JUST IN TIME
For a moment Bob and Frank were so startled at not seeing the light
flashing out, as it always did after sunset, that they did not stop to
think what Sammy's excited words meant. They raced on after him, toward
the entrance to the lighthouse, intent only on finding out what was the
matter.
"It sure is wreckers," Sammy kept saying over and over again. "Some bad
men are trying to get the ship on the rocks, and when she breaks up
they'll get all the valuable cargo that comes ashore!"
Then Frank paid some attention to what his chum was saying.
"Hold on there!" he cried. "That's some more of your wild imagination,
Sammy."
"Wreckers! Who ever heard of wreckers?" Bob wanted to know.
"I did!" exclaimed Sammy. "I'm sure they've put out the light!"
"How could they?" asked Bob. "Mr. Floyd has been there all the while."
"They--they overpowered him," said Sammy, hesitating a bit over the long
word.
"Well, what about his wife and daughter?" Frank wanted to know. "I guess
they wouldn't let any wreckers put out the light."
"Mrs. Floyd and Lucy are away this evening," said Sammy. "I saw them go
past our cottage. They said they were going to the moving picture show
over in town, and would stay all night with some relations. It's all a
plot--that's what it is! The wreckers knew Mr. Floyd would be alone."
Bob and Frank looked at Sammy a little differently now. It was true that
the wife and daughter of the light-keeper had gone away. The two chums
remembered this, now that Sammy had recalled it to their mind. The
keeper was alone in the tower.
And certainly something must have happened, for the light was out, and
as the boys raced toward it they glanced up, every now and then, hoping
to see the bright beams flashing. But the tower remained in darkness.
As they ran on they saw a light flashing along the path ahead of them.
It swayed from side to side, and flickered so the boys easily guessed
that it was a lantern being carried by someone.
"There they are now!" cried Sammy, in much excitement.
"Who?" Bob wanted to know.
"Some of the wreckers! They're making signals! Don't let them see us!"
Frank and Bob hesitated. They did not know what to do, and, though they
knew that Sammy was much given to imagination, and to excitement, this
time he might be partly right, they thought.
"What shall we do?" asked Frank.
"Let's get away from here," proposed Bob.
"Come on--run!" advised Frank.
"It's too late--they've seen us and they're coming right this way!"
exclaimed Bob. The person with the lantern, whoever he might be, was
headed directly for the boys, and coming on swiftly.
"Fellows, we can't run," called Sammy. "Whatever happens we've either
got to give the alarm about the light being out, or we've got to go to
the tower, see what's the matter, and start it ourselves. We've got to
stand our ground."
"Maybe someone from the town will notice that the light's out, and come
over," suggested Frank, hopefully.
"They can't see the light from the back, over in town," put in Sammy.
"You can only see it from in front, or at either side, the way we are
now. The back part of the light is always dark."
"That's so," admitted Bob. "But what can we do? Who is this coming with
the lantern?"
They did not have long to wait to find out, for the figure, with the
swinging light, was running now. The path was narrow and the boys
stepped to one side, slacking in their pace a little.
Then, as the stranger with the lantern came opposite them, Sammy and his
chums gasped in astonishment.
The person who ran past them, paying no more attention to the boys than
if he had not seen them, was an old man, and as he flashed by, Sammy
cried:
"It's the same one--the man who was digging for the gold!"
"So it was!" exclaimed Frank.
"Let's take after him," suggested Bob. "Maybe he's seen the trouble at
the lighthouse and is going for help. Then we won't have to go. Let's
follow him!"
"No, don't!" cried Sammy Brown, catching hold of Bob's coat.
"Why not?"
"Because it's dangerous!"
"Dangerous? How?"
"That man's one of the wreckers!" whispered Sammy, hoarsely. "He's just
been to the lighthouse to put out the lamp, and now he's going to join
his gang. We'd better not interfere with him."
"Why, I thought you said he was looking for pirate gold!" exclaimed Bob.
"Well, I guess I was mistaken," admitted Sammy. The boys had come to a
stop, and were looking after the man who was running away from them, his
lantern bobbing from side to side. "I'm sure he's a wrecker anyhow,"
went on Sammy. "He looked like a desperate character!"
"Say, I don't believe you know what you're talking about!" burst out
Frank. "Maybe that man has seen the trouble at the lighthouse, and has
gone for help. But, for all that, I think we'd better go there
ourselves, and see if we can do anything."
"Maybe you're right," admitted Sammy, as he looked in the direction of
the bobbing lantern. "Anyhow I don't believe it would be a good thing to
follow that man. Say, we're getting as badly mixed up in a mystery here,
as we were on Pine Island."
"Yes, and maybe it will turn out just as easy," spoke Frank.
"No, I'm sure something is going to happen here," insisted Sammy. "The
light being out, for one thing, shows that, and the old man digging for
pirate gold is another. But come on, fellows. Some ship may go on the
rocks while we're talking here."
"There's no storm, that's one good thing," murmured Bob. "I thought
wreckers only worked during a storm."
"Maybe they do things different here," said Sammy. "Come on!"
They started again toward the lighthouse, now and then looking up toward
the tall tower in the hope of seeing the flashing beacon. But all was
still darkness, save for the twinkling stars in the sky.
[Illustration: They started again toward the lighthouse.]
They reached the cottage connected with the lighthouse. The door was
open, but all was dark inside. For a moment the boys hesitated.
Afterwards Bob and Frank admitted that they were thinking of the same
thing Sammy was--that perhaps there was a trap, and that the wreckers
were waiting for them.
Finally Frank called:
"Hello, Mr. Floyd! Are you there? What's the matter? Why isn't the light
going?"
At first only a groaning voice answered them, and then they heard the
stronger tones of the light-keeper crying out:
"Oh, thank Providence someone has come! Quick, boys, you're just in
time! Light the lamp! Never mind me! Light the lantern!"
"Are you hurt?" asked Bob.
"Did the wreckers attack you?" cried Sammy.
"Wreckers! Good land, no!" shouted the light-keeper. "I fell down
stairs, and I guess my leg is broken. And when I fell I hit against the
lever that puts out the lantern, and that made it all dark. And I've
been lying here ever since, calling for help, but no one heard me. I
didn't know what to do, for I can't seem to move.
"But you're just in time, boys. Come in, and I'll tell you how to light
the lantern. Hurry, or some ship may go on the rocks! Wreckers? Good
land, what made you think of them?"
"Fooled again!" murmured Sammy Brown, as he and his companions entered
the cottage.