The Young Oarsmen of Lakeview Part 53

"You are sure?" demanded Jerry and Harry, in a breath.

"Yes. The boat had the name Redeye painted on the stern. If I remember rightly, she belongs to a tough crowd of fishermen from Long Lake."

"Where is she now?" demanded Harry.

"Back there, somewhere."

"We must follow that boat; eh, Jerry?"

"I am willing," replied the young oarsman.

"You may have lively times with that crowd," put in Jack Broxton with a grave shake of his head.

"We'll risk it," answered Harry. He was thinking of his missing gold watch.

The course of the Whistler was changed, and soon they rounded the sh.o.r.e of the island Jack Broxton had pointed out.

Sure enough, there was the Redeye, with all sails set, making up the lake.

Near the stern stood Si Peters, Wash Crosby and several rascally looking men.

"They have discovered that we are after them," cried Jerry, a few minutes later. "See, they are crowding on all sail!"

The young oarsman was right. Leaving the vicinity of the islands, the other craft stood out boldly into the lake, and cut the water like a knife.

"She's a good one," observed Jack Broxton.

The Whistler already had all sails out; and thus the craft went on, neither gaining nor losing for half an hour.

Then darkness settled over the lake, and the wind fell flat.

"We've lost them now," said Harry, dismally.

"It's a good thing the wind has fallen," replied Jerry.

"How so?"

"As soon as it is dark enough we can take the row-boat and follow in that."

"That's an idea."

Soon night had settled over Lake Otasco. Then our hero and Harry lost no time in entering the tender of the Whistler.

"Make as little noise as possible," cautioned Jerry.

He was in the bow peering ahead, while Harry was at the oars.

So they went on a distance of a quarter of a mile.

"See anything?" whispered Harry.

"Not yet. Pull in a little closer to sh.o.r.e. I have an idea Peters and Crosby may land somewhere around here."

"Like as not that is their game."

On they went, the darkness growing more intense as they proceeded. There was no moon, and the stars shone but faintly in the blue vault overhead.

Suddenly Jerry held up his hand as a sign to Harry to stop rowing.

Instantly his chum raised the oars.

"What do you see?" he whispered.

"Something ahead--I can't make out just what yet."

Several minutes of breathless silence followed. Then Jerry bent back.

"The Redeye is just ahead, but I believe Si Peters and Wash Crosby have already left her."

A second later a low but clear cry rang out:

"You left that bundle behind, Crosby!"

"Never mind, I don't want the old suit," was the reply, coming from some distance in toward sh.o.r.e.

"That settles it," whispered Jerry. "Crosby and Peters are in a row-boat pulling for sh.o.r.e, beyond a doubt."

"That's all right," replied Harry. "I would rather tackle them than all those on the Redeye."

"So would I."

The row-boat was headed for the west.

How far off the sh.o.r.e was they did not know.

They had located the voice of Crosby and now steered in the direction.

Jerry at the bow continued to keep his ears on the alert.

"A little to the right, now," he said. "That's it. If you don't make too much noise we'll surprise them completely."

"I think the best thing we can do is to follow them after they land, until they reach some place where we can have them locked up, Jerry."

"That is certainly a good plan. It will save us the trouble of dragging them off to jail, if we are fortunate enough to capture them."

Harry's plan was accepted, and on they went.

"Look!" cried Jerry, presently, and pointed down the sh.o.r.e.