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diff --git a/old/62698-0.txt b/old/62698-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index d123ed4..0000000 --- a/old/62698-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,7551 +0,0 @@ -Project Gutenberg's The Golden Boys on the River Drive, by L. P. Wyman - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world 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. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: The Golden Boys on the River Drive - -Author: L. P. Wyman - -Release Date: July 19, 2020 [EBook #62698] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE GOLDEN BOYS ON THE RIVER DRIVE *** - - - - -Produced by Roger Frank and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This book was -produced from images made available by the HathiTrust -Digital Library.) - - - - - - - - - - THE GOLDEN BOYS ON THE RIVER DRIVE - - - - -[Illustration: Rex had some trouble at first in keeping his balance, but -he was quick to catch on to the knack.] - - - - - THE GOLDEN BOYS - ON THE RIVER DRIVE - - By L. P. WYMAN, Ph.D. - Dean of Pennsylvania Military College - - AUTHOR OF - - “The Golden Boys and Their New Electric Cell,” - “The Golden Boys at the Fortress,” - “The Golden Boys in the Maine Woods,” - “The Golden Boys with the Lumber Jacks.” - - A. L. BURT COMPANY - Publishers New York - - - - - THE GOLDEN BOYS SERIES - A Series of Stories for Boys 12 to 16 Years of Age - - By L. P. WYMAN, Ph.D. - Dean of the Pennsylvania Military College - - The Golden Boys and Their New Electric Cell - The Golden Boys at the Fortress - The Golden Boys in the Maine Woods - The Golden Boys with the Lumber Jacks - The Golden Boys on the River Drive - The Golden Boys Rescued by Radio - The Golden Boys Along the River Allagash - - Copyright, 1923 - By A. L. BURT COMPANY - - THE GOLDEN BOYS ON THE RIVER DRIVE - - Made in “U. S. A.” - - - - - THE GOLDEN BOYS ON THE RIVER DRIVE - - - - - CHAPTER I - - THE BREAKING UP - - -“Hurrah! She’s breaking up.” - -Two boys were standing on a little wharf looking out over the ice -covered surface of Moosehead Lake in northern Maine. They were fine -specimens of American boyhood. Bob Golden, nineteen years old, -lacked but a trifle of standing six feet and was possessed of a body -perfectly proportioned to its height. His brother Jack, a year -younger, was not quite so tall but his body was as perfectly -developed. Except when at school they had for years lived in the -great out-of-doors, in the Maine woods and on the Maine lakes, and -the free and open life coupled with the invigorating air of the Pine -Tree State had given them “mens sana in corpore sano.” - -They had arrived at the lumber camp belonging to their father the -day before, having driven up from their home in Skowhegan, a small -town about fifty miles to the south. The Fortress, a military -college in Pennsylvania, where they were cadets, had closed for a -three weeks’ vacation and they had lost no time in reaching the -camp. - -“She’s breaking up,” Jack repeated, dancing about like a wild man, -on the end of the wharf. “Just look at that crack run out into the -lake, will you,” he added, as a heavy booming sound reverberated -through the vast forest. - -“And just think,” Bob declared, as he grabbed his brother by the arm -and held him fast, “by night there won’t be a speck of ice to be -seen anywhere on the lake. I wonder where it all goes to so -quickly.” - -Jack was about to reply when the loud call of a horn rang through -the air. - -“I don’t know, but I do know where I’m going,” he cried as he turned -and sprang for the shore. “Come on or I’ll eat all the flapjacks,” -he called back, as he saw that his brother was still watching the -ice. - -“Be with you in a minute,” Bob shouted, his eyes still on the lake. - -It was a fascinating sight, the ice slowly heaving with a suppressed -restlessness as though loath to give up its sovereignty of the lake. -But hunger soon overcame his desire to watch the lake and he was but -a few minutes later than his brother in entering the long mess room. - -Breakfast was on the long table, along the two sides of which about -forty men were doing their best to make way with the huge piles of -hot cakes and bacon and eggs, to say nothing of doughnuts and -coffee. - -“You ver’ near mees der grub, oui,” shouted big Jean Larue, as Bob -took his seat beside Jack. - -“Guess there’s plenty left,” he laughed, as he glanced about the -table. - -“Oui, dar’s allays pleenty der grub here,” declared another Kanuck, -a huge six footer, named Pierre, from his seat near the foot of the -table. - -Pierre’s statement was correct, for Mr. Golden believed in giving -his men good food and plenty of it, and there was never any fault -found with the bill of fare in any of his camps. - -“We geet the first raft heetched up tomorrow,” Jean said, as he -helped himself to another pile of cakes. - -“Sure we will, eef you not eat so mooch you no can stir,” Pierre -shouted, and a roar of laughter filled the vast room in which Jean -joined. His appetite was a standing joke with the men, and he really -seemed to take pride in it. - -“Dat all right,” he said, as the laughter subsided. “After breakfast -I, Jean Larue, put you on your back ver’ queek. You tink I eat too -mooch, hey?” - -“You mean you try. What you call eet? You spell able once,” Pierre -grinned, as another roar of laughter greeted his words. - -“Better get a wiggle,” Jack advised his brother, as he helped -himself to two more doughnuts. “I wouldn’t miss seeing that match -for a farm.” - -“Nor I, but I’ll be there. Don’t you worry,” Bob replied, as he -reached for the plate of fresh cakes which the cook’s helper had -just brought in. - -Both boys knew that a wrestling match between Jean Larue and Pierre -le Blanc would be worth going miles to see. Both were big men and -well known for their deeds of strength and athletic ability. Pierre -was a good-natured, generous fellow and was a favorite with his -companions. Jean, at the beginning of the winter, had been the bully -of the camp. An arrogant braggart, he had been feared and hated by -the greater part of the crew. Just after Christmas Bob, who with his -brother had come to the camp for their winter vacation, had had a -fight with the Frenchman and, thanks to his superior knowledge of -boxing, had given him a sound whipping. This seemed to have broken -the man’s spirit; but, a short time later, the boys saved his life -and to their great joy he became a different man. All his old -arrogance was gone and he became one of the most popular members of -the crew. - -“Come on dar,” Pierre shouted, as he pushed back his chair. “You -hav’ now eat enough for two men. Eef you eat mooch more eet will be -no fun to put you on your back.” - -“Huh, I, Jean Larue, will geeve you all der fun you want in one -leetle minute,” Jean retorted, as he too jumped up from his chair -and started for the door, followed by the entire crew. - -The snow still lay deep in the woods, but in front of the bunk house -it was packed hard, making a smooth although a slippery floor. Once -outside in the crisp air, the two men quickly pulled off their heavy -mackinaws and thick woolen shirts. - -“My, what men,” Bob whispered, as they stood there stripped to the -waist. - -Physically, at least, they were deserving of the exclamation. Big -and thick set, without an ounce of superfluous flesh on their -torsos, the muscles played in ripples beneath the smooth skin. - -No complicated set of rules governed an impromptu match of this -kind. No getting of three points on the ground was necessary to win. -The first man down was the loser, and in case both came down -together, the man on top was the winner. - -A stranger would have thought, from the appearance of the men, that -it was to be a fight to the finish, but all present knew that the -two were great friends and that the loser would take his defeat in -good part and hope to win the next time. However, they had seen the -two men wrestle before and knew that each would exert himself to the -utmost to win. - -For some moments the two giants circled around each other, watching -with hawk-like keenness for an opening. The right hold meant half -the battle, as they well knew, and a false hold might well mean -defeat. Suddenly, seeing his chance, Pierre leaped forward and -caught his opponent about the waist. And then the real struggle -began. - -“Just look at those muscles will you,” Jack whispered to Bob. - -It was little wonder that the display excited the boy’s admiration. -The huge muscles stood out like immense cords as the two men -strained with all their might to upset each other. Pulling and -pushing they whirled about on the smooth snow, neither seeming to be -able to gain the advantage. Once Jean slipped, and the boys thought -that he was going down, but he quickly recovered his footing and, in -a second, seemed on even terms again. Both men were breathing hard -and it seemed as though one or the other must yield soon, but as to -which one it would be there was no indication. - -Then suddenly the end came. The boys saw Jean’s powerful arms creep -upward, then quickly he bent his back, and Pierre, taken by -surprise, flew over his head, landing on his back nearly ten feet -away. For a moment he lay there striving to regain his breath, which -had been driven from his body. Then eager hands pulled him to his -feet and he ran for Jean, who was already pulling on his shirt. - -“Dat one ver’ bon hold,” he said as he grasped the victor by the -hand. - -“Oui, she one ver’ fine hold,” Jean agreed, accepting the -outstretched hand with a broad grin. “I thot you had me one time,” -he added as he drew on his mackinaw. - -“Oui, I ver’ near geet you,” Pierre grinned as he began to dress. - -“It’s fine that those men can go through a match like that and still -be good friends,” Bob declared as he and Jack hurried away to the -wharf. - -Even they, accustomed as they were to the rapidity with which the -ice breaks up when it once starts, were surprised at the change -which one short hour had wrought. What had been a broad expanse of -frozen surface now was a heaving mass of huge cakes of ice, -interspersed with stretches of open water. - -“Isn’t it wonderful?” Jack asked as he gazed at the sight. - -“Nothing finer,” Bob agreed. “But come on, let’s get the rods and -try for trout in some of those open stretches.” - -The finest fishing in the lakes of northern Maine is just as the ice -goes out. Then the big trout are hungry after the long winter -beneath the ice, and lucky is the fisherman who is there at the -time. - -As the boys returned to the wharf with their rods it happened that -there was an open space just out in front. Bob was first to have a -fly lazily floating on the surface of the water, but it had hardly -struck the surface before it disappeared and a tug at the line told -the boy that he had hooked the first fish of the season. From the -way the reel whined as the line ran out he knew that it was a big -one. He pressed on the drag as hard as he dared but it seemed to -have little effect. - -“You’ll have to make it snappy or you’ll lose him,” Jack shouted. -“That opening’s going to close in a minute or two, and if he gets -under the ice, good night.” - -Bob saw that what his brother had said was true, and, for the -moment, was uncertain what was best to be done. But just then he -noticed that the line was slacking and he hastened to reel in. He -had recovered about half of the line when the fish darted off again -and he was forced to let the line run. - -“You’ll have to pull him,” Jack shouted. “He’ll be under that cake -in another minute.” - -Bob, realizing the truth of Jack’s statement, quickly lowered the -light rod and caught hold of the line. Now it was simply a question -of the strength of the line. Would it hold or would it break? - -“It’s a good thing that’s a new line,” Jack cried, dancing about in -his excitement as Bob began to pull in carefully, hand over hand. - -“Nothing very sportsmanlike about this way of landing a fish,” he -declared. “But we need that fellow for dinner.” - -Slowly, foot by foot, the fish came in until finally it was flapping -at their feet. - -“Eight pounds if he’s an ounce,” Jack declared, as he picked the -fish up by the gills and held it out at arm’s length. - -For nearly two hours they fished, watching their chance whenever an -open space gave them opportunity to cast. They lost several on -account of the ice closing in before they could get them out, but -more were landed successfully and by ten o’clock they had enough for -dinner for the crew. They were all good-sized fish, none weighing -less than three pounds, but the first one caught remained the prize -of the lot by a good margin. - -“Now I guess it’s up to us to clean ’em,” Jack said, as he reeled in -his line. “That’s a dandy mess if I do say it.” - -They had thrown the fish as they unhooked them into a packing box, -and each taking hold of an end, they started for the mess house. -They had stepped from the wharf when Jack chanced to look back -toward the lake. - -“What’s that out there?” he cried, setting his end of the box down -on the snow. - -“Looks like a man,” Bob replied, as he followed suit with his end. - -“I’ll get the glasses,” Jack shouted, starting on the run for the -office only a few rods away. - -He was back in almost no time and, running to the end of the wharf, -quickly raised the glasses to his eyes. - -“It’s a man all right,” he declared after a moment, as he handed the -glasses to his brother. - -The man was probably a mile and a half from the shore, on a cake of -ice about twenty feet in diameter. Bob could see that he was sitting -in the center of the cake. - -“I can’t see him move a bit,” he said, as he lowered the glass from -his eyes. - -“Don’t suppose he’s dead do you?” Jack asked anxiously. - -“Seems to me that he’s sitting up too straight for that,” Bob -replied slowly. - -For a moment the two boys looked at each other. Each knew what was -passing in the other’s mind. They well knew that the cake of ice -which was supporting the man was liable to break up at any moment, -and that the strongest swimmer could not live long in the icy water. -All the men were off in the woods back of the camp, loading the last -of the season’s cut. To go for them might mean that it would be too -late. - -“Let’s get the canoe quick,” Bob said, as he started on the run for -the office slowly followed by Jack. - -The canoe, which was in a little shed back of the office, was a -small canvas affair, good enough for a short trip in smooth water, -but far too frail to be safe amid the floating ice. But it was the -only means they had of reaching the man and they did not hesitate. -To get it down to the wharf was the work of but a few moments. -Carefully they lowered it to the water, there being at the moment a -large clear space in front of the wharf. - -“This is going to be a mighty dangerous trip all right,” Bob -declared, as he took his place in the stern while Jack crouched in -the bow. “We’ve got to be careful of the ice or we’ll get a hole in -her and then——” - -There was no need to finish the sentence. They both knew what a hole -in the frail canoe would mean. - -The wind, which had been light during the morning, had freshened -during the past hour and now was coming strong from the northwest, -directly in their faces. All over the lake the huge cakes of ice -were bobbing up and down, the spaces of clear water between them -constantly increasing and decreasing in size. - -From the start their progress was very slow, as they were obliged to -follow a zigzag course wherever the open spaces would permit. In -twenty minutes they were but a few hundred feet nearer the man than -when they started. - -“Can we ever do it?” Jack panted, as he dug his paddle deep in the -water and exerted all his strength to avoid a cake which threatened -to smash into the side of the canoe. - -“We’ve got to,” Bob returned, a look of determination in his face. -“We’ll do it if his cake holds out long enough,” he encouraged, as -with a strong push he sent the canoe forward through a narrow lane -between two large cakes. - -Now the open spaces were larger and they were able to make better -time. They were nearly half way to the man and urging the canoe -between two immense floes when suddenly Jack realized that the cakes -were rapidly approaching each other. - -“Dig for all you’re worth or we won’t get through,” he shouted. - -They did their best but it was not enough. Realizing that they could -not make it, Jack stopped paddling and shouted: - -“We’ll have to jump for it.” - -Bob quickly took in the situation and, throwing his paddle to the -bottom of the canoe, he too watched the huge floe as it approached. -They saw that the cake to their right would reach the boat first. - -“Make it snappy,” Bob shouted, as the cake was upon them. - -With hands gripping the side of the canoe they crouched, waiting for -the cake of ice to reach them. - -“Now!” Bob shouted, and on the instant both sprang for the ice, then -turned and dragged the canoe after them. - -They were not a moment too soon for, as they drew the canoe from the -water, the two floes met with a grinding crash. - -“Mighty close call that,” Bob gasped, as he gazed about. - -“Too close for comfort, but, thank God we made it,” Jack agreed. -“But come on. There’s no time to lose. This ice looks mighty rotten -to me, and that cake he’s on may be worse.” - -The cake on which they found themselves was a large one, fully a -hundred feet across. A glance told them that between their cake and -that on which the man sat was mostly open water; and, encouraged by -the sight, they began dragging the canoe over the ice. To get it -again in the water and to embark without swamping the frail craft -took all their skill. But working carefully, they finally -accomplished it and pushed off just as, with a loud crack, the big -floe broke up into a dozen smaller ones. - -“Our lucky day all right,” Jack shouted, as he dug his paddle into -the water. “Pray God it holds,” he added in a lower tone. - -They now made good time, as only occasionally did a small cake cause -them to change their course, and in a few minutes they were only a -few rods away from their destination. - -The stranded man had risen to his feet and as Jack raised his head -he waved his arms vigorously. - -“Look, Bob,” the boy shouted, as he recognized the man. “It’s -Jacques Lamont.” - -The words had hardly left his lips when a loud cracking sound -reached their ears and, to their horror, the cake parted in the -middle, and before the man had time to jump, the icy water had -swallowed him. One moment he had been standing there waving his hand -at them and the next he was gone. - - - - - CHAPTER II - - TOWING - - -By the time the boys had recovered from their first shock of horror, -the space between the two halves of the ice floe had widened to -several feet, and with powerful strokes they sent the canoe toward -the lane of water. - -“It was about here,” Bob shouted, as he stopped paddling and swung -the canoe around. - -At that moment the man’s head popped above the surface of the water -only a few feet away. A few powerful strokes brought him quickly to -the side of the canoe. - -“Jacques,” cried both boys, as the man seized the side of the canoe -with his hand. - -“You come der right time, oui,” he said, his teeth chattering so -that he could hardly speak. - -“Get in as quick as you can,” Bob ordered. - -Jacques Lamont was a large man and the canoe was small, barely large -enough to carry three full-sized men. Under less skillful handling -it would surely have upset, but the Frenchman knew just how to go -about it, and the boys were but slightly less adept, and in almost -no time he was in. - -“You let me tak’ paddle,” he said to Jack. “Need work keep warm, -oui.” Carefully the two changed places and in another moment the -canoe was speeding back. Rapidly the lake was clearing of ice and -only occasionally did they have to swerve from a straight course to -avoid a floe, and soon they reached the wharf. - -“Hurry up to the office now,” Bob ordered, as he sprang from the -canoe. - -Fortunately they found a good fire roaring in the office stove. Tom -Bean, the camp foreman, was at the desk doing something with a big -account book as they pushed open the door. - -“Bejabbers, and it looks like ye’d been in the drink, so it does,” -he declared, as he got up from his chair and greeted the big -Frenchman with a hearty hand shake. - -“Oui, dat water he ver’ wet,” Jacques grinned, as he stretched out -his hands to the grateful heat of the stove. - -“Got anything he can put on, Tom?” Bob asked. “He must get into -something dry right away.” - -“Sure and it’s meself thot’ll find something,” the Irishman assured -him, as he disappeared into the little bedroom which opened out of -the office. - -Jacques Lamont was an old friend of the Golden boys. He had worked -for their father many years, but this winter he had spent in -trapping away up over the Canadian line. About fifty years old, his -out-of-door life and clean living had caused the passing years to -deal very lightly with him and he would readily have passed for -fifteen years younger. - -Tom was back in a few minutes with an armful of clothes. - -“Thar, I gess thot’ll fix ye,” he declared, as he threw them on a -chair. “They may be a bit small but they’re the biggest I’ve got.” - -Jacques quickly stripped and, after a brisk rub with a coarse towel, -proceeded to don the clothing which Tom had supplied. - -“You haven’t told us how you came to be on the ice,” Jack said. - -By this time Jacques was nearly dressed and told them how he had -been down to Greenville, a small town about twenty miles down the -lake, to sell his furs. He had come up to the Kineo House, a large -summer hotel on the other side of the lake, the day before, to see a -man on a matter of business. But the man was not there, and learning -that he would not be there until the next day, he had started across -the lake early that morning to see his friends at the camp. - -“I tink der ice no go out so soon,” he explained. “But she bust up -ver’ queek and I geet caught, oui. You boys save my life. I, Jacques -Lamont, never forgeet heem.” - -“That’s all right, old man,” Bob assured him, with a hearty slap on -the back. “Just forget it.” - -“Non, no forgeet,” the Frenchman insisted. “Some time I do sumtin -for you, oui.” - -“As if you hadn’t fifty times over,” Jack broke in. “But come on. -There goes the dinner horn and I’m hungry enough to eat all the cook -has got, so if you folks want anything, you’d better get a hustle -on.” - -“How about those trout?” Bob asked, as he started for the door. - -“Guess they’ll have to wait for supper,” Jack called back. “I -noticed that they were still down there in the box,” he added, as -Bob caught up with him. - -“Well, we’ll dress them after dinner and they’ll go pretty good -tonight I reckon, even if I did have my mouth all made up for them -for dinner.” - -Dinner over, they, together with Jacques, cleaned the fish and took -them to the kitchen where the cook promised to give them a big feast -that night. - -About four o’clock the three friends went down to the wharf for a -look at the lake. Not a single bit of ice was to be seen. - -“Isn’t it wonderful?” Jack asked, as he looked out over the heaving -water. “Where do you suppose it all goes to so soon?” - -“I’m sure I don’t know,” Bob replied, and then asked: “How about it, -Jacques? Where does the ice go?” - -“Non, I not know. Eet jest goes, I tink.” - -Both boys laughed at the Frenchman’s explanation, and just then Tom -joined them. - -“Thar, begorra, the last of the cut is hauled and termorrow we’ll -begin rollin’ in and buildin’ the fust raft. The Comet’ll be up -’bout noon and I want ter have things ready so’s she kin begin -towin’ as soon’s she gits here.” - -The supper that night was all that the cook had promised. The big -trout, baked with slices of bacon, were delicious; and the hot -biscuits, so light that Jack declared they looked more like cream -puffs, seemed to almost melt in the mouth. The crew were in high -spirits and many was the joke thrown across the big table as the -food disappeared. - -“You’ve got to hump yourself, Bob, to beat these biscuits,” Jack -declared, as he reached for his sixth. - -“Yes, I’ll have to yield the palm to Joe,” Bob laughed. “He’s got me -beaten six ways of Sundays.” - -“Don’t you believe it,” Jack returned loyally. “You can make just as -good ones, but I don’t think these can be beat.” - -“Thanks for the flattery,” Bob smiled. “Pass the spuds down this way -and we’ll let it go at that.” - -As usual, breakfast the next morning was eaten by lamplight, and -dawn was just breaking in the east when the crew started work by the -side of the lake. - -Some of the logs, enough to make the first raft, were already in the -water, having been piled on the ice and fastened together here and -there by ropes so that they would not float away. - -“Now then, we’ll get at thot boom fust thing and swing her round -these logs,” Tom shouted, as the boys joined him at the water’s -edge. - -About a dozen of the men had been told off for this work, while the -rest of the crew started, with their peaveys, rolling the big spruce -logs from the huge piles into the water. - -A large spike was driven into the end of a log, and to this a short -piece of strong rope was tied. The other end was then secured to -another spike driven into the end of another log, leaving enough -leeway between the ends for flexibility. This was continued until a -boom was completed long enough to reach entirely around the raft. -These rafts contain about 30,000 logs and will yield approximately -2,000,000 feet of lumber. - -The boys, together with all the rest of the crew, had discarded -their moccasins and were wearing heavy shoes, the soles of which -were thickly studded with short but sharp brads, which prevented any -possibility of slipping on the logs. - -By a little past ten the boom was completed and fastened