THE STRANGE HERMIT
"Come on, fellows, this way!"
"No, over this way!"
"I tell you the door's here!"
Thus cried Bob, Sammy and Frank as they stumbled about in the mysterious
smoke-filled room. They banged into the bed, tripped over chairs, and
slammed into the table.
"Look out, don't go near those things again!" warned Sammy.
"We won't--if we know it!" panted Frank. "Where is that door?"
"Maybe--maybe the explosion slid it shut!" cried Bob.
This thought caused terror in the hearts of the boys until Sammy with a
joyful cry, shouted:
"It's all right! Here's the door still open! Come on!"
Out they rushed, following Sammy's lead, for the smoke had now cleared
away enough for them to see in the dim room.
They never paused to take away the piece of broken shutter that held
open the secret sliding door, or panel in the wall. They had no desire,
now, to leave things as they had found them, in hopes that the
mysterious person, or persons, who used the strange room, would come
back, unsuspecting, and be caught. All the boys cared about now was to
get away.
Down the attic stairs they rushed, and they never paused until they were
safely out of the old house. Then, some distance off, the fright left
them, and they halted to look back.
"What happened?" panted Sammy.
"It was an explosion," decided Frank.
"No, those counterfeiters must have come back and shot at us," gasped
Bob.
"Go on! You're worse than Sammy," said Frank, who was more calm than his
chums. "It was some sort of explosion. Maybe it was powder the men left
there, or it might have been some of the chemicals they use, in whatever
they do, whether it's making bad money, or something else. Anyhow it was
just an explosion. There was no one in that room but ourselves."
"Well, I guess that's right," agreed Bob, when he had thought it over a
bit. "But who exploded it?"
"Maybe I did," admitted Sammy, slowly. "I know just before that flash
and puff came, I touched one of the wires on those telescope things.
There was a click, and it went off--all at once!"
"I should say it did," spoke Frank. "It went off fast enough."
"And there was an awful lot of smoke!" added Bob.
"Well, I'm glad we're out of the place," said Sammy. "Come on, now, it's
getting late, and Mr. Jessup may be worried about us. We'd better go
tell him about what we found."
"And then get the police after those counterfeiters," said Bob. "They
had no right to explode stuff at us that way."
"Well, they may claim we had no right to go in their room," went on
Frank, "but I guess they won't--that is if we get them. Well, come on."
"I'll tell you what let's do," proposed Sammy. "Let's see if we can
locate the windows of that room from the outside. We might want to point
out to Mr. Jessup where they are."
"That's a good idea," agreed Frank.
But it could not be done, for the boys found it impossible to get
through the thick underbrush on that side of the old mansion. They might
have managed it in broad daylight, but it was now getting dark, and they
did not want to take any chances.
"The best thing we can do," said Sammy, "is to go to Mr. Jessup right
away, and tell him about what happened. He'll know what's best to do."
To this Frank and Bob had no objection, and with a last look at the
queer old house, the boys found the trail leading to Camp Mystery, and
hurried along it.
On the way they talked over what they had seen and what had happened to
them. Try as they might, they could not explain it. Sammy was sure they
had discovered a counterfeiters' den, but neither Frank nor Bob would
admit that this was positively so, though they agreed that it all looked
very strange.
Frank did not say so, but he kept thinking that so many queer things
which Sammy had discovered had turned out to be only commonplace after
all, that now he feared this one would, also. Still he had to admit that
the finding of the secret room was rather strange.
"There's the cabin!" exclaimed Sammy, as they came in sight of it.
"Yes, and there's Maybe, the dog, but I don't see any signs of Mr.
Jessup," spoke Bob.
"I guess he's inside, getting supper," suggested Frank. "I hope he
is--I'm as hungry as one of the bears that used to live on Pine Island."
"So am I," admitted Bob. "I'd like some nice hot pancakes, the kind Mr.
Jessup makes, and some of his baked potatoes."
"Don't talk about it--I'm so hungry!" laughed Frank.
They kept on toward the cabin. Maybe rushed out to meet them, barking
and wagging his tail, to show how glad he was to see them. But Mr.
Jessup did not appear.
Somehow a sense of fear came over the boys. They did not know why, but
the strange experience they had just gone through had made them nervous,
and not seeing Mr. Jessup at once, added to their fears.
"I wonder where he can be?" asked Sammy, looking around the cabin. There
was no sign of their friend.
"Maybe he's off hunting," suggested Frank.
"Why, he just came back from a trip," spoke Bob. "I guess you forgot
that."
"I sure did," admitted Frank. "But so many things have happened in the
last hour that it's no wonder. There's the game he shot," and he pointed
to the rabbits and the birds.
