54826-h/images/cover.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/54826-h/images/p1.jpg b/old/54826-h/images/p1.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index a1aa6e9..0000000 --- a/old/54826-h/images/p1.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/54826.txt b/old/54826.txt deleted file mode 100644 index dfe5584..0000000 --- a/old/54826.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,5281 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Mystery at Camp Lenape, by Carl Saxon - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: The Mystery at Camp Lenape - -Author: Carl Saxon - -Release Date: June 2, 2017 [EBook #54826] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MYSTERY AT CAMP LENAPE *** - - - - -Produced by Stephen Hutcheson and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - - - - - THE MYSTERY AT CAMP LENAPE - - - CARL SAXON - _Author of "Blackie Thorne at Camp Lenape"_ - - [Illustration: Decoration] - - BOOKS, INC. - NEW YORK BOSTON - - COPYRIGHT 1940, 1931 BY BOOKS, INC. - MANUFACTURED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - - - - - CONTENTS - - - I. Battle-Royal 7 - II. Sherlock on the Trail 16 - III. The Midnight Man 27 - IV. The Arm 35 - V. In the Name of the Law 44 - VI. Braves in Council 55 - VII. News and More News 65 - VIII. The Disappearing Act 75 - IX. Off for Pebble Beach 87 - X. The Man in Blue Again 96 - XI. The Lair of the Enemy 104 - XII. A Daring Resolve 112 - XIII. The Trunk Room 122 - XIV. So Long, Lenape! 131 - XV. Four in the Forest 141 - XVI. Hare and Hounds 152 - XVII. Jerry Gets a Ride 162 - XVIII. The Gypsy Van 174 - XIX. Shots on the Highway 183 - XX. The Last Trap 193 - XXI. The Secret of the Lodge 203 - XXII. Brotherly Love 214 - - - - - THE MYSTERY AT CAMP LENAPE - - - - - CHAPTER I - BATTLE-ROYAL - - -The Utway twins were at it again. - -"You are, too!" said Jake. - -"You're another!" said Jerry. - -"And you're his brother!" said Jake. - -It was "quiet hour" in Camp Lenape. The peace of Sunday afternoon hung -above the rows of white tents on the hillside above the placid lake. In -Tent Ten, however, the quiet was broken by a sudden uproar. - -Six wide-awake lads perched on upper bunks, grinning and nudging each -other. All eyes were turned on two bronze-haired, blue-eyed, sun-browned -boys who faced each other in the center of the tent. - -As they stood thus, it seemed as if there was only one boy, looking at -himself in a large mirror; for the Utway twins were so much alike that -others often wondered how one of them knew whether he was himself, or -his brother--whether Jerry did not sometimes wake in the morning and -think for a moment that he might possibly be Jake. The resemblance was -heightened by the fact that both wore identical outfits--the basketball -shorts and green-and-white jersey that served as the camp uniform. - -However, while Jerry wore a tennis sneaker on each foot, Jake wore only -one. The other shoe he brandished in an upraised arm with a threatening -air. - -"That's talking," put in "wild Willie" Sanders, from his perch above the -two brothers. "You tell him, Jake!" - -Jake turned on the speaker. "No noise from the nickel seats!" he warned. -"This is our business--no butting in. Now, Jerry, take back what you -said." - -"Well, take back what you said!" responded Jerry with some spirit. "And -quit aiming that shoe at me! Put it down!" - -"Keep off!" - -The band of onlookers, now reinforced by the grinning faces of many -inmates of neighboring tents, chuckled with delight. It looked as if -there was going to be a fight at last. And the watchers knew from past -experience that if the Utway twins got to scrapping again, the resulting -action would do much to brighten up a dull Sunday afternoon. Therefore -they waited happily for the first gong of the coming battle. - -It looked as though Jerry meant business. With a swift rush he attempted -to snatch the menacing shoe from his brother's hand. Jake neatly dodged, -and swung the improvised weapon in a dangerous arc. His fingers slipped -on the smooth rubber of the sole, and the shoe hurled itself with some -force at Jerry's chest. - -Jerry grunted as the flying sneaker took him in the midriff. He was not -hurt, but he was mad. He had forgotten completely what the original -quarrel was about; he knew that the shoe had been flung by accident, but -didn't care; all he thought of was to "get even" with Jake. He snatched -the nearest thing at hand, which happened to be a canteen belonging to -little Pete Lister, and flung it wildly at his brother. - -Jake dodged again, and returned this fire with an unwieldy missile that -proved to be Fat Crampton's generously-built raincoat. This went wild of -the mark, and he ducked a whizzing flashlight while at the same time -reaching about for more ammunition. His hand touched "Sherlock" Jones's -camera-case, and he was about to aim this at Jerry's head when he was -taken full in the face with a canvas pillow, followed by a sweater and a -Boy Scout Handbook. - -"Hey!" cried Jones, jumping down from his bunk in alarm, now that his -treasured possession was in danger, "that's my camera-case you got!" - -The contested object sailed past his ear and met its mark on Jerry's -leg. By this time Jerry was in no frame of mind to distinguish friend -from enemy. He was seeing red, and the sight of young Jones dashing -toward him to regain his property raised his temper to the boiling -point. He reached out and greeted the oncoming boy with the contents of -a handy water-bucket. - -The bucket was half full, sufficient to make a drenching torrent which -reduced the hapless Jones to a sopping state. His cry of rage filled the -tent. Wild Willie Sanders came to his rescue, and together they advanced -on Jerry, who was now armed with a loose tent-peg swinging on the end of -its rope. - -Jake had taken advantage of his momentary freedom from attack to gather -together a goodly pile of ammunition--shoes, tennis rackets, pinecones, -pillows, and an empty wasp's nest which Lefkowitz had collected as a -specimen. Chink Towner had entrenched himself on the top of a bunk, from -which fortified position he was able now and then to swipe the tumbling -combatants over the head with a pillow. Little Peter Lister managed to -give Fat Crampton a timely shove which sent him rolling between the legs -of his battling tent-mates. - -Objects of all sorts, from baseball bats to cakes of soap, flew through -the air and landed in the low bushes outside the tent. Battle-cries and -shouts of the wounded rent the calm Sunday afternoon air. - -The fight was no longer a private contest. The action had become -general. A whirling shoe had landed on "Kipper" Dabney, aide of Tent -Nine next door, and he had immediately led his cohorts in a vengeful -sally against their warlike neighbors. Somebody had refilled the empty -water-pail and was methodically doing his bit to make sure that not one -of the combatants was left undrenched. A scouting party from Tent Five -had raced downhill and were swiftly pulling the blankets from every bunk -and tossing them into the huckleberry bushes. Tent Ten was a -battleground of whirling arms, tumbling bodies, and flying weapons, -whereon no one knew his friend, and every boy fought for himself. - -"Stop!" - -A shrill voice of command cut through the tumult. Unseen by the rioters, -a short, erect man in scoutmaster's uniform had appeared in their midst. - -"Stop this at once! Put those things down! Attention!" - -A boy on the outskirts of the group whistled in surprise. "Chickie! It's -Mr. Colby!" He dodged behind a tree and disappeared. Silently the boys -from other tents faded from the scene, trying to look innocent and -peaceful. In ten seconds the members of Tent Ten were left alone amid -the ruins, under the stern gaze of Mr. Colby. - -"Attention! Line up!" - -Eight boys guiltily straightened, heels together. - -"You, Utway, drop that baseball bat! Now, what's the meaning of this?" - -The councilor's keen eyes flashed from one face to the next. The sudden -uproar had brought him running from his place at the leaders' meeting on -the porch of the lodge. As officer of the day, it was his duty to take -charge of the camp program, inspect the tents, and assign merit points -for the conduct of each tent-group. He took his duties most seriously; a -short period of service in the National Guard had given him a mighty -respect for military discipline; and his strictness at all times was -well-known at Lenape. - -"Men, you are a disgrace!" he snapped. A few feathers from a ripped -pillow sifted down and settled upon the brim of his hat, but not a boy -dared to smile. "A disgrace! Now, who's responsible for this?" - -His searching eye caught sight of the twins, standing together at one -end of the line. He well knew the reputation these husky brothers had -for unladylike conduct, and twice before had found it necessary to -separate them from each other's grasp after sudden tussles. His lips -tightened as he stopped before Jerry, whose relinquished baseball bat -lay across his feet. - -"You again, eh? Fighting with your brother, were you, Jake? Or Jerry, -whichever you are?" - -"Well, you see----" - -"Never mind accusing anybody else! You'll have to learn that camp is no -place for continual bickering! Look at this tent! You've made hay of the -whole place. I'll make it my job to see that Tent Ten gets the booby can -for this----" The councilor's words were broken off short, and he fell -back, clapping his hands to his head. - -He had been standing directly under the front tent pole, and the oil -lantern hanging there, which had somehow escaped being brought into the -fray, had suddenly descended from its nail at the top of the pole and -struck him full on the crown. The blow had been partly dulled by his -stiff hat, but he was smarting with anger. His bristling gaze fell on -the flushed face of Jake Utway, who stood beside the pole with defiance -in his eyes. - -"You--you did that, Utway! Don't deny it!" - -Jake did not deny it. He had taken this means of defending his brother -from the full brunt of the guilt for the battle-royal. - -"Well, why don't you stop picking on Jerry? He wasn't the only one to -blame! All of us did some." - -"You--you----Both you boys are incorrigible! Now, listen! You two must -put this tent in order at once--pick up everything, make all the beds, -put everything in its place! If this is not done, I shall recommend that -you serve ten hours apiece on the chain gang. No discipline--no -discipline----" - -Still rubbing his injured brow tenderly, the enraged scoutmaster rushed -from the tent, not daring to trust his temper further. - -The group relaxed. "Guess that'll fix you guys for soaking me with all -that water," muttered Sherlock Jones. "Serves you right." - -"Shut up," said Jerry rudely. "Say, Jake, thanks. He sure did look sad -when that lantern bopped him! I knew right away you did it on purpose." - -"Aw, he was picking on you," answered Jake. "That's all right. He got -even with us, though. It's not going to be an easy job, cleaning up this -mess. Let's get busy. Come on, pick up those blankets." - -"You're no cripple--pick 'em up yourself!" - -"Pick 'em up, you lazy loafer!" - -"Who's a loafer?" - -"You are!" - -"You're another!" - -"And you're his brother!" - -The Utway twins were at it again. - - - - - CHAPTER II - SHERLOCK ON THE TRAIL - - -Sherlock Jones muttered vengefully to himself as he slowly stripped and -removed his sopping clothes after the battle. Moodily he donned a dry -outfit, pulled a sweater over his head, and stalked from the littered -tent. - -Between two pine trees a few yards away, a rustic bench had been built. -Sherlock sat down, drew a thin book from his pocket, and began to read. -He had barely cast his eye down one page when a shadow fell on his arm, -and he looked up to see Wild Willie Sanders surveying him curiously. - -"What's bitin' you?" asked Wild Willie. "You look mad as a wet hen." - -Sherlock scowled. "Something terrible's going to happen around this -camp!" he said with a profound air of secrecy. - -The other boy laughed scornfully. "Huh! That's what you're always -saying! Always acting mysterious, as if you thought somebody was going -to commit a murder any minute! Reading that book again, too, I see! -What's the name of it?" - -With a swift movement, he jerked the thin volume from Sherlock's hand, -and read the title. "'How to Be a Detective in 10 Lessons, by the -Fireside Correspondence School.' Say, what makes you think you're a -natural-born sleuth, anyway?" - -Sherlock peered up pleadingly, blinking his pale blue eyes behind the -large, window-like lenses of a pair of horn-rimmed glasses that rested -on his long, inquisitive nose. "Here, give me that, Wild Willie! Give me -back that book!" - -"All right, Mr. Detective." The boy tossed the book down, and grunted. -"Say, you better quit shadowing Chink Towner all over the place. He's -getting mad about it, and told me he'd swat you one if you didn't stop -following him." - -Again Sherlock gave him a solemn glance. "Shh! I got information that -he's a smuggler!" - -"A smuggler? What do you mean?" - -"Well, anyway, he's probably a Chinese spy in disguise." - -Wild Willie laughed derisively. "Say, I've known Chink Towner all my -life, and he's no more a smuggler than the Chief is! Why he's not even a -Chinaman--we just call him Chink because he kind of looks that way. You -better get these nutty ideas out of your head before you get hurt. It's -just like that time you told me that Leggy and all the other colored -fellows in the kitchen were counterfeiters." - -Sherlock winced. This affair was another of his failures to discover a -secret threat of Crime hanging over the heads of his fellow campers. One -evening soon after the camp season had started, he had been listening -outside the shack where these dusky young men lived, back of the -ice-house, and had heard the whirr of machinery and the proud voice of -Leggy, assistant cook, remarking: "Yas suh, dis here ma-sheen is sure -goin' to make lots o' money for us all!" His hope of fame as a great -detective was blasted next day in mess-hall, however, when that same -Leggy announced that he had "brought a sewing-machine to camp with him -and was prepared, for a nominal sum of money, to mend rips and tears in -the campers' clothing." - -"Never mind about that," he said desperately. "People around this camp -are going to be pretty glad they've got a live-wire detective on the -job. Pretty soon you'll wish you'd listened to me." - -"Why? What's going to happen?" - -"Some people around here will bear watching, that's all!" Sherlock cast -a meaning glance in the direction of Tent Ten, where the twins had set -about clearing up the devastated tent and making up the bunks into a -semblance of orderliness. - -Wild Willie stared in unbelief, and again broke into a laugh. "You mean -the Utway brothers? Say, if you take my advice, you'll keep away from -those two! Everybody knows they scrap with each other now and then, but -if you try to tackle one of them, you'll have both of them coming down -on your neck! What have you got against them?" - -"Well," said Sherlock slowly, "Jake threw around my good camera-case, -and Jerry dumped a whole bucket of water on me----" - -"That's no crime, is it? What's mysterious about that?" - -"You'll see. Look at what they did to Mr. Colby--Jake knocked down a -lantern on him, on purpose, and I bet they'd like to do worse, if they -could. And he's a councilor!" - -"You're a born chump," remarked his tent-mate hopelessly. "No use trying -to argue with you, Mr. Sherlock Holmes Junior. Some day, something -terrible is going to happen around camp, and then you'll be a hero and -discover the mystery. _Oh_, yes!" Again came that scornful laugh. -"Listen, there goes the bugle sounding Recall. Sax McNulty promised to -tell some stories before swim, up at the big cherry tree. Are you -coming, or are you going to read your old book all day?" - -"You go ahead. I'm all right." Sherlock again picked up his precious -book, but he did not read far. As soon as Wild Willie was out of sight, -he slipped the book into his pocket. He was convinced that the Utway -twins were a pair of villains. If he could catch them in some dark act, -and unmask them as dire disturbers of the peace of Camp Lenape---- - -Already a plan had formed in his mind. He would hide near them, watch -their movements, and if possible discover them in some suspicious act. - -The campus between the rows of tents was deserted now. Again silence -hovered over Camp Lenape, scene of many a summer adventure, some of -which have been written down elsewhere. The spreading lodge-building, -perched on the hillside midway between the mountain range and the waters -of Lake Lenape, was deserted. In the shadow by the kitchen door, -Sherlock could see Ellick, the jovial, chocolate-colored chef, sprawled -on the ground beside his three coffee-colored assistants, resting after -their labors of preparing the midday meal of camp fare. The waiting lad -could picture in his mind the scene under the wild-cherry tree in the -baseball field beyond the lodge, where a dozen grown men, the -councilors, sat, surrounded by the hundred lively boy campers who each -season came to live under canvas in the woods and to enjoy the delights -of this outdoor paradise. "Sax" McNulty, the comical leader who was in -charge of camp stunts, would be relating some stirring tale. All the -other councilors would be there--Wally Rawn, the swimmer; Lieutenant -Eames of West Point fame; Mr. Colby; Happy Face Frayne, the associate -director; and the rest. And somewhere among the group of listening boys -would be the Chief himself, the kindly director who knew all things. - -Among the crowd, Sherlock's absence would not be noticed. He rose -swiftly, and managed to creep unseen into a clump of low bushes about -fifty yards below Tent Ten. From this vantage-point he was able to -overlook the activity of the two brothers, who labored moodily at their -task in the hot sun. - -It was no easy thing to discover all the missing objects which the -energetic raiders from other tents had thrown into the surrounding -shrubbery, and to arrange everything inside in apple-pie order for a -later inspection; and the better part of an hour passed before Jake and -Jerry sat on a newly-made bunk and rested from their labors. - -Sherlock, who had patiently squatted within the depths of a distant -huckleberry patch all the while, now saw his chance to creep -undiscovered to the space under the flooring of the tent, where he could -listen and perhaps overhear some incriminating words. Expertly he wormed -his way to this hiding-place, behind the unsuspecting backs of the -brothers, in time to catch the end of Jake's last remark. - -"--you're right, Jerry. We sure ought to do something. Everybody was in -on the scrap, and Colby didn't have any right to put all this work on -us." - -"He's too strict, with all his talk about discipline," responded Jerry -somberly. "From now on he's going to be after us, especially when you -pushed the tent-pole and brought that lantern down on his dome; so we -might as well be hung for a sheep as a lamb." - -"That's the stuff! What'll we do to him?" - -Sherlock, below them, stifled a gasp of horror. Here was mutiny, rank -rebellion against the authority of a councilor of Lenape, a grown man -and a scoutmaster! His jaw gaped as he listened. - -"I've been thinking," said Jerry slowly. "I bet old Colby could be -scared out of his skin, even if he was a soldier once. You know that big -bull-frog Spaghetti Megaro caught the other day? I know where he keeps -it down in my tent. Let's get it, and to-night, about twelve o'clock -when everybody's asleep, we'll slide down to Colby's tent and chuck old -Mr. Frog into his bed! Talk about scared! Say, I'll bet Old Discipline -will let out a yelp you can hear a mile!" - -"Boy, I can just hear it now!" agreed Jake, bursting into a laugh. "But -how are we going to stay awake that long? Twelve o'clock's pretty late." - -"I'll fix that. I can wake up whenever I want to, you know. We can run a -long string across from my tent over here. Tie one end to your foot -before you go to sleep. When I wake up I'll give it a pull and wake you -up, then get the frog, and meet you here. Then we'll go down to Fifteen -and give Mr. Discipline the scare of his life!" - -"All set. I got a ball of cord in my locker we can use. Come on, -Jerry--we got time enough before swim to listen in on one of Sax -McNulty's stories. Let's go!" - - _Day is done, gone the sun, - From the lake, from the hills, from the sky--_ - -The full, rich notes of Taps rolled over the pines of Lenape and echoed -across the lake. Fat Crampton doused the Tent Ten lantern and climbed -heavily into his creaking bunk. - -"Good night, campers!" drawled the voice of Jim Avery, the lanky -councilor. Sleepy voices answered from the darkness. There was a slight -rustling from the direction of Jake Utway's bunk. Sherlock Jones cocked -an ear. He knew that Jake, following the plan he had overheard that -afternoon, was attaching to his foot the cord which the twins had laid -down after nightfall to connect Tent Ten with Jerry's bunk in Tent Eight -down the line. This method of communication was necessary because the -Chief in his wisdom made it a point to separate the two devoted brothers -into different tent-groups when the changes in tent assignments were -made at the end of each two-week period of camp. Therefore Jake was -given a place with Mr. Avery, while Jerry was nominally under the -guardianship of Dr. Cannon in Tent Eight. - -Sherlock smiled with satisfaction in the darkness. He, too, had a score -to pay off, and he would see that the brothers who had misused him would -not get off lightly. His preparations were made. Cautiously he felt -under his bunk to make sure that all the equipment he needed was at -hand. - -A few stars sparkled down through the softly-swaying pine branches. -Nothing was heard in the tent now save the heavy breathing of the weary -sleepers, led by Fat Crampton's rumbling bass snore. Far up the mountain -behind camp a dog barked somewhere. The travelling spot of a flashlight -came up the path as the Chief passed by noiselessly on his nightly -round. Sherlock caught himself nodding--tried to jerk himself into -wakefulness--nodded again.... - -He woke with a start. A dim bulk of shadow moved against the dull -starlight; Jake Utway was dressing hastily in the dark. He waited until -Jake had slipped on his tennis shoes and had noiselessly tiptoed down -the steps. A light footfall from the path told him that Jerry was -joining the party. "Got the frog?" he heard Jake whisper; the forms of -the two brothers melted into the dark in the direction of Tent Fifteen. - -Sherlock waited no longer. He sprang from his blankets, and stripped off -his pajamas. He had, unseen by his tent-mates, slipped into bed fully -dressed beneath his nightwear. It was the work of a few instants to -slide his feet into a pair of moccasins and drop over the edge of the -tent floor. Clutched under one arm he carried his camera, his most -prized possession. In the other hand he bore a metal pan with a short -handle, and a package labeled "flashlight powder." - - - - - CHAPTER III - THE MIDNIGHT MAN - - -Through the gloom the Utway twins felt their way down the hill, trusting -to the touch of their feet to keep them on the path that ran through the -pines on the northern edge of the campus. Jerry carried under his -sweater the bulging form of the big frog, whose long legs jerked -fitfully. - -Jake grabbed his brother's arm. "Hark!" he whispered. "I thought I heard -something over to the right--there in the bushes!" They listened. - -"You must be dreaming still! I don't hear anything. Come on! You aren't -scared, are you?" - -"Aw, say! Let's hurry up, though. We don't want to get caught. You still -got Alexander good and tight?" - -Jerry resisted a particularly violent kick from Alexander, the frog, and -again moved forward. They were now close to the dull patch of canvas -that marked Tent Fifteen, the tent furthest away from the lodge. The -twins had marked beforehand the lower bunk occupied by Mr. Colby, which -was on the far side. With the greatest caution, the twins circled -through the underbrush and crept beneath the moorings of the tent-ropes. -The councilor's bunk was now at hand. It was their aim to slip Alexander -beneath the blankets, and retreat into the cover of the pines, there to -await the startled yell that would tell them Mr. Colby had discovered -his slippery bedfellow. - -Jake put his mouth close to Jerry's ear. "Say, I know I heard -something--there, right back of the tent! Somebody must be following -us!" - -"Well, what of it? They can't see us in the dark. All the more reason to -hurry. Ready?" He fished Alexander forth. "Quick, now--lift up the -covers and I'll chuck him in----" He got no further. - -_Boom!_ A thunderous explosion came from a few feet away, and a -brilliant flare lit the scene like a flash of lightning. - -With daylight clearness, the startled raiders could see every feature of -their surroundings, standing out from the night. It was like a stage -play. The inside of Tent Fifteen was lit with a blinding radiance. In a -cleared space at the open rear of the tent, Sherlock Jones stood, a -flaming flashlight-pan held high over his head with one hand, his other -hand clicking the shutter of the camera, placed on a tripod and aimed -straight at the bunk over which bent the white faces of the Utway twins. -In the darkness, Sherlock had poured more powder into the pan than would -have been necessary to light the scene of action, and the resulting -explosion had been greater than he was prepared for. - -Jerry jumped backward, for in the momentary light from the pan he had -seen Mr. Colby's eyes open and shut again, blinded by the dazzling -glare. The boy's backward movement caused him to bump his head heavily -against the mooring-pole, and he saw more stars than those that shone in -the July heavens. Alexander dropped from his nerveless hand. - -Jake Utway, however, was the most startled of all those whose figures -stood out in that brief second of brightness. He could not hold in the -cry that came to his lips. Not six inches away from his was a face--the -face of a man, wild, desperate, knotted with fear! - -For some precious seconds he was too paralyzed to move. The flare had -died down, but in his mind's eye still stood forth, every feature cut -clear in his memory, the face of the stranger. That twisted visage, he -was sure, belonged to no one of the leaders of Lenape, nor any of the -neighboring farmers that he knew. The head was completely bald, the eyes -staring from their sockets, clenched teeth glittering between pale, -drawn lips. He knew that never, as long as he lived, could he forget -that frozen mask of terror. - -It seemed ages before he could control his body enough to move. -Stumbling blindly beneath the mooring-pole, he made for the shelter of -the trees. Behind him came the shrill challenge of Mr. Colby: "Halt! Who -goes there? _What is it?