It was not far to the edge of the lake, and, as you will remember, there
was abundant undergrowth, but the fleeing tramps had left a trail of
broken and twisted branches which it would have been easy to follow,
even with greater distance and more uncertainty of direction. Mike kept
a few paces in the lead, and soon caught the shimmer of water, but when
he glanced around saw nothing of his craft. He stood perplexed when Dr.
Spellman stepped beside him.
“Where’s the canoe?” asked the man.
“That’s what meself would like to know.”
“Is this the spot where you stepped ashore?”
Mike moved farther until his shoes touched the water. He recognized the
projecting limb of a beech which had attracted his notice when he came
ashore.
“There’s no mistake about the same. Now, docther, that boat can’t hev a
habit of sneakin’ off whin ye’re not watching—what’s the matter?”
His companion touched his arm and pointed over the water.
“There’s the answer to your question.”
“It beats me, as the drum said to the drum stick.”
Some two hundred yards out on Gosling Lake was the canoe heading toward
the western end of the sheet of water. In it were seated Biggs and Hutt,
the two rascally tramps, their appearance suggesting that they were
owners of the graceful craft in which they were making a pleasure
excursion. Their backs were toward the two on shore, but Hutt who sat
near the stern turned his head. Observing the indignant couple, he waved
his hand in salutation and grinned so broadly that the gleam of his
yellow teeth showed.
Neither Mike nor the doctor spoke for a moment or two. Then the youth
solemnly extended his hand.
“Docther, would ye mind shaking?”
“Certainly not, but what is the idea, Mike?”
“’Cause I can’t think of anything ilse to do, as the p’liceman said whin
he prosaaded to break his club over the head of ivery one in sight.”
“Were there ever two such pests? The next time I get a chance I won’t
kill them, but I’ll give each something he’ll remember.”
“Where’s your boat?”
“At the foot of the path leading to the house; the distance is so short
that I did not use it, but strolled to this point.”
“Let’s jump into the same and make fur these spalpeens.”
The physician was so angry that he did not hesitate. They hurried
through the wood to the spot where the other craft lay as it had been
left by its owner. It has been shown that from this spot the house was
not visible and therefore the wife and daughter knew nothing of what was
afoot, which perhaps was best. The doctor, being the most skilful with
the paddle, took up the implement, and headed after the other craft,
which was making good progress toward the farther end of the lake.
Each of our friends had asked himself the question as to what Biggs and
Hutt meant by their act and what they were likely to do. It could not be
seen that the vagrants had anything to gain, for they must soon abandon
the canoe and continue their flight on foot. They knew the medical man
carried a deadly weapon, and did not seem backward in using it, because
of which they certainly could not desire another meeting with him.
Moreover, a third canoe was involved. It seemed to have disappeared for
the time, but must be somewhere near the western end of the lake, which
being the case, the tramps were likely to find themselves between two
fires, though it was not to be supposed that they had any cause to fear
the unarmed Boy Scouts in the invisible boat.
The flight and pursuit had lasted only a few minutes when an unpleasant
truth impressed itself upon Mike and the doctor:—Buzby Biggs, who swung
the other paddle, did it so deftly that his boat steadily drew away from
the pursuer despite the utmost efforts of Dr. Spellman. In a
straightaway race the tramps were sure to win, but the course had
bounds, and in the end they must be pocketed, a fact so apparent that
they themselves saw it from the first. They had the choice of keeping
directly on until they reached the western margin so far in advance of
their pursuers that they need give them no thought, or they could take
the shorter course to the northern shore, opposite the bungalow. It
looked as if they had decided upon the former plan, which would indicate
that they knew or suspected nothing of the third canoe, nestling
somewhere under the overhanging limbs along shore.
Such undoubtedly would have been the action of the tramps, had not it
changed so abruptly and inexplicably that the astounded doctor ceased
paddling and stared without speaking a word.
Since our friends sat with their faces toward the backs of Biggs and
Hutt, they saw their every movement no matter how slight. Hutt was idle,
with a grimy hand resting on either gunwale of the canoe. Now and then
he glanced back and when he saw the pursuers steadily falling behind,
had the impudence to reach out one hand and beckon them to move faster.
The other, knowing he could not be overtaken, showed little interest in
those who were striving to come up with him. Something far in advance
seemed to hold his attention.
Such was the situation, and the forward boat was within a furlong of the
western shore when Biggs suddenly held his paddle suspended as if he had
caught sight of some object that startled him. The next moment he flung
aside the implement, uttered a cry of terror and dived overboard. Hutt
was not five seconds behind him. Both stayed so long under water that
our friends suspected they were drowned, but the frowsy heads, one
without a hat, bobbed up at some distance from the boat, and they were
seen swimming furiously toward the northern bank, which was not far off.
They had not taken a dozen strokes when they dived again and went as far
under the surface as before. Thus diving, swimming and working
desperately, they quickly reached land, scrambled out, plunged in among
the trees and vanished as if Death himself were nipping at their heels.