around the -huge raft, which was then ready to be towed across the lake to the -East Outlet, where the waters of the lake emptied into the Kennebec -River. - -“Hurrah! There she comes,” Jack shouted, a few minutes later, as his -sharp eyes spied a thin stream of smoke far down the lake. - -“Begorra, and ye kin depend on Cap’n Seth to git here in time for -dinner,” Tom Bean laughed, as he picked up his sledge and started -for the office. - -The boys, from the little wharf, watched the approaching steamer, -the Comet, one of the fleet of The Coburn Steamboat Company. - -“There’s the Twilight, I’ll bet a nickle,” Bob declared, pointing to -a second stream of smoke some distance behind the Comet. “I suppose -she is going to tow Big Ben’s first raft across.” - -“Probably,” Jack agreed. “I only hope that we can get across first -and get our logs started ahead of his. He’ll, of course, do all he -can to hold us up on the way down the river, and if he gets started -ahead of us he can give us a lot of trouble.” - -Big Ben Donohue, a man of Irish descent and a local political boss, -owned a big lumber camp a few miles down the lake. Having been -under-bid, in a large contract with The Great Northern Star Paper -Company by Mr. Golden the summer previous, he had tried in many ways -during the winter to delay their work, but thanks to the two boys, -he had failed to accomplish his purpose. - -“There’s Cap’n Seth,” Jack shouted, as a large middle-aged man swung -his cap to them from the deck of the small steamer as she steamed up -to the wharf. - -“Hello, Cap’n Seth,” both boys shouted, as they heard the bell on -the boat ring for “back water.” - -Cap’n Seth was an old timer on Moosehead Lake. He had worked on the -lake as boy and man as far back as he could remember, and no one -knew the lake better than he. - -“How’s the byes?” he greeted them, as he sprang to the wharf and -threw a half hitch of the rope which he held in his hand about a -stout post at the end of the wharf. - -“Fine and dandy, and how’s yourself?” Bob asked, as he shook hands. - -“If I felt any better I’d be scared,” Cap’n Seth declared, biting -off a large hunk of “sailor’s delight.” - -“Is the Twilight going to tow for Ben?” Bob asked, as they started -toward the office. - -“Ah huh, but I know what you’re a thinkin’ and ye needn’t worry. -We’ll beat her across easy. He hasn’t got his boom mor’n half done -and won’t get started ’fore ’bout three o’clock, an’ we ought ter be -half way across by that time,” the captain assured them. - -“We’re all ready fer ye to start, Cap’n,” Tom Bean said, as they -entered the office where the foreman was busy putting some papers -away. “’Spose ye’ve had yer dinner,” he added, with a wink at the -boys. - -“Wall neuw,” Cap’n Seth began scratching his head. “I kinder -cal’lated to git a little snack ’fore we started. If this wind -freshens up much more it’ll be a long trip an’ we’ll be hungry afore -we get back.” - -“Oh, quit your teasing, Tom,” Jack laughed, as he saw the wistful -look in the captain’s face. “Don’t you mind him, Cap’n Seth. -Dinner’ll be ready in about five minutes now, and we’re not going to -start till we get filled up.” - -Cap’n Seth, much relieved in his mind with the assurance that he -would get his dinner, shook his fist in mock anger at the foreman. -“I reckon ye think yer mighty smart scarin’ a feller outter a year’s -growth with yer tomfoolery. Do ye ever read the Bible?” he asked -suddenly, changing the conversation. - -“Do I iver rade the Bible is it?” Tom almost shouted, for it was his -proud boast that he was a great Bible scholar. “Sure and it’s meself -thot fergits more about the Bible ivery night than ye iver knowed.” - -“Is that so?” Cap’n Seth replied, a most serious look on his face. -“Then mebby ye kin settle a pint fer me that’s bin givin’ me a lot -o’ trouble.” - -“Mebby I kin,” Tom assured him, sticking out his huge chest. “If -it’s in the Bible ye’ve come ter the right man and don’t ye fergit -it. What is it?” - -“Wall,” Cap’n Seth began slowly, scratching his head. “It’s like -this. I’ve wanted fer a long time ter know why Moses didn’t take iny -giraffes inter the ark.” - -The big foreman slowly and thoughtfully scratched his head. He felt -that his reputation as a Bible scholar was at stake and did not want -to make a mistake. He thought for a moment without speaking, then, a -look of relief coming to his face, he asked: - -“And how do yer know thot he didn’t?” - -“Tom, I’m surprised at yer. I thought ye knew sumpin about the -Scriptures and yer don’t even know that Moses didn’t take any -giraffes inter the ark. Wall, wall, kin ye beat it?” - -Tom, feeling more than ever uncertain of his ground, hastily -endeavored to regain his lost prestige by saying: - -“Ter be sure I knowed it, but I jest wanted ter be sure as how ye -knowed it.” - -“That’s a leetle too thin, Tom, but we’ll let it go if ye kin give -me the rason,” Cap’n Seth declared, with a sly wink at the boys. - -“Sure and that’s aisy,” he declared, after a moment’s deep thought. -“It was because the blamed critters were too tall fer the ark, of -course.” - -“Too tall yer eye,” the captain snorted. “Ye got ter do better’n -that or go ter the foot o’ the class.” - -Tom, seeing that his answer had failed to satisfy and none too sure -of his ground in his own mind, scratched his head for several -moments in deep thought. Finally he said: - -“It’s meself thot’ll bet a good five cent cigar thot thot ere -question ain’t answered at all in the Bible.” - -“An’ I’ll take the bet,” Cap’n Seth quickly replied. “An’ we leave -it ter Bob ter say who wins.” - -“Right ye are. Jest a minute and I’ll git me Bible,” Tom said, -starting toward the bedroom which opened out of the office. - -“Port yer helm there,” the captain shouted. “We don’t need nary -Bible ter settle this bet.” - -“And why not?” Tom asked, turning back. - -“Because I kin give yer the answer,” the captain assured him. - -“Oh, ye kin, eh? Wall, what is it?” Tom asked. - -“Wall, ye see it’s like this, I reckon. Moses didn’t take any -giraffes inter the ark cause Moses wasn’t born till about a thousand -years after the ark had finished her voyage. Noah had charge o’ that -cruise, ye poor fish.” - -For an instant a puzzled expression stole over the face of the -Irishman, and then, as the fact that he had been made the butt of a -joke worked its way into his mind, he burst out laughing, and the -boys joined in heartily. Great was the Irishman’s relief when he -realized that, after all, his reputation as a Bible scholar had not -suffered. - -“I owe ye the cigar all right, all right,” he declared, as soon as -he could speak. “Sure and thot’s a good one, so it is. I’ll spring -thot on Father Maginnis the next time I see him, so I will.” - -Just then the dinner horn sent its welcome blast through the vast -forest and the captain quickly leaped to his chair and, followed by -the others, started for the mess house. The meal was a hurried one, -as they were anxious to get the big raft started despite the -captain’s assurance that Big Ben would be far behind them. They all -knew the advantage of getting the first raft of logs over the big -dam at the outlet. - -In addition to the captain, the Comet boasted of a crew of two. Tim -Sullivan, engineer and fireman combined, was a big Irishman with red -hair and was, of course, called Reds by all who knew him. The other -member of the crew was a half-breed by the name of Joe Gasson. Joe -was a small man, about thirty years old, but what he lacked in size -he more than made up for in strength and quickness. - -“That Joe, he’s quicker nor a cat,” Cap’n Seth was wont to say. - -Joe Gasson was deck hand and general utility man. - -“Can’t say as how I jest like the looks o’ that weather,” Cap’n Seth -said to Bob, as he cast a weather eye toward the west. - -“You think it’s going to storm?” - -“Can’t say fer sartain this time o’ year, but I’m kinder afeard of -it.” - -The Comet had just left the wharf and was backing up to the raft. - -“Hold her thar now,” Tom shouted from his position on the raft, -where he stood holding the big three-inch hawser which was already -fastened to the key of the raft. The stern of the steamer was now -almost touching the log and Tom threw the rope to Joe who quickly -made it fast to the snubbing post. - -“All right now. Let her go,” Tom shouted, as he turned and ran over -the logs toward the shore. - -Slowly the steamer started forward, the hawser straightening out -until there was a space of about fifty feet between the boat and the -raft. Then it tightened and the steamer came to an abrupt stop. It -takes a vast amount of pulling to overcome the inertia of 30,000 big -logs and the water boiled and churned at the stern as the blades of -the propeller beat it into foam. The Comet, built on the lines of a -tug boat, was a powerful craft and soon began to move slowly through -the water again, while the raft gradually took on the shape of a -huge flatiron. - -“Hurrah! She’s moving,” Jack shouted. - -Bob and Jack, together with a half dozen of the men of the camp, -were to cross with the raft, and the two boys were standing in the -stern eagerly watching the starting of the logs. The big hawser, -tight as a steel cable, groaned with the tremendous strain. -Fortunately the wind, which had been blowing from the northwest, had -died down to a light breeze. One would hardly think that an opposing -wind would make much difference, as the logs lying so low in the -water offer but a small surface to it; but when the surface of each -log above the water line is multiplied by 30,000, the product is an -enormous area. As a matter of fact, it is impossible for a boat to -tow a raft against a very strong wind, and often, in spite of its -great pulling power, the steamer is dragged backward sometimes at a -rate of several miles an hour. - -It was all of a half hour before the raft was fairly in motion and -even then, as Jack declared, “you’d have to sight by a tree or -something to be sure that you were moving.” - -“Well, we’re off at last, Cap’n Seth,” Bob said, as the captain -joined them in the stern. - -“Yep, we’re on the move,” he replied, as he examined the hawser to -see if it was securely fastened. - -“How about the weather?” Jack asked. - -“Wall neuw,” and the captain took a hasty glance toward the west. -“I’m a thinkin’ we’ll have a bit o’ weather afore dark, but I’m -hopin’ as how we may git across afore it strikes us. It’s twelve -miles straight across to East Outlet an’ we kin make it in about -five hours if the pesky wind don’t blow any harder nor it is neuw, -but I don’t jest like the looks o’ that bank o’ clouds over thar,” -and he pointed toward the west where the boys could see a heavy -looking fringe of leaden colored clouds. - -Very slowly the steamer gained speed until the captain assured them -that they were making almost three miles an hour, which is -considered very good unless the wind is in the right direction. - -“That bank of clouds is getting higher all the time, Jack,” Bob -declared, as for the hundredth time he cast an anxious glance toward -them. - -“And the wind is blowing harder than it was too,” Jack returned. “I -don’t believe we’re making more’n a couple miles an hour.” - -“We’re not exactly exceeding the speed limit,” Bob grinned, as he -glanced down at the water. - -They had been on the way for nearly two hours and were about a third -of the way across. Off to the left, about a half a mile distant, was -Sugar Island, the largest of the many islands which dot the lake. -Sugar Island has an area of some 5,000 acres. - -“We’re not going to make it before dark, that’s certain,” Bob said -about an hour later. “We’re not making more’n a mile an hour I’ll -bet and the wind is getting stronger every minute.” - -The sky, which during the day had been nearly free of clouds, was -now entirely overcast with dark rapidly moving banks of mist, and -the wind had increased from a light breeze to a strong blow which -came in fitful gusts. - -“We’re jest barely holdin’ our own,” declared Cap’n Seth, who again -joined them. “If she gits any stronger we’ll begin to drift. Ought -ter had better sense than ter start out when my rheumatics kept -tellin’ me that a storm was a comin’. Them ere rheumatics are better -nor a barometer for ter tell when a storm’s a comin’. Never knew ’em -ter tell a lie yet,” and he slowly shook his head as he glanced up -at the sky. - -Even as he spoke the first drop of the coming storm began to beat -against their faces, and in less than five minutes the rain was -coming down in earnest. - -“Me for the engine room,” Bob shouted, as he left the stern and made -his way forward followed by Jack and the captain. - -“Givin’ her all ye got, Reds?” the latter asked, as he reached the -open door of the engine room. - -“Sure an’ I am thot,” Reds replied, glancing at the steam gage. -“Faith an’ she’s pullin’ fer all she’s worth.” - -“Gee, listen to that wind,” Jack said a little later, from his perch -on the coal bin. “I’ll be a fig we’re not holding our own now,” he -added, as he jumped down. “Come on Bob, let’s put on these rubber -coats and go out and see what’s doing.” - -Outside in the stern of the boat they found the captain and the rest -of the men watching the big raft as it heaved and groaned in the -heavy sea. - -“We’ll hit Sugar Island in another ten minutes,” he shouted, as he -caught sight of the boys. - -The rain was now falling in torrents and the wind was roaring in -furious blasts which shook the little steamer in all her timbers. -Darkness was falling rapidly, although it was still light enough for -them to see the island now only a few rods astern. Already the -captain was loosening the hawser preparatory to casting it off as -soon as the raft should strike. - -“Will she break up, Cap’n?” Bob shouted. - -“Dunno, she may hold together and she may not,” was the -unsatisfactory reply. - -At that moment the farther end of the big raft struck the beach and -with a grinding crash the logs began to pile up as the wind drove -them forward. At the same instant the captain slipped the last coil -of the rope from the snubbling post and the boat, freed from its -drag, leaped forward. - - - - - CHAPTER III - - WHERE IS THE COMET? - - -From Moosehead Lake to Waterville, by the way of the Kennebec River, -is about one hundred miles. A log, starting from the lake and making -the trip without a stop, would make the trip in from two to three -days. The annual drive of logs, comprising upward of 100,000,000, -usually starts the first of May, and on account of jams and other -delays, it is usually a matter of several weeks before a given log -reaches its destination. - -The boys knew that their father had been very anxious to get that -particular raft of logs over the dam and started down the river at -the earliest possible moment, as the contract called for delivery of -not less than ten thousand logs by the first of June. - -“It’s too bad we couldn’t have got across with that raft,” Bob -declared a few minutes later, after he had returned to the engine -room accompanied by Jack and the captain. “What are we going to do -now?” he asked, as he removed his dripping coat. - -“I told Joe to head her back to the camp,” the captain replied. -“It’ll prob’ly take several days ter git them logs off the island -ready ter tow agin, an’ knowin’ as how yer dad is in a hurry, it’ll -be quicker ter start with another one soon’s this storm blows out.” - -It was as Jack declared, “dark enough to cut with a knife,” by the -time they reached the wharf. The rain had ceased and the wind had -nearly died down. A few stars were visible, dimly peeking through -the rifts in the clouds, giving promise of a fair day on the morrow. - -Tom Bean was on the wharf as Cap’n Seth carefully warped the steamer -in. - -“Did ye git the raft across?” he asked anxiously, as Bob jumped from -the boat. - -“Sure and I feared as mooch,” he said, after Bob had told him that -the raft was beached on Sugar Island. “It’s too bad, so it is, but -we got another one ready ter be towed afore the storm struck, but -it’s meself as thought as how we were goin’ ter lose it entirely fer -awhile when the wind was blowin’ the hardest. But we managed ter -hold her and yer kin start the first thing in the morning.” - -“Yes, we’ll have to let those logs rest there till we get some -started down the river,” Bob said, as he glanced up at the sky. “I -guess it’ll be a good day tomorrow and I don’t think the boom broke -so I guess they won’t scatter any.” - -It was intensely dark in the bunk house when Bob awoke. It was so -unusual for him to wake up during the night that for a moment he lay -wondering what had disturbed him. All was still except for a variety -of snores from members of the crew, but he was used to them and knew -that they were not responsible. A glance at the luminous face of his -watch told him that it was but a little past two o’clock. He turned -over and settled himself to go to sleep again, when suddenly he -realized that he was very thirsty. - -Pulling a small flashlight from beneath his pillow, he quietly -slipped from the bunk and stole softly across the room toward the -door which opened into the kitchen. - -“Of course the pail is empty,” he muttered a moment later. “Well, -that means that I’ve got to get dressed and go out to the pump. I -can’t go to sleep till I get a drink, that’s sure.” - -So stealing quietly back to his bunk, he quickly: drew on his -clothes and a moment later the front door had closed quietly behind -him. - -The pump from which they obtained drinking water was close to the -office building, some three hundred yards from the bunk house, and -almost half that distance from the lake. It was not nearly as dark -as in the early part of the night, as the moon was shining through -the light clouds making it possible to see for some little distance. - -Just before he reached the pump an opening in the woods gave him a -view of the wharf. - -“Well, what do you know about that?” he said aloud, as he came to a -sudden stop. “Where in the world is the Comet?” and the next moment -he was running rapidly down the path toward the lake. - -His question was soon answered, for as he reached the end of the -wharf he could see, in the dim light, the form of the boat some -hundred yards off shore. - -“Mighty funny how she got loose,” he muttered, as he looked about -him. Then, seeing that the rope was still tied to the post, he -stooped down and quickly pulled it in. It was a short job, as only a -few feet of it remained. Eagerly he examined the end. - -“Looks as though she had chafed it through,” he declared, as he saw -the frayed end. “I don’t understand it though, as Cap’n Seth is too -careful a man to tie up a boat so that it would chafe.” - -A very light breeze was blowing and he could not, for the moment, -see that the boat was moving; but, as he watched it, he realized -that it was slowly drifting down the lake. - -“Guess I’d better go get Cap’n Seth,” he thought, as he turned back -toward the camp. - -He was half way to the bunk house when he stopped as a thought -struck him. - -“Pshaw,” he said half aloud. “There’s no use in waking him up. I can -take the canoe and bring her in myself. I know how to run her.” - -He turned and ran back to the little shed behind the office where -the canoe was kept, stopping only long enough at the pump to get his -delayed drink. A few moments later he was sending the light craft -rapidly through the water toward the drifting steamer. - -“Guess I’d better be careful,” he thought, as he got to within a few -yards of the boat. “It’s just possible that there might be someone -aboard her.” - -So for a time he let the canoe drift, as he strained his ears to -listen. But no sound, save the soft lapping of the water against the -side of the steamer came to him, and dipping his paddle noiselessly -in the water, he soon grasped the side of the boat. Again he waited -and listened. - -“I guess it’s all right,” he thought, as he stepped softly into the -stern of the steamer and lifting the light canoe from the water -placed it bottom up across the back of the boat. - -This accomplished, he crept softly forward toward the engine room, -stopping every few feet to listen. The door of the engine room was -closed, and as he reached it he again paused and placed his ear -against it. Was it fancy or could he hear someone inside the room -breathing? - -“I don’t know whether I’m hearing things or not,” he thought as he -stepped back a bit, “but it sounds as though there’s somebody in -there asleep.” - -After thinking the matter over for a few minutes, he drew the -flashlight from his pocket and stepping forward, placed his hand on -the door knob. Carefully, without making the slightest sound, he -pushed open the door a few inches and again listened. No longer was -there any doubt as to the room being occupied. The deep breathing of -a man was plainly audible. He pushed the door open still farther and -quickly threw the light of the flash within the room. There on the -floor in front of the furnace, with his back against the coal bin, -was a man fast asleep. Bob recognized him at once as an employee of -Big Ben Donahue. A few months before, as recorded in a previous -volume, Bob had prevented him from selling or giving liquor to the -men of his father’s crew. It was the same man beyond the shadow of a -doubt, and Bob grinned as he quietly closed the door, as the -remembrance of his former encounter with the man flashed through his -mind. - -He had closed the door and crept back to the stern of the boat in -order to have time to consider what was best to be done. There was -not much doubt in his mind as to the way things lay. That it was a -move on the part of Big Ben to delay them in getting a raft of logs -started down the river he did not doubt. Knowing that the wind was -blowing down the lake, he would figure that it would not be -necessary to start the engine. The wind would carry the boat -directly past his camp, where the man would be taken off and the -steamer allowed to drift wherever the wind blew it after that. The -man had frayed the end of the rope, thus making it appear that it -had chafed in two. The one weak point in his scheme was that his man -had fallen asleep on the job. - -“So far so good,” Bob mused. “And now what’s the next move?” he -asked himself. - -For a moment he considered hitting him with a stick of wood just -hard enough to stun him, but he immediately dismissed that plan -knowing that he would never be able to bring himself to hit a -sleeping man. He had been aware of a strong odor of cheap whiskey in -the engine room and the knowledge that the man was undoubtedly drunk -was, he considered, a point in his favor, and he determined to try -to tie him up without waking him. He had, during the trip the -previous day, noticed several pieces of small rope in the engine -room, and had no doubt about being able to quickly find something to -answer his purpose. His mind once made up, he hesitated no longer. - -Quickly he stepped to the door and again pushed it open. His light -showed him that the man had not moved. A bracket lamp was fastened -to the wall just inside the door and making as little noise as -possible he struck a match and lighted it. Still the man did not -move. He found the bits of rope without difficulty and selecting two -pieces suitable for his purpose he knelt in front of the sleeping -man. Carefully he raised first one foot and then the other, and -slipped the rope beneath them. He was congratulating himself that -the man was too sound asleep to be easily awakened, when suddenly -without the slightest warning, he sprang to his feet. Bob quickly -followed his example and for an instant the two stood facing each -other. - -For only a moment however did the man hesitate, then stepping -quickly forward he aimed a vicious blow at Bob’s head with his huge -fist. Bob dodged the blow easily, and as the man’s impetus carried -him slightly off his balance, the boy succeeded in getting in a good -stiff punch just behind the ear. The blow staggered the man for an -instant and he reeled against the side of the room. Had Bob followed -up the blow he might have ended the fight at once, as the man was -more or less dazed from the blow coming when he was only half awake. -But he failed to take advantage of the opportunity and in another -minute it was too late. The man quickly recovered himself, and -maddened to the point of frenzy by the blow, he rushed at the boy. -The room was so small that there was little space to dodge, and -although Bob succeeded in getting in another blow on the nose, which -started the blood, the man seized him about the waist in his -powerful arms and in another instant they were rolling over and over -on the floor. - -Almost instantly Bob realized that so far as mere strength went he -was no match for the burly Frenchman. He must pit his skill against -the strength of his antagonist. Almost at once the Frenchman secured -a grip on Bob’s throat, but he had managed to free himself before -the man could shut off his wind. It was this hold that he feared and -he exerted all his skill to prevent a recurrence of it and for a -time was successful. But soon, despite his best efforts, the -Frenchman again got his huge hand on his throat and this time the -boy was not able to squirm free. Quickly the man’s grasp tightened -and Bob realized that unless something happened the fight would soon -be over. At that instant, just when the man’s grip had tightened so -that he was hardly able to breathe, the thought of a trick which he -had learned some years before, flashed into his mind. - -The Frenchman had only one of his hands about Bob’s throat and the -other was pressing against his left shoulder. Quickly working his -right hand beneath the man’s arm, he seized hold of his wrist with -both hands, and exerting all his strength, gave it a quick twist. -The bone snapped with an audible crack and the man, with a cry of -pain, leaped to his feet and Bob at once did likewise. - -For a moment the Frenchman seemed too dazed to speak, then