PLANNING A CRUISE
Farther and farther over the cliff slid the heavy auto. The boys and
men, holding the rope, were pulled slowly along, as is a losing team in
a tug-of-war.
"Snub your rope, boys!" a voice suddenly called. "Snub her! That's the
only way to hold her back! Take a half hitch around that stump, and
you'll have her! She's got a little too much way on for you! Snub her!
Snub her, I say!"
Bart gave one glance at the man who had called these directions. He saw
a short, squatty figure, wearing a dark blue cap, with some gold braid
on it. One glance was enough to show that the man knew what he was
talking about.
Bart let go his grip of the rope. The auto slipped a little faster then,
for there were not so many hands holding it. But Bart knew what he was
doing. He grabbed the free end of the rope and, following the directions
of the newcomer, who aided him, he took a couple of turns about a big
stump. This "snubbed" or slowed up the progress of the ponderous car,
and a moment later it came to a stop.
"Now you've got her!" exclaimed the squatty man. "She'll hold until you
can get a couple of teams to haul her back. You can't do it alone. Too
much steam needed!"
"That's where you're right, Captain Wiggs!" remarked Constable Darby. "I
was jest a goin' t' tell th' boys that myself, but it's better t' have
th' advice come from a regular sea-farin' person I s'pose."
"I'm no sea-faring person," replied the captain. "The Great Lakes are
good enough for me, but those who cruise on them know a thing or two,
even if they're not of the salt water."
"Your advice came just in time, Captain," said Ned, for the boys knew
the commander of the steamer _Modoc_, which was one of the Great Lakes
fleet of freight carriers, and occasionally tied up at Darewell.
"I should say it did," added Frank. "My arms are nearly pulled off."
"I'll go up the street and see if I can get a couple of men to bring
their teams here and haul the auto up," volunteered Fenn. "I guess Mr.
Hayward will pay them."
The others thought this suggestion a good one, and, in a short time Fenn
returned with two men, who each drove two powerful horses.
The animals were hitched to the rope and, after a little pulling and
hauling, under the direction of Captain Wiggs, who naturally took
charge, the auto was hauled back to the street, not much damaged from
the plunge over the cliff.
The crowd stood around for some time longer, looking at the touring car
until Fenn had the men haul it to a barn near his house. The boys would
have liked to have run it themselves, but, as they knew very little
about cars, and as they were not sure of the condition of the machinery
of this one, they decided the slower method of propulsion would be best.
In the morning there was a great improvement in the condition of Mr.
Hayward and his daughter, Ruth. In fact Ruth could be up, Dr. Fanwood
said, though she must not exert herself.
That afternoon after school the three chums wanted Fenn to go for a
walk, but he made some excuse and hurried home. He found Miss Ruth, who
looked prettier than ever he thought, sitting in the parlor in an easy
chair.
"I don't believe I thanked you and your friends for what you did for my
father and myself," she said, with a smile, as she held out her hand to
Fenn.
"Oh, it isn't necessary--I mean we didn't do anything--" and poor Fenn
became much confused. "I--er--that is we--saw the auto go over and we
hurried out."
"Oh, it was awful!" exclaimed Ruth, "I thought I was going to be killed!
It was terrible!"
"It was a lucky escape," murmured Fenn, sympathetically, wondering if
the girl would make any reference to the cave she had raved about.
But she did not, and, after asking Fenn to bring his three chums, that
she might thank them personally, she went back to her room.
"I wish I dared ask her about that mysterious cave," thought Fenn.
"There's something back of it all, I'm sure. She acts as if she was
afraid I'd find it out."
A few days later Mr. Hayward was able to be up, and after that his
recovery was rapid. He explained to Fenn, and the boy's parents, that
he was in the timber business, and had some mining interests. His
daughter's health was not of the best, he added, and, in the hope of
improving it, he had taken her on a long auto trip. They intended to go
to Maine, and camp in the woods, and were on their way there when the
accident happened.
"I'm sure I can't thank you for all you have done for me," said Mr.
Hayward, looking at Fenn and his parents. "Those other boys, too; my
daughter tells me there were three of your chums who helped."
