CHAPTER IX.THE TWO STRANGERS.

CHAPTER IX.THE TWO STRANGERS.

The discovery I made was totally unexpected, and for the moment I did not know what to make of it. Darrow noticed my peculiar look, and asked what was up.

“That’s just what I would like to know, Tom,” I replied. “Let us run in here out of sight. I want to tell you something.”

I pointed to a cove close at hand, and the old fisherman turned and we swept behind the bushes.

“You are sure that is the same boat you saw towing the sloop?” I questioned eagerly.

“Guess I am. My eyes don’t deceive me very often, though they are getting old.”

“Is the boat a strange one around the Bend?”

“Yes; but it belongs on the lake.”

“Is it Carney’s?”

“Maybe it is. But did you see it around the island when you were here before?”

“No; it was over at the mill.”

And I told him what I knew of the boat and the two men who had sailed her.

“Well, that’s strange,” he said. “Most likely the two chaps are on board now.”

“If so, what are they doing here?” I demanded.

“That’s to be found out,” returned Darrow slowly. “It’s more than likely they ain’t up to no good—with all due respect to your uncle,” he added hastily.

“Never mind about that,” I said. “To tell you the truth, I don’t like Mr. Norton one bit. He treated me like a dog from the start, and there is something in my breast that tells me that he does not mean me well.”

And I told the old fisherman of all I had gone through since the sad news of my father’s death had been received.

He was deeply interested and highly indignant by the time I had finished.

“Ford was right,” he burst out; “I wouldn’t mind helping him to a ride on a rail myself. He ain’t fit to be the guardian of a cow. You will have to watch him, or he’ll spend the proceeds of your father’s estate on himself. If I were you I’d make him prove that he loaned all the money to your father that he says he has.”

“I’ve been thinking about that. I imagine all the business ought to be brought before the court.”

“So it had. If I was you I’d go over to Squire Slocum’s house some time, and state the case.”

“So I will.” I paused for a moment. “But we are off the track for the present. We must go ahead, and see if these two men are in league with Carney.”

“They must be,” said Darrow, as we allowed my sloop to forge ahead again. “If not, how could they have his boat?”

“They might have hired it, and left him waiting for them on the island,” I suggested.

But I did not believe such to be a fact, and Darrow agreed with me. The three were evidently banded together, and for no good purpose.

At length the sloop ahead disappeared up the mouth of a long inlet. Seeing this, we allowed my craft to come up to the bank some distance behind, and here I tied fast, and we went ashore.

“Now let us be careful,” I whispered. “I want to see what the three are up to without being seen.”

“All right; I’ll be as careful as a cat,” responded Darrow.

We picked our way around the rocks and through the bushes silently. Presently the murmur of voices broke upon my sharpened ears, and I knew we were drawing close to our objective point. I placed my hand on the fisherman’s shoulder as a signal for him to halt, and listened with all attention.

“Hullo, Carney!” some one suddenly called.

There was no answer, and the cry was repeated.

“Hullo! Is that you, friends?” came back the reply.

“Yes. Where are you?”

“This way.” There was a moment’s pause, and then the party of three were joined. “You’ve been pretty long, strangers,” went on Carney.

“We had to fix a number of things,” was the reply.

“Did you get everything straight?”

“Pretty much so,” replied the fellow who had been addressed as Dick.

“Good for you, Mr. Avery!”

I was intensely interested in this bit of conversation. It proved beyond a doubt that Mr. Norton and the two strangers were in league together and that Carney was in the circle. The four were up to no good; but what their plans were for the future was not yet made plain.

“How are you getting on with your boat?” went on Yates the third man.

“Slowly.” Carney paused for a moment. “I’ve had a visitor since you’ve been gone.”

Both men were surprised.

“Who?” both asked in a breath.

“Reuben Stone.”

Yates and Avery uttered an exclamation.

“You don’t mean it!” cried the latter.

“It’s so.”

“What did he want?”