as he -tried in vain to lift the injured arm, he whispered hoarsely: - -“You hav’ bust dat arm.” - -Bob saw at once that all the fight had been taken out of the man. - -“It’s too bad it had to be done,” he said not unkindly, “but it was -the only way I could keep you from choking me to death. Now,” he -continued in a firm tone, as the Frenchman looked at him, his face -contorted with both anger and pain, “if you want to save yourself a -good deal of trouble with that arm you’ll not try to hinder me but -let me get this boat back to the wharf as soon as possible.” - -“Oui, I no bother you,” the man groaned, as he sank into an old -chair. - -Bob at once threw open the door of the furnace, and seeing that the -fire was in fair shape, he put on a couple of shovelsfull of coal -and opened the drafts. There was nothing more he could do until he -had a head of steam. - -“Arm pain you much?” he asked, as he sat down on the doorstep. - -“Oui, she hurt plenty mooch,” the man growled. - -“Why did you try to steal the boat?” - -“Non. I no try steal boat,” the Frenchman denied. “I been up North -East Carry. Geet lost comin’ back and ver’ tired. See boat, and geet -in to tak’ rest. Dat rope she must bust. Boat drift off. I know -nuttin ’bout it till I wake up, see you try tie me up.” - -“Hum, it’s mighty strange how a boat could chafe an inch and a half -rope in two with almost no wind blowing,” Bob returned shaking his -head. “No, I’m afraid it won’t go down. I’m sorry about your arm, -but I didn’t much fancy being choked to death. Tom Bean will set it -for you and he can do as good a job as any doctor.” - -“But I lose my wages,” the man whined. - -“I suppose so,” Bob replied. “But that’s your fault. You tried to -kill me and I had to protect myself.” - -By this time a glance at the steam gage told Bob that there was -enough steam to start the boat, and opening the valve he soon had -the boat moving slowly through the water. - -“Now I’ll have to go to the pilot-house to steer her,” he announced, -“and if you try any funny business you’ll be a long time getting -that arm fixed.” - -Without waiting for the man to reply, Bob quickly made his way to -the pilot-house. The boat was headed down the lake and he swung her -in a long curve and soon had her pointed toward the camp. He had set -the steam for slow speed and as the boat was within about a hundred -feet of the wharf he rushed back to the engine room and shut it off. -The man still sat in the chair and had apparently not moved. Quickly -returning to the pilot-house, he saw that the boat had made more -progress than he had judged she would, and realized that she would -hit the wharf too hard for safety. So he had to throw the wheel over -as far as he could. The boat responded nobly, but even so he missed -the wharf by only a few inches. - -“That was a bit too close for comfort,” he declared, as the boat -moved slowly up the lake. - -The steamer was fully a hundred feet from the wharf when she finally -lost headway. - -“It’s a whole lot harder to run a steamboat alone than I thought,” -he said aloud. “I wonder if I can pole her in. Here goes for a try -anyhow.” - -Bob knew that there was a long pole out on the deck, and in another -minute he was trying to use it but the water was too deep. He was -unable to touch bottom. - -“So near and yet so far,” he grinned, as he laid the pole down on -the deck. “Guess I’ll have to wait till the wind carries her in a -bit.” - -Fortunately the wind, what there was of it, was in the right -direction and soon he could see that the boat was slowly but surely -getting nearer the wharf. He waited a few minutes and then tried -again with the pole. This time he could easily touch bottom, and -soon the bow of the boat gently hit the wharf. It was the work of -but a moment to make her fast and then he returned to the engine -room. - -“All right now,” he greeted the Frenchman, who still sat in the -chair looking, as he afterward told Jack, as though he had lost his -last friend. “Come on and we’ll get Tom out of bed and he’ll set -your arm.” - -It was a little after four o’clock when they reached the office. The -door was not locked, and opening it Bob stepped inside closely -followed by his patient. - -Tom Bean slept in a little bedroom which opened out of the office. -The door of this room was closed, and as soon as he had a light -going, Bob knocked loudly on it. - -“Who’s there?” came a sleepy demand. - -“It’s I, Tom,” Bob replied. “Can I come in?” - -“Sure you kin,” and Bob pushed open the door and entered the room. - -“Faith and what do yer mane by wakin’ an honest mon at this time o’ -night?” Tom demanded as he sat up in bed. - -Bob sat down on the edge of the bed and quickly told him what had -happened. - -“Well, I’ll be jiggered,” the foreman said, when he had finished. -“Ye sure do bate the bugs when it comes ter gettin’ into scrapes, so -yer does. But,” he added hastily, “Yere like a cat and allays land -on yer fate.” - -“But hurry up and get some clothes on, Tom. The poor fellow must be -suffering and his arm needs looking after. I’ll get a fire going -while you get dressed.” - -It only took Tom a few minutes to get into his clothes, but by the -time he was dressed Bob had a fire roaring in the stove. - -“So ye’ve been tryin’ some more of yer dirty work, hey,” Tom said -sternly, as he stepped close to the Frenchman who was standing near -the stove. - -“Non, non, I——” he began, but Tom stopped him. - -“Sure and ye might as well save yer breath cause I wouldn’t belave -yer on a stack o’ Bibles.” But although he spoke roughly, the -kind-hearted Irishman was as gentle as a woman as he set about his -work. It was not a bad break, he assured the man after a careful -examination. - -Setting a broken arm was nothing new to Tom, and, as Bob had -declared, he could do it as well as a doctor. In the lumber camps of -the Big Maine woods, broken arms and legs are common and in many -cases it would be a long time before a doctor could be reached. So -Tom had learned how to do the work, and in his years of lumbering -had had considerable practice. - -The Frenchman stood the operation with a sullen stoicism, although -the pain must have been severe. - -“Thar, begorra, thot’s as good a job as iny doc’d do,” Tom declared, -as he finished binding the arm to a strip of board. “Ye’ll have as -good a flipper as ever in three or four weeks, but if ye want to -enjoy good health it’s meself as advises ye ter give us a wide -berth.” - -The Frenchman gave no word of thanks, but announced that he would be -on the way. Bob helped him on with his coat and in another minute he -was gone. - -“He sure’s a hard nut,” Tom declared. “And you want ter look out fer -him. He’ll do yer dirt if ever he gits a chance.” - -It was nearly five o’clock and they decided that a game of checkers -would be the best way to kill time until breakfast. So Bob got out -the board and soon they were deep in the interest of the game. - - - - - CHAPTER IV - - THE RACE - - -“That’s three games to your four,” Bob announced a little later, as -the loud blast of a horn told them that breakfast was ready. - -“Sure and yer no nade ter rub it in. It’s meself as knows that yer -now siven games ahead, but I’ll be after catchin’ up wid yer ’fore -the spring’s over.” Tom grinned as he put the board away. “But come -on, let’s be after makin’ it snappy. We want ter git started wid -thot raft jest as soon as we kin, or Big Ben’ll be after gittin’ in -forninst us.” - -It was barely light when the Comet was hitched to the second raft -ready for another try. Bob and Tom agreed that it would be best to -say nothing about the adventure of the night to anyone except Jack -and Cap’n Seth. The captain, of course, had to be told, as he was -quick to notice that the steamer was not tied as he had left her, -and Bob had no hesitation in telling his brother. - -“That must have been a peach of a fight,” the latter declared, after -Bob had told him about it. - -“It was while it lasted,” Bob assured him. “I’m mighty sorry that I -had to break his arm, but it was that or have the life choked out of -me and——” - -“You did just right, of course,” Jack interrupted. “No one could -blame you, so don’t worry about it.” - -“Look, Jack,” Bob suddenly cried, as he caught his brother by the -arm. - -“There’s the Twilight towing one of Ben’s rafts.” - -“Sure’s your born,” Jack agreed. “It’s going to be a race to see -who’ll get across first.” - -“It’ll be a race all right,” Bob said quietly. “A race of snails at -about two miles an hour.” - -“That’s about the size of it,” Jack laughed. “But the Comet can beat -the Twilight any day so I don’t think we need to worry.” - -“I’m not so sure about that last part of what you said,” Bob replied -soberly. “It’s true that the Comet is the faster boat in an even -race, but unless I’m much mistaken, the Twilight is hitched on to a -smaller raft than the one we’re towing.” - -“Jimminy crickets, you’re right. I never thought about that,” and -Jack too looked sober. “Let’s go and ask Cap’n Seth what he thinks -about it.” - -They found the captain in the pilot-house steering. - -“I dunno,” he replied in answer to their question. “Course the -Comet’s the faster boat, but if the Twilight’s hitched on to a -smaller raft she might beat us. Reckon we’ll jest hav’ ter wait an’ -see. Give her all she’ll stand, Reds,” he shouted through the -speaking tube. - -The wind, which was light, was with them this time, and they were -making good progress, but so was the Twilight. The two boats were -now about two miles apart and it was plain, from the dense clouds of -black smoke, that they were issuing from the Twilight’s stack, that -her captain also was pushing her to the limit. - -“Cap’n Bill may be nuthin’ but a kid, but he knows how ter git out -o’ the Twilight all the speed that’s in her,” Cap’n Seth told them -as he cast an anxious eye from the window toward the other boat. -“An’ he ain’t got more’n about 20,000 logs in that raft, an’ we’ve -got thirty, an’ it takes a lot o’ power ter pull that extra 10,000 -through the water, let me tell yer.” - -An hour passed and still another, and it could not be seen that -either boat had gained on the other. Their course toward the same -goal was bringing them, all the time, closer together and now they -were not more than a mile apart. - -“Tom made a mistake when he didn’t fix up a small raft for us to tow -across,” Bob declared, as he leaned on the rail and watched the -other boat. “Then we’d have been there first without any trouble.” - -“No doubt about that,” Jack agreed, “but it’s too late now and I -believe we’ll win out at that.” - -Two more hours slipped by without any change in the relative -positions of the two boats. They were making about two miles an hour -and were about half way across the lake. - -During the last hour Bob had been in the pilot-house with Cap’n -Seth, but now he joined his brother who was standing in the stern. - -“Of all the slow races this takes the cake,” he grumbled, as he sat -down on a coil of rope. - -“Yep, it’s all of that and then some,” Jack agreed. “I don’t believe -either boat has gained a foot in the last four hours. Suppose we -both get there at the same time?” - -“I don’t know what we’d do in that case unless we flipped a coin for -it,” Bob smiled. - -The boats were now not more than a mile apart and, in the clear air, -the boys could see a number of men in the stern of the Twilight. - -“I believe that’s Ben himself on board there,” Bob said. - -“Not much doubt of that,” Jack replied. “There’s no one else up here -as big as he is.” - -The outlet of Moosehead Lake into the Kennebec River is closed by a -large dam, near the center of which was a sluice through which the -logs were emptied into the river ten or twelve feet below the level -of the lake. Watertight gates close the passageway when desired, so -that by throwing the gates open the water in the river can be raised -a number of feet in a few minutes. During the latter part of the -driving season, when the water in the river is low, these gates are -usually opened once each day, sending what is called the “head” down -the river. - -Toward this dam the two boats were towing their rafts. Big Ben as -well as the boys knew that it was a case of first come first served -in the matter of getting the logs first through the sluice. Could he -but get there first and get his logs started down the river ahead of -the Golden logs, he felt sure that abundant opportunity would -present itself to cause delays. He hated the Goldens, first because -Mr. Golden had beaten him in bidding on a big contract the summer -before, and also because Bob and Jack had frustrated his attempts -during the winter to delay their work. Another sore point was in -regard to a very valuable tract of timber land, situated between the -two camps. He had found, a short time before the previous Christmas, -Mr. Golden’s deed to the land, and instead of returning it had kept -it, and by means of a forged deed had claimed the tract as his own. -But the boys had found the missing deed and Mr. Golden had had -little trouble in proving his title to the property. - -Big Ben Donahue was pacing the deck of the Twilight chewing -nervously on a big black cigar. Every minute or two his glance would -stray to the Comet, as he paced slowly back and forth. - -“We seem to be just about holding our own and no more,” he said to -the captain, a young man in his early twenties, as he stopped by the -pilot-house. - -“Just about,” the latter replied, as he shifted the wheel a few -points to the right. “They’ve got a bigger raft than we have, but -the Comet is a faster boat.” - -“Hum, well, it’ll be twenty dollars in your pocket if we get there -ahead,” the man said, as he again glanced toward the other boat. - -“Nothin’ doin,” the young captain replied quickly. “You hired this -boat and it’s my duty to get your logs across as soon’s I can an’ -I’m a doin’ it, but I don’t want your money.” - -Big Ben’s eyes snapped as he looked the boy in the face, but the -latter met his glance with a steady gaze and, without saying -anything more, the men soon walked away. - -“I hope we lose this race though I’ve got to do my best to win it,” -the young captain muttered, as he too glanced at the Comet. - -Big Ben stopped at the door of the engine room. The fireman was -leaning back in a chair in front of the furnace door, and as his -eyes were closed Ben judged that he was asleep. - -“Hey, there,” he shouted. “What do you think this is, bed time?” - -The fireman, a half-breed named Joe Cooley, slowly opened his eyes. - -“I no sleep,” he stammered. “I jest restin’, oui.” - -“Well, you tend to business and get some wood on the top of that -coal and see if you can’t get a little speed out of this tub,” Big -Ben ordered. - -“She no stan’ more. She bust, you put on wood, oui,” the fireman -asserted as he glanced at the steam gage. - -“Bust your eye,” Big Ben snorted. “Why, you’ve only got thirty -pounds there.” - -“Cap’n, him say nev’ geet more thirty pounds, she bust sure. Dat -safety valve, she no work, geet stuck, oui,” and the man shook his -head. - -“I believe the fellow’s lying,” Big Ben muttered to himself, as he -walked toward the stern. “She ought to carry forty pounds all -right.” - -A few minutes later, as he again paused at the door of the engine -room, he saw that no one was there. For a moment he hesitated as -though undecided what to do; then, glancing quickly and seeing the -coast was clear, he stepped into the room and threw open the furnace -door. - -“Hump, that’s not half a fire,” he muttered, as he glanced about -him. - -In a small bin to one side of the furnace he saw a few sticks of -wood, and moving with great quickness he threw four of the largest -pieces in on top of the coal. - -“There, I guess that’ll get some action out of her,” he muttered, as -he closed the furnace door and quickly left the room. - -The action was not long in manifesting itself, but not in the way he -desired. Big Ben was again up forward talking with the captain, when -a dull explosion came to their ears. - -“There, that old engine’s blown out a cylinder head again,” the -captain declared, as he left the wheel and started for the engine -room, closely followed by the angry man. - -By the time they reached the room the engine had stopped and the -room was filled with steam. - -“We’ll have to wait till she cools down,” the captain declared. -“Where’s Joe? I told him not to let her get above thirty pounds. She -blows off at thirty-two and the valve’s been sticking lately. -Haven’t had time to fix it yet.” - -Big Ben, knowing that he had lost the race through his own foolish -action, said nothing but turned away mentally kicking himself for a -meddling fool. - -“Oh, Bob, something has happend to the Twilight. See, she stopped,” -Jack shouted to his brother, who at that moment was talking with the -captain in the pilot-house. - -Bob, hearing the shout, came running out. - -“So she has,” he agreed, as soon as he got to his brother’s side. -“Well, here’s hoping that she stays stopped till we get a good lead -on her. Wonder what happened?” - -“If Ben had any reason for wanting to get ahead of us except to make -father lose out on his contract, I might feel sorry for him; but, as -it is, I don’t think that I shall shed any tears in his behalf.” And -Jack grinned cheerfully as he started toward the pilot-house. - -It was just four o’clock when they arrived at the dam. After some -discussion it was decided that it would be best to wait until -morning before beginning to shoot the logs through the sluice. There -was a fairly comfortable boarding house near the outlet and in it -the boys stayed, together with the members of the crew, who had been -chosen to drive this first batch of logs to its destination. - -They were up early the following morning, and the sun was barely -showing itself when the gates were thrown open and the big logs -began to shoot down into the waters of the Kennebec. To the boys it -was a glorious sight to see the logs taking their initial dive into -the foaming water below the dam. - -The drivers, with their calked boots, were running here and there on -the logs, busy with their peaveys in keeping them running free so -that there would be no jam in the sluiceway. In this work the boys -took no part, as it was work requiring a high degree of skill, which -could be acquired only by long experience. Often situations arose -where a misstep or a moment’s hesitation would be fatal, as the -current was very swift and to be drawn into the sluiceway meant -almost certain death. - -By nine o’clock the last log was through, and the river, below the -dam, was filled with the floating logs. The boys were to assist in -driving them down, and in a very short time after the last of them -were out of the lake they found themselves, peaveys in hand, slowly -floating down the river. - -It was strenuous work to keep all the logs in motion. Those at the -sides were forever catching along the bank of the river and must be -pried loose, and there was always the likelihood of a jam resulting -should any of the front logs catch on an obstruction in the river. -Then the logs behind, urged on by the irresistible force of the -current, would pile up in a tangled mass, often many deep. It was at -such times that seconds counted. Could the key log be located and be -pried out in time the mass would begin to move again, but often this -would be impossible and dynamite would have to be used. - -Big Jean Larue was in charge of the crew and, as Tom Bean often -declared, a better river driver never handled a peavey. - -A few miles from the lake the river makes a sharp bend. Here the -current is very swift and it is a place dreaded by the drivers as it -requires quick and hard work to avoid a jam. Shallow water and large -rocks, many of which are only a short distance beneath the rapidly -swirling water, add to the difficulties. But at this time of year -the melting snow makes the river higher than usual, and all hoped -that they would be able to get past the bend without trouble. - -It was about the middle of the afternoon when the head of the drive -reached the rapids. - -“Now for some fun and a fast ride,” Jack shouted, as the speed of -the log he was riding increased. - -“You be mighty careful,” yelled Bob, who was on a big log some forty -feet to the right. “This is a nasty place for a spill.” - -The boys were within a few logs of the head of the drive, Jack being -near the center of the river and Bob well over toward the right -bank. Four of the men, including Jean, were near the left bank where -they were having all they could do in keeping the logs from jamming -up on the shore. - -“They’re running mighty close,” Jack declared to himself, as he saw -the head of the drive start to take the curve. - -The river at this point was not more than a hundred feet wide and -the words had hardly left his lips when the thing which they had all -dreaded happened. The logs were crowded too closely together and as -they reached the sharp bend they suddenly jammed. - -“Back for your life,” Bob shouted; and Jack, quick to see what had -happened, turned and ran from log to log diagonally back toward the -right bank. - -He reached the shore in safety, and as he stopped beside Bob he -gasped: - -“Just look at them pile up.” - -“Some mess, I’ll say,” Bob returned, as he watched the huge logs, -urged on by the rapid current, pile one on top of the other, until -many of them were several feet above the level of the river. - -It was all over in a few minutes, and where a short time before had -been a scene of swiftly moving logs, now there was no motion -visible, only a confused mass reaching from shore to shore, hiding -the water, and stationary. - -To be sure only at the head and reaching back a distance of some -thirty feet were the logs piled up to any extent. Back of them the -logs had been brought to a stop more gently and had not “climbed.” -But it was bad enough and both boys looked sober as they waited for -Jean, who was rapidly making his way across the logs toward them. - -“I tink we hav’ one mess, oui,” he declared, as he joined them. - -“I know it,” Bob agreed. “What are you going to do?” - -“Mebby one log hold ’em,” he said, as he waved his hand to the rest -of the crew who were still some distance away. “We find heem an’ -geet heem loose, all the logs go mebby. No find heem we hav’ use der -powder.” - -As soon as the rest of the crew came up, they started for the middle -of the river. - -“She one ver’ bad jam,” Jean declared, as they reached the very -front of the drive. - -For an hour they all worked, first at one log and then at another, -hoping to locate one which would prove to be the “key.” Several -times they thought they had hit it as, a log being pried loose, they -were conscious of a quiver in the mass. But each time it was a false -alarm, and at the end of the hour Jean declared that it was no use -to try any longer. - -He called to Bob, who at the moment was a little to his right, and -as soon as he came to his side he said: - -“I tink we put ’bout three sticks right dar,” pointing to a place -where several logs were closely massed together, “mebby she start, -hey?” - -“You’re the doctor,” Bob said, shaking his head. “But it looks to me -as though nothing short of an earthquake would start them.” - -“Well, we try heem,” Jean said, as he started back toward the rear -of the drive. - -He was back in a few minutes, carrying the dynamite together with a -battery outfit which he had gotten from the big scow, which always -accompanies the drive, loaded with supplies. - -“Now we feex heem,” Jean declared, and in a short time the three -sticks of dynamite had been placed where Jean thought they would do -the most good. - -Soon the wires were connected and laid over the logs to the shore, -and all was ready to close the circuit. - -“Let her go,” Jean shouted, and Bob pressed the button. - -But, to their surprise, nothing happened. Again and again he closed -the circuit, but with no result. - -“Guess we got a bum connection somewhere,” he declared, as he began -to inspect the wire. - -“Every connection’s all right now,” he declared a few minutes later, -after he had examined the last one. - -But again nothing happened when he pressed the button. - -“Must be the batteries are dead,” Jack volunteered. - -“Shouldn’t wonder,” Bob agreed, as he began to examine the cells. -“They look like old ones.” - -“I go see eef Bill got more,” Jean said, and started back on a run. - -“Heem no more have, but I got one bon piece fuse he had. I feex heem -ver’ queek,” Jean said, as he returned a few minutes later. - -It was the work of but a moment to substitute the fuse for the wire, -and the boys from their position on the bank soon saw the Frenchman -strike a match and apply the light to the end of the fuse which was -about a foot long. Instantly it began to sputter, and turning -quickly Jean started for the bank. He had made but three or four -steps, however, when, to their horror, they saw him stumble and -fall. A log had rolled beneath his feet. - -“Make it snappy,” Bob shouted at the top of his voice. - -“His foot’s caught,” Jack yelled, and Bob saw that what his brother -had said was true. - -They could see that the Frenchman was making Herculean efforts to -free himself. - -“He may not be able to do it in time,” Bob gasped, as he started on -the run across the logs. - -The boy knew that the fuse would burn but a short minute, and that -if he failed to reach it in time, he as well as Jean would probably -be killed. But the man was in the greatest danger and the boy never -hesitated. As he jumped from log to log he breathed a prayer that he -might get there in time. He could see the fuse sputtering fiercely -and growing rapidly shorter. How heavy his feet felt. It seemed like -some hideous nightmare. He could hear Jack shouting for him to come -back, but he paid no heed to the commands. But one thought filled -his mind. He must get to that fuse before the fire reached the -dynamite. - -“I must, I must,” he said aloud, as he took the logs