Rattle! Bang! bang!
"All hands on deck to repel boarders!" shouted Jerry, crawling forth.
"Hold on! I'm coming!" bawled Will, stopping, as usual, to grope for his camera, under the impression that there was something worth while doing outside.
Adolphus set up a series of alarming howls.
"Leab me go dis time, Mistah Ghostes, an' I sure nebber come up hyah ag'in, nohow!" he kept repeating, as if he already felt the cold hands of the mysterious specter, of which he had heard so much, encircling his throat.
When Jerry, Bluff, Will and Jed came creeping out of their canvas shelter, each armed according to his light, they looked in vain for unwelcome visitors.
Frank was doubled up on the ground, and seemed to be writhing as though in pain.
"What happened, Frank? Are you hurt?" demanded Bluff anxiously.
Then the other looked up.
"Tell me about that, will you? The fellow's laughing fit to beat the band! Say! is this fair, waking the whole camp up in the dead of night, for a lark?"
"Hold on, Jerry. Don't jump at conclusions. Because you see me having a quiet little laugh all to myself it isn't right to conclude I'm the guilty one. We did have a visitor, and that party is responsible for all the row," replied Frank.
"Was it the ghost again?" demanded Will.
"Not that I know of. I just had a glimpse of the wretch as he bolted. Truth to tell, I rather think he was more frightened than any of us."
"Not any of Pet's crowd, returned?"
"How about the farmer?"
"Neither one of you came within a mile of it, Jerry and Bluff. It was Br'er 'Coon who did the mischief," chuckled the other.
The boys muttered dire threats against the disturber of their dreams.
"I think he was prowling around in search of some little dainties in the way of food. Whoever put the cooking things away was mighty careful to pile the kettles up, but in such a way that the least knock was bound to send the whole lot rattling down. That was what happened, as you can see for yourself."
"And Br'er 'Coon, he went supperless," laughed Will.
"No damage done, I suppose?" said Jerry.
"Only to the feelings of the sleepers. Poor old Adolphus believed the day of judgment had come, for certain. I heard him muttering something about chicken, and I rather guess he has some weight on his mind which he thought it time to confess," chuckled Frank.
"I don't believe the old chap has many serious sins to answer for, but I really did believe the end of the world had come. Say! talk to me about your jamborees! Those same aluminum kettles and cups and pannikins just have everything else beat to a frazzle when it comes to noise. No need of a battery to repel the enemy when you can set that racket going."
"Well, I was just thinking of waking one of you up and changing guard."
"What time is it, Frank?" yawned Jerry.
"About one," replied the other quietly.
"Jerusalem! And you let us snooze all that time while you sat here on deck to fend off the evil spirits? It's hardly fair, that's what. Now I'm as wide-awake as a hawk after that row, and couldn't go to sleep if I tried. The rest of you scuttle back to your blankets and leave me alone," declared Bluff.
"Wake me about three, then," admonished Jerry.
"That's all right. I'll see that you do your little stunt, don't worry. Now skip out. Frank, did you see anything?"
"Nothing except a flare that came and went several times up on the side of the mountain," replied the other, in a low tone, meant only for Bluff's ear.
"A flare? Do you mean by that a waving lantern or a torch?" asked his chum.
"A torch, most likely. I tried to make out whether it was only being carried by some one who passed behind bunches of trees from time to time, or if it could be a signal of some sort, but was unable to make up my mind up to the time it disappeared and returned no more."
"A signal? Who would be making one, do you suppose?" asked Bluff uneasily.
"H'm! It might be the ghost, you know. Then, again, perhaps some of that miserable Peters tribe are still hanging around, bent on making life a burden to us. But I finally concluded that the chances were it must have come from some member of the sheriff's posse, trying to let others know about some discovery he may have made up there," returned Frank.
In the case of Jerry he might have said more, but, as yet, Bluff had not been taken into full confidence, and knew next to nothing about the relations supposed to exist between the ghost and Andy Lasher.
"Well, I'll promise to keep an eye on that dark region up yonder. If anything happens that looks serious I'm going to wake you up, Frank," went on the other.
"I wish you would, old fellow," and with a yawn Frank crawled into his cozy nook, where his blanket awaited him.
He knew no more until morning came, and the sound of voices outside aroused him. Looking out through the front of the tent, he could see the slight mists of the new-born day rising off the lake, as happens very frequently, no matter how high the altitude of the water.
"That's a mighty pretty picture for a fellow to see when he tumbles out of bed, and it's me for a dip and a rub-down before anything else."
So saying, he jumped out, made a dash for the water, and was in with a headlong leap.
"Hey! Who's that taking his bath at such an unseemly hour?" called the voice of Bluff, and soon afterward, with various grunts, he poked his head out.
"You don't seem as chipper as usual," remarked Jerry, who was sitting by the fire, coaxing the blaze to resume operations for the morning meal.
"Well, what would you expect after such a strenuous day? I didn't sleep as well as I might, either. That experience haunts a fellow," muttered Bluff.
"How about you, Will?" continued Jerry, as another head appeared.
"I guess I'm all right, only a little sore around the waist. When a fellow is nearly pulled in two he must expect to feel it a day or so afterward," was the frank reply.
"Then I'd advise you not to take your regular dip this morning," went on Jerry.
"Not me! I've had enough of water for several days, I reckon. Every time my feet touched bottom I'd be shivering, thinking of the soft feel of that plagued quicksand. But Frank seems to be enjoying his bath all right."
"Oh, Frank can do nearly anything. And now I'm going to join him, for here comes Adolphus to look after things."
Neither Frank nor Jerry cared to stay in more than a few minutes. The water was very cold, and a dip was really all they needed to start the blood to bounding through their veins and set them up for the day.
"Nothing happened while you were on deck, I suppose, Jerry?" asked Frank, as they splashed about and tried to keep from having their teeth chatter with the chill of the water.
"Not a blessed thing. Seems to be my luck, lately, to choose the wrong time to meet up with things," grumbled the other.
