Auto Boys' Mystery Read online

  CHAPTER V

  "WHO SAID I WAS AFRAID?"

  For Billy's information the developments of the afternoon were toldand retold when all were again together in the camp. There was muchdiscussion, too, concerning the advisability of causing the arrest ofthe man in the golfing cap and, possibly, Nels Anderson as well.

  Meantime Billy had announced supper. It was a most tempting little mealwith warm soda biscuits and honey as the chief items. The former ChefWorth had prepared during the afternoon and the latter he had caused tobe brought from Fraley's in anticipation of his having the biscuits ready.

  No doubt it was at the comfortable old farm home of Tyler Gleason that thefour chums had developed a marked fondness for the delicacies mentioned,as readers of "The Auto Boys" will remember; but be that as it may, theyenjoyed the change from the usual camp fare hugely.

  As has been stated, there was no little discussion as to whether theStaretta officers should be asked to arrest and hold the stranger atNels Anderson's until he could be positively identified as Grandall, thedishonest Longknives' treasurer. Phil Way declared firmly that this mustbe done.

  "Personally, I don't see any sense in mixing up in an affair that doesn'treally matter much to us!" exclaimed MacLester. He had been quiet fora long time. When he did speak it was with hard emphasis in his voice."Murky and Grandall and the whole outfit that got away with the cash theroad builders should have had--well! we don't usually have much to dowith such people and no good will come of our beginning now," the boyadded.

  For a moment Chip Slider's face wore a look of anger. Perhaps he thoughtDave's latter remark was aimed at him. But he said nothing.

  Phil looked at MacLester in a significant manner, as if he would cautionhim against speaking so. Yet, "No use growling, Davy," were the wordshe said. Then he added that such a thing as duty must be taken intoconsideration; that one who has knowledge of a crime and conceals it isregarded by the law the same as if he actually shielded the wrong-doer.

  "Gee whiz! I should say so," piped Paul Jones with shrill emphasis. "We'dbe a pack of softies if we let Grandall and Murky, and the rest, getaway, after all we know now!"

  When Billy also joined heartily with Phil and Paul in urging that theStaretta officers be notified of the presence of both Grandall andMurky, MacLester no longer held back. How best to go about the matter,however, became immediately a problem.

  Dave wanted to telegraph the police in Grandall's home town and learnif the man was really wanted by them. The hearsay evidence possessed bySlider, with regard to the stolen twenty thousand dollars, he declared,wasn't worth much until it could be backed up by more hard, cold factsthan were thus far in hand.

  "Suppose we were to go back to Staretta and have a talk with the sheriffor chief-of-police or constable--whatever they have there in the brassbuttons line--tonight," proposed Billy. He was resting comfortably, hisback against a tree, while Phil and Dave, with Slider's help, were washingthe dishes.

  Having had a quiet but busy afternoon young Mr. Worth was quite ready foran evening out.

  "Sure pop!" Paul Jones exclaimed. "How do we know but that Grandall fellowis right on his way now to fly the coop?--and that's just what he is, mostlikely."

  "Go ahead! I'll keep camp--Slider and I," put in MacLester quickly.Perhaps Dave was anxious to show Chip some friendly attention to makeamends for the unpleasant words spoken a little while before. PerhapsChip, as well, wished to show that he harbored no ill feeling. At anyrate, "Yes, let him an' me do up the rest of them dishes an' the restof you get started sooner," the lad proposed.

  The thought that Slider's presence, to tell the officers in person what heknew of the stolen payroll money, would be highly desirable, did notoccur even to Phil, usually quick to see such things. The plan was putinto effect at once. With headlights throwing a long, white glow beforethem Billy, Phil and Paul said good-bye. Worth was at the wheel, onefinger on the throttle, and at truly hazardous speed he sent the steadyThirty in and out among the trees that bordered the narrow trail.

  "Goodness, Bill! What's the hurry?" ejaculated Phil, alone in the tonneauand getting more of a shaking up than he relished.

