"I tell you what, Frank, that was a great scheme of yours, to think of
buying this little skiff for a dinghy, or tender!" remarked Bluff, three
days later, as he paddled ashore with the end of the cable they expected
to fasten to a tree, as the night was not far away.
"Well, I knew all along that every decent houseboat ought to have a
small skiff dangling along," Frank answered, as he leaned over the side,
and watched the other hitch the painter to the bow of the large, roomy
craft, which continued to point down-stream; for, when fastening up for
the night, as stem and stern were so much alike, they never bothered
bringing the boat around, as that meant additional work in the morning
upon starting.
"And I expect to enjoy a heap of fishing from that same little affair,"
remarked Jerry, "when we get further along down the big river."
"Now, heave ho! everybody, and we'll have her snug alongside the bank in
a jiffy!" Frank called out, taking hold of the cable, while the others
used the several stout poles that had been secured for the purpose of
pushing. "There she is, right side up with care! Now, let's hope we'll
be better off than last night, when we got the cross current wash of the
Wisconsin River."
"Well, those rowdies from Prairie du Chien didn't find us after all,
thanks to Frank here, who expected they'd be looking, and got us to push
across that fierce current, till we hit on a splendid cove," Will
observed.
"I saw that the river was rising," Frank observed, "and that's the only
time it's really safe for a houseboat to enter one of those little bays.
No danger then of being caught on a sandbar, and left high and dry by
morning. Now, how about our supper to-night, boys? What's going to be
the bill of fare?"
"Tell me first, Frank, how far below Dubuque are we now?" asked Will,
nervously.
"Oh! several miles; and you needn't think we'll be bothered to-night,"
the other replied, with a reassuring laugh.
"We seem to have left Oswald in the lurch, too, which is a good thing,
according to my notion; though I've been hoping some fine day that
stuck-up dude would run up against Frank, when the old score must be
fought out, and he'd get what's been long due him."
"Not forgetting our friend, Marcus," added Jerry. "He made one little
try for the hidden treasure, and Frank scared him half to death by
firing his gun out of the window, so he never came back again. Guess he
wasn't as bold a customer as he made us believe. And I'm still hunting
all over the boat for a tidy little nook, where Uncle Felix might have
hid that bunch of valuables; though up to date I must say I haven't had
even the first smell of the treasure-trove."
"How many days have we been coming this far, Frank?" persisted Will.
"Really four, though this will be our fifth night out," replied the
manager of the expedition; for as usual that position had been saddled
on Frank's shoulders, all of his chums having the utmost confidence that
he could fill the place better than any one of them.
"One good thing," Bluff went on to say, "is the fact that every night
now that moon is going to improve, and grow larger. Why, before we know
it, we'll be having beautiful moonlight nights, when a fellow'll just
hate to turn in."
"But let's go back again to the mainstay, which is just plain grub. What
are we going to eat to-night?" Frank remarked.
And so for a few minutes that ever-interesting, and never-dull topic,
was discussed from all sides, everyone having a suggestion to make. In
the end, as usually happened, it was voted to leave the matter with
Jerry. He knew how to treat them well, Bluff declared with a proper
amount of smoothness that quite won the heart of the aspiring cook, and
made him resolve to merit the praise that was so lavishly bestowed on
him.
Of course the supper was voted a grand success. Jerry was indeed showing
considerable skill in getting up very appetizing dishes, and took pride
in changing what he called the "menu" so often, that the boys always had
delightful recollections of "that last mess we had yesterday, or it
might be the day before," which they hoped he would repeat before long.
"Seems like a mighty lonely place right here," Will had remarked, after
supper was over, and they sat around on deck, Jerry busy with his fish
lines; Bluff stretched on a blanket he had brought out; and Frank
rubbing up his recollection of the events of the last two days, since he
had fallen behind in his writing of the daily log, and meant to catch up
when they lighted the big lamp, going in to sit around the table.
"Well, that's not a fault, as I can see," Bluff declared; "now, last
night you complained of too much company around, when that boatload of
toughs from the city rowed past, looking for our hidden houseboat.
Better be by ourselves, even if the wolves do howl, and the panthers
scream."
"Oh! say, you don't think for a minute now that there are any of those
fierce creatures around us right now?" Will faltered. "He's just trying
to see how big a yarn he can work off on me; isn't he, Frank?"
