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diff --git a/21594.txt b/21594.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..2a0fdac --- /dev/null +++ b/21594.txt @@ -0,0 +1,5909 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Fred Fenton on the Crew, by Allen Chapman + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Fred Fenton on the Crew + or, The Young Oarsmen of Riverport School + +Author: Allen Chapman + +Release Date: May 24, 2007 [EBook #21594] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FRED FENTON ON THE CREW *** + + + + +Produced by Juliet Sutherland and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + +[Illustration: "WE WIN! WE WIN! RIVERPORT TAKES THE RACE!" +_Fred Fenton on the Crew_ _Page_ 196] + + + +FRED FENTON ON THE CREW + +Or + +The Young Oarsmen of Riverport School + + + +By + +ALLEN CHAPMAN + +OF "FRED FENTON THE PITCHER," "FRED FENTON IN LINE," +"TOM FAIRFIELD SERIES," "THE CHUMS SERIES," +"BOYS OF PLUCK SERIES," ETC. + + + +ILLUSTRATED + + +NEW YORK +CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY +PUBLISHERS + + + +BOOKS FOR BOYS + +BY ALLEN CHAPMAN + +FRED FENTON ATHLETIC SERIES +12mo. Cloth. Illustrated. + +FRED FENTON THE PITCHER +FRED FENTON IN THE LINE +FRED FENTON ON THE CREW +FRED FENTON ON THE TRACK + + +TOM FAIRFIELD SERIES +12mo. Cloth. Illustrated. + +TOM FAIRFIELD'S SCHOOLDAYS +TOM FAIRFIELD AT SEA +TOM FAIRFIELD IN CAMP +TOM FAIRFIELD'S PLUCK AND LUCK + + +THE DAREWELL CHUMS SERIES +12mo. Cloth. Illustrated. + +THE DAREWELL CHUMS +THE DAREWELL CHUMS IN THE CITY +THE DAREWELL CHUMS IN THE WOODS +THE DAREWELL CHUMS ON A CRUISE +THE DAREWELL CHUMS IN A WINTER CAMP + + +BOYS OF PLUCK SERIES +12mo. Cloth. Illustrated. + +THE YOUNG EXPRESS AGENT +TWO BOY PUBLISHERS +MAIL ORDER FRANK +A BUSINESS BOY'S PLUCK +THE YOUNG LAND AGENT + +CUPPLES & LEON CO. PUBLISHERS, NEW YORK + +Copyrighted 1913, by +CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY + +FRED FENTON ON THE CREW + +Printed in U. S. A. + + + +CONTENTS + +CHAPTER PAGE + +I. The Finger of Suspicion 1 +II. The Tricky Canoe 9 +III. A Boat Club Meeting 17 +IV. In Camp on the Mohunk 26 +V. Hoofs and Horns 33 +VI. A Sudden Awakening 41 +VII. Ice Cold Waters 49 +VIII. A Surprise 56 +IX. A Lucky Win 63 +X. Fred's Home Coming 71 +XI. News From Over Sea 79 +XII. Bristles Has an Idea 87 +XIII. A Call for Help 96 +XIV. The Missing Opals Again 104 +XV. Fred's Brave Stand 113 +XVI. The Trial Spin 121 +XVII. Snagged and Wrecked 130 +XVIII. Lying in Wait 138 +XIX. Nipped in the Bud 147 +XX. In the Hollow Oak 156 +XXI. A Plan to Catch the Thief 165 +XXII. Telling the Good News 173 +XXIII. The Start of the Race 181 +XXIV. A Great Victory 189 +XXV. Bright Skies 198 + + + +FRED FENTON ON THE CREW + + + + +CHAPTER I + +THE FINGER OF SUSPICION + + +"Hello! there, Bristles!" + +"Hello! yourself, Fred Fenton!" + +"Why, what ails you this fine summer morning, Bristles? You don't look +as jolly as you might." + +"Well, I was only waiting to see if you cared to speak to me, Fred." + +"Why in the wide world shouldn't I, when you're one of my chums, +Bristles Carpenter?" + +Andy Carpenter was known far and wide around the town of Riverport as +"Bristles," on account of the way in which his mop of hair stood +upright most of the time, much after the manner of the quills on a +fretful porcupine. + +Usually he was a very good-natured sort of a chap, one of the +"give-and-take" kind, so universally liked among schoolboys. But, on +this particular early summer morning, with the peaceful Mohunk river +running close by, and all Nature smiling, Bristles look glum and +distressed, just as his friend Fred Fenton had declared. + +"You haven't heard the latest news then?" remarked the boy with the +thick head of stiff, wiry hair; and he made a grimace as he spoke. + +"If you mean anything about _you_, then I haven't, for a fact," Fred +replied, his wonder deepening into astonishment; for he now saw that +Bristles was not playing any kind of a joke, as he had at first +suspected. + +"Huh! didn't know you had an awful _thief_ for a chum, did you, Fred?" +the other went on, laying emphasis on that one suggestive word, and +frowning. + +"Rats! what sort of stuff are you giving me now, anyway, Bristles?" + +"Well, some people think that way, Fred; you ask Miss Alicia Muster, +f'rinstance," grumbled the other, shaking his head dolefully. + +"But she's your rich old aunt, Bristles!" cried Fred, more surprised +than ever. + +"That doesn't make any difference," complained the boy who was in +trouble; "she believes I took 'em, all the same; 'cause, you see, I +just _happened_ to drop in to see her twice inside the last week, worse +luck for me; and, Fred, each time one of 'em disappeared the funniest +way ever." + +"Go on and tell me what you mean; I can only guess that your aunt has +met with some sort of loss. But why should she try to lay it on you, +Bristles?" + +"Huh! you don't know how good that makes me feel, Fred, just to think +that one feller isn't goin' to believe me a thief," the other boy went +on, drawing a long breath. "Why, even over at our house I seem to +notice 'em all lookin' kinder suspicious-like at me; just as if they +couldn't quite make up their minds whether I might 'a been tempted to +take 'em or not." + +"Take what?" demanded Fred, determined to learn the cause of his chum's +trouble. + +"Why," Bristles went on, "don't you remember that time I took you over +to see my queer old maiden aunt, who's got the rheumatics so bad, and +lives in the big house all alone with a colored woman, and all her +silly pets,--cats, squawkin' crows she cares for like they might be +humans; and with that big bulldog chained under her window?" + +"Sure, I remember all that; keep going, now you've got started?" Fred +broke in. + +"And don't you remember her showin' us that collection of pretty stones +she said were opals from a Mexican mine she had an interest in long +ago?" the other asked, almost breathlessly. + +"That's right, Bristles; and you said they just about caught your eye +the worst kind," Fred observed. "Fact is, the old lady seemed to be +tickled because you showed such a fancy for those milky stones that +looked like 'moonlight,' as she called it." + +"Gee! you remember too much, Fred," complained the other, with a +grimace. "Because you see, it was that silly remark of mine that's gone +and got me into a peck of trouble. I really didn't care so much for the +things as I let on; but you know, my aunt is as rich as all get out; +and it's kind of the fashion over to our house to make her feel good +when we can. That was why, I reckon, I made out to admire her +collection of opals like I did, though they were pretty enough. Wish +now I'd kept my tongue between my teeth; or that it'd been you who took +that notion to make out you was interested in 'em." + +"And you mean she's lost some of the opals; is that it?" asked Fred. + +"Two of 'em gone, she told me yesterday afternoon, when mother sent me +over to take her a cake she'd made," Bristles continued. + +"And did she really have the nerve to accuse you of stealing them, +Bristles?" + +"Well, hardly that," replied the other boy, gritting his teeth; "if she +had, I reckon I'd a flamed right out, and told her what I thought of +old maids that had vinegar natures--I've heard my mom say that, though +she told me never to repeat it to Aunt Alicia for anything. You see she +acted like she suspected me." + +"Oh! and you felt bad on that account, eh?" questioned Fred. + +"She told me she'd just been saying to Sallie Kemper, when she was in, +that it was the _queerest thing ever_ that twice her lovely little +opals disappeared when I visited her on my own account. And Fred, you +know as well as I do what Sallie is." + +"Sure I do," returned the other, promptly; "I hadn't been in Riverport +a great many moons when I learned that she was considered the biggest +gossip in the place." + +"That's right," Bristles went on. "Sallie went around right away, and +told how the rich Miss Muster suspected her own nephew of actually +taking some of her beautiful and valuable jewels. It kept gettin' +bigger as it was told from one to another, and I just guess my sister +Kate brought it home. Mom asked me if I'd done anything wrong, and I +said point blank that I'd sooner cut my hand off than steal Aunt +Alicia's opals, or touch anything she owned." + +"Well, didn't that end it?" asked Fred, who had troubles of his own, +and could feel for his chum. + +"Oh! nothin' more was said; but I saw mom and pop talkin' together +after supper; and when I went out I just know they rooted all around in +my room, 'cause things was upset. But Fred, it's just _awful_ to feel +everybody lookin' at you with a question in their eyes. I'll never be +happy again till I find out what did become of those silly jewels of my +aunt's." + +"Oh! I wouldn't worry so much as that," counselled Fred. "Perhaps by +now she's found where she put the things. Cheer up, Bristles, and think +of the great times ahead of us boys of the Riverport school, with that +jolly shell coming to us, and the river in fine shape for rowing this +summer." + +As they walked along the bank of the Mohunk, with Fred trying to cheer +his companion up, a few words concerning the young fellows might be in +place. + +Fred Fenton had come to Riverport within the year. He lived with his +father and mother, together with three smaller sisters, in a cottage +not far removed from the bank of the river. + +Mr. Fenton was employed by a concern in the town. He had at first been +connected with a large manufacturing firm in Mechanicsburg, which was +located some three miles up the river; but lost his position through +the influence of Squire Lemington, who had a reason for wishing him to +feel the biting pangs of poverty. + +An uncle of Fred's had left some valuable property up in Alaska, which +would make the Fentons comfortable if they could only get hold of it. +Unfortunately a big syndicate, with which Sparks Lemington was +connected, pretended to have a claim on this mining property, and was +doing everything possible to keep Mr. Fenton out of it. + +An important witness, whose evidence would have undoubtedly proved the +Fentons to be the genuine owners, had been mysteriously carried off. +His name was Hiram Masterson, and he was really a nephew of Sparks +Lemington. Mr. Fenton had gone to the city late in the preceding Fall, +under the belief that the missing witness was found; but arrived too +late, since Hiram had been "shanghaied" aboard a sailing vessel +belonging to the big syndicate, and carried away to unknown seas, +perhaps never to return. + +So hope had gradually dwindled down to a very faint spark in the +breasts of the Fentons, though they still refused to utterly give up +dreaming that some day all would be made right. + +Fred had soon made many friends among the boys of Riverport, and some +enemies as well. How he became the leading pitcher of the school team, +and played his part in the great games against Paulding and +Mechanicsburg, has been described in the first volume of this series, +entitled "Fred Fenton, the Pitcher; Or, The Rivals of Riverport +School." + +The chief enemy of Fred was Buck Lemington, son of the Squire, who had +planned to ruin the Fentons' hopes for fortune. And just how the bully +of the town, taking pattern from his father's usual methods of +procedure, tried to get Fred disgraced, so that he could not play on +the football team that Fall, you will find described in the second +volume called: "Fred Fenton in the Line; Or, The Football Boys of +Riverport School." + +During the Winter and early Spring Fred had continued to hold the good +opinions of most of his schoolmates; and with the summer now at hand he +was ready to join with a boy's enthusiasm in the new sports that the +season brought in its train. + +Talking earnestly, the two lads were still walking along the edge of +the river some little distance above the town, when, just as they +turned a bend in the stream, they heard a sharp scream, accompanied by +much splashing in the water. + +"Listen to that racket, would you, Fred?" cried Bristles, turning +toward his comrade, his face filled with alarm; "as sure as you live, +somebody's fallen into the river, and it sounds like a child, too." + +"Come on!" was all Fred said in reply; indeed, even while throwing +these two words over his shoulder he was leaping down the bank of the +Mohunk. + + + + +CHAPTER II + +THE TRICKY CANOE + + +Fred reached the edge of the water almost before his companion realized +what was going on. Throwing off his coat and discarding his shoes he +plunged headlong into the river. + +A canoe had unset in the stream, and a small boy was struggling to +maintain his desperate clutch on the sloping side of the craft floating +with the current. + +Fortunately the swift stream was bringing it toward Fred as he plunged +into the water. Had it been otherwise he would hardly have been able to +reach it before the boy sank for the last time. + +Bristles Carpenter had by now recovered his wits, and about the time +Fred gave that mighty splash, when going headlong into the river, he +too was hurrying down the bank, trying in his clumsy fashion also to +discard his coat and shoes. + +The Fenton boy had, meanwhile, struck out straight for the canoe, with +the little lad trying vainly to get hold of the bobbing gunwales, +disappearing under the surface several times, to come up again +spluttering, and choking. + +Fred was a good swimmer, and never in all his past life had he known +such an occasion for making speed as then. He saw that the small boy +could not remain long above the water; and if he did go down, it might +be next to impossible to find him in time to get him ashore while life +remained. + +Just as Bristles, panting for breath, and eager to lend a helping hand, +arrived at the brink of the water, he saw his chum reach out, and grasp +the sinking child by the shoulder. + +"Whoo!" + +That was Bristles, trying to give a cheer, but making a sad mess of it +because of shortness of breath. + +He saw that Fred, by a great effort, had raised the little fellow, and +actually pushed him into the canoe, which had not overturned when it +threw its occupant into the treacherous river, though the craft was +much waterladen. + +And now the rescuer was starting to swim back toward the shore, urging +the little craft along with him. + +Bristles Carpenter had actually started into the river, and was already +almost up to his waist when he chanced to remember that he was +accounted one of the poorest swimmers among the Riverport boys. + +"Don't come out, Bristles; stay there and try to give me a hand!" + +From the way Fred called this, it was evident that his recent exertions +must have quite exhausted him; and that he felt the need of some +assistance, in order to get ashore with the canoe. The current was +particularly strong at this place, it being accounted one of the danger +spots of the Mohunk; and it seemed averse to letting its intended +victim get away from its grip. + +Once Bristles had caught hold of Fred's arm he braced himself, and soon +the other was able to get his feet on the bottom. + +Together they drew the canoe to the shore. + +"Why, hello! here's a queer thing!" exclaimed Bristles, as, having +clambered out of the river he bent down to look at the half-drowned lad +in the canoe; "did you know it was little Billy Lemington you yanked +out of the water?" + +"Yes, I knew it all along," replied Fred, as he squeezed some of the +water from his trousers, and then leaned over to see how the boy was +coming on. + +Considering what a narrow escape little Billy had just had, he seemed +to be pretty well off. He had swallowed some water, it was true, and +his face was ashen white; but he could get up on his knees, and was +soon feeling better. + +"It just kicked me out," he said, when Bristles asked him how the +accident had happened. + +"Say, that's a way all canoes have, I understand," Bristles chuckled. +"They just watch till you're not lookin', and then chuck you overboard. +Some of 'em are worse than a bucking bronco at throwing a feller. But +looky here, Billy, how does it come you're in this cranky boat? I'd 'a +thought your dad would have told you to leave Buck's canoe alone." + +"He did," replied the little fellow, with a half sob; "but I thought I +knowed how to manage it. But I'm never goin' to try again, no siree. +But won't I get it when they hear all about me bein' in the water! Wish +you wouldn't tell on me. Pop'll just give me hot cakes for not mindin' +him. _Please_ don't tell. I'll promise never to get in this old boat +again, sure I will!" + +Fred and Bristles exchanged glances. + +"What do you say, Fred?" asked the latter; "ought we keep still about +it?" + +Under ordinary circumstances Fred would have said that the parents of +the boy ought to know what chances he had been taking; but the +conditions were rather peculiar just then. If he told, it would seem as +if he might be trying to "draw the teeth" of his enemy, Buck Lemington, +by boasting how he had saved the latter's little brother, of whom the +bully was especially fond. And Fred's pride rose at the idea of his +being considered that sort of a fellow. + +"Oh! I'm willing to keep mum about it, Bristles, if you are," he said, +slowly, after having duly considered the matter. "He promises never to +get in this cranky canoe again. For the life of me I can't see how he +ever paddled it all the way up here." + +"I didn't," spoke up Billy, quickly. "Buck lent it to Bob Armstrong, +and last night I heard him say he thought it funny Bob didn't drop down +with his boat. So I just thought to-day I'd walk up to Bob's and if he +was around, tell him I'd come for our canoe." + +"And Bob was silly enough to let you have it, eh?" asked Bristles, +indignantly. + +Billy was rapidly recovering his nerve. He even made a wry face as he +went on to answer the question put to him. + +"Why no. You see Bob, he wasn't around; so, because I didn't want to +have my long walk all for nothin', I just hunted up the paddle in his +woodshed, and started for our house. I'd a made it, too, if I hadn't +leaned too far over when a rock bumped into us, and the old thing just +pitched me out." + +"Well," said Fred, laughingly, "suppose you jump around a little, and +dry off before you go home, Billy. And neither of us will let on what +happened. I'll get the canoe down to your house in some fashion, though +I hope Buck will be away this morning." + +"He's gone off with some of the fellers to Grafton, to look at somethin' +they want to buy," the small chap continued; "and he won't be back till +noon. That's just why I thought I'd help get his boat down +the river. You see Bob's with him, I guess." + +So after they had seen Billy scamper away, keeping in the warm sun so +as to get his clothes dried, and avoiding the road so that he might not +meet inquisitive people who would wonder how he came to be so wet, Fred +and Bristles together entered the canoe, the latter having recovered +his shoes and coat. + +They recovered the paddle and Fred pushed off, and went quietly along +down the river until finally he was able to bring the craft to the +shore at the place where Buck generally kept it housed in a small +shanty he had built. + +They tied it up, and sauntered away. By this time their clothes had +dried fairly well. + +They were just leaving the vicinity of the boat house where Buck kept +the canoe, when Bristles caught sight of a boy staring hard at them +from a little distance along the river bank. + +"After all, Fred, I reckon that we'll hear something drop about this +little matter," he declared; "because, you see, there's Sam Jinks +watching us with his eyes just popping half out of his head. He wonders +what we've been doing with Buck's canoe, because he knows right well we +never borrowed it. And make up your mind Sam'll tell him all about it +the first chance he gets, because he wants to get in with that bunch." + +"All right," replied Fred, with a shrug of his shoulders; "I don't see +where we've got any reason to worry about it. Just say we found the +boat drifting on the current of the river, which is the truth, +Bristles. Buck can carry on any way he likes; we won't give him any +satisfaction. And now, let's get back to what we were talking about +when all this rumpus came along; the chances for a boat club in +Riverport." + + + + +CHAPTER III + +A BOAT CLUB MEETING + + +"Great news, Fred! Our boat's come!" + +"Come on down to the railroad yards, and see her, Fred!" + +Two boys stood outside the Fenton cottage, and shouted these words up +at Fred Fenton, who was leaning from the window of his room. It was +several days after the events narrated in the preceding chapters, and +Fred had meanwhile gone quietly on his way, saying not a word about the +accident, whereby little Billy Lemington would have surely lost his +life only for the good luck that brought Fred and Bristles to the river +in time. + +Fred had not happened to run across Buck Lemington since, and hence did +not know whether or not the bully had been told about Bristles and +himself arriving with the canoe. + +Of course Fred made haste to rush out of the house at hearing the news +brought by Bristles Carpenter and Sid Wells, the latter his most +particular chum. + +"When did it arrive?" he demanded, adjusting his cap as he came up, and +immediately falling into step with the other eager fellows as they +hurried off. + +"Last night, I reckon," replied Sid. "I just happened to wander down +there this morning, never thinking to run across a surprise, when what +did I see but a long crate, and inside that a splendid eight-oar shell, +just what we ordered with that money we earned in the winter, giving +minstrel shows and gymnastic performances. It's a great day for +Riverport school, fellows; and well have a dandy time this summer, +believe me!" + +"I wish Mechanicsburg or Paulding would get a boat like ours, and give +us a race on the river," remarked Bristles, eagerly. + +"Say, wouldn't that be just the best ever?" Sid went on; "we beat 'em +out at baseball, and on the gridiron; perhaps we might win another +victory on the water. The Mohunk is a good stream for rowing, at +certain times of the year." + +"I suppose a lot of the boys are down there right now, all talking +about what a great time this summer will be for the nine lucky fellows, +and their substitutes?" remarked Fred, as they walked on into the town; +for the Fenton's lived a little way outside. + +"Why, nearly the whole school is down there, and such jabbering you +never heard," laughed Sid. + +Bristles tried to catch the eye of the third member of the group. + +"Yes," he remarked, with emphasis, "and Buck Lemington, he's there on +deck, big as ever. To hear him talk you'd think he was already made +coxswain of the crew, and could lord it over the rest of us like a +king." + +"That's always his way, to claim everything at the first, and then give +up a little, inch by inch," declared Sid. "There are just seventeen +members of the rowing club, all picked out as being the best in the +school. And who will be coxswain depends on the vote they'll take at +the meeting to-night. I know one right now who'll never vote; for Buck +Lemington." + +"Make it two, just for luck," Bristles said, with a grin; "and there +are others to be heard from, also. Between you and me and the +lamp-post, boys, I reckon Buck will get just five votes, besides his +own; and they'll come from his cronies, Whitey, Clem Shocks, Oscar +Jones, Con Jimmerson and Ben Cushing. The rest will go in another +direction that I won't mention right now." + +He and Sid exchanged winks and nods as though there might be a secret +between them; but Fred was paying no attention to this "wireless +telegraphy." + +"Tell me, did you run across Buck, yourself, Bristles?" + +"Sure I did," replied the other; "and that was just what I was goin' to +tell you about. He came swaggering up to me, just like he always does, +you know, and wanted to know what business I had in _his_ canoe--that +he heard you'n me was seen fastening up alongside his boathouse t'other +day." + +"And what did you say?" demanded Fred, smiling at the aggressive manner +of the boy who had the mop of hair. + +"Me? Oh! I pretended that we'd found the little boat driftin' down the +river, and waded in to get her," Bristles went on. + +"Of course he didn't believe you?" Fred questioned. + +"Not much. But I didn't get riled up worth a cent, Fred, just grinned +in his face, and kept on saying it _was_ so, and we _did_ find the boat +adrift. Then, what d'ye think, he says that Bob Armstrong told him the +paddle was all the while in the woodshed, so if the canoe did break +loose, however in the world could it have been with the boat, 'less we +took it?" + +"We know, all right; don't we, Bristles? Oh! never mind winking, and +looking at Sid here, because I told him all about it, and he'll never +peach; will you, Sid?" + +"Not much," replied the other, promptly; "all the same, I think you're +doing the wrong thing to keep so close-mouthed about it. I'd just glory +in telling Buck how his little brother Billy would have been drowned if +you hadn't happened to be nearby when he was pitched out of the canoe." + +"Well, we made up our minds to keep quiet about it," Fred continued, +quietly; "and what Buck believes cuts mighty little figure in it. But +there's the railroad yard, and what a mob of boys and girls I've seen +since school closed. Whew! I should think every fellow in town had got +wind of it by this time; and I'm the last to know." + +There was indeed great excitement around the spot where lay the long +shell, cased in its stout crate, having been lifted off the car upon +which it had come from the boat-building establishment. + +Temporary quarters had been arranged for, until some later date, when +possibly a new boathouse might be erected, provided the town people +contributed the amount necessary. + +That night, in the schoolhouse, there was called a meeting of the +members of the Riverport Boat Club in order to transact business of +great importance. Buck Lemington was more friendly than he had ever +before been known. But those boys who knew him so well understood what +his sudden conversion meant. He aspired to fill the important position +of coxswain on the crew, and was figuring to gain the votes of a +majority of those entitled to pass judgment and select officers. + +It was well known that Brad Morton, the same boy who had carried the +football team to victory during the last season, as captain, had once +rowed in a racing shell when visiting a relative in a college town. And +his name had been mentioned pretty much in opposition to Buck, who also +claimed to have had experience. + +And as the coxswain was to have the power of choosing the members of +his crew, it can be seen that the position was one carrying a certain +amount of influence with it. As only eight fellows could be given +places on the regular crew in the shell, and Buck's five cronies were +all eager to be ranked as members, they electioneered for him most +industriously. + +Fred had been given the place as chairman of the meeting, and he tried +to carry out the duties of his position without fear or favor. What he +wished to see was a square deal, with the best man winning out. + +After considerable talk, in which many of the boys joined, two +candidates for the position of coxswain were put in nomination, Buck +and Brad. And each had a noisy send-off when his backer started to tell +what virtues as a coxswain the candidate possessed. + +"Move we vote!" shouted Bristles Carpenter, anxious to get the agony +over. + +"Question! A motion that we proceed to vote has been made, Mr. +Chairman!" called out Corney Shays, whose father was an old college +man, and had once, many years back, rowed in a junior four-oared race. + +"Any second?" asked the Chairman. + +"I second the motion!" came from half a dozen throats. + +It was carried with a rush; and then the tellers went around, giving +each one a slip of paper on which he was to write the name of the +candidate he preferred to serve as coxswain during the season that was +at hand. + +A few minutes later the tellers collected the slips, which were +accurately counted, so that there should be no chance of fraud or +mistakes. Then the result was announced by the chairman, as written out +by the tellers. + +"Whole number of votes cast, seventeen. For Buck Lemington, six votes; +for Brad Morton eleven. Which, being a majority, makes Brad Morton the +coxswain of the Riverport Boat Club." + +Then a great uproar broke out, all of the boys shouting or cheering. +Those who had voted for Buck Lemington, taking cue from their leader, +declared that the election had not been fairly carried on; and that had +all those interested in the club been allowed to vote, and not just +those who expected to take part in the actual rowing, he would have +carried the day. + +Buck himself was crimson with rage. He never could take defeat in a +manly way, but burst into a passion. Jumping up, he rallied his five +cronies around him. There was mutiny in the air, Fred saw, nor was he +in his heart at all sorry, for Buck had promised to be the disturbing +element in the association from the start. + +"Cheat me out of the position, will you?" he shouted, shaking his fist +at the others, after the shouting had stopped, and everybody was +staring at him; "make Brad Morton coxswain when I know more about the +duties of the job in a minute than he can in a year! All right, I'm +going to wash my hands of the whole bunch; and here's five husky +fellers that'll go along with me. Keep your old boat, if you want to. I +expected somethin' like this'd happen; and let me tell you, fellers, +we've been up to Grafton to see an eight-oar shell that once won a +college race. We've got an option on her, too, and just understand +we'll buy her in, challenge your crowd to a race, and beat you to +flinders! Come along, fellers, we don't train with this crowd any +more," and the six stalked out of the building with sneers on their +faces, amid a dead silence. + + + + +CHAPTER IV + +IN CAMP ON THE MOHUNK + + +On the day following the exciting meeting in the schoolhouse, the +members of the boat club connected with Riverport school were in camp +some miles up the Mohunk river, wishing to practice in their new shell, +where curious eyes might not watch them. + +It was expected that they would stay several days in camp; so tents had +been taken along, as well as all sorts of supplies calculated to help +the cooks in their work. + +The rebellion of Buck Lemington had not bothered Brad and his friends +very much. True, several of their best scullers had been lost by the +mutiny; but some of the more promising substitutes were moved up into +regular