A SMALL BOX
The feeling of keen excitement, soon after the departure of Mr. Button
returned in full force to the waiting boys. And what a sharp contrast it
presented to the scene all about them! The waters of the lake were so
smooth that an occasional gentle breeze ruffled the surface only in
spots. There was scarcely a cloud to be seen in the summer sky. The
shadows of the rocks and trees along the shore were so clearly reflected
in the lake that the boys were reminded of the clearness of the water
along the shores of Mackinac Island. Far away the motor-boat in which
George and Grant were approaching now could be seen. Whenever the two
boys looked toward the house in the distance they were again impressed by
the almost unnatural quietness of the summer day. Not a person was to be
seen near the building and the silence was broken only by the noisy
flying grasshoppers near the shore.
"Suppose this is all a false alarm," suggested John at last breaking in
upon the silence.
"What do you mean?"
"Why, I mean suppose that there's nothing in this. Suppose the whole
thing is a wild goose chase."
"Do you mean that Mr. Button may not be what he says he is?"
"Oh, I don't know that I mean that," rejoined John, "but somehow it seems
so unreal. It doesn't seem possible that men really should be trying to
break the laws and smuggle goods across the border here when everything
is so quiet and peaceful on every side."
"Look yonder!" suddenly exclaimed Fred, pointing as he spoke to a man who
could be seen walking rapidly toward the shore. He was coming from the
house and it was quickly manifest that it was Mr. Button himself who was
returning. He was alone and as the boys watched his rapid approach their
feeling of excitement quickly returned.
As soon as Mr. Button arrived it was manifest to both Fred and John that
he too had been strongly aroused. His eyes were shining and though his
manner was quiet it was plain that he was highly elated over some
discovery he had made.
As soon as he was on board the motor-boat he said, "The little Jap has
taken two of the dogs and gone away."
"Gone for good?" demanded John.
"No. The woman says he has gone out to exercise them and that he is
usually gone an hour at least. Now is the time when you boys can help me
if you really want to."
"We do," said Fred eagerly. "We'll go ahead the minute you say so."
"That's very good. What I want you to do is just this,--while these dogs
are away I'll go into the house and keep the attention of the woman
there."
"What about the third dog?" demanded Fred.
"I think I can manage that, too. Now, while I'm in the house I want you
somehow to get into the barn. There's a small box about six inches
square. It is a wooden box, not very heavy and hidden somewhere in that
place. I am sure your eyes are keener than mine and you'll be more likely
to find it. If you get that box, almost all the difficulties will be
cleared away."
"What's in the box?" inquired Fred.
"You do not need to know that now. Perhaps I'll tell you later. I haven't
any idea where the box is hidden, but I am sure it is somewhere in that
little barn. You won't have very long for your search. I might say too
that even if you do not find the box, if you come across anything that is
suspicious or that might contain valuables, I wish you would bring it
away with you."
"Shall we look under the floor?" inquired Fred quickly.
"Yes, look under the floor. Anywhere and everywhere. Work as fast as you
are able, but don't forget that in about an hour the Jap will come back
with those two Great Danes."
"Do you want us to go straight to the barn!" inquired Fred.
"No. I think it will be better for you first to go up the shore about a
mile. Then you can land and I don't think you will be so likely to be
seen from the house on your way to the barn. You will be pretty well
behind it anyway. As I told you, I'll try to keep the woman busy and I do
not think that will be a very hard task."
"Does she know you?" asked John.
"Yes, in a way. She has seen me several times and she is jealous. She
thinks I am in the same business that her husband is working in."
"Do you mean smuggling?"
"Yes."
"Smuggling what?"
"If you find that box I will tell you more about it. Now, one of you boys
take the skiff and land me and then take the skiff with you while you go
farther down the shore in the motor-boat."
The directions of Mr. Button were speedily followed. About a mile distant
the boys discovered a curving, sandy shore near which the motor-boat was
anchored. Taking the skiff, the boys speedily landed and then in high
excitement, all the time watchful of the house in the distance, they ran
swiftly toward the barn. A few trees and great rocks were found in the
intervening distance and twice the boys stopped and concealed themselves
while they tried to make sure that their presence as yet had not been
discovered.
In this way they rapidly advanced and soon the two hundred yards which
they were to cover had been left behind them and both now were standing
at the rear door of the barn.
They were keenly disappointed when they discovered that this door was
locked or at least fastened from within.
"What shall we do?" whispered John quickly. Before he replied Fred turned
and looked keenly all about him. He was as fearful as his friend of the
return of the Japanese with the two huge dogs. "Maybe there's some other
way of getting in," he answered at last, and a moment later he announced
the discovery of a slide in the side of the barn.
Quickly the slide responded to his efforts and was pulled back. Then
hastily John lifted Fred and in a moment the active lad was inside the
barn.
