OFF FOR BEAR CAMP
"Who told you this, Ben?" asked Dave.
"I just got the story from Nat. He and his family are very much worried.
They had an idea that Wilbur Poole was practically well again, and that
is the reason why they did not watch him very closely."
"Of course they are searching for him?"
"Sure! Nat said the authorities and also several other people were after
him. Nat himself was going to look for him to-morrow."
"Maybe we'll run across him," said Luke Watson.
"I hope we don't, Luke!" exclaimed Dave. "That man gave us trouble
enough up at Oak Hall."
"Right you are there!" burst out Shadow. And then he added: "I wonder if
he'll call himself the King of Sumatra, as he did before?"
"A man who is out of his mind is apt to call himself anything," said
Dave. "I feel sorry for Nat. This must worry him and his family a good
deal."
It was not long after this when all the boys went over to the Wadsworth
mansion, there to complete their preparations for the trip to Mirror
Lake. Ben had had the Basswood automobile thoroughly overhauled, and
Dave had likewise had the Wadsworth touring-car put into the best
possible running shape.
"My, but there is going to be quite a bunch of us!" was Dave's comment,
as he looked at the boys and girls who were present.
"Mamma says we must finish all our packing to-night or else do it Monday
morning," said Jessie. "She doesn't want any of it done on Sunday."
"My things are all ready, and so are Belle's," returned Laura. "But I
don't know how it is with the boys."
"We'll be all right; don't you worry," answered Dave.
"We never got left yet," added Ben, with a grin.
Luke had brought along his banjo, and the others insisted that he play a
tune or two. Then they sang a couple of songs; and after that the
Wadsworth phonograph was started, and the young folks enjoyed an hour or
so of dancing.
Sunday morning most of the young folks went to church, and in the
afternoon some of them spent their time in writing letters. Dave and
several of the boys took a walk around the town. At the railroad
station they ran across Nat Poole.
"I am off to look for my Uncle Wilbur," said Nat. "We've an idea that he
went to Plattsburg, New York. He used to have some friends there, and we
think he started off to visit them."
"I certainly hope you find him, Nat, and that he's all right," answered
Dave, kindly.
"By the way, I heard Link Merwell was in town," went on the
money-lender's son.
"Yes. I met him at our old farm."
"I should think he'd be afraid to show himself, fearing arrest."
"He's a strange fellow, Nat, and there is no telling what he will do. He
has been knocked around so much the last few months that I suppose he
doesn't care very much what happens next."
"I don't want to see him. I've got troubles enough without running into
Link Merwell," grumbled Nat; and then his train came in and he was off.
During their spare time the boys had studied an automobile road-map of
New York State, and especially of the Adirondack Mountains. They had
figured out that they would have good traveling nearly the whole of the
distance, although there were a few bad stretches here and there to be
covered, and also a number of mountains to be climbed.
"But the mountains won't bother us," said Dave, in reply to a question
from Luke. "Our car can go up almost any hill, and the Basswood auto is
just about as good. Of course we'll have to do some of the traveling on
low or second gear."
"The reason I asked was this," returned Luke. "A couple of years ago
some friends of mine started to tour the Adirondacks in a runabout. They
went up the side of one mountain, and then down on the other. They then
found themselves in a valley, and couldn't climb the grade on either
side. They tried for two days to get out, and then had to get a team of
horses to pull them a distance of several miles."
"We'll watch out that nothing like that happens to us," answered Dave.
"We won't go down into any hollow until we know something about how we
are going to get out of it."
As both touring-cars were large, it had been decided that Mr. and Mrs.
Basswood, as well as Dunston Porter, should accompany the young folks on
the automobile trip. As all the baggage had been packed and either
shipped forward by express or strapped on the touring-cars, it did not
take long on Monday morning to get ready to start. It was a clear and
fairly cool day, and a slight shower Sunday night had laid the dust.
"All aboard that's going!" cried Dave, gaily, when the Wadsworth car had
been run around to the front of the mansion.
He had hardly uttered the words when there came the sound of an
automobile horn from the road, and a few seconds later the Basswood car
came into sight with Ben's crowd on board.
"You'll say good-bye to us here, but we'll be at Mirror Lake before you
get there," said Mrs. Wadsworth, as she kissed her daughter and the
other girls.
"Now look out for accidents!" cautioned Dave's father.
"We'll be careful," answered Dunston Porter, with a smile. And then he
added to Caspar Potts: "Professor, don't forget to take good care of the
place while we are away."
"It shall be well taken care of, rest assured of that, sir," was the old
gentleman's reply. "I trust all of you enjoy the outing," he went on,
his kindly face beaming.
Dave was at the wheel, with his uncle beside him, and the others packed
rather tightly in the tonneau behind. With many a shout and merry word,
the Wadsworth touring-car left the grounds, followed by the Basswood
machine, and passed out along the highway leading north from Crumville.
"Now Dave, do look where you are running," cautioned Laura. "We don't
want any punctures or blow-outs."
Soon Crumville was left behind, and the automobiles were passing along
the river road where some time before Dave and his chums had assisted
Nat Poole. Then they began to climb the distant hills, and presently
were on the highway leading to Poughkeepsie, where they were to cross
the Hudson River.