“Wanted the boat. He said it belonged to him. He rescued the people who were on board, and they gave him the craft for the service.”

“Well, that’s the oddest thing I ever came across!” ejaculated Yates. “Norton didn’t say anything about the boy coming over here. What did you do?”

“Sent the boy about his business. Told him the boat wasn’t anywhere near the island.”

It will readily be seen from the above that Andy Carney knew how to draw upon his imagination. I could not help but smile at his version of our meeting.

“You are sure the boy knows nothing about the boat being here?”

“Positive.”

“Because we don’t want him to be nosing about here later on.”

“Don’t fear about that. I’m going to take her away as soon as I can. Do you men want to get over to Bayport now?”

“Yes,” replied Yates. “Land us about half a mile above the town.”

“All right.”

The three men moved off towards the place where the sloop had been left. They passed close to where Darrow and I were in hiding. For an instant I thought we would be discovered, but then they disappeared around the rocks.

“We will follow them,” I whispered.

“Don’t you want to stay behind and get the boat?” asked Darrow.

“Yes; but I want to see them off first.”

So silently as shadows we followed the trio to the shore, and saw them enter Carney’s boat.

In doing this they ran within half a dozen yards of where my own craft was tied up. For an instant my heart stood in my throat. Would they see her? If so, what would be the consequence?

But the three did not notice the craft, and soon they were a goodly distance from the shore. With a sigh of relief I rose from my cramped position, and told Darrow to follow me.

In a moment we were within sight of the Catch Me. Since I had been gone Carney had been working like a beaver changing her appearance. He had shortened her mast and spars, put a different kind of a top to the cabin, and finished the painting.

“In a day more, no one would be able to recognize her,” I said. “I suppose he thought he would be safe after he had finished his work.”

“It’s a big swindle!” cried Darrow. “But you’ll cut him off short. No doubt he intends to come back for her as soon as he has landed those two men, who, to my guessing, are no good.”

“That’s just my idea. Well, we’ll get the bestof him this time. New paint or not, I must get the boat out of this inlet, and tow her over to the Torrent Bend shore.”

“That’s the talk. Come, we’ll get to work without delay.”

“But you may get all paint, Tom,” I protested.

“I won’t mind that; I’ve got on my old clothes. Come ahead. Won’t Carney be surprised when he finds the boat gone!”

“He might have expected that I would be back.”

“But he didn’t expect you quite so soon. Of course he run a risk, but now he thinks it is all right. No doubt he will keep an eye on all boats steering for the island while he is making the run to Bayport.”

We were soon at work on the Catch Me. I got out the anchor rope, and by hard tugging we managed to slide the craft off the rocks upon which she was partly resting.

Then by taking off our shoes and stockings, and wading in the shallow water, we dragged her out of the inlet, and anchored her some distance from shore.

After this I made my way across the island to where I had left my small craft. I soon had her untied and over to the spot where I wanted her. Darrow then came on board, and we fastened the painter to the bow of the Catch Me, and started for the shore above the mill.

“I don’t want to take her where Mr. Norton can see her,” I explained. “I want to keep her out of sight until I’ve seen Squire Slocum, and got his advice about my father’s estate. Even if the man is my uncle I don’t like him, and his actions seem very suspicious.”

It did not take us long to cover the distance from Rock Island to the shore. Here I knew of a pretty little cove, well hidden by bushes, that was rarely visited. I ran into it, and there secured the Catch Me, intending to let her remain there until matters were more settled all around.

“Now if you are done with me I’ll leave you right here,” said Darrow as I was about to go back to my small boat. “I want to go up the main road a bit, and see Gus Hallett.”

A moment later I was left alone. I hoisted sail, and was soon standing down to the mill landing. As I approached, another boat rounded the bend. I saw that it contained two strangers, and Ben Pointer the Bend Center constable.

“There is Stone now,” I heard Pointer say.

“Is it? Then arrest him on the spot,” returned one of the strangers. “I am sure he is the thief.”

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