positions, and others taken on to fill the places thus vacated; +for there was no lack of candidates among the boys of Riverport school. + +Ever since Buck had let out his secret the talk had been about the +possibility of the rival crew sending them a challenge, and an actual +race taking place somewhere near Riverport, with hundreds of cheering +people to watch the contest. + +It thrilled the boys just to talk about such a happening. + +"Don't get too gay, fellows," remarked a tall lad, whose name was +Colon, and who had always been a good friend of Fred Fenton, from the +day the latter first came to town. "Buck Lemington is a big bag of wind +when it comes to bragging about what he's going to do. I think I can +see him buying that shell over at Grafton, that Colonel Simms owns. His +boy who went to college rowed in her, you know. There isn't money +enough in Riverport to buy that boat." + +"Oh! I don't know," broke in Dave Hanshaw, who had always been more or +less of a crack athlete on Riverport's teams; "I heard my father saying +only last night that the old Colonel had lost all his money, and was +selling out over in Grafton. So you see, perhaps he might be willing to +let that pet boat, in which his son rowed to victory, go for a certain +sum." + +"And Buck," observed Colon, "must have got wind of it a while back. Oh! +he's a cute one, all right. He knows how to feather his nest. When he +came to count noses he understood that there wasn't a show for him to +be elected cox. in our club; so he gets ready to organize a little one +on his own account. Wise old Buck, he knows which side his bread is +buttered." + +"Hey! look who's coming on his wheel over yonder!" called out Dick +Hendricks. + +"Who is it?" + +"Why, it looks like Sandy Richards. But what can he want up here, when +they all understood we didn't expect to have visitors?" Corney Shays +observed. + +Some of the boys began to show signs of sudden nervousness. They were +not used to being away overnight from home, and could immediately +picture all sorts of things as having happened since their departure +very early that morning. Possibly to some of them it already seemed as +though they had been off for a week. + +The younger boy on the wheel soon arrived at a point close to the camp. +Abandoning his bicycle at the roadside he climbed the fence, crossed +the field, and came to the fringe of timber. + +"Who's it for, Sandy?" asked Brad; and possibly there was just a +trifling tremor in his own voice, though he tried to hide it in a +fashion. + +"Got your name on it, Brad; and she's addressed to the Coxswain of the +Riverport Boat Club," answered the boy, promptly; looking around him +curiously at the camp, where he would very naturally have liked to +remain, simply because it was forbidden territory. + +"A challenge, that's what!" yelled Bristles. + +"Buck's made good already, just think of it!" cried Corney Shays, +throwing up his cap, and then jumping on it when it landed; a habit he +had of working off any excitement. + +All eyes were turned on Brad as he tore off the end of the envelope. +They saw his eyebrows go up in a manner to indicate surprise; and there +also came a look of considerable satisfaction upon his honest face. + +"Where'd you get this, Sandy?" he demanded, turning to the bicycle +rider. + +"Why, you see, Felix Wagner brought it over; and they wouldn't think of +letting him come along up here, so I was sent with it," the boy +replied, promptly. + +"Felix Wagner!" ejaculated Sid Wells; "say, has Buck had to go and +borrow a Mechanicsburg fellow to fill out his eight?" + +"Hold on," interrupted Brad; "don't jump at things that way, Sid. This +isn't a challenge from Buck at all. It's from Mechanicsburg!" + +"What's that?" shouted Colon; "are you telling me they've gone and got +a boat up at that town, and want to race us for the championship of the +Mohunk? That _would_ be the best news ever, fellows!" + +"That's just what's happened," Brad went on. "This paper is signed by +Dub Jasper, who used to pitch for their baseball club, you remember +fellows. Well, he's the coxswain of the Mechanicsburg Boat Club crew. +He says they've got a shell on the way, and he hereby challenges us to +a match, to be rowed within a month from date, and according to regular +rules, the distance being marked off between their town and ours, in +just what happens to be the best water at the time. How about that?" + +"Accept it, Brad!" several shouted, in great excitement. + +"Say, things in the boating line are picking up ground here," Corney +Shays cried, laughingly. "Three shells on the river, to make things +lively. If this keeps on the Mohunk will become the most famous boat +course in this part of the country." + +As a unanimous vote to accept the challenge followed, Brad retired to +his tent, where he wrote out a reply to the proposal made by +Mechanicsburg; details to be decided later on. Sandy was accordingly +dispatched with this missive, and requested to drop in again after he +had seen the rival young athletes of the neighboring town. + +When Sandy returned, showing by the signs that he had made a swift +passage from Mechanicsburg, some miles down the river, all the boys +crowded around to ask him questions. + +"Oh! they're all worked up over there about it," replied the panting +boy. "Seems like every feller in the old town is wild with the news +that they're a-goin' to have a boat like ours, a present from the big +manufacturer, Mr. Gobbler; and they all say they expect to lick the +stuffing out of poor old Riverport this time, because the boys in their +town have always been more like water ducks than we have, rowing boats, +skating, making ice-boats, and all such things." + +"They're welcome to a think that way," laughed Corney Shays, apparently +delighted with the prospect; "but perhaps we Riverport boys aren't so +sleepy after all. We're just going to surprise 'em some; eh, fellers?" + +Judging from the shouts that broke out, all of them believed the same +as the confident Corney. Sandy was soon sent back to the home town to +report that the members of the boat club were nicely fixed in camp, and +that none of their folks need worry a minute about them. + +So evening found them, with the several appointed cooks busily engaged +in their work preparing supper. It was pronounced a fine meal, and as +every lad had brought his vacation appetite along with him, the inroad +they made upon the stock of provisions gave small hope that there would +be anything to take back, when the little camping and training trip was +over. + +Afterwards they sat around the blazing logs, for the evening had turned +a bit cool, and it was pleasant near a cheerful camp fire. The +conversation changed from one thing to another; but always seemed to +return again to the exciting event of that day--when the challenge was +received from Mechanicsburg. + +In imagination some of the young oarsmen doubtless already saw the +scene that would take place upon the banks of the Mohunk when the rival +towns cheered their pet crews on to victory, or defeat. + +Into the midst of all this good-natured chaffing and chattering, +Bristles Carpenter suddenly burst, with his hair more on end than ever, +it seemed, and his face white with apprehension. + +"Hey! wake up, fellers!" he cried. "There's some sneak down near our +boat, and just as like as not he's been trying to cut a hole in her, so +we can't row in any race! I saw him creeping around, when I stepped out +just now!" + + + + +CHAPTER V + +HOOFS AND HORNS + + +"Get a move on, boys!" yelled Colon, as he unlimbered his long legs, on +which he had been coiled after the fashion of a tailor at work. + +"Capture him!" shouted Corney Shays. "We ought to give him a licking if +he's hurt our boat!" + +"First catch your rabbit!" warned another. + +Everybody was on the jump, and it was a furious crowd that went rushing +down toward where the new shell had been laid, along the shore of the +river, at a point where a little beach offered an ideal spot for +launching. + +"Where is he?" shouted several, as they drew near the spot, and failed +to discover the skulking figure of any enemy, trying to get away. + +"I see him, fellow's; right there in that shadow!" cried Corney, +pointing. + +"Surround the spot, boys; and if he makes a dash for it, Colon, we look +to you, with your sprinter legs, to overhaul the coward!" declared +Brad. + +The lines were immediately extended so as to take in the dark spot +indicated; and every fellow gritted his teeth, indignant at the mean +trick being played by some unknown enemy, whereby perhaps harm was +intended their boat. + +"Make him out yet, Corney?" asked one who was further removed. + +"Sure I do," came the exultant answer. "We closed in around so fast he +didn't have sense enough to light out. Oh! we've got him cornered, all +right, boys. And won't we make him sick of his bargain though!" + +"We ought to tie him up to a stake, and make him tell who sent him here +to stick a knife through our shell, ripping her wide open!" declared +Dick Hendricks, warmly. + +"Is there more'n one feller in all Riverport that would get down low +enough to be back of a job like that?" asked Colon. + +"Mebbe we don't know who you mean, but we think we do," sang out Sid +Wells; who had always been at loggersheads with Buck Lemington, from +the time they were, as Sid used to say, "knee high to grasshoppers." + +"How about it now, Corney; is he there yet? Perhaps it was only a stump +you set eyes on," called another from the opposite side of the circle. + +"Do stumps move, and duck their heads up and down?" asked Corney, +indignantly; "well, that's what this one is doing right now. Don't you +see him too, Brad?" + +"I sure see something in that shadow, and it keeps right on moving," +the one addressed replied, positively. "Hey Colon, suppose, now, you +run back to the fire and fetch us one of the blazing sticks you'll find +handy? We'll give this thief in the night a little illumination. He +thinks he can hide, does he; well, it's up to us to show him. Close up, +boys, and don't you let him have a chance to sneak it." + +"He's our prisoner, all right, Brad; just you count on that," remarked +Corney, jubilantly. "Say, what we'll do to him will be aplenty. There, +didn't you see the way he yanked his head up that time? Reckon he's +beginning to get scared right now; and can you blame him." + +"With all this crowd around," ventured Brad; "every fellow willing to +give him a punch to pay him up for what he tried to do to our +boat--well, I should guess not! Hurry along, Colon; that's the kind of +torch for you; just look at her blaze, will you?" + +The long-legged boy came hurrying up, holding the burning stick in his +hand. And as he advanced closer to the spot where the suspected spy was +believed to be, the circle gradually narrowed, as the eager boys began +to push in. + +"Wow! what do you think of that, now?" burst from Corney, as the light +gave a sudden flash, and plainly revealed the spot that had up to now +been in the shadows. + +"It's an old red cow, and she's getting her dander up too, fellows, +because of all this noise, and the torch there! Look out if she charges +you; and run like everything! There she comes, fellows, like a tornado! +Run, boys! Scatter, to beat the band!" + +It was Brad who gave this advice. He himself did not hesitate to take +it literally, for when the alarmed cow actually lowered her head, +whipped her tail around several times, and then made a lunge toward the +spot where Brad happened to be stationed, he whirled on his heels, and +fairly flew to place a tree between himself and the frightened animal. + +Then there was a wild scene, every fellow being for himself. Colon +flung his blazing torch at the advancing beast, and with such good aim +that it actually came in contact with the cow's flank. Perhaps it +stung, or at any rate gave the beast a new spasm of fear, for there +immediately followed a fierce bellow, and the lunges grew more violent. + +With flying tail and lowered horns the cow went charging past the +scattering boys. Luckily none of them was in her way, or they might +have been flung high in the air; since the most expert athlete among +them knew nothing about bull fighting. + +"She's going to charge our tents!" shrieked Corney, who was part way up +a tree, so rapid had been his action after being warned by Brad of the +danger. + +"Head her off, somebody!" whooped Colon, who, however, showed not the +least intention of doing anything in that line himself; for he had +found a convenient tree, that would afford plenty of shelter if +necessary, against the charge of half a dozen frightened cows. + +If the animal headed directly toward the camp it was because she had +been so bewildered by the various shouts of the boys that she hardly +knew which way to turn, in order to escape from what she doubtless +considered an attack. + +There came a crash. + +"There goes one of the tents!" cried Colon; "that's because nobody +would do what I said, and head her off. Lots of you were closer than I +was. Anyhow, she's gone gallopin' away. Let's see what damage she did!" + +Another torch was pulled from the fire; indeed, now that Colon had +shown the way, several of the others made haste to secure flaming +brands. + +"Take care, there, and don't set anything afire!" warned Brad, seeing +that a few were inclined to be reckless; "there's quite a lot of dead +stuff around here, left over from last Fall. Look out how you handle +that torch boys!" + +A hasty investigation disclosed the pleasing fact that no harm had come +to the racing shell through the wandering about of the grazing cow. +Then the campers set to work to get up the tent that had been knocked +over. + +Of course the excitement died down presently, since there had been no +particular damage done, and the boat was uninjured. The boys sat around +for an hour or two, talking. Then some of them began to yawn, and to +examine the places inside the three tents where they had stowed their +blankets, carried along because the summer nights were apt to get cool +toward morning. + +One by one they crept off, until by degrees the ranks were thinned down +to just three--Brad, Bristles and Fred. Even the captain of the club +finally declared he was done up with the exercise of the day, and might +as well "hunt up the soft side of a board," as he chose to remark; +though a soft blanket, doubled on the ground, was really the kind of +bed awaiting him. + +Fred had a reason for waiting up. He had received a signal from +Bristles that the other wanted to speak with him in private; and +remembering that he had been made a sort of confident before by the boy +who was in trouble. Fred, though feeling very sleepy himself, sat it +out. + +Bristles waited a few minutes after Brad had crawled into the nearest +tent. Apparently he did not want the others to overhear anything he +said to our hero. This caution on his part told the other that Bristles +must have more reason for feeling gloomy; though he had somehow kept +from saying anything all day. + +Presently Fred saw him get up, and start around the now smouldering +camp fire, as if to join him; so he made a place on his blanket, which +he had brought out some time before, to sit upon. + +"Did you want to see me about anything, Bristles?" Fred asked, as the +other dropped down close beside him. + +"Yes, Fred," began the other, in a low voice; "you were so good to +stand up for me when I told you about those pesky opals, that I just +thought after all I'd let you know about some more that's happened." + +Fred started, and looked uneasily at the other's long face. + +"Does that mean, Bristles, your aunt has been missing more of her +precious stones?" he asked. + +Bristles nodded his head in a forlorn fashion. + +"Two of 'em gone this time, Fred, and I guess I'm the unluckiest feller +ever, because they disappeared yesterday afternoon; and mom sent me +over with a message to Aunt Alicia about four o'clock." + + + + +CHAPTER VI + +A SUDDEN AWAKENING + + +"Well, that's a funny thing, Bristles," Fred remarked, as he allowed +the full force of the other's story to sink into his mind. + +"Not so very funny for me, let me tell you, Fred," muttered Bristles. + +"Why, of course I didn't mean it that way, you know, old fellow," Fred +hastened to say; "I meant that it was queer. Three times now you've +just happened to drop in to see your aunt, and every time one or more +of her precious stones have disappeared, as if they went up in smoke?" + +"Say, perhaps they did!" the other went on, moodily. "Always smells +smoky to me in that house. Then again do you know, Fred, when I see +that old black crow perched on the back of aunty's chair, it somehow +makes me think of haunted houses, it's so spooky." + +"Now what do you want me to believe--that the old colored woman sits on +the back of your aunt's chair, and smokes her pipe?" Fred asked, +chuckling a little. + +"Oh! shucks! perhaps I am twisted up somehow in trying to tell you what +happened; but then," and Bristles' voice sank into a half whine, "I +just guess any feller would be rattled, if he'd bothered his head as +much as I have the last few days. I meant the old tame crow Aunty's +got, that talks sometimes to beat the band. Now do you know, Fred?" + +"Sure I do," replied the other, promptly; "I've never forgotten how +Black Joe looked, blinking his eyes at us when we stood there talking +to your aunt. But you're wrong in one thing, Bristles; it isn't just a +plain, everyday crow at all. She said it was a raven, one of the wise +old kind you read about; and that she brought it across the water. +They're more cunning than our crows; and goodness knows I've always +found _them_ smart enough, when you had a gun." + +"Oh! well, crow or raven, what does it matter to me?" grumbled +Bristles. "But as I was saying, Fred, my mom sent me over in the +afternoon. I didn't want to go; not much! That house gives me the +creeps; and aunty has such sharp, piercing eyes. But there wasn't any +getting out of it, so I went. But let me tell you, I was determined to +toe the mark, and not even give a think to the measly opals that once I +was silly enough to admire." + +"Well?" said Fred, encouragingly, as the other paused for reflection. + +"I gave my little message, and came away as quick as I could," Bristles +presently went on, with a big sigh. "All the rest of the afternoon I +was patting myself on the back, Fred, and saying the old lady would +have a chance to change her mind about little Andrew. But it didn't +wash, Fred, not a bit of it." + +"You said, I believe, that two more of the opals had vanished; when did +you hear about that?" asked Fred, to hurry his chum along. + +"Why, after I came in just before supper time, feeling better than for +several days. I saw with one eye that mom was bothered again over +something, and I understood what it was when she handed me a little +note she'd got late that afternoon from Aunt Alicia." + +He fumbled about in his pockets for several minutes, until Fred grew +impatient. + +"Never mind about the note," he remarked; "perhaps you handed it back, +or you may have lost it, Bristles. I should think you could tell me the +gist of it." + +"You'd better guess I can!" burst forth the other, with renewed +feeling. "It ran about this way, Fred: She had the unpleasant duty to +perform of telling mother that two more of her opals had disappeared +that afternoon, and could not be found, high or low. She was not +accusing _anybody_ of taking them, oh! no, not for worlds; but it was +a _strange coincidence_, that was all." + +"Whew! that sounds hot off the bat!" remarked Fred, with a low whistle +to indicate his feelings in the matter. + +"Yes, she used that very word," Bristles went on; "and I guess it hit +the case right well, for it _is_ a coincidence, I give you my solemn +word, Fred, and nothing more." + +"I believe you. Bristles; I'm as sure of it as if she suspected me of +taking her opals, and I knew I was innocent. But was that all the note +said?" + +"Well, not quite, Fred. She went on to say that she would be very much +obliged to mom, if, after this, when she had to communicate with her +aunt--for that's what Miss Muster is to mom, you know--she'd send my +sister Kate; because you see, Andrew is an unpleasant boy to have +around!" + +Bristles tried to laugh as though his heart were steeled against +showing any natural feeling; but Fred felt sure he was winking very +fast, and he had little difficulty in guessing why. + +"It is a hard problem you're up against, Bristles," he went on to say, +while he laid a hand affectionately upon the other's quivering arm; +"but just perk up, and make sure that it's bound to come out right, +sooner or later. If you don't go to see your aunt again, after a bit, +another of her opals will disappear; and then the quick-tempered old +lady must see that it wasn't you after all." + +Immediately Bristles raised his head, as though new life had come to +him. + +"Say, I never thought of that, Fred!" he exclaimed. "It's a good idea, +too, and is sure to work, sooner or later. Whoever is taking her opals +will get tired of waiting for me to come around again, to be the +scapegoat; and crib another lot. Then won't Rome howl, though! If it +turns out to be the old mammy, she'll lose her steady job all right; +because Aunt Alicia is stern and unforgiving. I used to be her +favorite; but never again for me, after this." + +"Well, if you feel better now, Bristles, and there's nothing more to +tell me, suppose we both crawl in, and get a little snooze? I'm as +tired as all get-out; and I reckon you're in the same boat." + +"Just what I am," returned the other, actually yawning; "but you've +made me feel a hundred times better, Fred. It's a mighty good thing to +have a chum like you, once in a while, and that's the truth. You've got +a way about you that just makes the clouds seem to roll right off, and +the sunshine come again." + +"Oh! I'm glad if I've been able to do you any good, Bristles; but let +me know if any more things come up, will you?" + +"I just will, and no mistake," the boy who had found new hope replied, +while his face beamed. + +"But don't think I'm going to forget all about it. No siree; if there's +any way I can learn whether a jeweler in Riverport or Mechanicsburg has +been buying an opal lately, I'm bound to get on the track." + +"Be careful, that's all, when you make inquiries," cautioned Fred. + +"Now, I don't get on to what you mean?" remarked Bristles. + +"Why, don't you see, if your aunt should also choose to look around, +and heard that you were making inquiries about the value of opals, and +all that, of course she'd jump to the conclusion that you wanted to +learn how the market stood, so you'd be posted when you wanted to sell +the ones you'd hid away!" + +"Granny! I never once thought of that, Fred!" gasped the other, lost in +astonishment. + +"But it's so, don't you think now, Bristles?" + +"That's right, it would look suspicious. But Fred, what ought I say if +I wanted to find out?" + +"Tell Mr. Rhinehart, our jeweler, the exact truth, and what your object +is in asking about opals. He seems to be a pretty decent sort of a man, +and like as not he'll feel for you, Bristles. Anyhow, he can prove to +your aunt that you wanted to know if anybody offered opals for sale." + +"That's just fine of you, Fred, and I'll do it as sure as anything. I'm +going to crawl in now, and get a few winks. I need 'em the worst kind, +because I rather think I didn't sleep any too much last night, I felt +so bad." + +Both boys were soon under their blankets; and no doubt sleep quickly +came to banish all thoughts of opals, boat races, and all such things. + +Fred's sleep was broken by dreams, and they were pretty well mixed up. +At one time he was swimming in the river again, trying to locate little +Billy Lemington, who had disappeared from sight, and could not be +found. Then again he seemed to be in a city, somewhere, when there was +great confusion, a rushing of heavy vehicles over the pavement, and +loud shouts that seemed to thrill him. + +Fred sat upright. + +For a second he believed his dream had been so vivid that it was +haunting him still; for he fancied that he could hear the rumbling of +engines over the granite blocks; and surely that was a wild alarm of +fire that broke upon his hearing. + +Then like a flash it came to Fred that there was nothing of a dream +about it--some one _was_ shrieking the startling word "fire!" at the +top of his voice; and even in that dreadful moment the aroused sleeper +believed he could distinguish the well known tones of Bradley Morton. + + + + +CHAPTER VII + +ICE COLD WATERS + + +"Fire! Fire! Wake up, everybody! Help! Help!" + +So Brad was shouting at the top of his lusty young voice. Such an +upheaval as his thrilling cries brought about in the three tents! Every +one of the sixteen inmates scrambled out from under the blanket in +which he had been so snugly rolled. + +They came flocking out just as they were, some in pajamas, others in +all sorts of apparel suited to sleeping; and not a few about half +disrobed, they having failed to provide for the night time. + +Nobody needed to ask any questions, because they had eyes, and could +easily see what was the matter. + +A fire was blazing in the pile of dead stuff over near where the new +boat lay. The sight gave every fellow a sensation of dread; for he +naturally thought of what a disaster it would be should the racing +craft be injured or destroyed. + +"Save the boat, fellows!" shouted Fred, who seemed to be able to keep +his wits about him better than most of the others. + +"Yes, rush in, and get hold of her!" added Brad. "I don't believe she's +been hurt yet. This way, boys! Everybody help!" + +There was at least no lack of volunteers. It seemed as though everybody +felt anxious to have a hand in saving the boat, for there was a +concerted rush on the part of all. + +One or two tripped, and fell down in their haste. Others stubbed their +toes on stones or roots, and doubled up, groaning with pain. But all of +a dozen managed to reach the vicinity of the shell, which rested there +so dangerously close to the roaring blaze. + +"Take hold, all that can!" called Fred, as he himself clutched one of +the out-riggers, and made ready to lift. "All ready now? Yo heave 'o! +and away we go! That's the way to do it, boys! We've saved our boat, +and don't you forget it!" + +With lusty cheers they carried the frail craft to a place of safety, +each fellow proud to be counted among the savers. + +"Bully for us!" cried Colon, who was limping around as if he had struck +his foot against something hard. + +"But look here, fellows, hurry and get some shoes on," Fred continued. +"We've got to put that fire out, or it may spread. Anyhow, it'll make +our camp a tough place if we let it burn itself out." + +Several who had been wise enough to pull on their shoes before starting +out at once volunteered to get busy under Brad; and the balance hurried +to the tents to provide themselves with foot covering. + +There were a couple of buckets in the camp, and these were immediately +pressed into service by the enthusiastic young fire-fighters. One +fellow stood down by the river, and dipped each bucket in as it came +back empty. Then in turn it was relayed along from hand to hand, until +finally either Brad or Fred received it. + +They used their judgment as to where the water was to be thrown, and +with such good results that after a short time it was seen that the +fire did not burn so brilliantly as before. + +"Hurrah! fellows, we're doing the business, all right!" shouted Corney, +who had been working like an industrious beaver all the time. + +"It's dying out, and that's a fact!" cried Colon, the one who dipped up +the water at the other end of the line. "Getting much darker down here. +About time, too, I reckon, because I've just about emptied the whole +river!" + +"Oh! quit your grumbling, Colon!" called out Sid, who was just above +the bank, receiving each bucket that the tall boy reached up to him. +"We ought to be sending up a regular chorus because we saved our boat." + +"Don't believe for a minute that I'm growling, Sid," the long-legged +Colon gasped, for he began to feel winded by his exertion. "I'm only +bothered for fear there won't be enough river left for that boat race +to be pulled off." + +"Plenty more coming from above, Colon; so brace up. Perhaps it'll rain +cats and dogs before the race comes off, and the river be bank full," +and Dave Hanshaw tossed an empty bucket down to the boy at the brink of +the stream. + +"A few more and we can let up, boys!" came the cheering news from Brad, +who, being close to the burning brush, ought to know. + +And indeed, it did suddenly become gloomy as the fire failed to find +any more dry fuel to feed upon, so that it gasped fitfully, and +threatened to go out entirely. + +So, presently, there was no further need of exertion on the part of the +now weary passers of water; and the boys began to gather around their +own blaze, which some one had rekindled with fresh wood. + +Some of them were wet, and all more or less chilly after giving up +their exertions; so that they were glad to gather around the fire, with +coats on, or blankets thrown over their shoulders. + +Sleep, for the time being, had been utterly banished from their eyes; +for one and all were desirous of comparing notes as to the origin of +the furious fire. + +"Was it the work of some sneak, who wanted to burn our boat, Brad?" +asked Dick Hendricks. + +"That's hard to say, Dick," was the reply. "I'd hate to think anybody +could be so mean as to want to do that." + +"Huh! we happen to know one feller who wouldn't stop a minute," +remarked Corney. + +"There's another possibility that none of you seems to have thought +of," said Fred, breaking in just then. + +"What's that, Fred?" demanded Brad, turning toward the speaker, +quickly. + +"Why, perhaps it was an accident, after all," observed Fred. + +"An accident!" echoed Colon. + +"Well, _something_ started that fire, we all know that," Fred went on, +resolutely. "It never caught from a spark that came from the camp +blaze, because in the first place there hasn't been a single spark +flying for several hours; and then again you want to notice that the +wind is right from the opposite quarter." + +"Then how could it catch by accident, I want to know?" asked Dave +Hanshaw. + +"I'm on," sang out Sid. "He means Colon!" + +All eyes were instantly turned on the tall boy. + +"Well, I did throw that torch at the cow; I admit that much, fellows," +he began; "but don't tell me it just kept on smouldering all this time +in that brush heap, to take fire after everybody'd gone to sleep! Why, +it must have been all of five hours ago. Shucks! you can't prove it; +and I won't admit a single