with flying -leaps. - -The end of the fuse had disappeared as he reached the spot, and he -knew that only an inch or two remained. Quickly he shoved his hand -between the two logs, and grabbing hold of the fuse he gave it a -sharp jerk and flung it far out into the water. As it went flying -through the air, he could see that less than two inches remained. - -A strange feeling of weakness stole over him as he realized how near -he had been to death, and he sank down on a log and buried his face -in his arms. - -In another minute Jack had his arms about him, and the tears running -down his cheeks was imploring him to look up. Bob had not fainted -and after a moment his strength began to come back and he got slowly -to his feet. - -“It was close, awful close, Jack boy,” he whispered. “But thank God -I made it in time.” - -“And it was the bravest thing I ever saw,” Jack declared. - -Then, as if by one impulse, the brothers knelt there on the logs, -and, with arms about each other, they thanked God for His goodness. - -“But we must see to Jean,” Bob cried, as he sprang to his feet. - -They found the Frenchman still tugging to get his foot free. - -“Just a minute, old fellow, and we’ll have you out,” Bob said, as he -bent to examine the log which held the man prisoner. “Catch hold -here, Jack, and when I give the word lift as hard as you can.” - -It was a hard lift, but by exerting all their strength they were -able to move the log enough to permit Jean to pull his foot out. -Fortunately, except for a little skin rubbed off in his efforts to -get the foot free, the man was uninjured. - -“You save my life one more time, oui,” the Frenchman said soberly, -as they made their way to the shore. “I, Jean Larue, never forgeet -heem. Sometime I pay you back, oui.” - - - - - CHAPTER V - - BOB AND JACK RECEIVE SOME NEWS - - -In spite of the protests of both Bob and Jack that he wait until -they could get some new cells, Jean got another fuse from the scow -and soon he was again speeding for the shore, leaving the sputtering -fuse behind him. This time he reached the bank in safety, and a -moment later the explosion came, with a roar which shook the earth -beneath their feet. It seemed to the boys as though a mighty hand -was tearing the huge logs apart. Breathlessly they waited to see -what the result of the blast would be. - -“Hurrah, she’s moving,” Jack shouted a moment later. “If only they -don’t get caught again.” - -The blast, however, had been placed at the right point, and soon the -entire drive was again in motion. - -About three miles farther down the river was the first of their -camps, where they were to spend the night. These camps are large, -low structures, built of unpeeled logs and fitted with many bunks -and equipment for preparing meals. They are situated at intervals of -eight or ten miles and are owned and used by all the different -companies which are engaged in the logging industry along the -Kennebec and its tributaries. - -From this point the logs are left much to themselves to make their -way down the river. The drivers follow after and keep a close watch -along the banks for stray logs which have caught and been left -behind. Except in case of a jam the main drive is always ahead of -the men. - -It was nearly dark when they reached the camp, and they were all -tired from the strenuous work of the day. A roaring fire was soon -sending its grateful heat through the room and in less than an hour -the cook gave the welcome signal that supper was ready. If any of my -readers want to see men really consume food, let him visit the camp -of a crew of river drivers. - -“Gee, it looks as though Sam had been getting supper for eighty men -instead of eight,” Jack declared, as he drew his chair up to the -table. - -“But I’ll bet you there won’t be much left just the same,” Bob -laughed. - -And he was right, for at the end of the meal the cook declared that -there wasn’t enough left to feed a cat. - -Breakfast was a thing of the past by the time the sun was up the -next morning, and by six o’clock they were off down the river. The -boys were in the boat, together with the cook and a couple of the -other men. The rest of the crew, two on each side of the river, made -their way on foot over the frozen snow, stopping now and then to -start a tardy log afresh on its journey. - -A little before noon, just as the boat rounded a bend in the river, -they saw, to their surprise, that the logs were again at a -standstill. - -“Jammed again,” Bob said in a disgusted tone. “Now what do you know -about that?” - -“She no ought be stuck here,” Jean declared, as he leaped from the -boat to the nearest of the logs. - -The boys quickly followed him, and running rapidly over the floating -logs they were not long in finding out what had happened. At the -point where the head of their drive had stopped, the largest of its -tributaries joins the Kennebec. Dead River, as this stream is -called, is about one half as large as the Kennebec. Where it empties -into the larger river is a small village by the name of The Forks. - -“Well, I’ll be jiggered,” Jack gasped, as they rounded a second turn -and came to the head of their logs. - -As far down the river as they could see was one solid mass of logs -packing the river so tightly that no water was visible. - -“Do you know whose logs they are,” Bob asked, turning to Jean, who -stood poised on a log. - -“Oui, I know,” the Frenchman replied, as he pointed to a huge pine a -few feet in front of him. “You know dat mark, oui?” - -Bob’s eyes followed the outstretched hand and he had no difficulty -in seeing the two XX cut into the bark. - -“Sure, that’s Ben Donahue’s brand, but I didn’t know that he was -cutting on Dead River this year, did you?” - -“Oui. I know he had camp ’bout five mile up river, but I no tink -heem cut dar dis winter,” and the Frenchman slowly shook his head. - -“Well, it sure looks as though he had us bottled up all right and -could keep us here till he gets ready to move on,” Jack broke in. -“Do you suppose he jammed those logs on purpose?” - -“Well, of course it’s impossible to say for sure, but I wouldn’t put -it past him,” Bob replied calmly; but Jean, shaking his fist angrily -at the offending logs, cried: - -“I tell you dem logs no geet stuck dar demselves. I drive on dis -river ver’ many year. Never know jam dar like dat. Non, heem jam -’em, hold us up. You come and we ask Sim. He mebby know,” and Jean -started off toward the little village, closely followed by the two -boys. - -Sim Smith kept the general store at The Forks. The boys had met him -a number of times but could not be said to be acquainted with him. -But the Frenchman knew him well, as he did almost every man along -the river. - -“Howdy, Jean,” the storekeeper greeted them, as they entered the -store a few minutes later. - -It was now noon and Sim was alone in the store. - -“Glad see you, Sim,” Jean responded, as he shook hands with him. -“Deese Bob and Jack Golden,” he added, nodding toward the boys. - -“Sure, I’ve seen them before,” and the genial storekeeper shook each -heartily by the hand. - -“When dem logs come down?” Jean asked, as soon as the greetings were -over. - -“Day afore yesterday,” Sim replied. “Looks as though Ben had the -whip hand on ye this time.” - -“Sure does,” Bob replied. “But do you happen to know how his logs -got jammed there,” he asked. - -“Wal, now, that’s a purtty hard question. Ben wasn’t with ’em, as -you prob’ly know. Ike Smithers was in charge o’ the gang. Had about -a dozen men with him. They seemed ter be goin’ all right till the -last of ’em got into the river an’ then, all of a sudden, they -stopped. I dunno what made ’em. Don’t often have a jam here.” - -“Did they try to start them?” Bob asked. - -“Can’t say fer sure, but Jeb Steps, he was in here an’ lowed as how -they was a workin’ at it, but he did say that they didn’t seem ter -be a workin’ hard ’nough ter hurt ’em any,” and the man grinned as -much as to say that Jeb was probably right. - -“But there’s no one working on them now,” Jack broke in. - -“No, that’s a fact. You see Jeb he lowed as how Ike told him that -they couldn’t start ’em without dynamite, and that he was goin’ ter -Skowhegan ter git some. Anyhow, they all left bout three o’clock -that same day, an’ I hain’t seen nothin’ of ’em since.” - -“And I’ll bet you won’t see them again, not for some time,” Bob -said. - -“Shouldn’t wonder nor you’re right, son,” Sim grinned. - -At that moment the door opened and the rest of their men entered. -Jean quickly explained the situation to them, and they all agreed -that it was a put-up job to hold up their logs. - -“But can’t we start them?” Jack asked, as soon as he had finished. - -“Mebby. We go tak’ one look,” Jean replied, as he led the way out of -the store. - -The drive of logs which blocked the river was a big one, and it was -fully twenty minutes before they reached the head. - -“She packed in bon,” Jean declared, as he gazed ruefully at the huge -logs which, piled up several deep, were holding back the thousands -behind. - -“She no be easy start,” he added, shaking his head. - -Bob and Jack could readily see that what he said was true. The -current at this point was swift, and whatever had been the cause of -the jam had done its work thoroughly. - -“Well, let’s go back and get something to eat, and then we’ll decide -on what’s best to be done,” Bob proposed, and all were heartily in -favor of his motion. - -The Forks boasted of a small but well-kept hotel, and they were soon -in the dining room disposing of an excellent dinner. - -“How much powder you got,” Jean asked, as he finished his fourth cup -of coffee. He always called dynamite powder, as did most of the -drivers. - -Sam Reddy, the man who had charge of the supplies, and of whom he -asked the question, looked down at his plate, a guilty expression on -his bronzed face. - -“Jean, I got not another stick,” he said, after the Frenchman had -repeated the question. “I forgot to get it when I came up from -Skowhegan, and those three sticks wus all I had.” - -For an instant Jean looked black, but evidently realizing that it -was no use to cry over spilt milk or missing dynamite, he only said: - -“Dat too bad, oui. Mebby we do it widout der powder.” - -But they were doomed to disappointment; for although they worked -hard all the afternoon, they were unable to locate the key log. Five -o’clock found the logs as tightly jammed as ever. - -“She no use,” Jean panted, as he leaned on his peavey. “We got have -powder.” - -The nearest town was several miles down the river, and it was -doubtful if they would be able to get any dynamite there. But Jean -declared that he was going to start, as soon as he could get his -supper. - -“I keep goin’ till I find powder,” he declared, as he led the way -back to the hotel. - -It was understood that the others would have another try at the logs -in the morning. - -“Might as well be doin’ sumpin,” Sam said, with a mournful shake of -his head. - -Jean started as soon as he had swallowed his supper, and Bob and -Jack wandered into the little office, which at that time was -deserted. - -“First time I’ve seen a paper for three days,” Bob declared, as he -picked up the Boston Globe from the counter. “This is only two days -old,” he smiled, as he gave part of it to Jack. - -They had been reading but a few minutes, when suddenly Bob started -up with an exclamation of astonishment. - -“Great guns, Jack, listen to this,” he said. “Here’s a piece from -Philadelphia about Rex Dale.” And, while Jack listened, he read: - -“Much anxiety is being felt regarding the whereabouts of Mr. Rex -Dale, the son of Mr. William Dale, the well-known business man of -this city. Young Mr. Dale left Philadelphia eight days ago for -Maine. He was to go to Presque Isle, where he was to be joined by an -Indian guide. They were then to start for Musquacook Lake, expecting -to reach there in time for the first of the trout fishing. It has -been learned that Mr. Dale reached Presque Isle and, together with -his guide, started for the lake named above, but since then nothing -has been heard from him. Mr. Dale expected to be away only six days, -as important business demanded his presence in this city two days -ago.” - -“Now, what do you know about that?” he asked, as he finished. - -“Do you know where that lake is?” Jack asked. - -“Sure, I never was there, but I know that Lake Musquacook is not far -from Lake Chemquasso-banticook, where we were last January when we -went after Nip. If I’m not very much mistaken it is only a few miles -northeast of where we had the scrap with him, not more than four or -five I should say.” - -“But what do you suppose could have happened to him?” Jack asked -anxiously. - -“Of course there are plenty of things which might have happened,” -Bob replied slowly. “He might have been drowned, or he might have -gotten lost, or the Indian might have done away with him for his -money.” - -“But this paper is two days old and of course he may be home safe -and sound by this time,” Jack suggested. - -“That’s so, of course.” Bob looked slightly relieved, for Rex Dale -had helped him at a time when he had been desperately in need of -help, and the thought that his friend might be in serious danger or -worse was worrying him not a little. - -“But just the same I’m going to send a telegram and see if I can -find out anything,” he said, jumping up and going to the telephone. -“Hope the Skowhegan office isn’t closed.” - -After some delay he finally got the office and sent a wire to Mr. -Dale asking if he had heard from Rex. - -“There, we ought to get an answer as soon as the office is open in -the morning,” he declared as he hung up. - -Tired though he was, it was long before Bob slept that night. Over -and over again he told himself that Rex was probably safe at home by -now and that he was foolish to worry. But the fear that all might -not be well with him persisted in spite of himself. He well knew the -vastness of the Maine woods, and the Indian guides were not always -to be trusted. But finally, after he had heard the clock down in the -office strike eleven, twelve and one, he fell into a troubled sleep. - -It was nearly eight o’clock when he awoke. Jack was still sleeping -and, without waking him, Bob hurriedly dressed and, running down to -the office, he called the telegraph office at Skowhegan. But no -answer to his wire had been received. He requested the operator to -call him as soon as the reply came, and then went into the dining -room and ordered breakfast. He had hardly started on the meal when -Jack joined him. - -“Heard anything?” the latter asked. - -“Not yet,” Bob replied. - -“Mebby your message wasn’t delivered till this morning,” Jack -ventured. - -Just then, before Bob had time to answer, he heard the ’phone -ringing in the office. - -“That may be it,” he said, as he jumped from his chair. - -He returned in a moment with a serious look on his face. - -“Get it?” Jack asked. - -“Yes. It was from Mrs. Dale,” Bob replied slowly. “She says that Mr. -Dale is sick with pneumonia and that nothing has been heard from -Rex.” - -Bob sank down in his chair, and for a moment the two looked at each -other without a word. The same thought was in both of their minds. -At length Jack said: - -“Guess it’s up to us to get busy, old man.” - -“Just what I was thinking,” Bob replied soberly. - -“How far from here is that lake and how do we get there?” Jack -asked, as though the matter were already settled. - -“Let’s see,” Bob replied slowly. “It’s twenty-eight miles from here -to Jackman. We can probably get a ride that far, but from there -we’ll have to strike off cross country and it must be all of eighty -miles or more from there, and I don’t believe there’s even a house -on the way.” - -“I guess it’s a pretty wild country, but we’ve been in wild country -before,” Jack said, as he drank the last of his coffee. “Come on. -What’s the first move?” he asked, as he pushed back his chair. - -“The first thing is to find out what time the stage leaves here for -Jackman. Then we’ll have to go over to Sim’s and see what we can do -in the way of picking up an outfit.” And Bob, followed by his -brother, went into the office, where he found the proprietor busily -engaged in sweeping the floor. - -“What time does the stage leave for Jackman?” Bob asked. - -“Supposed to leave right after dinner,” the man replied. “But,” he -added, as he swept the dirt out the front door, “Sandy’s usually -late this time er year. Roads are purtty bad and he apt not ter git -here till long about two o’clock. You byes thinkin’ o’ goin’ up with -him?” - -“Why, yes, we thought we would,” Bob replied. - -A few minutes later they were in the store across the way. -Fortunately Sim had everything they needed, including sleeping bags. -The storekeeper evinced a good deal of curiosity regarding their -trip, and finally Bob told him all about it. - -“Wall, of all things,” he said, as soon as he had finished. “I wus a -readin’ ’bout that feller in the paper the other day. And you boys -are agoin’ ter try ter find him, hey?” - -“Try is right,” Jack assured him. - -“Wall, from what I’ve heard ’bout you byes ye kin do it if anyone -kin.” - -“Would you advise us to take snow-shoes?” Bob asked. - -“Sure would,” Sim replied. “Ye see, while the snow’s gittin’ prutty -thin in spots round here, up thar in the thick woods whar the sun -don’t git more’n a peek in, ’twill be prutty deep an’ they’re light -ter carry. I got two pair o’ good ones here that I’ll lend yer.” - -The boys thanked him both for his advice and the loan of the shoes. - -“How about guns? Ye got any?” Sim asked. - -“Why, no. You see, I hadn’t thought about taking any.” - -“Ye’d better think right serious about it,” Sim declared. “Never kin -tell what yer goin’ ter run into up thar in that wilderness. Might -run into wolves, though ’tain’t likely.” - -“We know it’s possible though,” Jack declared, and proceeded to give -the old storekeeper an account of the fight they had had, only a few -months before, with a big pack of timber wolves. - -“Yer don’t say,” Sim said, as soon as he had finished. “’Tain’t -often a pack o’ those fellers gets down so far south now-a-days. But -it’s best ter be on the safe side and yer better take guns along. I -gotta fine 32 Winchester an’ a couple o’ automatics that ye’re -welcome to.” - -The boys thanked him again for his kindness, and by ten o’clock they -were all ready to start so far as equipment went. - -“I hope Sandy won’t be late,” Bob said, as they made their way back -to the hotel. - -Back in the office once more, Bob called his father’s office in -Skowhegan. He got the connection almost at once, and after telling -him about the hold-up with the drive, he informed him regarding -their plans. Mr. Golden listened without interrupting until he had -finished. - -“It looks to me as though it might be a serious matter,” he -declared, after Bob had told him all he knew. “But, for the life of -me, I don’t see how you can well do otherwise. But be very careful -and don’t take any unnecessary risks.” - -Bob promised that they would be careful, and after a few more -minutes of talking he hung up. - -It seemed to the anxious boys that noon would never come. They -walked about the little village and spent some time on the jam of -logs. It was warm in the sun and the snow was melting rapidly, -making heavy going for a team. - -“I don’t suppose it makes much difference, after all, if he is -late,” Bob said, as they were slowly making their way back to the -hotel. “We won’t get up to Jackman in time to make a start from -there till morning anyway, but the time sure does drag.” - -Dinner was ready by the time they got to the house, and they lost no -time in sitting down at the table. As soon as they had finished they -got their belongings together on the porch, for they knew that the -stage might show up at any moment. But the moments lengthened into -hours, and it was almost three o’clock before they heard the sound -of sleigh bells. - -“I guess he’s coming at last,” Bob declared, as he jumped up and ran -out to the road. - -He was right, for, as he reached the road, the stage whirled around -a curve, and a moment later the steaming horses were brought to a -stop close to the porch. - -“Sure and of all the soft slushy goin’ I ever seed this is the -worse,” the driver declared, as he jumped from the stage, or rather -sled, for that is what it was. A long sled, fitted with a body -having sides about a foot high, which boasted of three seats capable -of accommodating three passengers each, it is much used in northern -Maine in the winter. The natives call it a pung. - -While Sandy was snatching a hasty bite in the dining room, a fresh -span of horses was substituted for the tired beasts which had drawn -the pung for nearly forty miles since morning. - -It happened that Sandy had no passengers and the pung was empty save -for a couple of mail bags and a few packages. - -“Jim tells me thot you boys is a wantin’ to go up ter Jackman,” -Sandy greeted them as he came out picking his teeth. - -“That’s right,” Bob assured him. - -“Foine, an’ it’s meself thot’ll be glad ter have company, but I -dunno when we’ll be after gittin’ thar, what wid all the slush an’ -mud. But throw yer traps in an’ we’ll be after startin’,” and the -sandy-haired Irishman jumped to the driver’s seat and gathered the -reins in his hand. - -They found the driver very much inclined to talk and very -inquisitive as to the object of their journey; but Bob, thinking it -best not to be too candid, made evasive answers to his rather -pointed questions. The road was, as Sandy had declared, in bad -shape. In places the snow had entirely disappeared, and where it -still lay it was so soft that the horses sank nearly to their knees -in many places. Several times the pung nearly overturned as it slued -into a washout. - -At the end of an hour they had covered about three miles and Sandy -declared, with a shake of his head, that they would be lucky if they -reached the end of their journey by midnight. - -But along about five o’clock it began to grow colder, and soon the -temperature was falling rapidly. - -“We’ll be makin’ better time soon an’ it gits mouch colder,” Sandy -declared, as he buttoned up the collar of his mackinaw. - -At six o’clock they stopped to feed the horses and eat the lunch -which they had brought from the hotel. When they started again, -about three quarters of an hour later, they found that the going was -much better. The slush and mud had stiffened until only occasionally -did the horses break through and it was getting harder every minute. -A cold wind had sprung up and the boys were glad to take Sandy’s -advice and get down on the bottom of the pung and wrap themselves in -the blankets, of which there was a generous supply. - -It was not long before, in spite of the jolting, Jack fell asleep, -and a little later Bob joined him in slumberland. It seemed to the -latter that he had been asleep a long time when he was awakened by -the sound of loud and angry voices. - -“That’s all right, but you keep those hands up in the air,” he heard -an angry voice demand. - - - - - CHAPTER VI - - UP A TREE - - -“It’s a hold-up,” Bob thought, as he nudged Jack, and at the same -time placed his hand over the boy’s mouth. - -“What’s the matter?” Jack whispered, in a low tone. - -“Looks as though we’d been held up,” Bob replied. - -But just then he heard words which reassured him: - -“We’ve had our eyes on you for some time, Sandy, and you might as -well come clean. It’ll be the best for you in the end.” - -“But I’m a tellin’ yer, Jake, thot I hain’t got a mite o’ liquor on -board,” they heard the Irishman protest. - -“Mebby not just now,” came the reply. “But I knew well enough that -you had some on the down trip.” - -“So help me——” Sandy began, but the officer cut him short. - -“No use in denying it, man. I wouldn’t believe you on a stack of -Bibles. A man that’ll run whiskey’ll lie about it till he’s black in -the face. Anyhow, we’re going to have a look at what you got, and, -mind you, no funny business.” - -Bob now thought it was time that they were showing themselves; so, -with a low whisper to Jack, he threw off his blanket and got up on -the seat, and Jack followed him almost as quickly. - -It was very dark and at first they were unable to locate the men -they had heard talking. But soon their eyes became accustomed to the -darkness and they made out the forms of three men standing near the -horse’s heads. At the same time a ray of light from an electric -torch struck Bob full in the face. - -“Hello, who’s this?” the man who held the light asked, turning to -the driver. - -“Jest a couple o’ kids ridin’ up ter Jackman,” Sandy replied. - -“Hum, well we won’t take any chances just the same,” the officer -declared. Then, coming close to the side of the sled, he ordered: - -“You boys jump out lively now, and I guess you’d better keep your -hands up too till we give you the once over. What’s your names?” - -Bob told him, and instantly the man’s attitude changed. - -“Bob and Jack Golden, eh,” he repeated, as he flashed his light full -upon them again, “Well, well, so it is. I’ve seen you boys in -Skowhegan often enough to know you. You can put your hands down. I -know you’re all right, but I didn’t expect to see you way off up -here and at this time of night.” - -The boys thanked the officer and climbed out of the pung. - -“Somebody’s been toting a powerful lot of whiskey from Jackman down -to Skowhegan,” the officer whispered to Bob, “and we’re pretty sure -that Sandy has had a big hand in it. It’s stuff that’s brought -across the border and, of course, there’s a tremendous profit in it. -I don’t suppose that he’s got any on board now, as he’s going the -wrong way; and I told Jim, back there, that it was foolish to stop -him coming this way, but the poor boob couldn’t see it and insisted -on doing it, so we might as well have a look.” - -The look was very thorough but, as the officer expected, nothing of -a contraband nature was found. - -“Sure an’ it’s meself as told yer that I didn’t have nothin’,” Sandy -declared, as soon as the search was finished. - -“I know you did, Sandy,” the officer said, “but we have almost -certain knowledge that you’ve been running whiskey and I want to -tell you now that if you keep it up we’ll get you and it’ll be the -jug for yours. Better cut it out.” - -Sandy made no reply and the officers drove off in their light cutter -and the boys took their places once more in the pung. - -“How far are we from Jackman?” Bob asked, as he glanced at his watch -and saw that it was nearly ten o’clock. - -“Only ’bout four miles,” the driver replied, as he cracked his long -lash over the heads of the horses. - -It was evident from his tone that the man was mad and they asked no -more questions and Sandy did not speak again except to shout to the -horses. A little less than an hour later they drew up in front of -the hotel where they were to spend the night. - -The boys paid Sandy for the trip, and, in less than a half hour, -were sound asleep. - -They were up before daylight, and having arranged the night before -for an early breakfast, they were ready to start on their long and -uncertain tramp just as the sun was showing in the east. - -It was a beautiful morning; such, as Jack declared, is made only in -northern Maine. The thermometer on the porch showed an even zero and -the air was still and clear. - -“It doesn’t seem possible that we’ll be sweating before noon,” Jack -declared, as he drank in huge gulps of the stinging air. “Are you -sure you can find the way?” he asked, as they strapped their packs -on their backs. - -“Well, we want to hit North West Carry first, and I know the way -that far anyhow, as I went over the trail from here once with -father. It was that winter you had pneumonia,” Bob replied, as he -started off at a rapid walk. - -They had no need for snow-shoes now, as the crust was hard enough to -hold a horse, so they carried them strapped on top of the packs. - -“We ought to make the Carry by noon easy,” he declared, as he swung -along. “It’s not more than fifteen miles from here. We’ll get dinner -there and then we won’t have to start on our supply till night.” - -As the sun rose higher and higher, the temperature seemed to more -than keep pace with it, and by nine o’clock they were glad to stop -and take off their heavy mackinaws, which they added to their packs. -The sun was now getting in his work on the snow, and soon they were -obliged to don their snow-shoes. And now their progress became much -slower as the melting snow showed a decided tendency to cling to the -shoes until they became so heavy that they seemed like lead. - -“Gee whiz, but this bears a great resemblance to work,” Jack panted, -as he stopped and leaned against a big spruce. “How far do you think -we are from the Carry?” he asked. - -“Not more than a mile or two,” Bob replied cheerfully. “Getting -tired?” - -“Well, I don’t know as you’d call it tired,” Jack laughed. “But I -never knew snow could get so sticky.” - -“It sure is kinder heavy,” Bob smiled. “But you see we’ve been in -the open most of the time where the sun gets a good whack at it. -After we leave the Carry it’ll be most all woods and I hardly think -the snow’ll be so wet. Let’s hope not anyway.” - -It was only a little past ten o’clock when they reached the North -West Carry, a small settlement consisting of a few log cabins and a -general store, at the extreme northwestern point of Moosehead Lake. - -During the summer and fall it is a busy place thronged with summer -visitors and hunters, but now it was all but deserted. The boys knew -no one there as they had spent the most of their time, when at the -lake, on the other shore. - -There was no one in the store as they entered except the man who ran -it, but he greeted them as though they were the first outsiders he -had seen for a long time. - -“You look as if you’d found some prutty hard tramping,” he said -after he had shaken them both by the hand. - -“Sure is pretty hard going after the snow gets soft,” Bob smiled. “I -wonder if we can get dinner anywhere here?” he asked. - -“You wait a minute and I’ll see if the wife can fix you up,” the -storekeeper replied as he left the store by a back door. - -He was back again almost immediately with the welcome news that if -they could wait a half hour dinner would be ready for them. - -“Where you boys goin’?” he asked as he motioned to them to sit down. -“That is,” he added, “if I hain’t stickin’ my nose inter what’s none -of my business.” - -For a second Bob hesitated, then thinking that it could do no -possible harm to tell him, he explained their mission. - -The storekeeper, a man about sixty years old, listened intently -until he had finished. - -“So you are goin’ ter hike it up ter Musquacook, eh,” he said -slowly. - -“Yes. Do you know how far it is from here?” Bob asked. - -“Wall, it about sixty-five miles as the crow flies but ye’ll have -ter go ’bout five miles outter yer way ter git round Churchill -Lake,” the man replied. Then, as if a sudden thought struck him, he -asked, “Ye don’t happen ter know what that guide’s name was, do ye?” - -“No.” Bob replied. “You see, they went in from Presque Isle.” - -“I see,” the man said soberly. “Course I hope yer friend’s all right -but I do know that there’s some mighty onery guys what call -themselves guides over that way.” - -Just then a woman stuck her head in at the door and said that dinner -was ready. The boys followed their host into what was evidently the -combined sitting-room and dinning-room back of the store. - -“We don’t put on much style here but you’re welcome to what we got,” -he said as he motioned to them to sit up at the table. - -In another moment the storekeeper’s wife, a motherly woman of about -his age, brought in a steak which fairly made the boys gasp. She sat -it on the table in front of them with a word of apology. - -“If I had known that you were coming I’d have had something fit for -you to eat.” - -“My goodness, if that steak isn’t fit to eat I hope I never see one -that is,” Jack gasped as he watched the rich juice oozing out. - -The woman flushed with pleasure at the praise and, a moment later, -brought in a large dish of potatoes fried a rich brown, and a plate -of fresh biscuits. - -“There, I hope you’ll be able to make out,” she said as she sat the -last dish down. - -“If we can’t we ought to starve,” Bob declared as he helped himself -to a piece of the steak which was all of three inches thick. - -And as he told Jack afterward, it was just as good as it looked. So -tender that they could almost cut it with a fork, they both declared -that it was the best steak they had ever eaten. For dessert they had -a huge piece of apple pie covered with rich yellow cream. - -“I never ate a better dinner in my life,” Bob declared as he pushed -back his chair. And Jack heartily seconded the statement. - -Both the man and his wife seemed much pleased at their praise. - -“And now how much do I owe you?” Bob asked as he pulled out his -pocketbook. - -“Not a cent,” the man shook his head. “You are welcome to what ye -had.” - -Bob started to insist but the man refused to listen and, seeing that -he would be offended if he pushed the matter further, he gave up the -argument and both boys thanked the man and his wife for their -kindness. - -“I only hope that we may be able to do as much for you sometime,” -Bob declared. - -“Talk about being goodhearted,” Jack said a little later, when they -were again on their way. “That man’s a king and his wife’s a queen, -and I can lick the fellow who disputes it.” - -“Well, you won’t have to lick me on that score,” Bob laughed. “I -most heartily indorse your sentiments.” - -Almost as soon as they left the Carry they plunged into thick woods. -Here the snow was much deeper than out in the open but, as Bob -hoped, it was not so wet and the traveling was easier, although it -was by no means good. - -They had gone but a short distance when Bob stopped and pulled a map -out of his pocket. - -“Now here’s a map of this part of the state,” he explained. “Here’s -where we are now and there’s where we want to go. I’ve got my -compass with me and I’m going to lay a course and keep by it as -closely as I can. As near as I can figure it out,” he said a moment -later, after carefully studying the map, “Musquacook Lake is about -twenty points east of north, and that’s just about that way,” and he -pointed with his finger. “We must do our best to keep it straight as -we don’t want to lose any more time than we can help.” - -It was impossible to make anything like fast time and the boys were -too wise to tire themselves out by trying to hurry. A steady easy -pace they knew would result in the most speed in the end. So they -ploughed steadily forward only stopping now and then to consult the -compass. - -“My, but this is great timber up here,” Bob declared after they had -covered some miles. He stopped as he spoke and looked about him at -the mighty spruce trees which lifted their lofty heads high up into -the air. “I’ll bet it would cut close on to 15,000 feet to the acre -right here.” - -“Wouldn’t wonder,” Jack replied. “I wonder who owns it.” - -“Don’t know, but whoever does has got one pretty bit of timber,” Bob -replied. - -They started on again, but had gone a short distance when Jack, who -was leading, stopped suddenly and, pointing ahead, said, - -“I say, Bob, look at that spruce will you.” - -Bob looked and saw, a few feet ahead of them, a queer looking -spruce. It stood in the center of a small clearing, perhaps twenty -feet across. The middle branches had been trimmed away in a broad -ring, leaving the tufted top and the bushy bottom, with only the -bare trunk in between. - -“What, in the world, do you make of that?” Jack asked. - -For a moment Bob did not reply. He was deep in thought. Then, as -Jack was about to ask him again, he said: - -“Unless I’m very much mistaken that’s a lop stick.” - -“Come again, please,” Jack laughed. - -“I said it is a lop stick.” - -“Well, it’s lopped all right, all right,” Jack declared. “But how -did it get that way?” - -“Some Indian trimmed it that way,” Bob explained. “You see,” he went -on, “it’s a kind of a talisman or mascot. I remember reading, not -long ago, that a certain tribe of Indians do that to trees. You see -an Indian trims a certain tree that way and then he believes that, -in some way, his fate is linked with it. That’s about all I know -about it.” - -“Well, they can’t be very abundant around here,” Jack said as they -started off again. - -About four o’clock it began to grow colder and as the sun sank lower -in the west, the snow began to stiffen, and they were able to make -better time. Rapidly the temperature fell with the sun and soon they -stopped and put on their mackinaws. - -“I believe the crust will hold in another half hour,” Jack declared. -“But I’m ready to call it a day. How about you?” - -“I’m pretty tired myself and as soon as we find a good place to -camp, I move that we do it. We must have made pretty near twenty -miles from the Carry.” - -It was after five o’clock and it had been a hard day. - -“How about that for a place?” Jack asked a few minutes later as they -came to a small clear place. “We can dig away the snow at the foot -of that big pine and there’s lots of water in that little brook.” - -“I guess it’ll do as well as any other,” Bob decided after a hasty -glance around. - -They quickly threw off their packs and, breaking through the light -crust, they soon had a hole about six feet long by four wide, down -to the bare ground, using the snow-shoes as shovels. - -“I’ll make the beds if you’ll get the fire going,” Bob said and to -this Jack readily agreed. - -He had no trouble in finding plenty of dead branches and in a short -time a brisk fire was burning near the “bedroom.” In the meantime -Bob had been cutting spruce boughs with a small hatchet which Sim -had loaned them. These he spread on the ground in the hole which -they had dug, until he had a bed nearly a foot thick. Over them he -spread a thick blanket and the bed was ready. - -“Gee, but I’d like another whack at that steak,” Jack said a little -later as they sat by the fire eating their supper of sandwiches -washed down with huge mouthsful of hot coffee. “These sandwiches are -all right, but oh you beefsteak.” - -“You said a mouthful then,” Bob laughed as he drained the coffee pot -into his tin dipper. - -Darkness was silently stealing through the vast forest as they -finished the simple meal and by the time they had washed their -plates and cups in the brook, it was almost dark. - -“We want to be off as soon as it is light in the morning,” Bob said -as he threw a couple of big logs, which he had found near the camp, -on to the fire. - -“If we get started early enough we ought to make twenty miles or -more before the snow gets soft, so I move that we hit the hay right -off.” - -“I guess you mean hit the boughs,” Jack laughed. “But anyhow if you -have the idea of going to bed in your mind I’m with you. I’m tired -enough to go to sleep standing up.” - -So they lost no time in crawling into the sleeping bags, which lined -with sheep’s wool, were very warm, and pulling over themselves -another blanket, they were soon lost to the world. - -The next day was Sunday and they never did any traveling on that day -if it could be avoided. But, in the present case, they both felt -that it was perfectly justifiable. - -Long ago Bob had acquired the ability to wake at any time he desired -and, before going to sleep, he had set his mental alarm clock, as he -called it, for four o’clock, and almost to the minute he opened his -eyes. It was still dark and for an instant he wondered where he was. -Then memory, aided by the heavy scent of the spruce boughs, returned -and moving quietly, so as not to disturb his brother, he crawled out -of his bag. - -A few live embers still smouldered among the ashes of last night’s -fire and, with the aid of a few bits of birch bark, he soon had the -blaze leaping toward the sky. - -Jack was a much sounder sleeper than his brother and, knowing that -the boy would need all his strength for the strenuous day ahead, he -let him sleep until breakfast was ready. - -“Why didn’t you let me sleep all day and be done with it,” Jack -growled when Bob finally woke him. - -“It’s all right, dear boy,” Bob smiled. “There was no need of both -of us getting up so early and I was awake and so I got up.” - -“Of course you didn’t have it planned or anything like that. Oh no, -of course not. You always want to do all of your own work and a good -part of mine too.” - -Bob laughed. - -“Never mind the bouquets,” he said. “Come and get some of these -flapjacks under your belt and we’ll be hitting the long trail.” - -Dawn was just breaking when they started. It was cold and not a -sound, save the soft creak of the frozen snow beneath their -moccasins, broke the silence. One by one, as it seemed, the stars -faded from out the cloudless sky as the darkness gave way to light. -The sharp air, heavily laden with the odor of spruce and of balsam, -made their lungs tingle with life as they drew in great gulps. - -“My, but it’s great just to be alive a morning like this,” Bob -declared. - -“And especially up here in the Maine woods,” Jack added. - -“You said it,” Bob smiled. “It beats me how a man can be content to -spend his life in a city and never know what the great out of doors -is like.” - -Their way led through dense woods nearly all the time, and thanks to -the heavy shade, the snow did not begin to soften until nearly -eleven o’clock. By that time Bob estimated that they had made all of -twenty miles and perhaps a little more. - -“Guess this is a good place for dinner,” he said as they came to a -tiny stream about a foot wide. The land here was evidently rocky as -the water was running with great swiftness. “I’ll bet this stream -will be a rod wide in a few days, when the snow begins to go in good -earnest,” he said as he threw off his pack. - -“We better rest for an hour,” Bob suggested after they had eaten -their simple lunch. “We’ll more than make up for it. No use in -wearing ourselves out and the going from now till night is going to -be pretty heavy, let me tell you.” - -They had been sitting on an old log for several minutes when, -suddenly, a short distance away to their right, came a sound which -made Bob jump to his feet. It sounded like the noise which a small -boy makes when he blows on a horn made from a pumpkin vine. - -“That’s a bull moose,” Bob said in a low tone, “and I’m afraid he’s -coming this way.” - -The boys had seen a number of deer since leaving the Carry the -previous day, but although they had crossed a number of tracks, they -had sighted no moose. Usually unless wounded a moose will run from -man, but if hurt they will not hesitate to attack, striking with -their fore feet and horns. A single blow from one of the sharp hoofs -is almost always fatal. - -“What of it?” Jack asked as he too got to his feet. “This isn’t the -mating season and he’ll run as soon as he sees us.” - -“He will unless he happens to be hurt,” Bob agreed as he peered -through the thick trees. - -Just then the call sounded and this time it was much nearer. - -“He’s coming all right and it sounds to me as though he was mad -about something. There he comes, see,” and Bob pointed with his -hand. - -The moose, a magnificent specimen, as large as a large horse, was -slowly making his way toward them, sinking nearly to his belly in -the deep snow. A moose’s sense of smell is very keenly developed but -a fairly strong wind was blowing toward the boys and, as they kept -very quiet, he was unaware of their presence until he was less than -thirty feet from them. - -“If he charges jump for that tree,” Bob whispered. - -As soon as the moose saw the two boys he stopped and for a moment -stood gazing at them as though undecided what to do about it. - -“Look, Bob,” Jack whispered, “No wonder he’s mad. Look at that right -shoulder.” - -Bob looked and saw that the shoulder was badly torn and was bleeding -freely. - -Bob did not have time to speak for, at that moment the moose, -evidently deciding that, in some way, the two boys were responsible -for his injury, lowered his head and with an angry snort plunged -forward. - -“Quick old man. He’s coming. Grab your snow-shoes,” he shouted as he -made for a big spruce with low branches. - -Fortunately their packs were at the foot of this tree and as Bob -leaped for the lowest bough and swung himself up Jack quickly handed -them to him. Although the snow was deep and the moose was unable to -make fast time, there was no time to lose and Jack barely escaped -the horns as he swung himself up beside Bob. - -“I thought you’d never get those bags up,” Bob said with a sigh of -relief. - -The moose stood at the foot of the tree angrily pawing the snow and -sending call after call through the forest. - -“Sorry we can’t accept your kind invitation and come down,” Jack -chuckled from his perch some ten feet above the moose’s head. “But -really I don’t like the looks of those horns. I say, Bob, how long -do you think our friend will favor us with his company?” - -“That’s hard to say,” Bob replied shaking his head. “But they’re -mighty persistent critters once they get their mind fixed on an -idea, and this boy seems to have his fixed pretty firmly on us just -at present.” - -“Well, I hope he gets another idea pretty soon so we can be on our -way,” Jack said as he shifted to a more comfortable position. - -“Great Scott, Jack, I forgot all about Rex for the minute,” Bob -cried in alarm. “We can’t stay here. Think what it may mean to Rex. -An hour sooner or later may make all the difference.” - -“Spoken like a general,” Jack declared. “But our friend below seems -to be master of ceremonies just now.” - -“Don’t you think we’d be justified in shooting him?” Bob asked. - -“Have you got the Winchester?” - -“Sure. It was tied to my pack.” - -“Then I believe I’d do it. It looks to me as though he’d bleed to -death in time anyhow, and we certainly ought to be on our way as you -said.” - -“I hate to do it, but I honestly think it’s the only way out,” Bob -said slowly as he reached for the rifle. “He’s apt to keep us here -for hours.” - -As he cocked the rifle the moose turned slightly and exposed his -left side. Bob took careful aim at a spot just back of the fore leg -and pulled the trigger. For a second the moose stood as if -surprised, then slowly he began to totter and, with a low moan, sank -to the ground. - -“Right through the heart,” Jack cried. “He never knew what hit him.” - -“I feel almost like a murderer,” Bob declared as he lowered himself -to the snow. “I certainly do hate to shoot anything.” - -“Well, I do too for that matter, but it couldn’t be helped. In this -case there’s no good in feeling bad about it,” Jack assured him as -he began to fasten on his snow-shoes. - -Again the going was heavy and their progress slow. Still they -expected it and so took it philosophically. After they had been -trudging about an hour they suddenly came to a large lake. - -“This must be Churchill Lake,” Bob declared as he stopped and took -out his map. “See. We must be right here and if so then we’ve kept a -mighty straight course.” - -“Funny the ice hasn’t gone yet,” Jack said as he looked out over the -frozen surface. - -“Not so strange,” Bob assured him. “The ice goes out of some of -these lakes much earlier than others, and I guess this must be one -of the late ones.” - -“Think it’ll be safe to cross it?” Jack asked. - -“Not on your life,” Bob answered quickly. “That ice must be pretty -rotten by now and, anyhow, we wouldn’t gain much as our way is -nearly straight up past it.” - -“About how long is it?” Jack asked. - -“I don’t know,” Bob replied. “But from the map I should say that it -was ten or fifteen miles. These maps are not much good when it comes -to estimating distance.” - -“Well, I guess we go up the left side don’t we?” Jack asked. - -“I should say so,” Bob replied studying the map. “If this map gives -the right shape of the lake it would be quite a lot out of our way -to go around that point on the right side.” - -They had made seven or eight miles more, keeping the lake in sight -the most of the time when, suddenly, they came to a large stream, -still covered with ice. As is apt to be the case there was but -little snow over the ice. - -“Suppose that ice’ll hold?” Jack asked as he stopped on the bank. - -“Looks pretty good, but you never can tell this time of year. Let me -try it first,” Bob said as he started to take off his snow-shoes. - -“Not much, you won’t,” Jack replied as he hastily kicked off his -shoes and started across the ice heedless of Bob’s orders to wait. - -Jack had reached the other bank in safety when he heard a loud crash -and a frightened cry. He turned and, for an instant, his heart -stopped beating. Bob was nowhere in sight, but a large hole in the -ice near the middle of the stream, told only too plainly what had -become of him. - - - - - CHAPTER VII - - THE END OF THE TRAIL - - -For an instant Jack stood as if paralyzed gazing at the hole in the -ice. He was, for the moment, incapable of movement. Then his heart -gave a leap of joy as he beheld Bob’s head emerge from the water. -Higher and higher his head rose until he was standing only up to his -waist in the water. - -“Come on in. The water’s fine,” he shouted as he shook the water -from his head. - -Jack was still too frightened to laugh and suddenly started out on -the ice toward Bob. - -“Go on back,” the latter shouted. “There’s no use in you getting wet -too. I’ll be with you in a minute.” - -The ice gave way several times as he tried to climb out on to it, -but at last it held and he was soon on the bank. Fortunately he had -had presence of mind to throw his snow-shoes away from him when the -ice broke and they were on the ice not far from the shore. - -“Now you hustle and get into my bag while I get a fire going,” Jack -ordered and Bob, his teeth chattering as with ague, hurried to obey. -As quickly as possible he stripped off the wet clothes and crawled -into the sleeping bag which Jack had ready for him. - -“T-t-t-that water is c-c-c-old,” he chattered as he snuggled down in -the bag. - -“Well, I guess it has a right to be at this time of year,” Jack -replied as he struck a match and applied it to a handful of birch -bark. - -Fortunately there was plenty of dead wood close at hand and in a -very few minutes a roaring fire was crackling. Cutting two stout -sticks Jack stuck them firmly in the snow and stretched a piece of -strong cord between them making a serviceable clothesline. Then he -undid Bob’s pack, which was of course, soaking wet, and, after -wringing out as much of the water as possible, he hung them together -with his clothes on the line. - -“There, I guess they’ll dry pretty soon,” he declared as he came -close to Bob, who was lying on the snow as near the fire as he dared -get. - -“How are you feel—” he started to ask but before he could finish a -big lump rose in his throat, and, bending over his brother, the boy -burst into tears. - -“Why, what’s the matter, old fellow?” Bob asked as he pulled one arm -out of the bag and threw it about his brother’s neck. - -“I-I-thought you were d-d-drowned,” the boy sobbed. - -“So did I, for a second,” Bob said soberly. “You see, although the -water is only about three feet deep there, when I broke through, I -struck a slippery stone and my feet went out from under me and I -thought I’d never get them under me again. But, thank God, I’m all -right now and as snug as a bug in a rug.” - -Jack soon dried his tears and set about arranging camp for the -night, for they knew that, by the time Bob’s clothes were dry, it -would be too late to go any farther that day. - -“We’ve made pretty good time at that,” Bob declared. “Thirty-five or -forty miles of this kind of going is a good day’s tramp.” - -It was after four o’clock by the time Jack had things all shipshape -for the night, and, soon after, he started to get supper. It was not -so cold as the night before although, as night came on, it was well -below freezing. The heat from the fire had