THE SMALL GUIDE
The driver of the vehicle which Jet had hired did not seem disposed to
push his sorry-looking horse to his utmost speed, and the boy
experienced no slight amount of mental anxiety through fear that the
men would escape him.
Once they entered the woods without his having some idea of their
course, the chase would be well-nigh hopeless.
His small guide commenced the process of becoming acquainted by asking
Jet's name.
"David Small," was the prompt reply. "What's your's?"
"Jim Crosby."
Then Jet was obliged to explain considerably more about himself; he
said he lived in Albany, sold news papers there, and, having laid by a
little money, concluded to see what the Adirondack region looked like.
"If you don't have to go back too soon, I'll show you the whole place,"
Jim replied, with an air of profound wisdom such as one might have
expected from the oldest inhabitant in the vicinity.
Then the small guide went on to explain where he proposed to take his
friend and patron, and before his recital was finished the wagon
stopped at the lake side.
Here everything was in a state of seeming confusion. Sportsmen and
tourists were setting out for their respective destinations; but Jet
had no thought for any, save the two he had followed so far.
"You hire a boat, and I'll stay here," he said to Jim, who hurried
away, leaving him where he could see all who left the shore by the
water-way.
Again fortune favored him.
Bob and Sam had just concluded their arrangements for a craft, and were
loading it not more than twenty yards away.
Before Jim returned they had started alone.
These two who thought more of hiding themselves than of hunting or
fishing, did not need a guide.
Jet kept his eyes fixed on them as they rowed leisurely down the lake,
and when Jim returned, he said:
"See here, can't we keep about half a mile behind those fellows?"
"What do you want to do that for? They won't know where to find the
best sport."
"I've got a particular reason for wanting to see where they stop, an'
will make it worth your while."
"Oh, that's all right, I don't want to be paid for anything of the
kind! Come on an' help me put this stuff aboard before they get around
the point."
Jet was so eager to be off that he did most of the work himself, and
Jim promised to take the first trick at the oars.
"Don't pull very fast; I only want to keep them in sight," Jet
explained, as he shoved the light craft off and leaped into the
stern-sheets.
"You steer, and tell me when we're coming too near, for I can't keep
lookin' around. Say, what game are you up to?"
"I don't understand you."
"I reckon you know what I mean. Why do you wanter keep on the track of
that boat?"
"I just had an idea, that's all. They are going without a guide, and
I'd like to see how they'll come out."
"There's plenty of them kind of fellers who think they can save money
by workin' it alone; but they don't travel very far. What's your other
reason?"
Unquestionably Jim was suspicious, and Jet began to study the question
of how much he could tell him, for it would soon be necessary to make
some more definite explanation.
While he was thus trying to decide, the small guide continued to ply
him with questions, until he came to the conclusion that the best plan
would be to give a portion of the story, otherwise, in case he met the
men, Jim might ask them to solve the riddle.
"If you'll cross your throat never to tell a living person till we get
out of the woods again, I'll let you into the secret, and what's more,
I'll agree to give you twenty dollars, if this job is finished up
right."
"Twenty dollars!" the boy repeated, in surprise. "What do you want me
to do?" and he turned to look at the boat.
"Nothing just at present but row slowly without turning around. Will
you agree not to tell anybody?"
"Of course, an' I'd do a good deal more'n that to earn so much money."
"Then here it is, and if you breathe a single word I wouldn't wonder if
you got into jail. I've been hired to watch them fellows till officers
can get here and arrest them."
"Then you're a reg'lar detective," Jim cried, breathlessly.
"Hold your tongue, or everybody on the lake will hear you. I ain't
anything of the kind. Didn't I say I'd only been hired to watch them
so's to let the officers know where they stop?"
"What have they been doing?"
"I don't reckon it's very much; but somebody in Albany seems to think
it'll pay to catch them."
"Why didn't the constables come with you?"
"Because nobody but me knew they'd started for this place. It the men
make a camp we can send back word; but if they have the least little
idea that we're on their trail there'll be a mighty good chance of our
getting our throats cut."
"I'll be still as a fish; but I do wish I knew more about 'em."
"If they are arrested you can find out the whole story."
This promise seemed to satisfy Jim, and he rowed on in silence,
probably fancying he was doing some skillful piece of detective work,
which might be spoiled by so much as the splashing of the oars.
