THE TWO-TAILED LIZARD
Seconds seemed stretched into minutes, and minutes into hours, as the
boys waited. They spoke little, not even when they went down to look at
the _Scud_. She was in shallow water, and could easily be pulled up on
shore, and the leaky seams made tight.
“She lasted as long as we needed her,” remarked Jerry, simply.
It must have been two hours later, perhaps more, when Dr. Brown came
out of the cabin. His clothes smelled of ether and iodoform as he
greeted the boys, saying:
“It’s all over.”
“Is he--will he----?” faltered Jerry.
“He will recover, unless some complication sets in,” was the answer.
“The operation was a complete success. Oh, it was worth watching, to
witness the masterly manner in which Dr. Wright worked! I am under
obligations to you boys for giving me the opportunity.”
“It is we who are in your debt,” responded Jerry. “Can we see him?”
“Oh, indeed no. He has not come out of the ether yet. I doubt if you
can see him before to-morrow noon. You had best go to bed. The doctor
and the nurses will look after him.”
And, worn out with their nights’ vigils--Jerry and Bob from their
long trips, and Ned and Andy from watching--they all felt the need of
rest and sleep. But sleep came only fitfully at first, until, toward
morning, when they all fell into heavy slumber.
They were awakened by Dr. Brown at their tent.
They found the professor paler and thinner than before, but looking
better in spite of that, for he was out of pain. The relief of the
operation, given under merciful insensibility of ether, had delivered
him from the grip of pain.
“I--I want to talk to you, Jerry,” he said, faintly.
“Not too much,” cautioned Miss Payson.
“It--it will relieve my mind,” was the low reply of the sick man. “I
have something to tell Jerry.”
They would not let him tell it all then, but he said enough to let
Jerry know that fraud had been practiced by the Universal Plaster
Company, and that fraud, Jerry was sure, was sufficient to set aside
the sale, on the part of his mother, of the valuable lands in the
swamp.
In a few days Professor Snodgrass was able to tell the whole story.
“I had no idea of the medical value of that yellow clay until, on one
of my trips after insects, I met Fussel and Professor Bailey,” he said.
“I know now that they are scoundrels, but I had no idea of it then.
They asked me to test the yellow clay for certain ingredients, and I
did so. I found them there, and they told me their plan--to impregnate
the clay with certain medicines. I then saw how valuable a use of it
could be made, and I gave them a testimonial of its worth. They paid
me well. But if I had thought it was injuring my friends I never would
have aided those scoundrels.
“I had no idea then, Jerry, that this was the same clay you had showed
me. For when I examined your specimen I had no thought that it might be
a vehicle for the administration of medicine in the shape of plasters
and poultices.
“But from the moment I had given advice to Fussel and his gang, I had
no chance to communicate with you. In fact, I did not know there was
a large deposit of this clay on your mother’s land. They said it came
from Mr. Nixon’s land, and from another part of the swamp. So I was not
concerned about you, Jerry.
“Then they hurried me away, on the false assertion that I could find a
two-tailed lizard up here. I had no time even to come and see you. In
fact, I guess I did not think of it, I was so excited.”
“We thought that strange,” commented Jerry, “your not coming back.”
Jerry explained how he and his chums had set off in search of the
scientist, to get his explanation of the matter, and Jerry told of
their adventures on the way.
“I intended to have another analysis made of the clay, to see if it was
of any value,” the tall lad said, “but I did not get a chance. However,
it wasn’t necessary, Professor. But we sure did think it queer that you
didn’t come back to us.”
“It was odd,” the professor admitted. “But I was so anxious to get the
lizard that I thought of nothing else. I came up here and made the
great discovery.”
“Did you find the lizard?” asked Ned.
“No. But one day, when I was out after specimens, I opened one of the
box-cages I had brought with me from the hotel in Bellport, where I was
stopping when Fussel and his gang sought my advice. In that box I found
a certain paper which showed me how I had been tricked. It was one
of the plaster company’s documents, and must have fallen into my box
by mistake. But it gave away the whole plan, and showed how they had
played a trick to get your mother’s land, Jerry.”
“A trick?” questioned the tall lad.
“Yes. They tried to make her believe she would have no right of way to
get to her strip, and so, as I understand it, she sold.”
“That was one of the reasons that induced her to part with it,” said
Jerry. “That, and the fact that we could not prove the yellow clay to
be of any value.”
“And that representation that she had no right of way was a fraud,” the
professor declared, “for she had. And it is well established in law
that where the conveyance of land is obtained by fraud that it will be
given back to the original owners.”
“Then mother will get her land back!” cried Jerry, joyfully.
“Yes, and the valuable clay with it,” declared Professor Snodgrass. “I
will testify in her favor, and I have the documents to prove it.”
“When did you discover them?” asked Ned, eagerly.