prevented Bob’s clothes -from freezing and by the time the boys were ready to retire for the -night, they were fully dried. - -Fortunately Bob suffered no ill effects from his bath, and, as soon -as it was light the next morning, they were again on the trail. - -“Let me know when you are tired,” Bob said as they started off. “I’m -going to hit a pretty stiff clip and I think we ought to pretty -nearly get there before the snow gets soft enough for the shoes. It -can’t be more than twenty miles at the most.” - -In a little over an hour they reached the upper end of Churchill -Lake and began the ascent of a range of lofty hills. A good part of -the way it was steep and the slippery crust made their footing -insecure. - -“It’s a good thing that we haven’t got the toboggan to pull up -here,” Jack panted as they stopped for a breathing spell about half -way to the top. - -“You said a lot then,” Bob agreed. “It’s hard work enough pulling -ourselves up here. When we get to the top I’m going to climb a tree. -It seems to me that we ought to be able to see the lake from there, -that is if there aren’t any more hills in the way. My, but this is a -pretty wild country all right. - -“Wild is right,” Jack agreed. “You’d think there was enough timber -right here in Maine to supply the world for the next hundred years. - -“You’d think so but I guess they’re cutting it off a good bit faster -than it grows.” Bob said as he started off again. - -It took them the better part of an hour to reach the top of the -range and both were breathing hard when, with a sigh of relief, Bob -threw his pack to the ground and sank down upon it. - -“Wait till I get my breath back and I’ll get up that tall spruce and -see what I can see,” he said. - -Jack quickly followed his example and for some moments neither boy -spoke. But Bob soon got his wind back and, getting up, announced -that he was ready for the climb. - -“Guess I might as well go along,” Jack declared as he swung himself -into the lower branches, followed by Bob. - -It was a beautiful vision which unfolded itself to them as they -paused well up toward the top of the lofty spruce and peered out -between the branches. No less than a half dozen lakes, some large -and others small, could be seen, all but one free of ice. Over -toward the northwest the waters of a large river sparkled like -silver as the rays of the morning sun struck it. - -“That’s the St. Lawrence,” Bob pointing with his hand. - -“And which is Musquacook Lake?” Jack asked. “That’s the main -question just now.” - -Bob pulled the map from his pocket, and getting a firm seat on a big -limb began to study it. Jack was on a limb just above him from which -he could easily see the map. - -“Here we are,” Bob declared. “You see those two lakes down there -only a few miles apart. Well according to this map that one to the -left is Long Lake and the other must be Musquacook.” - -“It doesn’t look more than a couple of miles from here,” Jack -declared as Bob folded the map and replaced it in his pocket. - -“I’ll bet it’s nearer ten though,” he said as he started downward. -“You know in this clear air a thing always looks a good bit nearer -than it really is,” he explained as he dropped to the ground. “But -we’ll make it in a couple of hours if nothing happens. We can make -good time going down hill.” Bob was pretty nearly right in his -estimate both as to distance and time, for exactly two hours later -they reached the foot of the lake, which they felt sure was their -destination. - -“Just ten o’clock,” Bob announced as he glanced at his watch. - -“And what’s next on the program?” Jack asked. - -“Well, there must be some kind of a cabin here somewhere and I -suppose the next thing is to find it. We may have to go clear round -the lake before we come to it but I sure hope not.” - -“All right. Which way’ll we go?” - -“Since Rex came in from Presque Isle he’d strike the lake to our -right and I guess that way’ll be our best bet,” Bob argued. - -By this time the snow had begun to soften and they had gone but a -short distance when they were obliged to resort to the snow-shoes. -They had trudged along for a matter of four or five miles, keeping -as close to the lake as possible, when Bob, who was leading the way, -suddenly came to a stop and held up his hand as a signal to keep -quiet. - -“There’s a cabin just ahead of us,” he whispered. “And there’s smoke -coming out of the chimney. I guess that’s pretty good evidence that -there’s somebody there. Now the question is whether or not it’s -Rex.” - -“How are we going to find out?” Jack whispered. - -“Well, the way I figure it we’ve got to be mighty careful, because -the chances are that if Rex is there, he’s being kept against his -will, and a man that would do that is sure to be a pretty desperate -character. I guess the best thing we can do is to just wait here and -watch awhile and see if anything happens that’ll put us wise.” - -From where they stood they had a fair view of one end of the cabin -but it is doubtful if anyone could have seen them from the house so -dense were the branches of a number of trees which stood close to -the cabin. - -For nearly half an hour they waited and then the smoke, coming from -the chimney, all at once increased in volume, evidence that fresh -wood had been placed on the fire. A moment later they heard a door -slam and, peering between the branches, they saw a man come to the -end of the porch and, for a moment stand there as he knocked the -ashes from his pipe. He was a large man, well over six feet and -broad shouldered in proportion. A thick black stubble nearly covered -his face, but they could plainly see a pair of piercing eyes beneath -shaggy brows. - -“Looks interesting, doesn’t he?” Jack whispered. - -The man soon went back into the cabin but came out again almost -immediately and the boys soon caught sight of him disappearing in -the thick woods in front of the cabin. He was on snow-shoes and they -could see that he carried a rifle. After he had had time to get some -distance from the cabin Bob said: - -“Now’s our chance.” - -“But suppose he comes back?” - -“That’s a risk we’ve got to take, but seeing that he had his rifle -with him, I imagine that he’s gone some distance. He wouldn’t have -taken it if he was coming right back.” - -“Still he might,” Jack insisted. “And he’s a pretty tough looking -customer, I’ll say.” - -For a moment Bob hesitated. - -“Well,” he said finally. “You may be right. Anyhow it’s a lot better -to be careful than to be sorry, so I’ll tell you how we’ll work it. -No doubt there’s a back door to the shack. Now I’ll try to get in -while you stay here and watch. If you see him coming just give your -imitation of a wild cat. You can do it well enough to fool anyone, -and if I hear it I’ll slip out the back way and come around here. -He’ll have to take off his snow-shoes before he can come in and that -will give me plenty of time to make a get away.” - -This plan seemed good to Jack and he readily agreed to it. - -Bob removed his snow-shoes and was about to start when a sudden -thought struck him. - -“Great guns, Jack, I forgot all about the tracks,” he said. - -“Well, what do you know about that?” and for a moment Jack’s face -looked the picture of despair. - -“He’d spot them the minute he came back and then it’d be all up,” -Bob declared. - -“And he’ll probably be back long before it freezes tonight,” Jack -lamented. - -For a moment both boys were silent each trying to find some solution -to the problem. - -“I’ll tell you what I’ll do,” Bob finally proposed. “I’ll make a -detour round back and mebby I can find a way to get up to the house -without leaving any tracks. He may have a path out the other side or -at the back. If I’m not back in about ten minutes you will know that -I’ve found a way.” - -Jack could think of no better plan so he agreed and Bob started. -Jack leaned against a tree and waited. Slowly the minutes passed. - -“I guess he found a way,” he thought as his watch told him that the -ten minutes were up. - -Meanwhile Bob, making a wide detour approached the cabin from the -back as, contrary to the usual custom, it faced away from the lake. -As he had hoped, a well beaten path led down to the lake. - -“This is luck,” he thought as he slipped off his snow-shoes and -stood them against a big pine. - -Quickly he ran up the path and, as he had thought, found that there -was a back door. It was not locked and without hesitation he opened -it and stepped inside. The cabin was not a large one and had but one -room, which was living room, dining room and kitchen all combined. -For a moment, as he stood still and listened, a feeling of intense -disappointment swept over him, the room was empty of anyone so far -as he could see. - -Had they had their long trip all for nothing? - -But just then he heard a slight sound which seemed to come from a -bunk which stood on the opposite side of the room. - -“You didn’t make a very long trip.” - -It was Rex’s voice, and his heart gave a leap as he ran to the side -of the bunk. - -“Rex.” - -“Who are you? It can’t be, but by jove it is, Bob Golden.” - -“Sure is,” Bob said. - -“But, how in the world, did—,” Rex began, but Bob interrupted him. - -“We came to find you. Jack’s outside watching.” - -Then, he saw that Rex was tied hand and foot to the bunk. - -“When did you get here?” Rex asked. - -“It was nearly an hour ago, I guess. We watched till we saw somebody -leave the cabin and then I went round back and found the path and, -and here I am,” and Bob, having taken his knife from his pocket -while he was talking, started to cut the rope with which Rex was -bound. - -“Hold on a minute,” the latter cautioned him before he had time to -use the knife. “I don’t think you’d better do that, not now. If -Parry, he’s the half-breed you saw, should come back and find you -here there’d be the deuce to pay. He probably won’t be back for an -hour or more but you can never tell.” - -“But what does it mean?” Bob asked putting his knife back in his -pocket. - -“It means that I was a fool to trust the fellow, I suppose. But I’ll -tell you all about it and then you can judge for yourself. I came up -here to fish as I suppose you know. I’ve never been here before and -had a guide engaged who had been recommended by a friend of mine who -has been here a number of times. Well, when I got to Presque Isle I -found that the fellow had been taken suddenly sick and, being in a -hurry as my time was limited, I took the first fellow I could get. -We got here just the day before the ice went out and then for two -days we had some of the best fishing you ever saw. Parry was very -kind and seemed all right and I congratulated myself on getting so -fine a guide. - -“But that night I noticed a change in his manner. He seemed nervous -and a trifle irritable. We had made all preparations to start back -the next morning and you can imagine my surprise when he demanded -ten thousand dollars as the price of taking me back. I argued and -threatened all to no purpose. Here I was and here I was going to -stay till I came across. Can you beat it? Of course, I told him that -I didn’t have the money and so couldn’t give it to him, but he said -that I could write for it. Then I tried to show him how easy it -would be for me to have him arrested after we got back, but that -didn’t work. He said he was going to hit the trail for some place -way up in Canada, and I’d never be able to get him. It was mighty -important for me to be home several days ago but I just wouldn’t -give in. You know I’ve got a pretty well developed stubborn streak -in me and I do hate to be made do a thing like that. - -“But haven’t you tried to get away?” Bob asked. - -Rex grinned. - -“If you knew Parry as well as I do you wouldn’t need to ask that -question. I’m fairly good at a rough and tumble and know something -about boxing. I tried once to mix it up with him and I stood about -as much show as an icicle would in—well, in a furnace. Honestly, -he’s positively the strongest man I ever saw. He didn’t beat me up. -Just held me with one hand and laughed. Oh, I got in a few good -punches which had about as much effect as so many rain drops.” - -“He must be good if he did that,” Bob declared. - -“Good is right. You see that big poker there by the fireplace. Well, -I saw him bend that till the ends touched with just his hands and -then he straightened it out just as easily, and I couldn’t bend it a -bit even over my knee. Believe me, if that fellow should ever get a -chance at Dempsey, we’d have a new champ in less’n three rounds.” - -“But does he keep you tied up all the time?” Bob asked. - -“Oh no. Only at night and when he goes out, and then, believe me, he -makes a good job of it.” - -“So I see,” Bob agreed as he examined the rope. “But what are we -going to do, Rex? There’s got to be some way.” - -“Well,” Rex began slowly, “I’ve been thinking ever since you came -in. A rough and tumble is out of the question. I know you’re good -with your fists and all that, but against Parry Magloire the three -of us would be like so many children, and I would hate like blazes -to shoot him or anything of that sort. You see, in a way, I admire -the man and so would you if you knew him.” - -“That’s all right, but—,” Bob began when Rex interrupted. - -“We’ve got to think fast, Bob. Now I’ve got a sort of a plan. Parry, -like most breeds, is very superstitious. There’s an old story, which -has been handed down in his family for generations about a giant -wolf which has killed the eldest son of each era. He was telling me -all about it the other night. He has never seen the wolf, but he -said that he had heard it more than once. Of course, it’s all bosh -but he believes it and, the point is he’s the eldest son of his -father. He said that, for a good many years back, the eldest son of -each family had disappeared and there was no doubt, in his mind, but -that the wolf had gotten him.” - -“I rather think that he wants that money so that he can go away off -somewhere where he thinks he’ll be safe. I guess it’s the only thing -in the world that he’s afraid of but that wolf certainly has got him -bluffed all right.” - -“And you think we might scare him away?” Bob asked as the other -paused. - -“That’s the idea,” Rex said. “And it’s the only plan I can think -of.” - -“Well we can try,” Bob began, but just then the shrill cry of a wild -cat rang out. - -“That’s Jack telling me that the breed’s coming back. I must hustle, -but keep a stiff upper lip. We won’t be far away,” and Bob hurried -out the back way. - -He ran down the path quickly and, finding his snow-shoes where he -had left them, he was soon back with his brother. - -“We’d better get back a mile or so,” he said as he picked up his -pack and slung it on his back. “I’ll tell you all about it as soon -as we get to a safe place.” - -About a mile back, over the way they had come, they found a good -place for a camp, in a dense growth of pines, and decided to make it -their headquarters. Quickly Bob told how he had found their friend -and his plan of action. - -“But we’ve got to act quickly, old man, because that chap is apt to -find our tracks at any time and if he does—goodnight.” - -“But do you think we can get away with it?” Jack asked anxiously. - -“That remains to be seen, but we’ll do our best.” - -They ate a cold lunch, not daring to build a fire lest the smoke -betray them. Lunch finished they got into their sleeping bags, for -the sky had clouded over and it was cold and damp. All through the -long afternoon they discussed plans until, just as dusk was -beginning to fall, they agreed upon a course of action. - -“It may work and it may not, but it’s the best in the shop,” Bob -declared as he looked up at the sky. “It’s going to rain or snow -before the night’s over,” he predicted. - -Bob had hardly left the cabin when the front door swung open and the -giant half-breed entered. - -“We have rabbit stew for dinner, oui,” he said as he came to the -side of the bunk and held up, for Rex’s inspection, a large rabbit. - -“That’ll be fine,” Rex declared. “I’m a bit fed up on trout. But -untie the ropes, will you?” - -“Oui, I do dat, in one leetle minute,” the breed said as he placed -the rabbit on the table. - -“There, that feels better,” Rex declared a moment later as he got -out of the bunk and stretched himself. “Some day I’m going to get -the jump on you, Parry, and then you want to look out.” - -“Bet’ not try heem. Wid deese hands I could bust you, oui,” and he -held out two hands which, in Rex’s mind, fully justified his boast. - -“I tink mebby, you send for dat money today, oui?” the breed asked -as he began to skin the rabbit. - -“Not today or any other day,” Rex declared emphatically. “As I’ve -told you a dozen times, Parry, you’re just wasting your time here. -I’d die before I’d give in to you. That’s the kind of a fellow I am -and the sooner you understand it the better.” - -“We see,” Parry grinned. “Mebby you change mind pretty quick,” and a -fierce look appeared, for a moment, in his eyes. - -During all the time that Rex had been held prisoner, his captor -never allowed him to get behind him and Rex had given up the idea of -taking him unaware. - -Parry was an excellent cook and Rex thoroughly enjoyed the rabbit -stew. - -“Tell me, Parry,” Rex asked when they had finished eating. “What -kind of a noise does that wolf of yours make? Is it like the howl of -an ordinary wolf?” - -Instantly into the eyes of the breed sprang a frightened expression. -Rex had greatly regretted that he had not time to plan with Bob, but -he knew the boy and did not doubt but that, before the night was -over, something would happen. So he had resolved to keep Parry -wrought up to the highest pitch possible. - -“Oui,” he replied slowly. “Eet sound lik’ a wolf but much beeger -sound. Eet is ter’ble. Sometime heem geet me,” and the man made the -sign of the cross on his breast. - -“When did you hear it last?” Rex asked. - -“’Bout five-six month ago.” - -“Where was it?” - -“Right here, Eet sound lak’ eet down by lake.” - -“And what did you do?” - -“I leave here queek. Go back Presque Isle ver’ queek.” - -“But, Parry, don’t you have some sort of a charm that will protect -you?” Rex asked, determined to keep him on the subject as long as -possible. - -“Non,” he replied, shaking his head. “Dere is no charm can keep dat -sort of wolf away. Heem ’fraid nottin’, non.” - -“And you really think that he’ll get you sometime?” - -“Oui, heem geet me pret’ soon. I older now dan der others. My time -come soon oui.” - -“But why hasn’t some one shot him? Did anyone ever try it?” Rex -asked. - -“Oui. My uncle, heem try eet once. Heem see heem and geet good sight -on heem, but bullet go right troo heem, no hurt. Bullet no bon wid -dat wolf, non, non,” and the man shook his head sadly. - -During the afternoon and early evening, Rex, from time to time, -harked back to the subject of the spectral wolf, and, by the time -dusk had fallen he was pleased to note that the breed was in a -highly nervous condition. After supper was finished, he fell to -pacing back and forth across the room, and seemed constantly to be -listening. - -“What’s the matter with you, Parry? You make me nervous,” Rex asked -after the breed had been pacing up and down for the better part of -an hour. - -“I tink I hear sometin’ leetle while ago.” - -“What did it sound like?” Rex asked, “I thought I heard a howl off -in that direction,” and he pointed toward the west. - -“Oui. Dat what I hear,” the breed said as he stopped and listened -intently. - -But no sound save the gentle rustling of the spruce boughs as they -swayed in the wind and the patter of rain drops on the window panes, -came to their ears. - -“Well, I guess I’ll hit the hay,” Rex declared a little later. - -It was a long time before the breed followed his example and lying -in his bunk, Rex could see him pacing back and forth. But finally he -put out the light and tumbled into his bunk, which was on the -opposite side of the room. As usual Rex was tied securely in his -bunk. He had resolved not to sleep as he was certain that the boys -would make an attempt to rescue him before morning. Slowly the -minutes passed and soon he knew, by the sound of heavy breathing, -that Parry had fallen asleep. - - - - - CHAPTER VIII - - THE WOLF GHOST - - -The little clock on the mantle over the fireplace had struck ten and -in spite of his resolve, Rex had drifted off into sleep, when -suddenly he was awakened. Yes, it was no dream. From far off in the -woods came the long drawn out howl of the wolf. He smiled as he lay -there listening. The boys had started something, but just what they -had planned he could only guess. Soon came another howl and now it -was nearer. A movement, on the other side of the room assured him -that Parry was awake, but he did not speak. - -“Let it soak in,” he muttered. - -Again and again the howls rang through the forest, each time coming -nearer. The sound of the cry was deep and long drawn out. - -“That kid’s a peach,” Rex smiled as he listened. “He’s got that howl -down to perfection.” - -“You hear dat?” Parry finally asked in a frightened tone after a -particularly loud cry had boomed through the woods. - -“Yes, of course I heard it. I’m not deaf. What do you make of it?” -Rex said, grinning to himself. - -“I tink eet dat wolf,” Parry whispered. - -“Well, if it is I only hope it isn’t after me,” Rex declared. “But -don’t you think you ought to untie me, Parry?” he asked putting all -the fear he could into his voice. “I’d be perfectly helpless the way -I am if he gets in here.” - -“Heem no want you,” Parry declared as he got out of his bunk and -crossed the room. “Heem after me. You tink heem can get in here?” - -“Well, of course, no ordinary wolf could,” Rex replied slowly, “but -if that’s a spirit wolf as you seem to think, I don’t imagine a -little thing like a door would bother him much.” - -“I untie you, you try help me, oui?” the breed promised as another -howl, now evidently very near, came to their ears. - -“Sure, I’ll help you if I can. But if that fellow really gets in, -good night.” - -Parry quickly untied the ropes and Rex sat up on the edge of the -bunk. - -Parry had lighted the little lamp and Rex could see that the man was -in a bad way. His swarthy face was as pale as a face of that hue -could get and his hands trembled violently as he replaced the -chimney on the lamp. - -Never had he seen such fear in a man’s face and a wave of pity swept -over him as he watched. - -“But he deserves all that’s coming to him,” he thought. - -All this time the cries had been coming nearer. Until now it seemed -that the wolf must be close at hand. Then, for a time they stopped. -What was coming next Rex wondered. But he did not have long to wait. -Soon the sound of the patter of feet was heard on the roof. Patter, -patter, they sounded as thought some large animal was running across -the roof. - -Parry sank down in a chair, his face livid. - -“Heem geet me ver’ queek,” he muttered. - -Just then, down the big chimney came a deep booming howl, and then -all was still for several minutes. - -Although, of course he was not frightened, Rex was keyed up to a -high pitch wondering what would happen next. - -“Look, Parry,” he suddenly cried, pointing to the window. - -There, pressed close against the pane, was the face of an enormous -wolf, but such a wolf as Rex had never dreamed of seeing. A long red -tongue hung from its half open mouth and the eyes glowed like balls -of fire, while streams of fire seemed to dart from the pointed nose. - -Parry gave one look and started to his feet. Then, suddenly, with a -hoarse cry, he threw up his hands and fell in a crumpled heap, on -the floor. Rex was quick to grasp his chance, and, picking up the -ropes, with which he had been tied, he soon had the breed trussed up -so that there was little chance of his being able to get free. This -done he threw open the front door and shouted. - -“All right, boys, you can come in now.” - -Bob and Jack, the latter carrying the wolf’s head on the end of a -short stick, were quick to accept the invitation. - -“You certainly did the trick, all right,” Rex declared as he pointed -to the form lying on the floor. “That head was too much for him and -he tumbled over, and I don’t wonder. It was enough to scare anyone -out of a year’s growth.” - -“He isn’t dead is he?” Bob asked anxiously. - -“Not a bit of it,” Rex replied. “He just fainted and I’ll bet it’s -the first time such a thing ever happened to him. His kind don’t -keel over easily but he was scared half to death before he saw that -thing and that was the last straw.” - -“You are sure you’ve got him good and fast?” Bob asked. - -“I think so, but, perhaps, you had better take a look. I guess you -know more about such things than I do.” - -But, after a hasty examination, Bob declared that it was a good job. - -“Couldn’t have done a better myself,” he said. - -“How, in the name of common sense, did you fix up that thing?” Rex -asked, pointing to the wolf’s head, which Jack had thrown on the -floor. - -“We were lucky,” Bob laughed, as he picked up the head. “You see we -found the skeleton of a sheep and took the head and made it larger -with some birch bark and spruce twigs smeared over with pitch which -we got off a pine tree. Jack’s under shirt had to suffer to supply -the tongue. Mine isn’t red. Then we got that fire effect by using -the heads of pretty near a whole box of matches. It’s pretty crude -you see, when you get close to it, but at a distance, I guess it -looked real enough.” - -“I should say it did,” Rex declared as he picked up the head. “If I -hadn’t known that you were back of it I’m not sure but what I’d have -gone with Parry.” - -“What did you think of Jack’s howls?” Bob asked. - -“They were perfect,” Rex replied. “He hadn’t the least doubt, but -that his wolf was after him.” - -Just then the breed gave a low moan, and, as Rex bent over him, he -slowly opened his eyes. - -“He’s coming round all right,” Rex said as he straightened up. - -“Did wolf geet in?” Parry asked in a weak tone. - -“Not exactly,” Rex replied. “But something