ON BLUEBELL ISLAND
Jack Rover was much surprised over the statement made by his sister
Martha. Bill Glutts had not returned to Colby Hall after his unfortunate
experiences in the woods the Winter previous, nor had Gabe Werner shown
himself in the vicinity of the military academy.
"Have you any idea what they were doing around Clearwater Hall?" he
questioned.
"I have not, Jack. But I feel sure they were not up to anything good."
"Did they say anything to either of you?"
"Oh, no. As soon as I saw them they sprang out of sight behind some
trees, and this morning, when they caught sight of Mary, they hurried
off in the direction of Haven Point."
"I think I had better tell the others about this, then we can all be on
our guard. Those fellows do not belong anywhere near Haven Point, and in
my opinion they cannot be here for any good purpose." Jack was thinking
of the anonymous letter which had been received and which he now felt
certain had been penned by Werner.
"If you tell the others now it will spoil the whole outing," pouted
Martha. "Why don't you wait until to-night?"
"All right, I'll do that. And when you girls are by yourselves you and
Mary must tell the others." And so it was agreed.
Those ahead had already reached the vicinity of the rocks and trees, and
now began a diligent hunt by all for the rare ferns said to be growing
there.
"Our idea was to empty the lunch from the shoeboxes and then fill the
boxes with ferns," said Ruth.
The girls had brought a tablecloth with them to spread on the ground,
and the entire lunch was placed in this and then wrapped in a newspaper
and placed on a flat rock.
"I wonder if the squirrels will bother the lunch?" questioned Fred. They
had noted several of the frisky little animals flitting from tree to
tree as they walked along.
"The squirrels want nuts. I don't think they care for mustard sandwiches
and onion cake," cried Andy. "Gee! but it feels good to be out here," he
went on, and, leaping up, he grasped the limb of a low-growing tree and
went through the performance generally known as "skinning the cat."
"Oh, Andy, do be careful!" called out his cousin Mary. "First thing you
know you'll twist your arms off."
"Oh, I do this every morning before I wake up," answered the fun-loving
Rover cheerfully.
"I'll get him down!" cried Randy, and, taking up a handful of dead
leaves, he threw them at his twin. Andy promptly gave a swing, let go of
the tree, and landed on his brother's shoulders, and both went down to
the ground, there to roll over and over, kicking the dead leaves in all
directions.
"Hi, you!" cried Jack sternly. "What sort of a ladies' exhibition is
this! Get up there before I yank you up!"
"You'll have those beautiful suits ruined," came from Annie Larkins.
The search for the rare ferns then began in earnest, and this led them
through the woods and around a great number of sharp rocks and a
considerable distance away from where the things to eat had been left.
"Here is one," called Ruth presently, and pointed it out.
The girls had brought trowels with them, and now Jack lost no time in
digging up the fern and placing it in the corner of one of the boxes.
Several other plants were located nearby, and all the boys and girls
were soon busy. Some of the ferns were quite small, but others were of
good size, and all showed up well when grouped together.
"We have a little fernery at home," explained Ruth. "Last winter the
plants did not do so well, and these will therefore come in very nicely.
I'm sure my folks will be pleased to see them."
"I suppose Uncle Barney is now living with you, Ruth," said Jack.
"Oh, yes. And he is very thankful for all you Rovers did for him that
Winter," answered the girl, referring to the happenings which have been
related in detail in "The Rover Boys on Snowshoe Island."
"Here is a different kind of fern," announced Martha, a minute later.
"Let me get it for you!" cried Gif, pressing forward to assist her.
"It's right down there between those big rocks, Gif. Be careful that you
don't push one of the stones over on your fingers."
"Don't ruin the whole island getting up one fern, Gif!" exclaimed Andy,
as the athletic student pushed away a couple of rocks which prevented
his getting at the fern.
There was another rock in the way--one that rested partly over the roots
of the fern, which looked like an unusually healthy plant. Gif tugged at
this rock and Fred bent forward to assist him. Then, all of a sudden,
the rock came out from the split in which it lay, and both cadets
slipped and fell on their backs.
"Oh, do be careful! You'll have one of those rocks on your toes, sure!"
cried Ruth.
She had scarcely spoken when there came a scream from May Powell and
Alice Strobell.
"A snake! A snake!"
"He's coming for us!"
"Run! Run, everybody, before the snake bites you!"
Such were some of the cries that rent the air as all of the young people
fell back.
A black snake at least three feet long had suddenly appeared from a
hollow under the last rock to be dislodged, and this was quickly
followed by a second snake equally large.
"Hit 'em, boys! Hit 'em!" exclaimed Jack, as soon as he had recovered
from his surprise, and as he spoke he caught up a stone and flung it at
the nearest snake.
The action of the oldest Rover boy was quickly seconded by the other
cadets, and a dozen or more stones were hurled at the two snakes. One of
the reptiles was quickly killed, but the second received only a bruise
on its tail, and it switched around angrily and then made a dash toward
the fleeing and screaming girls.