"Just what he is," laughed the other; "because I don't fancy that there
is a wolf or a panther within fifty miles of this place. So make your
mind easy, Will; and if you choose to take a turn up and down the deck
before going to bed, you can do it without dreaming any wild animal
could drop from the branches of that tree above us."
"Listen to Jerry grunting there," remarked Will, disdainfully, "just
like he expects me to believe that sort of thing could be a panther!
Don't forget that I've heard a panther before this, and he doesn't
squeal like a hog caught under the fence."
"But it wasn't me at all!" declared Jerry, looking up from working his
line.
"And as sure as anything, it did come from the shore somewhere above!"
Bluff said, as he scrambled to a sitting position.
"Listen, everybody!" remarked Frank, in a quiet voice.
They could plainly hear the swish of bushes giving way before some
advancing body.
"Whatever it is, that light Jerry is using, to fix his bait on properly,
has told of our being here," Frank went on to say.
"Shall I puff her out, then?" asked Jerry.
"No use now, because the mischief's done," Frank continued.
"There goes Bluff inside the cabin," Will spoke up; "and I just wager
he's after his gun. Well, I'm glad of it; for Frank might be mistaken
about the panther part of the business."
"Listen again!" Frank ordered, and every one fell silent.
The rustling among the bushes increased until it seemed to be almost
above them, after which it stopped.
"Ahoy! aboard the boat! Don't shoot at me; I'm a friend, and in a bad
fix!" came a voice.
The boys looked at each other blankly. Every one of them possessed a
sympathetic heart, and the very thought of a fellow human in trouble
appealed to them.
"Frank, are you going to invite him aboard?" whispered Will.
"Don't forget what Uncle Felix wrote about having strangers stay on the
houseboat," Jerry went on to add; not because he felt any fear, but
because of that hidden treasure which he fully believed lay somewhere
aboard.
Frank picked up the lantern, as though speedily making up his mind.
"We can go ashore ourselves, fellows," he said, "and see what's wrong.
Bluff, would you mind coming with me; and Will, bring the lantern,
please."
"Don't think I'm going to be left out," cried Jerry, as he let his
baited hook drop into the water, where the current carried it
down-stream, as he wanted.
And so the four chums made their way ashore. This was not hard to do,
since the houseboat was warped close to the bank; and indeed, it only
required a single jump to bring them to firm ground.
The light of the lantern showed them a single figure, and that of an old
man. He did not seem any too robust, and his face was seemingly pinched
with pain, and possibly hunger.
"Who are you, and what brings you here?" asked Frank, hardly knowing
whether he liked the appearance of the other or not, and secretly
resolved that unless it were positively necessary he would not take him
aboard the boat.
"My name is Luther Snow," said the other, in a trembling voice. "I was
on my way to New Orleans on a packet, when some thief stole my
pocketbook, with every cent in the world I had, and my passage ticket as
well. So the captain put me ashore, and I've had hardly a bite to eat
for twenty-four hours. I must get down there soon, or lose all chance of
ever seeing my daughter, who sails for Australia, and I'm in a bad fix,
boys, I tell you."
Jerry made a bolt back to the boat, and Frank did not need to be told
what he was going for. A man half starved, while they had plenty to eat
in the larder, went against the grain of the generous boy.
"Wait a minute, Jerry!" called out Frank; "we'll build a fire ashore,
and cook something for him right here;" and turning to the man he
continued in a lower tone, as though he thought some sort of explanation
might be necessary: "you see, we don't happen to own this houseboat; and
one of the rules set down for us by the gentleman who does, was that,
under no circumstances, unless it seemed absolutely necessary to save a
life, were we to keep a stranger aboard over-night. But we can make you
fairly comfortable here, and give you some breakfast in the morning;
perhaps chip in, and help you out some in the money line. So just sit
down, while we get busy, and make the fire first."
That was as generous a proposition as could possibly be expected from
any traveler along the great river highway; and the man should have felt
pleased when he heard what Frank said; but the sharp eyes of the boys,
watching his face, caught a plain flash of disappointment there, as
though he had fully anticipated being invited to at least spend the
night aboard.
Frank was the last fellow to wish to think ill of anybody, and so he
said nothing about what he might suspect; only he resolved to carry out
the scheme he had in mind, and make the unfortunate traveler
comfortable--but on shore.