"Well, you've had your turn in the past. I remember when it seemed as though everything was coming your way, and the rest of us had to take a back seat. In the long run matters even up, you know," admonished Frank.
"Yes, I guess you're right there. That was a great day and night I had when we were camped up in the woods above Lumber Run. Things happened then, all right, what with my getting that deer, being treed by the wild dogs, afterward sniffed at by a bear in whose hollow tree-trunk I had taken refuge from the storm; and last, but not least, rescuing poor Andy from under the fallen tree. I hang up my hat. It will be a long time before any one of you beat that record," smiled Jerry.
"I'm going to get out. A little of this bath goes a long way with me, especially so early in the morning."
"Ugh! That's what I say, too!" exclaimed Jerry, making for the shore.
Already the tantalizing odor of bacon was beginning to permeate the air. Adolphus seemed to be right there on the job, and he could be trusted to get up a meal calculated to tempt the appetite of even a jaded business man in the woods, not to speak of five hungry boys, always ready to eat.
Frank was just finishing dressing in his tent when he heard the others uttering exclamations of surprise outside.
"What's the matter?" he demanded aloud.
"Come out and see for yourself," answered Jerry.
This, of course, piqued his curiosity, and he immediately issued forth. He found the others clustered around Jerry, who was holding up what looked like a piece of rather dirty paper, on which something had been written, or rather printed in capital letters.
Frank joined the group, and as he glanced at the document he found it to be what might be called a warning, reading like this:
NOTICE!
Better leave here at once, or it will be bad for all of you!
"Where did you get this, Jerry?" asked Frank after he had read it.
"It was fastened to the trunk of a tree over there—that big oak."
"Now that you mention it, I can remember seeing something white there early last night. I thought it was only one of your jokes, and declined to investigate," was the comment of Frank.
"That's a point worth knowing. It proves beyond the shadow of a doubt that it was pinned there before we retired, or shortly after, at any rate," remarked Bluff.
"Talk to me about your Sherlock Holmes and his deductions! Did he ever do any better than that pard of mine? It's the lawyer blood showing early in life, just as Will here, when he can forget his old photography for a minute, is itching to bind up somebody's wounds, simply because his father used to be a doctor, and he has inherited a bit of his skill."
"Who do you think put it there?" Frank continued.
"Why, that blooming old ghost, to be sure," was Jerry's prompt reply.
"Looks like a schoolboy's writing," suggested Will sagaciously.
"Perhaps it is," said Frank, looking at Jerry and nodding.
"But you said before you thought that Peters crowd had gone back to town!"
"And I still think so; but you forget that there was another boy up in this region lately, Will."
"You mean Andy Lasher?" exclaimed the one addressed, quickly.
"Yes; and both Jerry and myself have a pretty good idea that he is responsible for this warning to get out."
"But why should Andy want us to leave? He didn't say a word about it the other day, when we saw him. Look here! I've nursed a notion for some time that you two fellows had something between you the rest of us didn't share. Do you think it fair to treat your own true chums that way?" demanded Bluff.
Frank laughed.
"To tell the truth, I don't, Bluff. I've been feeling badly about it for some time, and was determined to take the rest of you into our confidence," he said.
"All right. What better time than while we are eating breakfast, for there's old Adolphus ready to bang the frying-pan as a summons?" declared Will.
Both Bluff and Will showed more or less eagerness to hear what was in the wind, as they began to eat. Frank took pity on them, and with sundry helps from Jerry managed to tell the whole story.
"This seems to just about 'cap the climax,' as they say," remarked Bluff, after he had learned all the facts known to the others.
"Never listened to a more entrancing tale in all my life. Frank, you're sure a born story-teller," declared Will.
"And so the sheriff is hunting that escaped convict, and you believe he must be the father of poor Andy? Say! I feel sorry for him now. Never did before, you understand; but a fellow with his dad in prison has got a load on his shoulders. As Jerry says, that may account for some of his badness," Bluff went on.
"What are we going to do if the sheriff pops in on us?" questioned Jerry.
"Perhaps he'll want us to lend him a hand in rounding up his game," said Frank, just to ascertain the feelings of his chums on the subject.
"Not for me, he won't!" was the emphatic protest of Bluff.
"I'm up here for a quiet outing, and don't calculate to join with a sheriff's posse to hunt down a wretched escaped convict," avowed Will.
Whereupon Jerry solemnly shook each of them by the hand.
"Thank you, fellows. But I ought to have known that you'd say just that. Pards of mine wouldn't look at the matter any other way. If this runaway from the penitentiary happened to be a bloodthirsty wretch, now, it might be different; but he was sent up purely on circumstantial evidence, and has always declared that he was innocent. Thank you again, both of you," he said with feeling.
"Then it is agreed that while we don't expect to throw any obstacles in the way of our good friend, Mr. Dodd, the sheriff, who is only doing his duty by the State, none of us will raise a hand to assist him—is that your sentiment, boys?" asked Frank, who wanted to have the important matter settled one way or the other.
"It is, unanimously. Perhaps later on we may learn just why Thaddeus Lasher wants to keep people away from this region while he lingers here. That is a mystery just at present, it seems, and we can only amuse ourselves guessing at it."
"Jerry speaks our mind, eh, Will?" said Bluff.
"Every time. And now what are we going to do to-day to amuse ourselves?"
"I'm anxious to try and see if there are bass in this lake," said Frank.
"I've been told there are whopping big fellows, so you'd better be careful how you cast and strike, or you may break your fine tackle," remarked Will.
"If you don't mind, pard, I'm going with you in the big Injun canoe," observed Jerry, whose sporting blood was always ready for new conquests with gun and rod.
"Will and myself will take a shy at that snake den, and see if we can burn the pesky things out. Somehow, I don't just like having such close neighbors, eh, Will?"
"You bet we will; and perhaps I'll have a chance to snap them off a few times. They gave me a scare all right, yesterday, and I'm wanting to even up the score. Come on, then, Bluff. Get an old pair of gloves for handling the dead brush; some of it has thorns, as I found out to my cost."
So the party divided up.