"If only this lovely weather holds out I'm sure we'll have a splendid
trip," said Jessie.
"I suppose, Belle, you'd rather be on horseback than in an auto,"
remarked Phil.
"Well, I won't go back on horseback-riding," returned the western girl,
"I love it too dearly. But this is very nice," she added, quickly. "Very
nice indeed!"
By noon they reached the city on the Hudson River, and there stopped for
lunch. Then they passed over the high bridge spanning the stream and
struck out northward once more. Mr. Dunston Porter was now running the
car, and this gave Dave more of a chance to talk to those behind him.
That evening found them in Albany, where it had been decided to spend
the night. Dunston Porter had already telegraphed ahead for hotel
accommodations, so there was no difficulty on that score. The older
folks were glad enough to rest during the evening, but the young people
went out for a walk up the hill leading to the Capitol building.
In the morning the tourists were rather alarmed to see that the sky had
clouded over, and there were some indications of rain.
"Well, if it rains we can put on our raincoats and put up the tops,"
said Dave. So far they had been traveling with the tops folded down.
Noon found them well up in the heart of New York State. They stopped
only for a short while at lunch time, wishing to cover as much ground as
possible before the storm might break.
"If possible we want to make Rayville to-day," announced Mr. Basswood,
when the two cars had come to a standstill at a crossroads. "I've got
some friends living there, and I want to make a call on them. Besides,
there's a good hotel there, where we can stop for the night," for they
had made no arrangements beyond Albany.
There had been a signboard at the crossroads, but this had fallen down,
so the tourists did not know which of the forks of the road to take.
Finally a man, coming along in a runabout, told them to take the highway
on the left.
"That other road is the regular one," he explained, "but it is pretty
well torn up, and you'll make time by taking this one. But be careful of
the hill, it's just a little bit dangerous."
"We'll be careful," answered Dave, who was now running the car once
more.
"Want me to take the wheel?" questioned his uncle.
"Oh, no, I guess I can get along all right."
The Basswood car, with Ben in charge, had already taken to the highway
on the left, and the other turnout followed it at a distance of several
hundred feet. Ben had put on considerable speed, and Dave had to watch
closely to keep the other car in sight.
"Take it easy, Davy," said his Uncle Dunston. "We don't want any
accidents away out here from any garage."
"I want to keep Ben in sight. He's going it pretty lively," answered
Dave.
"Yes, it's a wonder his father doesn't hold him back a little. But Mr.
Basswood said he was anxious to reach Rayville, and that's at least
twenty miles farther."
Ahead were several turns in the road, and at these Dave lost sight of
the car ahead. Being cloudy, it was quite dark on the roadway,
especially where the trees lined the highway, and soon Dave found it
necessary to turn on the headlights. Then he sounded his horn,
expecting to get a reply from Ben, but to his surprise none came.
"Do you know what I think he's trying to do?" said our hero, hastily. "I
believe he's trying to run away from us."
"It's a foolish thing to attempt, Dave, on a strange road like this,"
answered Dunston Porter, gravely. "I should think Mr. Basswood would
stop it."
Presently they were climbing a long hill. The road wound in and out
among the trees, and at one place the grade was so steep that Dave had
to throw the clutch into low gear. He and his uncle listened intently,
and from a distance heard the chug-chug of the other car a long way
ahead.
"Say, this is some climb, believe me!" cried Roger, as they made another
turn, and Dave found it advisable to come down to low gear.
"What will you do if you can't make it, Dave?" queried Phil.
"Oh, we'll make it--don't worry," was the answer. "I threw into low gear
just for safety's sake. This road twists so a fellow can't see fifty
feet ahead of him."
"I don't hear the other car any more," declared Roger, a moment later.
To this Dave did not reply. There was another turn ahead, and a
particularly hard climb over some rather rough rocks. Then, with a jolt,
the big touring-car came out on the top of the hill. Here was another
turn, and then began a sharp descent.
"Stop here a minute, Dave!" ordered the youth's uncle, and then, as our
hero brought the machine to a standstill, he added: "That's rather a bad
road ahead, and you had better give the other car a chance to get down
before we try to make it."
"A good idea, Uncle Dunston. We'll wait," answered Dave.
As they stood there all strained their ears to catch some sound from the
other car.
"I don't hear it at all," said Roger.
"All I hear is the breeze in the trees," put in Laura.
"They must be running without power," answered Dunston Porter.
"If they are going down a really steep hill, it's a wonder we don't hear
some squeak from the brakes," was Phil's comment.
"Listen!" cried Dave, suddenly, and held up his hand.
All strained their ears once more, and now far below them they heard
several cries mingled with a shriek. Then came a sudden crash, followed
by more shrieks.
"They've had an accident!"
"Wonder what it was?"
"We'll have to go and see!" cried Dave, and put on the power once more.
"That's right!" cried Dunston Porter: "Get down there as fast as you
can, Dave. But be careful--we don't want to run into them, or have any
accident of our own. There must be something wrong down there!"