thing." + +"Well, it might have happened; and that's as near as we'll ever get to +finding out the truth," said Fred. + +When they had talked it all over they began to feel sleepy once more; +and one by one again crawled into the tents. There was no further +alarm, and morning came to arouse the camp of the boat club. + +The day promised to be a beautiful one, but rather sultry. Indeed, even +in the early morning the waters of the Mohunk looked inviting to the +boys, so that as they came out of the tents they made a bee-line for +the bank, to plunge in. + +Soon there was a great splashing and shouting, such as a dozen and more +boys in swimming alone can produce. Bristles, remembering a promise he +had made to himself, pursued his lessons diligently, and was making +splendid progress, so that he began to grow quite encouraged. + +"I'll be a swimmer right away," he told Fred, as the two of them sat on +the bank rubbing down, after coming from the water. "I'm getting to +have confidence in myself, Fred, and already I went more'n twenty feet +without touching bottom." + +"Good for you, Bristles; I said you had it in you to make a swimmer, if +only you'd keep everlastingly at it. Every boy who goes on the water, +either in a boat, or to skate, ought to know how to swim. It may save +his life, or the life of a chum some day. But those fellows ought to +come out, or they'll get blue around their lips, for the water is icy +cold. Colon looked shivery the last time he was up on the bank for a +high dive!" + +"There he is now, swimming across the river again, Fred. He ought not +to try that so often, seems to me. Why, look at him, will you; he's +making believe he's got a cramp or something!" + +Fred sprang to his feet excitedly, exclaiming: + +"There's no make-believe about that, Bristles; Colon _has_ got a cramp, +and right now he's in danger of drowning away out there in the middle +of the river. Quick! fellows, to the rescue! Colon is drowning!" + + + + +CHAPTER VIII + +A SURPRISE + + +Fred's words created much excitement. Some of the boys stood and looked +out to where Colon was struggling desperately in the deep water, +seeming to be almost paralyzed with alarm. Others, who kept their wits +about them, started after Fred, who, plunging in, was already swimming +across the Mohunk. + +Fred knew the danger that awaited them. When anyone is drowning, he or +she seems to lose all the good sense which at another time he may have +possessed. The instinct of self preservation is so strong that a +drowning boy will clutch at his dearest friend, and hold frantically to +him, not because he wants to pull the other down, but because he hopes +to be himself buoyed up. + +"Help! help!" Colon was trying to scream, though the water, getting in +his mouth, muffled the sound considerably. + +There was no need of his wasting what little breath he still possessed. +His chums were doing everything in their power to assist him before it +was too late. + +Fred presently arrived close to Colon, who had been under water once, +and sank again even as his camp-mate arrived on the spot. It gave Fred +a sickening feeling to see the poor fellow threshing wildly with his +long arms, grasping at a floating chip, which, to his excited mind, was +magnified into a log. + +Fred had made sure to be above the other when he arrived. He wanted the +benefit of the current in carrying out the plan he had in mind. + +One last look he took to locate Colon. Then he dove out of sight, so +that the other might not see him coming, and try to clutch him. Once +those frenzied hands closed upon any part of his person, Fred knew that +he would have to strike Colon in the face, and stun him, before he +could break loose. + +But he had figured well, for he came up just behind the struggling boy, +who was making one last effort to keep on the surface, ere going down +for the last time. + +Quick as a flash Fred threw his arm around Colon, who, just as he +expected, tried desperately to seize him. This the other prevented with +all his strength. + +All he wanted to do now was to continue to hold Colon until some of the +others arrived on the scene, when altogether they might be able to work +him to the shore. + +Had he been alone with Colon, Fred feared he must have resorted to +other tactics if he hoped to get the other out of the river alive. But +Brad and several more of the strong swimmers had by now reached a point +close enough for them to ask what he wanted them to do. Even in that +moment they recognized the fact that Fred was the one to whom they +should look for orders, because he always knew just what to do in an +emergency. + +"Each one of you get a grip on an arm; and be sure you don't let him +grab you," was what Fred said. + +Brad readily carried out the instructions, and helped buoy up the +helpless boy; while Sid Wells took the other arm. + +"He's dead!" cried the latter, seeing that Colon no longer struggled, +but lay like a log in the water. + +"Don't you believe it," answered Fred, instantly. "He's swallowed a +whole lot of water, and is pretty far gone; but let's get him ashore, +and revive him!" + +Others had by now come up, and between the lot poor Colon was hurried +to the bank, up which he was carried. + +"Lay him here, face down, so I can straddle him with my knees!" Fred +called out. "Now, some of you begin, and work his arms back and forth +regularly, while I press down on his lungs so as to induce artificial +breathing. That's the only way to get things started, you see. A little +harder, Brad, please. And don't the rest of you look so scared. He's +going to come out of this. He wasn't under the water any time at all, +but just gave way because of the cramp and the scare." + +So Fred talked as he worked, and all the while he was building up the +hopes of the fellows, who looked peaked and white, under the belief +that they had seen the last of their chum, the good-natured Colon. + +And Fred was right. + +In a very short time one of the boys who were working Colon's arms like +the piston rods of a locomotive cried out: + +"He moved a little then, fellows!" + +"And listen to that, would you?" exclaimed another delighted chum, as +Colon plainly sighed. + +In five minutes Colon recovered enough to be helped back to camp, where +he was rubbed down until his skin fairly glowed, and then hustled +between a pair of blankets, to rest, while the others dressed, and got +breakfast ready. + +Colon had learned his lesson. He would never again persist in remaining +in ice-cold water when he was shivering, and his lips turning blue. +Nature has a way of sending up a warning sign, that every intelligent +fellow ought to heed. + +That day passed all too soon, and another night arrived, the last they +expected to spend in camp up on the Mohunk. The following day the wagon +belonging to Judge Colon, an uncle of the tall boy, and put at the +service of the young campers, would come to "tote" all the stuff back +to town again, and some of the boys in the bargain. + +Of course nine of them would go back, as they had come, in the boat. +And this time there was no need of any secrecy, so they could expect to +excite more or less curiosity when they shot past Mechanicsburg. + +The mere thought inspired the boys with eagerness. In imagination they +could already see the wondering faces lining the bank, and the people +running to see as the word was passed hurriedly along that the new +eight-oared shell of the Riverport crew was sighted up the river. + +They had become very careful now about the boat, which was growing more +valuable in their eyes every hour, as they developed its capabilities. +Catch any of them throwing torches around promiscuously now; no one +ever touched the fire so that the sparks flew, but half a dozen pairs +of anxious eyes followed the course they took, and speculation arose as +to the chances of their doing any damage. + +During the morning another trial spin was taken, with Colon again in +his place, and pulling a strong oar. Brad and Fred both declared that +the crew was coming on famously, and would be able to give a good +account of themselves when the time arrived to meet their old rivals of +Mechanicsburg. + +Along about three in the afternoon the wagon arrived. As the tents had +been taken down, and all the camp things well packed, it took but a +short time to load up. Then the wagon started, escorted by the eight +fellows who could not find places in the boat. + +The crew gave them a cheer for a send-off, and received as loud a +salute in return. After which they took their places in the long, +narrow boat, for the run of seven miles down the river home. + +Brad was keenly alive to every little thing that took place. Like a +wise coxswain he felt that he ought to know each man's weakness, if he +had any, so as to build him up into a perfect part of the whole +machine. For a boat crew must act as though it were one unit, at the +nod and whim of the fellow who sits in the stern, doing the steering, +and by his motions increasing or diminishing the stroke. If one cog +fails to work perfectly, the entire thing collapses. + +"Fine! Great work, fellows!" Brad was saying again and again after they +had passed over a couple of miles down-stream. "You're doing yourselves +proud; and honest now, I believe you could take a little faster stroke. +We must be doing our prettiest when we spurt past Mechanicsburg." + +Brad had just finished saying this when he received one of the +surprises of his life. His eyes were the only ones that could see down +the river, and as he happened to glance over toward the left bank, +where there was something of a neck of land shutting a large bay out of +sight, judge of his amazement when he discovered the pointed prow of a +racing boat thrusting out, and headed toward the middle of the river. + +And as Brad sat there, almost petrified, as he afterwards declared, the +boat shot into view, containing a crew of eight, and a coxswain, in the +latter of whom he recognized Buck Lemington. + + + + +CHAPTER IX + +A LUCKY WIN + + +"Listen, boys!" + +When the coxswain said this, every fellow as the oars strained his +hearing, under the belief that Brad had something mighty interesting to +communicate. Possibly some of them, having their eyes constantly on the +coxswain, had seen by his manner that Brad must have discovered +something down-stream. But no one dared try and twist his head around, +in order to see for himself. + +"Don't anybody try to look," Brad went on; "but we're going to have a +little brush right now. Buck and his bunch have got that boat from +Grafton, and, finding out that we are expected to pass down the river +this afternoon, they've been lying in wait for us!" + +Every fellow gave utterance to an exclamation, or a whistle, to +indicate both his astonishment, and pleasure as well. + +"Now, keep on working regularly as you are, and brace yourselves, every +fellow, for a furious spurt, if we have to make one. Might as well +learn what our boat can do, first as last. Take care how you dip in, +because a crab would upset us all. They've struck the middle of the +river now, and are letting us catch up on them. I can see Whitey, Clem +Shooks, Jones, Jimmerson and Ben Gushing, anyway. And they're grinning +as if they meant to make monkeys of the Riverport Boat Club boys. Shall +we stand for it, fellows?" + +Evidently Brad knew just how to key his crew up to doing their best; +for his question was instantly answered with a thunderous: + +"Not much we won't!" + +"Get ready, then, because we're bearing down on 'em fast now," the wary +coxswain continued, in a husky voice, caused by the excitement, no +doubt. "There, they've increased their stroke so that we will come up +slower, and not take the advantage from them at the start. It's a race, +fellows! Let's pitch in now, and overtake the outlaw crew!" + +Brad knew that the greatest danger lay in one of the boys becoming so +worked up that he would miss a stroke, and "catch a crab," in boating +language. This would cause him to break the stroke of the entire crew, +if it did nothing more serious; and give the race to their rivals. + +And so he continued to speak warning words to them as he regulated his +motions, and the stroke in turn. + +"Easy there Sid, old fellow; don't try to rush things. Keep in line +with Fred, because he's the stroke oar, you know. That was a fine one. +Again and yet again, boys! Now we're on even terms with 'em, and we're +bound to go ahead, believe me!" + +"Like fun you are!" called out Buck Lemington, being close enough to +catch what Brad was saying. + +Perhaps Buck added just a little more speed to his motions, rendered +desperate by the fact that thus far he and his fellows had not been +able to keep the other shell from gradually cutting down the lead they +had in the beginning. + +No matter what he did, he must have helped stop this gain on the part +of Brad's crew. Now the two boats were rushing swiftly down the river, +neck and neck, as it were, and going at a speed that seemed marvelous +to these boys, unused to anything of the sort. + +For a short time both crews seemed to be working with clock-like +regularity; and it would have won the praise of an old boating man just +to have watched them. Of course this could hardly last, for they were +both sadly lacking in practice; and at almost any second one of the +sixteen lads was apt to be taken with a sudden cramp, or miss his +stroke, throwing his crew into confusion, and perhaps upsetting the +boat in the excitement. + +But they could all swim now, even Bristles Carpenter; so the worst that +could happen, should such an accident overtake them, would be the loss +of the race, and the consequent disappointment. + +To have those fellows with Buck Lemington crowing over them, would be a +bitter pill to Brad's crew. And they were really doing their level best +to avoid such a punishment. + +There was the town of Mechanicsburg right ahead of them. Brad hoped +that the river might be quite free of boats that would interfere with +the passage of the two fleet racers. To have to dodge any pleasure +craft would mar the sport, and give one or the other an unfair +advantage. + +It was a square race, and Brad wanted to see the best crew win. +Naturally he hoped it would fall to his side to arrive at the Riverport +bridge ahead; but it must be a clean, fair win to satisfy him; for +trickery and Brad Morton did not pull together very well. + +Of course the two boats did not always keep exactly on even terms. As +one or the other crew exerted themselves a trifle beyond the ordinary +there would be a little change. Sometimes it was the outlaw crew that +made this gain; and then, on the other hand, Brad would do something to +not only even up, but take them a quarter of a boat's length ahead. + +It was what might be called a heart-breaking row, and seemed to be +anybody's race at the time they shot past Mechanicsburg. + +A few score of people were seen running to the river's edge, shouting +their astonishment and delight. Nobody paid the slightest heed to them, +however, for the warmth of the race occupied their attention. + +And now there were only three more miles before they would arrive at +the railroad bridge, which must be accepted as the final goal. + +Going down-stream, and at the amazing speed they were now traveling, +three miles could not take much time. + +"Keep it up, fellows, and we win!" Brad said, again and again, almost +unconsciously; for he was watching the river ahead closely for signs of +a rock which he knew lay under the surface at a certain point, with an +eddy betraying its presence. + +He hoped Buck was also aware of its being there, for really it would be +too bad if the other boat, with such a history back of it, should be +finally wrecked. Brad was almost tempted to shout out a warning, when +he saw with one look behind, that, judging from the change in course, +Buck was fighting shy of the dangerous quarter. He had been brought up +on the banks of the Mohunk, and ought to be acquainted with every foot +of ground and water in the vicinity. + +The pace had now reached the limit. Neither of the young crews seemed +capable of doing any more. But Brad made a discovery that appalled him. +Colon was weakening! The boy had received such a shock on the previous +day, when he came so near being drowned in the river, that he was not +in as good condition for bearing the tremendous nervous strain as the +balance of the crew. + +Brad recognized the signs, and feared the worst. Unless they could +relax presently Colon would have to give up exhausted. And, of course, +that would lose them the race. + +It was too bad, and Brad, being a high-spirited lad, would feel the +defeat keenly; but he was determined not to take too great chances. +When he saw that Colon had reached the limit he meant to slacken the +pace, no matter what happened, nor how much the crew shouted at him for +a "quitter." + +Buck's boat was coming on again now. Brad doubted whether they had been +able to put any fresh vim into their efforts, for that seemed next to +impossible, since already every fellow was straining his muscles to the +limit. It must be that the growing weakness of Colon was beginning to +make itself felt. + +Well, what they could not cure they must endure. Colon was too good a +fellow to take chances of doing him an injury that would put him off +the crew indefinitely. They needed his strong back in that real race +with Mechanicsburg. + +The others had by now discovered that the outlaw boat was slowly +forging ahead, and that, despite all their efforts, the gain continued. +Slowly they could see each opposing oarsman creeping along; and it was +discouraging to feel that after all Buck seemed to have the better +"stayers" in his crew. + +Already they could hear the low, taunting remarks which the others were +calling out, and they stung. Defeat is hard enough to stand, when +pitted against honorable, high-minded fellows, whose first thought is +to give an encouraging cheer for their whipped rivals; but it is doubly +painful when forced to listen to all manner of insulting remarks from +rough lads devoid of decent feelings, and only bent upon "rubbing it +in." + +Brad had really lost all hope. He was even about to throw up the +sponge, and slacken the pace to such an extent that the people of +Riverport, seeing the two boats coming down the river so far apart, +would never think they had been racing. + +Then something happened, unexpectedly, as it always does in a boat +race. + +Brad heard a sudden loud snap. He saw that the crew in the other boat +seemed to be floundering around in the utmost confusion. One fellow +even toppled overboard, though he immediately clutched hold of the +speeding boat, and was dragged along with it. + +Like a race horse, the boat containing the regular Riverport crew shot +past the disabled outlaw craft. Buck was shouting in his disgust. He +even shook his fist at his rivals as they went on speeding down the +river; and they caught the tenor of his remarks. + +"We had you beat good and plenty, never fear, only for that pesky +outrigger bustin' on us! Next time we'll rub it in all the harder. You +fellers had all the luck to-day. Just wait, that's all!" + +And so good fortune saved the day for Brad and his crew, when all +seemed lost. + + + + +CHAPTER X + +FRED'S HOME-COMING + + +"We win! We win!" + +The shouts of the fellows who wielded the oars in the leading boat came +floating back to those who were still scrambling around in the cranky +outlaw craft. + +Buck put his hands to his mouth, in order to make his voice carry the +better, and yelled disdainfully after them: + +"Yes, you win, but only through a foul! Run into us, and broke one of +our outriggers to flinders! But just wait till we get a new one made, +we'll beat you to a frazzle! Wait!" + +"It wasn't so, was it, Brad?" demanded Corney Shays indignantly; "we +never touched his boat, did we?" + +"Well, I like his nerve!" cried Sid Wells, for all of them were taking +things easy, now that the race was over, and the victory won. "Why, +hang it, I don't believe we were within thirty feet of their old boat +any time." + +"And you're right, Sid," added Brad. "I ought to know, because I was in +a position to see everything. When that outrigger smashed they were a +quarter of a length ahead. Anybody with half an eye can see that it was +the second oar that got in trouble. And boys, believe me, that +outrigger was away up opposite our stem, far out of reach of our oars, +end on end. It's too silly for anything!" + +"But I think, from all I know of the fellow, that it's just like Buck +to say a thing like that?" suggested Fred. + +"You're right there, Fred," declared Dick Hendricks; "he never yet lost +a game but what, quick as a flash, he made it a point to claim that it +was a foul, and the beat an unfair one. Isn't that so, fellows, all you +who've known Buck since he was a kid, and always a fighting bully?" + +"You never said truer words, Dick," declared Sid. "And I ought to know, +because I've had a dozen fights with Buck in as many years. Fact is, +they say we went at each other before we were able to walk, and that he +pulled the only tuft of yellow hair out that I owned about then. He +used to joke me, and boast that he had that yellow lock at home, tied +with a string, just like an Indian would an enemy's scalplock. Oh! +we've been at it, hammer and tongs, ever since. And just as you say, +Dick, he never yet lost a fight or a race or a game but what he set up +a howl that the other fellow cheated, or took an unfair advantage of +him." + +"But by this time the people of Riverport ought to be on to Mr. Buck, +and know how little truth there is in his whine," remarked Fred. + +"Well, a lot of them do," answered Brad, scornfully, for he was +indignant over the small trick of the beaten coxswain; "but you know +how it is, Fred. You'll always find a certain percentage of people in +every place only too willing to think the worst of you, given half a +chance." + +"Oh! well, we don't have to bother our heads about it, I suppose," +remarked Sid. "It's the same old story, nine-tenths believing in our +side, and the others backing up Buck. But, fellows, we know what we +know. That race was won through a streak of luck for our side, perhaps, +and I'm sorry to even admit that; but there wasn't the first hint of +foul play on our part." + +"And given half a chance," said Corney Shays, "Buck would have easily +punched a hole in our boat, if he really believed he was going to be +licked. I've known him to do things twice as bad as that, and get away +with it too, in the bargain. Accuse him of it, and he'd laugh in your +face, and ask how you could prove anything." + +"Let's drop Buck and his ways for a while, and think of our chances +with those husky Mechanicsburg chaps," observed Brad, as they came in +sight of the outlying houses connected with the home town, scattered +along the river front. + +"Oh! I know what you mean, Brad, all right," spoke up Colon, sensitive +to anything like criticism; "every one knows that I weakened toward the +end, and that's what threw us out of gear. Couldn't help it, if you +killed me. That little trouble I had with the river yesterday must have +still bothered me. Never had such a queer feeling grip me before, and +hope never to again." + +"Oh! I wouldn't bother myself about that, Colon," Brad hastened to say, +consolingly; "given a few days to rest, and you'll be as tough as ever. +That strain was heart-breaking, and nobody could blame you for wilting +under it, after what you passed through yesterday. If I'd known we were +going to meet that bunch, all primed to give us a race, perhaps I'd +have thought it good policy to put Joe in the crew for the run home. +But it all turned out right after all." + +"And we won, which was the best part of it!" crowed Corney. + +"I differ with you there, Corney," declared Brad. "To me the best part +of it was the game quality the whole crew showed. That was an +eye-opener to me. I know now what you can stand; and next time won't be +so much afraid to push you to the limit, if I feel that every fellow is +fit." + +"Another thing," remarked Fred, "that is pleasant to know, is the fact +that luck broke in our favor. It's been my experience always, in nearly +every game, when the teams are about even, that when luck takes to +turning one way, that side always wins out. Everything comes their way. +It's begun to like us, boys." + +"And we sure have no kick coming," remarked Corney, with emphasis. + +There were quite a few people waiting to see what was going to happen. +They had known of Buck and his outlaw crew going up the river in their +boat; and since the regular crew was expected down that afternoon, by +putting things together, they rather guessed a race might result. + +Some of these people had field glasses, and from the wild way they +cheered Brad and his interested spectators of at least the conclusion +of the race; for the river ran about straight for some distance up +toward Mechanicsburg. + +"Hello!" Brad called out to a party of five or crew, it might be +suspected that they had been six schoolboys who seemed to be trying to +crack their voices yelling, as they waved their hats, and one of them a +pair of glasses; "did you see us trim Buck's bunch, Lossing?" + +"You just bet we did, and you showed 'em up handsomely too," came the +reply; "but what happened in their boat when they were in a dead heat +with you?" + +"Why, they were a quarter of a length ahead at the time," answered +Brad, frankly. "We'd been sea-sawing it all the way down, first one +leading, then the other. All at once one of their outriggers snapped +off short, and that threw them into all sorts of confusion." + +"Oh! that was it, eh? I had the glasses, but couldn't make out just +what happened. But you _did_ beat them anyhow, Brad?" called the other, +jubilantly. + +"You'll hear a howl from Buck, all right, Lossing," Brad went on, as +they came in to the shore gently enough, this being their landing +place. + +"Well, we reckoned on that," laughed the other. "It wouldn't be Buck +Lemington if he didn't make a kick. What was he yelling out after you, +Brad?" + +"Had the nerve to say we fouled his boat, and broke that outrigger, +Lossing." + +"Hasn't he the colossal nerve though?" the boy ashore shouted. "Why, I +know for a dead certainty that the boats were at least three lengths +apart at the time. That sure does make me snicker, Brad." + +And before evening it might be set down as certain that two versions of +the race would be circulating all through Riverport, one believed by +nearly all the better element, and the other taken as truth by a few +select persons who, from various reasons, thought it policy to back up +anything done by Buck Lemington; or his father, the rich Squire, who +had interest in several factories, and was moreover quite a politician +in the community. + +Fred waited around the boathouse until the Colon wagon arrived, +bringing the rest of the boat club, and all their ordinary clothes as +well. + +Like the others of the crew, Fred dressed then, and along about dusk +started for home, knowing that it was well on toward supper time, and +his father must be in from his work. + +Once more Fred was thinking of his own troubles, and heaving more than +one sigh, as he found himself wishing again and again that something +might happen to bring a new joy into the lives of his mother and +father. They seemed to be losing hope; and the cares that gathered were +beginning to make them look old before their time. + +Oh! if only they could hear _something_ from Hiram Masterson, the miner +from Alaska, who had been so mysteriously spirited away just when he +had determined to testify against his own rascally uncle, Sparks +Lemington, and put the Fentons in possession of such information as +would enable them to win the suit for the mine. + +"But I suppose that would be too great happiness," he mused, as he drew +near his home, in the window of which he could see the light placed +there by his mother. + +He opened the door, and then stood there transfixed, because of what he +saw; for his mother was in the arms of his father, her head pillowed on +his shoulder, and she seemed to be weeping. + +But when she raised her head at Fred's entrance the astonished and +delighted boy saw immediately that it must be great joy that brought +those tears, and caused this deep emotion, for upon that dear face he +could read a new-born happiness. + +And again he remembered what he had said to his mates on the crew about +luck having chosen to hunt them out as favorites; for it even seemed to +wait him at home. + + + + +CHAPTER XI + +NEWS FROM OVER SEA + + +"Oh Fred, it's come!" exclaimed his younger sister, Kate. + +"What, news from Hiram?" demanded the boy, his heart beating rapidly +with the sudden excitement. + +"That's it; and he says----" began the impulsive girl, when her +mother's voice restrained her: + +"Wait, and let Fred read the letter for himself, Kate; he will +understand it much better, I am sure; for in your present condition I +doubt whether you are capable of making anything clear." + +Releasing herself from the arms of her smiling husband, she held out a +crumpled sheet of paper to the eager Fred. He saw that there were only +a few lines of writing on it, and that even this was done unevenly, as +though the one who used the pen wrote under unfavorable conditions, +perhaps on the edge of his bunk aboard a sailing vessel. + +This was just what Fred read: + + "On the way home by easy stages, and under an assumed name, so as + not to arouse the suspicion of those who have kept me away. + Determined to right a great wrong that has been done you. Willing + to testify in your behalf. Be sure and keep secret, especially from + the one you have to fear. + + "You Know Who." + +"Where is the envelope this came in, mother?" Fred asked the first +thing; for he found nothing about the letter itself to indicate from +what part of the world it might have come. + +"I was very careful to keep it, Fred," Mrs. Fenton replied; "for I knew +you would want to see it." + +No sooner had Fred glanced hastily at the postmark than he whistled to +indicate his astonishment. + +"Why, it was mailed at Hong Kong, and a whole month ago," he cried. + +"Yes, away at the other side of the world," his father remarked. "And +from the tone of the letter I feel satisfied that our troubles will +soon be of the past; for Hiram Masterson is tired of being kept away +from his native land, just because he wants to tell the truth; and he +is coming soon to testify for us." + +"This is great news, mother, father!" declared Fred, tears standing in +his eyes as he contemplated the joyous faces of those he loved so well, +for the careworn expression had fled from the countenances of his +parents; and he thought both of them