  "Oh, he thinks there's so many trees around it won't hurt if he does tearout a few of the big, old ones _that are all done growing anyway_," Pauladded grimly.

  For it most generally is true that the driver is much less nervous thanhis passengers. A chuckle was Worth's only answer, but he did retard thethrottle some and with less gas the machine at once slowed down.

  The evening was close and warm as the previous night had been. The moonhad not yet risen but, knowing every part of the road, Billy let the carpick up speed again directly he reached the broader, straighter path.

  "We'll get this robbery business into the hands of the bluecoats; thenhome for us," called Phil from his seat behind. He would not willinglyhave admitted it, but he believed he smelled smoke. Also he was thinkingof a clipping enclosed from home that morning telling of very destructiveforest fires in other sections of this northern part of Michigan.

  "I guess so," Worth answered. "It's a shame to punish a car on such roadsas these. The lake is all right and being by ourselves is just what wewanted, but--"

  The sentence was not finished. It was a way Billy had of leaving somethings unsaid. In this case the road told all the driver had leftunspoken. It was certainly "no boulevard," as young Mr. Jones hadexpressively remarked the first time the chums traversed it.

  The dim glow of a kitchen lamp was the only sign of life the boys noticedat Nels Anderson's little house as they passed. They did not pause.There would be no occasion for them to visit the place again, they haddecided, but whether correctly or not will in due time be apparent.Just now the main thing was to reach Staretta before everyone, LinkFraley in particular, would most likely be found in bed.

  True it was that the little town fell asleep early. "And what's to stopit?" Paul Jones had once asked. Yet the lights were still burning inFraley's store and at the post-office, which was in the little shoe storeopposite, when the Thirty rumbled down the main street.

  Mr. Lincoln Fraley, standing in the doorway, went down the steps to meetthe boys as they drove up. Something had happened, he was quite sure, tobring them back so soon; for, not being familiar with the rapid travelingan automobile affords, he had no idea of the lads having been to OpalLake and back since he last saw them.

  "It's time to close up anyhow. Come take a ride," Billy invited.

  Mr. Fraley said his father would attend to closing the store and, goingin leisurely for his hat--lest he be suspected of a too lively interest inthe prospect of an automobile ride if he hurried, perhaps--he presentlyseated himself in the tonneau beside Phil. As Billy drove slowly forwardWay told of the discovery of Grandall at Anderson's. Briefly he statedthe intention of causing the man's arrest and the capture of Murky, aswell, which, he was certain, could be quite readily accomplished.

  "Well now!" said Mr. Fraley in a musing tone, and, "if it don't beat me!"he slowly added in the same slow and reflective manner.

  "But great land of belly aches!" Paul Jones chirped protestingly,"don't you see what we want? We want to know whom we mustsee--sheriff--judge--chiropodist--whoever it may be to get thesechaps into jail and nail down those twenty thousand pieces of eight!"

  "Don't be in a hurry," spoke Fraley with greater animation. "What I hadin mind was that Nels Anderson surely is consorting with Grandall andprobably has been all along. I'm the more sure of it because the Swedewas in the store early this morning and bought a lot more stuff thanwe've ever sold him at one time before. I didn't wait on him and didn'tknow of it at the time you were here this afternoon. My father justhappened to mention it at supper. Pretty plain now where Nels got themoney and plain as daylight, as well, that he expects to have companyfor some time, which accounts for the stack of provisions he took backwith him."

  "All the more reason--" Phil began, meaning to continue, "that we shouldget in touch with the officers at once."
/>   Link anticipated what he would have said. "No," he interrupted, "Youdon't need be in any hurry. And you do want to bring that Slider boywith you when you come to talk with the sheriff. Your evidence is mostlysecond-hand anyway. You don't want to give it to the county officersthird-hand and fourth-hand when it ain't necessary. I'm watchin' thepapers every day and I'll get some more news about Grandall's running awayfrom the Grand Jury and his bank. Just you wait."

