THE END OF GOLDEN PEAK
"Does it rise very fast, Frank?"
"Yes, she's coming up at a pretty good speed. We haven't much time to
spare. We want to get away before dark if we can."
"Then come on up to the top where Billy is," and Andy began making his
way up the side of Golden Peak.
He and his brother had gone from the treasure cave to the edge of the
fast-forming lake to note the rise of the water, and having ascertained
that the rate was quite rapid they were ready to proceed with the work
of making the raft, and sending up the smoke signal. Billy had gone up
toward the summit, taking the horses and pack animals with him, and
also the store of gold.
"First we'll cut down as many trees as we think we'll need," suggested
Frank, when the three were together again. "Then we can bind them
tightly with these vines and our ropes. Andy and I will do that, and
you can make the fire, Billy."
"All right," agreed the ranch lad. "Only it's getting so hazy that our
smoke isn't going to be seen a great distance."
"All the more need of hurrying then," said Frank, as he gazed off
across the lake. He could scarcely see the big dam, some miles away, on
account of the haze that hung over the water. The ranch buildings were
altogether out of sight.
"But the smoke may rise above the mist," reasoned the elder Racer lad.
"I hope so, at any rate."
Rapidly he and Andy cut down small trees. They would not need many to
make a raft capable of supporting themselves. As for the animals, they
would have to take their chances.
The rain still continued, and Billy knew the river, in dry times a
small stream, must be greatly increased in volume. He soon had a fire
going, and a thick cloud of smoke arose, swirling this way and that--an
excellent signal of distress if it could be observed.
"I wonder how they can rescue us?" asked Andy, as he made the last chop
at a small tree, felling it.
"In a boat, of course," said Frank.
"Uncle has a boat," put in Billy. "He had it built for use on the lake.
It's a big barge, and will hold several horses. In fact, it's a sort of
ferry, for he calculated that he might want to send some of the ponies
or farm machinery from one end of the lake to the other after the dam
was built. Now, if he would only send that for us we'd be all right."
"Maybe he will," suggested Frank, hopefully. "Anyhow, keep the fire
going. Now, Andy, I think we've got enough trees down. Let's see what
sort of a raft we can make."
It was a crude affair that was soon in process of construction, but it
would answer the purpose of saving the lads, though it would not hold
the horses.
"It isn't going to be very hard to launch," commented Andy, when it was
almost completed. "All we'll have to do will be to get on it and wait
for the water to float it."
"And that won't be long, for she's rising fast," said Frank.
It was indeed so, as they could tell by looking down the slope of the
hill. Tree landmarks that had been wholly out of the water were now
almost covered. It would not be long before the whole of Golden Peak
was submerged.
Several hours passed. The raft was completed, but there was no need to
go to the laborious work of getting it down the side of the hill to the
level of the lake. The lake itself would rise up soon enough to float
it.
"Another foot will do the business," said Frank, in a quiet voice, as
he noted the water lapping the stones and bushes about twelve inches
from where the raft rested.
"Then we might as well get on and wait," suggested Andy. "We've got the
gold as secure as we can make it."
"All right," agreed Billy. "I guess I may as well let the fire go out.
They don't seem to have seen our smoke." He tossed on a final armful of
wet leaves to make a thicker smudge, and gazed off through the mist for
a sign of rescue. But he saw none.
The boys got on the frail raft. As they did so the horses and burros
came closer to them. The animals seemed pitifully frightened.
"Good-bye, Buffalo!" exclaimed Billy, as he patted the faithful steed.
"I hate to leave you, old fellow, but it's got to be. Maybe you can
swim ashore."
Buffalo whinnied and stretched out his velvety nose for a caress.
There were tears in Billy's eyes, and those of Frank and Andy were not
altogether free from moisture, for they had grown to care very much for
the animals they had ridden over the prairies.
A half hour passed. Frank, who had been looking at the water from time
to time, suddenly uttered an exclamation.
"What is it?" asked his brother. "Do you see anything?"
"Yes!" cried Frank. "I see that the water hasn't risen an inch in the
last half hour. Before that it was going up at the rate of nearly a
foot an hour."
"Are you sure?" cried Andy.
"I certainly am. I've been watching that yellow rock there, wondering
when it would be covered, but the water has been lapping at the base of
it more than thirty minutes."
"What does that mean?" asked Andy, anxiously.
"That the lake has stopped rising," said Frank quickly. "Either it has
reached its limit, or they have suspected something wrong at the dam,
and opened the gates."
"It hasn't reached its limit," declared Billy, "for when it does this
hill will be covered. It's away below the top of the dam."
"Then they know we're here and they've opened the gates!" cried Frank.
"Boys, I believe we're going to be rescued!"
"And I know it!" yelled Andy, suddenly leaping to his feet. "We _are_
rescued, fellows! There's the boat now!"
His cry of joy was answered by a shout, and from out the mist on the
lake, straight for Golden Peak, came a large barge or flat-bottom
ferryboat, propelled by long sweeps in the hands of the lusty cowboys.
In the middle of the craft stood Mr. Thornton.