“One day, as I say, when I was out hunting specimens. I had just caught
a rare bug, and was putting it in the box, when the paper attracted my
attention. Then, as I took it out and put the paper in my pocket, I saw
a rare butterfly. I made a reach for it with the net, and fell over the
ledge.
“I remembered nothing more for some time. When I recovered consciousness
I found myself, badly injured, at the foot of the cliff. My water bottle
and lunch box had fallen near me, and I managed to eat and drink. But
I could not move. I called for help, but none came. Then I lost
consciousness again, and I remembered nothing more until--until just
before the operation.
“I understand you boys found me. You saved my life!”
“And you have saved my mother’s property!” voiced Jerry.
“You will find the papers to prove the fraud in my coat,” the professor
said, and there they were. Jerry took charge of them.
“Then you haven’t found the two-tailed lizard?” asked Bob.
“No, and I am afraid I never shall,” was the discouraged answer. “I
don’t believe there are any up here.”
Everyone in the camp was in a happy mood. As the days passed the
professor grew stronger. There was no question now about his recovery.
Jerry had sent the good news to his mother, and had communicated with
the family lawyer, who promised to see that action was taken against
the swindlers.
And I may state here that eventually Mrs. Hopkins received back her
land, and the sale of the yellow clay recouped her fortune. In fact, on
the adjoining property there was only a small amount of the clay, and
Mrs. Hopkins had a monopoly. So she did not have to worry about money
matters. Fraud was clearly proved on the part of Fussel and his crowd,
and though they fought the case in the courts they were defeated. The
paper accidentally found in the professor’s box won the case for Jerry
and his mother.
Dr. Wright, with his sister and the nurse, remained at the camp until
it was certain the professor was out of danger. Then Dr. Brown was
placed in charge.
Jerry was a little apprehensive about Dr. Wright’s bill, but that
matter was easily settled. When Jerry spoke of it the great surgeon
laughed and said:
“Do you think I would present Professor Snodgrass with a bill for my
services? We scientists are brothers, you know. It was a pleasure to
preserve him for the great work he is doing.”
And so Dr. Wright, with the two ladies, went back to civilization. The
_Scud_ had been hauled out by the boys, the seams caulked, and she was
as fit as ever. In her the doctor was taken back to his hotel.
The boys would remain in the woodland camp about a week longer, and
then, by easy stages, would go back home, taking the scientist with
them as far as Boston.
One night Bob awoke with a yell, sitting suddenly up in his bunk.
“What’s the matter--got the nightmare?” asked Jerry.
“No, but there’s something in my bed. A snake, I guess,” Bob cried.
Ned came with a light, and Bob, hopping out of his bed, turned back the
sheet, for only that light covering was needed on account of the warm
weather. As he did so something wriggled farther under the covers.
“There it is!” cried Bob. “Look!”
“It’s something, anyhow,” Jerry agreed.
The coverings were thrown off and Bob cried:
“There it is! The two-tailed lizard!”
It was a large lizard, surely enough, and Jerry, who had little fear of
crawling creatures, easily captured the specimen.
“I believe it _is_ a two-tailed one,” he said. “At least it might pass
for one. Let’s show the professor.”
Dr. Snodgrass slowly examined the specimen in the light of a lantern.
He turned it carefully from side to side.
“Well, I suppose you could call that a two-tailed lizard,” he finally
announced. “But it is not what I expected. See, there is the rudiment
of the second tail,” and he pointed to a short horny knob growing out
above the main, or long tail, of the wriggling creature.
“Nature evidently intended to give this species of lizard two tails,”
went on the professor, “but something interfered with her plans.
Perhaps she, herself, changed her mind. But it is a sure-enough
two-tailed lizard, and will be a valuable addition to our museum. And
I can prove that my friend Professor Battin is mistaken when he says
there is no such creature. Who found it?”
“It crawled in my bed,” spoke Bob, looking around as though he might
see more of the uncanny creatures.
The professor was eagerly examining the specimen. Undoubtedly it was
the two-tailed lizard, but it was not such an odd freak as might
have been expected. However, the scientist was apparently satisfied.
The lizard was put in a box, and the next day the professor, who was
rapidly convalescing, made copious notes concerning it.
The motor boys spent another week in camp, fishing and tramping about.
The professor was able to walk now. None of the plotters came to drive
our friends away from the hunting lodge.
And then, one day, camp was broken, and they started down the lake, to
finish the trip by auto, Professor Snodgrass going with them.
“Well, we sure did have an exciting summer of it,” commented Jerry, as
he steered the boat over the course on which he had guided her in the
race to save the life of the scientist.
“That’s right,” agreed Ned. “And I wonder if we’ll have as lively a
time next season?”
