A PERPLEXING LETTER
It was decided to leave behind them the skiff that had been wrecked and
as the boys ran down to the shore they saw that the beautiful little boat
had been drawn up on the land.
"That can be fixed all right," said the mate in response to the question
of the boys. "The frame's all good."
Neither of the boys, however, heard his words as they both climbed into
the skiff, which Grant had rowed ashore.
"Where were you, fellows?" he asked as he grasped the oars and headed the
little boat once more for the _Gadabout_.
"We went ashore. The mate just let us drive before the wind. We couldn't
do anything against it."
"Yes," added Fred. "We stove in the boat when we tried to land. The waves
were a million feet high."
"How high?" laughed John.
"Well, they were pretty nearly ten feet anyway."
"That's about as near as you get to things, isn't it?" remarked John.
"Well, you know what I mean."
"I don't care what you mean as long as you're both safe. The captain was
afraid you might capsize."
"You mean he was afraid we would be capsized," retorted Fred.
"May be that was it. At all events he was afraid you would go into the
water and he knew you couldn't take care of yourselves if you did."
"Hello," exclaimed John abruptly. "Here comes our recent host. I wonder
what he wants now."
As he spoke John pointed toward the shore from which the man in whose
house they recently found refuge was seen approaching in a skiff. Just
where his boat had been kept was not plain to either of the boys. There
was no boathouse on the shore and few places where the craft might have
been sheltered.
"I guess he has forgotten something," laughed Fred, "or he's after us.
John, did you take anything from the table when you left the house?"
"Nothing except what I had already taken inside," retorted John.
In response to the call of the man the departing _Gadabout_ was delayed
until he came alongside. There was a whispered conversation between him
and the captain, which lasted only a few minutes. What was said could not
be heard by the boys, although John was really trying to discover what
the subject of the conversation was, at the same time doing his utmost to
appear indifferent.
Fred, who understood the peculiarities of his companion, laughed silently
as he saw John's actions and shook his head warningly.
Quickly, however, the captain turning about gave the order to start and
almost as if it had been hurled forward by some powerful and unseen hand
the graceful little boat suddenly started swiftly on its return to
Mackinac Island.
The speed of the motor-boat was much greater than in the morning. Indeed
as the time passed and the graceful little craft darted over the surface
of the water the boys looked at one another in amazement. The water
seemed almost to rise and be parted by the bow. It rushed past them with
a noise that was loud and almost confusing. Still the speed of the
_Gadabout_ increased. The roaring of the waters and the occasional call
of the captain were all that could be heard and in a brief time the boys
abandoned all attempts to speak to one another.
Darkness had fallen when at last they arrived at their destination. The
lights of the many windowed hotels and of the cottages along the road
were shining in the evening darkness. There was yet time, however, for
the boys to obtain dinner and in a brief time all four were seated about
the table, which had been assigned them when first they had arrived.
Fred was the last to enter the dining-room and as he did so his
companions saw that something had greatly amused or pleased him.
"Look here, fellows," he said as he seated himself at the table. "See
what I have got."
Drawing from his pocket a letter, which he explained he had received from
the clerk on his way to the dining-room, he placed the sheet of paper on
the table and began to read,--
Sir,--I am one good american Citizen and I will do not the other
Strangers peoples Cheat us My duty Me oblige to let you know which
Cheater the U. S. Secret Contraband the man is it one British have one
store in Chicago and one other store in Montreal Canada. This man make
her Business in this Way. he order her goods to come from Paris france
to Montreal Canada and ther he pay duty Very Cheap and then he express
her goods to the boarderings of the untied States and then he took the
Said goods and giving to the Cariage Man and the Cariag Man in the
nighte time he Carry them With other different things eggs and other
things lik that in many Barrel and the goods Mixed With Them So the
goods entre in united States in the Way the dessert.
respectfully yours truly,
American Brother.
"What do you think of that?" demanded John as he extended his hand and
received the letter.
"I don't know what to think of it," laughed Fred. "What do you think of
it?"
"It's too much for me," said Grant. "I don't believe even papa here knows
what it means."
"But it was sent to me," said Fred. "At least the directions are to Mr.
F. Button, and that's my name."
The boys were still laughing and talking about the strange epistle which
Fred had received when at last they withdrew from the dining-room and
selected four chairs near together on the broad piazza.