"Yes, and there's a note on them!" cried Sammy. "Fellows, it's for us.
Look it's addressed to the 'Fairview Boys.' I'll read it."
Which he did quickly enough. The note said:
"Dear Boys: I have been called over to the mainland to see my
sister. She was taken suddenly ill. I will be back before long.
Don't worry, and get the best supper you can. I know you can cook
it.
PETER JESSUP."
For a moment the boys felt much disappointed, and not a little alarmed.
Then their spirits rose.
"Well, it's too bad Mrs. Blake is sick," said Sammy, slowly, "but I
guess we can manage without Mr. Jessup. We sure can get up a good meal.
There's plenty of stuff."
"And we'll have roast pheasant and stewed rabbit!" cried Bob, who was
fond of eating.
"No, we'd better leave them until Mr. Jessup gets back," suggested
Frank. "I don't believe he'd like us to touch his game. He'll probably
be back before it gets very late."
"And maybe he'll be hungry too," said Bob. "We'll cook enough to save
him some."
"Then let's get right at it!" suggested Sammy. "Those counterfeiters
will have to wait," and he laughed. All the boys were feeling better
now, especially since they were in their own camp. And if Mr. Jessup was
not there, they had good old dog Maybe, who frisked about, glad of the
company of the boys. It must have been hard for him to stay behind when
his master left.
Sammy and his chums were soon busy over the meal. They had been camping
before, several times, and were getting to be quite expert. One made the
fire, another got the meat and potatoes ready, while Frank opened a can
of baked beans to warm in a frying pan over the stove, the fire being
made there instead of outside, though later the boys intended to kindle
a camp blaze in front of the cabin.
"Well, this is something like!" exclaimed Sammy, as they sat about the
table, after supper, the lamp glowing on their shining faces.
"That's right!" said Frank.
"It's nice and cozy in here," agreed Bob.
They had kindled a fire outside, and sat about that for a while, waiting
for the sound of Mr. Jessup's return. Then as it grew later, and colder,
they went inside.
"He may not come until nearly midnight," said Sammy.
"Oh, well, we won't sit up for him," suggested Frank. "I'm tired and
sleepy. I'm going to turn in soon. Maybe will stand guard for us, won't
you old fellow?"
The dog barked his answer.
A fire was kindled on the hearth, and the boys sat about this for a
while, talking over what had occurred since their arrival at Camp
Mystery. Then, as they were very sleepy, they locked up, leaving Maybe
stretched out before the glowing fire, and turned into the bunks.
Contrary to their expectations, nothing happened all night. In fact they
did not wake up until morning, when the sun was streaming into the
cabin. Then Sammy jumped up, looked at the clock, and cried:
"After eight; and Mr. Jessup isn't home yet!"
"Maybe his sister is worse," suggested Frank. "Let's get breakfast, and
then we can decide on what to do."
They made a good meal, and then, after talking matters over, they made
up their minds that the best thing to do would be to take a walk about
the island. If they saw no signs of Mr. Jessup by noon, they planned to
go over to the mainland, and perhaps give up their camp at Mystery, to
go home.
"For, though we'd like to stay here alone, first rate," said Sammy, "our
folks might not like it, or think it safe. They let us come because they
thought Mr. Jessup was going to be with us, and if he isn't, we ought to
go home."
"I s'pose so," sighed Bob, "but it's mighty jolly here."
"Even with the old hermit, and the counterfeiters," spoke Frank.
"Oh, the old hermit never will bother us," declared Sammy. "And maybe
the counterfeiters have been gone a long time."
"And maybe Mr. Jessup will send someone to stay with us, if he can't
come back himself," went on Bob. "Then we could stay all right."
"Say, that would be fine!" cried Frank. "It may happen, too. We'll wait
a bit about going back."
They decided this would be a fair thing to do, and, after putting the
cabin to rights, after their morning meal, and planning what they would
have for dinner, they set out for a tramp about the island, Maybe the
dog going with them.
They went on for half a mile, when Bob, who was in the lead, suddenly
stopped, and called out:
"There's somebody moving over there!"
"Over where?" asked Sammy.
"There," answered Bob, pointing to a clump of trees, at the foot of
which was a bank of snow. "I just saw a man."
"Maybe it's Mr. Jessup," spoke Frank.
"I hope so," murmured Sammy. "I'd like to get after those men who live
in the secret room."
And then, as the boys watched, the figure of an old man came out from a
clump of bushes. The man had a long white beard, and white hair, and as
he came into a little opening he looked in the direction of the boys.
"The old hermit!" whispered Frank. "There he is!"
And, as the boys looked, the aged man, about whom there seemed to be
such a mystery, shook his fist at them, and then disappeared behind a
clump of bushes.