AN EXCITING CHASE.
For the moment the boys did not know what to do. Si Peters and his crowd
had run off with their row-boat, and how to get to the mainland was a
serious question.
To swim the distance would be a dangerous undertaking, and there was no
telling how long it would be before another craft should come along to
take them off.
But the hermit solved the problem.
"If you want to follow those boys you can take my boat," he said.
"Have you a boat?" asked Jerry, quickly.
"Certainly, although I use it but sparingly, and then only at night."
The hermit led the way to the lower end of the island. Here in a
water-cave rested a long, round-bottomed row boat, containing two pairs of
oars.
"Just the thing!" cried Jerry. "Come on, Harry!"
He and his chum leaped in. Blumpo looked at his newly found father.
"I will go along if you wish," said the hermit.
In five seconds more all four were in the boat, which was then shoved out
into the lake.
With Jerry and Harry at the oars, they made good progress in the direction
of Si Peters' yacht.
All were armed, and Blumpo occupied the time in seeing that every weapon
was ready for use.
"The wind is dying out," said Harry. "That is in our favor."
"They have not more than half a mile start," rejoined Jerry. "We ought to
catch up in half an hour."
It was evident that those on the yacht did not anticipate pursuit, for it
was not until the distance between the two craft had been considerably
lessened that they showed signs of alarm.
"They see us!" cried Blumpo. "Shall I give 'em a shot?"
"No; wait," replied Jerry.
The wind had now gone down almost entirely, and the yacht's sails were
flapping idly.
Si Peters and Wash Crosby were evidently alarmed at the turn affairs had
taken, and they called their chums around them for consultation.
"We can't do anything while the wind is down," said Crosby.
"Let's get out and row," suggested Graves, who was one of the number.
"Can we tow the yacht?"
"We can try."
This was decided on, and all of the crowd leaped into Harry's boat. They
brought the craft around to the yacht's bow, and then every one took an
oar.
"See, they are hauling off the yacht!" cried Harry. "They mean to get away
somehow."
"We'll race them," replied Jerry.
They bent to their oars and made the old hermit's boat fairly fly through
the water. Slowly they crept nearer and nearer. It was an exciting chase.
"Take my place, Blumpo!" cried Jerry, at last, and the boy willingly
obeyed.
Jerry leaped into the bow, and taking up his gun pointed it at Si Peters'
head.
"Si Peters!" he called-out, "do you see this gun? Unless you stop rowing
I'll fire at you, no matter what the consequences are."
Si Peters turned deadly white, for he was in reality a big coward.
"Do you hear me?" went on Jerry. "One--two--th----"
"Stop! don't shoot!" yelled the Rockpoint bully, and he held up his oar.
"Now, Wash Crosby, you stop rowing, too!" went on Jerry.
"Think you are boss, eh?" sneered Crosby.
"I am. Up with the oar!"
Crosby hesitated, and then his oar went up beside Si's. The others became
badly frightened and also stopped rowing. In a moment more the hermit's
craft was beside the big row-boat.
The Rockpointers gazed at the white-haired man in astonishment. They
wanted to know who he was, but just then had other matters to attend to.
"You think you own the earth when you have a gun!" howled Si Peters to
Jerry.
"We're on top, that is certain," responded our hero. "Say, Harry,
supposing we get on the yacht and make them row us back to the island?"
"Not much!" growled Wash Crosby.
"Just the thing!" cried Harry.
Still keeping the Peters' crowd under guard, Jerry and his friends boarded
the yacht.
Then, much against their will, they made the others turn about and drag
them back to where they had started from, towing the hermit's craft
behind.
Peters and Crosby were in a perfect rage, but could do nothing, as Jerry
pretended to be very savage and itching to shoot them.
The island reached, Jerry made the Peters' crowd beach the boat and clean
her.
"Now take your yacht and begone!" he commanded, and the crowd hurried off
in double-quick order. As the yacht drifted away the hermit laughed
heartily.
"Cleverly done!" he said. "Jerry Upton, you are a smart lad."
The boys spent one more day on the island and then left for home. The
hermit went along, and created some surprise when he appeared on the
streets of Lakeview with Blumpo, his son.
All the boys were glad that the homeless youth had found a father, who
would endeavor to make something out of the good-natured and honest lad.
There was also a surprise for our hero and Harry.
Si Peters and his gang had been arrested for burning down a barn belonging
to Harry's father.
The Rockpoint lads tried to beg off, but the authorities took the matter
in hand, and every one of them was sent to the reformatory.
This ended the rivalry for the time being between Lakeview and Rockpoint
and, as a consequence, the autumn and winter which followed were
comparatively quiet. But stirring events were on the way, as the chapters
which follow will testify.