The motor-boat was a trim little craft, some forty feet in length, with
a cabin forward, and an open deck aft, the latter covered with an awning
and containing several chairs.
As she drew nearer Chot uttered an exclamation of astonishment, for
plainly visible at the bow was a small brass swivel gun, evidently of
the rapid fire variety.
"Mr. Lawrence is evidently prepared for war," said Fleet. "I didn't know
they used such weapons on private yachts."
"That's no private yacht," said Chot, who was studying the boat
intently; "see that American flag at the stern and the man in a blue
uniform at the wheel. That, fellows, is a government boat, probably in
the revenue service. She is of a fine size to wind in and out among
these islands."
"But what can she be wanting at Winnsocket Lodge?" asked Pod, perplexed.
"That I can't say, but, very likely, the officers are on the trail of
the smugglers. They may have taken Mr. Lawrence captive, and are now on
the lookout for the rest of the band."
"We'd better go meet them," said Tom. "That will show our good will."
"Yes; Pod, you go down and tell Bert to watch the prisoners while we are
gone, and don't say anything before the smugglers about the officers
being here."
Pod hurried away to do Chot's bidding, and Chot, Tom, Fleet and Truem
went down to the little wharf toward which the motor-boat was heading.
The noise of her engines soon ceased, and describing a pretty circle,
she came drifting up to the landing. Two men--one in the bow, the other
in the stern--threw painters to the boys, who made them fast to posts on
the wharf.
"Is this Winnsocket Lodge?" asked an officer, as he sprang ashore and
eyed the boys keenly.
"Yes, sir," Chot responded.
"Do you live here?"
"No; we are a party of cadets from Winton Hall on the Hudson. We came up
here in canoes, then remained as the guests of a Mr. Lawrence, who left
the day after we arrived."
"Do you know where he is?"
"No, sir; he went away in the night in a motor-boat."
"I am Lieutenant Weston Winters of the United States revenue service,"
the officer went on, extending his hand. "We have been trying to trace
to their hiding place a band of smugglers. We have every reason to
believe that this Mr. Lawrence is the leader of the band. Have there
been any unusual happenings since your arrival?"
"There has been nothing else," Chot replied, smiling. "As for the
smugglers, we have captured the entire band with the exception of Mr.
Lawrence, and we were getting ready to take him, too, believing at first
that this was his boat."
Of course, Lieutenant Winters wanted the details, and Chot related their
adventures from the moment they met Mr. Lawrence until the release of
Bert Creighton from the smugglers' lair the previous night.
"And you have these men safe in the cellar?" asked Lieutenant Winters, a
merry twinkle in his eyes.
"Yes, sir."
"Then I don't see much use of Uncle Sam keeping his officers in the St.
Lawrence. You have done your country a noble service, boys, and one
which will not be forgotten."
"We have simply tried to do our duty as citizens," returned Chot,
earnestly.
"And you have more than succeeded. Now, let me see the captives."
The boys led the way to the lodge, Lieutenant Winters following with two
of his men.
Down into the basement they went where Bert sat with a revolver,
guarding the prisoners.
"H'm! A bunch of beauties," was Lieutenant Winter's comment. "There is
'Dandy Dick' Short, whom we have been wanting for some time, who was
formerly a notorious smuggler on the gulf coast; and Larry Nexton, and
Bill Gerry, and Flitty Gray, and, who's this--oh, yes, and Joe
Silverton. Why, these are all old friends, boys--and old hands at the
smuggling business. They have been trying to elude our clutches for a
long time."
"And it looks like we succeeded pretty well," said Dandy Dick Short, the
leader of the band. A sneer curled his lip. "It was left to a bunch of
kids to catch us when we were not looking."
"Then all credit to the 'kids,' as you call them," said Lieutenant
Winters, warmly. "The result has been accomplished, and I think I am
safe in saying that you won't do any more smuggling for some years to
come. How long have you been working for Lawrence?"
The men looked at each other, but said nothing.
"Don't want to squeal on him, eh? Oh, that's all right. I'm glad to see
that there is still some honor among thieves. We'll get him, all right.
He knows nothing of what's happened here, and when he returns he'll find
a little surprise waiting for him."
Still the men said nothing.
"That's all right, boys, just hold your tongues." The lieutenant turned
to Chot. "I'll leave my two men to take charge of these fellows. We're
going to stay at the lodge until Lawrence returns."
"That suits us," said Chot. "We'll all wait, and if we boys can render
any further assistance, just command us."
The two men from the revenue boat were placed as guards over the
prisoners, thus relieving the boys of all responsibility in this regard.
Lieutenant Winters took up his abode at the lodge, sending the
motor-boat around to the east end of the island, where, in a little
cove, she was concealed from view from the north island, as well as the
approaches from the west and south, by one of which routes Mr. Lawrence
would be sure to come on his return to the island.