_" - -Jake ran. He had gone about twenty yards when he tripped over a clump of -brush, fell forward perilously, crashed into the trunk of a tree. He lay -stunned where he fell. Dancing sparks flickered before his eyes; a slow -pain grew in the left side of his face, which had smashed against the -rough bark of a pine. - -From a few yards away came the crash of a struggling body, tearing its -way through the bushes. "Is that you, Jerry?" he called hoarsely, -finding his voice and struggling to a sitting position. There was no -answer, but the thrashing sound continued. What was it? - -The unknown thing was almost upon him now. His whole face stinging with -the recent blow, he tried to flounder to his feet. His upraised arm came -into contact with flesh! Some heavy body fell upon his, a writhing mass -of humanity. His groping hand clutched a bony arm clothed in some rough, -thin material. At least his unknown attacker was human! Gritting his -teeth, Jake Utway pulled himself together and grappled with his strange -antagonist. - -The battle was brief. The enemy seemed more bent upon escaping from -Jake's clutch than remaining to wrestle. It was a question which of the -two was the more frightened. Jerry found and clung to a flailing leg -until a sudden kick sent him sprawling again. The branches of the -undergrowth crackled as the panic-stricken attacker fought his way free. - -Painfully Jake scrambled to his feet. With his body scratched by the -bushes and bruised in a dozen places, and his face throbbing from its -blow against the tree, he now thought of nothing but regaining his tent -undiscovered. Jerry must already have made his way back to his own tent. -Jake hoped that Mr. Avery was not among those hurrying forms that passed -near him in the dark, hastening toward the scene of commotion; but there -was a chance that he had not been disturbed, as the lanky councilor was -known throughout the camp as a sound sleeper who had to fight his way to -wakefulness at Reveille. Jake's knowledge of the lay of the land now -stood him in good stead, and he quickly found the path and scurried -toward Tent Ten, stripping off his shirt and sweater as he went. He -breathed a sigh of relief as he came to the step of his own tent. -Nothing seemed out of the way. His peering eyes made sure that Mr. Avery -had not stirred. With shaking fingers Jake undressed fully, scrambled -into his pajamas, and got into the rumpled blankets a fraction of a -second before he heard steps at the tent door. - -The Chief's low voice floated through the night. "Taking pictures, were -you? Well, Jones, if I didn't know that you were a bit cuckoo, I might -wonder what you were up to. As it is----" - -"But, Ch-Chief!" Sherlock whimpered. "If you knew what I was taking a -picture of, you'd----" - -"Shh! Don't wake up the whole camp!" came the command. "If you have any -explanation to make, you can save it until morning. Now, not another -word. You've made enough racket for one night!" - -Jake could not help grinning beneath the covers. Evidently Sherlock, -impeded with his camera and other apparatus, had not made his getaway in -time. What could the amateur detective have been doing there at that -hour? It must have been he whom they heard following them on their -expedition. Well, time enough to worry in the morning! He listened -sleepily as Sherlock stowed away his outfit, not dreaming that the -camera contained an exposed film which might be a highly incriminating -record of their midnight misdoings. - -Sherlock, however, made sure that his precious camera was carefully -placed in his locker. He was not minded to lose his sole evidence that -he had risked all to obtain proof of the raid. He cast a grim glance -toward Jake's outstretched form as he donned his pajamas for the second -time that night. Little did the brothers reck that Sherlock Jones, the -detective, had not failed! - -Sherlock wakened in the morning a few minutes before Reveille, and -glanced across the tent to see if the adventure of the night had left -any marks upon his mutinous tent-mate. It had. The most blundering -detective could not have failed to note the clue which a tree-trunk had -left on the face of Jake Utway. His left eye was ringed about with an -inflamed patch of black-and-blue bruises--the most gorgeous "shiner" -Sherlock had seen in some time. As he looked, Jake opened the uninjured -eye and glanced achingly about him. His gaze fell on the grinning Jones, -sitting upright in his bunk. - -"How are all the frogs this morning?" Sherlock greeted him. "Say, you -ought to ask Ellick for a chunk of beefsteak to drape over that eye of -yours. In a couple days you're going to have a bee-yootiful sunset on -your face. It's already started to turn all colors of the rainbow." - -Jake felt his eye tenderly. "There was some commotion in the night, and -I got up and must have walked into something," he said, with due regard -for the truth. "You better shut up," he added belligerently, "if you -don't want to carry around one just like it." - -Sherlock said nothing, but smiled to himself. He had already decided to -refer to his latest case under the resounding title of "The Clue of the -Black-and-Blue Eyebrow." - - - - - CHAPTER IV - THE ARM - - -Sherlock's opportunity to learn the results of his night's work did not -come until the middle of the morning. The Lenape program gave no freedom -for detective labors until the period after squad-work had been -completed. Tent Ten had been assigned to policing the lodge, and as -Sherlock bent over his broom he cast many a dark glance at the busy -Utway brothers, fretting until the moment came when he would be able to -take his exposed film to the dark-room and discover the results of his -snapshotting expedition. At last Assembly sounded, and he headed for his -tent, carefully removed the film, and made his way to the small -dark-room that had been built under the lodge for the convenience of -camper photographers. - -As he shut the door, turned on the red electric bulb, and began laying -out hypo and the rest of the developing kit, he heard voices from the -kitchen directly overhead. Ellick was superintending the preparations -for lunch, and from his tone it was evident that his temper was not as -genial and kindly as usual. Ellick, it would seem, had a grievance. - -"Ah don't no-how likes to think of a thief about de camp, Leggy," he -complained. "Ah gives de boys and de councilors all dey can eat. Whaffor -dey want to come stealin' around in de night to get bread and such?" - -Sherlock pricked up his ears. Here was another case for a bright -detective! Stealing from the kitchen! He awaited Leggy's reply. - -"Don't know, Chef!" the assistant answered. "You-all figure, maybe dey -gets hongry in de night, and a chunk o' bread look mighty nice." - -"Don't talk foolishment! Whaffor dey have to bust de lock on de pantry -window jest 'cause dey gets a cravin' for a snack? And what about de ax? -Suppose dey wakes in de middle o' de night and gets a cravin' to chop -down a few trees? Mah best hand-ax, stole right off de woodpile! No suh, -I don't like to think any Lenape fellow goes about bustin' into windows -and swipin' dangerous wood-axes when folks is sleepin'." - -"How much grub did dey-all take, Chef?" came a question in the voice of -Howard Chisel, the squat, bow-legged, ebony-faced lad who presided over -dishwashing operations. "Jest bread?" - -"No. More'n dat. Got off wid a couple cans o' truck, and maybe some -potatuhs. Ah declare, if Ah don't tell de Chief about dis fust thing. -Hookin' a doughnut now and den is jest boy-tricks. Bustin' windows and -stealin' good sharp axes is somethin' else again!" - -The listening boy made a note to ask Ellick for further details of this -latest crime. At present, he was too busy to lend his services in -another case. His hand shook slightly as he dipped the film in the -developing baths, watched with eyes glittering behind their large lenses -as the smoky negative cleared into masses of dark and light in the -bottom of the tray. Most of the surface was taken up with a black patch -that was in all likelihood the canvas of Tent Fifteen, but he would have -to make a clear print of the scene before the details would show beyond -question. He hung the fixed negative to dry and went out into the -sunshine to wait impatiently until a proof could be taken. - -Sherlock kicked his feet against a rock and thought over all the -information he had gathered about the Utway affair. He hoped that the -print he was making would show without question the full villainy of the -twins. If it did not, it would leave him in a predicament. Mr. Colby had -not seen either of the Utway twins, who had made their ways back to -their bunks without capture. Yes; the picture _must_ be a good one. -Sherlock rose and went back into the dark-room. - -With all the skill and care of which he was master, Sherlock Jones -toiled over the developing of the first print of the raiding scene. -Eagerly he bent over the developing bath as dark edges began to take -shape on the bit of white paper. Slowly, slowly, the details melted into -being, seeming to spring from the waters above the print. Now! The boy -switched the print into the fixing tray, turned on the white light, and -scrutinized his handiwork. - -One glance, and he was ready to cry out with disappointment. He bit his -lip. The explosion of the too-generous quantity of flashlight powder had -startled him, and in his haste, unsure of his hearings in the darkness, -he had twisted the camera on its tripod so that none of the action was -visible. Diagonally across the picture ran the rear flap of the tent. -The head and pillow of Mr. Colby showed with clearness, but the forms of -the Utway twins and Alexander the frog were cut off by the expanse of -the tent-fly. All that the picture revealed was a peaceful night-scene -in one corner of Tent Fifteen--nothing more. - -Had Sherlock not reminded himself that a good detective never gives way -to emotion or shows in his features the state of his feelings, he might -have stamped up and down the dark-room, raving at his failure. As it -was, he controlled his disappointment as best he could, and patiently -went over the picture a second time, to make sure that no detail had -escaped his notice. - -He was rewarded. In the upper corner of the print was something which at -first glance he had not seen. It appeared to be an arm, the hand -gripping one of the tent-ropes, the upper part near the body cut off by -the edge of the negative. With growing excitement, Sherlock drew from -his pocket the small magnifying lens he carried with him at all times. -Taking the wet print into the outdoor sunshine, he focussed his glass on -the mysterious detail. It _was_ an arm--and the lens showed plainly a -mark by which a detective could distinguish this arm from all other arms -in the vicinity. Upon the fleshy part of the under forearm was tattooed -the sketchy design of an American eagle with outstretched wings. - -Here was a clue, indeed! Sherlock quivered with renewed hope. The arm -could not belong to Mr. Colby. Although he could not say for sure, he -had never noticed that either of the Utway twins bore such a tattoo -mark, and it was unlikely that they could have kept secret such a -distinctive brand. Therefore they must have had with them an unknown -accomplice whom Sherlock, in the confusion of the moment, had not caught -sight of at the time of the raid. - -Who could it be? He thought over all the names of the campers of Tent -Fifteen. He could remember no one who wore on his arm the patriotic -stamp of an eagle. Well, there was one way of finding out. He could -examine every arm in camp. And this could be done quite easily when the -entire strength of the Lenape campers gathered on the dock for swim. - -The bugle-notes of Swim Call sounded over his head as he hastily cleared -away his developing paraphernalia and hung the precious print to dry, -hidden in a far corner. He put away the negative in his breast pocket -and raced down to his tent to change into swimming togs. Within a few -minutes he was on his way to the boat-dock at the edge of the lake. He -had already decided to refer to the Utway case in the future as "The -Clue of the Tattooed Arm." - -The life-saving crew was already on duty, although only two or three -younger campers had made their appearance on the plank floor of the -dock. As Sherlock watchfully stepped out toward the far end, Wally Rawn, -the husky leader who directed swimming and was captain of the -life-saving organization made up of expert leaders and older boys, was -shouting to a black-haired boy wearing the crew emblem. This boy, Steve -Link by name, was rowing a round-bottomed steel rowboat some hundred -yards out beyond the diving-tower. Attached to the stern painter of his -craft was one of the camp canoes, which he was towing across the water -with heaving oar-strokes. - -"Where did you spot her, Steve?" Wally was shouting. - -Steve rested on the handles of his oars. "Way down almost to the dam!" -he answered. "She must have got loose last night and drifted with the -current. Had the dickens of a time finding her, too!" - -"Carelessness!" Wally Rawn muttered, shaking his head. "Somebody played -the dub and didn't even tie up after using it. I'd think even a -tenderfoot would know that a canoe should be brought up and turned over -on the dock after a trip. A good way to lose a fine canoe!" - -He raised his arm to blow the whistle that would begin the swimming -period, and Sherlock made sure that Wally Rawn, at least, had no -tattooed eagle on his left arm. The dock was now crowded with campers, -and the shrill call had no sooner sounded than the air was full of -diving bodies and splashing spray as the boys of Lenape took to water. -The life-saving boats were now at their posts, guarding the safety of -the swimmers. - -Sherlock remained on the dock, where he had a full view of everyone. His -head jerked back and forth as he tried to follow every move of the group -of swimming boys, now grown to almost the full number of the camp. He -caught sight of Jerry and Jake Utway, whose flying bodies curved through -the air from the highest diving-platform and almost at the same instant -cleft the rippling surface of Lake Lenape. He watched them moodily as -they swung hand over hand toward the farthest lifeboat. At any rate, -neither of them bore a tattooed eagle on his arm! He must find the -mysterious accomplice. With renewed energy he swept the sportive, -glistening bodies of the gay swimmers with an intent gaze. - -When the final "All out!" whistle blew, the dejected Sherlock made his -way up the hill. He was baffled. His vigil had not revealed an -incriminating tattoo-mark on the arm of any of the campers or leaders -present. He must be patient and watchful, trusting to luck and his skill -at shadowing the suspected twins to bring forth some fresh clue. - -As he entered Tent Ten, the only one of his comrades before him was -little shock-headed Pete Lister, youngest and smallest lad in the -tent-group. The kid looked up as Jones came up the step. - -"Hey, Sherlock, look what I'm doing!" He squirmed over in his seat on -the unmade bunk, and waved an indelible pencil in the air. "See? Making -pictures, I am! Bet you never thought of this, Sherlock!" He stuck out -one sunburnt leg. The calf and thigh were a mass of scrawled, -deep-purple designs--crooked anchors, shaky outlines of American flags, -hearts, daggers, skulls, and Pete's own name in wavering characters. -"You don't need to worry--they come off easy. See? First you draw 'em, -then you wet the picture a little, and I'll bet you couldn't tell 'em -from a real tattoo-mark! Want to try it?" - -"No. No, thanks," said Sherlock Jones bitterly. - - - - - CHAPTER V - IN THE NAME OF THE LAW - - -"This is the place," said Jake Utway. He indicated the trampled patch of -bushes. "That's the very tree that walloped me in the eye." - -"Funny I didn't see him when the flash went off," mused Jerry. "But I -was busy, first with banging my head on the pole, and next in getting -back home quick. What do you think he was after?" - -Jake shrugged. "Search me! But after I tangled with him and he got away, -he made for the path that runs down through Church Glade to the lake. No -use trying to find any footprints now--too many of the campers have been -along since last night." - -"Funny, all right." Jerry strode back and forth through the low brush, -kicking away the branches and examining the soft ground closely. -"Nothing here, I guess. Let's go, or we'll have that snooping Jones -following us around again. Hold on--what's this?" - -A bright bit of paper wrapper had caught his eye. He lifted the object -from beneath the tangle of leaves that had concealed it from all but the -sharpest scrutiny. "Huh," said Jerry. "What's a can of condensed milk -doing here?" - -Jake looked at the small can and its bright label. "Funny! That's the -same brand Ellick uses in the kitchen!" - -"Do you think your bald-headed friend dropped it?" - -"Boy," replied Jake with feeling, "if he was half as scared as I was, I -wouldn't blame him for dropping a few arms and legs! Come on--stick that -can in your pocket and let's stroll on. Just like you said, that -Sherlock kid is tagging after us again. I just saw him dodge behind a -tree. He's been acting awful crazy ever since yesterday afternoon." - -"I've' got a better idea," put in Jerry. "I'm sick of being shadowed -around every minute of the day by a goofy cluck with four eyes and no -brain! Detective, is he! Huh! We'll give him something to detect." He -set out through the woods at a rapid gait. - -"What's up?" Jake had to take long strides to keep up with his brother. - -"He wants to shadow us. All right--but he'll have to go some to keep us -in sight this afternoon! We'll lead him a merry chase through the woods, -and by the time he gets back to camp he'll be so sick of shadowing he -won't bother us for a month!" - -"Swell! I tell you, we'll take him up the side of the mountain and lose -him. Bet he don't know the short-cut down; and it'll take him until -after swim-time to find his way back!" - -The Utway twins were masters of woodcraft, and on various hikes had -explored the mountainous country west of Lenape so that they knew every -trail and landmark. It would be no difficult task for them to mislead -the blundering Sherlock. Jerry led the way cross-country with an easy -stride, taking care always to keep in the sight of the amateur detective -so that he would not lose hope thus soon, give up the chase as a bad -job, and return to camp. With Jake at his elbow, he cut through the low -pines and mountain maples beyond the Council Ring, crossed the wagon -road just below the bend, and skirting the marshy meadows below the -Hermit's house, gained the base of the steep slide of boulders that -scarred the mountainside. - -"He's still coming," Jake assured his brother. "I saw him a minute ago, -down in that birch swamp. He was having a heap of trouble getting -through. Wait till he hits this patch!" - -It was dangerous going now. The rock-slide was an ancient glacial -moraine, that cut fan-wise down the face of the mountain. The two boys -crawled, leaped, and climbed from one huge, lichen-encrusted boulder to -the next, keeping a watchful eye for lurking snakes. They made a labored -progress diagonally across the slide, now and then covertly glancing -over their shoulders to keep watch on their victim. Sherlock, panting -heavily, had stopped to rest in the shade and wipe away the moisture -that had dripped from his brow to cloud the lenses of his spectacles. - -"He won't come on here until we get across," Jake muttered. "We could -spot him too easily, he thinks--as if we didn't know every step he's -taken since we started! Hurry up and get into the woods again; then we -can swing around to the short-cut and be back in camp before he gets -wise!" - -In ten minutes they had left the hapless Sherlock far behind. They were -now circling around the top of the rock-slide; far below toiled the -weary form of the detective, slipping and sliding across the rocks. Not -long after, their unerring trailing instinct led them through the -scrub-oak of the summit and brought them out on a little-used pathway -that ran straight as an arrow from the mountain-top down to the Lenape -lodge. It was, in fact, the line down which the water-supply for the -camp was piped, from a collecting reservoir below the spring near the -crest of the first mountain. A track had been cut through the woods when -the pipe was first laid, and although the way was still open, it was -seldom used, most of the campers preferring to take the road, which made -a more easy ascent. The Utway twins had discovered the overgrown path by -accident, and now made good use of their knowledge. - -They picked their way slowly through the forest, following the line of -leaden pipe which ran down the hillside, now stretching for yards along -the surface, now buried a few inches beneath the brown, needle-carpeted -soil. Knowing that hiking down a steep incline is more dangerous than -climbing, the twins, having no desire to lose any precious camping days -by being laid up with a sprained ankle, stepped cautiously with a slow, -woodsman's pace. Once or twice they had to make their way around a -fallen tree trunk, and for some distance they lost sight of the -pipe-line altogether as they gingerly circled about a marshy bit of -ground where the hillside began sloping off above the wagon road. -Deer-flies buzzed in a cloud about their heads, and the stinging little -pests were so bothersome that both boys hung their handkerchiefs down -from their hats to flutter in the air and keep off the humming insects. - -Jerry first came in sight of the road, and broke into a run. The road -was cut in this place right across the hill, so that it was necessary, -in order to gain it, to drop down a low cliff-edge about the height of a -man. With a glorious leap Jerry surmounted the fringing brush and flew -downward through the air. He landed in a heap, missing by a hair's -breadth the body of a man who squatted, hidden, in the shadow of the -overhanging edge. - -Jerry cried out to warn his brother. The man whose body he had barely -missed in his blind leap was on his feet in an instant. Jerry Utway -looked up, straight into the muzzle of a double-barrelled shotgun aimed -directly at his head. - -"Don't move!" warned the stranger in grim tones. "You, there, up -above--hands up! Come out of those bushes! I've got you both covered!" - -Jake's upraised hands appeared above, followed by his face, open-mouthed -with surprise. "What's up?" he asked. - -"Never mind. Come down here where I can see you!" There was no mistaking -the urgency of that hard voice. "Now, you there, stay right where you -are on the ground. Not a move!" The man was dressed in some sort of a -blue uniform. He wore a shapeless, broad-brimmed felt hat, and his -trouser-legs were tucked into the tops of a pair of leather leggins. -"Why, you must be twins!" he exclaimed in astonishment. - -Jake slid down the slope in a cloud of dust and a shower of gravel. -"That's right. But what's the idea of the hold-up?" - -"Yes, what's the idea?" added Jerry. "Look out that gun don't go off. -You better not try anything with us, or you'll have everybody in Camp -Lenape after you, Mister!" The boy's bold words were somewhat belied by -the shakiness of the voice in which they were delivered. - -"Oh, from the camp, are you?" Slowly the man in blue lowered his weapon. -"Anybody else with you?" - -"No, sir. Hear that?" Through the woods drifted the familiar bugle-notes -of Swim Call. "We got to get back for swim, or we'll be missed." - -The stranger chuckled. "I see. Well, guess I won't keep you." He -grounded the wicked-looking shotgun. "Just a word of advice to you, -buddies, before you go. Be a little more careful how you drop on a -fellow's neck right out of the sky. 'Look before you leap' is a motto -that still holds good." - -Jerry rose and straightened his dusty clothing. "Yes, sir." - -"And I further order you, in the name of the law, not to tell anybody at -the camp that you saw me. They'll learn soon enough. Now, hop it!" - -The twins had no mind to argue with the law, backed by a gun. They -hopped it. They were twenty yards away before the man in blue called out -to them. - -"By the way, you haven't seen any strange men around here in the last -day or so, have you?" - -"You're the only one." It was Jerry who replied. Jake caught his breath, -and reflectively felt the damaged flesh over his left eye. - -"Right. So long!" - -The twins did not speak until they had crossed the cleared ground above -the tents. As they approached Tent Ten, Jerry broke the silence. "It's -too much for my feeble brain," he said. "Wonder if he was after your -bald-headed friend?" - -"I give up. Come on--we'll be late for swim. Wonder where Sherlock is -now? Hope he don't get shot. If he don't turn up for supper, maybe we'd -better go look for him." - -Within the empty tent they quickly slipped into swimming suits and made -for the dock. The water was already alive with plunging bodies. At the -landward end of the dock, where the lake bottom sloped gently in a sandy -beach that was a favorite spot for the younger and more timid swimmers, -who could here sport about without getting beyond their depth, the twins -paused to watch a scene that never failed to arouse laughter. - -Billy the Crow was taking his daily bath. Billy was an aged black -ruffian who made Lenape his home, and was often to be seen hopping about -the tents or perching in a near-by tree, giving vent to his feelings in -no uncertain tones. At some time in his life Billy had been caught by -the hired man on a neighboring farm, who had, by slitting his tongue, -bestowed on the rascally bird the doubtful gift of speech. Billy knew -only a few words, but he made the most of them. This ceremony of taking -a bath at the edge of the lake was a stunt of which Billy was especially -proud. He now teetered on a flat rock at the water's edge, urging -himself to overcome his timidity and bravely take the plunge. - -"Go on in, Billy!" said Billy with a squawk. "Go on in, Billy!" With one -pointed claw he gingerly tried the water. The laughing ring of boys -about him imitated his words and splashed the rock with water. Mr. -Carrigan, camp naturalist, sat on the planked floor of the dock, on -life-saving duty, his warning whistle dangling by its thong in his hand. - -"Mr. William Corvus Brachyrhyncos doesn't seem to be fond of bathing," -he observed. - -"Is that his full name?" Jerry Utway chuckled as Billy finally made up -his mind, and with a last "Go on in--aww-crk!" doused his rumpled -feathers into the rippling waters. "He's taken enough baths to wash -himself white, but he still has to go through all that rigmarole first." - -"Crows are funny birds," said Mr. Carrigan. "He certainly is a pet -around here. Ellick must feed him crumbs from the kitchen." Billy -finished his brief swim-period, and fluttered across to the dock to dry -and preen himself in the sun. "Here he comes, shaking water all over the -place. Hello, Billy! Oh, you would, would you?" - -"Hello, Billy!" mocked the bird. His bright eye had caught sight of the -dangling whistle, its metal bowl twinkling as the sun's rays caught it. -A few hops took him to the councilor's side. A sharp beak caught at the -thong, tried to drag the whistle from its owner's hand. - -"Natural-born thieves, crows," said Mr. Carrigan. "They'll steal -anything that happens to catch their eye. Here, let go, Billy!" - -Billy, insulted, uttered a final scolding squawk and flew noisily to a -perch on a near-by tree. - - - - - CHAPTER VI - BRAVES IN COUNCIL - - -First Call for supper had already sounded before Sherlock Jones returned -to camp. He limped into Tent Ten weary, scratched, and footsore, and in -a dejected mood. It was a thankless task for a detective to try to -shadow a pair of expert woodsmen through the mountains. He had barely -time to wash his face and comb his rumpled hair before the camp was -called to stand Retreat at the regular sundown ceremony of lowering the -flag. His thoughts, as the buglers played To the Colors, were not -friendly toward the two spruce, innocent-looking brothers who stood -stiffly to attention at his side. It was beginning to look as though -Sherlock Jones, the great detective, was baffled. - -After the evening meal, Lieutenant Eames, officer of the day, announced -that Indian Council would convene that night at the usual summons. -Twilight found the braves assembling for the pow-wow. Figures of boys -and leaders, draped each in his blanket, trooped solemnly toward the -Council Ring on the north side of the campus. A hush fell upon the -circle of listening tent-tribes as they awaited the call that was -always, by long tradition, the signal for the ceremony to begin. - -Through the hush of the dusk came the soft, whistling call of the first -whippoorwill. Answer came from a near-by thicket. Amid the liquid chorus -the Chief rose from his seat, pulled his blanket about him, and spoke. - -"Braves and sagamores of the Lenape tribe, you have been gathered in -council by the call of the whippoorwill. Brave Sunfish will now light -the friendship fire in Indian fashion, with rubbing sticks." - -Sunfish Linder stepped forth from his tent-group, and took his place on -the windward side of the fire, laid four-square in the center of the -ring to supply light rather than heat. He put one foot on the cedar -hearth-stick of his outfit, twisted the thong of the bow about the -spindle and placed the drilling-point into the point of the notched -hearth-stick. Holding the drill steady at the top with a soaped -drill-stone in his cupped hand, he began sawing the bow back and forth, -at first slowly, then with increasing speed. Friction of wood upon wood -caused a trickle of hot, powdery splinters to drop into the tinder-pan. -A few seconds of rapid action, and the pan held a glowing coal of -powder, which was dumped upon the prepared tinder. Sunfish swayed the -bunch of tinder back and forth in his cupped hands, breathed upon it -slightly. The glowing mass burst into a golden flame. The firemaker -thrust the blaze between the logs. As it caught, climbing yellow tongues -licked upward through the pile, and the friendship fire was alight. The -silent campers broke the spell with a chorus of approval in Indian-talk. -"How, how!" - -"Good medicine! May the spirit of the Great Manitou watch over and guide -our councils as we gather in peace this night," said the Chief, and sat -again upon his stone dais. - -The Utway twins never failed to enjoy the council in the woods. -Something there is in the heart of every boy and man which only finds -itself when a close-knit band of their brethren gather together in -friendship beneath the star-sprinkled lodge of the great outdoors. The -two boys sat with one blanket thrown over their sturdy shoulders, -looking about the circle of faces thrown into bold relief by the ruddy -glare of the fire. The tent flares were now lit, each small fire glowing -in its brazier at the end of a pole marked with the tent totem. The -great totem pole of Lenape towered above the huddled groups on the south -side of the fireplace, its carved and painted emblems glaring forth -awesomely from time to time as a shower of sparks flew upward. Opposite, -on the north side, was the stone seat of the Chief, with its tall back -of silvery birch trunks, shaped in the form of a gigantic "L" standing -out from the blood-red blanket that curtained the majestic dais. The -fine-cut head of the Chief rose above his blankets, calm, powerful, -serene. At his side sat Sagamore "Happy Face" Frayne, Lenape scribe and -keeper of the birch-bark scroll. - -"We are now ready to hear the report of scouts of the Lenape tribe," -announced the Chief. - -This was the time for any member of the group, if he wished, to rise, -bespeak the attention of the Chief and the assembled braves, and relate -the discovery of anything which might be of interest to the tribe. Mr. -Carrigan, now recognized under the title of "Sagamore Wise-Tongue" -because of his wide knowledge of nature-lore, rose and after addressing -the Chief, reported that he had seen a covey of spotted snipe, and that -the braves newly come to camp would soon have the rare chance to hunt -these nimble birds with bag and lantern. Brave Rolfe rose to ask the -name of the constellation of stars now riding overhead, and Brave Slater -of Tent Four was called upon by the Chief to give a short talk on the -signs now visible in the summer sky. Small Brave