  There was a lurking suspicion in Billy Worth's mind that Fraley wished towait until he, himself, could communicate with the officers, but he saidnothing. Phil and Paul were disappointed, too, that their friend wouldnot advise immediate action.

  The boys talked of those matters after they had left Link at hishome,--the large, plain house with flower beds in front, near thestore. But they had headed the car toward Opal Lake now and theirconclusion was to continue homeward. They would do nothing until the nextafternoon, at least, at which time, it had been agreed, they were to seeFraley again. They would find out, meanwhile, and be able to inform theofficers, whether Mr. Murky was still "at home" at the rude shelterwhere Chip had seen him.

  The light was yet burning at the humble Anderson dwelling as the friendspassed on their homeward way. They thought they saw the figures of twomen sitting just outside the door where a faint breath of air might nowbe stirring, but could not be sure. They were quite satisfied the guestof the family was still there and for the present this knowledge wassufficient.

  As the headlights' glare swept the camp at Opal Lake Chip Slider was for amoment seen making frantic gestures. He seemed to wish the boys to hurry.Phil almost fell over the excited youth as he jumped down from a forwardseat a few seconds later, for Chip had seized a front fender as if hewould thereby help to halt the car more quickly.

  "I can't help it," cried Slider with anxiety, "and I don't want to bescared over nothin'--but it's Dave! He went over the lake in the boat an'that's the last I seen him. It was somebody hollerin'--somebody hollerin'from t'other side!"

  With real alarm the three friends heard the disconnected words of thefrightened Chip. In a chorus they demanded to know all about the matter,their own language hardly more clear than Slider's. Phil was first togain composure enough to call for quiet. Then he said:

  "Now, Chip, tell us precisely what happened and how long ago. I guess Maccould get himself out of any kind of pickle he'd be likely to get into,"he added with vastly more confidence than he felt. "Go ahead now, anddon't be so rattled."

  It was only a half hour or thereabouts after the automobile had gone,the boy stated, his tones still filled with alarm, when he and MacLesterheard cries from across the lake. They had washed and put away the dishesleft to their attention, and were sitting down by the water, thinking itcooler on the beach. Some refuse they had thrown on the campfire blazedup, making quite a bright light. Like a distant whistle of a railroadengine there came a little later a long, loud cry, "Hello-o!"

  "Well, hello!" MacLester cried in answer, Chip stated, telling his storyclearly, but so slowly Paul was fairly bursting with impatience. There wasmore "hollering" of hellos, the lad went on, then the voice from overthe water asked, "Could ye put me up fer the night?" Dave answered, "Yes,come on over." Replies came back, "Have ye a boat?" and "Could ye notkindly row across fer me?"

  The outcome of the whole matter was that MacLester remarked to Chip thatthey would wait until Phil and the others returned.

  "'Would you be afraid to cross over alone?' I asked him," said Slider,"an' I meant just a fair question, but he turned quick as a cat.

  "'Who said I was afraid?' he spoke pretty sharp. Then he hollered out tothe party that had been yellin', 'Keep singing out to guide me an' I'llpaddle over to you.'

  "He got in the boat and started and never a word he said. Every minuteor two I heard the other one and Dave hollerin' out to each other tillabout the time when the boat could have touched t'other shore. Then itwas still an' I ain't heard a word since. I've yelled an' yelled an' keptthe fire blazin' up to steer 'em straight to this here side, but never aword of answer did I get an' hide nor hair of 'em I ain't seen."

  "Could it have been that fellow Murky? Would you know his voice?" askedBilly.

  Chip shook his head. He was quite sure the voice was not that of theperson mentioned.

  "He could disguise his voice easy enough," spoke Paul dejectedly. "Davecould swim all night, but the other fellow--"

  "Now wait a minute!" interrupted Phil briskly, feeling that he simply_must_ face the situation with courage, bad as it might be. He hurrieddown to the beach. Loudly and again and again he called, "Oh! Dave," and"Oh, David MacLester!"