An hour later the men were taking matters so leisurely that it was
necessary the boys should make a pretense of landing in order to remain
behind, otherwise their evident loitering would have caused suspicion.
Jet explained this to his companion, and the latter proposed that they
utilize the time by cooking dinner.
The boat was run ashore, and Jim soon proved that he was a valuable
assistant in the woods by preparing a hot lunch, which to Jet was
decidedly palatable.
By the time the meal was ended the men were a couple of miles in
advance, and the boys resumed the chase, with Jim still at the oars.
"I'll bet you they are bound for the falls," the guide said, shortly
after the second start. "If that's so we'll have to make a carry, an'
that can't be done between now and sunset."
"What's a carry?"
"A place where you have to lug your boat for a while, an' it's no fun
I'll tell you."
"If they do it, I reckon we can."
"Of course, only it's a lot of work."
"We must expect plenty of that before the money is earned."
That Jim was correct in his surmise was shown later when Bob and Sam
turned their craft into the stream which led to Round Lake, and then
landed, evidently for the night.
"How near shall we go to them?" Jim asked.
"It won't do to stay too far away, for we must make it appear as if we
intended to run down the same stream. We'll hold up here."
Jet steered the craft into an indentation on the shore about a quarter
of a mile from where the others had stopped, and at a spot from which
he could keep them in view.
"I'll rig up a camp, and you keep your eyes on them while you're
getting some of the grub out," the small guide proposed.
The boys made preparations for the night, and while so occupied could
see that the men were doing the same.
Then fires were lighted in both camps, and Jet watched the one down
stream until his eyes closed in slumber, despite all his efforts to
keep them open.
The gray light of dawn could be but faintly seen in the eastern sky
when the amateur detective awakened, and his heart was made glad by the
sight of a glow from the lower encampment.
"They haven't started yet," he said, as he awakened the guide, "and it
stands us in hand to be ready to leave the minute they do."
"Better let 'em get to the carry first. When they keep on down the
stream, we'll know where they're headed for, an' can get through in
time, for I don't reckon there's a chance of their stayin' on Round
Lake."
"There may be, and we mustn't run any risks."
The boys were ready to continue the journey some time before the men
gave any sign of leaving camp, and they bustled around first in one
direction and then another to make it appear as if they were doing work
of importance, in case the game should be suspicious.
Not until Bob and Sam had been half an hour on their way would Jim
consent to start, and that he had been wise in so doing could be seen
after the fatiguing labor of "the carry" had been performed.
The fugitives were not more than two hundred yards in advance when the
boys came out of the woods with the last load, and Jim said with a
chuckle:
"I knowed they'd take the wrong turn, an' we'd been a good bit ahead if
it hadn't been for layin' back."
By working slowly the boat was not reloaded until some time after the
men were out of sight, and then when she had been pulled to the
entrance of Round Lake, Jet insisted on remaining there a while,
concealed by the bushes, to watch the movements of the other craft.
"I swow! They are goin' to stop here after all!" Jim exclaimed, as he
saw the men turn toward the shore about a mile from the stream.
"There's one thing about it, though, they're bound to leave before many
days."
"Why?"
"'Cause there's no game 'round here, an' the fishin' ain't anything to
speak of."
"I don't reckon they care, so long as the provisions hold out."
"Of course, they can get fish enough, if they only want them to eat;
but I never heard of anybody campin' here."
"That's probably the very reason why they stop; no one would think of
looking for them where there's so little sport to be had. Now we'll
slip down about half-way between here and there, and build our camp."
This time Jet rowed, and his companion steered the little craft to a
small point within less than half a mile of where Bob's boat could be
seen.
The guide took upon himself the task of building a shelter, and he had
a very respectable looking lean-to finished before night.
The boat was drawn up on the shore; the goods stored underneath her,
and everything was ready for the night.
Jim caught four fish from the bank, and these he fried in a most
appetizing manner, after which the boys rested from their labors.
A camp-fire had been built, and Jet was lying inside the shanty where
the smoke would not disturb him, while Jim remained outside to
"brighten the blaze" whenever the fuel should bum too low.
Both were enjoying the luxury of repose when an exclamation from the
guide caused the amateur detective to glance quickly toward the water's
edge.
That which he saw was sufficient to cause his heart to beat rapidly.
Bob, with his gun thrown carelessly over his shoulder, was coming
directly toward them.