Barstow reported that -the kingfisher's nest he had found by the lakeside now contained four -little fledglings. The report of each scout was greeted with the -approving murmur of "How!" - -Again the Chief rose, to open the period of reports for the welfare of -the tribe. This was the time for campers to tell of any observation -which they had made which might lead to the improvement of the camp in -any way--to point out steps that might be taken to keep the routine -orderly and effective, or offer to help build or repair camp equipment. -Instantly Steve Link was on his feet. - -"O Chief!" - -"Speak, Brave Link." - -"This morning before swim I found that the Red Fox canoe was missing -from the dock. I took out a boat and finally found the lost canoe far -down at the end of the lake, drifting with its paddles on the bottom. I -questioned the braves of Tent Eleven, who had used it when they went out -after supper last night, and they said that they had left it bottom-up -on the dock when they returned. Someone else must have been responsible -for this carelessness. Now, every brave knows that such a canoe as the -Red Fox is valuable and must be treated with care. I would like to ask -that every brave who has passed his canoe-test consider himself duty -bound to make sure that our boats and canoes are treated as they should -be treated." - -"How, how!" - -"A fine suggestion, Brave Link. Sagamore Happy Face will enter it on the -birch-bark scroll. Now"--the Chief's face was serious in the -firelight--"now, I must say something which I have never, in my years as -Chief of Lenape, had to say before. There is a stain on the name of the -tribe. I dislike to say this, but--there is a thief among us." - -"A thief!" A babble of voices came from the ring of braves. - -"Yes," went on the Chief grimly; "someone among us here to-night--unless -I am gravely mistaken, which I hope I am--someone here has no right to -share the free and honest councils of our tribe." With an outstretched -hand he silenced the rising flood of questions. "I will tell you what -has happened, and you may judge for yourselves. Several days ago Brave -Tompkins took off his gold ring to wash his hands, down by his tent. -When he looked for it a few minutes after, it had disappeared, although -he saw nobody near him at the time. When he told me about it, I thought -he might have lost it himself, and advised him to wait and see if it -turned up. But to-day, when Sagamore War-Canoe Munson told me that his -silver wrist-watch had vanished under somewhat the same circumstances, I -began to think that there must be a false brave among us, with light -fingers and a spotted heart. Then, this morning our faithful Ellick came -to me with the story of a robbery in the kitchen during the night." - -"Ugh, ugh!" growled disapproving voices from the darkness. - -"Yes, bad medicine," went on the speaker. "Ellick reports that the lock -of the pantry window was broken and a supply of food taken away. -Moreover, he says that a large hand-ax is missing from its place on the -woodpile." - -The Utway twins listened breathlessly as the Chief went on. Sherlock -Jones stirred eagerly within the folds of his blanket. - -"One word more, and I will not bring up this unpleasant subject again -to-night. Some one of you must know or guess who is guilty of these -strange disappearances. If anyone here comes to me and returns these -lost articles, and makes a clean breast of his misconduct, none of the -braves shall know of his trespass against the Lenape code. Are there -further reports for the welfare of the tribe? If not, we will pass to -the less serious part of our council." - -The ranked listeners relaxed, and there was a laughing, expectant hum of -voices as "Guffy" Evans rose to challenge all comers to a talk-fest. The -challenge was immediately accepted, in the name of Tent Ten, by Sagamore -Avery, who therewith entered little Lefkowitz as their champion in this -jabbering contest. Sagamore Happy Face announced the subject: "Give a -two-minute speech on Why Polar Bears Don't Wear Red Flannel Underwear," -and gave the contestants thirty seconds to prepare their arguments. At -the command, the two opponents faced each other near the center of the -ring, and began a high-pitched, nonsensical stream of chatter about -nothing in particular. Lefkowitz was finally shouted into -speechlessness, and the victorious Guffy took his seat amid cheers and -cat-calls, while Soapy Mullins rose and called upon Lefty Reardon, the -baseball captain, to stand against him in a hand-wrestling tilt. - -After a series of boisterous games of "Buzz," the fun was concluded by a -short ghost story from Sax McNulty, which sent shivers of horror chasing -up and down the spines of the younger campers. At last the Chief rose -and held out his arms in Benediction above the dying fire. - -"May the spirit of the all-seeing Manitou go with every brave as he -leaves his place at our council this night!" - -Flashlights pointed out the path as the drowsy braves filed toward their -tent homes. The Utway twins, although pleasantly tired from their active -day in the open, were nevertheless wakeful and alert. Behind them came -the low chatter of a pair of youngsters from Tent Seven. - -Jerry caught a phrase dropped by one of them, a small lad named Toots. -"Gee, I clean forgot to make my report of scouts. You remember, Al, that -when we saw that smoke from the woods across the lake, I said I'd report -it at council?" - -"What's that?" Jerry questioned him. "You saw smoke across the lake?" - -"Yes," said the boy eagerly, "me and Al here, we were out in a rowboat -over that way, and saw some smoke coming up like somebody had a campfire -in the woods." - -"Hmm. Take my advice and don't say anything about it. Not worth -mentioning." But Jerry looked at Jake, who nodded back. The expanse of -heavily-wooded land across the lake was almost always deserted, so much -so that deer tracks were often to be discovered within its depths. A -campfire there was certainly a most unusual thing. - - - - - CHAPTER VII - NEWS AND MORE NEWS - - -"Come on, Jerry!" said Jake Utway. - -"We'll go up and pitch down the chunks, and the other guys can stow them -away in the refrigerator." - -"You're on!" answered his brother, and began climbing the ladder. - -Tent Ten had been assigned, as their squad-work the next morning after -the council, to filling the large refrigerator in the pantry behind -Ellick's large, airy kitchen. This duty required that they ascend to the -towerlike structure that housed the summer's supply of ice for Camp -Lenape. In mid-winter, when the lake was sheeted over with a crystal -mass some six inches thick, a gang of men always came with saws and -teams of horses to harvest the ice and store it, between layers of -sawdust, in the Lenape ice-house for the use of the campers the -following season. - -It was the plan of the brothers to enter the ice-house, dig out the -embedded blocks required, and send these down the chute to their waiting -tent-mates, whose job it would be to wash away the sawdust and transport -the ice to Ellick's gaping refrigerator. Armed with ice-tongs and a -large miner's pick, Jake and Jerry climbed to the upper door of the -edifice, and entered its chill gloom. - -"Come on, work fast, if you don't want to freeze!" advised Jerry. He -raised the pick and began clearing away the thick crust of sawdust in -one corner of the place, but paused as his brother made no move to aid -him. "Hey! Earn your keep, man! Don't stand star-gazing all morning!" - -Jake was staring upward. The ice-house was solidly built, but at one -corner of the roof the sunlight slanted through a narrow crevice. The -watcher had for an instant seen that spot of light cut off by the -passage of a small body. Jake pointed. "Something up there, Jerry!" - -Jerry's eyes were more accustomed to the darkness. "Why, you cluck, -that's only Billy the crow! Hello, Billy!" - -"Hello, Billy!" the cackling echo drifted down from the roof. "Billy the -crow! Awr-rck!" - -"He probably lives up there," went on Jerry in a matter-of-fact tone. -"Now, are we going to finish this job, or do I have to do it alone? Come -out of your trance!" - -Slowly Jake took his eyes from aloft, scraped away the sawdust with his -foot, and clutched the half-revealed cake of ice with his tongs. "Fire -away! But I got an idea, Jerry--and as soon as we chuck enough ice down, -I'm going to try it out." - -The boys worked swiftly and silently after this, panting and shivering -slightly as they uncovered one slab of ice after another and sent them -crashing down the chute, after a shouted warning to their toiling -comrades on the ground. - -"There, guess that'll hold Ellick for a while," said Jerry at last, -resting from his labors. "Now, what's this bright idea of yours, Jake?" - -"Billy's still up there," answered his brother. "I often wondered where -his nest was. Crows, as Sagamore Carrigan said down at the dock -yesterday afternoon, are funny birds. If you give me a boost on your -shoulders, I think I can climb up the side of the wall the rest of the -way." - -"Don't know what good that'll do you," said Jerry promptly, "but here -goes!" He cupped his hands, and Jake scrambled athletically to his -shoulders, bracing his body against the rough timbered side of the -building. Jerry grunted. "Uhh! Say, Jakie, you ought to be a sailor for -this job! Sailors are experts when it comes to climbing to crow's -nests!" - -Billy ruffled his feathers and cast a beady, suspicious eye down upon -these proceedings. "Aww-rk!" he muttered. "Billy the crow! Go on in, -Billy!" With a series of angry squawks he edged through the narrow -opening in the roof and flew away to more interesting scenes. - -Jake was by this time clinging to the wall, far above the sawdust -surface where Jerry stood, head bent back, watching the climber's -progress. Cautiously, arms spread eagled to seize any projection no -matter how small, Jake ascended precariously toward his goal. He was now -within arm's length of the corner where the talkative crow had made his -entrance. Motes of dust danced in the beam of sunlight over his -shoulder, and his groping hand stirred up a mass of dust and cobwebs -which made him sneeze. In a far corner, on a ledge of rafters, his -fingers touched a hard, metallic object. - -"If you slip now," called Jerry warningly, "you'll get another black eye -to match the first one." - -Jake grinned with satisfaction as the sunlight glittered on the thing he -held in his hand. - -"Crows are funny birds," he remarked a second time. "Natural-born -thieves. Here, catch!" - -Jerry ducked, and deftly snatched the shining circle which came spinning -down at him. - -"Admiral Munson's wrist-watch," announced Jake. "And Terry Tompkins' -ring is here too, along with a lot of other junk." He was stuffing the -nondescript collection of articles into his pockets as he spoke. As -cautiously as he had come, he began descending from his lofty perch. - -"So _this_ is what you found in the crow's nest!" said Jerry, and -whistled. "Jakie, you're brighter than I thought you were. You put two -and two together, and get--a heap of assorted jewelry!" - -"Crows are very fond of bright objects, and will steal them and carry -them off to hide away, if they get a chance," explained Jake with -condescension, leaping at last to the sawdust floor. "Yep, Billy was the -thief. Look here!" He drew out his treasure-trove. In his hand, in -addition to young Tompkins' gold ring, lay a bit of crumpled tinfoil, -the rusted top of a pickle-jar, a silver dime, a few bent nails, and the -brass button from a scout uniform. - -"Wonderful!" breathed Jerry in mock admiration. "Say, you didn't see -Ellick's hand-ax up there, did you?" - -"Don't be a sap. Come along--we'll show the Chief he was wrong about -thinking there was a thief among the campers. Bet he'll be tickled to -find that the thief wears feathers!" - -One after the other they slid down the ladder to the ground. Sherlock -Jones and Wild Willie Sanders were wrestling with a large slab of -sawdust-covered ice; they looked up curiously as the twins raced by -them, on their way to the Chief's office in one corner of the lodge. - -As they stampeded across the mess hall to the small room that served the -camp director as an office, they found another visitor ahead of them. -The Utway twins almost fell over backward as they recognized the blue -uniform and leather leggins of the man who held the door-knob, calling a -parting sentence to the Chief standing within. - -"If you fellows see or hear anything of him, just get to the nearest -phone and call up the prison. They'll know how to get in touch with us." - -It was the man whom they had stumbled upon at the wagon road, who had -held them up at the point of a gun! The gun was in the crook of his -right arm now, as he turned and caught sight of them. - -"Why, hello, twins! Jumped on anybody's neck lately?" he asked in a -hearty voice, clapping on his felt hat and striding toward the door of -the lodge. "So long. Be good boys!" - -Jake stared at Jerry in wonderment, and Jerry stared back. Who was this -stranger, whom they had first encountered in the woods? They were -aroused by the voice of the Chief. - -"Come in, boys. What have you there, Jake?" The Chief was the only -person in camp who was always sure which brother was which. He had from -long acquaintance discovered that Jerry had a tiny mole almost concealed -under the bronze-colored hair that fell over his left temple, which mark -served to distinguish him from his twin. - -Jake stammered out his tale. As the Chief listened, his forehead knit -into a puzzled frown. - -"So it was Billy all the time, eh?" he said as Jake finished. "You were -pretty clever to figure that out. I'm glad to hear that these things are -safe, and I'm sure Terry Tompkins and Mr. Munson will be, too. But that -makes the kitchen robbery all the more strange. With what we know now, -it's impossible to connect the loss of these things with the person who -broke into the food-supply the other night. There's still a thief loose -around Lenape, boys, and for some minutes now I've had the feeling that -I know who it is." He placed Billy's plunder on his desk, and sat down -thoughtfully. - -Jerry summoned up courage. "Excuse me, Chief--but who was that man that -just left here? Jake and I saw him guarding the road yesterday -afternoon. What's he carrying a gun around for?" - -The Chief spun about in his chair and faced them. "He's looking for a -thief, too," he said slowly. - -"Who?" both boys cried in unison. - -"There's no reason why I shouldn't tell you, I guess--I'll have to make -an announcement about it to everybody at lunch to-day. Boys, there's a -dangerous man loose in this part of the country. Last Saturday night a -convict escaped from the state prison up beyond Elmville. He had some -hours' start before he was found missing. The warden thought it likely -that he would head over this way, toward the mountains, where he might -hide in the woods for days and never be found. Guards were sent out, but -so far there's been no sign of him. The man you just saw is one of the -prison guards, who is watching over this way. He tells me the escaped -prisoner is a man named Burk, serving a term of several years--for -robbery." - -"Robbery!" - -"Now you can see why I thought until now that this prisoner might be in -the neighborhood and might have stolen this watch and ring. It's too bad -the prison people didn't warn me before now--no telling what might have -happened in the meantime. However, now we have been warned, and will be -on our guard." - -"Did--did you tell the prisoner-keeper--the fellow who was just -here--that somebody broke into the pantry?" - -"Of course, Jerry. He seemed to think it might be an important clue, and -is getting a crew of men together to search the woods around the camp -more carefully. You see, there's a reward offered for the capture of -this criminal, and naturally everybody is eager to earn it. Now, be -careful and don't get very far away from the campus unless you have a -councilor along, boys! An escaped convict is a mighty dangerous -customer. And don't say anything about what I've told you until after -lunch." - -The Utway twins stared at each other again as the door of the office -closed behind them. Jerry seized Jake's arm in an excited grip. "Why -didn't you tell the Chief about the man you saw down by Fifteen the -other night?" he whispered urgently. - -"I didn't have a chance. Besides, why should we give that prison guard -all the glory of capturing the convict?" - - - - - CHAPTER VIII - THE DISAPPEARING ACT - - -The Chief's announcement that an escaped convict was in their -neighborhood fell like a bombshell in the midst of the campers assembled -at lunch. - -"All boys are forbidden to go out of sight of camp, unless a councilor -is along," he ended. "We must take precautions until this dangerous man -is captured. Now, to-night we will assemble here in the lodge, for Stunt -Night. Every tent-group will be expected to have an act or other stunt -prepared, and prizes will go to the winners. Dismissed!" - -The groups scattered from the mess-hall to their respective tents to -pass the daily siesta hour which was set aside as a period of rest and -quiet from the brisk, noisy turmoil of the camp's activity. Mr. Jim -Avery cocked his long legs up on the end of his bunk in Tent Ten. "We -have the whole afternoon to get ready," he observed to his followers. -"That should give us plenty of time to work up a first-class stunt that -will bring home the prize. Anybody got any ideas?" - -Wild Willie Sanders spoke up. "We've got an edge on the other tents, -haven't we? Here we are with Chink Towner, the most famous Mandarin -Magician in captivity. Say, I'll bet we can put over a magic show that -will knock the rest of the tents silly!" - -"How about it, Chink?" - -"Sure, that's right," Chink Towner agreed modestly. "We could do it, all -right. I've got a lot of new tricks up my sleeve that nobody ever saw -before. The best one, though, needs to have Jerry Utway, and that means -we'd have to take Tent Eight into partnership with us." - -"That can be arranged, I think," said Mr. Avery. "I'll speak to Dr. -Cannon about it. He knows it's next to impossible to separate the twins. -And with fourteen campers on the job, it ought to be some show. Well, -what's your trick?" - -"Yes, what is it?" asked the Utway twins together. - -"Well, it's this way," began the Mandarin Magician; "Wild Willie can -announce a big display of old Chinese hocus-pocus. We fix up a place on -the stage where I sit, and a crowd of you guys come around and want to -see some tricks. Then Fat Crampton comes along, and then I do a few easy -ones, just to show my stuff, and then----" He lowered his voice as his -comrades gathered about to hear the plan. Lefkowitz was sent over to -Tent Eight to bring in the other participants, who listened and agreed -to the scheme for a combined stunt that would make a most amusing -addition to the vaudeville program that night. As soon as Recall -sounded, the two groups of actors made for the Council Ring, where they -rehearsed excitedly most of the afternoon. - -Sherlock Jones did not join in the preparations for Stunt Night. He -retired alone to the dark-room, where he stared at a photograph and -pondered plans of his own. The announcement that a reward had been -offered for the capture of the escaped criminal had set his mind working -furiously on the problem of the Tattooed Arm. Indeed, the Chief's -startling news was a leading topic of conversation in Lenape that -afternoon; but when supper-time brought no further information, the -subject was temporarily forgotten in anticipation of the evening's -entertainment. - -No sooner had the dessert dishes been cleared away than the space in -front of the blackened fireplace was transformed into a stage. Benches -were ranged in rows for the seating of the camper audience, and a -makeshift curtain of bed-sheets strung on a wire was hung across that -end of the lodge. Darkness had just fallen when a boisterous crowd of -leaders and boys took their seats, awaiting the drawing of the curtain -on the opening act, announced by Sax McNulty, master of ceremonies, as -"Captain Colby's Army," a Tent Fifteen Feature Production. - -Joey Fellowes, who with his brother Ted made up the Lenape bugle corps, -sounded Reveille on his muted instrument. The curtains parted to reveal -a morning scene in Tent Fifteen. A great fuss was made by Ollie -Steffins, dressed in a scout uniform with many medals and much gold -braid, who in the person of Mr. Colby himself, went about getting the -snoring sleepers to waken for morning drill. The drowsy boys were -finally put on their feet and each armed with a broom-stick gun, with -which they went through a series of clumsy maneuvers, knocking each -other over the head, facing the wrong way, and otherwise tangling -themselves in a travesty of a squad of rookies at drill. The concluding -evolution brought them into line facing the audience, singing off key -their rallying song: - - "_We are Mr. Colby's army, - Mr. Colby's army we, - We cannot shoot, we won't salute, - What earthly good are we?_" - -The curtains closed amid cheers, boos, and stamping of feet, during -which Mr. Colby sat with a self-conscious smile on his disciplinarian's -face. - -The acts followed swiftly after that. Tent Twelve put on a pirate play, -Tent Three showed to advantage in a lady-like game of basketball, in -which each side begged the other to kindly accept the ball on pain of -being slapped on the wrist. Tent Four gave a ventriloquist act, with -Peanut Westover as the talking dummy. - -"The Mysterious Mandarin Magician," with an all-star cast from Tents -Eight and Ten, was the next to the last number on the evening's program. -At the parting of the curtain, Wild Willie Sanders in a high, battered -black silk hat, wearing the curling mustache of a circus ringmaster, -pointed out the main attraction to a gaping crowd of boys from the -participating tents, dressed in wild garbs of every description. -"Laydeez and gen-tul-men! The _one_ and _only_ Chinese magician, brought -at great expense from the Flowery Kingdom to mystify you to-night!" -Chink Towner, his naturally oriental cast of countenance exaggerated by -a line of grease-paint above each slanting eye, and dressed in a pair of -colorful silk pajamas borrowed from Councilor Lane, sat cross-legged -above the crowd on a blanket-draped table, his features masked in -Chinese calm. "Step right up, laydeez and gen-tul-men, and see the _one_ -and _only_!" - -Fat Crampton, tittering sweetly, walked by, dressed as a beautiful -damsel in a skirt fashioned from Howard Chisel's spare kitchen apron. -The Mysterious Mandarin descended from his throne and expertly drew -half-dollars from the hat, sleeve, and nose of the "lady." He then gave -an exhibition of sleight-of-hand, at which he was an adept of no mean -skill--making a collection of red balls appear and disappear between his -nimble fingers, shaking a flying pack of cards from his fan, collecting -the cards in a neat pile and drawing forth at one flip the card desired -by any of the nondescript crowd about him. - -When he returned to his elevated throne once more, Wild Willie announced -that the Mandarin would now display the powers of his X-ray eye. Chink -turned his back to the audience, and Happy Face Frayne, one of the -judges who would later award the prizes for the best performance of the -night, adjusted a bandage over the magician's eyes to make sure there -was no deception. Jake Utway now walked out into the ranks of the -audience, and touched a sweater worn by one of the listeners. - -"What is the color of the object I am touching, Mandarin?" he called -out. - -"Blue," answered the blindfolded Chink promptly. - -"Correct. Now what color am I touching?" Jake held up Soapy Mullins' -neckerchief. - -"Orange." - -"And now?" - -"White." - -"Correct," answered Jake, putting Slim Yerkes' sailor hat back on the -astonished boy's head. All about him were faces wonder-stricken at the -accuracy of the magician's responses. Jake, however, was not astonished, -for he was in on the secret. The series of colors had been arranged with -Chink ahead of time, and all Jake had to do was to find and point to an -object of the required hue. "And now, what is the color of the thing I'm -pointing at?" He held a finger to his damaged left eye. - -"Rainbow!" - -A hearty laugh arose, for Jake's "shiner" had indeed developed the color -of a sunset, and was by now one of the sights of the camp. - -"Here--I bet you my life I can do that, too!" broke in Spaghetti Megaro -of Tent Eight, now assuming his role in the show. - -"All right," agreed Jake, returning to the stage. - -From his capacious bathrobe, Spaghetti drew forth a spreading assortment -of vegetables. "Now, Mandarin," he said loudly, "I'm going to see if you -cheat me, huh? Tell me quick--what color is this spinach?" - -"Green." - -"Well, what color is this lemon?" - -"Yellow." - -"Right again. Now, I ask you, what color is this orange?" The Italian -boy held the fruit high in the air. - -"Orange." - -"Plenty smart, all right." Spaghetti shook his head and began eating the -orange. "No can foola da majish'!" - -This bit of comedy was greeted with high amusement by the audience. -Again Wild Willie stepped forward. - -"Laydeez and gen-tul-men, the Mysterious Magician will end his -exhibition with a death-defying display of his great powers. Never -before has this breath-taking miracle been performed on any stage! The -Mandarin will make a person vanish, and then make him appear again -somewhere else!" - -These words were Jake's cue to move again. He glanced quickly overhead, -and made sure that Jerry was in his place, ready for the disappearing -act that would give a climax to their stunts. He was rewarded by a nod -from Jerry, who sat perched on the rafters high above the floor of the -lodge and the rows of watchers in the camp audience. This was Chink's -great idea--a disappearing act in which the twins would take part. Jake, -dressed in his camp uniform, would be selected from the crowd to enter a -large packing-box on the stage, and at Chink's command, a flashlight -would be thrown aloft, and Jerry dressed in a like costume, would swing -down from his high position and drop to the stage and there, his hidden -twin's exact counterpart, would receive the applause due to this -miraculous reappearance. - -"Who wishes to disappear into thin air, laydeez and gen-tul-men?" cried -out Wild Willie. - -A chorus of voices rose on the stage, Jake's among them. "I do!" "Me!" -"No, take me!" - -"You'll do." Wild Willie, according to plan, pointed out Jake, who -stepped forward. "You will now enter this large chest. No deception, -folks!" The boy in the high silk hat lifted the box to show that there -were no false bottoms or secret exits. "That's right! Pretty soon you'll -disappear, and come back from somewhere else. Now, step inside, and -you"--he pointed to Fat Crampton--"you sit on the lid. All set, -Mandarin!" - -Chink again descended to the level of the stage, his blindfold now -removed. Calmly and impressively he took his hands from his sleeves. - -"Heap hard trick!" the magician grunted. "Make 'um white boy no-see, -plitty soon come-see some place else, velly smart!" He waved his arms -over the box, upon which Fat Crampton sat. "Hocus-pocus. Come _high_!" - -The audience was bent forward in silence. Jake, crouched within the -narrow darkness of the box, pictured to himself the scene outside. At -the magic words, a flashlight would shoot upward toward the rafters -where Jerry had taken his station, and Jerry would drop to the stage and -finish the act amid the plaudits of the crowd. - -"Hocus-pocus. Come _high_!" repeated Chink, in a nervous tone. Jake -wished he could see out of his tight prison, and wondered at the delay. -Titters came from the smaller boys in the front of the audience. Why -didn't Jerry come down? - -"Come _high_!" Chink sounded disgruntled. "Maybe so white boy no come, -no can fly out. That's all--goo'-bye!" - -The rings of the curtain rattled as they were drawn together to cut off -the scene. The big act had failed. There was a half-hearted clapping -from the audience, who of course did not see any point in the sudden -ending of the act. With such an anti-climax, the Magician sketch could -scarcely hope to win a prize. - -Jake squirmed in a frantic effort to get out of the box. "Get up, Fat!" -he called urgently, and felt the heavy boy's weight removed from the -lid. Jake sprang out like a Jack-in-the box, alive with eagerness to see -why their carefully-laid scheme had fallen through. He met a disgusted -look from the grease-painted face of the Mysterious Mandarin. - -"Fine brother you've got!" muttered Chink. "I thought he was going to be -all ready up there when the time came!" - -"But--but he was!" stammered Jake. "I--I saw him up there just a minute -ago!" - -"Well, he's not there now," Chink growled, turning away. Jake cast his -eyes aloft. - -The beam of a flashlight still slanted upward toward the raftered corner -under the roof. But Jerry Utway was nowhere in sight! - - - - - CHAPTER IX - OFF FOR PEBBLE BEACH - - -Where was Jerry? - -Boys from Tent Four were crowding on the stage, getting the scene ready -for the next act. Jake Utway stood stock-still, gazing at the rafters -overhead, where his brother had been a moment since. He could not have -descended into the lodge unobserved in the short time Jake had spent in -his dark box. Why hadn't he taken his cue and dropped to the stage at -Chink's summons? It was not like Jerry to do a thing like that. There -must be some good reason---- - -Jake went over in his mind the plan they had made for this "disappearing -act" which had turned out to be a disappearance in real earnest. Jerry -was not to go on the stage with the others for the first part of the -magic show. He was to get the long ladder, climb silently to the roof of -the lodge porch, and then cautiously crawl through the open window in -the far gable of the building----That was it! The window! Why hadn't he -thought of that before? Jake rushed through the bunch of amateur actors -dressing in the Chief's office, and emerged on the lodge porch. A ladder -leaned against the building, but even in the dim light he could see that -Jerry was not on the ladder. - -He was aware of a voice at his elbow. "Looking for something?" It was -Sherlock Jones, who had followed him from the lodge. - -"Jerry! He's gone!" Jake blurted. "He must have crawled out the window -again, and gone off somewhere. Why didn't he tell me?" - -"Look for clues--that's the thing to do in a case like this," advised -Sherlock with a business-like air. "He must have climbed down the -ladder. Come on." The two boys ran around to the steps, and presently -Sherlock snapped on his flashlight at the base of the ladder. - -"No footprints can show up on this rocky ground," observed the -detective. Jake glanced wildly at the surrounding trees and bushes, as -if determined to make them give up their secret. - -"Jerry!" he shouted desperately. "_Jerry!