TO THE RESCUE OF K. K.
Hugh would really have been better satisfied if he could have hurried
away without seeing K. K.'s mother. He feared that she might delay
progress more or less, and at such a time every minute counted.
But at the same time he realized that the poor lady was in a dreadful
state of mind. It was necessary then that he try and soothe her
anxiety, for, as Horatio knew very well, Hugh Morgan had a way of
making other people feel the utmost confidence in him.
"Well, let's see K. K.'s mother, Horatio; but we mustn't waste much
time. We'll have to get her permission to run the car. I only hope
there's a decent supply of gas aboard, or in the garage."
Accordingly, Horatio led him into another room, where they found Mrs.
Kinkaid in a dreadfully nervous condition. She jumped to her feet on
discovering that Horatio had another boy with him, and then upon
seeing that it was not the one her heart was yearning after she
uttered a pitiful wail, and fell back into her chair again.
Hugh wasted no time, but commenced telling her something of what he
had heard from Horatio, connected with K. K.'s foolish determination
to take in the entire course as though in the race.
"Of a certainty he's fallen and sprained an ankle somewhere along
that cross-country road, Mrs. Kinkaid," he ended with. "We mean to
gather a few of the fellows, and if you'll give us permission to use
your big car we intend to run up there and look that road over from
end to end. There is no doubt but what we'll find K. K. and fetch
him back with us. So please try and feel that things will turn out
all right. Make up your mind we won't come back without him, that's
all there is to it."
Somehow the very confidence shown in Hugh's words seemed to pass
along to the almost distracted lady. Her eyes lighted up with
renewed courage, and she even smiled, though wanly, it must be
confessed. But then Hugh was pretty much of a magician in regard to
arousing a feeling of hope in the most depressed mind.
"You are a thousand times welcome to the car," she hurriedly assured
him; "and anything else you might want. It is dreadfully unfortunate
Mr. Kinkaid is away on one of his usual business trips to the west,
or he would insist on going with you. But I feel certain, Hugh, you
will manage things splendidly, and a mother's prayers will go after
you, that you may not only find my boy, but that he may not have been
seriously injured."
"Then we'll not linger any longer, ma'am," said Hugh, eager to be on
the move.
Horatio wrapped himself up warmly, and the two of them shot out of
the door.
"Now, what first, Hugh?"
Hugh seemed to have mapped out a plan of campaign in his mind, for he
answered without hesitation.
"We must pick up several of the fellows--Thad for one, then Owen
Dugdale would be another good hand at hunting for a lost party; and,
well, Julius Hobson for the third. That will make five in
all,--enough to search the quarry road from end to end. Besides, we
ought to carry several lanterns, because, while there is a moon, I
reckon we'll find it far from light along that overgrown trail."
"You just think of everything, Hugh," remarked Horatio, wonderingly.
"Let's get the car, first of all," Hugh continued shrewdly, "because
it can save us many steps in picking up the other fellows."
By this time they were at the Kinkaid home. Horatio was well
acquainted with the premises, as he had played with K. K. since they
were small boys together. Hugh had been told where the key of the
garage was hidden, and quickly discovered it hanging on a concealed
nail.
"Wait till I throw the switch, and light up," said Horatio, for they
had electricity at the Kinkaid place, and, of course, a bulb lighted
in the garage was considered much safer than a lantern.
As soon as the illumination came both boys set about examining the
big touring car that occupied the garage.
"Bully!" ejaculated Horatio, after making the rounds with suspended
breath; "all the tires are as hard as anything. How about the supply
of gas, Hugh?" for his companion had occupied himself with making an
examination of the tank.
"Plenty to carry us up and back twice over!" cried the delighted
Hugh. "This is what I call great luck. I was afraid there would be
a tire that needed changing; or else no gasolene at all. K. K.
didn't realize how kind he was to himself when he fitted up the old
car so handsomely, for some purpose."
"Oh!" chuckled Horatio, "mebbe I know why. You see, there's going to
be another barn dance next Tuesday night up at Bailey's, and I think
K. K. asked a girl to go with him and Peggy Noland and Owen Dugdale.
Yes, he even told me there was still room for two more, if I could
coax somebody to keep me company."
Hugh busied himself in starting the car going. He knew considerable
about mechanics, as most boys of the present generation do, since
automobiles have become so very common. Running it out of the garage
Hugh bade Horatio "hop aboard," which that worthy did without a
second invitation.
"Better get Thad first of all, I reckon," suggested Hugh, as though
he might even have figured out how best to save themselves from any
unnecessary delay; "then we can clip around to Julius Hobson's place,
and pick up Owen last on our way out of town."
