CHAPTER XXX
THE END OF GOLDEN PEAK
"Does it rise very fast, Frank?"
"Yes, she's coming up at a pretty good speed. We haven't much time to spare. We want to get away before dark if we can."
"Then come on up to the top where Billy is," and Andy began making his way up the side of Golden Peak.
He and his brother had gone from the treasure cave to the edge of the fast-forming lake to note the rise of the water, and having ascertained that the rate was quite rapid they were ready to proceed with the work of making the raft, and sending up the smoke signal. Billy had gone up toward the summit, taking the horses and pack animals with him, and also the store of gold.
"First we'll cut down as many trees as we think we'll need," suggested Frank, when the three were together again. "Then we can bind them tightly with these vines and our ropes. Andy and I will do that, and you can make the fire, Billy."
"All right," agreed the ranch lad. "Only it's getting so hazy that our smoke isn't going to be seen a great distance."
"All the more need of hurrying then," said Frank, as he gazed off across the lake. He could scarcely see the big dam, some miles away, on account of the haze that hung over the water. The ranch buildings were altogether out of sight.
"But the smoke may rise above the mist," reasoned the elder Racer lad. "I hope so, at any rate."
Rapidly he and Andy cut down small trees. They would not need many to make a raft capable of supporting themselves. As for the animals, they would have to take their chances.
The rain still continued, and Billy knew the river, in dry times a small stream, must be greatly increased in volume. He soon had a fire going, and a thick cloud of smoke arose, swirling this way and that—an excellent signal of distress if it could be observed.
"I wonder how they can rescue us?" asked Andy, as he made the last chop at a small tree, felling it.
"In a boat, of course," said Frank.
"Uncle has a boat," put in Billy. "He had it built for use on the lake. It's a big barge, and will hold several horses. In fact, it's a sort of ferry, for he calculated that he might want to send some of the ponies or farm machinery from one end of the lake to the other after the dam was built. Now, if he would only send that for us we'd be all right."
"Maybe he will," suggested Frank, hopefully. "Anyhow, keep the fire going. Now, Andy, I think we've got enough trees down. Let's see what sort of a raft we can make."
It was a crude affair that was soon in process of construction, but it would answer the purpose of saving the lads, though it would not hold the horses.
"It isn't going to be very hard to launch," commented Andy, when it was almost completed. "All we'll have to do will be to get on it and wait for the water to float it."
"And that won't be long, for she's rising fast," said Frank.
It was indeed so, as they could tell by looking down the slope of the hill. Tree landmarks that had been wholly out of the water were now almost covered. It would not be long before the whole of Golden Peak was submerged.
Several hours passed. The raft was completed, but there was no need to go to the laborious work of getting it down the side of the hill to the level of the lake. The lake itself would rise up soon enough to float it.
"Another foot will do the business," said Frank, in a quiet voice, as he noted the water lapping the stones and bushes about twelve inches from where the raft rested.
"Then we might as well get on and wait," suggested Andy. "We've got the gold as secure as we can make it."
"All right," agreed Billy. "I guess I may as well let the fire go out. They don't seem to have seen our smoke." He tossed on a final armful of wet leaves to make a thicker smudge, and gazed off through the mist for a sign of rescue. But he saw none.
The boys got on the frail raft. As they did so the horses and burros came closer to them. The animals seemed pitifully frightened.
"Good-bye, Buffalo!" exclaimed Billy, as he patted the faithful steed. "I hate to leave you, old fellow, but it's got to be. Maybe you can swim ashore."
Buffalo whinnied and stretched out his velvety nose for a caress. There were tears in Billy's eyes, and those of Frank and Andy were not altogether free from moisture, for they had grown to care very much for the animals they had ridden over the prairies.
A half hour passed. Frank, who had been looking at the water from time to time, suddenly uttered an exclamation.
"What is it?" asked his brother. "Do you see anything?"
"Yes!" cried Frank. "I see that the water hasn't risen an inch in the last half hour. Before that it was going up at the rate of nearly a foot an hour."
"Are you sure?" cried Andy.
"I certainly am. I've been watching that yellow rock there, wondering when it would be covered, but the water has been lapping at the base of it more than thirty minutes."
"What does that mean?" asked Andy, anxiously.
"That the lake has stopped rising," said Frank quickly. "Either it has reached its limit, or they have suspected something wrong at the dam, and opened the gates."
"It hasn't reached its limit," declared Billy, "for when it does this hill will be covered. It's away below the top of the dam."
"Then they know we're here and they've opened the gates!" cried Frank. "Boys, I believe we're going to be rescued!"
"And I know it!" yelled Andy, suddenly leaping to his feet. "Wearerescued, fellows! There's the boat now!"
His cry of joy was answered by a shout, and from out the mist on the lake, straight for Golden Peak, came a large barge or flat-bottom ferryboat, propelled by long sweeps in the hands of the lusty cowboys. In the middle of the craft stood Mr. Thornton.