else did,” and he glanced -at the two boys who were standing close together a little to one -side. - -Parry followed his gaze and, as he saw the boys, he gave Rex a -questioning look. - -“They are two friends of mine,” Rex explained. - -“Then dere was no wolf, non?” - -“I’m afraid not,” Rex replied. - -“But der head. I seed heem.” - -“There it is on the table.” - -Parry gave one glance at the object and as the thought that he had -been tricked worked its way into his brain, he seemed to notice, for -the first time that he was tied. Instantly his face grew dark with -anger and he began to strain at his bonds. But Rex had done his work -well and with all his great strength, he could not loosen them. Rex -let him struggle until, panting, he gave it up. - -“It’s no use, Parry,” he said. “Your game is up and you might as -well make the best of it. Be a sport. You had your innings and now -it’s my turn.” - -For the space of a minute the breed glared at him. Evidently a -struggle was going on in his mind. He was licked for the time being, -at any rate. - -“All right. I geet up. I be sport lak’ you be.” - -“That’s the talk,” Rex declared. “Nothing like knowing when you’re -licked.” - -“What you do wid me, eh?” Parry asked humbly. - -“We haven’t got to that yet,” Rex said. “I guess that’ll need some -figuring,” he added turning to Bob and Jack. “But first let’s get -the fire going. It’s getting rather cold in here.” - -As soon as the fire was sending its shower of sparks up the chimney, -at Rex’s suggestion, they lifted the breed into his bunk and drew a -thick blanket over him. He said no word, but lay with a look of -dejected resignation on his face. - -“Now we’ll get together by the fireplace and go into executive -session of the ways and means committee,” Rex said, as he drew a -chair up close to the fire. “It don’t look to me as though we were -out of the woods yet,” he added as the boys followed his example. - -“Not by a good many long miles,” Bob agreed. - -“Literally and figuratively both,” Rex laughed. - -“Looks to me as though we had a white elephant on our hands,” Jack -said hitching his chair nearer the fire. - -“Exactly what I was thinking,” Rex agreed. “We’ve got to decide what -to do with Parry. We can’t leave him here to starve to death and I -don’t see how we can take him with us either. So there we are, -betwixt the devil and the deep sea. I tell you,” he whispered, “we -must take absolutely no chance of his getting loose. The fat would -be in the fire for sure if he did.” - -“Well, have you any plan?” Bob asked. - -“Not a glimmer, have you?” - -“No, I can’t see a way out yet. How about you, Jack?” and Bob looked -at his brother. - -“Guess I’m about in the same boat as the rest of you,” the boy -replied. - -“The only thing I’ve thought of so far is for one of us to go to -Ashland, I believe that’s the nearest town, and get help while the -others stay here and watch him.” - -“Well, I’d like to know what’s the matter with that plan?” Rex -smiled. - -“Ashland is only twelve miles from here and one of us could be back -with help tomorrow night easily enough. What do you say, Bob?” - -“Sounds good to me,” Bob replied. “I’ll go.” - -“Not much you won’t,” Rex objected. “This is my job.” - -“Now look here, Rex,” Bob began, “You know as well as I do that it’s -best for me to go. I don’t want to brag, but I can make a good deal -better time on snow-shoes than you can and besides you don’t know -the woods as well as I do, and you could easily lose your way and -then we would be in a fix.” - -Rex realized the force of Bob’s argument and gave in. - -“I suppose you’re right,” he said. “But I hate to have you do all -the hard work.” - -“Bosh on that hard work stuff,” Bob laughed. - -“Well, have it your own way,” Rex smiled. “But I haven’t thanked you -for—” - -“Just lay off the thanks,” Jack interrupted. “We’ll take all that -for granted, eh Bob?” - -“Sure we will, Rex, old man.” - -“Well it was mighty good and plucky of you just the same,” he -declared. - -“And now you fellows better turn in and get some sleep. I’ll keep -watch of our friend here.” - -The boys tried to object but Rex would not listen, declaring that he -had been sleeping from twelve to fourteen hours a day and did not -need any more for a week. - -It was nearly midnight by this time and, in spite of the excitement, -both boys were asleep almost as soon as they tumbled into the bunk, -which, fortunately, was wide enough to hold them both. - -As soon as he was sure that they were asleep Rex went over to Parry -and examined his bonds. The breed did not say a word and, after -assuring himself that he had not loosened them, he went back to his -chair by the fire. - -When Bob woke the light was still burning as daylight had not yet -come. But a glance at his watch told him that it was nearly five -o’clock. Rex was getting breakfast and turned as Bob got out of the -bunk. - -“All quiet along the Potomac?” the latter asked. - -“Fine’s a fiddle,” Rex assured him “and breakfast will be ready just -as soon as the coffee boils.” - -The rain had stopped but a glance outside told Bob that the weather -had not entirely cleared. - -“It’s going to be a pretty hard tramp on that wet snow,” he thought -as he stepped back into the room. - -He woke Jack and in a few minutes Rex announced that breakfast was -ready. As soon as they were finished they lifted Parry from his bunk -and placed him in a chair. - -“Now, Parry, I’ll feed you,” Rex said. - -“You untie hands, I be bon.” The breed declared with an imploring -look. - -But Rex shook his head. - -“No, my friend. I’ve seen what you can do with those hands and I’m -not going to take a chance.” - -So he had to submit to being fed, an operation which took some -little time as he was a big feeder. - -“Well I guess I’ll be on my way,” Bob said as soon as the first -gleam of the coming dawn showed in the east. - -“Sure you can find the way?” Rex asked anxiously. - -“Sure. I’ve got a map here and my compass. I’ll be all right and I -ought to be back here by three or four o’clock. You be careful with -that fellow and don’t let him get loose,” he cautioned as he -fastened the thongs of his snow-shoes. - -“Well so long,” he said as he shook hands with them. - -As he had feared the snow was very wet and sticky and the going was -hard from the start. But he was used to it and a merry whistle -floated back to the two on the porch as they watched him until the -mighty forest swallowed him. - -“He’s a boy in a thousand,” Rex declared as they turned back into -the cabin, and Jack heartily agreed with him. - -Before washing the dishes Rex again examined their prisoner’s bonds -and assured himself that all was well. - -“We must not let him out of our sight for a minute,” he whispered to -Jack. “His strength is really marvelous and he might wiggle out of -those ropes and if he should, he’d make short work of us.” - -“Will you go back with them when they come after Parry?” Jack asked -as he was drying the dishes. - -“I thought I’d like to go with you,” Rex said. “You see that -business, which I was supposed to attend to, has been settled long -before this and there is really no hurry about my getting back now.” - -“That’ll be the finest ever,” Jack declared, delighted at the -thought of having their friend with them on the homeward trip. -“We’ll show you how they drive logs down the river. Say did you ever -see a log rolling contest?” - -“No. I never did, but I’ve read about them. It must be fun.” - -“I’ll say it is.” - -Meanwhile Bob was plowing his way through the wet snow toward -Ashland. Before he had gone far the sun broke through the clouds and -it began to grow warm and he was soon forced to remove his mackinaw. - -How the snow did stick to his shoes. It seemed as though he was -lifting a heavy weight every time he raised a foot. - -“I guess it’ll be night before I get there,” he thought and it was -only a little after ten o’clock when, from the top of a small hill, -he looked down upon the little town, nestling at its foot. - -The town boasted a telegraph office and, making his way thither, he -sent a message to Rex’s father in Philadelphia, telling him that he -was all right. He also telegraphed to his own father telling him -that they had found Rex and would start for Moosehead Lake next day. -This done he explained matters to the operator and asked him to whom -he should apply. - -“Jim Dugan is a deputy. He lives right across the street in that -white house. Guess you better see him,” the man advised. - -Bob found Jim Dugan a genial man about fifty years old and anxious -to help him after he had heard the story. - -“But I can’t hardly believe it of Parry Magloire,” he declared when -Bob told him what happened. “I know Parry well. He’s been guiding -round here for all of five years and I never heard of his cutting up -any tricks before. Guess he must have had a brain storm. Now I’ll -get hold of Joe Hinkson and after we get a bite ter eat we’ll start -back with you. We can drive up to within about a mile of the lake -all right.” - -Bob was very glad to know that he would not have to tramp all the -way back. - -Joe Hinkson was a young man but a few years older than Bob, but he -was, as Bob could see, a powerfully built man. - -They found the road in fair shape for that time of year and it was -only a little past two o’clock when the deputy announced. - -“We’ll ave ter hoof it from here.” - -They donned snow-shoes and at once struck off through the thick -woods. - -“Ter think that Parry’d do a thing like that,” Joe said as they -trudged along. - -“It sure do beat the Dutch,” the deputy agreed. - -Soon the cabin hove in sight and Bob gave a loud whoop which brought -Rex and Jack out on the porch. - -“Well, you sure did make it snappy,” Jack said as he grasped his -brother’s hand. “I didn’t expect you for two hours.” - -Bob introduced his companions and they all went into the cabin. - -“Well, well, what you been up to, Parry?” the deputy greeted the -prisoner. - -“Hello, Jeem. I think I mak’ one beeg fool out of myself, oui,” the -breed answered. - -“Yes, I guess you have,” Dugan replied severely. - -Then turning to Bob he said, “You can untie him now. I’ll be -responsible for him.” - -Bob did as he asked and Parry stretched himself with a sigh of -relief. - -“I’m mighty sorry that a thing of this sort should have happened,” -the deputy said, turning to Rex. “I’m afraid that it’ll give you a -mighty bad impression of us up here in Maine. But I never knowed a -thing of this sort ter happen afore. Parry, I’m sure ashamed of -you.” - -Parry hung his head but said nothing. - -“Well, we’ll be getting back,” the deputy announced. “Get your duds -on, Parry. I suppose you boys will wait till morning afore you -start?” he asked turning to Bob. - -“Why, I hardly know, but probably we will as it’s pretty late to -start now,” Bob replied. “We are certainly very grateful to you for -coming to our aid.” - -“Oh, that’s nothin’. All in the day’s work,” the deputy declared. -Then turning to Rex he asked: - -“What charge do you want ter make ’gainst this feller, Mr. Dale?” - -“Why, er I don’t think I want to make any,” Rex said after a -moment’s thought. “Really I have no hard feelings against him and I -believe that he’s been punished enough. How about it Parry?” - -“I ver’ sorry. I, I don’t know what mak’ me do heem,” the breed said -as he stood with downcast eyes. - -“Then suppose we let it go at that,” Rex suggested. - -“Just as you say,” the deputy agreed. “But I’ll be blest if many -would do it. Parry, you don’t deserve it.” - -“The man actually had tears in his eyes,” Bob declared, after they -had gone. - -“I honestly think that he’s a good fellow at heart,” Rex declared. - -It did not take them long to decide against starting back that -afternoon. - -“We’ll hit the hay early tonight and get off by daylight,” Bob said -as he opened the front door and stepped out onto the porch. “The -wind has shifted into the northwest,” he announced, a moment later -as he came back. “It’s growing colder and that just suits us. If it -will only freeze tonight we can make twenty or twenty-five miles -before it gets soft.” - -“Who owns this cabin?” Jack asked turning to Rex. - -“It belongs to a friend of Dad’s in Philadelphia. His name is Brown -and he comes up here every summer for a couple of months.” - -The cabin was well stocked with supplies and Rex said that they were -at liberty to take what they wished with them. Before going to bed -that night they got everything ready so that there might be no delay -in getting off in the morning. - -As Bob had hoped it froze hard during the night and when they -started just as the eastern sky was beginning to lighten, they found -a good hard crust. They were all in high spirits as they slung their -packs onto their backs and fastened the snow-shoes on top of them. - -“Here’s where we make a record,” Jack shouted as he took the lead. - -“Now, son, don’t you go to hitting it up too fast. Remember Rex -isn’t in training for a long hike,” Bob cautioned. - -“Don’t you hold back on my account,” Rex said. “I’m a pretty good -walker and if I get winded, I’ll let you know.” - -Jack knew that Rex was game, but he also realized the truth of Bob’s -statement, so he set a slower pace than he would have taken had they -been by themselves. Still they made good time, considering the big -hill which they had to climb. Rex was puffing, as Jack declared, -like a young porpoise, by the time they reached the top and he -laughingly acknowledged the indictment. - -“Guess I’m too fat,” he laughed as he leaned against a tree. - -They rested for a while before starting down the hill, and after -that Rex seemed to get his second wind and it was only a little past -ten o’clock when they reached the bank of the stream where Bob had -taken his plunge two days before. The ice had, in the meantime, gone -out of the stream and the lake as well. - -“How, in the world, are we ever going to get across?” Jack asked as -he gazed at the swollen stream, the waters of which were rushing -madly by. - -“That seems to be the main question, just at present,” Bob agreed as -he threw his pack to the ground and slowly scratched his head. “If -it was summer we could wade across, but believe me that water is -mighty wet and cold. I know, because I tried it,” and he told Rex of -his experience on the up trip. - -“Do you know how far it would be to go around it?” Rex asked. - -“No, but judging from its size here, it would be a good many miles,” -Bob replied. - -“Well, there’s only one way so far as I can see,” Jack declared. - -“Well, spring it,” Bob said. - -“You see, up the stream a bit there are some pines growing pretty -close to the edge,” he began pointing with his finger. “Now, if we -can find one that will do, what’s the matter with cutting it down so -that it’ll fall across the drink and then we’ll have a bridge?” - -“I guess it’s the only way, so let’s get busy.” - -“Just a minute till I get the ax out of my pack.” - -It did not take them long to find a tree which Bob declared would -do, and they at once set to work. It was hard and slow cutting as -the ax was a small one not adapted to felling so large a piece of -timber. But, by taking turns, they accomplished it in a little more -than a half hour. The tree fell true and, as the banks were high on -both sides of the stream they had a bridge well above the rushing -water. - -It did not take them long to make the crossing and soon they were -all safe on the other side. - -“All that work just to use it for a minute,” Jack declared in a -disgusted tone as he leaped to the bank, the last one over. - -“That’s often the way in this world, son,” Rex said soberly. “We’ll -be fortunate if things always turn out as well.” - -By this time the snow had softened so that the crust would no longer -bear their weight and they were forced to take to their snow-shoes. -Each day lowered the snow perceptibly, but it was still too deep to -wade through. However, it did not get actually wet and so did not -greatly impede their progress and they continued to make fair time. -They camped that night not far from where Bob had shot the moose, -and were again on their way at daybreak. - - - - - CHAPTER IX - - HELD UP - - -“Are you sure this is the place?” Jack asked a little later. - -“Sure. That’s the tree we climbed, but where’s the moose?” Bob -replied. - -They had stopped at the place where they had had the encounter with -the moose, but to their surprise, the animal had disappeared. They -had already told Rex about it and he had expressed a great desire to -see the animal. - -“Don’t it beat the Dutch?” Jack said as he glanced about. “How could -anyone have taken him away without leaving tracks?” - -“That part of it is easy,” Bob replied. “If they did it the next -morning, while the snow was frozen hard, their tracks wouldn’t -amount to much and that rain would have wiped out all trace of them. -It’s who did it that’s got me guessing. You see,” he continued -turning to Rex, “I broke the law when I shot that fellow and if the -game warden has found him before I have a chance to report and -explain the circumstances, it might go hard with me. It’s a pretty -serious thing up here to shoot a moose out of season.” - -“I suppose so,” Rex agreed. “But I imagine your word would be taken -all right.” - -“I sure hope so,” Bob said. “But that don’t help explain the -mystery.” - -“Probably some Indians or half-breeds found the body and carried it -off,” Jack suggested. - -“Likely enough,” Bob agreed. - -“Are there any Indians around here?” Rex asked. - -“A few,” Bob replied. “You know there’s a tribe that live over at -Oldtown and sometimes they get over as far as Moosehead Lake, but -not often.” - -“But there’s plenty of breeds,” Jack declared. - -“Well, I guess it’s no use standing here talking about it any -longer,” Bob declared. “Whoever got it has made a good get-away, and -if we’re going to make the Carry tonight we’ve got to be moving.” - -They had made a few more miles when, suddenly, Bob, who was in the -lead, stopped and held up his hand. - -“Listen,” he said. - -Faintly the sound came to their ears. - -“Wolves?” Rex asked. - -“No, dogs,” Jack replied. “I guess somebody’s coming this way with a -dog team.” - -As they started on again it was soon evident that the dogs were -approaching rapidly as the sound of the yelping grew louder. Soon, -peering through the trees, Bob caught sight of them. Four huskies -were drawing a sled and they were accompanied by four breeds, big -burly fellows with villainous appearing faces. - -As the two parties met, one of the breeds ordered the dogs to halt. -The sled was heavily loaded as they could see by its tracks in the -snow, but with what they could only guess as it was completely -covered with canvass. - -“How.” One of the breeds, a man who stood easily six feet two, -greeted them. - -“Good morning,” Bob replied pleasantly. - -“Where you come from, eh?” - -“From Lake Musquacook.” - -“Where you go?” - -“We’re going down to Moosehead,” Bob replied. - -For a moment the man hesitated. - -“You meet man up dar?” he asked. - -“No, we have seen no one since we left the lake.” - -“Mebby you tell lie, oui,” the man hissed with an insolent leer. - -Bob shrugged his shoulders. - -“I have told you the truth,” he declared. “Whether or not you choose -to believe it is up to you,” and he started to go on motioning Rex -and Jack to follow him. - -But he had taken but a step when one of the other breeds blocked his -way. - -“You no be in hurry, non,” he demanded. - -“There’s where you’re wrong,” Bob replied his temper beginning to -come to the surface. “We’re in a great hurry.” - -“You go when we geet ready,” the man who had first spoken snapped. - -“Well, what do you want?” Bob snapped back. - -“We want know where you see man.” - -“I’ve told you once that we’ve seen no one,” Bob replied. - -The four breeds drew off to one side and began talking in low tones, -making violent gesticulations with their arms. - -“Think there’ll be any trouble?” Rex whispered, stepping close to -Bob. - -“I guess not. There’s usually a good bit of bluff to these fellows. -That sled is probably loaded with booze and they’re probably trying -to get away from some deputy,” Bob replied in a low whisper. - -“How about making a run for it?” Rex whispered. - -“No use. They’d catch us in no time. Some of these breeds are like a -streak of lightning,” Bob replied. “Leave it to me and I guess it’ll -be all right.” - -In another minute the big leader came back to them. - -“You go back with us, oui,” he demanded. - -“Not so you’d notice it,” Bob said. - -“Mebby you lak’ geet beat up.” - -“Not particularly.” Bob again shrugged his shoulders as though it -did not much matter. - -He was, however, much more concerned than his manner showed. He saw, -by the looks of the man’s face, that he meant business, and he was -racking his brains to think of some way out. He had no doubt but -that they had guns, although none were in sight, and he was just as -certain that they would not hesitate to use them provided they -thought the occasion demanded it. - -“Why do you want us to go with you?” he temporized. - -“Dat our beesness. You come, oui?” - -“Yes, we will—not,” Bob snapped, exasperated by the man’s insolent -manner. - -“I tink mebby you change mind, oui,” the man sneered, as he, with a -move so quick that the eye could hardly follow it, pulled from an -inner pocket an ugly looking revolver. - -Bob’s heart sank, as he had been relying on the fact that they all -three had revolvers as a last resort. But now it was too late, as he -knew the man would shoot if they made the least movement toward -drawing them. - -“Well, I guess that does put a slightly different light on the -proposition,” and he turned to the others with a look which told -them that it was useless to resist. - -But Rex was not satisfied. - -“See here,” he began, addressing the big breed. “If it’s money you -want——” - -“You got money, eh,” the breed interrupted, and instantly Rex -realized that he had made a bad blunder. “We get der money after -while. You come now,” he ordered, motioning to one of his companions -to start the dogs. - -“We’ll have to take our medicine,” Bob whispered. “Don’t do anything -to make them mad. It won’t do any good and most of these fellows -have ungovernable tempers.” - -But at that moment, just as the driver swung his long lash over the -backs of the dogs and gave the order “mush,” a startling -interruption came. - -“Hands up there, Red Joe, and all the rest of you,” came in stern -tones from their right. - -Instantly the breeds obeyed the order and the boys turned to see -three men, all carrying automatics in their hands, step from behind -trees only a few feet away. - -“That’s right,” said one, as he stepped forward. “Just keep ’em up. -The first one who makes a move will be bored. Now drop that gun, -Joe.” - -The breed obeyed without a word but, as Jack afterward declared, if -looks would kill, the officer would not have had a chance. - -One of the men quickly picked up the gun and dropped it into his -pocket. - -“Frisk ’em, Bill,” the leader ordered, “while I keep ’em covered.” - -“Now you can put ’em down,” he said, after one of his men had taken -a revolver and a wicked looking knife from each of them. - -“You mak’ one beeg meestake, oui,” the breed whom the officer had -called Red Joe, began. “Dis team belong to dees boys.” - -The officer laughed. - -“It won’t work, Joe. We’ve had an eye on you for some time and know -all about you.” Then, turning to Bob, he asked: “Mind telling us who -you are? We’re revenue men and we’ve been after these fellows for a -long time and now it looks as though we’d got ’em with the goods.” - -Bob quickly explained their presence. - -“That’s all right and I’m mighty glad to know you,” and he held out -his hand. “My friend, Jim Blake, told me, just before I came up here -from Washington, how you helped him locate a still over on Mount -Bigelow last summer.” - -“And I’m very glad to shake hands with a friend of Jim Blake,” Bob -declared, as he grasped the outstretched hand. - -Introductions followed all around. - -“You certainly came at the right time for us,” Rex declared. - -“Yes, I rather guess we did. They’re a bad bunch and might have made -you uncomfortable to say the least,” the officer said, with a glance -at his prisoners who were standing, in a sullen group, guarded by -one of his men. - -“Now, Hen,” he said, addressing the other man, “let’s see what -they’ve got under that canvass. Bill’ll look out for ’em.” - -“Just as I thought,” he declared a moment later, as, the canvass -being stripped off, a large quantity of jugs and bottles were -disclosed. “You see these birds brought this stuff across the border -and were taking it down to Jackman. We heard about it and started to -meet ’em, but they must have got wind some way that we were after -’em and were beating it back over the line. - -“How’d you know we were after you, Joe?” he called to the breed. - -But Joe refused to answer. - -“Oh, well, have it your own way,” the officer said indifferently. -“We got you with the goods and that’s the main thing.” - -“Are you going back?” Bob asked. - -“No. I wish we could go with you boys, but we’ve got to take these -birds to Presque Isle and I guess we’d better be moving.” - -As he spoke, the officer took from his pocket four pairs of -handcuffs, and a moment later they were adorning the wrists of the -half-breeds. - -“Well, I’m mighty glad to have met you boys, and only wish that we -were going your way,” he said, as he again shook the hand of each of -them. A moment later and the thick forest had hid them from view. - -“Whew! But that was a close one all right,” Bob declared, as he -watched them disappear. “I tell you I was a good deal more scared -than I let on. Some of those breeds are mighty tough customers, and -would think no more of killing a man than they would of eating.” - -“Well, ‘All’s well that ends well,’” Jack quoted, as they started -off once more. “But I do hope we get back without any more -adventures,” he added with a laugh. - -“Getting fed up on them are