READY FOR A CRUISE
“They’re slowing up!” cried Jerry. “They’re going to stop! We’ll get
’em now!”
Sure enough the _Dartaway_ was slackening speed. She was headed toward
shore. The _Terror_ was gaining rapidly now. Chief Dalton stood up and
drew his revolver in preparation of capturing the motor boat thieves.
But now the _Dartaway_ was so near shore that the men in her could
almost leap to the bank. They could be seen turning the wheel so as to
throw the craft parallel with the shore.
“They’re going to jump! We’ll lose ’em!” cried Ned.
“Let ’em go,” advised Bob. “All we want back is our boat and we’ll get
that.”
“That may suit you but it doesn’t me,” spoke the chief of police
grimly. “I’m after thieves and I’m going to get ’em. They may not be
the men I want, but I’ll catch ’em just the same and find out what
they’re up to.”
But it looked as if the chief would have no easy task to secure the
motor boat thieves. For, the next instant the pair leaped ashore,
splashing through the shallow water near the edge, and leaving the
_Dartaway_ to continue on from the momentum it had gathered.
With a whirl of the wheel the _Terror_ was headed toward shore. The
chief and some of his men prepared to make a quick landing.
“As soon as we get ashore I’ll have the engineer put you out where
you can get your boat,” the chief said. “I’ve got to take after those
fellows!”
“We’ll be with you as soon as we secure the _Dartaway_!” cried Jerry.
“That’s what!” chimed in Ned and Bob.
With drawn revolvers the chief and his men leaped toward shore, not
waiting until their boat was at the bank, but splashing through the
water as the thieves had done. As soon as they were off the engineer of
the _Terror_ put his craft after the boys’ boat.
In a little while the boys were aboard. They soon satisfied themselves
that no great damage had been done, nor had anything of value been
taken. The thieves had evidently made themselves at home, since the
lockers were pretty well emptied of food.
The _Terror_ had put back to where the chief and his men disembarked.
Jerry set the engine of the _Dartaway_ going and soon found it was in
good order. Then, with Ned at the wheel, the craft was turned around
and headed back toward where the thieves had jumped off. The boys
landed at about the same spot, and moored their craft to a big tree.
“Look there!” exclaimed Jerry pointing to a soft place in the mud on
the river’s bank.
Ned and Bob glanced to where he indicated. There in the soil were the
marks of several large foot-prints, and, conspicuous among them were
several in the sole of which was the mark of an arrow, made in hob
nails.
“The same man who took our boat stuck by her until the end,” said
Jerry. “Come on; let’s go after the chief.”
Calling to the engineer of the _Terror_ to have an eye on their boat,
the boys raced up the bank and across the fields in the direction the
police posse had taken. As they started to run they heard the sound of
several revolver shots.
“They’re fighting!” cried Jerry. “Come on!”
The boys needed no urging. They raced at top speed in the direction
of the shots. As they topped a small hill they could see in a valley
below them, two roughly dressed men running away from the chief and his
officers, who were a quarter of a mile behind. As they watched they saw
the chief raise his revolver and fire twice into the air.
“He don’t want to hit them, he’s only trying to scare them into
stopping!” cried Ned. “Come on!”
Down the hill they raced, losing sight of the pursued and the pursuers
as they got below the hill top. Still they could hear the shouts of the
police.
The chase was now on in earnest. But it was a stern one and likely to
prove a long one. The boys, in about five minutes, caught up to one of
the officers, and raced along with him. They could hear the crashing
of the underbrush as policemen ahead of them raced through it. The
chief fired several more shots, but, the boat thieves were not to be
intimidated, and did not halt.
In a little while the boys came up to the chief. He and the leaders
were panting from the run.
“Have you lost them?” asked Jerry.
“I’m afraid so,” said the chief. “They turned into a swamp, and I’m not
familiar enough with it to make it worth while to go in. I’m going
to get help from the local authorities and surround the place. Then
perhaps I can catch them.”
“Can we take any message for you?” asked Jerry. “I think we’d better be
going back. It’s getting dark and I don’t suppose you can do anything
more this evening.”
“I don’t believe I can,” admitted the chief. “I guess we’ll all go
back. I’ve done my part in this. Let the local constables finish where
I left off. I’ve run their men to cover now let ’em get ’em out.”
“Anyhow you got back our boat for us,” said Jerry, “and we’re much
obliged for that.”
Rather tired from the chase and the excitement, the boys and the
policemen retraced their steps to the river. They found the two boats
awaiting them.
“Did they do any damage to your craft?” asked the chief of Jerry.
“None that I could notice, but I didn’t make a close examination,”
replied the boy. “Come aboard, you’ve never been on her.”
“Thanks,” replied the chief, and, as his men got into the _Terror_, he
stepped into the _Dartaway_. As he did so he uttered an exclamation.
“What’s the matter? Is she leaking?” asked Jerry in alarm.
“No, but see what I found!” the chief said, holding up a small object
he picked from the cockpit of the _Dartaway_.
“What is it?” asked Ned.
“A diamond ring,” said the chief. “It is one of several stolen,
together with the money, from the Northville store. There’s no doubt
now but that the motor boat thieves and those who robbed the store are
the same. My! But I wish I could have caught them!”
