Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Sankar Viswanathan, and the
Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
THE OUTDOOR CHUMS
AT CABIN POINT
OR
The Golden Cup Mystery
BY
CAPTAIN QUINCY ALLEN
AUTHOR OF "THE OUTDOOR CHUMS," "THE OUTDOOR
CHUMS IN THE BIG WOODS," ETC.
_The_
GOLDSMITH
Publishing Co.
CLEVELAND OHIO
COPYRIGHT, 1916, BY
GROSSET & DUNLAP
* * * * *
CONTENTS
CHAPTER
I ON THE WAY TO CAMP
II A COOL CUSTOMER
III TAKING POSSESSION
IV AS BUSY AS BEAVERS
V A CALL FOR HELP
VI THE HOME OF THE OSPREY
VII THE CHAINED DOOR
VIII WHEN THE FLASHLIGHT TRAP WORKED
IX THE FORAGING PARTY
X TRESPASSERS
XI IN THE BIG TIMBER
XII CAUGHT IN THE STORM
XIII TAKING A BEE-LINE FOR CAMP
XIV THE RETURN OF THE VOYAGERS
XV DAYS OF REAL SPORT
XVI SHOWING BLUFF AND JERRY
XVII THE WARNING
XVIII THE ACCUSATION
XIX REPAYING HIS DEBT
XX GROPING IN THE DARK
XXI AN UNEXPECTED APPEAL
XXII FIRST AID TO THE INJURED
XXIII A LIGHT IN THE WINDOW
XXIV THE MYSTERY SOLVED
XXV CONCLUSION
* * * * *
THE OUTDOOR CHUMS AT CABIN POINT
CHAPTER I
ON THE WAY TO CAMP
"We're going into the woods light this time, it seems, boys."
"Remember, Bluff, we sent along most of our stuff, such as blankets
and grub, as also the cooking outfit, in charge of old Anthony, the
stage driver."
"That's a fact, Will, and he was to leave it at the abandoned mine
shaft, from which point we expect to make pack horses of ourselves."
"True for you, Jerry! And unless Frank here has made a mistake in his
reckoning we're due to reach that hole in the ground before another
hour."
"How about that, Frank?"
"We'll fetch up there in less time than that I reckon, fellows. To
tell you the truth, it can't be more than a mile away from here."
"Bully for that! And after we get over the peak of this rocky ridge we
ought to be on the down-grade most of the way."
When Jerry Wallington gave expression to his gratitude after this
fashion, two of his companions waved their hats as though he voiced
their sentiments. One of these boys was Will Milton, and while he did
not seem to be quite as vigorous as his chums, still his active life
during the last two years had done much to build up his strength. As
for Bluff Masters, any one could see from his looks that he had a
constitution of iron, while his face told of determination bordering
on obstinacy. The fourth member of the little party tramping along
this road leading over the ridge was Frank Langdon. He was a boy of
many parts, able to take the lead in most matters, and looked up to by
his comrades.
All of them lived in the town of Centerville, where, on account of
their love for the open and for camp life, they had become known as
the "Outdoor Chums." Fortune had indeed been kind to these four boys,
and allowed them to enjoy opportunities for real sport that come the
way of few lads.
They had first called themselves the "Rod, Gun and Camera Club,"
because their activities in the woods partook of the nature of these
several branches of sport. Will was an ardent photographer, and his
work had received high praise. Indeed, it was only recently that he
had captured a cash prize offered by a prominent newspaper for the
best collection of flashlight pictures of wild animals in their native
haunts.
This had been accomplished only after the most persistent and
laborious efforts. It was carried out during a delightful trip, taken
by the boys to the Maine country, where they met with some exceedingly
interesting adventures, all of which were set down in the seventh
volume of this series, under the title of "The Outdoor Chums in the
Big Woods; Or, The Rival Hunters of Lumber Run."
Those readers who have followed the fortunes of Frank and his three
wide-awake comrades in previous stories have of course come to look on
them as old friends, and need no further introduction. As there may be
some, however, who are now making their acquaintance for the first
time it may be well to mention a few things connected with their past,
as well as to explain why they were now bound for a new camping ground
in a region they had never before visited.
Naturally, they knew every foot of country for many miles around
Centerville. They had roamed over Oak Ridge and the Sunset Mountains,
camped on Wildcat Island, situated in Camelot Lake, and scoured the
region roundabout.
More than this, wonderful opportunities had come to these boys to
visit distant parts of the States. On one occasion they had taken a
trip South, going to the Gulf of Mexico. Another time it had been a
visit to the Rocky Mountains where they hunted big game. Then, on a
houseboat belonging to an eccentric uncle of Will's, they voyaged down
the great Mississippi River to New Orleans, meeting with numerous
adventures on the way.
When they returned home after their first year at college, of course
the regular question came up immediately: "Where shall we go for the
next outing? because we must get into the woods somehow, and live
close to Nature for a spell, to fish, and take pictures, and just
forget all our troubles."
Many ideas were suggested, but it remained for Bluff Masters to bring
up the most catching plan. By some means he had heard of a place a
good many miles away from their home town where the big lake lay for
many miles between the hills.
Here he had been told by one who knew that they would be apt to find
the seclusion they sought, since few people lived in that section of
country. Small game was plentiful enough to give Will all the fun he
wanted in laying his traps, in order that raccoons and opossums and
foxes might be coaxed to snap off their own pictures.