They had not been seated very long before the clerk of the hotel
approached the group and said to Fred, "I think I gave you a letter which
belongs to some other man."
"I guess you did," laughed Fred. "I don't think it belongs to me anyway.
Is this the letter?" he added, as he held forth the epistle which had
been the cause of so much mirth among the boys.
"I don't know whether it is or not," replied the clerk. "All I know is
that there is another man here, whose name is almost like yours. He is
Mr. Ferdinand Button. That letter was directed to Mr. F. Button. As you
had been here longer than he I thought it was for you."
"Well, it isn't," said Fred. "If it was my letter I would read it to you,
but I guess it belongs to Ferdinand, so you had better take it and give
it to him." Laughingly Fred held out the letter which the clerk took and
at once withdrew from the place.
It was not long afterward before a stranger approached the boys who were
still seated and said, "One of you, I am afraid had a letter to-night
which belonged to me."
"Yes, I guess we did," said Fred quickly, rising as he spoke. "My name is
Fred Button and the clerk said that this letter was meant for Mr.
Ferdinand Button."
"That's my name," explained the stranger, "and the letter was for me. Did
you read it?"
"I shall have to acknowledge that I did," answered Fred. "I didn't
suspect until I had done that that it really belonged to any one else."
Somewhat confused by his confession Fred noted the bearing of the man
before him more carefully.
It was plain to him now that the stranger was quiet in his manner,
gentlemanly in his bearing and possessed of a quick intelligence that
enabled him to perceive many a thing which his younger companions might
have lost. The stranger was about thirty-five years of age and his
bronzed face was nearly the color of that of the captain of the
_Gadabout_.
"Have you been here long?" inquired John.
"I came this morning."
"I thought perhaps you had been on the lake--"
"I have been on the lake," interrupted the stranger. "Indeed, I spend
much of my time on the lake. I am sorry you had the misfortune to receive
this letter which apparently was meant for me."
"What makes you so sure it was for you?" inquired Fred laughingly. "It
was signed 'American Brother' and was simply addressed 'Sir.' Perhaps it
was meant for me after all."
"No, the letter is mine," said the man quietly and as he spoke the four
boys were aware that he intended to retain possession of the perplexing
missive.
That he was able to do so was manifest in the breadth of his shoulders
and the evidences of strength which were apparent as he turned and walked
away.
"Whew!" whispered Grant. "I guess that man could tell some stories if he
wanted to."
"I hope he will want to," said George. "I know I want to hear them."
The conversation turned from the stranger who had claimed the letter to
plans for the following day and then when two hours had elapsed all four
boys, thoroughly tired by their experiences of the day, sought their
rooms.
The following morning John was surprised when he first went down to the
lobby to discover there his host of the preceding day.
At first John suspected that the man intended to ignore him, for he
advanced toward him with outstretched hand to express his surprise at the
unexpected meeting. The stranger, however, turned abruptly away. Abashed
by the action John's face flushed and he watched the man when he slowly
walked out to the piazza and seated himself near the entrance.
Turning to the clerk John said, "Who is that man?"
"I do not know," replied the clerk. "I have seen him here several times
this summer."
"How many years have you been coming here?" broke in John.
"Fourteen."
"And you never saw this man until this summer?"
"No. Why?"
"Oh, nothing much. I just wanted to know. I had an idea somehow that he
belonged to this part of the country and that perhaps he was here every
summer."
"No, sir," answered the clerk. "This is the first summer he has shown up
on Mackinac Island."
"You mean it is the first time he has shown up at your hotel," suggested
John.
"No, I don't mean anything of the kind. I mean just what I say, that this
is the first summer he has been seen on the island."
John said no more and turned away. He had decided that he would go out to
the piazza and see if this mysterious man was still there. Was it
possible that he had been mistaken? Was not this the man who had received
them in his strange house on Cockburn Island the preceding day? If any
questions concerning the identity of the man remained in John's mind they
were quickly dispelled when he glanced toward the dock and there saw the
newcomer talking to the captain of the _Gadabout_.
At that moment the other three boys approached the place where John was
standing and declaring that they were hungry demanded that he should at
once go with them to the dining-room.