looked ten years younger, such is +the mission of happiness. + +"I'll never hear the name of Hong Kong again in school, but what I'll +just love it," declared Kate, laughing and crying by turns; "because it +sounds so good right now." + +"A month ago he wrote this," continued Fred, reflectively. "Why right +at this time Hiram must be on the way to America on his vessel, and may +show up here any old time. He says he is sailing under another name, so +they won't know him. After all, Hiram has turned out to be a good +friend of ours, father, even if he does belong to that Lemington family +that has given us so much trouble." + +"Oh there may be good branches on even the poorest tree," remarked +gentle Mrs. Fenton. "So it is with families. There's little Billy, now, +Buck's brother; didn't you say he was as nice a youngster as you ever +met, Fred?" + +"That's so, mother; and I'll try and not forget again. But I suppose we +ought to do what Hiram says, and keep quiet about this latest news. +Why, I believe that if people only knew we had a letter postmarked Hong +Kong, they'd talk about it; and if that suspicious Squire Lemington +heard, he'd put things together, so as to make out a true story." + +"How that imagination of yours does take wings, son," said Mr. Fenton, +with a laugh. "But you're right about one thing; we must tell no one. +Remember, Kate, not a single word to your closest chum." + +"Oh! don't be afraid I'll tell, father!" declared the girl. + +"And I promise that not even Sid shall know," Fred put in; "though I'd +trust any secret with him, for he's as close-mouthed as an oyster, Sid +is." + +"But even Sid might talk in his sleep, or let a hint fall," Kate +insisted; "and you know he's got a sister, Mame, who loves to gossip a +little--I kind of think all girls do," she added, with a little giggle, +and shrug of her shoulders. + +"Won't Hiram have a story to tell when he gets back again?" observed +Fred, who, boy-like, thought of the adventures the kidnapped miner must +have passed through during his long enforced absence. + +"I imagine," Mr. Fenton observed, "that the harsh treatment he has +endured at the hands of those who are in the pay of the company his +uncle controls must have had just the opposite effect upon Hiram to +what they intended. He feels very bitter toward them, and is more +determined than ever to beat them at their game. I was always told that +when evil men fall out honest ones get their due, and I believe it +now." + +"I don't believe Hiram can be so very wicked," interposed Mrs. Fenton, +gently. "When he came down here from Alaska to help his uncle by giving +false testimony, he must have been laboring under some wrong notion of +how things stood. Since then he has seen a great light, and his better +nature has come to the front." + +"Then it was what Fred did for him when he first came, that opened his +eyes," declared Kate. "You remember, mother, if it hadn't been for our +Fred, Mr. Masterson would have found himself in serious trouble." + +"Yes, that must have been the entering wedge," Mr. Fenton remarked, +nodding his approval of the girl's idea. "It set Hiram to thinking; and +once a wavering man does that, the good in him gets a chance. But come, +this doesn't look like supper. I didn't think I was one bit hungry; but +now I'm fairly ravenous." + +"And the splendid news has taken my desire to eat away," Mrs. Fenton +said; but she immediately started to get the meal on the table, her +face radiant with the new happiness that had come. + +At the table Fred was seized with a sudden thought, pursuing which he +turned to his sister to ask a few questions. + +"Do you remember who gave the letter to you at the office, Kate; was it +that red-headed clerk, Sam Smalling?" + +"Why, to be sure; he always hands out the mail at the General Delivery +window," she replied, without hesitation. + +"He's an inquisitive sort of a fellow, I've found," Fred went on; "and +I've even seen him reading post cards that pass through. Stop and +think, Kate, did he mention the fact to you that you were getting a +_foreign_ letter this time?" + +"Why, yes, that is just what he did, Fred," Kate answered quickly; "how +could you guess such a thing now?" + +"Oh! I just remembered hearing him make remarks to several persons when +they came for mail, which told me Mr. Sam Smalling kept tabs on about +all that went on in Riverport. It must keep his brain working all the +time, trying to remember when Susie Green expects a letter from her +aunt away up in Basking Ridge; and if Eph Smith has written home to his +ma regularly once a month. But joking aside, sis, what did he say to +you about it?" + +"Why, as near as I can remember, Fred, he only remarked that he noticed +our far-away cousin in Hong Kong had finally taken a notion to write to +us. I thought he was trying to be smart, you know; and to carry the +joke along I laughed, and said it was too mean for anything the way +Cousin Jim had treated us for a long time; and that it was about time +he wrote." + +"Splendid!" exclaimed Fred, laughing. "And what did he say to that, +Kate?" + +"I didn't wait to hear," she replied; "but when I went out of the door +I looked back, and saw Mr. Smalling patting himself, as if he thought +he had the greatest mind ever, to be able to just guess everything." + +"Well, I reckon you've spiked his guns, then," Fred went on. "You see, +he has a younger brother who trains with that crowd of Buck's; and I +didn't know but that Sam might make some mention of the mysterious +letter we got to-day from the other side of the world. And then, in +some way, it might get around to the ears of Buck, who would carry it +to his father; because, I guess every little thing about the Fentons is +of _some_ interest up there at the big house." + +"Fred, if you make up your mind to be a lawyer, I think you have a +future ahead of you," declared his father, proudly; "because your +reasoning powers are first-class. But the chances of the post office +clerk mentioning the fact now are so remote, that we need not give it a +thought." + +The evening that followed was one of the happiest the Fentons had known +for a long time. There was much to talk about, and a spirit of coming +joy seemed to pervade the very atmosphere of that humble cottage home, +that certainly never brooded over the much more pretentious +establishment of Sparks Lemington. + +And when, rather later than usual, Fred went up to his small room close +under the rafters, where rainy nights he could listen to the patter of +the drops on the roof just over his head, he believed that he must be +the happiest boy in all Riverport. + +And in his new found joy his thoughts turned to the chum who was +worrying so much over his troubles; so that Fred resolved on the morrow +to try and do something to help poor Bristles Carpenter. + + + + +CHAPTER XII + +BRISTLES HAS AN IDEA + + +The following morning, as Fred was tinkering around, fixing up some of +his traps, he heard the whistle of one of his chums outside. Poking his +head out of the window, and wondering why, if it should be Sid, he did +not come upstairs without any knocking at the door, he saw to his +surprise that it was Bristles. + +"Hello! Fred! Can I climb up, or will you come down here?" the latter +called out. + +"Walk right into my parlor, said the spider to the fly," replied Fred, +being in rare good humor himself, and wishing he could do something to +help Bristles. + +The other boy soon made his appearance in Fred's little den of a room; +which, however, was mighty comfortable, and as neat as wax. Mrs. Fenton +was a good housekeeper, and she had always trained her children to +never leave things "at sixes and sevens," as she termed it. + +Fred saw that Bristles was considerably excited over something or +other. And of course the chances were that it must concern his own +personal affairs. Having made a confidant of Fred, and gained more or +less benefit because of his sympathy and advice, Bristles was rushing +over the first thing with further news. + +"You look worked up, Bristles," Fred remarked, as the other threw his +cap on the table, and dropped down in the rocker. + +"Well, I am, for a fact," the visitor replied, nodding his head to +emphasize his remark. + +"Anything happened to make you feel better?" suggested Fred; "has there +been another mysterious robbery over at your aunt's house, so that she +can understand you didn't do it, because you were far away this time?" + +Bristles heaved a big sigh. + +"Huh! no such good luck as that, Fred," he remarked; "I only wish it +was that way. P'raps it will be, just as you say. But an idea hit me in +the night, when I was a-lyin' there, trying to get to sleep again. I +don't like to be awake when it's only three o'clock, you know. Makes me +feel bad in the morning. And I was tired as all get-out last night, +after what we did yesterday up at camp and on the way down, when we +beat Buck's bunch so neat in that race." + +"Hold on, stick to the text," remarked Fred; "you're the greatest +fellow to ramble all over the lot when you start to telling anything. +Now you said you had run across an idea; let's hear it, then; for I +reckon it must have something to do with your trouble, Bristles?" + +The other actually grinned, showing that he was feeling more hopeful on +this bright, sunshiny, summer morning, at any rate. + +"That's right, Fred, it had a whole lot to do with it!" he burst out. +"Say, I've discovered who's been cribbing all those pretty little +stones up at my aunt's!" + +"You don't mean it?" cried Fred, really taken aback. + +"Yes, I do, now," went on the excited Bristles; "and you couldn't guess +it in a year of Sundays. It just seemed to pop into my head while I was +lying there on my back, grunting because I couldn't get to sleep, or +take my mind off Aunt Alicia and her queer old house." + +"Now, don't stop like that, and chuckle, Bristles; but go on telling, +if you want me to sit here and listen." Fred prodded his chum with his +finger as he said this, to bring him to his senses. + +"It's playing a mean game on the old lady, too, to take those opals so +slick, and give her all that bad feeling; but if she _will_ keep such +tricky pets, why she's got to pay for it, that's all, Fred." + +"Pets!" burst out the other. + +"Sure thing," laughed Bristles; "that wise old crow's the guilty +thief!" + +"The black raven that she brought over from England, you mean?" Fred +went on, rather staggered himself by what Bristles had said, and yet +discovering an element of possible truth in it. + +"Yes, the old chap that cocks his head on one side when you come in, +and examines you over from head to foot, just like he meant to say, 'If +you're not good looking you're not wanted here!' Oh! he's a gay old +villain, I just tell you! And, Fred, mark my words, he's the scamp +who's been taking Aunty's opals." + +"Why, I do remember reading, more than a few times, that crows and +ravens have been known to fly away with bright spoons, and all sorts of +things that seem to catch their fancy; but I never heard of a bird +stealing from its mistress, and opals at that." + +"Well, that's what this one is doing, you mark me," Bristles said, +positively. "Why, just see what a great chance the old boy has. He +finds the door open into the parlor once in a while, and just hops in, +takes up one of the shiny stones, and carries it away to some place +where he keeps his treasures. I just bet you now he's been carryin' on +that way a long time, and Aunty never noticed that things were +disappearing till I began to come over to see her." + +"You think so, do you, Bristles?" remarked Fred, still pondering over +the matter, and wondering in his mind whether it could really be an +explanation for the peculiar little mystery that had given his chum so +much heart-pain. + +"Why, it's a dead open-and-shut cinch that the answer to the conundrum +lies in that silly old black bunch of feathers," declared the other, +conviction in his voice. "I looked up all about ravens in our big +'cyclopaedia as soon as I got downstairs this morning; and the more I +read, the stronger my mind got that Black Joe _must_ be the guilty +one." + +"Will you go and tell your aunt, and ask her to make a search for his +hiding-place?" Fred inquired. + +"Well--er--no; not just that," answered the other, slowly, and watching +Fred out of the tail of his eye; "fact is, I'm afraid she'd laugh at +me, and say it was only another excuse for me to get inside her house. +Now, if _you_ could drop in to see Aunt Alicia on some excuse or other, +Fred, perhaps you might get a chance to look around, and find out where +Black Joe keeps his little crop of treasures hid." + +Fred burst out into a laugh. + +"Oh! I see, you want me to be the one to take chances; is that it, +Bristles?" he demanded. + +"Well, I didn't think you'd mind doing a little more for a poor fellow, +as you've been such a help already to me, Fred; and then, she won't +accuse you of wanting to do anything wrong like she might me. Fact is," +he went on eagerly, so as to better carry his point, "she once said she +kind of liked your looks, after you'd been in there with me. I sure +believe you made a hit with Aunt Alicia; because, as a rule, she +doesn't care much for boys, you know." + +"Hold on, Bristles," said Fred, laughingly; "that won't wash a bit. +You're giving me some taffy now, just to make me agree to visit your +aunt. But, honest, I don't care to take the chances. My reputation is +pretty good up to now; but it might go to flinders if anyone said I was +taking things that did not belong to me." + +"But, good gracious! Fred, she wouldn't have any reason to accuse you!" +Bristles burst out, very much disappointed because his pet scheme +promised to meet with a hitch so early in its development. + +"You forget one thing?" said Fred, soberly. + +"Perhaps I have, because, you see, I'm all excited; and it isn't apt to +leave a fellow in decent trim for thinking. But what was it I forgot, +Fred; tell me that?" + +"Why, perhaps one or two of the balance of those opals might take a +notion to disappear about the same time I dropped in to see your aunt, +without any invitation to do it. And in that case she'd just naturally +think you'd put me up to keeping the queer business going. I'd hate to +have her think that of me, and much worse send word to my father and +mother that I was a thief!" + +"I should say so," declared Bristles, gloomily. "Bad enough to have her +say that I was; and that's all in the family, you see. I never once +thought of that, believe me, Fred. Wouldn't have asked you to take such +chances, if I had. 'Course it wouldn't be fair, and I'm a selfish +feller for hinting at it." + +"I don't think so, Bristles," Fred went on, consolingly. "It looked +good to you, because you never thought of the chances of another raid +being made on your aunt's opals. But perhaps you might have your mother +go over and see Miss Alicia. She could mention what you thought, and +even if the old lady did pretend to scoff at the idea, it would put a +flea in her ear, so perhaps she'd keep an eye on Black Joe." + +"I'll think about it, Fred. I don't fancy dragging my mother into the +game if it can be helped. I'd like to lift the lid myself, and then +have the laugh on Aunt Alicia. Some day, perhaps, she'll be sorry she +thought so mean of me, and wouldn't listen to my defense. You wait and +see. I'm going to get at the bottom of this thing if it takes me all +summer." + +"Well, General Grant got there in the end, and let's hope you'll be as +lucky, old fellow," said Fred, cheerfully. "Anyhow, that was a bright +thought about Black Joe; and it would be a jolly story to tell if it +did turn out that way." + +"Why, right now you more'n half believe it yourself, Fred!" cried +Bristles. + +"It's worth thinking about," was the noncommittal answer Fred made. + +"Oh! by the way," his visitor suddenly exclaimed, "while I was on my +way over here I met Corney, who said he'd heard the Mechanicsburg +fellows got their boat last night." + +"Good for that," remarked Fred, with satisfaction. "Now both crews can +get busy, and whip themselves in shape for that big race later on. I +expect we'll do much better next time. Colon wasn't himself at all, +after being nearly drowned only the day before. But he'll come around +all right; and when he's in trim there isn't a huskier fellow in the +Riverport school." + +"We practice again this afternoon, don't we?" asked Bristles. + +"That was the programme last night, Brad told us," replied Fred. + +"Well, I only hope I get relief from this cloud that's hangin' over my +head all the time," Bristles went on, sighing again. "It's just like +the toothache, Fred; you suffer, and know it means goin' to the +dentist's chair; but how you hate to go and get her yanked out! But +once you make up your mind, and the job's done, how glad you feel you +went; eh? Well, some bright day, I'm hoping, I'll feel just as happy as +if I'd had a tooth drawn," and Fred was compelled to smile at the +homely way his chum illustrated the condition of his feelings, though +he understood just how Bristles felt. + + + + +CHAPTER XIII + +A CALL FOR HELP + + +"I hope you take a notion to get your mother to go around there some +time to-day," Fred went on to say, as his visitor got up to leave. + +"Perhaps I might," Bristles admitted; though he shook his head as if +the idea did not wholly appeal to him. + +"She could smooth things over a whole lot, you see," Fred continued; +"and then, if by some luck, another of the little gems has disappeared +since your aunt sent that note over, your mother would be able to show +Aunty how unjust she had been when she hinted that you'd taken the +others." + +"Yes, it looks that way, Fred; and I'm obliged to you for giving me the +hint," said Bristles. "But I want to think this over again. I'm going +back home and stay there the whole morning, doing some high and lofty +work with my head. What's the use of having brains if you can't make +'em work for you. So-long, Fred. You're sure the handy boy when it +comes to making a feller see things in a new light. But I still believe +it's old Black Joe, the little villain!" + +After he had gone, the matter was often in Fred's mind, and he really +began to grow quite excited while thinking about it. + +"It may be stretching things a whole lot to believe a bird could be so +smart as to take those stones," he said to himself, seriously; "but +anyhow, the opportunity was there before Black Joe, if he wanted to try +it. I remember that when the old lady showed me those opals, and told +me how they were taken from a mine in Mexico where she had sunk a heap +of money, she put them back on the cabinet shelf, and they were just +lying in a little bowl with some other curiosities she had. Yes, Black +Joe could fly up there, and pick out what he wanted, sure enough." + +Somehow the thought was still strong in Fred's mind when, later in the +morning, he started out to go over to see what Sid Wells might be +doing. And it even took him out of his way, so that instead of making +his usual short cut across lots to his chum's house, he passed along +the street where Miss Muster (the boys called her Miss Mustard on +account of her peppery temper) lived. + +He even turned his head while passing, and looked in toward the rather +expensive building (for a small place like Riverport) where the old +maid lived alone with her colored "mammy" and her several pets. + +He could see the big bulldog that was chained to his kennel, placed +under the windows of the room the maiden lady slept in. Yes, Beauty was +asleep on the top of his box then, curled up as if not "caring whether +school kept or not." + +"Boy! boy, come over here! I want you!" + +Fred at first thought that it was the talking bird calling to him in +this way, for he had heard Black Joe rattle along just like an educated +poll parrot. Then he recognized the shrill tones of Miss Muster; and at +the same moment caught sight of the maiden lady. + +She was standing on her broad porch, and beckoning to him. + +Being close to the gate, he pressed the latch, and passed through into +the yard, where there were a great many flowers. Possibly Fred felt a +queer little thrill as he walked toward the porch, where Miss Muster +awaited him. He remembered the proposal Bristles had made, and which he +had seen fit to turn down. + +The old lady was peering at him through her glasses. + +"Oh! you are the boy who was in here with my--er--nephew that time?" +she remarked; and at first Fred thought she was about to say she had no +use for anyone who would keep company with Bristles, but she did not, +much to his relief. + +"Yes, ma'am, I remember being in here with Bris--er--Andy Carpenter, +once," Fred remarked. "And you were kind enough to show me a lot of +mighty interesting things, too, Miss Muster. What can I do for you this +morning, ma'am?" + +The sharp face softened a little, and the faintest shadow of a smile +crept over the old maid's features. + +"Let me see, what's your name?" she asked. + +"Fred Fenton, ma'am. We have not been in Riverport much more than a +year. I think my mother said she met you a while ago, down in the +grocery, and had a nice talk with you." + +"I remember, and a fine little lady Mrs. Fenton is, to be sure. If she +is your mother, boy, you've good cause to be satisfied. And I wouldn't +say that about many women, either. But I was just wanting a little +assistance, and called to the first person who happened to be passing +along the street. My old servant is laid up to-day with an attack of +lumbago; and the gardener is off on an errand that will take him two +hours. Could you give me a few minutes of your time, Fred?" + +"Why, yes, ma'am, sure I can. I was only going over to look up a chum, +and talk about the chances we have in a boat race that is going to come +off soon. What do you want me to do, Miss Muster?" + +She looked at him again, with that suspicious gleam in her eyes. +Somehow, Fred could not help feeling a little indignant. Because she +chose to think the worst of her poor innocent nephew was no reason why +Miss Muster should believe ill of every fellow. + +He was almost tempted to say what he thought, and free his mind. +Perhaps, then, she might understand that even a boy has feelings, and +can suffer mentally, as well as bodily. + +But on second thought Fred wisely kept his peace. There might be a +better way to teach the old maid a needed lesson than by sharp talk, +which would only serve to make her feel more bitter toward "upstart +boys" in general. + +Evidently Miss Muster must have gained a favorable impression from her +survey of the lad, whom she had called inside. + +"I guess after all there _is_ a difference in boys," she muttered, much +to the secret amusement of Fred, who could easily imagine that she was +comparing him with poor Bristles, and evidently much to the +disadvantage of the latter. + +He waited for her to speak, and wondered whether she wanted him to do +something in the garden that possibly old Jake had neglected to look +after, before going upon his errand; or if he would get an invitation +to enter that big house again. + +And as he involuntarily glanced toward the spot where the ugly-looking +bulldog, called Beauty by his mistress, was now stretching his +broad-beamed body, after his recent nap, Fred resolved to draw the line +there. If she wanted him to approach the defender of the manse, he +thought he would be showing the proper discretion if he politely but +positively declined. + +"Are your shoes clean, Fred?" she finally asked, looking down at his +feet while putting the question. + +"Why, yes, ma'am, they seem to be. There is no mud; and I'm in the +habit of keeping my shoes clean at home," he replied, understanding +from this remark that it must be the house, and not the garden, where +his task awaited him. + +"Then come into the house with me," she continued, as if thoroughly +satisfied with her scrutiny. + +Fred took off his cap and walked up the steps leading to the broad +veranda. He would not have been a real boy had he not speculated as to +what the lady wished with him. And it was in this frame of mind that he +followed her into the wide hall of the house, which was to Bristles the +home of mystery and the seat of all his trouble. + +"Come right into this room, Fred," said Miss Muster, leading the way +into what he remembered to be her living room, where she sat most of +the time she was home, reading, writing letters, and paying attention +to her business matters; for she had considerable money invested, and +insisted on looking after the details herself, rather than trust a +lawyer with them. + +The first thing Fred saw upon entering was the pet cat, a big Persian, +with long hair, and a handsome face. Then a restless movement from +above called his attention to the raven, perched upon a curtain +fixture, or pole, close to the ceiling, and, looking down wisely at +them as they entered. + +Fred immediately wondered whether he could be looking at the sly thief, +who had been secretly making way with the old maid's treasures, as he +noted the cunning aspect of Black Joe. + +Miss Muster shook her finger angrily at the bird. + +"Now we'll see whether you can defy me so impudently, you sly baggage!" +she remarked, in rather a tart tone; and it burst upon Fred that, +singularly enough, his unexpected visit to the mansion of the rich old +maid was evidently in connection with something that had to, do with +Black Joe. + +Why, it really looked as though the luck that had come to the Fentons +only the day before might still be following him, even in his desire to +do his chum a good turn. + +Perhaps the golden opportunity to find out something about Black Joe's +tricks might be close at hand. How little he had dreamed of this when +leaving his home only a few minutes before. + +"Once in a great while," the lady went on to explain, "Joe gets a +stubborn fit, and refuses to mind when I tell him to come to me. It +always exasperates me; and twice before I've sent for the gardener to +come and get the step-ladder, so that he can chase the rascal from +pillar to post until finally he would fall into my grasp. I punish him +by chaining him fast to that perch for a week; and as a rule he seems +to amend his ways for a long time. But the last occasion failed most +miserably, I must confess. Do you think you are strong enough to carry +the step-ladder up from the basement, Fred?" + +Fred had some difficulty in keeping his face free from a smile. The +idea of her doubting his muscular ability, after all the athletic +exercises he practiced; but then of course Miss Muster would not know +that; so he only replied that he believed he would have no difficulty +in doing all she required. + + + + +CHAPTER XIV + +THE MISSING OPALS AGAIN + + +Following out the injunctions of Miss Muster, Fred easily found where +the step-ladder was kept in the basement. Nor did he have the slightest +difficulty in carrying it up the stairs after he had discovered it. + +He noticed that the lady was very particular to keep the door of the +living room closed; and remembered that it had been in that condition +at the time of their first arrival. + +"The artful rogue," Miss Muster explained; "would be only too glad to +fly out, and scour the entire house, laughing at me, and mocking me as +though possessed of the spirit of evil our great poet Edgar Allan Poe +gave to the raven. But now that you have succeeded in getting the +ladder, we shall soon corner him." + +Fred was highly amused at the comical way the old raven watched the +preparations being made, looking to his capture. He would cock his head +on one side, as he looked down, and occasionally utter some droll word +that seemed to fit the occasion exactly. + +Having had considerable experience in chasing the mutinous bird all +over the big room, Miss Muster seemed to know just how to manage things +in order to get results with as little waste of time as possible. + +"Fred, you take the ladder, and place it under this picture," she went +on to say; "he always comes back there after each little flight. Then, +with the broom I will shoo him off that curtain pole. He does get so +excited, and goes on at such a terrible rate. Why, I sometimes seem to +suspect that some of those strange words he uses may be what that +Portuguese sailor, from whom I purchased him while over in England, +taught him." + +And indeed, once she started the bird flying wildly about, Black Joe +did shriek out all manner of phrases, some of which Fred could +understand, while others he was able to make nothing out of. + +Fred knew the part he was expected to take in capturing the rebellious +raven. He crouched there on the step-ladder, waiting for his chance. +Trust a lively, wide-awake boy for being able to outwit any raven that +ever lived. Black Joe may have believed himself smart, but he could not +match wits with an up-to-date lad. + +Fluttering his feathers indignantly, and still giving vent to a volume +of angry cries, the raven presently, just as his mistress had said +would be the case, settled on the top of the big picture frame. + +Instantly a hand shot upward, and there was a squawk that seemed to be +choked off, as Fred's fingers closed around the body and neck of wily +Black Joe. + +"Oh! please don't hurt him any, Fred!" cried the lady, dropping the +broom, and hurrying over to take the bird from Fred's hands. + +Indeed, the boy was not sorry to get rid of the savage creature, which +was trying its best to give him vicious pecks, and struggling with +wings and claws to break away. + +Once in the possession of Miss Muster, however, it seemed to become +very meek. She stroked it, murmuring endearing words, and proceeded to +fasten a nickeled chain about one of it's legs, so that it could not +fly away from the perch over in the corner by one of the windows, that +were covered with wire mosquito netting. + +"That was very cleverly done, Fred," remarked Miss Muster, in a tone +that rather caused the boy to alter the opinion he had formed +concerning her. "Poor old Jake is so clumsy he makes half a dozen +attempts before he is able to catch the speedy bird. Once he upset the +step-ladder, and sprawled all over the floor. And upon my word, I have +always believed that sad wretch there laughed at him. It sounded like +it, at any rate." + +She was beginning to thaw out, and Fred found himself wondering if, +after all, under the surface, Miss Muster might not have more feeling +than she chose to let people believe. + +He actually began to like her. And more than ever did he hope that +something might come along to enable him to bring about a better +understanding between the rich old maid and her once favorite nephew, +now under an unmerited cloud. + +"Sit down a few minutes, Fred," she continued. "And get your breath +back after