Frank and Jerry pushed off soon afterward, and paddled up the lake. It was just the sport that appealed to the hearts of these two lovers of nature, and as the silvery drops fell from the ends of their paddles the soft "swish" was sweetest music in their ears.
Selecting a point which, to their practiced eyes, promised the best results, they started in. Jerry took the paddle first, while Frank cast his flies alluringly on the water, close to the shore, and drew them toward the boat. A soft morning air just rippled the dark water and made the conditions ideal for such sport, as the boys declared again and again.
Hardly had Frank made half a dozen splendid casts than his wrist was suddenly turned with a quick jerk that snapped the hook of the Red Ibis fly fast in the jaw of an adventurous bass, eager for a dainty breakfast.
"Good!" was the only comment of Jerry, who knew the value of silence when upon a fishing trip, since the water carries all sounds so readily.
Frank played his prize back and forth with a practiced hand. He seemed as cool as the oldest veteran fisherman could have been. Even when the big fellow, that must have weighed all of two pounds, flashed out of the water by several feet, turning over in the air in a graceful arch, with the intention of breaking the hook or line, Frank only lowered the bending tip of his rod a trifle, so as to give the fish a slack line and thwart his design.
For several minutes the exciting battle went on. The wily bass tried all the various tricks handed down from generations of ancestors, but he was matched now against one likely to prove his master. In the end, Jerry scooped him up with the landing-net, and held up the glistening beauty.
"Hand me that bit of hard wood, please, Frank. I always make it a point to kill my fish when I land him, to put the poor thing out of agony," he said.
"And you do quite right, old fellow. I only wish there were more sportsmen like you. More power to your elbow, say I. Shall I paddle a bit, now, and give you a chance to straighten out your casting-arm?" observed Frank.
"Just as you say. The sight of such a dandy bass excites the blood of an enthusiastic fisherman, you know."
It took Jerry but little longer to hook the mate to Frank's catch. As fortune would have it, however, after he had played him for a minute or two there was a suspicious slackening of the line.
"He's off," remarked Frank, grieved.
"My own fault. I should have tested that leader better. See where it's broken! All the rest seems sound but that one spot," grunted Jerry, annoyed at his lack of caution, though he should have known that in spite of their experience the best of sportsmen, being human, will make blunders at times.
He soon had a new leader, with its cast of three flies, trailing in the water to soften the snells. At the end he carried the Red Ibis, then next came a fly called the Professor, and last of all the Montreal. This was Jerry's ideal cast, for any sort of day, the light flies showing up despite lowering skies, and the dark Montreal counting when the sun shone.
Hardly had he made a new throw when he struck game, and the fight was on once more. This time Jerry knew no accident would mar his fun.
"Talk to me about your preserves! What could equal the fight of a two-pound black bass in this ice-cold water up here in the mountains? Say, Frank, this pays for the whole trip," he said in a low but exultant tone, as he saw his chum take the landing-net, and with a skilful scoop gather in the partly exhausted fish, glistening among the knotted cords like silver.
"It certainly looks as though we would have a fine fish dinner to-day. Already we have enough to go around, Jerry."
"Hardly. I feel equal to one whole fish myself, for I bet they taste just prime, taken out of this clear water, with so much rocky shore around the lake. From one end to the other I don't see a sign of marsh or reeds that would indicate mud. It's the prettiest little lake I ever fished over. If it only happened to be nearer town, now, so we could get to it oftener," remarked Frank.
"Yes, and that would mean every Tom, Dick and Harry would fish, so the sport must soon be ruined."
"You're right in that. Are you paddling now?"
And so they went on for an hour or two. The sport kept up pretty well, for each of them caught some half-dozen fine bass, though the last four were returned to the water because they already had much more than they could possibly use at one meal.
"Better get them fresh when we want them," advised Frank.
Finally they stopped fishing, and paddled to camp, where the rest admired their prizes, and Adolphus eagerly set to work cleaning the same for dinner. The others had succeeded in throwing quite a lot of brush into the snake hole, but were not quite ready to set fire to it.
Dinner was just ready, and the boys, seating themselves, in anticipation of a big treat, when Bluff exclaimed:
"Somebody coming, yonder, boys! Two of 'em!"
"It's Sheriff Dodd and one of his deputies. I felt sure we'd see something of him before the day was over. Remember what we agreed, fellows," said Frank cautiously, as he watched the tall officer drawing near.
As Sheriff Dodd passed under the tree where the "Notice" had been posted they saw him stop and examine the ground, as though interested. Then he came on.
"Hello, boys! Glad to see you having such a bully time. I reckon you've found the bass, all right, judging from the smell," he greeted them with.
"Plenty for you and your friend, Mr. Dodd. Adolphus told us about your being up here, and I kind of looked to see you pop in; so we had enough dinner cooked to give you a share. Sit down here, both of you," remarked Frank, making room.
"That's nice of you, boys, and I sure appreciate it. Of course we will. Sit down, Bill, right here, and make yourself at home. But, look here, boys, have you missed anything last night?" went on the sheriff, seriously.
"Missed anything? Why, no, not that we've noticed. What makes you ask that, Mr. Dodd?" questioned Frank.
"Oh, because I see you've had a thief pretty nigh you. I saw the print of his shoe in the soil over there under that tree. It was made by aprisonshoe, and I ought to know the brand, all right," said the sheriff.
Frank and Jerry exchanged glances. What Mr. Dodd had said only added strength to the theory they had formed regarding the relations between Andy Lasher and the escaped convict.
"Show Mr. Dodd our notice to leave, Bluff," said Frank laughingly.
"Reach around and get it, Will, please. It's just back of you. Thanks. There you are, sir. Our lease is up, apparently, and we must get out, unless we want to have things made disagreeable for us."
The sheriff elevated his eyebrows.
"I expect this is some more doings of this wonderful ghost," he remarked shrewdly.
"We have an idea that way, sir. What do you think it means? Why should any one play such a silly game? What is there valuable up here that he should want to frighten people away?" asked Frank.