_" - -There was no answer. Sherlock flickered his electric torch here and -there about the scene of action. "No, sir, not a thing---- Wait, though! -What's this?" He caught the glint of metal about fifty yards in the -direction of the tents, and ran toward it. - -"This" proved to be a large-size can of tomatoes. A few paces down the -hill was a similar can, and another of beans. Sherlock held them up for -inspection. - -"Clues! Jake, do you know where these came from?" - -Jake groaned. It was as he feared. Even now Jerry might be wrestling in -the darkness with a deadly foe, or lying senseless in the woods, struck -down by a blow from behind---- - -"Come on!" he cried. "We've got to find him! Hurry!" - -Above them, from the lighted lodge, streamed out a blare of music from -the Lenape band. Pale stars glimmered overhead in the warm summer night. - -"Which way?" asked Sherlock calmly. - -Jake made no answer, but stumbled down the hillside, making to the left, -where he remembered he had lost sight of his antagonist the night of the -raid on Tent Fifteen. Then, the man had headed for the lake, and it was -probable that under the same conditions he would again do likewise. It -was a slim chance, but---- - -"Jerry!" - -Their footsteps guided by the yellow splash of brightness from the -flashlight, the two boys broke through the campus and into the stretch -of woods beyond. It seemed to Jake, as he raced through the night, that -hours had passed since he was released from the box to find Jerry -missing. - -"Not much chance--find anybody in these woods," panted Sherlock, holding -his side. "Stop a second, Jake--give me time to get my breath----" - -"Wait here, then, if you're winded," answered Jake fiercely. "Here, lend -me the light, and I'll come back for you. I tell you, I've _got_ to find -him!" Before the other could protest, he seized the flash and was on his -way toward the lake's rim at a breakneck speed. - -He was now almost to the rustic bridge that cut across the stream -through the marsh at the head of the lake. Water shone glassily through -the trees at his right hand. A huddled form loomed ahead in the path -beyond the bridge, showing ghostly in the pale beam of the lamp. - -"Jerry!" - -"That you, Jake?" came his brother's voice. - -"Jerry--what's the matter? Are you all right?" - -"Sure." Jerry rose and limped toward him. "I heard voices up the hill, -and thought it might be you. Who's with you?" - -"I left that Jones kid up there--he got a stitch in his side. But are -you sure you're not hurt?" - -"I got off into the marsh, and banged into some birch trees, that's all. -To-night it seems to be my turn to chase around in the dark and bump -into things. But I'm sure sorry I spoiled the act." - -"That's all right, now I'm sure you're safe," answered Jake with relief. -"You saw him--the man?" - -"Clear as daylight. I happened to be looking out the little window in -the top of the lodge, just about the time you got into the box, and I -saw him sneaking down from the kitchen. He must have been prowling -around again, looking for something to eat, and thought it was a good -time to break in, when everybody was watching the show." - -"And you went after him?" - -"There was just a chance to nab him--that's why I didn't yell out and -get the whole camp on his trail. He might have got clean away by that -time. Besides, we didn't want to miss the reward, did we?" Jerry rubbed -his bruised arm, which had suffered when his untimely fall had put an -end to the chase. - -"You're sure he was the man?" - -"Couldn't have been anyone else, Jakie. But he spotted me when I was -coming down the ladder, and dropped his stuff and ran. I followed him -down about to here, and then I slipped on some muddy rocks and lost him. -But we know where to find him if we want him, don't we?" - -"Shh!" Jake said warningly. "Here comes Dopey Sherlock. Don't say a -word--he's suspicious enough already." - -The doughty detective had at last found his breath, and came stumbling -toward them. - -"So you found him, did you?" he asked. "What was he doing down here?" - -"Just taking a walk, Sherlock old boy," said Jerry easily. "Anything -else you'd like to know?" - -"Yes--a whole lot. Did you drop some cans of tomatoes and stuff?" - -"Oh, they were just part of the show. If you'd been at the rehearsal -this afternoon, instead of moping around by yourself, you'd know all -about these things. Now, which would you rather do;"--Jake's tone was -threatening--"shut up, or get a sock on that long nose of yours?" - -Sherlock glanced timidly about him, and retreated a few steps. He knew -that he was no match for the two Utway twins; and here in the darkness, -far from the campers and protecting leaders, it would be unwise to -arouse their ire. - - -Morning brought further news of the search for the escaped prisoner. The -Chief announced that a band of volunteers, under the direction of prison -guards, had made a prolonged search of the vicinity, but had found no -traces of the missing criminal. The object of their search had been free -for more than four days now, and it was thought by some that he might -have gotten clear away and escaped unseen to a far city where he could -go undetected for some time. However, it was best not to relax the -precautions they had made; and therefore the plans for tent hikes that -night would have to be changed. A storm of protest greeted these last -words, for the campers dearly liked the fun that always came when each -tent, under its leader, took its supper and made an evening's camp in -some favorite spot a few miles from their usual haunts on the campus. -But the Chief was obdurate. - -At lunch, the Chief rose and stated that so many boys had come to him to -ask that his ban on the tent hikes be lifted, that he had decided to -allow these hikes to take place after all. He silenced the cheering with -a lifted hand, and added that no group should camp more than a mile away -from the lodge, and all should be in their own tents by ten o'clock at -the latest. - -This was good news. Noisy discussions took place at each table, as to -what spot should be selected as the site of their evening meal. Jerry -Utway shouted down the others at Dr. Cannon's table, and finally got -them to lay claim to Pebble Beach, a narrow bit of ground on the -northeast border of the lake. - -"I'm going with Jerry's gang, please!" requested Jake. Mr. Avery, who -had decided to take Tent Ten no farther away than Church Glade, gave a -ready consent; and so it was arranged. - -Directly the afternoon swim was over, the campers dressed in their -hiking outfits, and two boys were sent to draw each tent's rations from -the kitchen. Jake and Jerry Utway, burdened with pans full of beans, raw -potatoes, bread, salt, butter, and other provisions, headed for the -dock, where two rowboats, filled with the remaining boys of Tent Eight, -waited to shove off for their short journey across to Pebble Beach. - -"I don't much like the look of the sky," observed Dr. Cannon, sitting in -the stern of one of the boats as the boys stowed away the provisions. -"But I guess we'll be all right. Everybody got his poncho or raincoat? -If it starts to rain, we can get back to the dock in short order. Ready? -Shove off!" - -The two boats, manned by a husky youngster at each oar, drew away from -the dock, and shot across the placid water in the direction of their -chosen camping-ground. Thus calmly and unsuspectingly, Jake and Jerry -Utway, at the oars of the foremost boat, embarked upon the wildest night -of their lives. - - - - - CHAPTER X - THE MAN IN BLUE AGAIN - - -The two boats grated on the shingle of Pebble Beach, and their gay crews -disembarked and moored their craft to trees overhanging the water. Boys -ran in all directions, fetching dry wood to the circle of blackened -stones that marked the site of many a Lenape bivouac, and potatoes, in -their jackets of damp clay, were thrust into the first embers of the -small cooking fire that had been lighted under Dr. Cannon's direction. - -While the supper they had brought was cooking, Spaghetti Megaro -organized a game of "duck-on-a-rock." Twilight brought a gang of -ravenous campers in a cluster about the fire, watching with alert eyes -the drawing forth of the food whose steaming aroma, mingled with the -bitter tang of wood-smoke, made every mouth water. The sun faded out -into a gray foggy mass of clouds low-lying over the Lenape range across -the lake, and by the replenished fire's glow, the boys squatted about -and ate their simple meal, spicing it with many a cheery quip and -good-natured jest. - -When pans and mess-kits had been washed by the simple method of rubbing -dirt on their surfaces to remove the grease, afterward dipping them in -the lake, dead limbs and brush were heaped on the fire, and in the -circle of light sent forth by the jolly blaze, the boys of Tent Eight -settled themselves for an evening of campfire talk. - -One story followed another, most of them having to do with strange -occurrences, haunted houses, ghosts whose touch made the victim's hair -turn White in a single night. As the hours passed, the air about the -little encampment became decidedly spooky. A wailing wind had arisen, -and swept mournfully through the overhanging trees. Down the lake on the -other side, a leaping torch of flame marked the spot where Tent Two, -camped below the baseball field, had built a high fire that danced with -every gust and spouted a hail of sparks toward the murky sky. - -Oscar Hansen, a freckle-faced blonde boy, was relating the tale of the -Golden Hand. He raised his voice as the climax of his story drew near. -"--And he heard a footstep outside the door of the room, and a scary -voice said: '_Who's got my Golden Hand?_' Then he heard the door swing -open, and something said, in a louder voice: '_Who's got my Golden -Hand?_' But he couldn't see anything there. His hair stood on end. He -sat up in bed. The thing was right at the foot of his bed, saying in an -awful screech: '_Who's got_----'" - -"Good evening!" - -Everybody jumped, and little Barstow cried out in fear. A dislodged -stone rolled down into the fireplace. Peering eyes made out the towering -form of a stranger just beyond the circle of firelight. A man had come -upon them unawares as the group sat absorbed in the ghostly tale. - -"Hope I don't interrupt your fun. But I saw the fire, and just thought -I'd step over and warm my hands a bit." - -Dr. Cannon rose to greet the newcomer. "Glad to have you. We were -telling ghost stories, and I'm afraid you' startled us a bit, Mr. ----" - -"Diker. I'm from the state penitentiary over beyond Elmville." The -stranger shook hands, and pulled aside his slicker for a moment; the red -glow flashed on the metal of an official badge. "Glad to know you, sir. -Well, if it isn't my friends the twins!" - -Jerry stuck his elbow in Jake's ribs. It was the man in blue again! The -prison guard! Now that they looked closely, they could see that what -they had first taken for a stick in the man's hand was in reality the -gun which he never seemed to be without. - -"Hello, boys. I'm just staying a minute," the guard went on. "A warm -fire feels mighty good. I wouldn't be surprised if we had a good-sized -storm before morning. You're lucky you don't have to prowl around here -in the dark all night, the way I do." - -"Here, have a seat," said Dr. Cannon hospitably. "You're still after -that prisoner who got loose, I suppose. Are there any further -developments?" - -"No such luck. He's disappeared completely; but sooner or later, he'll -be starved out of the hole where he's hiding, and then we'll get him -again. It won't be an easy job in these woods, though, because -Burk--that's the man's name--used to be a hunter's guide and is a real -woodsman." - -"What kind of a fellow is he? Any objection to telling us?" asked the -doctor. - -"None at all," said Diker cheerfully. "From what I've seen Of him, Burk -is not a bad chap. Short, slender fellow--always quiet and well-behaved, -never gave any trouble, until last Saturday morning, when he was -discovered missing. We still can't figure out how he got away from the -prison grounds. It was a foolish thing for him to do, too; he only had a -year more to serve, and now, when he's caught, it will mean added time -for breaking prison." Diker held out his hands thoughtfully over the -fire. "As I say, he was a guide for hunters--he knows the Lenape hills -about as well as anybody--and most of the year he was caretaker at the -Canoe Mountain Sportsman's Club, down below Wallistown. Well, he was -caught stealing money or jewelry or something when he was there alone, -in charge of the place--I don't think I ever rightly heard the exact -circumstances. Probably some temptation came his way, and he wasn't -strong-willed enough to resist." - -"He doesn't sound like a very dangerous character," remarked the doctor. - -"No, he's not a fighter--but any man in a corner will fight for his -liberty when he has to do it. I wish we could get him soon, though--I'm -a bit tired of hiking through the country day and night in all sorts of -weather. If we could only spot the smoke of his fire, or----" - -"Say!" burst out Al Canning, nerving himself to speak. "Say, Mr. -Diker--you said something about smoke. Me and another kid named Toots -saw some smoke over here a couple days ago, right on this very side of -the lake! Down below a ways where the trees are thickest--we saw it from -a boat----" - -"So?" The prison guard bent a sharp glance on the flushed face of the -youngster. "Well, there's a chance he may be in there. If nothing else -happens, I'll take a bunch of deputies in there first thing to-morrow, -and if he's there, we'll get him! But say, young fellow, if you saw this -smoke several days ago, why didn't you report it?" - -"Well," stammered Al, "me and Toots were going to tell it at Council -Ring, but we forgot, and one of the Utway kids here said it wasn't worth -mentioning." He pointed to the twins, and stopped, breathless. - -Jake and Jerry faced the accusing glance of the guard. "Hmm! I seem to -run into you two wherever I go. Now, will you kindly tell me----" - -A crashing blast of thunder broke in upon his words, and a jagged stab -of lightning illuminated the sky. Dr. Cannon jumped up hastily. - -"Back to camp, boys!" he commanded. "Put out the fire, stow everything -in the boats, and head for the dock! Everybody put on his raincoat--the -storm will be here before we know it!" - -The rising wind whipped a few stinging drops against their faces as he -spoke. The prison guard stood motionless amid the bustle of breaking -camp. In a few moments the little beach was crowded with the campers, -who loaded their kits into the boats and climbed in after them. The fire -hissed as Linder poured a bucket of water over the embers. - -The return journey across to the dock was short, yet in that space of -time the storm broke in fury. Stiff, white-crested waves slapped against -the thwarts, and made smooth progress with the oars a difficult feat. -Jake and Jerry bent their backs with a will, and their round-bottomed -steel craft was the first to reach the dock. As the other two occupants -clambered out, with water steaming from their rubber ponchos, Jerry -caught his brother's arm and drew him under the shelter of the diving -platform. - -"Whew, that was a close one!" he whispered. "That guard is sure -suspicious of us--I could see it in his eye. And he means what he says. -A gang of men can go over that patch of woods across the lake with a -fine-tooth comb, and they'll find our convict as sure as shooting. This -is our only chance to get the reward--we'll have to do it to-night!" - -"I'm game!" Jake brushed the raindrops from his hair with a swift -motion. - -"Don't get undressed. As soon as everybody is asleep, crawl out and meet -me by the flagpole. Wear your poncho, and bring your big flashlight." A -rumble of thunder capped his words. "Jakie, we've got to do it! We've -got to find our man, and bring him back!" - - - - - CHAPTER XI - THE LAIR OF THE ENEMY - - -Jerry Utway lay in his bunk, fully dressed, for about an hour after Taps -had summoned the campers to slumber. The storm had settled to a steady -drumming torrent that would probably persist far into the next day. The -sides of the tents had been lowered and fastened to the floor by their -grommets, to afford the fullest protection from the blast. An occasional -flash of lightning, accompanied by a crack of booming thunder, lit up -the familiar tent at intervals. Jerry shivered slightly as he stretched -out in his blankets and listened to the furious tattoo of drops on the -tent-fly over his head. He would have liked a less tempestuous night for -their expedition, but dawn would put an end to their hopes unless they -moved speedily. - -At last he judged it safe to make his getaway, and with infinite -patience crawled into his boots and poncho, and shielding his -flashlight, crept out into the night. The vicinity of the campus was -black as pitch. Jerry felt his way through dripping underbrush, in order -to avoid disturbing any sleeper. He found Jake by the flagpole, and -without a word the two brothers stumbled down to the boat-dock. - -On the unprotected platform of the dock they felt upon their wet faces -the full power of the storm. Wicked-sounding waves swirled through the -piles on which the dock was built; the little fleet of rowboats rocked -and pounded each other at their moorings. - -"Don't put on your light," cautioned Jake hoarsely. "That prison guard -may still be patrolling over across, and if he happened to spot us, the -game would be over. We'll have to take a boat--we couldn't get a canoe -launched in this water to-night." - -"You untie a boat and pull it around in the lee of the dock, while I get -the oars." - -In a few moments Jerry returned with the precious oars, and they were -shoved into the locks of the boat Jake had selected. Before putting off, -it was necessary to bail out the pool of rain-water that splashed in the -bottom of the craft, and this Jake did, using his sou'-wester hat as a -bail. When the duckboards beneath their feet no longer floated, the -brothers cast off, seized the oars, and headed about on their second -crossing that night. - -"Head straight across!" ordered Jerry. "I figure that if we keep right -into the teeth of the wind, we'll come out at that pile of logs straight -across, where the deer-trail comes down to the lake. Heave!" - -Keeping the full sweep of the wind at their straining backs, the twins -worked the oars with a heaving, united swing. Spray dashed over the bows -and drenched their rubber garments; the rolling boat pitched and dived -as they met one white-capped wave after another, head on. The dim -structure of the diving-tower and the shore beyond faded swiftly into -the gloom; but after fifteen minutes of labor they had no other evidence -that their craft had made any progress in the direction they wished to -take. - -"Don't quit!" grunted Jake. "Heave!" - -Several times the bows were swept around and they took water broadside -over the low gunwale before a frantic effort on the part of one or the -other could swing them on their course again. It seemed to both laboring -boys that hours had passed. - -Bump! The stem of the small vessel crashed against some unseen -obstruction, nearly throwing the young mariners headlong on to the -floor-boards. Both clung to their oars, and a wave lifted the boat from -its precarious position. - -"We rammed the top of a sunken log!" called Jerry, who was nearest the -bow. "I think it may be part of that big jam we headed for. Any idea -where we are?" - -"As I remember, the deer-trail is down to the right a few hundred yards. -What do you say we skim along offshore and try to find it?" - -"Good! Boy, I'm glad that's over!" Jerry was breathing heavily from his -exertions. He pulled on his oar, shoved off from the dark mass of piled -logs an arm's length away, and the boat began skirting the dimly-seen -shoreline. - -They had made the crossing in a Stygian darkness, but now the thunder -again commenced its ominous cannonade. An opportune bolt of heaven-sent -fire gave them a momentary glimpse of the shore on their port side, and -told them what they wanted to know. Jake made out the muddy delta where, -he remembered from a previous visit, the deer-trail began. Before the -gloom closed in again, he pulled about and began stroking madly toward -this landing. A thought struck him like a chill hand. Had a pair of -terrified eyes spotted their boat from the black shelter of the trees? -Did a desperate evil-doer lurk there, armed with Ellick's sharpest -hand-ax, waiting for them to set foot on shore----? Jake shrugged. The -rowboat buried its nose squashily in the mud-bank, beneath the dripping -trunk of an overhanging tree. - -Without a sound the boys moored the painter to a convenient branch, and -cautiously removed the oars and placed them beneath the thwarts, along -the bottom of the boat. - -"We'll have to bail her again before we go back--if we do go back," -whispered Jerry grimly. "Can you get ashore from where you are?" - -"I think so." Jake stood and clasped the slippery tree trunk with both -arms, and swung his body forward. His heavy boots made him a clumsy -climber; but in a moment he had scrambled through a fringing litter of -brush and twigs to firmer ground. Jerry followed in his track, almost -dropping his flashlight as he clambered through the treacherous brush; -and the boys found themselves once more together in the darkness of the -forest. - -"Stick to the trail--it's our only guide," advised Jake. He led the way, -recalling as best he could the twisting of the narrow track which they -had once followed by daylight on an idle exploring trip earlier in the -season. An infrequent lightning-flash was their only help, and it was no -wonder that they more than once wandered from the dim trail. - -Deep into the murky reaches of the woods, they paused for breath. So -far, they had seen or heard nothing save gloom-shrouded trees; the usual -storm-noises of the wilderness; and the crackling of branches that -marked their advance. - -"Now, which way?" asked Jerry guardedly. "I think the trail splits about -here. It's getting late--if anybody in our tents wakes up, we're sure to -be missed. No use waiting here." His teeth were chattering from the damp -of the low ground. "Do you think we'll have to give up?" - -Jake was staring intently ahead. "I thought I caught a little glow of -light over there just a second ago! If this rain would only hold up for -a while---- There! See it?" He seized his brother's arm and pointed. - -Jerry peered anxiously into the mist. "Where?" - -"Not that way! Right ahead! It must be a fire! That's our man, all -right! Guess he thinks he's fairly safe on a night like this--and he -sure needs a fire; it's chilly enough over here to freeze you stiff! Are -you ready?" - -"Sure, Jakie! No use trying to creep up on him, though. We'll sneak as -close as we can, and then both rush him and jump him together! Come on, -let's get it over with. He's not much bigger than we are, and we'll take -him by surprise!" - -"Don't let him get hold of his ax, though!" Jake quivered with -excitement. "Ready?" He crept toward the low tinge of red light that -marked the outlaw's risky campfire. - -They advanced unchallenged for some two hundred yards through the -dripping trees, in line with their goal. Their straining eyes could -barely make out a small heap of glowing branches at the mouth of what -seemed to be a rude shelter of sticks and dead limbs, which would cut -off the tiny glow from all other directions except the one from which -they approached. Not another sign of life came from the secret camp they -had risked so much to find. - -"Now!" said Jake sharply, and dashed forward. Jerry was right at his -side in a few strides. It was like the football days at school, with -Quarterback Jake carrying the ball, and his husky brother at his elbow, -crashing through the line--"Right through center!" Jerry was amazed to -hear that shout in his own voice. In the madness of that charge he had -sent forth the old battle-cry. - -Together the Utway twins galloped down upon their foe. From an opening -in the shelter beyond the fire appeared a pale, haggard face; a slender -body sprang forward to meet this surprise attack; a shrill scream burst -from the drawn lips. - -"_Stand back!