all the exertion of lugging that heavy ladder up here. Then +I'd like you to take it back to where you found it. And I think I've +got a book you'd like to own. I did mean to give it to Andrew on his +birthday next week, but I have changed my mind." + +Fred did not exactly like the way she pursed up her thin lips when she +said this. She was doing Bristles an injustice, he felt sure. Of course +he could not decline to take the book she meant to present him with, as +pay for his services; but in his mind, as he was carrying back the +ladder, Fred was determined that he would consider that it belonged to +Bristles, and not himself. + +Once more he entered the living room, where he found Miss Muster +waiting for him, seated in her easy chair. The raven sat on his perch, +with all his feathers ruffled up, as though he knew he was in disgrace +with his indulgent mistress. + +"Here is the book I want you to accept from me, Fred, and I hope you +will enjoy reading it," and as she said this she held out a volume, +which he saw was just such as a boy who loved athletic games would most +enjoy. + +"Thank you, ma'am," he hastened to say, seeing his opening. "I know I +will like it; but I feel bad because you meant it for Bristles--I mean +your nephew, Andrew." + +She frowned at once. + +"Please forget all about him just now, Fred," she said, decisively. +"It's hard work for me to keep him out of my mind; but I never could +bear deception; and, as for a sly little rascal, who looks you in the +face, and denies everything, when you know he is _positively_ guilty, +bah! I wash my hands of him forever. I could never believe him again, +never!" + +"But Miss Muster, he is innocent," said Fred; at which she started +violently, and looked keenly at him. + +"Then he has fooled you as well as me," she snapped. "I warrant you he +is chuckling in his sleeve right now because he managed to deceive me +so handily. Much he cares about my feelings, when I was beginning to +have a foolish old woman's dreams about Andrew inheriting all my money, +and making the name of Carpenter famous one of these days. Oh! it did +hurt me cruelly, boy." + +"But you are mistaken, ma'am, when you think he doesn't care," Fred +went on hastily. "Why, he can't sleep nights, thinking about it." + +"Well, that doesn't prove anything," Miss Muster remarked +sarcastically. "A guilty soul often writhes when being punished; and I +suppose my last note to my niece, his mother, brought him into a peck +of trouble. I suppose now he does lie awake nights, thinking. Perhaps +he wonders what he can do with my lovely opals, now he's got them. Or +he may be scheming how to lay hands on the balance." + +"He was in to see me this morning, ma'am," Fred observed. + +"Oh! is that so? And do you think, Fred, that nice little mother of +yours would like it, if she knew you were keeping company with a boy +who was suspected of abusing the confidence of, his fond aunt, and +helping himself to her possessions." + +"I think," said Fred, stoutly, "that if she heard all Andy had to say, +and saw how he suffered, she'd believe just as I do, that he is +innocent, and never touched your opals, Miss Muster." + +"Well, somebody did;" the old lady snapped; though evidently more or +less affected by the staunch way Fred stood up for his chum; "does he +have any idea who could have done it? Perhaps he thinks my old black +Mammy did; or poor, but honest, Jake Stall. He was always a fanciful +boy, and it might be he suspects I walk in my sleep, and go around +secreting my own property?" + +"No, ma'am he has never hinted at any such thing; but he says, while +lying awake at three o'clock this morning, thinking and thinking how he +could prove his innocence, he suddenly seemed to guess who it might be +taking your pretty stones." + +Fred turned and pointed toward the blinking raven as he spoke. + +"Well, now," remarked Miss Muster, looking surprised, and then smiling +disdainfully; "if that isn't just like Andrew for all that's out, to +accuse my poor pet of doing so mean a thing. It is true, I know they +will steal, and secrete such things as they particularly fancy; but I +watch Joe closely. Besides, there is another good reason why he +couldn't have taken those opals." + +"Yes, ma'am," said Fred, when she paused as if for breath. + +"He has been chained to that perch for more than a week past, and I +only set him free this very morning. So you see how Andrew's brilliant +theory falls to the ground. He must think up something else, if he +hopes to prove his own innocence. I wish he could, indeed I do. My +heart feels very heavy these days, for I was beginning to have some +faith in boys. But say no more. If you are going, Fred, please come +into the other room with me. I want to show you a splendid specimen of +a saw, taken from a sawfish down in the West Indies, and sent to me. It +is more than three feet long. You will be interested, because nearly +all boys like everything pertaining to fishing." + +So Fred followed her across the wide hall. She opened the door of the +parlor, in which he remembered he had been on that former visit, at the +time she showed him the little bowl containing the opals, and other +valuable curios. + +After opening the door Miss Muster passed in, Fred followed, but +remained a respectful distance behind her, a fact for which he +afterwards had reason to be thankful. + +Some sudden notion seemed to take possession of the old lady for +quickly crossing over she took down the little Japanese bowl, as if to +count the opals remaining. Fred heard her give a startled cry. Then she +hastily looked again, after which she set the bowl down on a table with +a hand that trembled violently, and turning angrily upon Fred, she +cried in her sharpest tones: + +"He sent you here to follow up his miserable trick! All boys are +thieves, and in spite of the lovely little mother you have, Fred +Fenton, you are as bad as the rest of them!" + +Fred could hardly believe his ears when thus accused. He stood there +for several seconds, no doubt turning red and white by turns, as he +tried to restrain the indignation that swept over him like a great +wave. + + + + +CHAPTER XV + +FRED'S BRAVE STAND + + +"Excuse me, ma'am, but surely you do not believe that," Fred managed to +say in another minute; and his voice may have trembled a little with +emotion; though his manner was as frank and fearless as ever, as he +looked straight into the snappy black eyes of the angry old lady. + +"Three more of the gems are gone, and they were here this morning, +because I took them out in my hand, and counted them," she declared, +furiously; yet beginning to feel uncomfortable under his steady look. + +"But why should you even think that I took them, Miss Muster?" he +demanded. + +"Because--you are the only person besides myself who has been in this +room the entire day. Mammy has been sick in bed since nine o'clock; and +Jake Stall did not put a foot inside the house to my personal +knowledge," but although she said this as if to signify that her mind +was made up, Fred could detect a little hesitation. + +She already began to realize the absurdity of the accusation. + +"Stop and think, ma'am, and I'm sure your own sense will tell you that +you are wronging me when you say that," the boy argued, with the same +positive air of conviction that had made his father declare he would +make a good lawyer, if ever he felt inclined to study for the bar. + +"In what way, boy?" Miss Muster faltered. + +"Because in the first place you called me into your house of your own +accord, when I was passing. I wouldn't have come, only that you said +you were in some sort of trouble, and needed help. Then, think again, +Miss Muster--you opened this door which had been shut all the time; you +hurried into this room, and over to that stand. You know, ma'am, I was +never within six feet of that little bowl. Right now I am half way +between the table and the door. My arms would have to be pretty long to +reach over there, wouldn't they now, Miss Muster?" + +She saw his point. And indeed, even before he clinched the fact in this +ingenious way the old lady was ready to admit that she had been +unwisely hasty in making that passionate accusation. + +"I beg your pardon, Fred," she hastened to say, holding out her hand, +which he did not hesitate to take. "I was entirely wrong, and acted +from a foolish impulse when I found that, in spite of all my +precautions, more of my opals had mysteriously disappeared. You could +not have taken them had you wanted to; and I do not believe you would +touch them if you had a dozen chances." + +That was saying a good deal for Miss Muster; and Fred, who knew +considerable about her sharp tongue, felt that he could hardly have +been paid a higher compliment. + +"Thank you, ma'am," he said, smiling in a satisfied way. "If you +please, then, we'll consider the thing closed. But that doesn't explain +where the opals have gone to; does it?" + +"Indeed, it does not," she replied. "I have been deeply stirred by this +mystery; but Fred, believe me, it was not the value of the jewels one +quarter so much as the shock given to my faith in human nature. I +believed that the boy had been tempted beyond his power of resistance. +Perhaps he wanted a certain sum of money for some purpose, and +conceived the wicked idea that he could sell the stones, and get it +that way. Oh! I would have gladly given him five, yes ten times their +value, if only he had not given way to temptation." + +"But Miss Muster," said Fred, quick to take advantage of his splendid +opportunity; "you were just as sure, right now, that I was the thief; +and yet how easy it was for me to prove my innocence. Wouldn't you be +glad if I could do the same for my chum, Brist--I mean Andy?" + +"Indeed, I would, Fred," she replied, warmly. "Do that, and there will +be a whole shelf of boys' books come to your house, and an old woman's +blessing in the bargain. But I'm afraid you'll find it a harder task +than clearing your own skirts." + +"But give me the chance, won't you, please, ma'am?" Fred insisted. + +"Do you want to speak now about it, Fred?" she asked, eagerly enough. + +"Why, yes, if you don't object, ma'am," he replied. "You know there's +an old saying that 'it's best to strike while the iron is hot'." + +"And you think that I'm pretty warm just now; is that it?" she asked, +smiling a little in a way that made her thin face look almost friendly +to the boy's imagination. + +"Well, while we were on the subject I thought I'd like to call your +attention to just one thing," Fred continued, persistently. "And after +you've heard what I want to say, I think you'll agree with me that +Bris--er, Andy, couldn't well have been guilty of taking these last +opals. Why, he surely hasn't been in your house this whole day, has he, +Miss Muster?" + +"N--no, not that I know of, for a fact, Fred," she said, slowly. + +"You keep the doors locked, don't you, ma'am, so Bristles, or any one +else for that matter, couldn't have come in this morning, _after_ you +counted those things?" + +"Yes, the doors are always locked. I am very particular about that. +When the grocer's boy or the one from the butcher, come for orders, +they wait in the kitchen while Mammy comes to me here, and we talk over +what we need." + +"Did that happen this morning, ma'am? Were both those boys inside here +to-day?" Fred asked. + +The old lady looked sharply at him when he said this. + +"Ah! now I see in what direction your suspicions lie, Fred," she +remarked, her face lighting up. "And if you can prove to my +satisfaction that one of those boys took my opals, and they are +returned to me, I will say nothing, do nothing, to prosecute the guilty +one. Perhaps I was foolish to leave the door of opportunity open; the +temptation within their reach. In that case the fault was partly mine." + +"But I haven't accused anybody, ma'am; only I wondered whether one of +those tradesmen's boys could have done it," Fred went on. "I'm going to +look them up right away, and if I can recover the opals, and make the +thief confess before you, then that will end the affair, will it?" + +"So far as he is concerned, it will," the old lady answered; "but I +shall never forgive myself for suspecting my niece's son of such a +thing. Fred, do you suppose he would come to see me if you took him a +message?" + +"Who, Andrew?" exclaimed the delighted Fred. "Why, I'm as sure of it +as that I draw breath. He'd almost fly here, he'd be that glad you +believed him innocent. Do you want me to tell him, ma'am?" + +"Wait, let it go for a little while. When I send you word, you may tell +him all that has occurred here to-day, and how a silly old woman had +her eyes opened to the truth by a clever boy. Meanwhile, please do not +say a word to any one, will you, Fred?" + +He was a little disappointed, because it would have given him so much +pleasure to carry the joyful news to Bristles; but then, a little more +delay could not hurt. And besides, it would give him a chance to look +around, find out just what the habits of both the grocer's and the +butcher's boy were, and possibly make the guilty one confess, on +promise of immunity from punishment. + +"I'll promise to do just whatever you say, ma'am, though I hope for the +sake of poor Bristles you won't keep me waiting long," he answered. + +"Fred, shake hands with me again," said the old maid, surveying him +with kindling eyes. "I take back a lot of the mean things I've been +thinking about boys these few days. There _is_ something worth while in +some of them. My better nature told me so right along. They're not all +bad. I reckon now, you'd sooner do most anything than to break the fond +heart of that fine little mother of yours; wouldn't you, Fred?" + +"Oh! I haven't always been above suspicion, ma'am," Fred hastened to +say, in confusion. "I'm no better than the average fellow, and I'm +afraid I haven't always been just the boy I ought to be, either. I +suppose I've made her feel bad a lot of times. But as to doing anything +real wicked like stealing things--the worst I ever did was to get in +some neighbor's orchard at night, when we had plenty of good apples at +home." + +Miss Muster laughed at that frank admission, as though she thought it +quite an original plea for the boy in general. + +"Oh! I understand all boys have failings like that," she said; "and +sensible people wouldn't have them grow up like little saints. But +Fred, I'm sure you'll never either as a boy, nor yet as a young man, do +anything that would grieve your mother's heart. I'm ashamed of what I +wrote my niece, and when I can muster up enough courage I'm going right +over to her house, and explain. It makes me feel that it's worth while +living, now that, through you, I've found that Andrew is innocent." + +The way she said that last word told Fred that she was near the +breaking-down point, and he thought he had better leave. He went away +from that place with a heart that was considerably lighter than when he +first started to pass the fence behind which the property of Miss +Muster lay. He had had a wonderful experience, and from that time on +must feel differently toward the old maid, whom the boys of Riverport +always looked upon as hateful. She had shown him that, under the +surface, she was a lovable woman after all, and possessed of a woman's +heart, somewhat starved it is true, but still there. + + + + +CHAPTER XVI + +THE TRIAL SPIN + + +"Which way are we going this afternoon for a practice spin?" asked +Corney Shays, as he came alongside Fred Fenton. + +There was a lively crowd around the long, low shed in which the new +boat was temporarily quartered, while the new building, a start upon +which had already been made, was being erected. + +Several score of persons had gathered to see the boys row, for it began +to look as if the whole community was going wild over the prospects of +another school victory coming to Riverport. Baseball and football, it +seemed, did not wholly satisfy the appetites of the now aroused +Riverport athletes. They had beaten both of their rivals again this +season on the diamond; and now, with Fall a long way off, this boating +fever had seized upon them in its full strength. + +Of course most of those present were boys and girls, enthusiastic +believers in the fellows who carried the honor of good old Riverport +school in their hand. It goes without saying that every member of the +crew probably had at least one fair admirer present, who believed that +without _him_ the chances of victory must be mighty small indeed. + +"Oh!" replied Fred, turning to greet Corney, who was a bit late in +arriving, but was now dressed ready for business; "down-river, of +course." + +"Why do you say 'of course,' Fred?" persisted the other, who always +wanted to understand everything he talked about, and who would go into +details indefinitely until everything was plain. "There's a fine course +up-river. You remember we rushed it with Buck's crowd. And I understand +that it will like as not be made the official course when the great +boat race is pulled off." + +"That's true, Corney," Fred continued; "but there are several reasons +why Brad has picked out the other side of the town for all our trial +spins. First of all, you know the big, broad channel the Mohunk has for +three miles between here and Paulding?" + +"Sure I do; and a splendid place to make good speed, too," the other +admitted. + +"Then, again, if we kept going up the river we'd be apt to interfere +with the practice of the Mechanicsburg fellows, who have no other +course but that one between the two towns." + +"And they'd be more apt to get a line on what sort of time we were +making; isn't that so, Fred?" + +"Just what I was going to add, Corney. Now you know about all the +reasons Brad has for going down the river to-day, and other days as +well." + +"And is it true that he's got a three mile course all marked off?" +asked Corney. + +"Brad says he was down there with Colon on their wheels this morning," +Fred went on to say. "They carried a long tape line, and as the road +runs close to the bank of the river, they marked every eighth of a +mile." + +"How did they do it?" questioned the other. "You see I want to be +posted, so I can get a pointer on our speed if I happen to look along +the bank while we're making a spurt." + +"That's the time you'd better keep your eyes glued on the coxswain, and +the stroke oar, and not bother trying to find out for yourself what the +speed is. Brad will look out for all that, Corney." + +"But if you know, you're going to tell me, I hope?" pursued the +tireless one. + +"Oh!" Fred replied, with a laugh, "if you really want to know, I +understand that every eighth of a mile is marked with a single small +white rag; each quarter has a blue one; while the mile shows a plain +red one. I hope some meddlesome fellow doesn't go to changing the +signals on Brad, and make him think he's doing a record stunt. But I +believe he's got some other secret sign of his own to depend on besides +the flags." + +He managed to break away just then; and as Corney saw that it was a +very pretty girl who had beckoned Fred over, he made no attempt to +question him further. In fact, Fred would have firmly declined to stay, +because it was Flo Temple who had signalled. + +Flo was the prettiest girl in all Riverport. She and Fred had long been +the best of friends. It was he who always took her to singing school in +winter, and to the school dances, sometimes given in country barns, +where a long sleigh ride was necessary to reach the scene. + +Once Buck Lemlngton had aspired to keep company, girl and boy fashion, +with Flo. She and Buck used to squabble frequently, and then come +together again for a short time. But with the arrival of Fred Fenton in +town all this had been changed. Which was another reason for the enmity +of Buck toward Fred. + +Like some of the other girls Flo waved a little flag which was made of +purple and gold silk, the adopted school colors for Riverport. This she +used to considerable advantage; and Fred thought that when it came up +against her face the contrast with her rosy cheeks and sparkling hazel +eyes made her look prettier than ever. + +"I suppose you will be getting away soon now, Fred?" she asked as he +joined her. + +"In five minutes we will launch the boat, and be off," he replied; "you +see, all the subs are on hand, and ready to jump in if any one of the +regulars fails to show up, or is taken sick. They'll wait around an +hour or two while we're down-river. When we get back Brad's promised to +take them off for a spin, and some exercise." + +"Yes," she remarked, with a merry laugh, "I've been listening to some +of them talking here. They do hope so much, poor fellows, that a chance +will come along to put them on the regular crew. Why, I fairly believe +they'd be happy if some of the rest of you had to leave town on +vacations. But Fred, take care!" + +She raised her forefinger as if in warning, and looked about her in +quite a mysterious way when saying these last words in a low tone. + +"What about, Flo?" he asked, not at all worried. + +"I understand that the other crew went down the river an hour or two +ago," she continued; and he could guess who was meant without asking. + +"Well," he answered, "there's plenty of room for half a dozen crews to +practice without interfering with each other. You remember the river +gets very wide between here and Paulding. In fact lots of people always +refer to it as 'the lake.'" + +"But it would have to be an ocean that would be wide enough to keep +Buck Lemington from carrying out any of his pet schemes, Fred. And +somehow he seems to have picked on you as his especial enemy. It seems +so strange, when I know you've never gone out of your way to do him the +least harm." + +The demure lassie looked at Fred out of the corners of her merry eyes +when she said this, and it was hard for him to refrain from declaring +that she ought to know that Buck's hatred for him began when she +started to bestow her favors on the new boy in Riverport. However, Fred +held himself in, and only remarked: + +"It has happened that lots of times Buck and myself have been up +against each other in what should have been friendly rivalry. Because +fortune was generally kind to me, and allowed me to carry off +undeserved honors, he has made up his mind that I'm always trying to do +him out of everything he wants to win. And he never loses a chance to +let me know what he thinks of me." + +"You haven't been the one to suffer _very_ much, up to now, Fred, if +half that I hear is true," Flo went on to say, with a pride in her +voice that somehow thrilled the boy, and made him very happy. + +"Oh! I've had lots of good luck, I must say. But there's Brad +beckoning, and I'll have to be going, Flo. Will you be here when we get +back?" + +"Perhaps," she answered. "I've an invitation to go in Judge Colon's new +auto, to watch the practice from the shore down below. If you happen to +see us waving, why please do your best to give us confidence. They say +those big Mechanicsburg boys are fearfully strong, and can pull a +professional stroke. And they have a coach, too, you know, Fred." + +"We're going to have one too after to-day, for Corney's father used to +be on a big college crew, and has consented to train us." + +With this Fred had to hurry off, but he turned and waved his hand to +_somebody_ in the crowd just as he took his place, a few minutes later, +in the eight-oared shell; nor did any one seem to doubt for whom the +good-bye signal was intended; at any rate there was an unusual flutter +to Flo Temple's purple and gold flag just about that time. + +The crew quickly fell into the swing, and the boat fairly flew +down-stream under their vigorous strokes. Brad, however, was keeping +them down. He did not want to let everybody know just what Riverport +could do. Doubtless more than a few of Mechanicsburg's admirers would +be ready to take every opportunity possible to time the rival crew, so +as to get a pointer with regard to their capacity. That could not be +helped; but Brad was determined to be as cautious as possible. + +Soon they were down to the broad stretch, where the little fluttering +rags of various hues close to the edge of the water told the parts of +the mile. + +Here the coxswain thought it good policy to increase the stroke, and +they were soon hitting up a lively pace. How splendidly the delicate +boat flew over the water, just for all the world as a swallow skims +along the surface of a pond! The boys were enthusiastic over their +work, and Brad did not hesitate to give them the praise they deserved. + +"We'll turn here, and pull up-stream," he said, as they rested for a +few minutes. "That will come harder, and try you more. But it's all a +part of the game. Once more, now, my hearties, with a will!" + +They covered the distance up to what Brad had marked as the turning +point, in better time than he had believed possible. A buoy had been +floated to serve as the upper end of the course. Rounding this they +shot down the river with tremendous velocity, as though striving for +victory on the home stretch. + +For some reason Brad took them down further than before, so that they +even drew near the sharp bend before he gave the signal to stop rowing. +The boat continued to glide along with the current, though gradually +easing up. + +And it was just at that moment, when the young oarsmen of Riverport +were breathing hard after their recent exertions, that they heard a +sudden crash as of splintering wood, immediately accompanied by a +conglomeration of shouts, all in the plain, unmistakable voices of +boys. + +Startled, they stared at each other, as if not knowing what to make of +it; and thrilled by the knowledge that danger must be threatening some +fellows around the bend just below. + + + + +CHAPTER XVII + +SNAGGED AND WRECKED + + +"What in the world's that?" exclaimed Dave Hanshaw. + +"Sounds like some fellows might be in a pickle. Listen to 'em howl; +would you?" cried Corney Shays. + +"Isn't one of the lot whooping it up for help?" asked Fred. + +"You're right, Fred; and we've got to get a move on, and turn that bend +yonder, when we can see what's what. Ready, boys!" called out Brad, at +which every young oarsman dropped back into his place; for they had +been turning half around at the time, desirous of seeing what it all +meant. + +"Must be that Buck Lemington bunch!" sang out Sid, who perhaps had +recognized one of the loud voices; for he and the bully of Riverport +had been in conflict so often in the last twelve years, that it would +be very strange if the excited tones of the other might not be known +when heard. + +"Then it's good-bye to that old college shell," declared Corney. + +"You're right," asserted Dick Hendricks; "because that smash must have +ended its days of usefulness forever." + +As the signal to drop oars and pull was given, the boat once more took +on new life, and rushed down upon the nearby bend. When they shot +around this, of course the coxswain was the only one who immediately +saw the exciting scene presented. And it certainly spoke well for the +discipline under which that novice crew labored that not a single one +of them tried to twist his head around, in order to gain advance +information. + +They left details to Brad, knowing that they would quickly be upon the +scene, and able to see for themselves, without a breach of discipline. + +What Brad saw was just what he anticipated, but all the same it must +have given the boy a thrill. Sure enough, the delicate boat which had +once won a big college race, and had been kept for some years by the +gentleman over in Grafton, simply because his dead son had rowed on the +winning crew, was piled up on some sort of a hidden snag, or concealed +rock, at a point where the swirling water must have warned any cautious +coxswain to keep away. + +Several boys were clinging to the wreck. Others were swimming around +like rats deserting a sinking ship, two being already on the way to the +nearest shore. And about every fellow was letting his lungs give full +vent to his feelings; so that the racket was tremendous. + +"Help! help! I can't keep up much longer! This way, fellers! Get hold +of me!" one of those in the river shouted; spluttering over the words, +as though he might already have swallowed a considerable quantity of +water. + +"Aw! let up on that squawk, Clem Shooks; can't you?" shouted Buck +angrily, as he swam toward the fellow who declared that he was +exhausted, and sinking. "Want any of that bunch to give you a hand? I'd +see myself asking favors of Brad Morton or his crowd. We'll get you +ashore, all right, never fear. Hi! there, Whitey, this way, and you +too, Oscar. Give this ninny a helpin' hand and tow him to dry land." + +Apparently Buck was in a towering rage. He had been steering the boat +when it struck the snag, and hence must be held responsible for the +accident that would deprive the outlaw crew of a racing craft for the +remainder of the season. + +There was not one of Brad's chums, however, but who felt sure that +sooner or later the bully would try to put the blame on one of his +companions. That seemed to be the natural way with him; a scapegoat was +as necessary to Buck's manner of doing things as it was for him to take +all the credit when success came along. + +Some of those who clung to the wreck were, however, not averse to +accepting assistance from the regulars of the Boat Club. Brad directed +them how to hang on, and in this way towed them close to the shore. + +When the water shoaled enough to admit of their standing up, with it +only waist high he stopped the boat. + +"That'll do for you, fellows," Brad said, pleasantly; "and we'll go +back now for the other pair." + +"Aw! you needn't bother yourselves about them," broke out Buck, who had +managed, with the assistance of Whitey and Oscar, to get the weak-kneed +Clem Shooks in the shallow water; "they're on the way right now." + +It turned out to be as Buck said. The last pair, realizing that they +would be apt to incur the anger of their leader if they waited to +accept favors from those Buck hated so bitterly, had indeed abandoned +the wreck, and were even then swimming toward the shore. + +None of Brad's crew laughed, though the aspect of the wrecked ones was +most forlorn, and doubtless they wanted to make merry. + +"We're sorry for your accident, Buck," Brad ventured to say, in as +pleasant a tone as he could ever use when addressing the boy he +detested so much deep down in his heart. + +"Nobody wants you to be sorry!" grated the other, in an ugly humor. + +"We've been talking about that race your bunch gave us yesterday, and +honestly we hoped it would be repeated," Brad went on to remark; for he +fancied he could understand how such a disaster must upset any fellow; +and he tried