By putting it up to the sheriff he fancied he could ascertain what Mr. Dodd thought before confessing how they had figured the matter out. If his ideas corresponded with their own it would then be time enough to confess.
"Well, boys, it's all simple enough to me, knowing the ins and outs as I do. In brief, the fellow responsible for this work up here, playing ghost and the like, is the very man we're looking for. He was once an actor, and I suppose the old spirit clings to him. He had a reason for not wanting inquisitive people up here while he was doing something, and the ghost is the result of his figuring how best to keep 'em away. Reckon that same thing would justdrawsome persons I know," and the sheriff chuckled as he looked knowingly at the four lads.
"Yes, we did come up here partly to find out if there was any truth in those stories. You remember we had a part in showing up the yarn about the wild man of Wildcat Island, last spring. It turned out to be a couple of hoboes who wanted to keep campers away from the place so they could stay there," remarked Jerry.
"And you thought this might prove to be something the same. Well, it has, for I'm dead sure that Thaddeus Lasher is responsible for the appearance of the ghost of Oak Ridge. Now, you wonder why I say that. I've a mind to tell you the whole story from the start, since you've been so obliging to me and my deputy here."
"Oh! please do, Mr. Dodd!" urged Will.
"All right. Then listen, boys. You've heard how these two men broke out, and how we got one with the dogs, long ago. The other escaped us by using means that I hardly think were fair to the dogs, though, of course, one can't blame a poor chap trying for his liberty."
"Yes, we heard about the red pepper dodge, sir, and thought it pretty clever; and that man has been at large ever since then?" said Frank.
"He has. I've been expecting to hear of him up in this section, but he kept away for some months, perhaps knowing we'd be on the lookout for him. You wonder what has drawn him up here, of course, and that's what I'm going to tell now. I give you my word, boys, you'll find it one of the strangest stories ever."
Mr. Dodd ate in silence for a few minutes, and then resumed:
"Last winter this convict tried to interest the wardens of the prison, and the chief keeper, particularly, in a wild story he told, connected with his innocence of the burglary that sent him up for a long term."
"How long was it, sir? I am asking because we know Andy Lasher, and have for five years, but never dreamed his dad was in prison," queried Bluff, who always wanted the particulars, lawyer fashion.
"Six years ago it happened, and he was sent up for ten, after good behavior was deducted. So you see he had some four years ahead of him, worth fighting for. But about this story that made the head warden laugh, for he believed it only sprung from the brain of a half-crazy man.
"Lasher said that he was with an old thief who had died in the prison. He must have done something to win the good-will of the sick man, for he said that the other made a confession to him before he breathed his last. In short, he owned that it had been no other than himself who had committed the burglary for which Thaddeus Lasher was doing time."
Again he paused, to let this sink home. The boys looked at each other, and said not a word, eagerly waiting for Mr. Dodd to go on.
"Now, it happened that the man whose house was robbed was a queer sort. He had heaps of money, but spent his time in making collections of precious jewels, and in experimenting along the line of photography."
"That hits Will, here, for he just dotes on such a fad," said Bluff.
"It came out in the trial that this smart gentleman had set a trap by which he expected to get a photograph of any would-be thief who tried to open his safe, containing many valuable gems. He had a camera hidden from view, and so placed that when he made connections at retiring, unless these were broken first, any one who took hold of the safe would set a flashlight off, and have his picture taken, free of expense."
The boys, who had listened with eagerness, uttered exclamations at this point.
"Talk to me about the smartness of that Dicky, will you!" said Jerry.
"How about it, Will? Could such a thing be done?" asked Bluff.
"I think so. I have a recollection of reading about something like that having once sent a bad man to the gallows. Of course, if the fellow had enough nerve to stick it out, he could search for the camera, and destroy the plate," remarked Will.
"Well said, my boy. That was just what happened in this case, Lasher claimed—that is, the burglar hunted around after recovering from his fright, and found the concealed camera. But he did not smash the plate. Instead, after he had looted the safe he just carried away the holder containing the exposed plate."
"What for?" demanded Bluff.
"He must have been a sort of humorous chap, and wanted to see how he looked at the time he was doing business," laughed Frank.
"Nobody knows why he took it away. Perhaps he meant to break it later, but when he got to thinking it over he determined to have it developed, just to see what it was. So one night he visited a photographer, and threatening him, if he ever mentioned the fact to a living soul, went with him into his dark-room and saw the plate developed. Lasher even mentioned the name of the man who developed it, but the head warden only laughed the harder.
"Even then the man never had a print made. Perhaps he intended to later. Meanwhile, he buried his swag from the robbery, together with this same plate, up here in these very Sunset Mountains, where, as a boy, long before, he used to live, on the road that leads to Chester, not far from here."
Again Mr. Dodd paused to eat a little more. He knew how to keep the interest at fever heat. The boys could hardly breathe, they were so excited at this point.
"Please go on, sir," said Will finally.
"Lasher claimed that if he were only given an opportunity, he could lead one of the prison wardens to the place where, after a little search, he felt positive he would be able to produce not only the lost plunder, but the missing plate, which must prove his entire innocence, if it were still in a good state of preservation.
"The head of the institution has so many fairy stories told him by prisoners who want only a chance to slip away, that he would not listen to such a thing. After repeated failures to get his case heard, it seems that Lasher conspired with one of his fellows. The result was the break from confinement, the pursuit, and his final escape by means of the pepper he must have carried with him for just such a purpose."
"I never heard anything so strange, Mr. Dodd. It certainly sounds like a fairy story, and I can't wonder at the head warden for doubting it. But Will, here, who is something of an authority, says that photographic part is easy enough," declared Frank, thinking that he was expected to say something.
"Well, as I said, we lost all track of the man. Nobody knows where he was hidden all these long weeks. I came up into the hills to investigate, and found it just as he declared. There were the ruins of an old homestead near the road across the lake yonder, and they told me that an old man by the name of Fletcher had once lived there. That was the real name of the dead convict thief.