_ You'll never take me--you----" - -Involuntarily the twins slowed up in their tracks. A streak of -lightning, like the crack of doom, hit the earth at a terrifyingly short -distance away. The scene was illuminated as if by a thousand -searchlights. Their enemy, the searing mark of horror branded on his -face, cried out once more. His frail body quivered as if from a blow, -toppled weakly forward, and lay in a heap almost at their feet--face -forward, helpless, deathly still. - - - - - CHAPTER XII - A DARING RESOLVE - - -"He's fainted!" - -Jake and Jerry stared in bewilderment at the inert body at their feet. -Their first thought was not one of triumph at this successful ending to -their quest. Rather, it was one of pity for the tortured man whose -desperate break for liberty had availed him nothing. Jerry was stirred -to action. - -"Get him into the lean-to! The poor fellow can't hurt us now. Quick!" -The twins lifted the limp form and carried him gently into the low brush -shelter that he had built for protection against the elements. The rude -thatched roof held off the rain fairly well, and both boys removed their -ponchos, laying one on the ground, placing their unconscious burden upon -it, and covering the convict's body with the other. Jerry pulled open -the rough gray shirt at the man's throat, and fanned the bloodless face -with his hat. - -"Get some water, Jake! I think the creek is only a few steps away." - -Jake departed. His brother snapped on his flashlight, and cast its beams -full upon his captive's face. The man was not bald, as Jake had thought -when he had first encountered him; his hair had been shaved close to the -top of his head, but now a bristling stubble had grown to cover it. The -chin and jowls were also darkened with a rough growth of beard showing -blackly against the pallid face. Through bluish lips, the breath came in -quick sobs. The man's body, under the close-drawn poncho, was slender -and wiry, and although but slightly taller than one of the twins, gave -the impression of some strength. - -Jake returned with his sou'-wester half full of water. He splattered a -few drops over the prisoner's face, and forced a slight trickle down the -man's throat. - -"Don't choke him!" cautioned Jerry. "Here, I'll rub his arms and chest. -He's cold, and no wonder! Think of staying in this place for several -days, without any blankets or even a coat!" - -He began rubbing the man's limbs briskly, and noted a flush of returning -color in the pale features. - -"That ought to bring him around," observed Jake. "Say, he doesn't look -much like a desperado, does he? Poor fellow, it's a shame he has to----" - -"Shh!" Jerry paused, and tucked the protecting poncho about the body -again. He had seen an eyelid flicker in the light of their lamp. The -convict moaned feebly, opened his eyes, closed them again as the light -struck them. "Give him a little more water, Jakie." - -Slowly their patient revived. His body jerked weakly. - -"You're all right," said Jake soothingly. "Don't try to sit up. Can you -hear me?" - -The man fell back wearily. "You'll never--take me--_there_--again----" -he murmured faintly. "I--I--water----" - -"Here you are. That's it." Jake propped him up, and held a handful of -water to his mouth. "Shade the light, Jerry. What do you think we ought -to do with him now?" - -"He's half frozen. We'll have to get him warm." Jerry had meanwhile -noted a small pile of wood heaped under the eaves of the narrow shelter, -at the side of which lay the small ax which Ellick had missed after the -raid on his kitchen. "It won't matter now if anybody sees the fire." -Leaving his place at the man's side, he stirred up the dying flames and -placed a few more sticks upon them. "It's stopped raining for a while, I -think. We'll bring him over here, where he can get warm." - -Skillfully they brought their prisoner, still wrapped in the poncho, to -a sitting position at the mouth of the lean-to, close to the reviving -fire. The man's breath was coming more easily now. His eyes were open, -and he watched their every move, without attempting to speak. - -"Think of it, Jake," Jerry went on; "he's been in the woods now for four -or five days, without any decent clothes, and only a little food to eat, -scared every minute that he will be caught again. It's no wonder he's -worn out." He turned to the man. "When did you eat last?" - -The one addressed shook his head. "I--don't know. Last night--got some -food--dropped it----" - -"That was Stunt Night!" put in Jake. "Sherlock and I found some cans of -tomatoes he dropped when you chased him. Say, if we only had---- By -jiminy, I just thought!" He reached in his breast pocket. "I got a -couple bars of chocolate to eat to-night on the picnic, and just -remembered them now." - -The paper-wrapped candy he drew out was sodden and melted by contact -with his body, but the man's eyes fastened themselves on them with mute -pleading as Jake tore away the tinfoil about the sticky mass. - -"Here--help yourself. Don't eat it too fast, though, or it may make you -sick." - -With shaking fingers, their starving captive seized the proffered food, -and wolfed it ravenously. - -"Feel better?" - -"I--I---- You boys are all right. Guess it's no use. But--how did you -find me?" - -"We're from Camp Lenape, across the lake. We've seen you before," -answered Jake; "once when I ran into you the time that crazy Sherlock -Jones shot off his flashlight powder down by Tent Fifteen----" - -The man nodded. "I got some food over there. I remember. I tried to find -some clothes in a tent, but a big light went off, and----" - -"--And you tangled up with me in the woods," finished the boy. "Guess we -were both pretty scared. Then, last night, Jerry here spotted you, -coming down from the kitchen----" - -"You know who I am?" - -"Sure," said Jerry. "You're Burk. But say, you don't look much like a -thief and a jailbird. What did you do it for? I mean, how did you get in -trouble in the first place?" - -A smouldering fury came into Burk's eyes. "I didn't do it!" he cried. -"Do you hear me? I'm not guilty! And for more than a year I've been -penned up in that place--like an animal--an innocent man!" His voice had -risen to a high scream which echoed through the dripping darkness of the -forest. - -"Say! You mean you----" - -The man fell back, exhausted by his short outburst. "I don't expect you -to believe me," he said wearily. "Nobody believed me. Nobody. But it's -true. There was a mistake, and everything was against me. Guess they -were justified--I couldn't prove I didn't take the necklace. The -evidence was too strong----" - -"What necklace?" asked Jake with interest. "They said you stole a -necklace somewhere?" - -"Don't bother him now, Jake." - -Burk sat up again. "I'm all right." The warmth of the fire and the food -they had given him seemed to have bestowed fresh energy. "I want to tell -you, even if you don't believe me. If I had been able to get away this -time, I think I could have proved my innocence, but it was no use. But -you boys, whoever you are, have been decent to me, and I want you to -know I wouldn't lie to you. By the way, what are your names? I'd like to -know. Brothers, aren't you?" - -"Twins. I'm Jerry Utway, and this is Jake. But what about the necklace?" - -Both boys had forgotten that they sat in the wet woods in the dead of -night, far from their friends, who might miss them at any moment. They -were intent only on hearing the story of this strange man. - -"It was about a year ago," began Burk. "I'd always spent most of my time -in these mountains--my father was a hunting guide, and I became one, -too, after I went through high school. I had a pretty good job as -steward and caretaker of a place down on Canoe Mountain, west of -Wallistown. It was a sort of hunting lodge, belonging to a club of -sportsmen. I lived in the lodge all year round, and took out parties of -deer-hunters and fishermen during the season. Well, at this particular -time there was only one man staying at the lodge--a man named Collinge, -a banker in the city. He was going out fishing that afternoon by -himself, and asked me to take care of an expensive pearl necklace he had -brought up with him. His daughter was driving up next day with some -friends--it was her birthday, and he was giving her the necklace as a -present. A party was planned, and I had to get things ready. As it -happened, I had a touch of 'flu at the time--I didn't say anything about -it, as I thought it was just a bit of a cold, but I must have had a high -fever that day. I took the necklace. He told me to guard it carefully, -as it was quite valuable. That's all." - -"But what happened?" prompted Jake. - -"_What happened!_" repeated Burk in despair. "That's the question I've -been asking myself a hundred times a day, back yonder in the prison." He -shivered. "Mr. Collinge came back that evening and found me lying on my -bed, raving with fever. The necklace was nowhere in sight. I couldn't -tell him a thing--I couldn't remember what I had done with it; I'd been -out of my head most of the time. Well, I don't much blame him for -getting angry and thinking I had hidden it, stolen it to sell later. He -gave me until morning to produce the necklace or take the consequences -of being a thief. When morning came, I was better--but no matter how I -hunted all over the place, I couldn't find the necklace." - -"And you couldn't remember?" - -"It was gone--that's all. I was innocent--but how could I prove it? At -the trial, Mr. Collinge was decent enough, even if he had lost a great -deal of money; he asked the judge to deal with me leniently. But -naturally everybody thought I had yielded to temptation, and was -refusing to confess. Once in a thousand times, a jury will convict an -innocent man. This was the one unlucky time. I went behind the bars." - -Burk stared at the flickering fire for several minutes, lost in -unspeakable thoughts. - -"Boys, don't ever do anything that might lead to a prison cell. -It's--it's---- Well, never mind that. I stood it, and I must stand it -again, now you've caught me." - -"Where were you going?" asked Jerry curiously. - -"Didn't I tell you? I've had a feeling, all the time I was in jail, that -if I could only get back to the Canoe Mountain Lodge, I might be able -to--to find the necklace and prove I wasn't guilty. I had a feeling I -might remember----" - -Jerry's eyes were alive with enthusiasm. "You think if you got to the -lodge, it might all come back to you?" - -"That's what I hoped. As far as I know, the necklace was never found. If -that's true, it must still be there. If I could only----" - -"What do you say, Jakie?" Jerry Utway looked over at Jake, who nodded -back. - -The convict stared from one to the other. "What do you mean?" - -Jerry jumped up, pounding his fist in his palm. "We'll give you your -chance--Jake and I will help you prove you're not a thief! No matter -what happens, you're going back to Canoe Mountain and try to find that -necklace! And we--we'll go with you!" - - - - - CHAPTER XIII - THE TRUNK ROOM - - -The astonishing proposal of the twins took the man completely aback. He -turned his head away. A choking rose in his throat, and he rubbed his -eyes with the back of one hand. "Boys----" He swallowed several times -before he could go on. "Boys, nobody's ever had as much faith in me as -you two are giving---- No use trying to tell you what it means to me, or -trying to thank you---- But I couldn't ask you to do it. Any help you -give me will put you in reach of the law. No, I couldn't do it. The -game's up, and I'll just have to make up my mind to go back----" - -"Here, that's no way to talk!" put in Jerry with assumed roughness. -"Now, forget everything, except that from now on, we're going to do all -we can to make you a free man." - -The twins were glowing at the prospect of new and more daring adventure. -To protect Burk, to risk everything in a dash across country, in order -to prove him guiltless of the crime for which he was condemned--here was -a deed the thought of which set their hearts beating wildly! - -Jake outlined their campaign. "You can't travel until you're fed and -rested, Mr. Burk. And you can't stay here--the prison guards will be -through here in a few hours. We'll have to hide you, somewhere near -camp, where you can rest up for a while. To-morrow night we'll start! -Just leave everything to us!" - -"The trunk room!" Jerry burst out. "That's the place! Nobody ever goes -in there--he can sleep all day to-morrow, and even the police wouldn't -think of looking right in the camp lodge!" - -"Good idea, Jerry. Now, if you think you can move, Mr. Burk, we'll -start. Here it's raining again, which is good--it'll wash out our -tracks." - -The boys helped the dazed man to his feet, and Jerry hung his poncho -over his new friend's shoulders before helping Jake to try and remove -all traces of the little camp in the woods. The small fire was soon -buried in mud and brush; the lean-to was pushed over and pulled apart, -and the branches scattered as far as possible. Taking the ax, Jake led -the way back along the muddy trail to the boat. - -The little party found the shore of the lake without mishap, and pushed -off through a steady drizzle. Burk seemed lost in a daze. Only once did -he speak on the return journey. - -"Did--didn't you say something, back there, about a reward?" - -"Sure," the boy whispered. "You must have guessed they would offer some -money for your capture. That's why we'll have to keep you out of sight -all the time, until you find that necklace. Now, better not talk any -more--that prison guard might spot us." - -The campus was undisturbed; no light showed anywhere through the rain. -It was probable that the twins had not been missed, and stood a good -chance of returning to their bunks undetected. Both boys were busily -planning their new adventure, and first and foremost in their thoughts -was the safety and comfort of the man they had promised to aid. - -Between the pillars supporting the downhill end of the lodge, a -loosely-boarded structure had been built next to the dark-room. This -large space was used for storing the trunks, suitcases, and warbags -which had served to transport the outfits of the campers from their -homes. The trunk room was seldom entered during the season. Jerry's idea -of hiding Burk in this place, directly beneath the feet of the campers -as they assembled for meals, was not in reality such a dangerous scheme. -Unless he took to the open woods again, there was no other place on the -Lenape campus which afforded such secrecy and protection. All the man -had to do was to lie here snugly, resting and regaining his strength, -and unless he made a suspicious noise, he might go undiscovered for some -time. - -Jake pushed the door open a crack and tiptoed softly inside. The others -entered behind him, and Jerry snapped on his light. Their shadows -stretched gigantically across the rough floor and scaled the heaps of -piled trunks and suitcases. Dry, warm, protected, and seldom entered, -here was a good refuge for the outlaw. - -"If you hear anybody coming, you can hide behind a pile of trunks," -pointed out Jerry. "You can easily stay here until to-morrow night. -Jakie, you see if you can make him comfortable. I'll be right back." - -Jerry left them, and went to the kitchen. His hunch was a good one. On -one of the tables he located a pile of pans and dishes which had been -brought in by the late-returning hikers that evening. His guarded -flashlight revealed that much unused food had also been returned. He -found a pan half full of beans, an untouched loaf of bread, some butter -and jam, and a can of pineapple which he opened before returning with -his trove to the trunk room. - -"Food," he announced. "This will hold you down for a while, Mr. Burk. -We'll try to bring more to-morrow, if we can do it safely. In the -meantime you can be having a long sleep." - -"I found a good place," said Jake. He pointed to a far corner of the -room, where an old, patched canvas, the remains of a worn-out tent, was -folded to form a rough bed. Burk wore Jake's sweater over his wet -garments. The man had seized eagerly upon the food, and was stowing it -away in short order. - -"These boards may not be the softest bed in the world, but at any rate, -it's better than the wet ground on a night like this," Jake went on. "I -guess you'll be able to sleep. But be careful not to stir around too -much. All day to-morrow, until taps, there will be at least a dozen -fellows around within a few feet of this place. And to-morrow night, -when everybody's asleep, we'll come and get you." - -"And to-morrow, some time, we'll smuggle in some decent clothes, and a -razor, and everything," added Jerry. "Anything else you want?" - -Burk, his mouth full of food, shook his head. - -"Well, then, good night! And to-morrow----" - -The two boys went to the door. Burk rose and ran to them, seized their -hands. His voice shook, and he made no effort to hold back the tears -that welled in his eyes. - -"Good night, boys--and God bless you! God bless you!" - - -When Sherlock Jones awoke in the cold, gray morning, a few minutes -before Reveille, he had a feeling that something tremendous was going to -happen that day. The first thing his prying eyes lit upon was one of -Jake Utway's boots, lying carelessly on the floor of the tent. The boot -was caked with sticky black mud almost to the knee. He pondered this -mysterious circumstance at odd moments during the morning, without any -satisfactory conclusion as to what Jake might have been doing in the -dead of night that would put his footgear into such a state. - -His feeling that great things were impending returned to him again and -again as the morning passed. The customary line-up for the flag-raising -was held on the lodge porch, as the rain was still dripping from -low-lying banks of cloud; but along toward morning swim-time the sky -cleared slightly, and by lunch a watery sun had appeared, to dry up the -muddy campus. - -All the time Sherlock had been on the job. Not once had the Utway twins -been out of his sight. - -At lunch, however, he came upon another clue. Jake appeared to be -unusually hungry; it seemed almost impossible for him to satisfy his -appetite. The long-nosed detective did not link this fact with the -further fact that Jake's blouse, when he rose from table, bulged -suspiciously in front. - -After the meal, Sherlock moodily retired to the dark-room, his favorite -spot in which to think over his information, and to "deduce" results -therefrom. So far, he had little to go on. - -He listened idly for a few moments to the song of the care-free black -boy up in the kitchen. That brought to mind the recent robbery of the -pantry. Might this have something to do with the Utway case? - -A great light suddenly burst upon Sherlock Jones. A convict might be -badly in need of food. And an escaped fugitive might well serve as a -secret accomplice---- - -A creaking noise near him in the darkness brought him to wide-awake -alertness. Sherlock strained his ears, eager to catch any further sound. -Absolute silence followed. For a few moments the boy stood motionless; -then he softly tiptoed to the door, and flung it open. The Utway twins -were in sight, strolling easily down toward their tents. - -They had come from the trunk room! It had been their footsteps he had -heard. But what was their business there? Had they hidden something? -Perhaps the swag of some midnight burglary, something that might -incriminate them surely and swiftly? - -Yes, the trunk room was assuredly the key to all the problems that -confronted the amateur sleuth. Without making a sound, he stepped to the -door of the trunk room. - -It was a foolish step for young Detective Jones to make. Yet, whatever -his other failings, Sherlock could not be accused of lack of courage. He -turned the knob and pushed cautiously inside. - -At first he could see little; it was not until his eyes were accustomed -to the dimness of the room that he made out a heap of food on the floor, -piled high on a paper napkin. Food! For whom? For what? He allowed the -door to swing behind him, and bent forward to look more closely. He was -not aware of a shadowy body that crouched at his side, tense, ready to -spring on him from behind a heap of stacked trunks. - -Sherlock Jones did not have a chance to cry out. A muscular arm circled -his throat with a choking clasp. A bit of cloth was rammed into his open -mouth; wiry arms clutched his own with a grip like that of a steel trap. -His wild struggles were of no avail. He fell to the floor of the room, -borne down by a strength greater than his own. As he fell, he saw--or -did he dream?--that he was caught in the power of a stranger whose face -was invisible, but on whose arm was tattooed the design of a flying -eagle. - - - - - CHAPTER XIV - SO LONG, LENAPE! - - -It was past ten o'clock that night when Jerry and Jake Utway tapped -softly on the door of the trunk room. The door opened a crack. - -"It's us--the twins!" Jerry whispered urgently. "Are you all right?" - -"Yes. Come in," responded a familiar voice. The two boys, with a -backward look into the starlit night, slid through the doorway, and Jake -snapped on his flashlight. - -They saw before them a stranger. No, it was Burk--but a different Burk, -a man new-made in the few hours since they had seen him. Now, they could -see that he was quite a young man, a being entirely different from the -haggard, bearded fugitive they had rescued. During siesta hour, as they -had promised, they had smuggled into the hiding-place not only food, but -also a razor with which Jake methodically scraped his upper lip every -two weeks or so. They had also made up a bundle of clothing extracted -from their camping outfits. But they had not expected such a -transformation as that which had produced this likeable young fellow who -now smiled back at them in the rays of the lantern. - -Burk had shed his drab convict's clothing, torn and stained as it was. -He was now attired in garments contributed by the twins, and wore a -flannel shirt, black sweater under a Norfolk jacket, and Jake's corduroy -trousers. A pair of stout army shoes had replaced his sodden prison -footwear. A cloth cap concealed his tell-tale cropped head; he would not -dare to remove that cap where others might see him. His shaving -operations had left a small, neat mustache on his lip, which gave him a -cocky, cheerful look. In fact, the food and rest he had taken had done -much to restore him to his old, care-free outlook upon life. This was a -surprising Burk; he was actually grinning at them, as though his whole -future did not depend upon the outcome of the adventure upon which they -were about to embark. - -"Is everything ready?" he asked. - -"Well," answered Jake slowly, "we've had to make a few changes in our -plans. It's this way. A goofy kid named Jones, in my tent, has gone and -gotten himself lost somewhere. Our leader is worried to death about what -might have happened to him--this kid is a nosy bird we nicknamed -Sherlock, and is always fussing around trying to detect things. He -didn't show up for supper, and everybody's been chasing all over the -place ever since, trying to find him. We're supposed to be looking for -him now ourselves." - -"I think, from what you say, that I know the boy you mean. Well, he -detected himself into some trouble." - -"You've seen him? You know where he is?" - -"I do. If you'll look over in the corner, there by my bed, you'll find -him safe and sound, though a little scared." - -The Utway twins pushed past the speaker, and tiptoed to the place -mentioned. Sure enough; there on the canvas lay Sherlock Jones, flat on -his back, his wrists pinioned behind him, a gag in his mouth held in -place by his own handkerchief, above which a pair of pale eyes goggled -through his thick glasses with a piteous, pleading look. For some hours -past, the amateur sleuth had been expecting a gruesome death any moment -from the mysterious stranger who had trapped him; now, at sight of the -notorious Utway brothers, he thought his last hour had struck. He -wriggled in his bonds helplessly. Through all the long time of his -captivity, Sherlock Jones had come to the conclusion that he didn't want -to be a famous detective. If he ever got through this harrowing -experience alive, he'd never shadow another suspect again. - -"How--how did he get here?" gasped Jerry. - -"I'm sorry for the poor chap, boys, but it couldn't be helped. He was -smart enough to find out where I was, and if I hadn't tied him up, he -would have had me caught in the wink of an eye! It was the only thing I -could do." - -"Well, that's not so good," put in Jake. "Dog-gone it, why did he have -to come snooping around right at this time? It's a mess; it will make -our getaway all the harder. I thought that all we would have to do would -be to sneak out our stuff after Taps to-night, and hit the trail. But -right now, half the camp is chasing all over the place, looking for this -sap; if we try to get through now, they might easily spot us, and if we -stay here, they might decide to look in here any minute. What'll we do -with him?" - -"Yes, what?" Jerry echoed. "If we don't leave pretty quick, we'll be -nabbed. Sherlock heard everything, and we don't dare let him go now. -Even if we leave him here, he'll work loose sooner or later, and that -will be even worse for us." He glared at the prostrate Sherlock, the -whole cause of this hitch in their carefully laid plans. "I guess we'll -just have to tie him tight and get as far away as we can before he's -discovered." - -"You two are ready to travel, then?" asked Burk. - -"We couldn't get our blankets, because everybody in the tent is awake -and up," said Jerry, "but that's all right. We can start right away, -sure." Both twins wore khaki hiking breeches, woolen stockings, flannel -shirts, and high shoes, and each wore a heavy mackinaw that would -protect him well from the cold. - -Burk's tone was serious. "And you're still determined to run away from -your friends and go with me? Don't you think it would be wiser to let me -start off alone, and let me take my chance without involving you in my -trouble?" - -"Dead sure. We go with you. Honest, we can help you a lot--we know all -the trails around here, and we can hike fine. We're with you to see this -through to the finish!" - -Jake, during this whispered discussion, had been lost in thought. Now he -broke out with the scheme that had occurred to him. "Listen! The only -thing we can do with Sherlock is to take him with us! Sounds crazy, I -know," he went on, looking at their amazed faces, "but we can't leave -him here to let the cat out of the bag as soon as we're started. If we -can take him with us up the mountain and leave him somewhere, we'll be -far away before he can find his way back and break the news. What do you -think? Anyway, we've got to do something right away; the longer we stick -around here, the less chance we'll have to get clear. The campers are -buzzing all over the place like hornets; pretty soon the moon will rise, -and we won't be able to get ten feet without being spotted. Do we take -him?" - -"That might be the way out," said Burk slowly. "It's my fault that we're -in this fix, and I don't want the poor fellow to suffer any more than he -has to. Let's go!" The delay was telling on the man's nerves. He longed -to get into the open, and start the dash for Canoe Mountain; each minute -they lingered would bring them fresh difficulties. "Here, I'll take the -lad. You two lead the way." - -Without ceremony, Burk lifted the helpless Sherlock and slung him over -his shoulder in the position known as "fireman's lift." The bound boy -was too helpless to put up a struggle as he was borne away in this -undignified fashion, and hung limply while Burk, with cat-like steps, -made for the door in the wake of the Utway twins. - -It was a fine night outside. The air smelled fresh and cool; later it -would be edged with the chill of the mountains, but now it was soft and -spicy with pine scents, and breathing it brought a recklessness to one's -senses. The lodge above the little party was dark, but several lanterns -burned among the tents below them on the hillside, rivalling the far -pale radiance of the constellations in the summer heavens. Taking care -that not the slightest noise should disturb the watchful searchers -scattered in the darkness about them, the twins led the way past the -windows of the kitchen, scouted ahead as far as the side of the -ice-house, and beckoned the burdened man to follow. A breathless dash, -and they were in the cover of the low bushes that grew on the camp side -of the wood-road, and here they paused a moment for breath. - -Jake felt his brother's fingers clutch his arm with a swift start. - -"Look!" breathed Jerry. Coming down the path were four or five dim -forms, their legs showing in the yellow pool of light from the big -lantern that marched with them. Burk also saw the advancing squad. -Unceremoniously he dumped his bound burden among the bushes, and flopped -down beside it, just in time. The lantern was swung high over the -bearer's head, and a voice challenged them. - -"Who's over there?" - -Jake recognized the tall, spare figure of his councilor. "It's Jake!" he -called. "Did you find anything, Mr. Avery?" - -Jim Avery left the group a few steps, to meet them. Already he was -dangerously close upon the hidden figures. "No, not yet. We were just up -to the hospital tent. No sign of him. We're going down to the dock again -now. Hadn't you boys better get to bed?" - -"We can't go to sleep as long as old Sherlock is missing," responded -Jake truthfully. - -"Well, better go to the tent soon, anyway. And don't get too far away -from camp!" - -The councilor hurried off to catch up with the rest of the search party. -Jake and Jerry breathed sighs of relief as the light was taken from -their faces, and they watched it bobbing off down the hill toward the -baseball field. - -"Whew! That was a close call! Jerry, I thought I'd yell if he came an -inch closer!" Jake drew his sleeve across his brow. "Guess we can start -again now, Mr. Burk. Can we help you any with packing Sherlock?" - -Burk was already on his feet again, lifting the inert body to his -shoulders. - -"I can manage, thanks," he whispered. "But as soon as we get out of the -danger zone, I'm going to untie the poor chap. This must be hurting him. -He can't do any damage now, if we untie him. I'm sure sorry I had to -lash him up this way." - -He fell in behind the two boys, now striking through the patch of -cleared woodland that led to the road. Their plan was to follow the road -for about half a mile, circle the farm where it ended, and from there -head through the mountains southward, along the Lenape range toward -Canoe Mountain. The night was yet young, and they hoped to put some -miles between the camp and themselves before morning would force them to -stop, rest, and hide from any possible discovery. A sallow tinge on the -eastern horizon told them that the moon would shortly be rising, to -light them on their fleeting way. Behind them trudged the man Burk, his -burden heavy but his heart lighter than it had been for many a day, and -the taste of freedom on his lips. - -As they topped a rising knoll above the road, Jake Utway looked back. He -could still see a few dancing lights, like will-o'-the-wisps over the -camp. - -"So long, Lenape!" he said softly, and headed up the road, on the first -leg of their dash for Canoe Mountain. Something told him that he would -pass through many hazardous passages before he again saw the familiar -scenes of the camp by the lake. Their daring venture had taken them -outside the pale of law, now; every man's hand would be against them. -There would be no ease for them until somehow, somewhere, they could -prove that the courts of the land had pronounced guilty an innocent man. - - - - - CHAPTER XV - FOUR IN THE FOREST - - -In the far corner of Farmer Podgett's meadow the little party stopped. -They stood knee-high in tall grass by the fence, their legs spattered -with dew. Burk leaned his helpless load against the fence. - -"Listen, Sherlock," said Jerry into his tent-mate's ear; "if we untie -you, will you promise not to yell or try to get away? It won't do you -any good now--we're too far from camp for them to hear you. We don't -want to hurt you unless you're stubborn." - -The captive nodded his head vigorously. He would promise anything in the -world to get free of those cutting ropes that bound him, and the gag -that almost stopped his breathing. Without more ado, Burk untied the -handkerchief that held the gag, and worked loose the knotted rope that -pinioned the boy's arms. - -"There, son!" he said. "That feel better? Let me tell you, I didn't want -to tie you up this way; I'm sorry I had to do it. No hard feelings?" - -For some minutes poor Sherlock could not speak. Had he not been leaning -against the timber fence, he would have toppled over to the ground, so -stiff were his cramped muscles. Jerry rubbed his arms briskly, and tears -came into Sherlock's eyes as circulation returned to his aching wrists. - -"There, take it easy, old man," counseled Burk. "We'll hike along slow, -and you'll soon limber up." - -"Where--where are you taking me?" asked the boy fearfully. - -"Never mind now; you'll find out later," said Jerry. "Here, put on my -mackinaw; you're cold. Now, let's be on our way." He helped young Jones -into the warm garment, and guided him along the fence to the gate. The -four passed through, and were soon lost in the shadow of the woods -again, heading southward. - -A bright half-moon was rising over the tree tops, and its beams slanted -through the leafy arches overhead, lighting their path. They followed a -trail which the twins knew ran along the foot of the range for some -miles, well above the rich farmlands below Lake Lenape. Podgett's hounds -bayed afar as they passed beyond the sleeping farmhouse. Jake Utway was -in the lead; Jerry followed, his arm about the shoulders of their -captive; Burk brought up the rear