"Lawrence will no doubt come as he went, in the night," said Lieutenant
Winters, "so we had best arrange a watch."
"He will probably enter by means of the secret passage," said Tom. "That
is the way he left, I am sure."
"In other words," said the lieutenant, "believing that you know nothing
of the underground exit, he will probably seek to enter his room in the
night and appear before you at the breakfast table as a complete
surprise."
"That's the way he likes to do things, I should say, from what little
opportunity I have had for observation," Tom replied.
"Does anyone know what Mr. Lawrence does in Boston?" asked Pod.
"I understand he is a diamond merchant," said Lieutenant Winters, "and
that is one reason why we have been so anxious to catch him. The duty on
precious stones is something enormous, and the government stands to lose
considerable as long as such clever smugglers remain at liberty."
Chot took occasion to explain the assistance the Jap had rendered them,
telling the officer how the Oriental had feared Mr. Lawrence, who had
kept him at all times in a state of subjection and humility.
"I am sure the little Jap never did a wrong thing in his life," said
Chot--"in fact, we found that he knew absolutely nothing about the
smuggling, except that something mysterious was going on in the lodge. I
doubt if he even understood what the word, 'smuggling' meant."
"Very likely you are right," replied the lieutenant, "and I assure you
that I have no desire to place him in custody. I should like to have him
where I can reach him, however, in case I need his testimony at the
trial of the smugglers."
Hoki was delighted when informed that the officers had no designs on his
peace and happiness. He declared his life-long devotion to the boys, and
expressed an ardent desire to learn some American trade or business
where he could always be near them. He had saved over a thousand dollars
in his two years' service with Mr. Lawrence, he told them, the smuggler
chief having been generous in his reward for Hoki's faithful work.
"Mr. Lawrence can't be all bad," said Fleet, "when he treats Hoki so
well."
"At any rate," said Chot, "this has given me an idea regarding Hoki."
After a moment's pause in which he was apparently thinking deeply, he
said: "Hoki, how would you like to go to an American school?"
"It would give me greatest of pleasure, sirs, if my money is
sufficiently large enough to accomplish such desires as you mention,"
replied Hoki.
"I believe a few years at Winton would make a good American out of you.
You already read English do you not?"
"Yes; I read quite well, thank you, sirs."
"Then I believe we can induce Commandant Cullum to take you in."
"It will give me much joy, believe me, sirs," said the little Jap.
The prospect of being near the Comrades and their chums appealed to him
more than anything else.
The boys resolved to take the Jap to Mortonville as their guest at the
end of the canoe trip, from which place negotiations could be carried on
with the commandant at Winton, looking to Hoki's entry into the school.
He would be unable to pass a rigid examination, they knew, but in the
case of foreigners exceptions had often been made in other schools, and
they felt sure that Commandant Cullum would make it possible for the Jap
to attend his institution.
A plan of action was agreed upon before any of the inmates of Winnsocket
Lodge retired that night. If Mr. Lawrence cared to return to the lodge,
he was to be allowed to enter and go secretly to his room. A man would
then be stationed outside his door, and another in the yard outside, to
guard against any tricks, and in the morning the leader would be
informed of the capture of his band.
As the chief would probably enter the lodge through the basement, the
smugglers were removed to one of the upper rooms of the lodge, that they
might have no opportunity for disclosing their capture prematurely. Two
men still remained on guard over them.
It was assumed that Mr. Lawrence would return in a motor-boat, as he had
left, and Lieutenant Winters arranged that at a signal from him--a light
placed in an upstairs window on the side where the government boat was
moored--the "Lucia," as the government boat was named, was to go in
pursuit of the boat which landed Mr. Lawrence, overhaul and capture her,
returning thence to the island to take the prisoners to the New York
shore.
Nothing occurred the first night, but shortly after midnight on the
second the sound of a motor-boat was wafted over the water to Lieutenant
Winters and Tom, who were doing guard duty. Every light had been
extinguished, and from the rear window they waited for some sign that
the smuggler chief was returning.
They had not long to wait, for the motor-boat came up to the shore of
the island at a rapid pace. It was a perfect starlit night, and while
the craft had no lights out, they could make out her dark outline
against the water. There was some conversation which they were unable to
catch, then the figure of a man sprang ashore and made for the mouth of
the passage.
Lieutenant Winters called softly to one of his men to flash the signal
to the "Lucia," and a moment later they heard the government boat move
out of the cove and shoot around the end of the island in pursuit.
Tom ran quickly to his room and crawled in bed, and presently the
lieutenant heard a soft, scraping sound in the basement, then light
footfalls on the stairs. Mr. Lawrence made no attempt to strike a light,
being thoroughly familiar with every foot of the lodge, and he tip-toed
softly to the door of his room, entered and closed it with scarcely a
sound.
"Ah!" breathed the revenue man. "The most important bird is caught at
last."
Then he sat down outside the door of the smuggler chief to await the
coming of day.