"I haunted the place for a week, but saw no signs of my man. Then I concluded that he must have been there, hunted for the plunder, found it, and perhaps carried it away, determined that since he had paid the penalty for the robbery he might as well enjoy the fruits."
"Do you think so now?" asked Frank during another pause.
"No, I don't. The appearance of this so-called ghost set me to thinking. Then in a roundabout way I learned, only recently, that one night a man was seen sneaking away from the little humble house where Mrs. Lasher and her children live. So you see, I began to piece things together, and finally I came to a conclusion.
"I believed that Thaddeus Lasher had finally come to hunt for the plunder hidden by Fletcher, and that he was having much more trouble finding the same than he had expected. In order not to be bothered in his labor he had hit on this ghost dodge to scare the country jays off. I remembered that he had been an actor in his better days, before he began to drink and get in bad company.
"Accordingly, I finally concluded that it would pay me to make another trip up to the vicinity of Sunset Lake, this time fetching along several deputies, for I did not know how desperate a man Lasher might prove. I heard from Adolphus that your party was up here, and wondered if by any chance you might have run across the man I am hunting for; but I reckon you haven't up to now."
Mr. Dodd smiled as he once more glanced at the warning that had been fastened to the oak tree, as if that circumstance aided him more or less in coming to the conclusion he had.
"What do you think, Mr. Dodd? Was that story told by Fletcher the truth, or just the imagination of a dying man?" asked Frank.
The sheriff scratched his head. His air was that of a man who, being cautious by nature, is slow to commit himself.
"To tell you the honest truth, boys, I just don't know what to think. The thing has got me locoed, as they say out West. It looks as if Lasher can't find what he is hunting for. The only thing for me to do is to lay low until he shows his hand, and then try to gather him in. I know my duty, and nothing can sheer me off, no matter how sorry I might feel for the poor chap."
The dinner was finished, and all pronounced it fine.
"Never ate better bass in my life, and that coon sure knows how to cook 'em, too," declared the sheriff heartily. And Adolphus grinned with delight to be thus publicly complimented by an officer of the State.
After a while the two men wandered off, though promising to return by night, as another meal like that was a great temptation, and the invitation pressing.
The boys went in a bunch to assist Will and Bluff to clean out the snake den, as a means for passing time and doing a good deed. More brush was dragged over and thrown down into the hole, regardless of the angry hissing of the numerous ugly crawlers to be seen sunning themselves there.
"All ready for the grand finale!" shouted Bluff, after Will had secured a picture of the whole scene.
Upon which burning bunches of dead grass were thrown in. The brush took fire fairly well, being pretty dry, and presently a leaping furnace of flames announced the end of the snakes' paradise. Possibly not one of them could escape the terrific scorching, unless their holes ran deeper into the rocks than the boys imagined.
"That job is done, and well done. Now what?" asked Bluff.
Frank announced that he had several small tasks which he wanted to attend to. Jerry threw his gun over his shoulder and sauntered forth for a ramble, but did not mean to shoot any game he might happen to run across, being a believer in the laws that protect deer, grouse, rabbits, and such, for the better part of the year.
On his part, Bluff had some work to do in connection with the bearskin which he was trying to cure, after certain directions given by old Jesse Wilcox, the veteran trapper, whom the boys had visited the preceding fall.
Will, of course, could always find something to do in connection with his photographic work, for he carried a little tank along with him into the woods, and in this he developed his films, day or night.
Jed seemed quite satisfied to keep busy around the fire. He assisted Adolphus, and, indeed, was ready to anticipate the needs of any of these fine fellows whose kindness to a poor waif would never be forgotten.
It was about an hour before sunset that Frank called out to him:
"Jed! Come here, please!"
The lad saw a smile of satisfaction on Frank's face, and somehow he seemed to be thrilled with a sudden hope.
"You never knew that the back of this locket could be detached—that is, removed—did you?" asked Frank.
"No. Can it?" asked the other, his eyes full of eager anticipation.
"Yes. I suspected that it might, and on examining it closely saw how it could be done. With my knife-blade I removed the back, and found this."
He held up a paper. It was very thin, and seemed to be covered with printing, together with some writing.
"Oh! What is it?" gasped the little chap, staring at the document, which really seemed too large to have occupied so small a space in the locket.
"As far as I can make out, it represents stock to the extent of five hundred shares in the Consolidated Hecla Gold Mine. Bushels of just such stuff is printed every year, for the purpose of defrauding innocent people. Perhaps this was sold to your father for the same purpose, Jed," said Frank.
"Then you believe it ain't worth anything?" remarked the boy, with keen disappointment.
"I didn't say that. At the time, perhaps, it wasn't worth the paper it was printed on; but conditions may have changed. Possibly they have made a valuable strike at the mines of the Consolidated Hecla. The eagerness of your uncle to get possession of this document would seem to prove that."
"But how would he know this paper was in my locket?" went on the boy.
"That's something I can't say. He evidently found it out somehow or other, or he wouldn't have been so determined to get possession of the locket. Its value in dollars and cents wouldn't amount to much, you see. Now, as soon as I get back home I shall see Jerry's father, who is a banker, and he can tell us if there is any real value attached to this stock. If so, you are a lucky fellow, Jed."
"And I owe it all to you, Frank, you and the rest. How can I ever thank you for being so kind?" he cried, seizing the other's hand.
"Please don't try, Jed. Why, we haven't done anything worth mentioning; it was just fun to upset the calculations of your old uncle. In fact, we feel under obligations to you for the chance."
Just then Mr. Dodd appeared once more, with his deputy.
"No luck so far, but we live in hopes of finding our man sooner or later. We mean to keep an eye on those old ruins until something turns up. Room for two at your fire to-night, boys?" said the sheriff as he came up.
Of course they greeted him warmly. Mr. Dodd was a man whom the boys all liked, because he always felt a sympathetic interest in their sports and games, never forgetting, as some men do, that he was once a boy himself.
Adolphus, spurred on by the compliment of the noon meal, excelled himself in the effort to please. The result was a bumper spread, which called forth much praise all around.