guard, silent-footed, watchful, awake. -The pace was not brisk, as Sherlock was still unable to travel rapidly. -Thus, in silence, they threaded the trail through the woodlands. - -It was past midnight when Jake halted on a spur of hill. By the side of -the road was a spring he knew of, and all the hikers refreshed -themselves with an icy draught of its water. Off to their left they -caught a glimpse of moonlight glinting on the face of the lake. Jerry -shivered slightly; without his mackinaw, he felt the chill of the night -winds. - -"This is a good place to ditch Mr. Tagalong," he observed. "Old Sherlock -won't find his way home from here easily." - -Sherlock, who had maintained a terrified silence during the march -through the woods, now cried out in horror. "You mean--you'd leave me -here? Alone? Please, Jerry, I never meant to do you any harm! Don't -leave me!" - -"We can't take you with us any farther," said Jerry, cold-bloodedly. -"We've got enough trouble ourselves, without bothering with you. We're -travelling light this trip." - -"But--but--I'd be lost! I'm lost right now!" he pleaded. "There's -probably a lot of bears in these woods. Do you want me to be eaten up?" - -"There's no bears around here," Jerry answered disdainfully. "Come on, -brace up, Sherlock. We can't take you, and that's that!" - -Sherlock turned pleadingly to Jake. "You and me are tent-mates, Jakie! -You won't desert me up here, will you? We've been pretty good friends, -haven't we? Just tell me what you want me to do, and I'll do it. I can -hike fast, honest!" - -Jake shook his head. "Sorry, but we've got a long way to go, and a big -job to do." - -"I know! I heard what you said back at camp--you're going to help this -man get away from the police. Well, if you only don't leave me, why, -I'll help too! I swear I will!" - -Jake considered. "Think we could do it, fellows? I admit I hate to leave -him up here; he might hurt himself, and never get back. He's not a bad -guy. We don't dare let him tell what he knows, and maybe it would work -out all right if we took him along." - -Jerry gave in. "All right; but he'll sure have to travel to keep up with -us. What do you think, Mr. Burk?" - -Burk shrugged. "I don't very well see what else we can do. You know who -I am, son?" - -"I don't care if you are a--a convict! You said you were sorry you had -to tie me up, and I believe you! If I can help you get away, I'll do -it!" - -"You don't understand," explained Jake. "Mr. Burk is not trying to make -a getaway. He wants to get a chance to prove he's not guilty." - -"Then----" - -"We'll tell you everything later. In the meantime, you can come along -with us and take your chance like the rest. But if you make one move to -give us away----" His unspoken words carried a threat that Sherlock did -not dare ignore. - -"I'll come!" Young Detective Jones was feeling better already. After -all, if he could not expose a desperate criminal, the next most exciting -thing was joining that criminal's band in an effort to baffle the forces -of the law. "Here, Jerry, take your mackinaw. I feel warm enough." - -"Then let's get going again," urged Jake, rising. "We can't stay here -all night; we'll get too stiff to move if we sit down any longer." - -Again they took the weary trail. Their steps now were slower; it took -more effort for them to keep up a ringing, mile-eating stride. Down in -his heart, the impatient Burk knew that he could not keep up the pace -many hours longer; his brief rest at Lenape had not been enough to make -up for the many days of starvation and exposure he had undergone. His -prison life, too, had taken from him his old endurance; he was no longer -the steel-muscled hunter he had been a year ago. And he realized that -the twins, for several nights, had taken considerably less than their -usual ration of sleep; their nightly forays had fatigued them, as he -could tell by their actions, and no doubt the attendant excitement had -also told upon them. One cannot live in an atmosphere of mysterious -incidents and midnight captures without paying for them in physical -strain. And Sherlock, the least hardy of them all, had been trussed up -tightly for half a day, and was in no condition to endure the demands of -a long hike in the dark. - -Left--right--left! The quartette, strung along the trail in Indian file, -lifted their feet more leadenly as one endless mile followed another. -The moon was right overhead now; they were a long way from Lenape, -marching somewhere on the flank of the mountains. Only the sound of -their footsteps attended them, except now and then the rasping -hunting-cry of an owl, that nocturnal marauder, and once, up the ridge, -the short bark of a fox. Several times they crossed the beds of swift -hill-streams, and once they floundered about in a spreading thicket of -rhododendrons for some minutes before Jerry, in the lead, found the -trail again. - -Sherlock Jones felt that he could not go another step. He was shivering -with the cold; if only they would stop this eternal, steady plodding, -mile after mile, and light a fire! Left--right---- He wondered if the -twins had brought any food on this mad trip; he could see that they were -hampered neither by provisions nor blankets--travelling light, as Jerry -had said. What would they eat? When would they stop? Were they going to -keep on this way for a thousand years, forever, putting one foot in -front of the other, with never a word---- A tear trickled down -Sherlock's grimy cheek. He kept on. - -The strain of the past few days was putting its mark upon the twins. At -last Jerry paused in a little clear space beside a brook. Jake marched -past him, stumbled over a fallen branch, and almost fell. He turned his -face to them, white in the moonlight, and muttered drowsily, "Guess I -was asleep! I've heard of fellows falling asleep on their feet, but this -is the first time it ever happened to me! Where are we?" - -The rest of the party halted. "I calculate we've done about twelve miles -since we left your camp," said Burk. "If we've kept straight south, we -should be a good distance away. I think you've been heading right, -because we've kept to the side of the mountain all the time. Wallistown -ought to be in striking distance, over that way; but I think we should -try to keep to the hills--too dangerous to get closer to town. Now, I -can see that you chaps are pretty well fagged out. You've stood the -march like soldiers, and not a word of complaint; but it's clear to me -we can't get any farther to-night. We'll have to lay up until to-morrow -evening. Naturally I want to get to Canoe Mountain as soon as possible, -but it won't do to start our trip with too big a jump. If we went much -farther to-night, we'd bite off more than we could chew--we'd be sore -and laid up with blisters and aches, and in no shape to put up a good -race. I'm the least tired of any of us. What do you say if I push ahead -and try to locate a place to stop?" - -The twins agreed; Sherlock had no breath to spare for talk. Burk took a -hitch in his corduroys, waved his hand, and springing across the brook, -vanished beyond, up the trail. - -The boys did not dare to sit down, for fear that their muscles would -stiffen in that position and they would not to be able to rise and walk -again. When their breathing became more regular, the Utway brothers -roused Sherlock and pushed on. They had not gone five hundred yards when -they made out a figure striding toward them in the moonlight. It was -Burk. - -"Good news!" he called. "Here's a bit of luck! I happened to see the -moonlight striking on a glass window over here. Come on through! There's -a little ramshackle hut here. Not a soul has been around for a long -time, as near as I can see. Probably this cabin was built by some -tie-cutters. Over this way!" - -They followed him, warmed to the heart by this smile of fortune. -Concealed amidst the trees, a hundred yards from the trail, was a low, -one-roomed shanty of slabs, chinked with clay. - -"There was no lock on the door," explained the discoverer, "so I just -walked in. There's a fireplace and some wood; we ought to be warm -enough, even if we have no blankets. And I guess we're so tired that we -won't mind bedding down on the floor, eh?" - -Jake threw his flashlight about the tiny dwelling. Dust rose from the -slab floor; cobwebs everywhere seemed to prove that the place had indeed -been deserted for some time past. It was a better refuge than they could -have hoped for; a snug little cabin where they could lie up until the -next evening brought them a chance to continue their long hike. - -Jerry was already busy, kindling a fire on the narrow stone hearth. -Welcome flames were soon leaping up to warm their numb bodies, and -Jerry, like the rest, considered their luck in finding such a haven in -the depths of the woods. But he had a more pressing matter in his head. -There were four of them, and they would have to pass at least one day -here, with nothing to eat but, perhaps, the few berries they could find -in the forest. Four hungry mouths! No fun marching on an empty -stomach---- The others were already stretched out on the floor, with -their coats under them, close beside the glowing hearth. Jerry scratched -his head; then fished in his pockets and drew out a handful of coins and -counted them. Not very much, but it would buy a few cans of beans, some -bread, and---- - -Jake lifted his head from the hard floor. "Listen, Sherlock," he warned, -"don't try to get out of here without letting us know. First move you -make toward that door, I'll rise up and bust you one." - -"I won't move! I'm one of you now, Jake! I won't run away!" - -"Well, don't forget!" He saw Jerry still standing beside the fire. -"What's biting you, Jerry? Why don't you come to bed with the rest of -the gang? Want me to sing you a lullaby? What are you up to, anyway?" - -Jerry put his money back into his pocket, and yawned. "Oh, nothing!" he -answered. "Nothing at all. Good night. Say, I hope the owner of this -shanty don't come rolling in along about morning. He'll want to charge -us rent." He chuckled. "Wonder what Mr. Jim Avery is thinking now, back -at camp?" - -A snore answered him. Jerry Utway spread his mackinaw across the least -rough patch of floor he could find, stretched out his full length with -feet toward the fire, and closed his weary eyes. "Nothing at all!" he -murmured drowsily. In five minutes he was asleep. - - - - - CHAPTER XVI - HARE AND HOUNDS - - -Jake Utway stirred uneasily. Something was digging into his hip, bluntly -shoving him back to consciousness. He sat up. Was it Reveille so soon? -But this wasn't Tent Ten! For a moment he stared, sticky-eyed, into a -small fireplace heaped with flaky white wood-ash. In a flash it came -back to him--the escape from Lenape; the moonlight march with their -captive, Sherlock; the discovery of the shack in the woods---- Jake -groaned softly, and stretched his cramped body. - -"Anybody awake?" he asked drowsily. "Boy, but I'm stiff! This log -floor--maybe I shouldn't have slept against the grain of the wood!" - -A loud sneeze at his side answered him, followed by a series of sniffles -and a second sneeze. He turned and discovered Sherlock Jones, with tears -in his pale eyes, rubbing his nose with a grimy handkerchief. - -"Bad coad!" explained the ex-detective with another sneeze. It was plain -that Sherlock was not made of the stuff of outlaw heroes. Reddened eyes, -a dripping nose, and chattering teeth were the penalties of his -moonlight jaunt and his night in the backwoods hut. "Very dasty coad! -Say, who pud this thig over be?" Sherlock had noticed for the first time -that a norfolk jacket had been carefully thrown over his body some time -in the night. It was the garment worn by Burk, who had evidently tucked -it about the sleeping boy as a protection against the night breezes that -penetrated through the cracks in the floor of the hut. "Where's Bister -Burk? Oh, there you are. _A-choo!_ Thags very buch, Bister Burk. You -bust have been coad yourself!" - -"Forget it, old man!" Burk rolled over and yawned. "Sorry you have a -cold, though." Of a sudden the man sprang up. "Where's the other -fellow?" he cried. - -Jake looked about him. Jerry was not in the little room. - -"Where's your brother? Did he tell you he was going out?" - -"Why, no!" said Jake. "He must be somewhere around, though. He can't -have gone far." - -The sun was high; a dazzling, glorious stream of light poured in through -a dusty window. Sherlock pointed with his handkerchief. - -"Whad's that over the fireblace?" he snuffled. - -Jake jumped up to look. A bit of paper was stuck prominently into the -cracks of the stone mantel. It was an old envelope, on the face of which -was scrawled a few cramped lines of writing in pencil. "It's a note--a -note from Jerry!" he exclaimed in surprise. "He's--he's gone!" - -"Gone!" echoed the man. - -"Yes; listen to this: 'Dear Jakie and Others--We've got to have grub, so -I'm going to Wallistown. Will bring it as soon as I can. Will try to get -some news if I can. Don't worry about me.--Jerry.' Well, what do you -think of that?" - -"I thig it's good," sighed Sherlock. "I sure could eat somethig right -dow!" Burk said nothing, but took up a couple of holes in his belt. - -"That's just like Jerry," observed Jake, sticking the note in his -pocket. "He knew we'd have to stay here in hiding all day, and didn't -want us to starve. We need grub, sure enough. But it's no use for him to -tell us not to worry--anything in the world might happen to him in -Wallistown, and I won't rest easy until I see him back here safe." - -"You thig he may get into druble?" - -"Say, Sherlock, that cold of yours must be affecting your brain. Don't -you know that everybody in the world will be after us, after what -happened last night? We can't just disappear--the Chief and all the rest -back at camp will be hunting for us, and they're sure to connect our -disappearance with Burk here. That's why we can't travel in the -daytime." - -"But where do you wad to travel?" - -Jake threw up his hands. "Listen! It's plain we've got to tell you -everything. Mr. Burk was put in jail for being a thief, but he didn't -steal the necklace. If we can get to Canoe Mountain Lodge, he thinks we -can prove that he's innocent. And we've got to get there! Now do you -savvy?" - -"Thad's wad I thought all the tibe," nodded Sherlock sagely. "I said -Bister Burk was all right, and I probise to help if I cad. _A-choo!_" - -"Well," said Jake, "you can help us a lot---- Jiminy, what's that?" - -It was small wonder that Jake was startled. A sound had broken the -stillness of the forest, a chilling, heart-gripping hullabaloo from the -north, toward Lenape--the high belling howl of a pack of hounds on a -warm trail. - -"Dogs!" Burk clenched his fists. "By heaven, they've got bloodhounds -out!" His pallid face went whiter still. - -"Bloodhounds! You mean--they're pointing out our trail last night?" - -"Yes--listen!" It came again, the terrifying chorus of their sharp-nosed -pursuers. "They can't be far off! Boys, we can't stay here!" - -"But--where will we go?" said Jake, shakily. "If Jerry comes back here, -he's sure to be caught!" - -"Can't help that!" Burk was gathering together their few belongings over -his arm. He ran to the door, and cooked his ear up the trail. "Come -along!" - -Sherlock Jones, at the first awesome baying of the pack, had given -himself up for dead. Bloodhounds! He struggled weakly to his feet, found -Jake pulling his arm, leading him toward the door. - -"If we stay here, we'll be cornered!" cried the man. "They're not far -off now--they'll be on us in a few minutes!" The baying call sounded -again, much louder, it seemed. "Hurry!" - -He plunged into the woods, looking back to see if the boys were -following. Jake was having difficulties; he had almost to push the -bewildered Sherlock every inch of the way. The vision of a pack of -fiendish hounds leaping at his throat, pulling him down, almost -paralyzed the poor lad; he stumbled along at Jake's side, shivering, -sneezing, almost falling headlong. Again rose in the still air the -hunting-cry of the beasts on their track. - -Jake noticed that the man was leading them downhill, fighting his way -through the scratching underbrush. Where could they be going? In which -direction lay an instant's safety from that yapping Nemesis at their -backs? The two boys leaped down a steep declivity, saw Burk standing in -a little ravine below. - -"Water!" he shouted. "We've got to wade in this brook a ways--that will -shake them off for a bit!" He started down the course of the swift -stream, splashing rainbow drops up to his knees, rattling stones with -his hurrying feet. - -Jake herded his charge into the water, and took the plunge himself, -driving Sherlock ahead of him down the rough descent. For some two -hundred yards they stumbled forward in panic, ankle-deep in the chill -rivulet. The stream was rapidly becoming wider, fanning outward to form -a little pool. Beyond, they saw Burk, wading waist-high across to a -little spot of grassland sheltered among tall poplar trees. - -"Come on!" he called. - -Somehow--Jake never could explain it to himself afterward--he forced the -stricken Sherlock through the pool and helped him to climb the muddy -bank, where the dazed boy lay where he fell, his thick glasses knocked -over one ear, his eyes streaming, caught in the clutch of a sneezing -fit. - -"I--I can't go on!" Sherlock gasped. "I dow I probised to -help--but--but----" - -Burk bent over him. "We've got to get away, old man! You can't stay -here--they'll find you in a minute." He helped the boy to his feet, and -with Jake on the other side, they continued their mad progress, almost -dragging the limp body of young Jones between them. - -As they ran, Burk jerked out a few directions. "I think I know where we -are now. It's dangerous ground--but the dogs have driven us out of the -mountains. We've got to find more water--that's the only thing that will -shake them off our trail. And I think this little brook empties into -Lake Wallis----" - -Jake looked back over his shoulder. Above them, to the northward, he -caught a view of a figure for an instant, clear against the skyline--the -silhouette of a mounted man, galloping along the trail. Again came the -bloodthirsty belling of the hounds. Had they found the hut? - -Again the fugitives were among the trees. Of a sudden Sherlock Jones -collapsed; had they not caught him, he would have fallen headlong on his -face. Jake and Burk exchanged glances. With the pursuers so close on -their heels, burdened as they were with a helpless boy---- - -Sherlock was mumbling something, through chattering teeth. "You go -ahead--leave be here----" - -Jake shook him. "We won't leave you, old scout! Just a few steps -more----" - -"No--can't bake it---- I'll clibe a tree, so the dogs can't get be----" - -"Do you think you can?" asked Burk eagerly. "Say, if you could get into -a tree, the dogs would stop for a while, and we might get free! If only -you could do it, hold them at bay for a few minutes----!" It was true -that the boy was a hindrance to their flight, and could be nothing but a -danger to them; but could he be left behind to hold the yapping hounds, -who were sure to pause if they found their quarry treed, he might gain -for them a few priceless seconds---- - -"I'll do it! I said I'd help you, Bister Burk!" gulped Sherlock bravely. -"Just put be into a tree--a big tree----" - -"By George, that might do it!" said Burk, admiringly. "Come on, we'll -hoist him up this one." He indicated a smooth-barked poplar with a low -branch hanging just above them. "Give him a lift." - -There was no time for delay. Like a sack of flour, Sherlock's form was -heaved against the trunk of the tree with a mighty swing. He waved his -arms desperately, caught hold of the limb, and scrambled aloft amid a -shower of leaves and bark, kicking his dripping feet wildly behind him. -Like a treed raccoon, he huddled in a crotch of the tree and tried to -make himself small. - -"Rud!" he shouted to the two below. "I'b all right. I won't tell theb a -thig!" - -The two on the ground hesitated no longer. Jake did not dare look back; -he had all he could do to keep up with the racing man at his side. - -"Sherlock's game, all right!" he managed to gasp. "He came through fine; -I never thought he had it in him! Think he can hold them?" - -Through his mind flashed the thought that already their party was -scattered; Jerry was gone, Heaven alone knew where, and now Sherlock had -sacrificed himself so that the others might have an instant's start. -Good old Sherlock! He had helped them after all---- They burst through -the last of the trees, into a spreading pasture land. - -"One chance in a hundred!" Burk was crying through clenched teeth. -"We'll fool them yet! If we can only get as far as Lake Wallis---- Cross -water! Now, son, don't try to say anything more now!" The two racing -fugitives dashed through the grass in the hot sunlight. "Save your -breath! We've got to run now as we never ran before!" - - - - - CHAPTER XVII - JERRY GETS A RIDE - - -Jerry had awakened about eight o'clock, scribbled his brief note, and -crept from the hut in the woods without disturbing any of his sleeping -companions. His mind was made up. Burk had said that Wallistown was not -far away, and there he could certainly purchase the food they needed so -badly. Since they were forced to hide here until nightfall, his brief -desertion would not hold up their march. And he knew they would be -hungry. He was hungry already. The keen, fresh morning air whipped up -his appetite as he hiked steadily down the trail. Birds were flashing -through the dewy thickets about him, caroling their morning-songs; not a -cloud hung in the sky. - -He came to an old moss-covered stone fence, crossed over, and found -himself in a lane, lined with tall elder bushes, with dark rich clusters -of small berries hanging among the leaves. A rich find! He filled his -mouth with the bitter-tasting fruit, which stained his hands a deep -purple as he ate. - -Feeling refreshed by this woodsy breakfast, he decided to follow the -lane. It led him half a mile, coming out at a white frame farmhouse -where a woman was washing clothes in the yard. She looked up as he -passed and watched him strangely, but said nothing, and he walked on to -the road beyond. This was a dirt-covered highway which evidently led in -the direction he wished to take. He swung along steadily through rich -farm-lands and pastures where cattle grazed. A hay-wagon driven by a man -in a large straw hat passed him; he did not look up, but had a feeling -that the driver was watching him steadily. The road twisted and curved -until Jerry had to get his bearings from the mountains before he was -sure he was on the right track. Two miles farther, he came to a signpost -that informed him that Wallis Springs lay to his left, while Wallistown -was still seven miles away. This hike was farther than he had supposed; -he might not be able to return to his comrades for some hours yet. -Nevertheless, he knew that Wallis Springs was nothing more than a little -group of summer cottages where he might not be able to purchase any -food; he must push on to Wallistown, at the foot of the lake. He swung -off down the curving road. - -The sun was now high overhead; he was hot, dusty, and a trifle tired. He -took off his mackinaw and slung it over his arm, wishing he had left it -behind. Now and then he could see to his left the fringe of trees that -bordered the big lake, and could make out the roofs of little cabins -occupied by people who were summering on its shores. The road twisted in -and out, following the wavy outline of the lake's bank; no matter how -fast he tried to walk, Wallistown seemed to be as far away as ever. He -begged a glass of water from a friendly, red-faced woman who answered -his knock at a little cottage beside the road, and went on. Several -automobiles passed him, driving toward town, but none of their occupants -offered to stop and give him a lift, and he did not dare ask for a ride. -People who picked you up, he had found, were often very curious about -where you were going and why; they asked too many questions, and he was -in no frame of mind to undergo any cross-examinations this morning. It -was almost eleven o'clock when he halted to rest beside a bridge that -spanned a little stream which wandered toward the lake. - -A whirring drone sounded above him; a cross-shaped shadow skimmed across -a field by the road. An airplane hummed overhead, flying low, almost -hitting the tree tops. Jerry wondered idly why the pilot took a chance -of crashing by flying so close to the ground. The plane circled and -swung off toward the mountains, and Jerry dismissed it from his mind. If -he had known that this airplane was combing the country for traces of -Burk and the missing boys, he might not have dismissed it so easily. - -He rose and plodded ahead down the dusty road. Wallistown was in sight -now. He could see the group of two-story buildings that marked its main -street, leading from the wharf where a number of canoes, rowboats, and -small motor launches were tied up. It was getting late; he decided to -keep as far as possible from the center of town, where he might be -observed. There was no use taking any chances, and he must start right -back, to have time to carry the food he would purchase back over the -long miles that now separated him from his friends in the mountains. - -At one side of the wharf was a line of low buildings. Jerry left the -road and followed a wooden sidewalk along the bank of the lake, and made -out, on the front of the largest of these buildings, a sign that -proclaimed it to be a grocery and "general store." This was as close to -the town as he wished to go. The sight of so many strange faces--people -who probably had never even heard of Camp Lenape--frightened him a -little. If he hadn't come so far, and hadn't known that his brother and -the rest were depending on him to bring them some grub, he might have -turned back right there. As it was, he quickened his pace and entered -the shadow of the store. - -The interior of the place was gloomy, after the sunlight outside, and -was filled with a thousand different odors, chief among them being those -of stale candy and dried fish. An old man was lounging in a chair which -leaned back against the counter; he moved his head lazily to look at -this customer. - -"What'll ye have, bud?" - -"A couple cans of beans, and some other stuff--I don't know just what." - -"Wal, look around and pick 'em out. Guess we got what ye want," the man -answered, and leaned back again with his arms behind his head. - -Jerry poked about among the shelves in the back of the store. They -wouldn't have much chance to cook; better to take things that would -carry easily, and that they could eat cold--bread and cheese and -chocolate---- - -The old man Slammed the four legs of his chair to the floor with a bang, -as someone entered hurriedly through the door. - -"You got my order ready, Mr. Clay?" - -"Hullo, Rufe. Say, did ye find that canoe of yourn?" - -The newcomer was breathing heavily. Jerry darted a glance at him. He saw -a stringy youth with a pimpled face, garbed in a jersey and dingy white -flannels, whose voice now took on a tone of injury. - -"Yeah, we found it floatin' down by the outlet. They must have landed in -some hurry; Talk about nerve! I was choppin' some wood up by our place -above the Springs. These two come burstin' out of the woods, runnin' -like blazes, and got away with the canoe before I even had time to yell. -I run along shore about half a mile, but they had started across, and I -couldn't do a thing. Pretty soon along comes a man on a horse, gallopin' -along like mad. He asks me if I've seen this pair--he's a deputy -sheriff, he says. You could have knocked me over with a feather when he -tells me that one of the guys who stole the canoe was this convict -that's been missin' from the Pen at Elmville!" - -"Ye don't say! Wal, did he catch 'em?" - -"No, not yet. They got ashore by the outlet, like I told you. They're -still loose around here somewheres; this sheriff feller says he hunted -'em with dogs, and got one, but these two got clean away." - -Jerry was frozen in his place, one hand still gripping a can of corned -beef. It couldn't be true! Hunted with dogs! And one of them captured! - -"They'll get 'em," said the old storekeeper with grim satisfaction; -"ye'll see, Rufe, them fellers won't get far. That there airyoplane they -got flyin' around is like to spot 'em if they try to break across -country." - -"I hope they do get caught," said the youth vengefully. "Stealin' my -canoe! Jimmy from the newspaper office was just tellin' me this convict -feller had got some kids from a camp up the line to help him get away -last night. Must have been one of 'em I saw with this man----" - -"What did the boy look like?" Jerry blurted out, and instantly wished he -had bitten out his tongue rather than speak those words. His concern for -his brother had made him forget how perilous was his own position. - -The youth in flannels turned upon him slowly. "Well, if it's any of your -affair, Mr. Butt-In, he was----" The speaker gasped, and surveyed Jerry -from head to toe. "Why--why--from what I saw of him, he looked just like -you!" - -The old man cackled with laughter. "Guess that'll fix 'im, eh, Rufe? -Pretty fast answer, that!" - -"But, I mean he--he really does look like him! I only caught a glimpse -of this kid when he was runnin' to the canoe, but I could swear----" - -The storekeeper's chuckles broke off. "Don't mean to say ye think this -young feller is a des-prit criminal, do ye, Rufe? Why, this feller come -in just as cool as a cucumber--wanted some beans, he says." - -Jerry thought rapidly. "Well, I don't want any now!" he said boldly. -"You can keep your old stuff. I