The program suited Horatio first class. Indeed, he had such perfect
confidence in Hugh that anything the other said carried conviction
along with it. It is a fine thing for any boy to have aroused such a
spirit of trust in the minds of his comrades that they look up to him
as a sort of natural leader, and obey his slightest wish without
hesitation. But Hugh bore his honors with humility, and never
attempted to display the attributes of a czar.
Great was the astonishment of Thad Stevens when he found two excited
fellows demanding that he bundle up and go with them for a night ride
up to the abandoned quarry that had gained such a bad reputation
among the country folks residing roundabout.
The story was partly told in rapid-fire style, enough of it, at
least, to cause Thad to bounce into his heavy coat, and provide
himself with a lantern. He expected to become better informed from
time to time as they pushed along the road.
Next came Julius Hobson. They found him at home also, and, of
course, he was duly worked up on hearing how poor K. K. had never
returned home from his run over the long course of fifteen miles.
When he heard that they needed lanterns Julius produced a new
electric flashlight which he had received for a birthday present, and
Hugh said it would do very well as an additional means of
illumination.
Last of all they stopped at the home of Owen Dugdale, the dark-faced
lad who lived with his grandfather in a big house, and about whom
there had at one time been quite a little halo of mystery hanging.
["The Chums of Scranton High on Deck."]
Again was the main fact mentioned concerning the necessity for a
searching party starting forth to find poor K. K. Owen did not have
to be urged to join the bunch; indeed, he showed himself eager to
accompany them.
"I can fetch a lantern, if you want me to, Hugh," he observed; "and
say, do you know I'm of a mind to carry my new shotgun that I had
given to me just last month, when Grandfather concluded I was old
enough to want to go hunting. If we have to chase all around through
that place there's so many queer stories told about we might as well
be fixed so as to protect ourselves."
"Huh!" snorted Horatio Juggins, skeptically, "I've always heard that
ghosts don't mind ordinary birdshot any more'n an alligator would.
But then fetch it along, Owen; it'll no doubt make us feel a little
better when we find ourselves up in that terribly lonely tract of
country. And who knows but what there might be a stray wildcat
abroad in those woods. Such things have been heard of, and I even
saw the skin of a whopper shown in the market."
So Owen carried out his design, and when he got aboard the big car he
took with him not only a lantern, well filled with oil, but also his
brand new twelve-gauge shotgun.
At last they were off. Every fellow felt a peculiar sense of
exhilaration that possibly even bordered on anticipation, take
possession of him; for the future was there before them all unknown.
Who could say what strange adventures might befall them before this
undertaking was finished?
Of course they had the headlights turned on at full force, and Hugh
at the wheel found no difficulty in keeping the middle of the road.
He did not mean to pursue a reckless pace, because, if they met with
an accident it would spoil all their plans. Better to go at an
ordinary rate of speed, and make haste slowly, so to speak.
Meanwhile there was a clatter of tongues aboard the big car. Julius,
Thad and Owen had dozens of pertinent questions ready to fire at
Horatio, who was kept busy making illuminating replies. Thus the
trio learned how K. K. had unwisely determined to cover the entire
course and only whispered his intention to his chum, Horatio, at the
same time binding him to silence, for fear lest Mr. Leonard put a
damper on his plans by vetoing the scheme in the start.
Then suggestions began to flow like water after a storm. All sorts
of possibilities covering such a strange disappearance were advanced.
Owen believed that Horatio was not far amiss when he declared there
might be something in that ghost business, after all; and that poor
K. K. had found it out to his cost; though, beyond this broad
statement, Owen declined to commit himself, because he, of course,
could not imagine what a genuine ghost would look like, in the
daytime at that; or what such an apparition would be likely to do to
a boy who had had the ill-luck to fall into its clutches.
A dozen additional ideas were advanced, some of them bordering on the
absurd and others really plausible. The unlimited resources of a
boy's fertile mind in conjuring up remarkable explanations in a
mysterious case like the one now engaging their attention had not yet
been reached at the time Hugh suddenly announced they were close to
the place where the abandoned quarry road started in from the
thoroughfare they were then following.
"We just passed the twin oaks I remember stood alongside the road on
the left," he explained, at the same time slowing up considerably;
"and they are close to the turning-in place. I noticed them in
particular, you see, because I didn't want to lose even three seconds
when on the run, in searching for some sign of the spot; though, of
course, I could have looked for the marks of our tires left there at
the time we came back from our nutting excursion, and went through to
the other road. Yes, here we are right now, and I'm going to turn
in, boys."
He negotiated the turn without accident, though the branches of the
trees did scrape against the sides of the car in a way that made some
of the occupants shudder; for already they were beginning to feel a
trace of the uneasiness that their gruesome surroundings were apt to
arouse within their boyish hearts.