They also spent a very pleasant evening, chatting on various subjects. Mr. Dodd was plainly not worrying. He cast frequent glances across the lake, as if half expecting to see some sort of signal from that quarter, but none came.
Nor was there any alarm during the night. In fact, with two officers of the law in their midst the boys did not even bother keeping watch.
Another morning found them again gathered around the board, discussing heaping piles of the most delicious flapjacks ever eaten in any camp. It was simply astonishing how many each of those hungry boys put away; and as for the two guests, they fairly showered the cook with compliments, until he seemed to be shaking with good-humor.
"Now we must say good-by for a while, boys. It was a bully time we had with you. Perhaps we may look in again some day. Be good to yourselves." With which the worthy sheriff stalked away.
An hour later, Frank, finding that the boys seemed to stick to the camp as if expecting him to suggest something, called them together.
"What do you say, fellows, that we take the canoes and paddle across the lake to where he said the ruins of the old Fletcher home lie?"
"Hear! hear! That just suits my blood!" declared Bluff.
"And I'm in the racket, you understand," observed Jerry, picking up his gun.
"Please don't think of leaving me behind. Now the chances are there will be something worth while to snap off over there, so if none of you object I'm going to carry my camera along."
Of course this was from Will, and as there were no protests, he did it, too.
Adolphus and Jed were left in charge of the camp. With the sheriff's posse roaming the neighborhood, there did not seem to be any likelihood of unwelcome visitors while they were away. Besides, Bluff had kindly consented to leave his gun in his tent, and Jed knew how to fire the same. Three shots in rapid order would bring the quartet back in double-quick time.
Landing on the other side, they made their way up the rise. The place was overgrown with briars and stubborn thickets, but they knew it had once been cleared, so they were not long in discovering the ruins of the house.
Some vandal had fired it, perhaps long after it had been abandoned as a place of residence, so that with the foundations only charred remnants of the building were to be seen.
Though the boys looked around eagerly, expecting to see some sign of the sheriff or his men, they failed to detect anything to indicate the presence of others.
"Looks pretty dismal around here, and it is hard to believe that once, many years ago, it had a busy family working to clear off the land and plant it," remarked Frank, who had a little of the romantic mixed with his practical ideas.
"Stand still, fellows. I've got you grouped nicely, now. Look pleasant, and as if you didn't know you were being snapped. There you are, with the ruins as a background. Thank you."
"Frank, there's some one watching us from the bushes yonder," whispered Bluff.
"You're right, and I think I can guess. Jerry, you know! Call him over here. I've an idea he wants to speak to us, and yet seems afraid, for some reason. Perhaps he knows the sheriff is around somewhere," said Frank.
Upon which Jerry took a few steps forward, and waving his hand, called out:
"Andy! No use hiding; we see you! Come here!"
There was a little hesitation.
Then the figure in the bushes came rapidly toward them. It was Andy Lasher, just as they had guessed. He looked dreadfully worried, as though he found himself up against a problem that overtaxed his abilities; for Andy was only a boy, though for a long time he had been the acknowledged bully of Centerville.
"Jerry, I'm glad to see you, sure I am," he said awkwardly as he came up.
Jerry noticed, first of all, that Andy held out his hand, as if he wanted to shake, something he seldom did; and then, again, that he was trembling all over.
"The fellow has had a bad shock of some kind," remarked Frank in a low tone, as his eye took in these facts, so significant in themselves, and especially when one remembered just why the sheriff was in that vicinity.
"What's the matter, Andy?" asked Jerry soothingly.
"Ain't one o' you fellers in the doctor line?" demanded the other hoarsely.
"Well, Will, here, knows a good deal about medicine and such things. You see his dad was an M.D. before he died, which means a medical doctor. But if you're sick better come over to our camp and let him fix up something for you," said Jerry.
"'Tain't me," replied Andy desperately, and looking quickly around him as if he feared listening ears might catch his words.
"Then who?"
"They's a feller near by who had a bad tumble. I'm afraid he's got a broken leg. If your friend could only see him, and do somethin' for him. He's groanin' with pain, leastways as much as he dares. Will you bring him, Jerry?"
"Of course; but why not let the others go along, Andy? We might want to lift your—a—friend, you know, and four would be better than two. Besides, you can trust us not to say one word."
Andy started violently and stared at Jerry.
"Then—you know?" he ejaculated, in some confusion.
"Yes, all about it; and we feel sorry for you, too. Come! If he is suffering, something must be done, or he may die. Don't hesitate any longer, but take us to where he is hiding. I'm sure my pard can do something to help him," said Jerry.
The other's indecision came to an end.
"I will, then, by gum! Come on!" he exclaimed between his set teeth.
Frank, looking around, thought that he had just the faintest glimpse of something moving amid the neighboring bushes; but then it might have been a prowling chipmunk or an inquisitive raccoon.
He fell in line, and trailed after the others, wondering just how the affair was going to end. Evidently, Andy's father, in wandering about the rough region after dark, had slipped once too often on the rocks, and come to serious harm.
The boy led them past the ruins, and up the side of a steep ascent. Several times he stopped and looked sharply down and around, as though suspicious of the strange stillness that had fallen upon all Nature. Even the birds seemed to have ceased their quarreling, and the crows that had been cawing in a dead tree near the lake front at the time our boys landed, had suddenly taken their departure, as though bent on seeking new pastures.
The difficulties increased as they ascended further. Great masses of rock seemed to be piled up all around them. It was as if giants had been using the slope for a playground, and heaved these tremendous bodies of stone hither and thither in endless confusion.
"H'm!" thought Frank as he noted these things. "I don't wonder much that our friend, Mr. Dodd, and his men, found trouble in discovering where the fugitive convict was secreted. A fellow could easily hide here, and laugh at the efforts of a dozen men to find him."
He, too, had taken to glancing behind him as he went. Somehow, something seemed to tell him that their movements were being watched. Still, not a thing did he see at any time to warrant this belief, and it would seem absurd to have warned Andy when he had nothing more substantial upon which to found his theory.