don't want to listen to all your talk, -after this!" He started with determination for the door. - -"Half a minute!" The youth called Rufe barred his way. "Maybe you -weren't the same feller that took my canoe, but you act kind of funny to -me. Maybe you know somethin' about all this." - -Jerry did not pause. "You're crazy! Just try to stop me!" His heart was -in his mouth, but he tried to look unconcerned, and pushed his way -ahead. The other looked as if he would hold him by force; but evidently -thinking better of it, he stepped aside, and Jerry passed out into the -street. - -His whole body was quivering at the suddenness of this encounter. -Sherlock caught--Jake and Burk escaping in a canoe from a mounted rider -who had tracked them! Why, he had left them sleeping miles away only a -few hours ago! And now--they must be near him, in danger, expecting any -moment to be taken! - -Briskly, he crossed the street, and walked hastily down toward the -business section of town, taking no notice of the groups of people who -passed him. Was the game up so soon? Rufe hadn't looked very -convinced---- Jerry glanced guiltily over his shoulder. Down the street -by a garage he caught sight of a pair of flanneled legs in warm pursuit. -He was being followed! - -He turned the first corner he came to, leading into a narrow street, and -broke into a heated run. How far could he get before the youth behind -him saw his flight, and raised a hue and cry? Gritting his teeth, Jerry -plunged down the street. It was only two blocks long, and ended in a -high board fence. There was no way out; he was in a blind alley. Out of -the tail of his eye he caught sight of his pursuer, who had turned the -corner and was now in full cry after him, shouting something Jerry could -not make out. There was only one thing to do. Jerry leaped at the fence, -caught his hands in the rough top, and swung over. With smarting palms, -he landed in a heap on the other side. There was no time to waste. He -sprang up, and found himself in a little field full of daisies. Ahead -lay a line of telegraph wires, strung on poles fringing a shining -asphalt road. It must be the state highway! If he could only get to the -road before the youth behind him could manage to get over the fence----! -His breath was coming in painful, dry sobs; he couldn't last much -longer---- - -Dimly he made out a car coming up the road from north, approaching him. -He waved an arm at it, and shouted, although he knew the driver could -not hear him. He was now half-way across the field; behind him came a -cry of rage as Rufe clambered to the top of the fence---- Jerry's eyes -lit up as he saw the car on the highway slow down, come to a halt not a -hundred yards away. He would make it yet! He waved his arm at the man in -the driver's seat. - -"Give me a ride?" - -He had to fight to get out the words. It was his last chance! To his -joy, the driver nodded, swung open the rear door of the big car. - -"Hop in!" came a man's jovial voice from the back seat. Rufe was still -coming, but he was no runner, and the fence-climbing had winded him. -There was still time---- Jerry Utway almost fell into the back of the -car, sprawling across a pair of outstretched legs. The driver slammed -the door; the car, whose engine had not stopped, responded to the clutch -and slipped forward with a roar. Jerry pulled himself together and fell -backward into a seat, panting out his thanks. He looked up into the -round, jolly face of the man on his left who had told him to hop in. He -was wedged between this man and another, in the rear of the car. He -turned his head back; through the window he could see the baffled figure -of Rufe, shaking his fist at the rapidly-moving automobile. Jerry -grinned. - -He suddenly realized that he had left his mackinaw somewhere--probably -back in the grocery store, when he had walked out so hastily. Well, he -could get it back some time, later---- Just now he had a headache, and -things looked a little blurred. - -A voice rumbled at his side--his right side. It was the man whose face -he had not yet seen. "You were in quite a bit of a hurry back there, -weren't you?" it drawled. "Well, you needn't worry. You can rest -now--rest a long, long time. I thought you'd turn up again, twin, but I -didn't expect it so soon!" - -Jerry knew that voice. He knew the man, too, even before he looked into -his face. With a cry, Jerry sank back into the seat of the speeding car. -It was Diker! Diker, the prison guard! The man in blue, whom he had last -seen at the campfire on Pebble Beach! And Diker's arm was locked about -his own, in a firm, threatening grip! - - - - - CHAPTER XVIII - THE GYPSY VAN - - -Jake jumped ashore; Burk followed, and pushed the canoe far out, so that -it floated empty on the face of Lake Wallis. - -Never had Jake Utway taken a paddle in such a wild canoe race! It was -impossible that the two fugitives should still be at liberty. The boy -had given up hope long before they had reached the lake and taken the -canoe; their furious progress across the half-mile of water had seemed -the despairing effort of a dream; but here they were, miraculously -ashore again, and for the moment still free. Yet the dream feeling still -persisted; Jake moved his body as if he were wrapped in the twining -coils of a nightmare, when horrors beset the sleeper and all efforts to -escape the menacing shapes in pursuit are of no avail. - -"Tired, partner?" asked Burk. The man seemed to be made of whipcord; he -had taken the stern paddle in their mad dash, yet his set face showed no -trace of anything but determination. - -"I can keep going," Jake managed to say. - -"We'll have to get somewhere else pretty quick." Burk pointed toward the -far shore from which they had come. "Look over there! See that little -motorboat just pushing out? Well, I'm pretty sure that the people in it -won't take long to get over here and pick up our trail again. We're in -for it again--but at least we've got a few minutes' start." - -"I'm ready. Which way?" - -Burk shook his head. "We've just got to trust to our luck now. They've -driven us out into the open; I'm not much good down here near town. -There's only one way we can go." - -They had landed on a little spit of gravel on the east side of Lake -Wallis, almost directly across from the town. There must have been -people over on the wharf who had seen them desert the canoe, who would -put their pursuers on the track at once; even now, hostile eyes might be -watching their every move. - -"Don't run--somebody may be watching us, and get suspicious," warned the -man, and set the example by walking rapidly away from the border of the -lake. Jake, following, tried to smile; he felt that he couldn't run even -if his life depended upon it. They climbed a bushy slope, came out above -in a little glade aglow with maple and sumach. Burk darted a look -backward; the motorboat was already well on its way across, coming -toward them with a feather of spray on either side of its bows. - -"The state highway runs along here on this side somewhere," remarked -Burk. "We'll have to keep away from it; it's dangerous for us right -now." - -He swerved to the right to avoid crossing the ribbon of asphalt that cut -through the woods, and the two walked parallel to the files of telegraph -wires lining the highway. For five minutes or so they followed a course -which brought them ever nearer to Wallistown; and each of those passing -minutes, they knew, brought the net of capture ever closer. - -Suddenly Burk gave a sharp exclamation, and pointed. "Something funny -ahead!" he said warningly. - -It was too late to turn back. A few yards before them, the highway bent -toward them in a sharp angle. They stopped in their tracks, and looked -on a strange scene. - -The queerest vehicle Jake had ever seen was tilted drunkenly at the side -of the road at the outer corner of the bend. "Half flivver, half covered -wagon," the boy described it to himself. Two little seats huddled behind -the steering-wheel; the remainder of the chassis was roofed over by a -spreading arc of canvas, patched and weatherworn, stretched over hoops -fastened in the truck-like body of the car, from the rear of which hung -down a few narrow steps. The right-hand wheel at the rear was firmly -bedded in the ditch; the opposite wheel in front was raised several -inches from the road. Two quaint figures stood mournfully gazing at the -ditched wheel. One of these was a short, very fat woman of middle age. -She stood with her stout arms akimbo, and with such a downcast look on -her dark face that Jake almost burst out laughing. Her arms glittered -with several bracelets, and large rings dangled from her ears. The man -at her side was also short and fat, and also wore earrings, and in one -hand swung a spreading black hat which, when worn, must have given him -the appearance of an Italian bandit in a stage melodrama. With his other -hand he was scratching among his graying locks with a perplexed air. - -He must have heard Burk and Jake approaching, for he wheeled about on -his toes, and flashed a dazzling display of white teeth at them. - -Jake had taken in the situation in an instant. - -"We'll help you get back on the road, Mister!" he said. "Come on, -partner--let's give them a hand!" He gripped the ditched wheel, and -tried to lift it. - -The little man danced about on his toes, while his wife swung back and -forth until her bracelets and bangles tinkled in delight. - -Burk was now at the front of the car. He pulled back the emergency brake -lever, and Jake felt the strange vehicle starting to roll farther down -into the ditch. He put all his strength against the tailboard; the -little dark man was at his side. "Poosh--that's right!" The boy heaved, -his face red with exertion; Burk had gripped the spokes of the wheel in -the ditch, and was bending all his effort to force the car from its -lodgment. The united strength of the three of them slowly shoved the -strange little vehicle up the slanting grade, and in half a minute the -car was back on the road again, headed toward Wallistown, no worse for -its plunge. - -"Many, many thanks--many!" the dark man cried happily. He clapped his -villainous-looking hat on his head, and scrambling into the seat, worked -the levers and steering-wheel back and forth to see that no damage had -been done. "You help fine! Come up, Maria!" - -"Yes, you help fine!" the little man repeated. "Now we go. You go, too?" - -"We're going the same way you are," said Jake quickly. "You--you -couldn't give us a lift, could you?" - -"For sure! For sure!" Their new acquaintance was all smiles. "You help -me fine! I help you a little bit maybe." - -They needed no second invitation and darted around to the tiny set of -steps that hung from the tailboard, sprang one after the other through -the slit in the canvas at the back, and tumbled into the body of the -caravan. An alarming pop-popping sounded in front; the wheels began to -move, and the car rattled down the highway at the breath-taking speed of -twenty miles an hour. - -Jake looked around the interior of the strange van. Overhead arched the -canvas roof, filtering the sunshine and splashed with moving shadows as -the car journeyed down the road. He found himself sitting on the edge of -a bunk built across the floor of the car, directly back of the driver's -seat now occupied by the ridiculous couple whom they had helped. In one -corner was a small charcoal stove. The interior was heaped with all -sorts of things: a little tin trunk, cooking pots, a cage with a canary -chirping inside, bundles of clothing; from hooks swung more clothing, a -lantern, a jangling bucket, a spare tire. "A regular house on wheels!" -he told himself. "Wonder if these people are sure-enough gypsies?" - -The little dark man's head appeared as if by magic through an opening -cut in the front of the canvas, his teeth showing white against his -sweeping mustachios. "That ees right! Make yourselfs like at home, eh?" - -"How far are you going?" Burk asked him. "To Wallistown?" - -The car bumped and shook dangerously; the head was withdrawn and the -machine put back on its course again. Then the rolling black eyes were -turned on them once more. "What town ees that?" - -"The one just down the road there." - -"We do not like the towns. We just go on, and then go on some more. -Maybe we see nice place, we stop, eh? Maybe not." A teeth-rattling lurch -of the car again demanded his full attention, and the conversation was -cut off. - -Burk shook his head. "I don't know whether we've done the right thing or -not," he said in a low tone. "These people seem to be going our way; but -it remains to be seen whether we're any better off than we were." - -"But, Burk--those people from the lake would have found us in no time if -we hadn't got this lift! And now we're going south, even if it's not -very fast. And we're hidden here under this cover, so that nobody will -see us, even if the police have sent out a description." - -Burk nodded soberly. "I guess so. But you can be sure this highway is -the first place they'll watch." He peeped out through the flap in the -back of the caravan. "Look; we're almost into Wallistown; if he stops -here, I might as well be back in my cell at the prison right now. I know -this was the only thing we could do; but maybe we've jumped out of the -frying pan into the fire." The hunted man had never been at his ease -among crowds of people; now, he felt doubly unsure. - -Jake tried to reassure him. "Cheer up! We're snug enough here for a -while, and it'll give us time to think up a plan. We'll make it yet, old -timer! Now, if I only knew where Jerry was, I think I'd feel pretty -good." - -The creaking van shivered to a halt; bumped forward again. Burk chanced -another look outside. "We've crossed the main street of town," he -whispered. "Looks like we're going south after all." - -"Sure! That's the stuff!" Jake replied. "You see--it was a lucky thing -we were able to help out these gypsies, or whatever they are. If the -cops can find us here in this travelling house, they're pretty good. -Keep a stiff upper lip, and we'll make Canoe Mountain before dark!" - - - - - CHAPTER XIX - SHOTS ON THE HIGHWAY - - -"Yes, I thought you'd turn up again," repeated Diker. Jerry felt the -man's hand tighten on his arm. "You twins seem to have a habit of -popping into sight when least expected. The question is, which one are -you?" - -Jerry did not answer. - -"Well, that's easily found out," his captor went on. "I don't know how -or when you got away, but if you were with Burk when the dogs made him -take to water, your legs ought to be wet. They're not. Therefore, we'll -get your brother when we get Burk." He raised his voice to speak to the -man at Jerry's left. "See, Warden--I told you this was one of 'em. Good -thing I spotted him when he was topping that fence, eh? Well, now Frank -can step on the gas. The others may be ahead of us, or they may be -behind, but sooner or later, we'll get 'em!" - -The jolly-looking man at Jerry's left now put in a word. "What was the -big idea, son?" he asked. "I'd think you were old enough to know better -than to trifle with the law, and help a convict get away. All your -leaders back there at the camp are worried to death about you kids. -Didn't you think of that? Where were you trying to go?" - -"Anyone would have done the same thing!" Jerry burst out at last. "Burk -told us he wasn't guilty, and we wanted to help him!" - -The jolly man smiled, looking jollier than ever. "My boy, I've been a -prison warden for twelve years, and I've never had a man in my charge -who'd admit he was guilty! Innocent men, every one of them--to hear them -tell it." - -Jerry, in his efforts to show Burk's innocence, forgot himself. "Let him -stay free a little longer, and he'll prove he's not guilty!" - -"Oh, he will, will he?" the man said sharply. "How will he do that?" - -The boy realized that he had said more than enough. He sank back in his -seat. But Diker, it seemed, was not through with his questions. - -"How'd you get down here to town so quickly?" he asked. Jerry shook his -head. "Won't, tell anything, eh? Well, we'll find out all about it -later. I don't think you know where the others are anyway. You're just -like the skinny lad we treed up in the hills." - -"Sherlock?" - -"That his name? He wouldn't say a word to us--all he did was sneeze. I -left Harris to take him along back. We got him, and now we've got -you--and the rest of the crowd can't be far away." - -The car slowed to a halt at a crossroads, where a motorcycle policeman -in the khaki uniform of a state officer sat vigilantly astride his -machine. Diker jumped out, and ran across to the man, hailing him as he -came. - -"See anything?" he asked. - -The man in khaki shook his head. "Nothing unusual. I'd swear they -haven't come along this way." - -"Well, keep your eyes open," he was admonished. "That plane up there -will keep them from bolting toward the hills again. So long!" - -Diker jumped back into his seat, and again the car slid forward. Twice -more, as the miles went by, it stopped at the side of the road, and -Diker spoke to men who seemed to be posted on guard. Once, they passed a -car drawn up by the side of the road. It was a queer-looking affair, -Jerry noted, with a canvas top like a prairie schooner, and a chubby -little man who looked like a foreigner was pumping up a tire. They drove -by this roadside scene so rapidly, however, that Jerry could not make -out any details. - -Some time in the middle of the afternoon, the big car drew up in front -of the post-office of a little hamlet about fifteen miles south of -Wallistown. The driver got out and entered a small restaurant whose sign -proclaimed it the "Apple Hill Cafe--Tourists a Speciality"; he returned -with an armful of sandwiches and four bottles of pop. Diker waved to -Jerry to share this sketchy repast, and the boy was too famished to -refuse, since his only previous nourishment that day had been a few -elderberries, hours and hours before. He put away three ham sandwiches -in almost no time at all, and started to demolish one of the large -apples which the driver, whose name was Frank something-or-other, had -brought out in his pockets. - -"Well, Warden," said Diker conversationally, taking a long pull at his -bottle of pop, "they surely couldn't have gotten this far down in the -time since we know they got ashore up by Wallistown. Either they're off -the road altogether, or else we've slipped up somehow. I guess we'll -have to turn back. Shame to make you waste time on the chase this way, -but you know how it is." - -"Burk used to live down this way, didn't he?" asked the jolly-faced -warden. "He'll know his way around now, if he's gotten this far. No; I -don't mind taking the time to end off this affair properly. I'm curious -to find out what our friend Burk is trying to do." - -"If you're ready to start back then, we'll go." Diker motioned to the -driver, who circled around the Apple Hill Post-Office, and the car -started on the return journey. - -About two miles out of Apple Hill, Frank slammed on the brakes. A man -stood in the center of the road, waving at them. Jerry recognized him as -one of the watchers they had spoken to on the journey down; a -farmerish-looking man who seemed to be some sort of constable. Without -delay, he ran to the side of the car, and hurriedly addressed the prison -guard. "Jest got a telephone call from the police-station in -Wallistown," was his message. "They been inquirin' around like, and -found a feller who was workin' over on the side of the lake where your -man was seen to land from a canoe. This feller--road-mender, he is--was -workin' by the side of the highway, and noticed some sort of outlandish -automobile stopped there for quite a while. He didn't see nothin' of -this convict feller, but he says if ye can find this queer auto, the -feller drivin' might know somethin' to help." - -"What did this car look like?" asked the warden. - -"Like nothin' else in the world, seems like. Said it had a canvas top, -like a Conestoga wagon, all fixed up to live in--the driver was a fat -little feller that looked like a wop, and he had his missus along. Catch -that pair, and mebbe they'll tell you somethin' ye ought to know!" - -"We passed that outfit up the road--remember?" burst out Diker. "Full -speed ahead, Frank! They were fixin' up a tire when I saw 'em--they -can't be very far from here! And pass me that gun of mine." - -Frank carefully passed Diker's shotgun over the back of his seat, and -the car roared ahead. Jerry peered forward with the rest. He had seen -that caravan and its funny little owner. Did he know anything about Jake -and Burk? Was it even possible that---- - -They rounded a sharp bend in the road. "There it is!" whooped Diker. -"Draw up beside them, and we'll see what they know!" Again the driver -slammed on the brakes, and the car screamed to a halt a few yards ahead -of the oncoming van. Diker jumped out, shotgun in hand, and stood in -front of the strange canvas-covered car. "Halt, in the name of the law!" - -The caravan shivered to a rattling stop. The dark, fat couple on the -seat began jabbering at each other in some outlandish tongue. - -"Never mind that!" came Diker's command. "Come down here in the road! -Now, I just want you to answer a few questions---- Quiet! How do you -expect me to talk when you're gabblin' like a bunch of turkeys?" - -"What ees it you do, Meester?" - -"Come down, I say! That's right--now bring the lady." Diker turned to -his chief. "I'll bring 'em over to you, Warden, so you can ask 'em -anything you like. Over here, please! Gypsies, aren't you?" - -Jerry, from his seat in the car, could look down upon the heads of the -two dark little people who were now lost in the cross-fire of questions -put to them by Diker and the warden. - -"Now, you stopped up by Lake Wallis a few hours ago. We're looking for a -man, a convict, who has escaped and who was last seen at the place you -stopped. Know anything about him?" - -The little man almost had tears in his large rolling black eyes. "Ah, -Meester, I have hear of that wicked man! No, thanks to the saints I have -seen no wicked man--eh, Maria?" - -His gestures were comical, but Jerry Utway was not watching. Did his -eyes deceive him, or was there a ripple of movement behind the canvas -top of the other car? Was it really true that Jake and the man Burk -were---- - -"No," the little stranger went on; "there was no wicked man. But--wait a -meenit--there was a very good man, a good man who help me poosh--and a -very good leetle boy----" - -Jerry, who had not taken his eyes from the opening in the canvas front -of the caravan, bit his lip to keep from shouting. For an instant, he -had seen a pale face peeping out there, and it was Jake's face! They -were in that car, hiding under the canvas top! In another second the -fat, voluble little man would give them away, and then it would be all -over! - -Diker shifted his gun. "A man and a boy?" he cried. "Where are they -now?" - -Jerry saw his chance. All eyes were upon the strange couple. With a -swift movement, he leaned forward, over the driver's shoulder. The keys -to the ignition were still in the lock on the dashboard. Deftly he -switched them off, and threw the bunch of keys as far as he could into -the bushes on the other side of the road! - -The men of the law, intent on their questioning, had been taken off -guard. For a moment they did not comprehend what had happened; and in -that moment Jerry Utway screamed his warning. - -"_Drive ahead, Jakie--drive!_" - -He felt the warden's arms about him; he could not move. The driver -shouted: "He chucked away the keys!" and jumped out of the car, -colliding with the bewildered Diker. A motor whirred noisily; the -ungainly caravan lurched slowly forward. And Jake, good old Jakie, was -bending over the wheel, driving for dear life! - -"_Drive!_" - -The man called Frank was trying to disentangle himself from Diker's -arms, still shouting: "He chucked away the keys! We can't chase them -until we get those keys!" Diker fought his way free, bumped into the -fat, frightened-looking dark man, and at last got clear. He started to -run up the road in the wake of the caravan, which had slowly gained -speed and was rattling south at a good rate. Seeing that he could not -hope to overtake the car on foot, he stopped short, yelled a final -command to halt, and clapped his gun to his shoulder. - -"_Duck!_" shrieked Jerry, and felt the warden's hand clapped over his -mouth. A double explosion boomed from the road. Diker had fired both -barrels. Jerry's eyes hurt as he strained to see through the smoke. The -caravan jerked an instant, then moved on, gathered speed, and -disappeared from view at a curve in the road. - - - - - CHAPTER XX - THE LAST TRAP - - -In full career, the caravan pitched and creaked like a ship in a heavy -sea. Jake clung grimly to the wheel, expecting each minute to hear -another rain of lead rattle about his ears; but he doggedly notched the -little car to its highest speed, holding her to the road. - -Old Jerry had done it! In another minute they would have been bagged -without a struggle, but Jerry had given them the only chance for freedom -in sight. It would take their hunters some time to locate the keys of -the big car, turn it around, and pursue the van. A few minutes leeway -might do wonders! - -"Stop, stop, ye fool!" - -A man with a badge on his lapel was waving his arms wildly in front. -Jake shoved on more gas; the man who had sought to stop them leaped -blindly for his life, and they passed him in a cloud of dust. - -How far could they get at this rate? Jake leaned back and shouted, "All -right, Burk? 'Fraid we can't get far, unless we get out of this bus -pretty quick." - -Burk's head appeared in the opening. Jake did not dare turn around, and -so did not see that his partner's face was drawn with pain. "It's--no -use, I guess, old man." - -"Why, we've been in worse places than this! Soon as we get a bit farther -along, we'll hop out and take to the hills again!" - -Burk shook his head. "We can't make it. Only thing to do is--pull up and -wait for them." - -"Come, Burk," Jake protested; "we're not far from Canoe Mountain now! -We'll desert this car and run for it again!" - -"Can't do it, son. Not a quitter--but I couldn't run very far. Some of -that shot caught me in the leg. I--I----" - -"What?" Jake shoved on the brake, and the caravan rattled to a -standstill at the side of the road. He scrambled through the curtain, -and stared at Burk's blanched face. "Let me see--did they get you bad? I -didn't stop to think they might---- It was that fellow Diker with them; -I knew him right off." He was rolling up the corduroy trousers on Burk's -right leg as he spoke. - -"Whew! Looks bad; right in the calf of the leg. But it might be worse. -Do you see anything around I could use for a bandage?" - -Burk shook his head again. "Don't bother. The prison people will be -along in a minute, and they'll take care of us. Too bad it had to break -this way; why, we can see Canoe Mountain from here." - -"How far is it?" Jake's tone was filled with eagerness. - -"Only about five miles to the lodge. You take the road that leads out -from Apple Hill, just a little ways down here a piece. At the top of the -first mountain, you turn right on a short lane that goes straight to the -lodge. But why?" - -"Listen," said Jake Utway swiftly; "can I leave you here all right? I -can see your wound is pretty bad, and you couldn't walk a step with that -leg; but I'm still lively enough. We're not licked yet. I'm going on!" - -Jake peered out the back of the caravan. Their enemies were not in sight -yet. Burk waved his hand in feeble protest. - -"The game's up, old fellow. What could you do at----" - -"I don't know, Burk. But I'm going anyway. I want to have a look at that -hunting lodge of yours. The prison bunch will take care of you I know. -Now, before I leave you, tell me--have you been able to remember -anything about where you might have put that necklace?" - -The man groaned softly. "I'm afraid not. I've tried and tried--but I -guess it's hopeless." - -There was not a minute to waste. Jake jumped to the ground. "So long, -Burk! I'll be seeing you again. Cheer up!" he called gently, and began -hiking at a fast gait up the road toward the little village of Apple -Hill. - -A forlorn hope, if there ever was one, Jake Utway told himself as he -hastened toward the nearing cluster of houses that marked the crossroads -town. Of the four of them who had faced the new day in heartsome -spirits, he alone was the only one still uncaught. First Sherlock, then -Jerry, and now Burk--one, two, three!