Whether our young friends did or did not may be learned by reading our
next volume, entitled: “Ned, Bob and Jerry at Boxwood Hall; Or, The
Motor Boys as Freshmen.” This will be the first volume of a second
series devoted to the activities of our heroes.
In due time the boys, with Professor Snodgrass, reached Cresville. On
the way the scientist caught several more specimens, but none, in his
opinion, was as valuable as the two-tailed lizard, which had made a
bed-fellow of Bob.
“Where you going, Jerry?” asked Ned, one afternoon, as he saw his chum
starting out in the motor boat.
“Oh, just over to the swamp to see how the work is coming on. I heard
they struck an even richer bed of yellow clay on mother’s land than
that which those fellows developed at first.”
“I’ll come along,” went on Ned, and Bob came up soon after, joining the
little party.
And while they are on their way to watch the men at work on the land
so strangely restored to Mrs. Hopkins, we will take leave of the motor
boys.
THE END
THE MOTOR BOYS SERIES
BY CLARENCE YOUNG
_12mo. Illustrated. Price per volume, $1.00, postpaid_
[Illustration]
The Motor Boys
_or Chums Through Thick and Thin_
The Motor Boys Overland
_or A Long Trip for Fun and Fortune_
The Motor Boys in Mexico
_or The Secret of The Buried City_
The Motor Boys Across the Plains
_or The Hermit of Lost Lake_
The Motor Boys Afloat
_or The Cruise of the Dartaway_
The Motor Boys on the Atlantic
_or The Mystery of the Lighthouse_
The Motor Boys in Strange Waters
_or Lost in a Floating Forest_
The Motor Boys on the Pacific
_or The Young Derelict Hunters_
The Motor Boys in the Clouds
_or A Trip for Fame and Fortune_
The Motor Boys Over the Rockies
_or A Mystery of the Air_
The Motor Boys Over the Ocean
_or A Marvelous Rescue in Mid-Air_
The Motor Boys on the Wing
_or Seeking the Airship Treasure_
The Motor Boys After a Fortune
_or The Hut on Snake Island_
The Motor Boys on the Border
_or Sixty Nuggets of Gold_
The Motor Boys Under the Sea
_or From Airship to Submarine_
The Motor Boys on Road and River
_or Racing to Save a Life_
THE MOTOR BOYS SECOND SERIES
BY CLARENCE YOUNG
Ned, Bob and Jerry at Boxwood Hall
_or The Motor Boys as Freshmen_
Ned, Bob and Jerry on a Ranch
_or The Motor Boys Among the Cowboys_
Ned, Bob and Jerry in the Army
_or The Motor Boys as Volunteers_
Ned, Bob and Jerry on the Firing Line
_or The Motor Boys Fighting for Uncle Sam_
Ned, Bob and Jerry Bound for Home
_or The Motor Boys on the Wrecked Troopship_
CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY, Publishers New York
THE Y. M. C. A. BOYS SERIES
By BROOKS HENDERLEY
_12mo. Cloth. Illustrated. Price per volume, $1.00, postpaid._
[Illustration]
_This new series relates the doings of a wide-awake boys’ club of the
Y. M. C. A., full of good times and every-day, practical Christianity.
Clean, elevating and full of fun and vigor, books that should be read
by every boy._
THE Y. M. C. A. BOYS OF CLIFFWOOD
_or The Struggle for the Holwell Prize_
Telling how the boys of Cliffwood were a wild set and how, on
Hallowe’en, they turned the home town topsy-turvy. This led to an
organization of a boys’ department in the local Y. M. C. A. When the
lads realized what was being done for them, they joined in the movement
with vigor and did all they could to help the good cause.
THE Y. M. C. A. BOYS ON BASS ISLAND
_or The Mystery of Russabaga Camp_
Summer was at hand, and at a meeting of the boys of the Y. M. C. A.
of Cliffwood, it was decided that a regular summer camp should be
instituted. This was located at a beautiful spot on Bass Island, and
there the lads went boating, swimming, fishing and tramping to their
heart’s content.
THE Y. M. C. A. BOYS AT FOOTBALL
_or Lively Doings On and Off the Gridiron_
This volume will add greatly to the deserved success of this
well-written series. The Y. M. C. A. boys are plucky lads--clean minded
and as true as steel. They have many ups and downs, but in the end they
“win out” in the best meaning of that term.
_Send For Our Free Illustrated Catalogue_
CUPPLES & LEON CO. Publishers New York
Transcriber’s Notes:
--Text in italics is enclosed by underscores (_italics_); text in bold
by “equal” signs (=bold=).
--Punctuation and spelling inaccuracies were silently corrected.
--Archaic and variable spelling has been preserved.
--Variations in hyphenation and compound words have been preserved.
End of Project Gutenberg's The Motor Boys on Road and River, by Clarence Young