"Boys! Boys!" he cried in eager tones, "are you safe? Oh, what a narrow escape! Are you all right?"
"Yes, Uncle!" cried Billy. "We were just going to launch our ship when you hove in sight. Did you see our smoke signal?"
"We did, and that's why I had the gate opened. The waters are going down now. Oh, that scoundrel! To bring word that you had left the Peak! That's why I closed the openings in the dam. Oh! if I catch the rascals I'll fix them for this!"
"Did they say we had gone?" asked Frank.
"That's what they did—some days ago, or I never would have allowed the water to rise. But, thank Providence, you are safe. Get aboard now, and bring the horses, too. And so you were going to sail on the raft."
"That's what we were," said Billy. "The Racer boys thought of that scheme."
"Well, get aboard the barge," advised his uncle, as he gazed admiringly at the brave lads. "What have you in those bags?" and he pointed to the gold.
"That," said Frank, and he could not keep a note of satisfaction from his voice; "that is the treasure of Golden Peak!"
"The treasure of Golden Peak?" cried Mr. Thornton. "Are you joking? Was there a treasure?"
"There was!" cried his nephew, "and we got it," and then, when they had all boarded the barge, though it was no easy work to induce the animals to embark, the boys told their story, while the cowboys propelled the boat toward the lower end of the lake.
"Well, you certainly are the luckiest chaps I ever saw," said Mr. Thornton. "And it all happened just as you guessed. There must have been a traitor among the construction gang, who informed the Shackmiller crowd of your plans. We thought you had gone camping somewhere else as you said you would.
"Then, when you did not come home, after the rain kept up, your aunt got worried. I tried to tell her it was all right, but she insisted that we go out and hunt you up. We were just starting when one of my men saw the smoke on Golden Peak. Then I guessed the truth and I ordered the gates of the dam opened, so the waters would stop rising."
"And only just in time, too," said Frank. "We were so busy in the cave, getting out the gold, that we never noticed the rising waters, or we might have escaped unaided."
"But what about those men who made trouble for you?" asked Billy of his uncle.
"Oh, they've cleared out," said Mr. Thornton. "I've got them just where I want them, now. Though I did go ahead without any legal authority and flood this region I was within my rights for, only yesterday, I succeeded—or rather, my lawyers did—in getting full title to the land in dispute. There is no doubt now that Golden Peak, and the approach to it, is mine beyond question. And it will soon be where no one can get at it, for I'm going to let the waters rise again as soon as we land, and Golden Peak will be no more—that is unless there is more gold there."
"No, I think we got all there was," said Frank. "I'm glad we dug it out when we had the chance. This is the first treasure hunt I was ever on."
"And very successful," added Andy. "Say, but things have been happening lately. I wonder what's next on the list?"
What was, and what share the Racer boys had in some further adventures, will be told of in the next volume of this series, to be called "The Racer Boys on Guard, Or, The Rebellion at Riverview Hall."
It did not take long to reach the dam, where the boat was moored, and then the Racer boys, and their chum, with Mr. Thornton and the cowboys, rode across the prairie to the ranch. The gates in the dam were closed, and that night Golden Peak disappeared forever under the waters of the irrigation lake.
There is little more to tell. The treasure did not amount to as much as the boys had hoped it would, but still it was a substantial sum.
"Besides, look at the fun we had!" exclaimed Andy.
"That's all you think of," complained his brother, with a laugh.
"Well, haven't we a right to, after what we've gone through?" asked Andy.
"I should say so," agreed Billy. "Oh, but I'm glad you boys came West with me! I've never had such a fine summer."
"And we got the best of Shackmiller and his crowd," commented Frank. "You won't have anything to fear now, when you come back to Riverview Hall, Billy."
"That's right, though I don't know whether I'll come back or not."
As Frank had said, the Shackmillers were completely routed. The twin brothers disappeared after Sam had recovered from his injuries. Later it was learned that Bruce Shackmiller had played the part of the hypocrite while being taken care of at Double X ranch. It was he who had taken the valuable paper and escaped in the night, though the document did him no good. As for the others who had sought the treasure of Golden Peak, and claimed the land that was rightfully Mr. Thornton's, they, too, went their several ways, it not being thought worth while to seek to bring them to justice, even though they had tried their best to endanger the lives of our heroes.
"And now for a good gallop!" cried Andy, one day, as he and his brother and chum leaped on the backs of their horses.
"I'm glad we could save them," said Frank, as he called to his mount to leap ahead and get on even terms with his brother's. "I never knew I could like a horse so."
"He's yours—to keep," said Billy quickly. "And so is Andy's. Uncle said I could give them to you."
"He did?" cried the Racer boys. "Whoop! That's great!" and away they dashed over the sun-lit prairie, toward the big dam, behind which the waters of the lake sparkled bright. And there we will take leave of them.
THE END
BOOKS BY CLARENCE YOUNG
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