"Mr. Lawrence has left the island!" Chot exclaimed, and again Hoki
nodded.
"He said tell young gentlemens take much possession, and he will either
return or come back before long," said the Jap, gravely.
In spite of the fact that they were surprised at the sudden turn of
events, the boys were forced to laugh at Hoki's quaint methods of
speech.
"I understood he was not to go away until to-day," said Chot.
Hoki shrugged his shoulders and smiled.
"I hesitate to express myself," he said; "at same time, must have been
to-day when he left, sirs, for clock had some time past chimed
midnight."
"That's so," said Tom. "It must have been three o'clock at least when we
were up the last time. Er--Hoki, did your master leave in a motor-boat?"
"I am pleased to explain to you that he did," was the Jap's reply.
"I heard that boat," said Fleet. "The chug-chug of the engine woke me
up. I don't know what time it was but it must have been getting on
toward morning."
Then Fleet caught a significant look from Chot, and said no more.
Breakfast was eaten in silence, save for desultory comment on what they
were going to do during the day. There was plenty of fishing tackle in
the lodge, they knew, and Fleet and Pod decided that they would try and
land some of the denizens of the St. Lawrence.
"Hoki, can you go fishing with us?" Fleet asked, as the Jap come into
the diningroom again, bearing a large platter of pan-cakes.
"I will take pleasure in accepting of kind request," said he. "I be fine
fisherman--sometimes," and he grinned broadly.
Tom and Chot decided to paddle around the island in their canoes, while
Bert elected to stay at the lodge and read, as Mr. Lawrence's library
held forth great temptations.
"I've had enough paddling for sometime," he said, "and I'm going to take
it easy for a day or so."
That is the way matters were arranged for the day's pleasure, and about
nine o'clock, Pod and Fleet, having selected what tackle they needed
from Mr. Lawrence's plunder room, went off to the other end of the
little island, about a hundred yards distant from the lodge. Hoki went
with them.
Chot and Tom got into their canoes and paddled along the shore in the
shade of the trees, taking care to keep within easy distance of the
lodge.
The last the boys saw of Bert he was stretched out in a hammock on the
shady side of the verandah, with one of Victor Hugo's volumes in his
hand.
Finally, having paddled around to the end of the island, and teased
Fleet and Pod because, as yet, no fish had taken their hooks, Chot and
Tom decided to cross the intervening space of a quarter of a mile to
another island, which looked cool and inviting with its massive shade
trees and short, green grass.
As they went they glanced up at the lodge and saw Bert still in the
hammock; but one hand was extended over the side now, and in this he
held the book.
"Asleep!" said Chot, and Tom nodded, smiling.
"It's drowsy weather. He'd have felt much better to have come with us."
"Well, he didn't think so, and everyone to his own taste," Chot replied.
Reaching their destination, the boys drew their canoes up on the bank
and lay down on the soft grass. They had a plain view of the front of
Winnsocket Lodge, as well as of the boys fishing on the end of the
island.
"This wouldn't be a bad spot for a camp," said Chot, as he let his
glance roam around. "If Mr. Lawrence returns before we are ready to
leave the islands, we can come over here and pitch our tent."
"That's a good plan," said Tom. "It would surely be comfortable out in
the open here."
"Say, it's funny, isn't it?" mused Chot.
"I don't see anything funny."
"Well, queer, then."
"What's queer?"
"Why, the way Mr. Lawrence left the lodge?"
"In the motor-boat, you mean?"
"Not that so much, but why didn't he wait till daylight?"
"I couldn't say, Chot; it's too much of a problem for me. What were the
noises in the night? Had Mr. Lawrence anything to do with them? What
this and what that? One might go on asking questions forever, but
finding the answers is another matter."
"Well, he must have had urgent reasons for leaving at that time of
night. No man wants to have his sleep disturbed to take a journey that
can just as well be taken by daylight."
"Then I suppose this was a journey that couldn't be taken by daylight."
They were still discussing the matter of their host's disappearance, and
the strange noises of the night, when they were startled by a yell from
Bert, and turning their gaze in the direction of the lodge, saw him
start up from the hammock and stand for an instant in a listening
attitude. Then, looking over toward them, he beckoned to them in such a
vigorous way that they knew he meant come at once. As they pushed their
canoes into the water and jumped aboard, they saw him dash madly into
the lodge.
Fleet, Pod and Hoki had heard the cry, and dropping their fishing
tackle, they, too, rushed toward the lodge Pod leading by several
lengths.
"Something wrong, sure," said Chot, between clenched teeth. "A little
faster, Tom; we may be needed."
The other boys reached the lodge first and disappeared within just as
Chot and Tom were pulling their canoes up on the island. When they had
negotiated the slight rise and entered the building, there was no one to
be seen.
Fleet came perspiring out of the basement a moment later, followed by
Pod and Hoki. Their faces were white and they were shaking in every
limb.
"What's the matter?" Chot demanded, seizing Fleet's arm and shaking him
violently.
"It's--it's Bert," was the reply.
"Well, what about him? Where is he?"
"We don't know; we can't find him. Did you hear him cry out?"
"Yes; and we came as quickly as we could. He must be in the lodge."
"No," said Pod, firmly; "he isn't. We've searched it from top to
bottom."
"Well, you searched too hurriedly then. Come, Tom; let's see if we can
find the meaning of all this."