--one after another they had -sacrificed their liberty in order that the venture should go forward. -And it should go forward, to the very end, Jake promised himself. Canoe -Mountain or bust! It was part of playing the game, to keep on and on -toward the goal, as long as breath was left to struggle ahead---- - -A boy in overalls was riding slowly toward him on a bicycle. Jake halted -and waved his arm at the oncoming lad, who pulled to a stop, and eyed -him suspiciously. - -"Hello, kiddo," smiled Jake. "Where do you live?" - -The boy scuffed the toe of his shoe into the dirt beside the road, and -gaped with open mouth before answering. He jerked a grimy thumb to the -right. "Yonder." - -"Want to make some money?" - -The boy's eyes widened. "Huh?" - -"I said, do you want to make a little extra money? Listen; I have to go -somewhere pretty quick. Lend me that bike of yours for a couple hours, -and I'll pay you." - -"Naw." - -Jake fished in his pocket and pulled out all the cash he had been able -to bring with him. "Look! There's almost four dollars there. Four bucks, -just for letting me ride your old bike for a little while! I promise to -bring it back in good shape." The farmer lad shook his head. Jake -jingled the money in his palm. "You won't have another chance to make -money this easily!" - -The boy pointed a finger at Jake's scout knife, which he had drawn from -his pocket with the money. "What kinda knife's that?" - -Time was getting short. "That's a swell knife--look at all the blades -it's got," said Jake desperately. "Tell you what--I'll give you the -knife and all this money too, if you let me borrow your wheel for just -an hour or two!" - -The added attraction of the knife was enough to sway the smaller boy's -mind. He snatched it and the coins from Jake's hand, and then slowly -climbed down off his bicycle. - -"You're making a good swap, kid," said Jake, gripping the handlebars. He -was surprised to find that the boy, as though he had suddenly changed -his mind, was clinging to the bicycle with determination. "Say, what's -the matter?" - -The boy shook his head. A thought had just occurred to him. "How do I -know you'll bring it back? Maybe you'll bust it, or I'll never see you -again!" - -Jake's patience was rapidly giving out. "Look here!" he said. "You -haven't got sense enough to take my promise. Well, see this mackinaw I'm -wearing? It's a good coat, and worth two or three measly bikes like this -one!" He slipped off the garment, and held it out. "Here, take it. You -can keep that until I bring your bike back safe, just to show you I'm -not trying to steal anything. Do you get that?" The boy looked at the -coat, then at the money and knife in his hand. Jake tucked the coat -under the lad's arm. "All right. You keep the mackinaw, and in a little -while I'll bring this back to that red house over there--that's where -you live, isn't it?--and get back my coat." - -Before the boy could change his mind or offer further objection, Jake -climbed into the saddle and began pedalling down the road toward Apple -Hill. He had not gone far when he heard a shout behind him, as if the -boy had already doubted the wisdom of his transaction; but he increased -his speed, and was shortly amid the houses of the town. - -He found the road to Canoe Mountain without any trouble, and speeded off -to the westward. Only a few miles away the low blue line of the hills, -bristling with pine and spruce trees on the skyline, pointed his goal. -About half a mile after he had left Apple Hill behind, the asphalt -paving ended, and the road became a dusty and rutted stretch of dirt. A -fine powder, stirred up by his progress, settled on his clothing, coated -his face and choked his nostrils. Yet he kept on, pedalling as hard as -he could go. - -Some three miles on his way, he came to the span of a concrete bridge, -which carried the road across a slowly-moving stream. Jake dismounted, -and wheeled the bicycle beneath the bridge, where a grassy bank spread -invitingly in the sunshine of the late afternoon. It was warm there, and -restful.... He needed a bit of rest, to get his breath back. - -Jake stretched his limbs out luxuriously. His hunger made him feel a -little light-headed. He closed his eyes for a moment to shut out the -bright sun. Burk--Jerry--the prison guard--hungry.... - -He awoke with a start. It was late. The sun was almost down, now; there -was a misty chill in the air beside the slowly-gliding brook. He jumped -up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. What had happened? The bicycle -lying at his side brought his memory back again. For several precious -hours he had been sleeping; he could have been at Canoe Mountain Lodge -by this time! Hurriedly he pulled together his scattered wits, and -climbed to the road. The coast was clear. He pushed the bicycle up the -embankment, mounted, and once more was riding toward the hills that -loomed darkly before him in the dusk. - -Timberlands began to line the road now. Night was dropping its curtain -over the countryside; lights twinkled in far-off farmhouses in the -valley. He was soon aware that the road was rising steadily; he was on -the mountainside, surrounded by dark thickets and ghostly trees; an -uncanny, haunted feeling came over him. He could hardly see the road -before him; he felt for his flashlight, and smothered an exclamation. He -must have left his light in the pocket of his mackinaw, now in the -possession of the boy back at Apple Hill. - -The road was now too steep for riding; all the strength of his muscles -could not drive the machine forward. He jumped off, and began a slow -trudge upward, trundling the bicycle beside him. - -It took him fully half an hour to reach the summit of the mountain. The -hunting lodge could not be far away now. If his venture was a wild goose -chase, at any rate that chase would soon be at an end. - -The weariness of his journey had blotted out all sense of reality; he -did not even think of the hopelessness of burglarizing a strange house -and searching there for evidence of an incident which had happened more -than twelve months ago. - -His feet sounded hollowly on some sort of wooden steps. They must lead -up to the door of the lodge! He leaned his bicycle against a rustic -railing, and stumbled wearily across the resounding boards of a porch. -If only he had his flashlight! But no matter---- This must be the door. -His hand sought out the latch, and he started back in surprise. It was -open! - -Could anyone be within? But no, there were no lights showing anywhere -about the place. Some carelessness, no doubt. He pushed lightly on the -door; it gave before his hand, and he stepped over the threshold, into a -room. - -Jake Utway tried to scream, but a lump had risen in his throat, and he -could not get the words out. In a far corner of the strange room a red -coal, like a cigar-end, glowed and died. A freezing paralysis of fear -ran down his spine; in his ears pulsed loudly the pounding beat of his -heart. - -"Come right in, son," said a voice that was horribly jovial. "You're a -bit late. But you've come at last." - -The door slammed behind him like the crack of judgment. Some heavy body -had thrown itself against the panels, and now stood ready to bar his -way. All the hazardous escapes of his flight from Lenape had been of no -avail. From this last, dark trap there was no escape. - - - - - CHAPTER XXI - THE SECRET OF THE LODGE - - -"Don't move!" warned the Voice from the dark. "You can light up the lamp -now, Frank." - -The man at Jake's back felt his way a few yards to the left. The sound -of a match scratched on the sole of a shoe came to Jake's ear; a tiny -yellow flame blossomed, was held to the wick of an oil-lamp. The man -called Frank replaced the glass chimney of the lamp, and stepped back to -his post by the door. - -"Sit down, bud. You must be tired." - -Jake Utway stared across at the speaker. His new enemy sat in an -armchair by a dead fireplace, calmly smoking a cigar and smiling easily. - -"You're Jake, aren't you?" he went on. "You look so much like your -brother that I feel I know you already. But no tricks, mind!" he -chuckled. "That brother of yours has fooled us enough for one -day--throwing the keys of the car away, just when he saw his chance to -help you." - -Never taking his eyes from the smiling man, Jake sank into a chair. - -"That's right! We'll be heading back in a few minutes; might as well get -your breath before we go. Now, Jake, you can tell me just exactly what -you expected to do here at this lodge." - -"Who are you, sir?" Jake countered. - -"I suppose you didn't see me in the car when we stopped your covered -wagon up the road. I happen to be warden of the Elmville -Penitentiary--your friend Burk escaped from my charge, and naturally I -wanted to get him back again." - -"How is he--Burk?" - -"Oh, don't you worry about him! He got a few buckshot in the leg, but we -bandaged him up, and he'll be walking around as good as ever in a day or -two. He's gone back with Diker and your brother some time ago." - -"Who told you I was coming here?" demanded Jake. - -"Burk himself. Told me you'd been good to him, and he didn't want you to -come to harm. Very earnest about it, too. Yes, I must say I'm learning a -lot about our friend Burk in these last few days." - -Jake considered. "Have you found out that he's not a thief?" he asked -boldly. - -Again the man smiled, wearily. "You're pretty young, Jake. I admit Burk -was always well-behaved when he was serving his time, and he looks like -a decent sort. No doubt he told you a yarn that sounded convincing -enough--why, every man at Elmville can make himself out to be a saint, -if you give him a chance! But I have yet to find any proof that John -Burk was not given every benefit of the doubt when his case was tried at -law." - -Jake struggled upright, his eyes blazing. "It--it might be law, but is -it justice? Why, sir, he--he----" The boy fell back, his strength spent. -The warden jumped up and came to his side. - -"Here, son--you must be worn out! Frank, get that thermos bottle of hot -chocolate from the car, and have that caretaker make up some -sandwiches." He patted Jake's shoulder. "Bet you haven't had a thing to -eat to-day. No wonder you look worn out." - -The boy closed his eyes. "I am tired, I guess. But I really mean it, -sir. Burk didn't steal that necklace any more than I did." - -"All right. Don't talk any more now. We'll have some hot food for you in -a minute." - -The man resumed his seat, and began puffing on his cigar in silence. As -the minutes passed, Jake looked about him. The room seemed to be the -main hall of the hunting lodge. Over the fireplace he made out a dim -shape, the mounted head of a large buck deer. The walls were hung with -Indian blankets; a case of books stood in one corner, and a rack of guns -and fishing-rods in another. The place was fitted out in rough comfort, -and at another time Jake might have delighted in examining everything -which the sportsmen who owned the club had collected. As it was, he -waited motionless until Frank reappeared with a steaming cup of -chocolate, some sandwiches, and a dish of hot soup. - -"Feel better now?" the warden asked, as Jake swallowed the last of the -heartening liquid. The man had removed his hat, and Jake could now see -that his hair was snow-white. "If you're ready for a ride, there's -nothing to keep us here any longer." - -"But--but, sir, give me a chance to explain!" The warm food had brought -back much of Jake's strength, and with it his fighting spirit. If they -departed from Canoe Mountain Lodge now, there would never be another -opportunity to clear up the mystery of the necklace, and Burk would be -worse off than before. Here, if anywhere, lay the heart of that mystery, -and although Jake Utway had no clear idea as to the way of its solution, -he felt that the walls of the lodge must contain some clue that would -lead them to the truth. - -The warden shook his head patiently. "You fellows have risked everything -to get to this place, but Burk himself confessed to me awhile ago that -he had no definite aim in view, except to hunt around some more for that -necklace. What can you know that he doesn't know?" - -Jake stood up. Strength was flooding back into his aching body, and he -spoke with a confidence that could not fail to impress the white-haired -man. It was a confidence based not upon reason, but upon the boy's -feeling that Burk had spoken the truth. Into his mind flashed the -picture of that night of storm across the lake from the Lenape dock; he -could almost see the convict's drawn face, and hear the earnest ring of -his voice as he told his story to his two young captors---- - -"Mr. Warden," he began, "I feel sure that you know there's something -strange about this case of Burk's; otherwise, you wouldn't have taken so -much trouble to talk to him after you caught him, or to come here and -wait for me. You believe that the law is right, but you're not sure in -your mind that a mistake hasn't been made; and you want to be fair to -Burk and give him a chance to prove that there has been a mistake. Isn't -that right?" - -The jollity of the warden's face dropped from it like a mask. He leaned -forward, and his cigar dropped from his fingers. - -"That might be so, son. But----" - -"You've asked yourself: Why didn't Burk get far away from this part of -the country when he had the chance? Why did he risk getting caught, as -he was caught, simply to come here to Canoe Mountain, if he knew he was -guilty?" - -The warden leaned back again. "That's easily explained, Jake. Many times -a man will give way to temptation, and steal something of great value. -Even if he's caught, he will refuse to tell where he has hidden the -thing, hoping that when he gets out of prison he will be able to come -back, take the object from its hiding-place, and sell it for what he can -get. Burk knew where he had hidden the necklace, and was coming back to -get it." - -"Suppose I could prove to you that Burk didn't know where he put it?" - -The man smiled, and shook his head. "That would be a mighty hard thing -to prove. But if you could do that, and the necklace was restored to its -owner, it might make some difference----" - -"All right. Now, here's another thing. Why should Burk steal that -necklace? He had never done anything like that before. He had a good -job, which he liked, and as caretaker here had been in a position of -trust. He must have known that he would be caught at once. He might have -run away with the pearls in Mr. Collinge's absence; but he was still -here, and didn't try to get away. He has said all along that he was -innocent. The disappearance of the necklace has brought him nothing but -trouble. Why should he risk ruining his whole life to take it?" - -"You'd make a good lawyer, Jake!" the man said slowly. "Hear that, -Frank? The lad is convincing me in spite of myself. But you haven't -answered the big question, Bud: What did happen to that necklace?" - -"I'm coming to that." Jake's words were coming out in a rush now. He -must make them understand; he must prove to them that his friend Burk, -by this time no doubt back again in his hated cage, was blameless of -this crime. "What happened to the necklace? The answer is: Burk was -sick. Have you ever had the 'flu? Then you can picture what happened to -him that day. He was out of his head. His one thought must have been to -put the thing in a safe place, and then lie down on his bed in peace. -Can you blame him for not being able to remember what he had done, or -where he hid the thing?" - -"But why wasn't it found?" the man asked quickly. "A valuable thing like -a necklace doesn't disappear so easily. And the case was well-known; -why, I'll venture to say that this whole place here has been gone over -with a fine-tooth comb at least a dozen times in the past year! And as -far as we know, the necklace has never been found." - -Jake cast his eyes about the large room, noting where several doors led -off to the back of the lodge. "Tell me, sir," he said at last; "if the -necklace could be found, and if it could be proved that Burk was sick -and didn't know what he had done with it--that he had hidden it for -safekeeping, and not for his own gain--would Burk be set free?" - -"I could safely say," said the warden, "that if such was the case, the -facts would be put before the Pardon Board, and I myself would make a -point of urging that Burk be released. But you can see for yourself that -it's an almost impossible job. Now, let's forget all this foolishness, -and start back. It's getting late." - -Jake did not move. "Did you say that the man who is now the caretaker is -in back somewhere?" - -"Yes, he is, but----" - -"Could I talk to him, please?" - -The warden opened his mouth as if to object, but thought better of it, -and in a forbearing tone asked the chauffeur, Frank, to call the -caretaker. - -The latter must have been just outside the door, in the kitchen of the -lodge, for he shambled in at once, looking with curious eyes at the -strangers who had invaded his domain in the name of the law. He was a -bent little man, with a drooping brown mustache, and he stood in -silence, resting on one foot, waiting for someone to speak. - -Jake faced him. "Can you show me the room where Burk used to sleep, when -he was working here?" - -The caretaker darted a look at the warden, who motioned for him to -answer. "Wal, yes, guess I can. Sleep there myself; my room now." - -He led the way toward the rear of the building, and the others followed, -with Frank bearing the oil-lamp behind them. The room which they entered -lay in the far corner of the lodge, a narrow little place with brown -boarded walls, within which there was barely space enough for a small -cot-bed, a chair, and a tiny dresser. The warden surveyed the room -curiously, but Jake went straight to the bed, and turned down the -covers. Then he wheeled on the caretaker. - -"Is this bed the same as when Burk was here?" he asked sharply. - -"Wal, just about. Covers are the same, mostly, but that there's a new -mattress I just got last week." - -"Where's the old mattress?" - -"Chucked it outside on the woodpile. Why?" - -Jake Utway did not pause to reply. In an instant he was into the hall, -racing through the lighted kitchen, and out the back door. - -"Stop him!" shouted the warden. "Get him, Frank! It's another trick!" - -But Jake had gone no farther than the woodpile. In the light that -streamed from the open kitchen window, he was feeling about among the -wreckage of a worn-out cotton mattress, which had been thrown upon the -heap of firewood in the rear of the lodge. Frank, still carrying the -lamp, held his arm until the warden and the caretaker joined them. - -"Let me go!" cried Jake impatiently. "Hold that lamp down closer, will -you? I can't see very well----" - -"What in the world----" began the warden. His words were cut short. Jake -had found a short slit in the heavy striped ticking that encased the -stuffing of the old mattress. His hand slid through; he felt about for a -moment, and drew his hand out again. In the yellow light of the lamp, -everyone could see the object which dangled from his clenched fingers. A -short string of gleaming, milky-white bubbles flashed before the -astounded eyes of the three men. - -"It was a long guess, but it was right!" exclaimed Jake Utway in -triumph. "Here's the pearl necklace, safe and sound! Burk wouldn't have -put it away in a place like this, if he hadn't been sick, and it was the -first place he thought of hiding them! And now, Mr. Warden--I'll hold -you to your promise to do all you can to set John Burk free!" - - - - - CHAPTER XXII - BROTHERLY LOVE - - -Jake Utway woke from a restless doze as the car bumped over the rough -road behind Camp Lenape. He looked about him with sleep-sodden eyes as -the driver, Frank, drew up outside the lodge. There was a light in the -Chief's office, and the Chief himself must have heard the noise of their -motor, for he appeared at once, holding up a lantern so that he could -see the newcomers. - -His face lighted up as he saw Jake, huddled in the back of the machine -beside the warden of Elmville. - -"Well, there you are at last!" he exclaimed with a sigh of relief. -"Jerry has been in bed for an hour, and I stayed up on the chance that I -might hear something of you. Now that you're really here, I admit that a -big load is off my mind." He turned to the warden. "I don't know how to -thank you, sir, for picking up the boys as you have done. I'm sorry that -two Lenape fellows have caused you so much trouble." - -"No trouble!" cried the warden genially. "Now, let's not keep young Jake -here away from his bed any longer with all our talk. He's earned a good -night's sleep." - -"That so? Well, hop along, Jake. We'll talk this over with you and your -brother in the morning." - -The words sounded ominous, but Jake was too tired to worry about what -the morning would bring. He stumbled off toward Tent Ten, hardly aware -of what he was doing; but as he left, he heard the Chief invite the two -men into the lodge for a cup of coffee, and the three of them -disappeared into the building talking together in confidential tones. -Jake fell like a log upon his bunk, without taking off any of his -stained garments; but Mr. Avery was awake, and soon tucked the worn-out -boy between his blankets. - -The next morning, after breakfast, the Utway twins stood outside the -door of the Chief's office with beating hearts. They had not been given -any chance to speak to each other since their separate returns to camp -late the previous night; and now that they were back in the familiar -scenes of Lenape, their wild adventure seemed like a mad dream. How -could they have run away from camp without thinking of the worry and -trouble that this disobedient act would cause their leaders and the -Chief? - -Jerry knocked shakily upon the door. At the call of "Come in!" the two -culprits entered the office and stood waiting for judgment. - -They could not read the look on the Chief's face as he stood regarding -them quizzically. "We-ell!" he said slowly, and paused. - -"We--we're sorry, Chief!" blurted out Jerry. "We didn't think about -making a lot of trouble for you and our leaders. We just wanted to -help---- But I guess it's no use trying to tell how we felt about it." - -"Do you think you did right in leaving Lenape without telling anybody?" - -Jerry shook his head miserably. - -"What about you, Jake?" - -"I'm sorry too, Chief. We thought we were helping Burk, but maybe we -were wrong. When you put it up to us that way, it makes us feel as if -we--we----" - -The man nodded. "I could talk to you for an hour about camp discipline, -and it wouldn't mean as much to you as those words of yours mean, boys. -Your own consciences are better judges than I could ever hope to be. And -I won't say that you didn't have some excuse. As things have turned out, -no harm has been done, luckily for you." - -The Chief tapped with a pencil on his desk for an instant, and then -began speaking softly, almost to himself. - -"I talked with the warden last night after you went to bed, Jake. And he -said several things about you boys which I won't repeat; but he made me -see that Lenape hasn't done all it might do for you two. From now on, I -shall expect you to use all your extra energy in being better campers. -You both have lots of pep, and in Burk's case your efforts turned out to -be of great value. Keep on putting that pep to work to help the other -fellow at Lenape! You know how to do it." - -He rose with a smile, and held out his hand. The twins straightened, and -looked their leader full in the eyes. "Thanks, Chief," said Jerry -huskily. "We'll try." - -"We sure will!" added Jake. - -Silently the Chief took their hands, and gave each a hearty grip. - -"Oh, by the way, boys," he said, as they turned to go, "I have some news -for you. Last night the warden told me some things about this fellow -Burk that interested me a lot. When he's free again, as he should be if -the warden means what he says, I shouldn't be surprised if I could find -a job around camp where Burk might be of use." - -Jake and Jerry Utway held back their feelings until they were almost out -on the porch. Then they broke loose. - -"Hurray for Chief!" they shouted. "Yay, Chief! Yay, Lenape!" - - -The hospital tent was full to overflowing with laughing boys. In the -midst of them, clad in pajamas, Sherlock Jones sat up in a comfortable -white bed, leaning back on his pillows with sparkling eyes. Now and then -he paused in his talk to blow his long nose resoundingly, but otherwise -seemed none the worse for his adventure on the mountain and his wetting -in the brook when the hounds were on his trail. He was the center of -interest, and it was plain to be seen that he was enjoying his brief -moment in the limelight of fame. - -About him sat or stood all the members of the Tent Ten group, and a -number of other boys who listened joyously to his tale. Chink Towner and -Wild Willie Sanders perched at the foot of his bed; Fat Crampton, with -wide eyes and open mouth, hung upon his words; Steve Link was there, and -Sunfish Linder, and Spaghetti Megaro, and many others. - -"And were you scared when those big bloodhounds jumped up at the tree -and tried to get you?" piped up little Pete Lister. - -"Say, I hung on and said my prayers!" answered Sherlock amid laughter. -"But pretty soon along came a man named Harris, and he chained 'em up, -and after that it was all right." - -"But how did Jake and the man get away so quick?" asked Soapy Mullins. - -"You'll have to ask him that." - -"I tried to ask him this morning," put in Lefkowitz, "but he wouldn't -tell me a thing. But he came to camp real late last night; I was awake -and saw him get here." - -"We'll know all about it pretty soon," observed Gil Shelton, who was -sitting on the steps of the tent. "Here they both come now, up from the -lodge. Guess they want to see you, Sherlock." - -Sherlock drew forth his handkerchief. "I used to think I was some -punkins as a detective," he announced, "but I'll say right here that the -Utway twins have got it all over me when it comes to solving mysteries. -From now on, I resign! A thousand mysteries can happen around this camp, -and I won't lift my little finger!" - -A low cheer broke forth as the two brothers stepped into the shadow of -the tent-house. "Yay, Jake! Yay, Jerry!" - -Jake grinned. "Hello, Sherlock, old boy! How have you been since I last -saw you? Get down that tree all right?" - -Sherlock smiled back. "I'm all right. How are you two?" - -"We're cinders," announced Jerry. "We've just been listening to the -Chief, and boy, we're never going to run away from camp again! From now -on, I'm going to be the best little boy you ever saw. And I really mean -it. I felt like a penny waiting for change after the Chief got through -talking. Man, I'd sooner get pinched by the cops ten times, than have -the Chief look at me like that again!" - -"You said it," added Jake. "I'd rather get shot at ten times than feel -as low as I did just now. But the Chief is one grand fellow. He made us -see how wrong we were to run away from Lenape the way we did, but he -knew what really happened, and said he hoped Burk would get his pardon -soon, and that he'd find a job around camp for Burk to do when he got -out!" - -"But what did happen?" - -"How did Burk get caught?" - -"Where were you all the time?" - -Questions rose from a dozen clamorous throats, and the crowd of excited -campers closed in about the two brothers. - -"Well," said Jerry slowly, "it'll take a long time to tell. We were only -away from camp for one day, but boy, what a day!" - -"It seemed like a hundred years!" agreed Jake. "And say, wasn't that -farmer kid surprised when we drove up last night and I gave him back his -bicycle! Guess he thought he had my mackinaw for keeps!" - -"That reminds me," said Jerry. "I'll have to write to that storekeeper -down at Wallistown to send mine back. But you fellows will have to get -Jake to tell the story. He's the one that did everything, and got to -Canoe Mountain. I got nabbed before we were half-way there." - -"Yeah!" said Jake scornfully. "I wouldn't have got very far if you -hadn't seen us in the gypsy flivver, and hadn't thrown away the keys to -the warden's car. And it was your idea for us to go to Canoe Mountain in -the first place." - -"That wasn't anything. But I call it real smart of you to figure out -that Burk had stowed away those pearls in his mattress!" - -"Listen, Jerry Utway!" said Jake, and there was a glint in his bright -blue eyes. "We found Burk together, and we never could have put it -across if we hadn't been working together all the time. Sherlock here -helped a lot, too, although he didn't know it. Now, for goodness sake, -nail up that trap of yours until you can say something with some sense -to it!" - -"I will not!" answered Jerry stoutly. "You're a hero, that's what you -are--a bloomin' hero!" - -"I'm not! Don't call me names! Take that back!" - -"You are, too! I won't take it back. You're a bloomin' hero!" - -Jake seized a heavy hot-water bottle that lay at the foot of Sherlock's -bed, and wielded it threateningly. The circle of boys widened about the -two brothers, and laughing campers nudged each other and winked. For -almost a week now, the Utway twins had been strangely peaceable. They -had been driven by the mystery that had surrounded Camp Lenape to join -forces and forget their brotherly strife in a common cause and in the -face of a common danger. But now that they were back home again at -Lenape, a friendly little battle might clear the air, make them feel -themselves once more. - -"That's the boy, Jake!" urged Chink Towner. "Give him the works!" - -"Key down, you Chinaman!" cried Jake. "I know what I'm doing." Again he -wielded the hot-water bottle menacingly, hefting it as if on the point -of hurling it full at his brother. "Now, Jerry, you take that back!" - -"You're a hero, a bloomin' hero!" chanted Jerry, tauntingly. - -"And you're another!" - -"And you're his brother!" - -Sherlock Jones flashed a mock-terrified glance at the two embattled -brothers. - -"Help!" he cried, and slid down into the bed, pulling the covers -protectingly over his head. "The Utway twins are at it again!" - - - THE END - - - - - Transcriber's Notes - - ---Copyright notice provided as in the original--this e-text is public - domain in the country of publication. - ---Silently corrected palpable typos; left non-standard spellings and - dialect unchanged. - ---In the text versions, delimited italics text in _underscores_ (the - HTML version reproduces the font form of the printed book.) - - - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's The Mystery at Camp Lenape, by Carl Saxon - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MYSTERY AT CAMP LENAPE *** - -***** This file should be named 54826.txt or 54826.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/4/8/2/54826/ - -Produced by Stephen Hutcheson and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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