Messenger No. 48 Part 44

"It hasn't been a bad forenoon's work," the amateur detective said, as he wiped the perspiration from his face, for the mental anxiety of the past few hours had caused the big drops to flow down his cheeks as the heat of the sun never could have done.

"What are we going to do with him?"

"Take him back to the camp, of course. It won't pay to let him out of our sight until the officers take charge of affairs."

Before making preparations for the return, Jet scanned closely the sh.o.r.es of the islands, which were situated nearer the opposite side of the lake, hoping to discover some signs of Bob and Sam; but in this he was disappointed.

Nothing in the shape of a boat could be seen, and he said to the small guide:

"I'm afraid they have gone into the other lake."

"It doesn't seem reasonable, and I shan't believe it until we have searched over all those islands."

"How can we do that now we've got this fellow to look out for."

"That's what you must figger out; I'm willin' to carry out whatever you say."

"Of course the first thing is to get back to the camp. Do you suppose we can load that fellow into the boat so in case the men are where our movements may be seen they won't suspect it is a human being."

"Cover him over with a lot of pine boughs."

"That's the idea. Come on; we have no time to lose, for we must do something toward finding the others before night."

Jim hastily gathered an armful of branches and threw them over the prisoner, completely concealing his form, and then the boys carried him to the boat much as if he had been nothing more than a log of wood.

The fellow was laid in the bottom of the craft, and around him were packed the goods he had stolen from the camp.

"It will load the old boat down pretty heavy; but there's no wind blowing, an' we shan't have a very hard pull back," Jim said, as he took his place at the oars, leaving Jet to push off.

It was not much past noon when the start was effected, and the boys had the supreme satisfaction of knowing that the most important of their human game had not been warned of what was being done.

"Say, how would it do to move our camp down opposite Dollar Island after dark?" Jim asked, when they were some distance from the sh.o.r.e.

"We could then take the chances of running over to search the place, and wouldn't have so far to go."

"We'll try it," Jet replied, as he steered the boat away from the islands.

When the two arrived at the camp the prisoner was carried into the shanty, and there so covered with boughs and blankets that any one pa.s.sing would not have had any suspicion a human being was concealed in the vicinity.

A hearty dinner was next on the programme, and then arrangements were made for moving camp.

Jim thought they would not be warranted in building a shanty at the proposed halting-place, unless loose brush could be found, since the noise of an axe might betray their whereabouts, and he also decided against a fire.

"I'll cook up a lot of stuff this afternoon," he said, "and then we must get along with cold grub. Can't you catch some fish while I'm working over there?"

Jet rowed the boat a short distance out into the lake, and soon had all he could do to attend to his line, so rapidly did the finny denizens of the water attack the bait.

He brought ash.o.r.e as many as would serve them for food during the next three days, and the small guide cooked every one.

All this work was not completed until after nightfall, and Jim was eager to be off.

"It is so dark that they can't see us now," he said, "and after the moon rises things will be different."

"We'll feed the prisoner, for I reckon he needs something by this time."

Jet removed the gag, while Jim stood over the fellow with a c.o.c.ked revolver, and a plentiful supply of fish, bacon, and water was put in his mouth, after which he was "bottled up" again, as the guide expressed it.

The craft was loaded as before; but this time Jet took the oars, because Jim was so well acquainted with the lake that he was needed at the helm.

"Be careful not to run too near the islands," the amateur detective said, as he made ready for work, "and after we start not a word must be spoken, for sound travels farther on the water than the land."

"Don't pull too hard, and be careful about splas.h.i.+ng with the oars."

"Shove off, I'm ready."

During the next hour nothing was said. The little boat moved silently through the waters, and at the end of this time Jet could see the loom of the islands on the right.

They were near the proposed camping-place, and every precaution should be observed.

Suddenly Jim leaned forward, touched his companion on the arm, and pointed to the right.

A light as from a camp-fire could be seen among the trees, and the small guide whispered triumphantly:

"I told you they were there."

"Then we must contrive to get hold of one or both in the morning. It won't pay to wait for the officers."

CHAPTER XXVII

RECONNOITERING

The small guide steered the boat into the mouth of a tiny creek as skillfully as if it had been noonday, and when her bow grounded motioned for Jet to step ash.o.r.e.

Then he followed the example and hauled her farther up to prevent any possibility of the craft's drifting away, after which he stood motionless as if awaiting orders.

"How far from here do you count on camping?" Jet asked, in a cautious whisper.

"A short bit straight back is a thick clump of cedars. We could stay there a month without being seen, no matter how many people might come on the lake."

"Take hold of the fellow's feet, and I'll carry his head. He'd better be taken care of first."

Jim obeyed, and thus loaded down led the way to the place he had described.

It was, indeed, just such a spot as Jet would have asked for.

The cedars, with their branches growing to the very ground, covered about fifty square feet of s.p.a.ce, and through the center of this apparently impenetrable thickness ran the stream at whose mouth the boat had been brought.