"Surely; he's bound to be here. Let's go into the basement first."
"All right. Are the lights on below, Hoki?"
"Yes, sirs; all on," was the Jap's reply. "We find them on when we
return to lodge."
"You found them on?" Chot exclaimed.
"Yes, sirs."
"Shows, then, that Bert went below. Come on, Tom. You other fellows can
come or not, as you chose."
"No, no," said Hoki, with a shudder. "I not care to go--I know--I know!
You go, sirs; Hoki stay behind."
The boys exchanged glances. The Jap was visibly frightened, and it
occurred to Chot and Tom that perhaps he knew more about Winnsocket
Lodge than he cared to tell.
"I'll go with you," said Pod.
"Well, you stay with Hoki, Fleet," said Chot, winking significantly, and
the fleshy lad nodded. He knew that wink; it meant, "And watch him,
too."
It was as Hoki had said; the lights were all on in the basement. They
were controlled by a little button at the head of the basement stairs,
and Bert, if he had rushed suddenly below, could easily have turned it.
Either this was what had happened, or it had been turned on by other
parties before Bert entered the lodge.
The boys could not prevent a creepy sensation from possessing them, as
they moved slowly down the stairs into the big cellar. A breath of cool
air met their nostrils as they reached the foot of the steps and glanced
about them.
"Bert--oh, Bert!" Chot called. His voice echoed and re-echoed through
the place, but there was no response.
"That strange," said Tom.
They explored the cellar from one end to the other, but no trace of
their missing chum was found. They searched diligently for a secret
door, though where it could possibly have led had they found it, they
could not imagine.
"Well, there's no use staying down here any longer," said Chot. "Bert
has disappeared, that's all, and, very likely, of his own free will."
"I don't know about that," said Pod, with a dubious shake of the head.
"Well, I don't see what could have happened to him," said Tom.
"There's no way to tell what has happened unless we can first decide
just why he cried out, then dashed so hurriedly inside," said Chot. "He
was excited--that we know--and the most natural surmise is that he heard
someone rummaging about the basement."
They returned to the first floor of the lodge, and found Fleet and Hoki
eagerly awaiting them. From the expression on Fleet's face they knew
that nothing unusual had happened while they were below.
The top story was then gone over, with the same result. Either through
his own volition or by some means which the Comrades were unable at
present to fathom, Bert Creighton had mysteriously disappeared.
"I knew you wouldn't find him," said Fleet. "He's just gone--that's
all--vanished into thin air. I don't know what we'll ever say to his
folks."
"Oh, shut up with that sort of chatter," said Chot, severely. "You make
me tired! Nothing serious has happened to Bert."
"Then where is he?" demanded Fleet, his voice quivering with suppressed
excitement.
"That's what we'll have to find out. We can't do it in a minute; we've
no Sherlock Holmes among us. This much I know, though: No matter how
unnatural this may seem, it has happened in a perfectly natural manner,
and we'll find a way to solve it."
"Well, you've more confidence in your solving abilities than I have,"
said Fleet.
"You're scared--that's what's the matter with you."
"I'm not!"
"Oh, very well; deny it, if you want, but we'll draw our own
conclusions, just the same."
Fleet subsided at this, and the boys seated themselves on the verandah
to await lunch which Hoki said he would prepare at once.
The mystery of the lodge did not interfere with their appetites, and
they continued to discuss Bert's disappearance as they ate. They tried
to make some connection between the noises in the night, Mr. Lawrence's
departure in the motor-boat, and the disappearance of their chum, but,
try as they might, they could form no plausible connection.
They decided to leave the lodge no more until the mystery was solved, so
they hung around all the afternoon, half-expecting Bert to make his
appearance and explain away the things that perplexed them. But
supper-time came, and no Bert.
At six they ate again, Hoki preparing a meal fit for a king. They were
living off the fat of the land, so to speak, and had Bert been with
them, they would have been perfectly happy.
After dinner they sat on the verandah and watched it grow dark--not
without a feeling of dread, though, it must be admitted. All sorts of
things might happen in the lodge under cover of darkness. They knew not
what to be prepared for, but something seemed to tell them that above
all places, the basement was the one spot to keep their eyes on.
"Hoki," said Chot, suddenly, when the Jap had finished the kitchen work
and joined them on the verandah, "are there any guns about the place?"
"Oh, yes, sirs; as many as six, sirs. Would you have them delivered?"
"Where are they kept?"
"In my master's private chamber, if you please, sirs."
"Then lead the way to them, Hoki. Come, Tom! The rest of you stay here
till we return."
They followed the Jap into the lodge, and, true to his word, Hoki found
a case containing six revolvers in Mr. Lawrence's apartment.
The boys appropriated them all, loading them carefully, and placed an
extra supply of cartridges in their pockets. Tom and Chot took two
revolvers each, dividing the other two with Fleet and Pod, together with
cartridges and orders to keep the weapons handy for instant use.
The revolvers gave the boys a certain feeling of security that had been
absent before, and they were just settling comfortably down on the
verandah when they were startled by a voice from the river. Somewhere
between Winnsocket Lodge and the island to the south a man or boy was in
deep trouble. They could tell that from the mournful tones which reached
them.
"Help, help!" said the voice. "Come quick! Help, help!"