"Oh, we didn't do so much," murmured Fenn. "Anybody would have done the
same."
"Yes, but you did it," replied Mr. Hayward. "I appreciate it, I can tell
you. I wish I could show you how much. Perhaps I can, some day. I'll
tell you what I wish you'd do; come out and see me. It's not so very far
to Bayville, and we can show you some great sights there, I tell you.
You could make the trip along the Great Lakes, and they're well worth
seeing. My daughter and I would make you comfortable, I'm sure."
"It's very kind of you to give the boys that invitation," said Mr.
Masterson. "I'm afraid it's too long a trip for them."
"Oh, nonsense!" exclaimed Mr. Hayward. "They can go by boat all the way.
It's a fine trip."
"I'm sure you would enjoy it," said Ruth, smiling at Fenn.
"Then we'll go!" exclaimed Stumpy, with more energy than the occasion
seemed to call for.
"I wish you would," added Mr. Hayward, and then he and Mr. Masterson
began a discussion of business matters.
A little later that evening Fenn, going in the parlor for a book, saw
Ruth sitting there in the darkness.
"What's the matter?" he asked with ready sympathy. "Are you ill? Shall I
call my mother?"
"No--no, I'm all right--I'll be all right in a little while. Please
don't call any one," and the girl seemed much alarmed. "I--I was just
thinking of--"
"Is there anything worrying you?" asked Fenn boldly, as the memory of
what she had said in her delirium came back to him. "Can I do anything
to help you? Is it about a cave?"
"Hush!" exclaimed Ruth, in such tones that Fenn was startled. "Don't
speak of that. Oh, I don't know why I mentioned it. I was not myself!
Forget it, please. It might cause a dreadful--Oh, I can't talk about
it!"
She was whispering tensely, and she came close to Fenn. In the next room
Mr. Hayward could be heard telling Mr. Masterson something about his
large business interests.
"Don't let my father hear you," pleaded Ruth.
"But perhaps I can help you," insisted Fenn.
"No--no one can--at least not now," she said. "Don't ask me. I must go
now. Good-night," and she hurried from the room, leaving a much-puzzled
lad behind. He forgot all about the book he wanted, so wrought up was he
over what Ruth had said. He decided it would not be proper to question
her any further, though he wanted very much to aid her if he could.
The next morning Mr. Hayward announced that he felt well enough to
proceed. The auto had been repaired, and the gentleman and his daughter,
bidding their hosts farewell, started off. They had decided to return
home, as Ruth was so upset over the accident that a camping trip was out
of the question.
"Now don't forget, I expect you boys out to visit me," called Mr.
Hayward, as the four chums waved their hands to father and daughter when
the auto puffed off. "Come early and stay late!"
"Poor girl," murmured Mrs. Masterson, as she went back into the house.
"She seems worried over something, but I don't see what it can be, for
her father is very wealthy, according to his talk, and she has everything
she wants. Maybe she misses her mother. She told me she had been dead
only a few years."
But Fenn knew it was something about the mysterious cave that was
worrying Ruth, and he wished, more than ever, that he could do something
to aid her.
It was a week after this when, school having closed for the summer term,
the four chums were gathered at Fenn's house. Frank, Ned and Bart had
arrived at the same time, to find Stumpy absorbed in the pages of a big
geography.
"Going to take a post-graduate course?" asked Bart.
"No, he's looking for Bayville, to see if he can't catch a glimpse of
Ruth," spoke Ned.
"I was planning a vacation trip," replied Fenn, with dignity.
"A vacation trip? Where?"
"On the Great Lakes," answered Fenn. "I think it would be just the
thing. I've been looking it up. We could go down the Still River to Lake
Erie, and then to Lake Huron. From there we could visit the Straits of
Mackinaw, and then, after a trip on Lake Michigan, go through the Sault
St. Mary to Lake Superior. Then--"
"Yes, and then we could sail to Bayville and you could visit Ruth while
we sat on the bank and caught fish!" interrupted Frank. "Oh, Stumpy,
it's easy to guess what you are thinking about!"