In accordance with Fred's suggestion John remained outside. In spite of
his height it was difficult for him to enter the barn as he had assisted
his friend to do. "Let me know what you find," he whispered as Fred
disappeared from sight.
Silence followed the suggestion, but John was easily able to understand
how busy Fred at once became. The barn itself was small, covering not
more than thirty feet square. On the ground floor, Fred discovered a
small cart, two cramped stalls and an open piano box, which also stood on
the floor. Apparently nothing alive was in the little building. In one
corner stood a ladder which led to an opening in the loft above.
Quickly deciding to begin his search at the top Fred ascended the ladder.
He discovered only a little hay on the floor above and with a pitch-fork,
which was conveniently near, he hastily began to scatter it. There was
nothing, however, to indicate that the musty hay had recently been
disturbed and when a few minutes had elapsed Fred was convinced that
nothing had been concealed in the loft.
Retracing his way to the floor below he was astonished to behold his
friend already busily engaged in the search.
"How did you get in, Jack?" he whispered.
"Crawled in, the same as you did. Only I didn't have any one to give me a
boost."
"You didn't need any boost with those long legs of yours," responded
Fred. "Sometimes I think it wouldn't be so bad if more of us were built
on your plan. Makes me think of a hickory nut stuck on two knitting
needles."
"Don't stop for complimentary remarks," retorted John good-naturedly.
"What we want is to find that little box. You begin on one side and I'll
go on the other and we'll examine the four sides to see if there are any
more sliding panels."
A hasty inspection, however, failed to reveal any concealed shelves. Next
the boys inspected the floor. Several of the boards were loose, but the
search was still unrewarded.
"I'm going up the ladder," suggested John.
"I've been up there," said Fred. "There isn't anything up there. I know
there isn't. There isn't much hay and what there is is old and musty. I
turned it all over with the pitch-fork. It's like looking for a needle in
a haystack," he added somewhat disconsolately.
"It doesn't make any difference," said John. "We're going ahead with our
search. I think Mr. Button knew what he was talking about."
Diligently the boys continued their efforts, working rapidly and doing
their utmost to discover the small box which Mr. Button had described, or
find a place where it might be concealed.
All their efforts in the stalls, however, were as unavailing as had been
those in the other parts of the barn.
"I tell you," said Fred, as the boys stopped for a moment, "there isn't
any such thing here. It's what I tell you, like looking for a needle in a
haystack."
"If you want to give up you can sit down here and wait for me," said John
resolutely; "I'm going to keep this thing up until I strike oil or gold."
Both boys earnestly renewed their search, but their efforts in the
rapidly passing minutes were still unrewarded.
"There isn't anything here," muttered Fred. "We've looked high and low.
Mr. Button didn't know what he was talking about."
John made no response to the declaration of his discouraged companion and
perhaps abashed somewhat by the zeal of John, again joined in the search.
"Have you looked in that piano-box?" inquired John at last.
"Yes, but there isn't anything but a little meal in the bottom. It isn't
deep enough to cover a box of matches."
"We'll look again anyway," said John as he lifted the cover and glanced
within the high box. He was about to drop the cover when once more he
hesitated. Leaning over the edge he thrust his long arms down into the
meal below him. In one corner of the box his fingers came in contact with
an object which instantly aroused his keenest interest. A moment later he
brought out a small wooden box, discolored, heavy and apparently of no
value. He speedily discovered, however, that the top of the box was
fastened by a small and strong pad-lock. Holding his discovery aloft John
quickly turned to Fred and said, "Do you see what I've found?"
"What is it? What is it?" whispered Fred as he ran to join his friend.
"It's a box."
"So I see, but how much does that mean?"
"I don't know how much it means," retorted John, "but I do know that it
is a wooden box, that it's about six inches square and that it is
heavy--"
"Yes, to look at it," broke in Fred; "it's old and looks as if it had
been left out in the weather. Even if it is locked I don't believe that
there's anything of any value in it."
"That isn't what troubles me," said John quietly.
"What do you mean?"
"Why, I mean this box is hidden here. I don't know as we have any right
to take it. I wonder too if Mr. Button is really what he says he is.
Suppose we take this box away with us and then somebody arrests us for
stealing? What's to hinder?"
"That's nothing to hinder," said Fred, "but we'll take the box with us
just the same."
Each of the boys was confident whenever his companion became fearful or
discouraged.
"We'll say no more about it," said John as his turned toward the open
slide by which they had entered the building.
"Don't show it to Mr. Button when that woman in there can see you,"
suggested Fred.
"Thank you," laughed John. "I'll try to heed your advice, kind sir."
Abruptly, however, both boys halted and neither made any effort to depart
while they both were listening intently to sounds which they heard
outside the building.
"Pull back the slide! Pull back the slide!" whispered Fred, now plainly
alarmed. "The Jap is coming and he's got those two big dogs with him,
too. I don't know what will happen to us now."