to make excuses for the surly temper Buck was displaying. + +"Oh! let up on that sort of talk; won't you?" growled the other. "I +s'pose you'd just want to use us as a practice crew; hey? Well, it's +off, anyhow; and all owin' to Clem Shooks here taking a crab, just when +I was starting to steer clear of that nasty snag!" + +"Why, I nev----" the astonished Clem started to exclaim, though he had +swallowed so much water that it was difficult for him to get his breath +as yet; when the irate bully turned on him like a flash, and shook his +big fist threateningly. + +"Don't you go to denyin' it, now, Clem Shooks!" he roared, furiously. +"I ought to know, hadn't I, when I saw the whole thing? And didn't you +get throwed further than any of the rest? That was because you didn't +have any oar left to hold on to. You ought to be made to pay for the +boat, that's what. No back talk now, or else I'll show you who's boss +here. Button up your lips, d'you hear, Clem Shooks?" + +And poor Clem, who was doubtless as innocent as he claimed, dared not +speak further. By degrees the blame would be settled on his shoulders, +without his venturing to protest in the hearing of the bully. + +Fred and his chums exchanged significant looks. It was as much as +saying: "Didn't I tell you Buck would fix it all right?" They knew the +ways of the bully to perfection. And if Buck noticed the nods and sly +grins, he thought it good policy to pay no attention to them just then. + +"Well, since we're not wanted here any longer, let's be going, boys," +remarked Sid, as usual thoroughly disgusted with the actions of the +bully. + +"Good-bye then!" sneered Buck, and Bristles noticed with a sudden +thrill that he looked at the trim boat belonging to the regulars with a +malicious gleam in those black eyes of his. + +They once more backed into the deeper water, and were soon alongside +the wreck. + +"Shall we tow it ashore for them, boys?" Asked Dick. + +"What say?" Brad remarked. + +"Better leave it alone, if you know what's good for you," Sid spoke up. +"Once you touch it, and there's no telling what Buck will try to tell +people. Perhaps he'd even say we ran into him, and did the damage. But +I reckon some people ashore saw it all; for there's Judge Colon's auto, +standing up yonder; and they've got their field-glass leveled this way. +It's Flo Temple, too, who's doing the looking." + +"Better leave it alone then, fellows," Brad went on to say, being +convinced by the logic of Sid that it was dangerous business meddling +with anything belonging to Buck Lemington, even in a spirit of sporting +fairness. "It's so smashed anyway, that it'll never again be worth +fixing up. Too bad, too, for it was a boat with a history." + +"How d'you reckon it happened?" asked Colon; "for of course Clem Shocks +never caught that crab, or some of the other fellows would have jumped +on him? Didn't you all see how silly they looked when Buck was accusing +Clem? They knew, as well as he did, that it wasn't so, but not a single +fellow had the grit to declare the truth." + +"Oh!" Brad went on to remark, "Buck may have heard us coming around the +bend, and forgot for a few seconds to keep as bright a lookout for +snags as he ought. So they ran on this one at full speed. Say, wasn't +that a fierce crash, though?" + +Once more rounding the bend that shut out all sight of the wreck, and +the forlorn members of the outlaw crew, who would have a walk of five +miles and more before they could get to town with their sad news, the +regulars put in some time in diligent practice. + +"You're rounding out in fine shape, fellows," Brad declared +enthusiastically, as they finally started up-river, bound for home. +"To-morrow we're promised the valuable assistance of Mr. Shays, who +knows the ropes from beginning to end. He'll be apt to give us a heap +of valuable information, and correct a lot of our blunders; for I know +we can do better work than this, once we get on to the right swing." + +It was in this happy frame of mind that they came in to the little +float that had been made by using a number of empty water-tight oil +barrels; and from which the boat was to be launched, as well as taken +from the water. + +Every one of them felt thankful it had not been their craft that had +met with disaster on this sunny afternoon. + +Of course, when the startling news was told to the crowd that lingered +around the boat shed, it created a big sensation. As Buck really had no +admirers present, few felt very sorry for him. He had long been the +terror of the town, and every decent boy and girl went in his company +as little as possible. + + + + +CHAPTER XVIII + +LYING IN WAIT + + +Fred, after some time, saw that Bristles was lingering nearby while he +chatted with Flo and some of the others. He fancied that the boy with +the mop of hair was trying to catch him alone, as though he wanted to +say something in private. + +That caused Fred to remember that he knew something which Bristles +would give considerable to hear; and it also pained him to think that +his promise to Miss Muster would prevent him from telling, until she +gave the word. + +But then perhaps it might be something not so personal that Bristles +wished to say to him. Fred had noticed the way the other looked, at the +time they were leaving Buck and his shipwrecked crew down the river. +And perhaps he had made the same discovery that Bristles had. + +Flo Temple, about that time, declared she must be running home, and +left, accompanied by some of the other girls, her chum, Cissy Anderson, +whom Sid liked; and Mame Wells, the little hoyden sister of Sid, who +seemed to be more than, half boy, because she dearly loved to play +baseball, ice hockey, go fishing, and even aspired to go hunting when +she got older, and her father would buy her a gun. + +Thus Fred saw no reason why he should any longer hold aloof from +Bristles, who immediately came bustling up to him, with a mysterious +wink, and drew him aside. + +"I made up my mind I ought to say something to a few of the fellows, +Fred," he began, by remarking; "and you're one of the select. Colon and +Corney I've seen already, and they're of the same opinion as myself." + +"Well, what's all this row about, Bristles?" asked Fred, somewhat +amused; and at the same time pleased because the other did not seem +about to put questions to him which he might find it difficult to +dodge, without arousing suspicion. + +"Why, about Buck, to be sure," replied the other, confidentially. + +"But since his boat has gone to flinders, isn't he out of the game +altogether?" demanded Fred. + +"That's just it, Buck being out of business is the kind of a fellow who +can't bear to see anybody else prospering. He won't have a boat for the +whole summer; and we have. All the fun's going to come our way. That +makes Buck grit his teeth, and feel ugly. Are you following me, Fred?" + +"Sure I am, and it might be I understand what you're going to say +better than you think I do," answered the one addressed, with a smile +on his face. + +"Looky here, did you see how Buck glared at our boat when we started +off, and did you notice the cunning expression, almost like a grin, +that came over his face? Tell me that, Fred Fenton." + +"Yes, I saw all that," answered Fred. + +"And what did you think it stood for?" queried Bristles. + +"Oh! I just kind of thought Buck was wishing we'd run on a snag, the +same way he did, and lost our boat, too, replied Fred, promptly; at +which Bristles chuckled. + +"I see you're on, all right, Fred," he continued; "but as you don't +know Buck quite as well as some of the rest of us, you're not on to his +curves as much. Now, I'm willing to risk my reputation on it that when +Buck eyed our boat, and then let that half grin come on his black face, +he was thinking how easy it would be to make sure that something +_did_ happen to upset all our calculations." + +"Do you mean he'd put a snag in the course, so that Brad would run on +it, never dreaming there was such a thing there?" asked the indignant +Fred. + +"Huh! worse than that," pursued Bristles with vehemence; "Buck wouldn't +stop a minute to hack our boat to pieces, or even set fire to that old +shed, if he believed he could do it on the sly, and not be caught!" + +Fred saw that his chum meant every word of what he said. The idea was +startling. + +"That's a pleasant lookout then, we've got before us, Bristles," he +observed. + +"All right, it's what I believe, just the same," the other went on, +firmly. "If we let things just slide along I give you my word some fine +night we'll be aroused by the fire whistle, and get down here in time +to find the boathouse ablaze, and our new shell ruined for keeps." + +"If that seems to be the opinion of several of the boys, we ought to do +something to prevent it," Fred declared, positively. + +"That just brings me to the point," ventured Bristles. "Are you in with +our little bunch--Colon, Corney, perhaps Sid, and me?" + +"I'm ready and willing to do anything I can to defend the boat, if that +is what you mean," came the ready response. + +"Shake on it, then. Wait here till I send the other fellers around. +Then we'll just have a little confab, and see what we can fix up. I'll +sound Sid while we're coming along; though if you're in, he's sure to +say yes, because he always sticks by you like a plaster." + +A minute later Colon arrived, wearing a serious look; and then Corney +followed. The three had just got started talking when Bristles hove in +sight, bearing Sid along with him. + +"Here we are, now, the whole big five," Bristles said, loftily, as he +came up. "Now, let's go all over this thing, and see if we agree." + +He again told what he had seemed to read upon the malignant face of +Buck at the time they left him standing knee-deep in the river. +Afterwards he called on Fred to describe what he had seen, and the +impression it made on him at the time. + +"You see!" Bristles cried, triumphantly, in conclusion; "both of us +thought about the same thing. Buck is up to some meanness. He would be +just delighted if we lost our boat, because he doesn't like to see +anybody having a good time when he can't be doing the same. And as it +isn't likely we'll hit a snag, or set fire to the old shanty ourselves, +why, he might think to save us the trouble." + +"Then there's only one thing to be done," said Colon, with set lips. + +"We five must guard the boat each night!" declared Bristles. + +"Right along?" exclaimed Corney, with something like dismay in his +voice; "sure I'm willing to do all I can, but I must sleep once in a +while!" + +At that the others laughed. + +"Don't be silly, Corney!" burst out Bristles. "Of course we'll take the +job by relays. We can draw for to-night, the two getting the short +straws bunking out in the house. After it gets dark blankets can be +smuggled down here. Don't say a single word to anybody, not even Brad +just now. Fred, you've got the key to the door; haven't you?" + +"Yes, Brad asked me to keep it at our house for the present," replied +Fred. + +"Now, let's draw, and see who has the honor of keeping the first +watch," and as he spoke Bristles hunted around until he had found five +straws, which he broke off until they were all different lengths. + +Each of the other four drew, after Bristles had concealed one end in +the palm of his hand. + +"Now measure and see. Oh! slush!" he continued, eagerly; "you left me +the longest, after all, when I was hoping it'd be me. And it turns out +to be Colon and Fred. Well, fellows, here's wishing you luck. To-morrow +night I'm just bound to do the camping-out act, anyhow." + +When Fred got home he explained to his folks the necessity of some of +the crew guarding the boat. His father quite agreed with him, and +readily gave permission that he spend the night out. + +So, a little later, Fred bundled up a blanket, and made his way down +along the river bank unseen. In due time he came to where the old +building, squatty and dilapidated, stood under the bank. + +A dark figure arose in front of him. He heard the low whistle that he +and Colon had agreed upon as a signal each might recognize in the dark. + +"Glad you came along," Colon declared; "was just getting tired waiting; +been here half an hour, 'cause I heard the church clock strike; but it +seemed like five times as long." + +Fred opened the door carefully, and they entered the shed. A lantern +hung on a hook nearby, ready for use. They would need its light so as +to get things in readiness for passing the night. Besides, Colon had a +little idea of his own he wanted to put into practice; and which had +been suggested by the sight of a big empty hogshead that stood outside +the door, on the shelving beach. + +"I'm going to lay a neat little trap, and see what luck I have," he +chuckled as Fred asked why he wanted the lantern, after they had fixed +their blankets and made ready for taking things easy. + +Colon was gone quite some little time. Fred could hear him working away +like a beaver at something. And as a rope seemed to figure in the +affair he felt a little curiosity to know what sort of a trap the +ingenious fellow could be constructing, all by himself. + +Finally tall Colon came in again. + +"It's all fixed, and the door locked once more, Fred," he said. + +"Then the quicker you blow that glim out the better," remarked the +other; "for you see, one of those fellows might come around to spy out +the land, and noticing a light in here, he'd be suspicious." + +Colon took the hint, and put out the lantern, which, however, was kept +near, so that in case of a sudden alarm it could be quickly brought +into use again. + +After that the two lads made themselves fairly comfortable, though they +did not remove their shoes. In case of trouble they wanted to be in +condition for active and immediate work. + +Fred had filled several old buckets, so as to be ready to fight fire. +And for a little while they lay there, occasionally whispering to one +another. + +Finally Colon went to sleep. Fred knew this from his steady breathing; +and since he was feeling more or less tired himself, after the +strenuous labor of rowing in the afternoon just passed, he too allowed +his senses to be lulled into the land of Nod. + +How time passed Fred had not the remotest idea, when he was suddenly +awakened by a terrific clamor, that, to his excited imagination, +sounded like a railroad train running off the track, and smashing into +a kitchen, where the walls were lined with all manner of tinware. + +Both he and Colon sat up suddenly. + + + + +CHAPTER XIX + +NIPPED IN THE BUD + + +"Hear that, Fred?" + +Of course it was foolish of Colon to ask such a question as this of his +companion. That racket was enough to awaken the soundest sleeper. But +then he was so excited he just felt that he had to say something. + +Fred threw his blanket aside. Then he reached out for the lantern, and +his handy match-safe, so that they could get some light on the subject. + +As soon as this little task had been accomplished, he and Colon started +for the door full-tilt. Opening this, they passed out. + +The noise of falling tinpans had by now entirely ceased. Of course the +artful Colon had piled up all the waste cans he could find, so that if +they were toppled over they would make considerable racket. Once upon a +time there had been some sort of manufactory connected with the shed; +and back of it Colon had discovered a regular mine of what he wanted in +the way of rusty cans, large enough to suit his purpose, and make all +the noise heart could wish. + +"Look! I got one!" + +Colon pointed excitedly as he said this, and as Fred looked he burst +out into a loud laugh. Evidently Colon's trap had worked. A boy was +dangling by the heels, held up in the air by the loop of a rope, which +seemed to pass over a post connected with the building, and then extend +to the hogshead, partly filled with stones, and which was now half way +down the beach, the rope taut, and holding the victim in his elevated +position. + +"It's Conrad Jimmerson!" exclaimed Colon, as they arrived close to the +boy, who was kicking furiously, and groaning dismally. + +His coat hung down over his head in such fashion that he could not see +what was going on; Colon must have recognized him by his clothes, or +through some boyish instinct. + +"Oh! get me down, quick!" moaned the trapped prowler. "All the blood's +agoin' to my head, and I'll be a dead one soon! Please cut me down, +fellers! I won't run!" + +"I'm right sure you won't," remarked Colon, drily; "but while I've got +you held up so neat, I might as well make it doubly certain." + +With, that he secured the other flourishing leg so that when Conrad was +lowered to the ground he could not move without their permission. + +"Give us a hand here, Fred, and we'll get him out of the trap," +remarked the proud inventor of the running-barrel game. "You see, he +stepped right up on this box, just as I figured, and touched the +trigger. With that he started the heavy barrel rolling down-grade; and +the loop caught him by one leg, instead of both, as I meant it should." + +"But what was all the fierce noise that woke us up?" asked Fred, as he +assisted Colon to take the victim down, by dragging in on the rope, so +as to slacken the loop around the leg of the trapped one. + +"Oh! shucks! just a pile of tin cans I built up, to be knocked over +when the barrel got to turning around. You see, I was a little afraid +that we mightn't hear when the trap was sprung, and I wouldn't want to +miss this funny sight for anything. Here, you are, Conrad; lie there +now, till we can drag you inside the house." + +The boy was evidently very much frightened. He had thought his ankle in +the grasp of some unseen giant, when the loop tightened, and snatched +him upwards. No wonder he trembled and wheezed as he cowered there. + +"We'd better go in right now, then," remarked Fred. "Some of that crowd +might take a notion to come back and see what has happened to Conrad. +Take hold of him on that side, Colon, while I look after this one." + +"Oh! what you a-goin' to do with me?" queried the prisoner. "I haven't +done a single thing, fellers, cross my heart if I did. Just wanted to +see if anybody was a-sleepin' in the old shed. Buck told me to be sure +and not hurt the boat. He says that its bad enough because we lost +ours, without anything a-happenin' to yours. I wouldn't do a little +thing, sure I wouldn't. Hope you believe me boys. Don't lick me! I got +about all I ought to have already. I'm shiverin' to beat the band. Quit +jerkin' me that way, Chris Colon; I ain't hurt you!" + +"Oh! come along, you silly!" said the tall boy, who had a contempt for +so great a sneak and coward as Conrad Jimmerson. + +Fred closed and locked the door again after they had entered. The sound +of the key being turned in the lock started the frightened boy into +protesting again. He judged others by Buck's standard, and the bare +thought of finding himself alone and a prisoner, in the power of those +he would have injured, seemed to give him a case of the "trembles," as +Colon called it. + +"Now I want you to take a look into his pockets," the tall boy +remarked. + +Immediately he uttered a triumphant exclamation. + +"See here, Fred, he had a whole lot of matches with him!" he called +out. "Looks like he was ready for business, all right." + +"Say, I always carry matches with me, and you know it, Chris Colon," +protested the alarmed prisoner, vigorously. + +"Perhaps you do, but never so many as these," Colon went on. "I kind of +reckon you thought you'd have good need of 'em this night. But what're +you carrying under your arm that way, Fred? Saw you step over, and pick +somethin' up outside there. Find anything worth while; another feller's +cap, maybe?" + +"No, it was this," and Fred held an object up. + +"What's that? Looks like a bundle of old rags!" remarked Colon, +quickly; while the prisoner gasped and shivered worse than ever. + +"There was something more; what do you think of this?" and for the +second time Fred elevated his hand, containing an object that made +Colon utter a cry of rage. + +"A bottle!" he ejaculated. "What's in it, Fred? Three to one I c'n +guess. Kerosene!" + +"That's just what it is," returned the other, gravely. "Some fellows +came here to-night prepared to throw this stuff over one end of the old +shed, and start a fire going. Perhaps they even meant to break in, and +scatter the oil over the boat, so nothing could save it, once the fire +got started. We've nipped as mean a little game in the bud as I ever +heard about." + +Colon turned on the prisoner with a black face, and gritting teeth. + +"Who set you on to this thing, Jimmerson?" he demanded. "You never +thought of it by yourself, because you haven't got the brains. Tell me +now, wasn't it Buck Lemington who got you to come here, and try to set +the shed afire?" + +Conrad tried to look defiant, but somehow he lacked the spirit. He saw +those two frowning lads on either side of him, as he stood there +leaning against the wall of the boathouse, his ankles tied with the +rope; and he began to weaken. + +"I never would a' thought of coming here to spy if it wasn't for----" +he had just started to say, when there came a loud whistle, twice +repeated, from outside, which must have been recognized by the fellow +as a terrible threat of what would happen to him if he opened his lips +to betray his cronies; for he shivered as if he had been showered with +ice water, nor could they influence him after that, either by threats +or promises, to say another word. + +Fear of what Buck would do seemed to have a greater influence over him +than the possibility of punishment because of what he had tried to do. +One was sure, while the other might be set down as only a chance. + +Besides, perhaps the fellow began to realize that Fred and Colon really +could not prove that he had been carrying that bundle of old rags, as +well as the bottle containing the kerosene. No court would decide that +because they had been found there on the ground, he had brought them. + +Fred understood this and it was what made him say presently: + +"Well, we might as well let this fellow loose, Colon. After all, the +proof, if there is any, must rest in these rags and this bottle. If we +can find out just where they came from, we'll be satisfied in our own +minds whom we have to thank for this midnight alarm." + +"Just as if there could be any doubt about it!" scoffed Colon. "Didn't +we hear that whistle, and don't I know who gave it? Buck carries a +little silver whistle and likes to communicate with his bunch that way. +They've got a regular code, I've heard tell. And didn't you notice how +quick Conrad, here, buttoned up his lips when he heard that order to +keep mum?" + +"Another night," said Fred, threateningly, "we'll have a shotgun handy; +and it'll go hard with prowlers, if we get a sight of them. Unfasten +his legs, Colon, and then show him the door." + +The prisoner seemed to regain a little of his lost courage upon finding +that they did not mean to hurt him any. + +"And you just stop pinching me when you do untie this rope, Chris +Colon," said Conrad. "I want you to know you don't own the earth. A +feller what lives in Riverport all his life ought to have the right to +walk along the river here without having tricks played on him, and +bein' yanked head-down up in the air. You'll pay for your fun yet, see +if you don't, Chris Colon." + +"Shut up!" roared the exasperated Colon, shaking the other, whom he was +now escorting to the door, with the intention of ejecting him, just as +Fred had directed. "You ought to be tarred and feathered, if you got +your dues. Like to see our boat go up in smoke; would you? And Buck +aims to keep us from using the river, just because he was foolish +enough as to smash his own boat? You tell him to come himself the next +time. We'll be glad to see him; and perhaps he might meet with a +surprise worse than the one I sprung on you, Conrad. Now don't forget +to tell him; you hear me!" + +Colon had managed to get the door open while speaking. Then he gave the +other a little push, as if to start him going. Conrad somehow seemed to +suspect what was coming, for he tried to hug close to the tall boy, +who, however, gave him a shove. So Conrad, thinking he had a chance, +made a bolt; but that long leg of Colon shot out, and caught him fairly +and squarely, sending him flying. + +The boy who was thus thrown out picked himself up, and thinking he +heard his enemy coming toward him, fled into the darkness, howling in +mingled pain and fear. + +Colon, laughing heartily, closed and fastened the door, after which he +rejoined his watch-mate, to see out the balance of the eventful night +in Fred's company. + + + + +CHAPTER XX + +IN THE HOLLOW OAK + + +After that there was no further alarm, and the two watchers secured +quite a fair amount of sleep before the coming of dawn warned them to +hie away home. They left the blankets at the boathouse, for they had +purposely brought old ones; and hence, when it came time for the next +watch to take up their duties, there would be no occasion for them to +duplicate. + +On second thought the boys had come to the conclusion that it might be +wise for them to tell Brad what had happened. The fact that the +vengeful Buck had not stopped at such a grave thing as setting fire to +the shed, worried them both. + +So a little later they both met again, having had breakfast. Together +they hunted up the other three who were in the game; indeed, Bristles +was meanwhile searching the whole neighborhood for Fred, having called +at his house after he had gone. + +"Well," he remarked, after he had caught up with Fred, Sid and Colon, +on their way to get Corney and himself; "seems to me you fellows are in +a big hurry this same morning." + +"We are," replied Fred. "We wanted to get the entire committee +together, and go in a body to see Brad. He ought to know that the boat +is always going to be in danger unless something is done to curb Buck +Lemington." + +"Say, was I right?" cried Bristles, exultantly. + +"You were," replied Colon, solemnly. + +"Then he _did_ try to break in, so's to cut the boat, and injure her?" +the other went on, eagerly. + +"Worse than that!" said Colon. + +"Far worse!" Fred added, looking mighty solemn himself. + +"Oh! come, let up on that sort of thing; open up and tell me what +happened!" the excited boy demanded. + +When they did give him the whole story he could hardly contain himself, +between his natural indignation because of the meanness of the act, and +his delight over the success of Colon's little trap. + +"Caught that sneak Conrad Jimmerson, and strung him up like a trapped +'possum, did you?" he cried, clapping his hands in glee. "Gee! what +tough luck that I wasn't around to see it. Always my bad fortune, +seeing lots of game when I haven't got a gun; and never a thing when +I'm heeled for business." + +"You see Colon and myself got to talking it over," said Fred; "and we +made up our minds that it was hardly fair to keep the thing from Brad. +He's our head in the boat club, and ought to know all that's going on. +Besides, when toughs begin to want to burn down houses just for spite, +that's going pretty far. Something ought to be done to stop it." + +Brad was of course duly impressed when he heard the story. He laughed +heartily at the comical element connected with Colon's man-trap; but +took the other part seriously. + +"I'm going over and see my uncle about it," he declared in the end. +"Being a lawyer, and a judge at that, he'll tell me what to do. I think +he'll say he wouldn't mention a single name; for you know all lawyers +are mighty cautious how they give cause for a suit for slander. But +he'll tell me we ought to scatter the story all over town, and also let +it be known that from now on there'll be somebody in that house every +night, armed, and ready to fire on trespassers. See you later, +fellows." + +Fred found a chance a little later to get away from his other chums. He +really did have an errand for his mother in one of the stores, but he +remembered something besides that he had intended doing at the earliest +opportunity, and it was this that swayed him most. + +Now, it chanced that the place he had to visit to leave an order was +the largest grocery store in Riverport. And one of the boys employed +there was Toby Farrell. Fred knew that he was generally sent out each +morning on a wheel, to visit a line of customers, and take down their +orders; though most of them had telephones for that matter, and could +have wired in their necessities. + +Still, this grocer was enterprising, and instructed his boy clerk to +tell each customer just what new and attractive goods they had received +fresh that morning, possibly strawberries, vegetables and the like. + +And in the course of his wheeling about Toby was accustomed to visit +the establishment of Miss Alicia Muster each and every day. In fact, +Toby was one of the two boys hired by trades-people whom Fred suspected +of being the person guilty of taking the old maid's opals from the +parlor. + +Both of them were allowed to cool their heels in the kitchen for +possibly ten minutes at a time, while the aged "mammy" consulted her +mistress in her private room. And an inquisitive half-grown boy might +become so familiar with the premises that, in a spirit of curiosity, or +from some other reason, he would look around him a little at such +times. + +Mr. Cleaver, the grocer, was in a good humor, and when Fred mentioned +that he knew someone who had shown an interest in his young clerk, he +immediately broke out in Toby's praise. + +"Best boy, barring none, I ever had, Fred," he declared. "Never late in +the morning, neat in his work, obliging in his manners to my customers, +and willing to stay after hours if there is a rush. In fact I'm so well +satisfied with Toby that I expect to add a couple of dollars to his +wages this very next Saturday. And I'm told he's the idol of his +mother's eye. She's a widow, you know, with three small children, Toby +being the eldest. He shows signs of being like his father; and Matthew +Farrell was one of our leading citizens up to the time of his death. I +hope she gets his pension through; it'll mean several thousand dollars +for her. He died really of wounds received long ago in the war. Never +would apply for the pension he was entitled to. Toby's all right, you +tell your friend; and he's promised to stick right here. Some day he +might be a partner in this business, who knows?" + +Well, after that, Fred was ready to throw up his hands in so far as +Toby was concerned. He felt that he could never strike pay dirt in that +quarter. There never was, and never would be again, quite such a +paragon as Toby Farrell. It would be wasting time to try and bark up +this tree. The scent had evidently led him