He placed the ring in his pocket, and, after a look over the boys’
craft, prepared to return to his own.
“Maybe the thieves left some cash behind as well as a ring,” suggested
Jerry.
“No such luck,” the chief made answer as he went over the side. “Well,
are you boys going down the river?”
“I think we’ll put up at the hotel in Northville, if there is one,”
said Jerry. “It’s too long a trip to go back to Cresville to-night.”
“That’s a good idea,” said the chief. “I think I’ll do the same.
Just come along with me and I’ll see that you are accommodated with
lodgings. I’ll swear you in as my deputies,” he said with a laugh, “and
it won’t cost you anything. Besides I may need your help.”
Just as the two boats were making ready for the trip down the river
there was a movement on shore. The bushes parted and a roughly dressed
man, with what seemed to be a week’s growth of beard on his face,
stepped out.
“Can any of you gentlemen oblige a poor tired wayfarer with a lift down
this placid stream?” he asked with a bow which took in both parties.
At the sound of his voice the boys started. They wondered where they
had heard those tones before.
“Who are you and what do you want?” asked the chief sternly. “They
don’t deal very lightly with tramps in these parts. You’d better clear
out. We’re police officers.”
“Glad to meet you. I am the Duke of Wellington,” said the tramp in airy
tones.
At that answer the chief gave a start, and then tried to appear as
if nothing had happened. But Jerry who was watching intently, saw an
almost imperceptible sign pass between the chief and the ragged man.
“Oh, if you’re the Duke, I suppose we’ll have to accommodate you,” the
chief replied. “You can come in my boat if you want to.”
Then, to the no small astonishment of the policemen, the tramp climbed
aboard the _Terror_, which, with a throb of the engine started down
the river. The _Dartaway_ put after her at full speed.
“Well, I must say we’ve had plenty of excitement for one spell,”
observed Jerry.
“And there may be more,” said Ned.
“What makes you think so?”
“Because of that tramp,” and Ned indicated the one aboard the _Terror_.
“There’s something strange about him. Does he remind you of any one?”
“There!” exclaimed Jerry. “I was wondering where I had heard that voice
before. He’s the tramp who was asleep on the hay barge. I wonder what
he’s doing around here, and so friendly with the police.”
“There’s something behind all this,” observed Ned. “We must keep our
eyes open.”
The boys’ craft soon caught up to the police boat which was more
heavily laden, and the two proceeded down the stream toward Northville.
It was after dark when they tied up at a dock, and, making their boat
snug proceeded to follow the lead of Chief Dalton.
“Is it safe to leave our boat here?” asked Jerry.
“I guess so,” replied the officer. “I’m going to have a man on guard
all night. I guess the thieves won’t come back. Come ahead; we’ll go to
the hotel and have supper.”
Jerry and Bob walked on ahead with the main body of policemen, but Ned,
who lingered to get from the locker a better coat than the one he was
wearing, the other boys having changed garments before, found himself
close behind the chief and tramp who were walking up from the river
together.
“Any luck?” Ned heard the chief ask the ragged man in a low voice.
“I think I’ve discovered the cave where they hide the stuff,” was the
cautious rejoinder. “It’s about where--”
In his eagerness to walk softly and hear what was being said, which
perhaps he had no right to do, Ned stepped on a piece of wood that
broke with a sharp crack. The two men turned suddenly.
“As I was saying,” the tramp spoke suddenly in a loud voice, evidently
for the benefit of any listeners, “I have tramped many weary miles, and
have eaten scarcely anything. I am too ill to work, and I don’t know
where I am to sleep to-night.”
The jingling sound of money passing from the chief’s hand to that of
the tramp could be heard.
“Now you’d better clear out of here,” said the police officer sternly.
“It isn’t a healthy place for tramps. If I catch you loafing around I’m
going to lock you up.”
“You’ll never catch me,” the tramp said with a laugh as he moved away
in the darkness. “I’ll clear out.”
“Odd character,” the chief remarked turning back to Ned. “Sometimes I
feel sorry for those fellows. Some of ’em are all right, but luck is
against ’em. Well, I expect you are hungry.”
“Oh I can eat a little,” replied Ned, puzzling his brains over the
strange scene he had witnessed. But the chief was evidently not
inclined to talk about it, and Ned did not feel like asking.
In a little while the whole party was at the hotel, where a meal was
served. Then the boys, having sent telegrams home, stating they were
all well and would be home the following day, went to bed.
The next day they returned Mr. Johnson’s boat and went home.
For a week after this the boys dug away at their examinations and,
though they were, perhaps, thinking more of what they would do in
vacation than about their studies, they all managed to pass with good
averages.
“Now for a long cruise down to Lake Cantoga!” exclaimed Jerry on the
afternoon of the last day of school. “I’m going to tie a stone to my
books and anchor ’em out in the middle of the river. When I want ’em
again I hope the fishes will have eaten ’em up!”
The boys arranged to leave the Tuesday following the last Friday at
school. Bob and Jerry were early down at the boathouse that morning.
Ned had promised to be on hand early but, for some unaccountable reason
was late.
“I wonder what’s keeping him,” said Jerry.
“Here he comes now,” spoke Bob, “and he’s running as if something had
happened.”