"Gee! if we only had a pistol or a gun!" exclaimed Randy.
The snake still left alive was but a few feet from Martha and Ruth when
Jack and Spouter hurled two more stones. Each of these reached its mark,
and with its back crushed the reptile whipped around on the rocks for a
moment more and then lay still.
"Oh, dear! is it dead?" questioned Martha, and her voice trembled a
little as she spoke.
"Dead as a doormat," announced her brother, after a hasty examination.
Then he took a stick and, placing it under the reptile, threw the
remains from the rocks into the lake. Fred and Andy speedily disposed of
the other reptile in the same way.
"Maybe there are more snakes around here!" cried Alice Strobell
nervously.
"If there are, I'm sure I don't want to stay here any longer," added
Annie Larkins.
"Who would dream of digging up snakes on this island?" murmured Martha.
"Oh, it takes away all the fun of gathering ferns."
"Nevertheless, I am going to get that fern for you," announced Gif.
"But, Gif, there may be more snakes around that hole."
"Well, I'll take a chance. I don't think they are very dangerous,
anyhow," answered the athletic cadet.
"Be on your guard, Gif," warned Jack, and then armed himself with
several stones, and the other cadets did the same.
Gif approached the spot with caution and began to dig up the fern Martha
had wanted. The other boys came quite close, but the girls kept their
distance. No other snakes appeared, and soon Gif had the fern, which he
took pleasure in presenting to Jack's sister.
"Thank you, Gif," she said politely. "It certainly is a beautiful fern,
and I'll do my best to preserve it. But I think every time I look at it
I'll remember those snakes."
"Oh, you mustn't mind anything like that, Martha. Why, we've met dozens
of little snakes on our tours. I don't believe they'd hurt you."
"Maybe not, Gif; but they're such awful crawly things!"
"I'm afraid I'd die if a snake touched me," added Alice Strobell, with a
shudder.
For a while the snake episode put a damper on the outing. But the boys
did their best to make the girls forget it, and after a while all were
hunting as diligently as before for ferns. They found a varied
collection, and took delight in filling the shoeboxes with the plants,
filling in the tops of the boxes with moss.
"Oh, my! Half-past three already!" declared Ruth presently, as she
consulted her pretty little wrist-watch.
"As late as that?" returned Martha.
"Perhaps we had better go back and have our lunch," suggested Mary.
All were willing, for climbing around the rocks had made the young folks
hungry. Mary and Spouter led the way back, with the others straggling
behind.
"What are you going to do this summer, Jack?" questioned Ruth on the
way.
"We haven't made any plans yet, Ruth. I want to see my father first of
all."
"I don't blame you for that. You must be glad to think he is coming back
safe and sound. And just to think that he won a medal! Isn't it
perfectly wonderful!" and her eyes beamed with pleasure.
"It sure is! Oh, my dad's a wonderful man--the best in the world!"
answered the young captain enthusiastically. And then he added: "Have
your folks decided to go down on the Jersey shore?"
"It's about settled. I'll know for sure when I get home next week."
"You mustn't forget to write, Ruth."
"And how about yourself?"
"Oh, you'll hear from me, don't worry about that," answered Jack
quickly.
"If you go up to Valley Brook Farm this summer----" began Ruth, when a
sudden cry ahead made her pause. "What was that, Jack?" she asked
quickly.
"I don't know, but I guess something has gone wrong."
"Maybe the squirrels or a fox or some other wild animal got at the
lunch."
"Phew! that would be too bad! Come on and see what is wrong."
The pair had fallen behind the others, and now they ran forward through
the woods and around the rocks as rapidly as they could. As they did
this there came a call from Andy:
"Hi, there, Jack! Where are you? Look out for Gabe Werner and Bill
Glutts! Don't let them get away!"
"Werner and Glutts!" repeated the young captain. "What brought them to
this island?"
"Catch them! Catch them!" came in a scream from Martha. "They are making
off with all our lunch!"
"Drop that stuff, Werner!" Jack heard Randy call out.
"Come on after them, everybody!" yelled Gif. "They sha'n't get away with
those good things--not if I know it!"
There was a rush through the trees, and the calls and cries increased.
The girls did not take part in the chase, feeling that the two former
bullies of Colby Hall might do them harm.
"Oh, dear, Jack! do you really think that they made off with all that
lunch?" sighed Ruth.
"Sounds like it," he answered. "I wonder where they are?" He ran around
some high rocks which cut off a view of what was beyond, and then leaped
over some low bushes. Not to be left alone in the woods, Ruth followed
close at his heels.
The next instant Jack saw Bill Glutts running in one direction and Gabe
Werner legging it in another. Bill Glutts carried the tablecloth with a
good portion of the things to eat still in it, while Gabe Werner held
the newspaper with the remaining things.
"Stop!" ordered Jack, and then, as he saw Gif and Randy chase Glutts, he
made a wild dash after Gabe Werner.