Besides, Frank figured that if the escaped convict were really seriously hurt, he must give himself up. He would need the attention of a surgeon in order to save his life, even though such action meant a return to his prison cell.
Andy had stopped now. They were just in front of a crevice in the rocks that reminded Frank not a little of that in which they had hunted for a second bear at the time he and Bluff shot the black invader of the camp.
"I guess we've got to the end of the hunt," he whispered in the ear of Will, who nodded assent.
After one last anxious look all around, as if he wanted to reassure himself, Andy bent low and moved ahead.
"Come on, Jerry, and look out for your head," he said.
"Have a care, fellows, or you'll get a knock on your top that will hurt," was the way in which the worthy addressed passed the warning along.
It was not dark in the crevice, for enough light seeped in from above to show them how to step. Every one of the boys was strangely thrilled. They were about to be brought face to face with the escaped convict, who, they had good reason to believe, was also the person responsible for that ghostly figure which had alarmed such wayfarers as were in the habit of passing across the mountains when going from Centerville over to Chester.
After several twistings and turnings they came to what looked like an enlargement of the crevice. In fact, the place could now be called a cave, for it seemed to have a roof far above their heads.
A fire was smoldering in one corner, as though it might have been used earlier in the day for getting breakfast, and by what light came from this source Frank could see something stirring over in another corner.
"Andy, is that you?" asked a voice, in which there seemed to be a sort of groan.
"Yes, it's me, daddy," returned their guide, shuffling forward.
"Have you got help?" asked the other weakly.
Frank instantly made up his mind then that the man had sent Andy out to bring assistance in his time of need. Perhaps he had given over all idea of escape now. Perhaps he did not care, being overwhelmed with disappointment. Andy had held back because he had been in one sense ashamed to let the boys know that he had a parent who was a convict.
"The boys come with me. They was over lookin' at the ruins of the house," replied the other, bending down; and there seemed to be real solicitude in his manner, something Frank noticed with a strange feeling at his heart.
"Only the boys! What good can they do me? I told you to find some of those men and bring them here. I've dodged and hidden all I mean to!" exclaimed the injured man firmly.
"But one of 'em is somethin' of a doctor; leastways, his daddy used to be, an' Jerry he says he knows a heap about medicine. P'raps he kin do for ye all right," went on Andy, hurriedly and soothingly.
Will now pushed forward with professional zeal. He was, in truth, very fond of a chance to air his knowledge, and since he had been studying with the idea that at some time after he was through college he would take up his father's profession, his knowledge of medicine was equal to that of many full-fledged doctors.
"Let me look, and see how badly you are injured, sir," he said.
"I slipped on the rocks and had a bad tumble. You see I'm not as strong as some men, though much better than for a long time. I think I must have lain there all of an hour before Andy found me and helped me in here to lie down. But the pain and swelling continued to get worse, so that I could not stand it; so I sent him out for help. I'm willing to go back now—more than willing."
So he talked as Will began to look at his leg. He found it pretty well bruised, and swollen, too. The way in which he felt here and there would have given confidence to a man in far less desperate need of help than this stricken giant.
"What is it—a broken bone?" asked the man anxiously, as he saw Will seem to consider, which he took to be a serious sign.
"I'm glad to say it isn't. The bruises are painful, and there is also a sprain that you will feel for many months; but no break of the bone," he replied.
"Talk to me about your ambulance surgeons! What could beat that?" gurgled the delighted Jerry.
"You are sure?" urged the man, looking brighter at the same time.
"Just as sure as I know my own name. But you need attention which you can hardly get here. We ought to move you over to our camp, where I can give you my personal care."
Will was evidently proud of having come upon his first patient. It aroused the zeal that had of late been slumbering a little under the new impetus of his later love for photography.
The man on the bed of hemlock boughs smiled rather grimly, Frank thought, as he said:
"You are very kind, my boy, and generous, in the bargain. I believe, myself, that I shall need more or less care for some time, but I'm apt to get it in another quarter than in your camp. There is a gentleman who is waiting to administer to my needs with the best doctors that the State supplies."
Frank saw him look meaningly past them, and turning, he was not very much surprised to see Mr. Dodd, the sheriff, standing quietly just inside the entrance to the cave.
"Come in, Mr. Sheriff. Don't be bashful," said Thaddeus Lasher, with a grimace of pain.
"Thank you, Lasher. Glad to see you so cheerful." And Mr. Dodd walked in.
"Oh, I've become reconciled to my fate, that's all. This boy has relieved my fear that I had a broken leg; and just now, of all times, that would have been a sure-enough calamity. He's eased the pain some, too, which is another blessing," returned the escaped convict.
The sheriff looked keenly at him.
"I admire your grit, anyway, and I'm sorry that duty compels me to disturb your dream of freedom," he observed.
"That's all right, Mr. Sheriff. I'm not asking favors of any man—now!" replied the other.
Frank was amazed. He thought that if ever a poor fellow had cause for mourning his hard luck, Thaddeus Lasher was the one. He had escaped from prison, and eluded the authorities for nearly three months, only to have this miserable fall, that in a measure was responsible for his being retaken.
And yet he even smiled, back of the lines of physical pain on his face.
Another man stood in the entrance to the grotto, one of Mr. Dodd's deputies; in fact, the same fellow who had spent the night in camp with the boys.
"What can we do about it, Bill?" questioned the sheriff.
At this the man came forward and bent over the recumbent form.
"Sure he ain't shamming, are you, Mr. Dodd?" he asked dubiously.
"How about it, Will?" And the sheriff turned with a smile to the amateur surgeon.
"No sham there, sir. He really thought he had broken the bones, but it proves to be a sprain that will keep him from walking alone for weeks. I was just making a suggestion when you came."
"And what might that be, my boy?" queried the sheriff kindly.
"If he could be carried to our big canoe, we would engage to paddle him across the lake to our camp. There I would be able to take charge of him until such time as you thought best to—er—leave us," stammered Will.
At that the sheriff grinned and the wounded man laughed outright.