in the wrong quarter. + +Accordingly, he turned toward the butcher's, and here he fully +anticipated getting on the track of something. Gabe lived in an +outlying quarter, and when he went home in the evening, or at noon, he +took a short-cut through Ramsey's woods, where there was a convenient +path. + +Now it happened that Fred knew this fact, for he had many a time seen +the butcher's boy going and coming. Gabe had a big whistle, and used to +amuse himself as he walked to and from home in trying to get the airs +from the popular ragtime songs of the day. + +Fred had heard it said that the boy who whistles is generally an honest +fellow, and that guilt and this disposition seldom, if ever, go hand in +hand. How much truth there was in this saying he did not know; but it +was on his mind now to try and find out. + +Perhaps the fact that it was about ten minutes of twelve influenced +Fred in what he set out to do. + +First he passed all the way through the strip of woods. It was not very +thickly grown, and there was really only a stretch of about one hundred +feet where he did not find himself in sight of some house or other. + +Fred secreted himself about midway here. It was rather a gloomy spot, +considering that it happened to be so near a town. The trees grew +pretty thick all around the rambling path; and one big, old, giant oak +in particular caught Fred's attention, on account of the fact that it +seemed to be rapidly going into decay, being full of holes, where +perhaps squirrels, or it might be a raccoon, had a den. + +Then he heard the whistle from the factory in town, immediately +followed by the ringing of the church bells. Noon had come, and if Gabe +carried out his regular programme he would soon be coming along the +trail. + +Yes, that must be his whistle right now, turning off the latest air +that had caught his fancy. Fred wanted to see him at close quarters. +Perhaps he even had some faint idea of stepping out, and walking with +Gabe, to judge for himself whether the other had a guilty air or not. + +But if such were his plans he soon found cause to change them. Gabe +came whistling along, looking behind him occasionally, and then all +around. Fred became deeply interested. He fancied that this must mean +something; and it did. + +Suddenly the whistling stopped. Looking, he saw Gabe hurry over to the +old tree trunk. He seemed to thrust his hand in, and draw something +out. Fred, watching sharply, noticed that the boy was deeply interested +in what he had taken from the hollow trunk; and he could give a pretty +good guess as to what this must be. + +But Fred did not move from his place of concealment. Lying snugly +hidden he saw Gabe replace the little package, after which he stepped +out into the trail, picked up the ragtime air just where he had dropped +it, and came walking smartly along, a satisfied grin on his face. + +Waiting until he had passed out of sight around a bend in the path, and +his loud whistle began to grow fainter in the distance, Fred hurried +over to the big tree. + +He had noted that particular crevice in the hollow trunk too well to +make any mistake now. A minute later and he had fished up a little +cardboard box, not over four inches in length, and secured with a +rubber band. + +With trembling fingers Fred took this fastening away, and raised the +lid; just as Gabe had recently done, no doubt being consumed by a +desire to feast his eyes once more on the contents. + +Fred gave a satisfied sigh. It was all right, and Bristles' reputation +had been cleared; for in that little cardboard box which Gabe Larkins +had secreted so carefully lay seven milk-white opals, doubtless of +considerable value. + + + + +CHAPTER XXI + +A PLAN TO CATCH THE THIEF + + +"That settles it!" + +Fred was saying these three words over several times to himself as he +stood and stared at the seven little opals. They had appeared rather +pretty when he looked at them in Miss Muster's best room, on the +occasion of his visit there in company with Bristles. They gave him a +shiver now; just because he knew that they had tempted weak Gabe +Larkins to commit a terrible wrong. + +What had he better do about it? + +Fred had, in fact, about made up his mind that there was only one +course open to him in case he found the opals. This was to go to Miss +Muster at once, and let her know what had come to pass. + +She would be glad, for the sake of Bristles and his parents--yes, Fred +began to believe the old maid really had a heart of her own, and would +herself rejoice over the vindication of her nephew. + +But should he take the opals along with him? He decided against this as +unwise. To fully prove his case, he should be able to catch Gabe in the +act of handling the precious stones, and with a witness present. + +So he put the small cardboard box back into the cavity of the hollow +oak, just as near where he had found it as he could. Then, with a +cautious look along the trail, to make sure Gabe was not already +returning, Fred hurried away. + +He was unusually quiet at lunch time, his mother and sister noticed. +They even asked him if he felt unwell; but Fred laughingly replied that +he never was better in all his life. + +A little while later Fred took his way to the large house in which Miss +Muster lived. His heart beat high with satisfaction, because of the +fact that he had in so brief a time fully proved the innocence of +Bristles. + +At sight of Fred it was remarkable what a sudden look of expectation +flashed over the thin face of Bristles' aunt. Apparently, then, she had +come to place considerable confidence in the boy, whose manly bearing +must have impressed her, as it did nearly everyone with whom Fred came +in contact. + +"You are bringing me news, Fred!" she exclaimed, as she put out her +hand toward him. "Your smiling face tells me that, for you cannot hide +it. Oh! I hope I am not mistaken. Have you found my opals?" + +"Yes, ma'am, the whole seven that you said you'd lost," he answered, +promptly. + +"That is good news," the lady went on; "but tell me more; have you +learned who the thief is, Fred?" + +A vein of anxiety might have been noticed now in her voice; for she +could not help fearing that after all it might prove to be her nephew. + +"I saw him take a little cardboard box out of the hollow of a tree," +Fred started to say, "look at what it held, and then stick it back. +After he went away, ma'am, I examined that same box, and found the +opals there." + +"W--who was the boy?" she faltered, her hands shutting tightly as she +kept her eyes fastened on Fred. + +"Gabe Larkins, ma'am!" + +"Oh! the butcher's boy!" and she gave a great sigh, as of relief. + +"Yes, ma'am. On the way home from the shop to get his lunch, he had to +stop and take a look at his treasures," Fred continued. + +"He did not see you watching him, I suppose, Fred?" + +"Oh! not a bit of it," replied the boy, smiling. "I looked out for +that." + +"Have you the opals with you now, my dear boy?" she asked. + +"No, ma'am," replied Fred. "You see, I thought it would be better if +you could see Gabe handling the things, and know by the evidence of +your own eyes he was the guilty one." + +"That sounds very clever of you, Fred," Miss Muster remarked, with a +look of sincere admiration. "Perhaps now you may even have figured out +some sort of plan that would allow of my doing such a thing?" + +"I have; that is, if you don't think it too much bother," he answered. + +"Too much bother?" she echoed; "after what I have done in my haste to +bring sorrow into the happy home of my niece, nothing could ever be too +much trouble for me to attempt. And, besides, I should really like to +face that unhappy boy, to reproach him for his wrongdoing. I know his +mother, and she is a very good woman. Yes, tell me, Fred, what is your +plan?" + +"It's simple enough, to be sure," observed the boy. "Just give Gabe an +extra chance to-morrow morning to slip into that parlor again. He's got +the habit, I guess, and can't resist, if he sees an opening. Then, at +noon, on his way home, why, of course, he'll stop at the big oak to add +what he took to the others. You will be hiding right there with me and +we can give Gabe the surprise of his life." + +"I should think that would be a splendid idea, Fred," Miss Muster said, +nodding her head approvingly. "I suppose that it would be what they say +in the newspaper accounts of an arrest in the big cities, 'caught with +the goods on!'" + +"Then you'll agree to do it, ma'am?" asked Fred, eagerly. + +"Yes. I will give Master Gabe the finest chance he ever saw to slip +into my best room; and then about half-past eleven will meet you +wherever you say. And, Fred, after it is all over, you will have full +permission to tell Andrew; for my part, my first duty will be to go to +his home, and ask his mother to forgive a foolish old woman because of +her unjust suspicions." + +The particulars were soon arranged. Fred mentioned a place where he +would be on hand the next day, rain or shine, at eleven-thirty; and +Miss Muster promised just as faithfully to keep the appointment. + +After that they separated. Just as luck would have it, as Fred came out +of the house he heard his name called; and looking up saw his chum, +Bristles. Surprise was expressed upon the face of the other, to +discover Fred issuing from his aunt's home. A dozen questions could +also be seen there; but Fred put a damper on all these. + +"Don't ask me a single thing, Bristles," he remarked mysteriously. +"I've taken hold of your case, and things are working splendidly. All +I'm going to tell you right now is that there's great hope you'll hear +something, say by to-morrow afternoon. You ask me when we meet, about +two or three, and perhaps I'll have some; news that'll surprise you. +Now let's talk about the race that's going to be pulled off pretty +soon. Have you had a line about what Mechanicsburg's doing?" + +In this way, then, he closed his chum's mouth. Bristles was puzzled to +account for the actions of his friend; but at the same time he had so +much confidence in Fred Fenton that he accepted his explanation, and +even began to take on a more cheerful appearance. + +That afternoon the boys had the benefit of a coach; for Corney's +father, the old college grad. and oarsman, gave them an hour of his +time. He corrected numerous little faults that, as amateurs, they had +naturally fallen into, and when finally Brad took his crew for a +three-mile working-out spin, he was tremendously pleased at hearing the +compliments bestowed upon them by Mr. Shays. + +"You are doing finely, boys," declared the coach, in a tone as though +he meant all he said. "The improvement in your style of rowing is +decidedly worth seconds to you; and they count big in a race, you know. +I shall come out again the next time you want me, and show you some +more little faults in the way you recover after giving the stroke. I +can save several of you more or less unnecessary exertion, which in +turn means a concentration of energy for the final spurt that +accompanies every boat race." + +The boys thoroughly enjoyed having so pleasant a coach, and went home +that evening convinced that their chances for victory in the coming +struggle had been increased fully twenty per cent. + +"Don't forget your promise, Fred," said Bristles, rather pathetically, +as he parted from his chum where their ways separated. + +"Depend on it, I just won't, Bristles," answered the other, positively. + +It seemed a very long time until eleven o'clock the next morning; and +Fred kept around the house, for he did not want to run upon Bristles, +and have the other look at him in that eager way. + +When he reached the place appointed for the meeting with Miss Muster he +found her there, a heavy veil hiding her face. Together they made their +way along the path that Gabe was accustomed to take as a short cut +home. + +"Do you think he took another of the opals, ma'am?" Fred asked, as +they drew near the big hollow oak. + +"I really had not the heart to look," she replied. "I gave him all the +opportunity he could ask; and when he talked with me later on, I +thought the boy looked confused; but I felt so sorry to think he had a +mother who would be heart-broken, that I would not go into the parlor +to examine. But guilt was written large on his face, or I am a poor +judge of boy nature. Perhaps I am, after the mistake I made about my +own nephew." + +Fred soon found a spot where both of them could hide, and yet be very +close to the big tree; indeed, a few steps would carry them alongside +when the time came for action. + +Then they settled down to wait. After a time the sound of bells told +that noon had come. A few minutes later, and Fred touched the arm of +his companion. + +"That's Gabe coming now," he remarked. + +And the trembling old maid could distinctly hear a very boisterous +whistle that kept getting louder and louder as the butcher's boy strode +jauntily along the path, heading in their direction. + + + + +CHAPTER XXII + +TELLING THE GOOD NEWS + + +Gabe Larkins' big whistle suddenly stopped. The boy was looking +craftily around him, up and down the winding path, as though anxious to +make sure that no person was in sight. + +Convinced of this act, he quickly stepped over to the big oak, and +thrust his arm into the hollow. Miss Muster fairly held her breath with +excitement as she saw him take out the little cardboard box, and +opening it, drop something in, which he had drawn from the depths of a +pocket. + +Fred arose; and the lady, taking this as a signal, did likewise. +Together they began to advance upon the crouching Gabe. The boy seemed +to be so intent upon his business of admiring the gems that he was +unaware of the presence of others, until possibly the rustle of the +lady's dress startled him. + +Then Gabe looked up, and his face turned ashy pale when he saw Miss +Muster. In that one terrible moment he knew that his thievery had been +found out. Nobody could ever know the thoughts that flashed through the +boy's mind with the rapidity of lightning. + +"Give that to me!" said Miss Muster, holding out her hand toward Gabe. + +He dared not refuse; and as she received the little cardboard box the +old maid, glancing in, counted ten of her opals there, just half of the +entire collection. Gabe had increased his "take" that morning, and +added three to his plunder. His apparent success was making him daily +bolder. + +He tried to face the indignant, yet sorrowful, lady, but his eyes +quickly fell before her look. + +"Have you ever stopped to think where you are going to land, if you +keep on this way, Gabe?" she asked slowly. + +The boy made no reply. Perhaps he was inclined to be ugly and sullen; +but, on the other hand, as he was a young offender, It might be +conscience began to awaken. And Miss Muster believed that, since she +meant to let him off this time, she at least ought to impress a lesson +of some kind on him. + +"It means the penitentiary for a boy who begins to steal, as you show +signs of doing, Gabe; yes, and a broken heart for your poor mother. Oh! +I do hope this will be a warning that you will keep before you always. +Because of that mother I am going to let you off this time, my boy; but +unless you mend your ways there is only one end before you. Fred here +will keep your secret also; you can depend on him. And make up your +mind, Gabe, that even though you think you have succeeded in doing some +evil deed in secret, the truth will sooner or later come out, Now you +can go. I shall not speak to your employer, nor tell your mother; but +from time to time I am going to have something to say to _you,_ my boy. +I want to be your friend." + +Gabe had never opened his mouth to utter a single word, and when he +hurriedly took his departure Fred was not sure but what it was a wide +grin that appeared on his face; as though he fancied that he had gotten +off cheaply after all. Whether Gabe would take his lesson seriously and +reform, was a question in Fred's mind. + +"That ends it, thank goodness!" remarked Miss Muster, after they had +seen Gabe turn the path in the direction of his own home. "And now, +Fred, you get your lunch. After Ive had my own I shall drop in to see +my niece, and confess all my shortcomings. I fancy she will be too +happy at learning her boy is innocent to hold any grudge against her +wretched old aunt." + +"Thank you," said Fred, laughing; "I do feel kind of hungry now. Just +knowing what bully good news I've got for Bris--I mean Andy--seems to +give me an appetite. I'll get there just in time to sit down with +mother and Kate; because father doesn't come home at noon from the +works." + +"And, Fred, believe me when I say that I'll never forget what you've +done for me and mine," were the parting words of the old spinster, as +she squeezed the boy's hand. + +"I'm glad, because I just know you'll make it all up with Bris--that +is, Andy," he said; and she nodded her head in the affirmative. + +And at the lunch table, after making them promise that it should go no +further than the head of the Fenton family, Fred interested his mother +and sister by a recital of the strange case of the disappearing opals. + +"And remember, Kate," Fred went on, shaking his linger at his younger +sister; "you must never, under any circumstances, mention a single word +of all this to even one girl. Just forget you ever heard it I'm going +to make poor Bristles mighty happy this afternoon; and the thought of +it gives me so much delight that I guess I'll be off now to find him." + +He hurried out of the room, followed by the admiring glances of those +who knew only too well what pleasure It gave Fred to be of value to a +chum. + +Bristles was not at home, it turned out, having gone down to the river +to hang around the boat-house, and wait for Fred to join him; because +something seemed to tell him the other was going to bring good news. + +But Fred did see Miss Muster coming down the road as he turned away; +and from what she had said, he understood that the determined old maid +meant to "eat humble pie," as Fred called it, by asking Bristles' +mother to forgive her mistake. + +None of the other boys happened to be around when Fred came upon +Bristles. The latter was sitting on a pile of boards which were going +to form part of the new house being erected for the Riverport Boat +Club. As he heard the sound of approaching footsteps Bristles looked +up, and smiled broadly to see Fred. + +"Now tell me what's on the bills, Fred," he entreated. "I just feel it +in my bones that you've got news for me. Have you found out where the +opals went?" + +"That's right," replied Fred, promptly. + +"Say, you don't mean to tell me you've got 'em back for Aunt Alicia?" +gasped Bristles, turning red, and then pale, by rapid turns, and +leaning weakly against the pile of boards. + +"Every one," declared the other; "your aunt says there isn't a single +opal missing." + +"And was it that cunning old bunch of feathers, Black Joe, after all; +was my guess good, and did you find out where the old bird was hiding +them?" continued Bristles, possibly pluming himself a little on having +conceived a very brilliant idea. + +"'Not for Joseph, not for Joe,'" sang Fred, merrily. "Fact is, when I +told what you had in your mind to Miss Muster she said it was a fine +thought, but she was sorry to say in this case no raven need apply. +'Cause why--well, she'd chained Joe to his perch for a week because he +got sassy, and wouldn't mind; and so you see, if he had to stay there +all the time he couldn't hop or fly into the other room and get away +with the opals every other day or so." + +"Shucks! I should say not," replied the grinning Bristles; "but do take +pity on a poor fellow, Fred, and tell me the whole story. Who stole the +opals?" + +"Gabe Larkins, the butcher's boy," replied the other, soberly. + +"You don't say?" was Bristles' comment, after he had given a whistle to +emphasize his astonishment. "And yet, after all, I oughtn't to be much +surprised, because I happen to know he's always reading the sporting +page of the city paper his mother takes; and I've heard him even +talking about horse races and betting. But, however in the wide world +did you get on to him; and does Aunt Alicia know it all?" + +"I think she's with your mother at this minute, telling her how sorry +she is for suspecting you; and also what she means to do for you in the +future to make it up. Now listen, and I'll make your eyes open a +little, I reckon, Bristles." + +"Never heard the like of it in all my life!" declared Bristles, when +the narrative had reached its conclusion with the detection of Gabe in +the act of adding his morning's spoils to the balance of the plunder +which he had hidden in the old hollow oak. "I'll never pass that tree +without thinking of what you've just told me. Gee! I'm glad I wasn't in +Gabe's shoes when Aunt Alicia caught him. I can just see the look of +fury in her snapping black eyes." + +"You're wrong there, Bristles," said Fred, quickly. "Unless I'm mighty +much mistaken there were tears in her eyes, when she looked down at +Gabe cowering there. Your Aunt Alicia is a different woman these days +from what you used to believe her. She's seen a light. She knows there +are boys, and then again boys; and that not all of them are alike in +everything." + +"But what can I say to you, Fred, for getting me out of this pickle?" +continued Bristles, with a quiver in his voice, as he squeezed the hand +of his chum. "Only for you, look what would have come to me? I owe you +a heap, sure I do; and I only hope the chance will come some day to +show you how much I feel it." + +"Oh! let up on that sort of talk, Bristles," said Fred, laughingly. +"You'd have done just as much for me, or any of your chums, if the +chance came your way; and you know it." + +"You just better believe I'm going to keep on the watch to pass this +along," declared the other, fervently. + +"That's the way to talk," Fred remarked, looking pleased at being given +the opportunity to bring happiness to one he thought so much of as +Bristles; "and perhaps you'll be able to pull a better oar, now that +this load is off your mind." + +"Why, Fred, believe me," said Bristles, soberly, "I feel right now as +though I'd be able to put more vim into my work than ever before in all +my life. Wow! if I had wings I could hardly seem more like flying, my +heart is that light!" + + + + +CHAPTER XXIII + +THE START OF THE RACE + + +The great day of the boat race between Riverport and Mechanicsburg +opened with a clear sky. This made happy the hearts of the hundreds of +young people belonging to the two towns on the Mohunk River. + +Daily the husky crew of the town up the river had been busily engaged +in practicing; and all sorts of ominous rumors were current among the +more timid Riverport boys and girls as to the astonishing speed they +had shown. + +But when those who had faith in the ability of their own crew to come +in ahead heard these tales, they only laughed, and nodded, as though +they felt no fear. As to the ability of their rivals to "make circles" +around the boys of Riverport, did they not realize that these stories +were being industriously circulated for the very purpose of making them +count the race lost even before it was started? + +The clever coach, Corney Shays' father, warned them against believing +anything of this sort. He said it was an old trick, and had been used +by college men as far back as he could remember. + +"Just believe you can do the job up clean, and pay attention to +everything your coxswain tells you; and it'll come out right," he +declared. + +Early in the afternoon crowds began to assemble along the banks of the +river, where the course had been marked off. Those in charge, being a +committee of older pupils from each school, had taken all necessary +precautions looking to having a clear course. They had also marked the +turning point, where the rival boats must start on the return trip +toward the home goal. + +This latter was a boat anchored in the middle of the river, and bearing +a large red flag, with the words "Stake Boat" in white. Each contestant +had to turn this, without fouling, in heading for home; and the one +capable of accomplishing this with as little waste of time and distance +as possible would gain an advantage that might count heavily in the +final result. + +It was indeed a gay scene about half-past three that afternoon; the +time of the race being scheduled for four exactly. Thousands of people +lined both banks of the river, for the entire country had become deeply +interested in the result, and taken sides, one way or the other. + +While Paulding had no proper boat club as yet, evidently every boy and +girl attending school there, together with many older persons, had +flocked to witness the sight of a river regatta so near at hand. + +School flags were waving everywhere, and class cheers accompanied their +appearance, as the young people gathered in groups, the better to chant +their patriotic songs. + +When the long shell from above came speeding down to the starting +point, the occupants were given a rousing welcome from friends and foes +alike. For everybody admired the game, sportsmanlike qualities of those +Mechanicsburg fellows. + +"Who are they all, Flo?" asked Cissy Anderson, as she cuddled down +alongside her chum, who was using a field glass; the girls being in the +midst of a group that had a particularly fine place for witnessing the +start and close of the race. + +"Oh! we know everyone of them, because they've figured in the battles +on the diamond and the gridiron," replied Flo. + +"Wagner, of course, is among them; they say he has been made the +coxswain of the Mechanicsburg crew; and then there must be Sherley, who +was such a dear captain in their football games last fall; yes, and +Waterman and Gould, too." + +"That's right, Cissy," the girl with the glasses continued; "and +Hennessy is stroke oar, for I can tell him by his big, bushy crop of +hair. He makes me think of Bristles Carpenter, who, they say, is +pulling a wonderful oar these days. Let's see, there's Harkness, too, +and Boggs--how many is that, Cissy? Just six oarsmen, you say? Well, I +can see Smith there, I'm sure; and the other, why, of course it's that +fussy Bob Jones. Don't they look splendid; and how evenly they pull." + +"You don't think now, for a minute, do you, Flo, that they can beat our +boys?" the other girl asked, somewhat fearfully. + +"Of course I don't, silly," replied Flo, who had the utmost confidence +in the sterling ability of Fred and his fellows to hold their own, no +matter whether on the football field, the baseball diamond, in a hotly +contested hockey match on the ice, a snowball battle, or in athletic +sports; and consequently in aquatic matters as well. + +"There comes Sid and the rest!" exclaimed Cissy; just as though, in her +eyes at least, the whole chance of success for the Riverport boys lay +in the stalwart figure of Sid Wells alone. + +As Brad Morton led his eight sparsely-clad young oarsmen from the new +building, bearing the glistening and carefully kept shell on their +shoulders, a cheer started that gained force as it ran along the crowds +lining the banks of the river, until it died away far in the distance. + +It had been decided to use the up-river course. And as the stake boat, +which was to mark both the start and finish, was directly opposite +Riverport, the turning point upstream must be just a mile and a half +away; for the course was intended to represent exactly three miles, +which was considered a long enough pull for young crews. + +The first half would be against the strong current of the Mohunk, now +pretty high for the beginning of summer; but when the two rival boats +had made the turn, they could come down with greater speed. It was this +rush along the home stretch that all of the spectators were most +anxious to witness. And this accounted for the throngs on both shores +of the river near where the boat containing the judges of the race was +anchored. + +It was now getting very close to four o'clock, and everybody began to +breathe with eagerness, and possibly a little anxiety. No matter how +loud the adherents of each school may have shouted for their colors, +when it came right down to a question of supremacy the opposing crew +began to loom up as a very dangerous factor; and they felt a faintness +come into their hearts while watching the splendid way the rival eight +carried themselves. + +"They're getting them placed in line!" shouted a small fellow, who +carried a megaphone almost as long as himself, and through which his +voice carried as far as a mile, when he strained himself to give a +yell. + +This was a cousin of tall, long-legged Colon, and whose name of +Harrison had long ago given way to that of Semi-Colon, to distinguish +him from his big relative. + +"Look at poor old Buck Lemington; would you?" remarked another, close +to the bevy of girls around Flo Temple and Cissy Anderson. "He's in an +ugly humor to-day, because he threw away his chance to be pulling an +oar in our boat, and went off to get up a boat club of his own." + +"And then smashed his shell on a snag the first thing," continued +Semi-Colon, who had heard what was said. + +"Wasn't it just like him to try and say poor Clem Shooks was to blame, +when everybody knows it must have been only Buck's fault, because he +didn't remember about that stump under the water," one of the girls +remarked. + +"And I even guess he'd have cared precious little if our boat had been +burned up, when some of those tramps, they say, tried to set things on +fire," a second girl broke out with; which remark appeared to amuse +Semi-Colon very much, for he roared through his megaphone the word: + +"Tramps! Ha! Ha!" + +Evidently, while officially it had been decided to keep secret the +facts connected with the finding of the bottle of kerosene and the +rags, at the time Conrad Jimmerson was caught in Colon's trap, enough +had leaked out among the boys connected with Riverport school to give +them a pretty fair idea Buck must have been the leading spirit behind +the miserable game. + +"Silence there! the referee wants you to keep still while he says +something to the crews!" roared a heavy voice through a megaphone. + +"He's going to advise 'em what not to do," broke out Semi-Colon, for +the benefit of the girls; "and that a willful foul with carry a +penalty. There goes Coach Shays in that little launch; he's going to +get in that car belonging to Judge Colon, and be whirled along the +road, which keeps pretty near the river all the way. So you see, he can +every little while shout out his directions to the coxswain." + +"There, the referee is talking to them now," said Flo Temple, plainly +excited, since the critical moment was at hand. "Oh! don't I just hope +our boys will leave them away