"Boys! Boys!" he cried in eager tones, "are you safe? Oh, what a narrow
escape! Are you all right?"
"Yes, Uncle!" cried Billy. "We were just going to launch our ship when
you hove in sight. Did you see our smoke signal?"
"We did, and that's why I had the gate opened. The waters are going
down now. Oh, that scoundrel! To bring word that you had left the Peak!
That's why I closed the openings in the dam. Oh! if I catch the rascals
I'll fix them for this!"
"Did they say we had gone?" asked Frank.
"That's what they did--some days ago, or I never would have allowed the
water to rise. But, thank Providence, you are safe. Get aboard now, and
bring the horses, too. And so you were going to sail on the raft."
"That's what we were," said Billy. "The Racer boys thought of that
scheme."
"Well, get aboard the barge," advised his uncle, as he gazed admiringly
at the brave lads. "What have you in those bags?" and he pointed to the
gold.
"That," said Frank, and he could not keep a note of satisfaction from
his voice; "that is the treasure of Golden Peak!"
"The treasure of Golden Peak?" cried Mr. Thornton. "Are you joking? Was
there a treasure?"
"There was!" cried his nephew, "and we got it," and then, when they had
all boarded the barge, though it was no easy work to induce the animals
to embark, the boys told their story, while the cowboys propelled the
boat toward the lower end of the lake.
"Well, you certainly are the luckiest chaps I ever saw," said Mr.
Thornton. "And it all happened just as you guessed. There must
have been a traitor among the construction gang, who informed the
Shackmiller crowd of your plans. We thought you had gone camping
somewhere else as you said you would.
"Then, when you did not come home, after the rain kept up, your aunt
got worried. I tried to tell her it was all right, but she insisted
that we go out and hunt you up. We were just starting when one of
my men saw the smoke on Golden Peak. Then I guessed the truth and I
ordered the gates of the dam opened, so the waters would stop rising."
"And only just in time, too," said Frank. "We were so busy in the cave,
getting out the gold, that we never noticed the rising waters, or we
might have escaped unaided."
"But what about those men who made trouble for you?" asked Billy of his
uncle.
"Oh, they've cleared out," said Mr. Thornton. "I've got them just where
I want them, now. Though I did go ahead without any legal authority
and flood this region I was within my rights for, only yesterday, I
succeeded--or rather, my lawyers did--in getting full title to the land
in dispute. There is no doubt now that Golden Peak, and the approach to
it, is mine beyond question. And it will soon be where no one can get
at it, for I'm going to let the waters rise again as soon as we land,
and Golden Peak will be no more--that is unless there is more gold
there."
"No, I think we got all there was," said Frank. "I'm glad we dug it out
when we had the chance. This is the first treasure hunt I was ever on."
"And very successful," added Andy. "Say, but things have been happening
lately. I wonder what's next on the list?"
What was, and what share the Racer boys had in some further adventures,
will be told of in the next volume of this series, to be called "The
Racer Boys on Guard, Or, The Rebellion at Riverview Hall."
It did not take long to reach the dam, where the boat was moored, and
then the Racer boys, and their chum, with Mr. Thornton and the cowboys,
rode across the prairie to the ranch. The gates in the dam were closed,
and that night Golden Peak disappeared forever under the waters of the
irrigation lake.
There is little more to tell. The treasure did not amount to as much as
the boys had hoped it would, but still it was a substantial sum.
"Besides, look at the fun we had!" exclaimed Andy.
"That's all you think of," complained his brother, with a laugh.
"Well, haven't we a right to, after what we've gone through?" asked
Andy.
"I should say so," agreed Billy. "Oh, but I'm glad you boys came West
with me! I've never had such a fine summer."
"And we got the best of Shackmiller and his crowd," commented Frank.
"You won't have anything to fear now, when you come back to Riverview
Hall, Billy."
"That's right, though I don't know whether I'll come back or not."
As Frank had said, the Shackmillers were completely routed. The twin
brothers disappeared after Sam had recovered from his injuries.
Later it was learned that Bruce Shackmiller had played the part of
the hypocrite while being taken care of at Double X ranch. It was he
who had taken the valuable paper and escaped in the night, though
the document did him no good. As for the others who had sought the
treasure of Golden Peak, and claimed the land that was rightfully Mr.
Thornton's, they, too, went their several ways, it not being thought
worth while to seek to bring them to justice, even though they had
tried their best to endanger the lives of our heroes.
"And now for a good gallop!" cried Andy, one day, as he and his brother
and chum leaped on the backs of their horses.
"I'm glad we could save them," said Frank, as he called to his mount to
leap ahead and get on even terms with his brother's. "I never knew I
could like a horse so."
"He's yours--to keep," said Billy quickly. "And so is Andy's. Uncle
said I could give them to you."
"He did?" cried the Racer boys. "Whoop! That's great!" and away they
dashed over the sun-lit prairie, toward the big dam, behind which the
waters of the lake sparkled bright. And there we will take leave of
them.
THE END
* * * * *
BOOKS BY CLARENCE YOUNG
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