Never was greater panic shown.
Doctor Spellman sat mute and motionless until the tramps had
disappeared. Then he turned his head:
“What do you make of that, Mike?”
The occasion was one of the rare ones when the Irish youth had nothing
to say. He sighed and shook his head; he couldn’t do justice to the
theme.
“Something scared both of them out of their wits. It couldn’t have been
on the shore ahead, for that’s too far off, nor on their right, for they
tried with might and main to reach land there.”
“Could it have been at the rear?” ventured Mike.
“That is toward us. _We_ couldn’t have caused them such alarm.”
“Mr. Hutt may have looked around and catched the frown on me brow; I’m
towld I have a tumble exprission when I’m mad.”
“It must be true to cause them thus to leap into clear spring water,
knowing it meant the coldest kind of a bath. No, Mike,” added the doctor
gravely, “they saw something _in the water_ that threw them into fits.
What could it be?”
This was the only theory possible and yet it simply deepened the
mystery. What could there be in the clear cool waters of Gosling Lake,
besides the different species of ordinary fishes that are taken with
hook and line? To Mike and the doctor the puzzle was more inexplainable
than before.
One conclusion, however, was warranted by what had occurred: if the
tramps had seen something which terrified them beyond imagination, what
was to prevent the man and youth from gaining a sight of the same
frightful object whatever it might be?
Now, while it cannot be denied that Dr. Spellman and Mike Murphy were
more than ordinarily brave, yet they felt a shrinking in stealing up to
the spot where the tramps had dived from the other canoe. It was their
ignorance of the character of the peril which affected them more than
any tangible danger could have done.
The doctor dipped his paddle in the water and gently swayed it. The boat
moved slowly toward the other canoe, drifting like an eggshell over the
placid surface. In leaping overboard, Buzby Biggs had flung the paddle
from him and it was seen floating a couple of rods distant from the
boat. Very slowly the doctor advanced until Mike leaned over and lifted
the implement into their craft. Then the man sheered his boat beside the
other and Mike, tossing the paddle into it, held it steady, and sat
down.
“Now, docther, we can manage it, I’m thinking,” remarked the youth,
looking up into the face that it seemed to him had gone a little pale.
“Can you find anything to explain the fright of the tramps, Mike?”
Both peered into the clear water, whose depth was too great for them to
see the bottom, but nothing rewarded their piercing scrutiny. And right
here a fact must be admitted which was not discreditable to either of
them. The breath of air that sighed over the lake had swept the empty
canoe fully a hundred feet from whence it was at the moment Buzby Biggs
dived overboard. It followed, therefore, that when Mike and the doctor
peered into the pellucid depths, it was not at the spot where the tramps
had descried something which unnerved them. Moreover, each of the
pursuers knew such was the case, but did not try to correct it nor did
either drop a hint of his knowledge until some time afterward.
It may be added that had the doctor and his young friend paddled a
little farther in the proper direction they would have solved the
mystery and been overcome probably by the same panic that had driven the
tramps overboard.
“Well,” said the physician, “there is nothing to be gained by staying
here. Let’s go to my home, have supper and spend the evening. I know my
wife will be glad to have you, and I suspect that Stubby feels a little
that way herself.”
“I hope so,” replied Mike feelingly; “I may as well confess that my main
purpose in going thither is to meet Sunbeam, as the callers used to say
regarding mesilf whin they purtended they wanted to see dad and mither.”
Paddling at a leisurely rate, they soon drew the two canoes up the bank
and stepped out. Mike paused and looked back.
“Can there be any fear of thim spalpeens poking round here while we’re
not in sight?”
“It seems unlikely; since they tried that sort of thing they have been
scared so fearfully that I think they will avoid us.”
“Docther, what could it have been that made them jump out of their boat
and swim and dive like two crazy persons?”
“I should give a good deal to be able to answer that question, but I
have no more idea than you. Let us try to content ourselves with the
belief that like the cause of Uncle Elk’s resentment toward me, it will
be made clear sooner or later.”
Before leaving the landing, as it may be called, they scanned the
surface of the lake. The doctor generally carried his binoculars and he
traced the margin clear around from their right back again to their
left. There stood the bungalow with the flag idly drooping from the
staff and several of the Scouts were seen lounging at the front. In no
other direction was a sign of life discerned.
“I cannot discover the other canoe,” remarked Dr. Spellman, passing the
glass to Mike at his side. “If the boys had returned, the boat would be
in sight by the bungalow; whoever used it, they are still absent.”
“They have landed and gone into the woods to look after birds or to
trace out other kinds of trees. They will be back before the set of
sun.”
“No doubt, unless,” added the doctor half in earnest, “they should
receive the same shock that struck Biggs and Hutt.”
“In that evint, they will be home still earlier.”
“Come on; I’m beginning to feel hungry.”
“And I’m wid ye there.”