  No answer came to his despairing cries. Softly the water lapped the sandat his feet. In the distance the frogs were croaking. Darkness too deep tolet even the outlines of the farther shore be seen hung over Opal Lake anddistinctly on the light breeze now springing up came the odor of burningpine.

  "If we only had another boat!" murmured Paul. "There's the skiff down bythe clubhouse," he meekly suggested.

  "Why," said Billy, "our old boat was safe enough! I can't believe theyever left the other side. That's where we've got to get to. We can goaround the east end of the lake in about half an hour's walk."

  Phil Way was never so perplexed--never so at a loss to know what to do.Looked to as the leader and the captain in all things, he usually wasquick to suggest, quick to decide and quite generally for the best. Hisheart--his nerve--whatever it is that keeps the mind steady and alert atsuch time--came nearer failing him now than ever before.

  All the boys, Chip included, were on the beach. Several times Phil's crieshad been repeated by the others. At last--

  "We must get the skiff," Way declared. "If Dave's on dry land we can findhim when daylight comes, if not before. But if he's holding on to an upsetboat, though too weak to answer us, maybe, we've got to find him rightoff."

  Leaving Paul to guard the camp and keep a bright fire burning, Billyand Phil, with Chip accompanying them, were soon running toward the oldclubhouse. They carried the oil lamps from the car and thus made goodprogress. But the skiff was found dry and seamy. It would be necessaryfor one or another to keep bailing constantly, they saw, the moment theylaunched her.

  And where were the oars? In their excitement the boys had not noticedthe absence of this very necessary equipment until the boat was in thewater. With frantic haste they searched here and there. The rays of theirlamps were far from powerful and close inspection of each nook and cornermust be made to see what might be there.

  The excessive stillness, the atmosphere of loneliness and melancholy thathung always about the Point and its deserted buildings seemed intensifiedtonight. The shadows cast by the two lamps seemed unnaturally gauntand ghostly. With all their activity the three lads could not but beimpressed by these things, but they were too occupied to be frightened bythem.

  "At last!" Phil's voice came low but quick. In another moment he drew apair of oars from behind an unused door whose lower panels a charge ofbuckshot had shattered, apparently, and which was now stored in a cornerof the automobile shed.

  "Whatever will we bail with?" asked Billy, finding the skiff already tohave taken considerable water.

  "I know," came a prompt answer and Slider disappeared in the darkness.From behind the garage he brought in a few seconds two empty tin cans."There's no end of 'em among some weeds back there if we need more," hesaid.

  "No! You keep bailing, Chip, and you, Billy, hold the lights! Off we go!"and Phil shoved away the moment all were fairly on board. From the blackshore line to the east they could see the campfire shedding a bright lightfor a little distance over the waters; but except for this and the rays ofthe auto lamps Worth held the darkness was like pitch.

  "Paul's blaze will be our light-house. We want to hit toward the middleof the lake, just about opposite the camp, then straight over to the farside," spoke Way, breathing fast. "Keep me guided right, Bill." He waspulling hard.

  The incoming water kept Slider
more than busy. With a can in each handhe scooped to right and left. Worth found it necessary to give Phil veryfew directions for Way was a splendid oarsman and the light craft sweptforward rapidly.

  Every minute or two Billy sang out MacLester's name. Eagerly he scannedthe water as far as the lamp rays fell, but heard nothing, saw nothing.

  Not until the north shore was almost reached did Phil slow down. Then helet the boat drift forward easily while watching for a landing place."Raise the lamp higher," he called over his shoulder.

  Billy did so and as the skiff floated nearer the quite steep bank risingfrom the water at this point, there came suddenly into the lighted circlea flat bottomed fishing boat. It was the scow MacLester had used and itwas empty.