behind right in the beginning! Because, +they say that the first one around the turning boat will have a big +advantage. Every second on the down-current will put yards between +them, that the second boat may never be able to make up." + +"Brad Morton knows that, make up your mind, girls; and he won't let +those Mechanicsburg fellows turn first, if he can help it," Semi-Colon +advised. + +"That's it, if he can help it!" mocked a girl near by, who was boldly +waving the banner of the up-river town right in the stronghold of the +rival school. + +"Watch, they're going to start!" cried Cissy Anderson, shrilly. + +Every sound seemed to cease like magic, as doubtless thousands of eager +eyes saw that the decisive moment was at hand. + +Then suddenly there came the sharp report of a pistol, which they all +knew was to be the signal that would send those two boats forward with +all the power that sixteen pairs of trained and muscular arms could +bring to bear in exact unison! + +Immediately a roar arose. + + + + +CHAPTER XXIV + +A GREAT VICTORY + + +"They're off!" + +"Mechanicsburg leads!" + +"Yes, she does, smarty; better look again! They're tied, neck and +neck!" + +"But watch that stroke, will you; did you ever see anything so fine? +Oh! you poor Riverport, get your tear-rags ready to weep!" + +"Wait a little. You'll be laughing out of the other side of your mouth, +Crabtree!" + +So the various backers of the two teams bantered each other as they +kept their eyes fixed on the rival shells. Thef boats were pushing up +against the strong current of the Mohunk, steadily biting into it, and +increasing the distance between them and the stakeboat that was +presently to mark the closing scene of the river drama. + +Steadily they kept on, nearing the bend that would shut them out from +the sight of the great crowds gathered on either bank near the judges' +boat. If the cheering diminished in volume at that point, it was taken +up above, until one long wave of sound arose, every conceivable noise +being used to create an uproar, from horns and whistles to megaphones, +and class yells from the various schools. + +It was a time long looked forward to, and which would last for so short +a period that everyone seemed to think it necessary to exhaust himself +or herself as speedily as possible. + +"There they are, turning the bend now!" declared the anxious Cissy. +"Oh! which one leads, Flo; tell me, please?" + +"As near as I can make out, they seem to be running evenly," the other +girl replied, with the glasses to her eyes, as though she could not +drop them, or even gratify the curiosity of her best chum by allowing +her a peep. + +"And do you see Sid, and is he showing all the others how to keep cool, +and hold himself in reserve against the last home quarter-stretch?" +demanded Cissy. + +"Well, I like that, now!" exclaimed the indignant Flo, who, as we +chance to know, also had someone she admired in that school crew; "just +as if there didn't happen to be seven other fellows rowing alongside +Sid Wells. I know one at least who plays second fiddle to nobody." + +"There they go around the bend!" cried another girl. + +"And listen to the roars above there; will you?" called a boy passing +by, who was decked out in Riverport colors. "Why, there must be a whole +mob of people up to see 'em turn the other boat. I'd like to be there +right now, if I could jump back here to see the finish." + +"Watch the signals!" now arose on every hand. + +Everybody knew what this meant, and consequently the eyes of the entire +multitude began to be fastened on a particular place up at the bend. +Here arrangements had been made by those in charge of the race, whereby +the news would be flashed to those far down the stream which one of the +rival boats had managed to make the turn ahead. + +"Which are the signals?" one boy asked, as though he had become +slightly confused, owing to the excited condition of his mind; and +which, after all, was not to be wondered at, with all that racket +around him, and his pulses thrilled with the hope he hugged to his +heart that Riverport might win. + +"Red if Mechanicsburg is ahead, and blue if Riverport turns first!" +someone obligingly called out. + +"There goes the flag up!" shrieked a voice just then. + +There was a tall pole at the bend, and they could see some dark object +mounting rapidly upward. The flag was bunched in some manner, to be +released when it reached the top of the mast And how those few seconds +did seem like hours to the anxious hearts of the onlookers, who were +holding their very breath in suspense. + +Then a mighty shout broke out that was like the great billows dashing +on a rock-bound coast: + +"It's blue! Riverport turns first!" + +"Oh! you Mechanicsburg, how we pity you right now!" + +"A runaway! They'll never be in sight when we cross the line!" + +"The easiest thing ever! Football, baseball, and now rowing; why, +you're not in it at all, Mechanicsburg!" + +"Sure they are--in the soup!" + +However, in spite of all this brave talk, those who taunted the +up-river boys understood that it was quite too soon to do much crowing. +What if Riverport had succeeded in getting the inside track of their +rivals, so as to turn the upper boat first, that did not mean the +others would lie down, and allow their old-time enemies of many a +hard-fought game to triumph over them. Mechanicsburg players had the +reputation of being stayers, who would not admit defeat until the last +man was out, or the concluding yard been passed over. + +Doubtless both boats were even now coming down the river at a marvelous +pace. The question remained to be seen whether Mechanicsburg could +throw enough power into their strokes to cut down the lead their rivals +had obtained, and forge ahead as they drew near the goal. + +"Will Colon overdo himself again?" + +That was the question one white-faced Riverport boy put to a mate as +they stood there, with their eyes glued on the bend above, around which +the boats must come flying at any second now. + +"Aw! come off with you, Tatters," was the immediate and scornful reply; +"you know mighty well what made him drop that other time. Hadn't he +been pretty near drowned the day before, so that his nerves shut up on +him like a jack-knife? He's fit as a fiddle now, they say; and Bristles +Carpenter is pulling like a race-horse. You watch and see. We're bound +to win this race in a walk." + +"There they come!" + +The boats shot around the bend, and it was seen that while Riverport +still held the lead, it was only by a margin of part of a length. As +yet, then, it might be called anybody's race, since a very slight thing +would serve to turn the tables. + +On the river road could be seen the car belonging to Judge Colon, +racing along from point to point; and above all other sounds the +spectators could hear the sharp, shrill voice of Coach Shays as he +shouted words of cheer to his crew; or warned them against some +possible fatal blunder. + +Despite the gruelling pull against the current that had marked the +first half of the fiercely contested race, both young crews seemed to +be keeping in perfect rhythm with the movements of their coxswains. And +doubtless those shrewd leaders were keenly on the alert for any +advantage that might come to them through either a quickening of the +pace, if they thought the rowers capable of standing it, or some other +change in the existing conditions. + +Louder grew the shouts and songs as the two boats came flying down the +stream, the young oarsmen pulling like mad to either retain or secure +an advantage. Hope flickered up again in the hearts of the loyal +Mechanicsburg rooters, who had well nigh taken a slump when they +learned that their favorites were behind at the half-way boat. + +How they did cheer their boys on! It was enough to almost make any +fellow try to perform impossibilities, and strain himself to the +breaking point, to hear how his comrades were banking all their hopes +on him in particular. Loud and dear sounded each name of the +Mechanicsburg rowers through a megaphone, backed by a voice that had +Semi-Colon's put out of the running: + +"Hennessy--Sherley--Harkness--Gould--Smith--Boggs--Waterman--Jones-- +Wagner--_everybody pull!_" + +And they did certainly pull for all they were worth, desperately +anxious to overcome that half boat-length that still lay between them. + +But, on the other, hand, an equal number of young athletes in the other +shell were just as doggedly determined not to yield one inch, if it +could be held by any power of theirs. Brad believed he could call for +just one more little advance in the stroke, and he was only waiting +until they reached a certain spot marked in his mind as the place where +the final spurt must be made. + +"Now, Riverport, once more, and for the last time, _give way!_" came in +the shrill tones of the coach. + +Immediately the final spurt was on. Mechanicsburg, too, had been +holding just a mite in reserve for this killing last quarter of a mile. +As a consequence, the two boats seemed to retain about the same +relative position as before, despite this change of stroke to a faster +one. + +The excitement ashore, as they drew rapidly nearer the line, was +tremendous. Some fellows jumped up and down, waving their hats, and +shrieking; while girls swung their colored banners frantically any way, +in order to add to the confusion. + +But there was not a single one who would remove their eyes for even a +second from the stirring spectacle of those two shells, spinning side +by side down the river, with only the little space of a second, as it +were, marking the difference between victory and defeat. + +Now they were close on the line, and Mechanicsburg gave one mighty +pull, as if hoping to send their boat at least level with that of their +antagonists, so that the chances of a tie might be improved. + +"Look at Riverport, would you? They've been keeping it back all the +time!" + +"Oh! my, what a spurt! See 'em go, boys! We win! we win! Riverport +takes the race! Hurrah! whoop! R-i-v-e-r-p-o-r-t! Siss! boom! ah!" + +Amidst the roar of uncounted voices, the booming of several cannon held +in readiness for just this very purpose, the bleating of horns, and +everything else that could be utilized to create a racket, the +Riverport shell shot pass the deciding stakeboat, fully a length ahead +of their rivals. + +It had been a clean race, with not a single note of discord. Although +beaten, Mechamcsburg had carried their colors with honor; and a mighty +shout from friend and foe alike attested to the satisfaction felt by +all who had witnessed the close contest. + + + + +CHAPTER XXV + +BRIGHT SKIES + + +Riverport went fairly wild that night over the success of the school +crew in the race against the crack oarsmen of Mechanicsburg. Perhaps +there were a few fellows who took little or no satisfaction in the +great victory. Buck Lemington might be set down as one of these; +because, as a rule, Buck never enjoyed seeing his school win, unless he +could be the central attraction, the hero to whom the plaudits of the +cheering throngs were mainly given. + +But no one cared much what Buck Lemington thought. Surely Fred Fenton +was of a mind that the Lemingtons, father and son, were soon to be +routed, horse, foot and artillery, when the long missing Hiram +Masterson returned, as he had promised to do in that letter from far +away Hong Kong, and tell all that he knew about the scheme of those in +the syndicate to cheat Mr. Fenton out of his just rights. + +And Bristles, too, was a happy fellow those days. He had known what it +was to taste of the bitterness of having unfounded suspicion cast upon +him. The pleasure of feeling that his name was fully cleared made him +secretly resolve that if he knew it, his mother would never have to +experience the sorrow that was evidently in store for Gabe Larkins' +parent, unless that tricky boy changed his ways. + +Nor was Bristles apt to forget that he owed most of his present +condition of satisfaction to the earnest efforts of his good chum, Fred +Fenton. Who but Fred would have taken it upon himself to interview Miss +Muster, and get acquainted with the facts in the case? And who but he +could have guessed the identity of the guilty party; which he later on +proved so wonderfully well, in the presence of the old maid who had met +with the loss of her precious jewels? + +Bristles never told what a siege of suspense he had passed through. And +if there were any curious ones among his mates, who took it upon +themselves to wonder why their usually lively, wide-awake comrade +moped, as he had done for a time, they had to take it out in guessing. + +Fred did have one very pleasant little surprise sprung upon him, and +which made him feel more drawn to the old maid than ever. + +On the very night of the boat race, when the atmosphere of all +Riverport was vibrating with parading crowds, and bonfires were already +springing up, to celebrate the great victory of the young oarsmen, +Fred, returning home about supper time, found a little packet beside +his plate. + +It had not come by mail, and undoubtedly his mother knew something +about who sent or brought it; for there was a glow in her eyes as she +watched him handle it, with a questioning look in his own. + +"Suppose you open it, Fred, instead of trying to guess," proposed his +sister Kate. + +"Well," he replied, laughingly, "that does seem like a sensible thing +for you to say, Kate. Perhaps I am a little dazed or rattled; who +wouldn't be after taking part in such a grand race as that? You were +there, Mom; for I noticed you waving your pocket handkerchief; and I +wager now, you never saw anybody but the Fenton boy who was on the +crew. I say, now, what's all this mean?" + +Father, mother, and sister all watching him, Fred had opened the little +packet; and out upon the table rolled three handsome opals, that seemed +to take on all the hues of the rainbow as the light of the evening lamp +fell upon them. + +He also unrolled a sheet of paper on which were a few lines in a rather +crabbed hand; which Fred would once have said was just like the +character of the whimsical old maid herself, but which he now knew must +be caused by age. + + "Dear Boy:--I want you to accept these few tokens of my esteem, to + know that I shall never forget what you have done to show me how + necessary it always should be to look well before you leap. You + will make me happy by keeping these, and saying nothing about the + folly of + + "Your Old Maid Friend, + + "Alicia Muster." + +"Just to think, she sends me these valuable opals, because I happened +to help prove that Bristles didn't take her gems," Fred said, +wonderingly, as he looked down at the handsome present that had been +given to him. + +"Well, I think you earned them," remarked Mrs. Fenton, proudly; "and +when your father hears the whole story, which I have only kept from +telling him because I wanted you to have that pleasure, I'm sure he'll +agree with me. Yes, you ought to be a lawyer, Fred. You are cut out for +a successful one." + +"And then to think that he was on the crew that beat those smart +Mechanicsburg fellows," Kate declared, as though to her mind that fact +dwarfed everything else; "but, Fred, they are beginning to talk already +how they mean to get even with Riverport this Fall. You know they had a +fine gymnasium given to them by a rich man, and already they have +started to practice all sorts of track events. I understand they mean +to challenge Riverport to a meet; and having the advantage of that +gymnasium, they expect to pay us back for the times we've beaten them." + +"Oh! they do, eh?" remarked Fred, as though not greatly worried; "well, +there will be two who must have a say in that, Riverport as well as +Mechanicsburg. Perhaps they may turn out to have the better all-'round +athletes; time will tell." + +And time did tell; for the proposed athletic meet came to pass in the +Fall. What stirring things happened along about that time, as well as +the inspiring incidents connected with the great meet itself, will be +recorded in the next story of this series, to be called: "Fred Fenton +on the Track; Or, The Athletics of Riverport School." + +Of course the Fentons were looking eagerly forward to the time when +Hiram Masterson would redeem his promise to return and testify against +the overbearing syndicate that was endeavoring to get possession of +that rich Alaska mine, which had once belonged to Fred's uncle. + +Days might pass, but each one meant in all probability that the missing +witness, abducted by orders of the powerful combination of capitalists, +was drawing closer; and every night on his return home Mr. Fenton fully +expected to find the man from Alaska sitting at the table awaiting his +coming. + +True, he seemed to have so much knowledge of the almost unlimited +powers of he syndicate, with which Squire Lemington was connected in +some way, that Hiram had declared his intention of coming in some sort +of disguise, so that he could give his evidence under oath before his +unscrupulous uncle even knew that he was on this side of the ocean. + +And so, on the whole, those summer days were times of almost unlimited +pleasure to Fred Fenton. After his unsuccessful attempt to burn the +racing boat of the Riverport schoolboys, Buck Lemington had remained a +long time quiet. Possibly he feared that his crony, Conrad Jimmerson, +when he was caught in Colon's quaint trap, might have told something of +the truth before his mouth was closed by hearing that threatening +signal outside. And Buck was waiting now to learn if anything was about +to be done, in order to bring him to punishment. + +Of course such a nature as his could not remain very quiet for any +great length of time; and as the days grew into weeks doubtless his +resentment toward Fred would once more become hot. + +Then there would be more exciting times; for when Buck really worked +himself up to a certain pitch, things were apt to happen. + +The boys and girls of Riverport always did manage to have a good time +during the summer holidays. True, there could be no singing school, and +dances in the barn, such as winter brought along in its train; no +skating on the river, sleighing over country roads with a pretty girl +alongside, and the merry chime of bells in the air; but then picnics +were held every little while; and as for the group of boys who somehow +looked upon Fred as a sort of leader, there was hardly a weekday during +the entire vacation that they did not go fishing, or at least pay a +visit to the old "swimming hole." + +When together, Bristles and Fred often talked about the affair of the +opals. The latter said that his aunt kept in constant touch with Gabe +Larkins, and seemed to be gaining considerable influence over the wild +lad. + +"I don't just know whether he means to reform, or is only pulling the +wool over Aunt Alicia's eyes," Bristles declared; "but, anyhow, he +seems to be walking a straight line now. Why, his mother told mine just +yesterday that she didn't know what had come over Gabe, he was that +considerate of her feelings nowadays. She wondered if he could be +feeling ill, and expectin' to die. But maw just told her not to worry; +that she reckoned he was only feelin' sorry because he'd been so bad in +the past." + +"I hope he means it," said Fred, with considerable earnestness in his +voice. "It's a pretty hard thing for the leopard to change his spots, +father says; but if Gabe does turn over a new leaf, he certainly ought +to be helped by everybody." + +"Oh!" said Bristles, quickly, "I stopped and shook hands with him the +last time we met. And say, Fred, there did seem to be something a +little different about his eyes; looked me square in the face, and you +know he used to be seeing somethin' over your head every time before. I +wonder now does it mean anything?" + +But that again was another thing that only time could prove. Whether +Gabe did really see a light, and mean to change his ways, or was +playing a foxy game for some purpose, there could be no way of telling, +until he chose to come out into the open. + +Here, with the horizon looking so bright for those in whose fortunes we +have come to feel such a deep interest, it may be as well for us to say +good-bye for the present, and leave a further recital of their +adventures and contests to another time. + + +THE END + + + + +THE SADDLE BOYS SERIES + +By CAPTAIN JAMES CARSON + +12mo. Illustrated. Price per volume, 65 cents, postpaid. + +All lads who love life in the open air and a good steed, will want to +peruse these books. Captain Carson knows his subject thoroughly, and +his stories are as pleasing as they are healthful and instructive. + + +THE SADDLE BOYS OF THE ROCKIES + _or Lost on Thunder Mountain_ + +Telling how the lads started out to solve the mystery of a great noise +in the mountains--how they got lost--and of the things they discovered. + + +THE SADDLE BOYS IN THE GRAND CANYON + _or The Hermit of the Cave_ + +A weird and wonderful story of the Grand Canyon of the Colorado, told +in a most absorbing manner. The Saddle Boys are to the front in a +manner to please all young readers. + + +THE SADDLE BOYS ON THE PLAINS + _or After a Treasure of Gold_ + +In this story the scene is shifted to the great plains of the southwest +and then to the Mexican border. There is a stirring struggle for gold, +told as only Captain Carson can tell it. + + +THE SADDLE BOYS AT CIRCLE RANCH + _or In at the Grand Round-up_ + +Here we have lively times at the ranch, and likewise the particulars of +a grand round-up of cattle and encounters with wild animals and also +cattle thieves. A story that breathes the very air of the plains. + + +THE SADDLE BOYS ON MEXICAN TRAILS + _or In the Hands of the Enemy_ + +The scene is shifted in this volume to Mexico. The boys go on an +important errand, and are caught between the lines of the Mexican +soldiers. They are captured and for a while things look black for them; +but all ends happily. + +CUPPLES & LEON CO., Publishers, NEW YORK + + + + +THE SPEEDWELL BOYS SERIES + +By ROY ROCKWOOD + +Author of "The Dave Dashaway Series," "Great Marvel Series," etc. + +12mo. Illustrated. Price per volume, 65 cents, postpaid. + +All boys who love to be on the go will welcome the Speed well boys. +They are clean cut and loyal lads. + + +THE SPEEDWELL BOYS ON MOTOR CYCLES + _or The Mystery of a Great Conflagration_ + +The lads were poor, but they did a rich man a great service and he +presented them with their motor cycles. What a great fire led to is +exceedingly well told. + + +THE SPEEDWELL BOYS AND THEIR RACING AUTO + _or A Run for the Golden Cup_ + +A tale of automobiling and of intense rivalry on the road. There was an +endurance run and the boys entered the contest. On the run they rounded +up some men who were wanted by the law. + + +THE SPEEDWELL BOYS AND THEIR POWER LAUNCH + _or To the Rescue of the Castaways_ + +Here is an unusual story. There was a wreck, and the lads, in their +power launch, set out to the rescue. A vivid picture of a great storm +adds to the interest of the tale. + + +THE SPEEDWELL BOYS IN A SUBMARINE + _or The Lost Treasure of Rocky Cove_ + +An old sailor knows of a treasure lost under water because of a cliff +falling into the sea. The boys get a chance to go out in a submarine +and they make a hunt for the treasure. + + +THE SPEEDWELL BOYS AND THEIR ICE RACER + _or The Perils of a Great Blizzard_ + +The boys had an idea for a new sort of iceboat, to be run by combined +wind and motor power. How they built the craft, and what fine times +they had on board of it, is well related. + +CUPPLES & LEON CO., Publishers, NEW YORK + + +THE FRED FENTON ATHLETIC SERIES + +By ALLEN CHAPMAN + +Author of "The Tom Fairfield Series," "The Boys of Pluck Series" and +"The Darewell Chums Series." + +12mo. Illustrated. Price per volume, 65 cents, postpaid. + +A line of tales embracing school athletics. Fred is a true type of the +American schoolboy of to-day. + + +FRED FENTON THE PITCHER + _or The Rivals of Riverport School_ + +When Fred came to Riverport none of the school lads knew him, but he +speedily proved his worth in the baseball box. A true picture of school +baseball. + + +FRED FENTON IN THE LINE + _or The Football Boys of Riverport School_ + +When Fall came in the thoughts of the boys turned to football. Fred +went in the line, and again proved his worth, making a run that helped +to win a great game. + + +FRED FENTON ON THE CREW + _or The Young Oarsmen of Riverport School_ + +In this volume the scene is shifted to the river, and Fred and his +chums show how they can handle the oars. There are many other +adventures, all dear to the hearts of boys. + + +FRED FENTON ON THE TRACK + _or The Athletes of Riverport School_ + +Track athletics form a subject of vast interest to many boys, and here +is a tale telling of great running races, high jumping, and the like. +Fred again proves himself a hero in the best sense of that term. + + +FRED FENTON: MARATHON RUNNER + or _The Great Race at Riverport School_ + +Fred is taking a post-graduate course at the school when the subject of +Marathon running came up. A race is arranged, and Fred shows both his +friends and his enemies what he can do. An athletic story of special +merit. + +CUPPLES & LEON CO., Publishers, NEW YORK + + + + +THE TOM FAIRFIELD SERIES + +By ALLEN CHAPMAN + +Author of the "Fred Fenton Athletic Series," "The Boys of Pluck +Series," and "The Darewell Chums Series." + +12mo. Illustrated. Price per volume, 65 cents, postpaid. + +Tom Fairfield is a typical American lad, full of life and energy, a boy +who believes in doing things. To know Tom is to love him. + + +TOM FAIRFIELD'S SCHOOLDAYS + _or The Chums of Elmwood Hall_ + +Tells of how Tom started for school, of the mystery surrounding one of +the Hall seniors, and of how the hero went to the rescue. The first +book in a line that is bound to become decidedly popular. + + +TOM FAIRFIELD AT SEA + _or The Wreck of the Silver Star_ + +Tom's parents had gone to Australia and then been cast away somewhere +in the Pacific. Tom set out to find them and was himself cast away. A +thrilling picture of the perils of the deep. + + +TOM FAIRFIELD IN CAMP + _or The Secret of the Old Mill_ + +The boys decided to go camping, and located near an old mill. A wild +man resided there and he made it decidedly lively for Tom and his +chums. The secret of the old mill adds to the interest of the volume. + + +TOM FAIRFIELD'S PLUCK AND LUCK + _or Working to Clear His Name_ + +While Tom was back at school some of his enemies tried to get him into +trouble. Something unusual occurred and Tom was suspected of a crime. +How he set to work to clear his name is told in a manner to interest +all young readers. + + +TOM FAIRFIELD'S HUNTING TRIP + _or Lost in the Wilderness_ + +Tom was only a schoolboy, but he loved to use a shotgun or a rifle. In +this volume we meet him on a hunting trip full of outdoor life and good +times around the camp-fire. + +CUPPLES & LEON CO., Publishers, NEW YORK + + + + +THE DAVE DASHAWAY SERIES + +By ROY ROCKWOOD + +Author of the "Speedwell Boys Series" and the "Great Marvel Series." + +12mo. Illustrated. Price per volume, 65 cents, postpaid. + +Never was there a more clever young aviator than Dave Dashaway. All +up-to-date lads will surely wish to read about him. + + +DAVE DASHAWAY THE YOUNG AVIATOR + _or In the Clouds for Fame and Fortune_ + +This initial volume tells how the hero ran away from his miserly +guardian, fell in with a successful airman, and became a young aviator +of note. + + +DAVE DASHAWAY AND HIS HYDROPLANE + _or Daring Adventures Over the Great Lakes_ + +Showing how Dave continued his career as a birdman and had many +adventures over the Great Lakes, and how he foiled the plans of some +Canadian smugglers. + + +DAVE DASHAWAY AND HIS GIANT AIRSHIP + _or A Marvellous Trip Across the Atlantic_ + +How the giant airship was constructed and how the daring young aviator +and his friends made the hazardous journey through the clouds from the +new world to the old, is told in a way to hold the reader spellbound. + + +DAVE DASHAWAY AROUND THE WORLD + _or A Young Yankee Aviator Among Many Nations_ + +An absorbing tale of a great air flight around the world, of adventures +in Alaska, Siberia and elsewhere. A true to life picture of what may be +accomplished in the near future. + + +DAVE DASHAWAY: AIR CHAMPION + _or Wizard Work in the Clouds_ + +Dave makes several daring trips, and then enters a contest for a big +prize. An aviation tale thrilling in the extreme. + +CUPPLES & LEON CO., Publishers, NEW YORK + + + + +THE WEBSTER SERIES + +By FRANK V. WEBSTER + +Mr. WEBSTER'S style is very much like that of the boys' favorite +author, the late lamented Horatio Alger, Jr., but his tales are +thoroughly up-to-date. + +Cloth. 12mo. Over 200 pages each. Illustrated. Stamped in various +colors. + +Price per volume, 65 cents, postpaid. + +Only A Farm Boy + _or Dan Hardy's Rise in Life_ + +The Boy From The Ranch + _or Roy Bradner's City Experiences_ + +The Young Treasure Hunter + _or Fred Stanley's Trip to Alaska_ + +The Boy Pilot of the Lakes + _or Nat Morton's Perils_ + +Tom The Telephone Boy + _or The Mystery of a Message_ + +Bob The Castaway + _or The Wreck of the Eagle_ + +The Newsboy Partners + _or Who Was Dick Bost_ + +Two Boy Gold Miners + _or Lost in the Mountains_ + +The Young Firemen of Lakeville + _or Herbert Dare's Pluck_ + +The Boys of Bellwood School + _or Frank Jordan's Triumph_ + +Jack the Runaway + _or On the Road with a Circus_ + +Bob Chester's Grit + _or From Ranch to Riches_ + +Airship Andy + _or The Luck of a Brave Boy_ + +High School Rivals + _or Fred Markham's Struggles_ + +Dairy The Life Saver + _or The Heroes of the Coast_ + +Dick The Bank Boy + _or A Missing Fortune_ + +Ben Hardy's Flying Machine + _or Making a Record for Himself_ + +Harry Watson's High School Days + _or The Rivals of Rivertown_ + +Comrades of the Saddle + _or The Young Rough Riders of the Plains_ + +Tom Taylor at West Point + _or The Old Army Officer's Secret_ + +The Boy Scouts of Lennox + _or Hiking Over Big Bear Mountain_ + +The Boys of the Wireless + _or a Stirring Rescue from the Deep_ + +Cowboy Dave + _or The Round-up at Rolling River_ + +Jack of the Pony Express + _or The Young Rider of the Mountain Trail_ + +The Boys of the Battleship + _or For the Honor of Uncle Sam_ + +CUPPLES & LEON CO., Publishers, NEW YORK + + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Fred Fenton on the Crew, by Allen Chapman + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FRED FENTON ON THE CREW *** + +***** This file should be named 21594.txt or 21594.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/2/1/5/9/21594/ + +Produced by Juliet Sutherland and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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