Fishing ought to be good in the waters of the inland sea, and all of
them professed to be ardent disciples of the hook and line. In fact,
Bluff laid out such an alluring programme that he actually carried the
others by storm.
Accordingly, preparations were made to go to the distant lake. Frank,
as was his habit, did everything in his power to pick up information
concerning the lay of the land. He even made up a sort of map, based
on what he was able to learn, although frankly admitting that it might
prove faulty in many places. It was going to be one of his personal
tasks to rectify these mistakes, and bring back an accurate chart of
the whole district.
Besides being an ardent photographer, Will had taken up the study of
medicine, as he anticipated some day being a physician. The boys were
in the habit of calling him "Doctor Will" at times; and whenever there
arose an occasion that called for his aid he was only too willing to
apply his knowledge of the healing art.
Bluff Masters had perhaps been well named by his boy friends for he
was not only a frank sort of boy, but there were many times when just
out of a desire to tease he would try to "bluff" those with whom he
chanced to be arguing.
At the same time Bluff was a hearty boy, with plenty of good nature,
and was a favorite with his companions. He and Jerry were both apt to
be a little boisterous, and to express their dislikes rather forcibly,
but the others knew their little failings and paid small attention to
them as a rule.
As they mentioned in their chatter while they tramped along the rough
up-hill road, they had found a chance to send most of their camp
outfit ahead of them by the stage. It was to be left at the shaft of
the old abandoned mine, which they had heard so much about, though of
course had never seen.
After reaching that point they expected to leave the road and plunge
directly into the woods, taking a short-cut for the big lake. Here
they had planned to search for an old cabin situated on a point that
stretched out into the beautiful bay, and which Frank believed might
serve them in lieu of a tent; indeed, trusting to the information
they had received, they had not bothered to carry any canvas along
with them on the trip.
"What if that old cabin proves to be a myth after all, Frank?" Bluff
was asking as they toiled along, with a wall of rock on one hand and a
dizzy precipice close on the other side.
"Perhaps we'll be sorry about leaving out that fine waterproof tent of
ours," suggested Will, who did not like to "rough it" quite so much as
did the others.
"Shucks!" ejaculated Jerry, with fine scorn, "what's the matter with
our building a shelter of logs, bark and driftwood on the shore of the
lake, if the worst strikes us? It wouldn't be the first time we'd done
such a thing either, eh, Frank?"
"I reckon we could do it without straining a point," the other
observed quietly. "But don't borrow trouble, Bluff. Time enough to
cross your bridges when you get to them. That old cabin stood there
last summer, I was told, and likely to hold out for a good many more
seasons unless some one should deliberately burn it down."
"Who would be apt to do such a silly thing as that, tell me?" demanded
Bluff.
"I don't think any one would," Frank hastened to reply; "but I've been
told there's a peculiar old hermit living on an estate not a great
way distant from Cabin Point. He is said to be a rich man, but seems
to want to keep away from his fellows, and has built a house up here
on his property."
"You mean Aaron Dennison, of course, Frank," said Will. "I was
interested in what we were told about him. He seems to be a regular
bear, and refuses to make friends with anybody drifting up here."
"The loggers over at Edmundson Cove tell queer yarns of the things he
has done," Frank continued, with a faint smile; "and to own up to the
truth, I'm rather hoping we run across old Aaron. He must be quite a
character from all we've heard, and somehow I've grown curious about
him."
"And if I get half a chance," observed Will, whose mind usually ran in
the one channel, which of course covered his hobby, "I mean to snap
off a picture of him. I've got a lot of freaks in my collection, but
nary a hermit nor a crank."
"All I hope for," said Jerry, "is that he doesn't try to make it
unpleasant for us up here. For one, I expect to give him a wide berth.
These hermits are not much to my fancy. You never know what to expect
from the lot. But, Frank, after all, we're not the only fellows
traveling along this mountain road. Look up ahead and you'll see a
chap hurrying this way."
"He's not much older than any of us, it seems," remarked Bluff, as all
of them immediately focussed their gaze on the figure that had turned
a bend in the rough road, and was hurriedly advancing in a somewhat
careless fashion.
"He's carrying a bag just like my new one," remarked Will, patting the
article in question affectionately, as though it contained something
which he valued very much.
"I shouldn't be surprised if he were heading for that railroad station
we struck a mile back," suggested Frank. "It was only a flag station,
but trains stop there on signal most likely."
"But where on earth could that natty young fellow come from, do you
think?" Will asked. "I hope there isn't a camp of city boys up here
anywhere, because if that turned out to be the case there'd be small
chance for me to get the pictures of game I'm hoping to strike."
"He sees us now," remarked Jerry, "but is coming along faster than
ever. Perhaps he's running away from something, for he looked back
just then over his shoulder."
"Yes, and came near taking a nasty fall in the bargain," commented
Will, who had started with sudden fear; "it strikes me he's a pretty
careless sort of fellow. On a dangerous road like this it pays to
watch your step, as a fall might mean a broken leg, or even worse. Oh!
look there, boys, he's stumbled again, and gone over the edge of the
precipice!"
All of them stared in awe, for what Will called out was only too true.
The advancing figure was no longer in sight, for upon making that
false step he had fallen to his knees, made a violent effort to keep
from slipping over the edge, and then disappeared.