"Don't hesitate to say it, my boy," said the latter, "because I know, of course, that the officer is here for one purpose, and that is to take me back to the prison I escaped from with a particular purpose in view. Isn't that so, sheriff?"
"Sorry to say it is," replied Mr. Dodd, shaking his head.
"But he's mistaken when he thinks that they are going to add to my four years because of this break of mine. I tell you that rather will I have this State on its knees, apologizing to me as best it can for having kept me shut up all this time without cause!" exclaimed the man, raising himself on his elbow, and speaking with a passion that thrilled the boys.
Again Mr. Dodd surveyed his prisoner with renewed interest.
"That sounds like you had found something, Thaddeus," he remarked, a bit eagerly, for the strange case had interested him much more than it did the stubborn head warden of the penitentiary.
"Well, I have!" replied the convict, with a ring of triumph in his voice.
"The booty?" demanded the officer.
"Yes; but, best of all, the glass negative that Fletcher somehow refused to destroy, even though it would incriminate him, if ever seen!"
"Hurrah!" exclaimed Will, in great excitement, for this point of the matter appealed to him as nothing else could.
The sheriff showed his good heart by bending down and grasping the hand of the prostrate convict.
"I congratulate you, Thaddeus. I liked your nerve in breaking away to prove the claim you made. So the old thief didn't fool you, after all? Well, it goes to his credit as one decent thing he did in his life, perhaps the only one, at that. Now, I think the lad's suggestion a good one. We must get you out of here, and the sooner the better. Bill, bear a hand with me," he said, with a business-like air.
"Hold on, just a minute, Mr. Sheriff! Of course, you understand that I've got all that plunder secreted away. When I can get back here again I'll lead the officers to where it lies, and I don't believe he ever touched a single thing of the lot, for he was caught soon afterward on another old charge and sent up, to end his days behind the bars. But I must hold on to that plate, for if all goes well, it means liberty and life to me, thank God!"
He spoke a few words to Andy, who hurried off to a corner of the cavern. Bending down, he took a package from a crevice, handling it very carefully. It was wrapped in an old newspaper, and outside of that a flannel shirt had been tied. That photographic, fragile bit of glass was worth more to poor Thaddeus Lasher than all the wealth of the Indies.
"Now do with me what you please, Mr. Sheriff," said the man grimly.
They handled him as carefully as possible, though in spite of their solicitude he groaned several times as he was being carried down the slope to where the three canoes were drawn up on the pebbly strand.
Making as good a cushion as possible in the bottom of the large canoe, the boys assisted in laying the wounded man there. He heaved a sigh of relief when this was finally accomplished.
"It's mighty Christian-like of you young chaps to help a wretched fugitive from justice in this way; but make up your minds, boys, you're only assisting an unfortunate fellow to right himself in the eyes of the world," he said, with a grateful look toward Frank and his chums.
"How about that ghost racket, sir?" asked Bluff, unable to restrain his curiosity longer.
"That answered its purpose for some time while I was hunting; but it seems as though it must have outlived its usefulness. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if it was the main cause of this invasion of my private territory," said Lasher humorously, evidently glad of a chance to have his mind diverted from his suffering.
"Well, it was really the cause of our coming up here. Only for the ghost of Oak Ridge we might have selected another place for camping. Some time I'd like to know how you did it, though Frank said that shiny appearance could be caused by using phosphorus," persisted Bluff.
"Which was just what I did," acknowledged the other, as the canoe was shoved off, with Frank in the stern and Jerry seated in the bow, paddles in hand, ready to make the passage of Lake Surprise.
Mr. Dodd was stowed away in the canoe with Will, while Bluff ferried Bill across with the greatest ease. So in good time they landed on the other shore. Here, Adolphus and Jed awaited them, with wonder on their faces. When the colored man heard that the boys were bringing the dreadful "ghost" to camp his knees shook with fear; and all the time Thaddeus Lasher remained in that place the negro refused to go near him, such was his superstition.
They soon made the wounded man fairly comfortable.
"To-morrow," said the sheriff, later on, "if so be you can let us have your team, we will take Thaddeus to town, and send the wagon back by one of my men."
"It's a bargain, Mr. Dodd. That will give us one more night, then, of your society, which pleases my chums and myself. Watch Will! I can suspect what he's hanging around the wounded man for," remarked Frank.
"That negative draws him," suggested the other, laughing.
"That's what it is. Just at present he's photography mad, as you might say. He tries to snap us off in the most astonishing situations. I believe that if I happened to be hanging by my toes, from a limb fifty feet from the ground, and in danger of having my brains dashed out, Will would shriek out to me to 'Please,please, can't you just wait a few seconds til I get you focussed!'"
The sheriff laughed heartily.
"There! He's speaking to Thaddeus now. The man looks interested and anxious. He hardly knows whether to allow his precious plate to pass out of his hands, even for a few minutes," he remarked presently.
"But he has decided to take the risk. There! He hands the package to my chum. Note that look of rapture on Will's face, please! Nothing could delight Will more than a chance to undertake that little printing job. Now he has gone into the tent, and I suppose that before long we'll know what's what," said Frank.
"It'll be an anxious ten minutes to poor Thaddeus," remarked the sheriff.
Presently Will came out with a printing frame, which he stuck where the bright sun could fall full upon it.
"He's going to just try a solo print at first," remarked Frank. "It will do to prove the thing, one way or the other. Later on he can print all the permanent copies the man wants."
Twice did Andy approach Will with a message from his father, but the young photographer only shook his head. Finally he snatched up the frame, took a look, by unfastening one end, and then eagerly removed the paper.
The wounded man, who was lying near the fire, drew himself up on his elbow, and the look on his face was full of eagerness.
"What luck?" asked Frank, hurrying over.
"The best ever! The print is as clear as a bell, and I'll get a fine picture when I go at it properly. See there!"
Will held out the paper, upon which the sun had printed a positive reproduction of the interior of a room, with a man crouching before a safe. His head was turned as though he had been looking straight at the concealed camera, so that his face stood out clear and distinct!
It was a smooth-shaven, repulsive face, but utterly unlike that of Thaddeus Lasher!