you?” Rex asked. - -“Well, I don’t mind adventures provided they don’t come too quick -and fast,” he said. - -“To tell the truth, this last one was quite enough to last me -personally for some time. You know I’m not so used to these -hairbreadth escapes as you and Bob are,” Rex laughed. - -“Adventure is the spice of life,” Bob declared. - -“I suppose so for you youngsters,” Rex agreed. “But by the time you -get old like me, you’ll wish for a more quiet life,” and both boys -laughed heartily, for Rex was only about three years older than Bob. - -“Think we’ll make the Carry?” Jack asked a little later. - -“Well, we’ve got quite a piece to go yet, and it’ll probably be -pretty late when we get in. Are you fellows game to try it, or had -you rather camp out another night?” - -“I’m game,” Rex declared, and Jack also agreed. - -At noon they stopped by the side of a small brook and ate a cold -lunch, not even waiting to make coffee. - -“If the crust would only hold we’d have no trouble in making it,” -Bob said, as he munched a cracker. “But it’s pretty hard sledding on -snow-shoes, and I don’t know as we’d better try it.” - -But both the others were eager to make the attempt, and he allowed -himself to be easily persuaded. - -“If only we don’t get tangled up with an elephant or some other -trifle,” Jack laughed, as they fastened on their snow-shoes and -again set their faces to the south. Mile after mile they left behind -them, but going was heavy and when darkness began to steal through -the forest they still had several miles to go. - -“Are you sure you can find the way in the dark?” Rex asked -anxiously. - -“I can if the stars come out,” Bob replied, as he cast an anxious -look overhead. “But I’m afraid it’s going to cloud up and if it does -I’m not so sure.” - -“Well, I don’t see how you find your way even in the daytime through -this wilderness,” Rex declared. “I’d be running in circles in less -than no time if I tried to find my way.” - -“It’s a matter of getting used to it,” Bob said. “But you can always -tell which way is north by the bark on the trees, and then of -course, you can get the other points of the compass. But even so, -I’ve made a circle in the woods more than once.” - -Bob’s fears regarding the weather were soon realized; for, although -the stars came out fairly bright as night settled down, their -brightness was short lived. One by one they grew dim and went out, -until finally the last one had disappeared. - -“It’s no use,” Bob declared, as he watched the star which had been -his guide fade from view. “I haven’t got a single thing to go by -now, and it’s a clear case of hit or miss, with the odds -tremendously in favor of the miss. You see,” he explained, “there -are three hundred and sixty points to the compass, and, as we’ve got -to hit just one of them, our chances are three hundred and -fifty-nine to one. No man living could be sure of his way in this -blackness.” - -Bob used the word in its literal sense, for it was so dark that they -could hardly see their hand before their face. To be sure they had -electric torches, but in the immensity of the forest they were of -little or no use in blazing a trail. - -“Well, what’s to be done?” Rex asked. - -“Make a camp,” Bob replied. “You see we may be very near the Carry -and then again we may be still several miles away. It’s impossible -to tell.” - -“All right then, let’s go to it,” proposed optimistic Rex. - -It was slow work in the darkness, finding wood for the fire, but -after a good deal of hunting a sufficient quantity was collected and -soon a cheerful blaze was lightening the gloom of the forest. - -“It’ll seem more cheerful when we get some supper under our belts,” -Jack laughed, as he filled the coffee pot with snow and placed it on -the fire. - -“Who said anything about not being cheerful?” Rex demanded. - -Supper was finally ready and cheerfulness was certainly prominent as -they squatted about the fire, drinking coffee and eating flapjacks. - -“Speaking about adventures,” Rex said, after they had cleaned up, “I -had a funny one a few weeks ago, although I don’t know as it was so -funny after all, but it was certainly strange.” - -“All right, spring it,” Jack said, as he snuggled into his sleeping -bag. - -“Well, it has been said that truth is stranger than fiction, but I -have never believed it until after I had this adventure, but now I -know that it can be, at least sometimes. There have been a lot of -hold-ups in Philly and the country round about, and as I have to do -a lot of driving by night I got a permit from the chief of police to -carry a revolver for self protection. Well, one night, about the -first of last February, I was driving home along from West Chester -where I had been to attend a meeting. It was about half-past eleven -and I was about three miles from the city when I saw a car standing -by the side of the road. I slowed down, as I always do when passing -a standing car. You never can tell when some one is going to dart -out from behind the other car and start to cross the road without -looking. - -“Well, I was nearly to the car when, all at once, a man stepped out -into the road and held up his hand. I thought sure it was a hold-up -and, as I stopped the car, I reached my hand into my pocket for my -gun. But before I had time to pull it, the man, in a pleasant voice, -explained that something was the matter with his engine and would I -see if I could make it go. From the sound of his voice I decided -that I had judged him wrong and, of course, I jumped out to see if I -could help him out. He jostled me once or twice while I was leaning -over the engine, but I didn’t think anything of it at the time.” - -“I was only a few minutes finding out what was wrong. A bit of dirt -under the needle valve, and soon his engine was running all right -again. He thanked me very profusely, almost too much so, I thought -at the time. I had barely got started when I felt for my watch, to -see how late it was, and it was gone. Believe me, I was mad. It was -a hold-up after all I thought, and the stalled engine was a put-up -job. Well, I resolved then and there to have that watch or to know -the reason why. So I turned, as quickly as possible, and, believe -me, I burned the road going back. I saw him ahead of me, after -running about three miles, and, as soon as possible, I drove up -alongside of him, and motioned for him to stop. He was not going -very fast and at once obeyed my signal. I got out of my car and came -to the side of his, and the next minute, pointing my gun full in his -face, I demanded: - -“Hand over that watch, now, and be quick about it.” - -“He didn’t say a word but handed me the watch. Whether or not he -recognized me as the man who had helped him out a few minutes before -I don’t know. Well, I dropped the watch in my pocket and he drove -on. I turned again and, a half hour later, was home.” - -“Mother was in the living room as I let myself in the house. She had -been out somewhere and had just come in. I told her about my hold-up -and explained I had gotten the watch back. I noticed that she was -looking at me kinder funny, but she didn’t say anything till I had -finished; then, with a puzzled look on her face, she told me that I -had left my watch in the bath-room that evening and that she had put -it in my room. You can believe that I wasn’t very long in pulling -that watch out of my pocket. It was almost exactly like mine, but it -only needed a glance to show that it wasn’t my watch at all. - -“‘Great Scott,’ I groaned, as I sank down in a chair. ‘I held that -man up at the point of a gun and robbed him of his watch.’ You can, -perhaps, imagine about how I felt. I was a sure enough highwayman, -and a successful one at that. Just then Father came in, and of -course I had to tell him all about it. I thought he’d die laughing -at first, but in a moment the serious side of it occurred to him and -he sobered up mighty quick.” - -“What in the world did you do?” Bob laughed, as Rex paused. - -“Well, there was only one thing I could do,” Rex said. “Early the -next morning I took the watch to police headquarters and explained -matters to the captain. I thought he’d throw a fit, but finally, -after he’d called in all the officers about the place and told them -about it and they had nearly laughed their heads off, he said that -he’d fix it up all right and I was glad to get away. Of course I -didn’t blame them for laughing. I’d have laughed myself if it had -happened to anyone else.” - -“And did he get the watch back to the owner?” Jack asked. - -“Oh, yes,” Rex replied. “The man came in that very day to lodge a -complaint and the matter was explained to him.” - -“Did the captain tell him who the man was that had held him up?” Bob -asked. - -“No,” Rex replied. “He told me afterward that he had explained to -the man that it would be best not to tell him who it was, and he was -very nice about it and said he thought the same way. But, oh my, -suppose I meet him sometime and he recognizes me. I’ll feel like a -plugged thirty cent piece.” - -“Oh, well, he’d probably not recognize you anyhow,” Jack consoled -him. - -“That’s the funniest story I ever heard for a true one,” Bob -declared, as he settled himself in a comfortable position and said -goodnight. - -How still it was in the solitude of the vast forest. Not a breath of -air stirred the branches above them. The boys were tired from their -long tramp and, as Jack declared, did not have to be rocked to -sleep. - -How long Bob had been asleep he did not know, nor did he know what -had awakened him. He was conscious of no sound as he started up -fully awake in an instant. And yet he knew that a noise of some kind -had disturbed his sleep. Raising himself on his elbow, he listened. - -“There, I knew it was something,” he whispered to himself, as a low -sound stole through the darkness. - -At first he could not make out what it was. - -“Sounds, for all the world, like a baby crying,” he thought. “But, -of course, it can’t be. Jimminy crickets, but it is too,” he -muttered a moment later, as the sound reached his ears more plainly. - -Moving as quietly as possible, so as not to disturb the others, he -got out of his bag and, listening a moment to make sure of the -direction, he stole softly away through the woods. He had not -stopped to put on his snow-shoes, and although a crust had formed on -the surface of the snow it was not yet strong enough to bear his -weight and he sank to his knees with every step. - -Stopping every few steps to make sure that he was getting nearer the -source of the sound, which he was now certain was a baby crying, he -flashed his electric torch ahead. He had not gone more than about -thirty feet when, close to the trunk of a big pine, he found that -for which he was searching. It was indeed a baby, being not more -than four years old. The child was sitting on the snow, the crust -being strong enough to support its weight, at the foot of the tree, -sobbing as if its little heart would break. - -“Now what do you know about that?” Bob asked himself, as he hastened -forward and, despite the struggles of the child, picked it up in his -arms. - -“There, there, now baby, I’m not going to hurt you.” He soothed the -child, which was, he noticed, dressed in a thick warm cloak. - -Gradually, under the influence of his words and tone, the child -seemed to lose its fear. - -“Now what are you doing way out here in the woods?” Bob asked, as -soon as the child had calmed sufficiently to answer. - -“Baby no way off,” the child sobbed. “Baby live back there,” and the -chubby arms pointed in the direction in which Bob had been going. - -“Did you run away?” Bob asked kindly. - -“Baby no run way. Bad mans come in house. Hurt my mama,” the child -sobbed. - -Instantly Bob was on the qui vive. - -“Is the man there now?” he asked quickly. - -“Yeth, he hurt my mama,” the child repeated. - -“How many bad men are there?” he asked. - -“One man—two.” The baby gulped down its sobs. - -“Better not take any chances,” Bob muttered, as he retraced his -steps as quickly as possible to where Rex and Jack were sleeping. - -“It’s all right, little one,” he assured the child, whom he carried -in his arms. “I’ve got some friends, and just as soon as I can get -to them we’ll go and drive the bad men away.” - -He gave first Jack and then Rex a violent shake, as soon as he -reached the spot. - -“Wake up there and be quick about it,” he ordered. - -“Hey, what’s the big idea?” Jack began sleepily. Then, as he forced -open his eyes and, by the light of Bob’s torch, saw the child in his -brother’s arms, he rose to a sitting position. - -“For the love of Mike, where’d you get it?” he gasped. - -“Do they raise them on trees up here?” Rex, who was sitting up, -asked. - -“It’s no time to answer questions,” Bob declared in a low tone, and -he quickly told them what he had gathered from the child. “It’s -probably some breeds or Indians trying to rob the house. But come -on, there’s no time to lose.” - -Still carrying the child in his arms, Bob led the way back through -the snow to the tree where he had found the child. - -“You live that way?” he asked, pointing. - -“Yeth, wite over dare.” - -“Quiet now,” Bob whispered to the others. - -In less than twenty steps they suddenly came to a clearing, and to -his great surprise Bob saw that the place was the North West Carry. - -“What do you know about that,” he whispered, turning to Rex who was -just behind him. “We were within two minutes’ walk of the place and -never knew it.” - -“Hush,” Rex whispered. - -“Do you live in the store?” Bob asked the child. - -“Yeth, baby live in store.” - -“Come on,” Bob ordered. “It’s the store they’re trying to rob.” - -The store was only a few feet from where they had stopped, and in -another minute they were on the little porch. - -“Hush,” Rex again whispered. “I can hear voices.” - -“Yes, there’s someone in there all right,” Bob agreed, as the sound -of angry voices came plainly to their ears. - -“The lock on the door’s smashed,” he announced in a whisper, as he -pushed the door open and followed by the others stepped softly into -the store. - -“For the last time, will you tell us where that money is?” - -The words came to them plainly, even through the closed door at the -back of the store. At the sound, Bob gave a sudden start. There was -something strangely familiar in the sound of that voice. He sat the -child down in a chair by the big stove, and, motioning to the others -with his light, he ran for the back of the store. For just a second -he hesitated. Then, with a shout, he flung open the door. - - - - - CHAPTER X - - THE BOYS TO THE RESCUE - - -The room was fairly well lighted from a large lamp on a table near -the center. A glance was all that was necessary for them to take in -the situation. In a chair to the right sat the wife of the -storekeeper, tied hand and foot. The storekeeper himself was -similarly placed on the opposite side of the room. His feet were -bare and one man was holding one of them, while it was evident that -the other was about to apply the flame of a candle, which he held in -his hand, to the sole of the foot. The man holding the candle, Bob -noticed, was a hunchback. - -As the door burst open the two men turned. With an oath the larger -dropped the storekeeper’s foot and reached for his hip pocket. He -did not, however, have time to draw his gun, for, with a yell, Bob -was upon him. - -It was, as Rex afterward declared, a beautiful tackle. Bob dove for -the man’s legs and they came to the floor in a heap. But the man was -a powerful brute, and shaking off the boy’s hold he was on his feet -again almost instantly. Bob too sprang to his feet. For a second the -two, man and boy, stood facing each other. Then, with a roar like an -angry bull, the man sprang. Bob neatly sidestepped and the blow -merely grazed his cheek. - -Smack! Before the man could regain his balance Bob had turned and -driven his fist with all his strength against his jaw. The blow -staggered the man, but he did not fall. - -“I’ll get you,” the man hissed through his teeth. - -“Better be quick while the getting’s good,” Bob taunted. - -As far as brute strength went, Bob well knew that he was no match -for his opponent, but the boy was a skillful boxer, while as he knew -from past experience the man knew nothing of the art. - -Again the man rushed and again the boy dodged the blow, and, as -before, landed a heavy one in return. This time the blow caught the -man fairly on the nose and brought a stream of blood from the -nostrils. The pain of the blow maddened the man to the point of -frenzy, and throwing caution to the winds he rushed in and threw his -powerful arms about the boy’s neck, heedless of the blows that Bob -showered on him. Back and forth they swayed for a moment. - -But Bob knew that there could be but one end to a struggle of this -kind, as the man was hugging him closer and closer in his arms. His -hold must be broken and that quickly. Watching his chance, Bob -suddenly exerting all his strength brought his knee up against the -man’s abdomen. With a grunt of pain and surprise, he loosened his -hold for an instant, and Bob was quick to take advantage of the -opportunity. Like an eel he slipped from his grasp, and before his -opponent could recover his hold, he drove his right fist to his jaw. - -Smack! It was a beautiful blow, landing exactly on the right spot. -Its force was enhanced by the fact that the man was springing -forward at the time. Down he went without a sound and lay still on -the floor. - -Meanwhile, at the instant Bob had made the dive for his man, Rex had -sprung for the other. The hunchback, though not large, was wiry, and -it seemed to Rex, as they rolled over and over on the floor, -possessed of the strength of ten wild cats. - -Jack, confident that Bob could take care of himself, but not so sure -of Rex, was dancing about trying to get a hold on the hunchback. But -so rapidly did the two thrash about that, for what seemed a long -time, he was unable to help his friend. But as it proved, his help -was not needed, for Rex finally succeeded in getting a firm grasp of -the other’s throat and soon had him under control. Seeing that Rex -was all right, Jack turned to see how Bob was making out, just in -time to see the blow which knocked him out. - -“Gee, but that was a peach,” he declared, as he stepped quickly to -Bob’s side. “Did he hurt you any?” - -“Nary a bit,” Bob replied, as he glanced at the man on the floor. - -It was but a moment’s work to release the man and his wife, and they -were profuse in their thanks. But without waiting to listen to them, -the boys took the ropes with which they had been tied, and soon had -the two men tied good and fast. The hunchback made no resistance as -his hands and feet were securely bound, and the other man did not -begin to show signs of life until after the job was completed. - -“Well, Nip, it seems that our paths are bound to cross,” Bob said, -as he stood in front of the hunchback. “I guess we’ve got you and -Jake with the goods this time, and you’ll eat at the expense of the -State for some time.” - -Those of my readers who have read the previous volumes of this -series, need no introduction to Nip and his friend, Jake. For the -benefit of those who have not, it will be sufficient to say that the -pair were as fine a couple of rogues as you would want to meet. As -Bob had said, their paths had crossed before, and the boys had -gotten the better of them but they had escaped. - -Nip made no reply to Bob’s remark. He was a sullen brute and -realized that the boys once more had the upper hand. - -“It’s a pretty low business, Nip, when you come to torturing a -helpless old man and his wife, but I’m not surprised.” - -Just then a groan came from Jake, who was still lying on the floor, -and a moment later he opened his eyes and looked about him. He was, -as Jack declared, a sight. His face was covered with blood from the -blow on his nose, and one of his eyes was nearly closed and was -beginning to turn black. - -“Well, Jake, I’m sorry I had to cut you up so,” Bob began, as he -stood over the man, “but you certainly had it coming to you.” - -“I’ll get you sometime,” Jake growled, as he struggled to free his -hands. - -“Mebby,” Bob replied. “But I rather think that you’ll be kept pretty -busy for some time. No use to waste your strength on that rope, man. -It’s a good strong one and it’s tied to stay. I’ll get some water -and wash the blood off your face. You don’t look a bit pretty.” - -The storekeeper’s wife quickly brought some water in a basin and -soon Bob had the man’s face cleaner than it had been for a long -time, as Jack asserted. - -“Well, boys,” the storekeeper said, after Bob had introduced Rex to -him and his wife, “You certainly came in the nick o’ time, as the -sayin’ is. That feller’d a had that candle against my foot in -another minute and I gess I’d a had ter give in. You saved me close -ter two thousand dollars an’ Jeb Slocum ain’t one ter ferget it.” - -Before Bob had time to reply, the little child that he had found in -the woods came running into the room. - -“Are the bad mans gone, mamma?” she asked. - -“No, they ain’t gone but they can’t hurt us now,” her mother -replied, as she hugged the little girl to her breast. - -Then Bob told them how he had found the child and how she had told -them what was happening. - -“I was worried to death ’bout what had become of Dot,” the woman -said, as she kissed the child again and again. - -“Those fellers come in here ’bout an hour ago,” Mr. Slocum explained -in answer to Bob’s question. “They must have got wind ter the fact -that I had a lot o’ money in the house. Yer see there ain’t another -soul ’sides us here just now. Everybody’s gone down ter Greenville -fer one thing or a nother. Well, they jumped us an’ tied us up and -demanded ter know where my money was, and when I wouldn’t tell ’em -they got real mad an’ ’lowed as how they’d burn my feet off if I -didn’t tell, an’ I guess they’d a done it if you hadn’t come along -jest when you did.” - -Mrs. Slocum insisted on getting the boys something to eat, and it -was close to ten o’clock by the time they had finished. Jeb insisted -that the boys go to bed while he sat up and watched the prisoners. - -“Land sakes,” he declared, when Bob announced his intention of -serving as watchman. “I couldn’t sleep no mor’n a cat after all this -excitement,” and seeing that he was determined, Bob soon gave up the -argument and together with Rex and Jack, followed Mrs. Slocum to a -room upstairs where were a couple of most comfortable looking beds. - -“I hope you’ll find those beds all right,” she said, as she bade -them goodnight. - -“I should say they were all right,” Jack declared a moment later, as -he nearly sank out of sight in the soft feather tick. - -They were up at daybreak the next morning, and by the time they had -recovered their packs and snow-shoes from where they had left them -the night before, Mrs. Slocum had breakfast ready for them. - -“Another one of those steaks,” Jack sighed with joyful anticipation, -as he sat down at the table. - -“I’ve eaten some pretty good steaks in my lifetime,” Rex declared a -little later, “but, honestly, Mrs. Slocum, I never knew till now -what a really good steak was.” - -The woman flushed with pleasure at the words of praise. - -“And I’ve eaten French fried before,” Jack declared, “but these, Oh, -boy, these are in a class all by themselves.” - -As soon as they had finished, the prisoners were fed one at a time, -their hands being freed for the moment and then securely fastened. - -By eight o’clock they were ready to start. The two prisoners had -snow-shoes and these were tied to their backs. Then their feet were -untied but their hands were kept securely fastened behind their -backs. - -“Think I’ll go along with you,” Jeb Slocum said, as they were about -to start. “I got to go in a day or two, and I’d like the job of -lodging a complaint against these fellers.” - -The boys expressed their pleasure at having his company, and after -bidding Mrs. Slocum goodbye Bob turned to the two prisoners, who -were standing sullenly a few feet away. - -“Now you two listen to me,” he began. “We’re going to take you down -to Jackman and turn you over to the police. It’s not safe to have -men of your stripe loose about the country. Now we’ve got some -pretty good persuaders here and we know how to use them; and if you -try to get away we won’t hesitate to shoot,” and he held out one of -the guns so that they could see it. - -The men made no reply, but Bob fancied he caught a queer look in the -eyes of Jake as he glanced at the hunchback. - -“I’ll keep a mighty close watch on you,” he thought. - -“Never saw the snow hang on so long seems like,” Jeb declared, as -they started, the two prisoners a few feet to the front. - -The morning was clear and cold and the crust hard enough to bear -their weight. They made good time and reached the town in time for -dinner in spite of the fact that they had to resort to the -snow-shoes for the last few miles. They had met no one on the trip -and the two prisoners had made no attempt to escape, although Bob -felt sure that it was due to their watchfulness that they had not. - -Jackman boasted of no police station but did have a lockup and to -this building they marched their men. The keeper of the lockup was -at home, and after lodging a formal complaint against them and -seeing them behind the bars they all went to the hotel for dinner. - -To their great satisfaction the boys learned that Sandy, the stage -driver, was about to start for The Forks, and they had no trouble in -engaging passage. They barely had time to eat and say goodbye to Jeb -when Sandy was ready for the start. Although the road was in -terrible shape, the ride down was without incident and they arrived -in good time for supper. - -Greatly to his surprise, Bob had learned from Sandy that they had -not as yet succeeded in starting the jam. - -“Leastwise they hadn’t when I came up day afore yesterday,” he -declared. - -“What’s the trouble?” Bob asked. - -“I dunno,” Sandy replied. “I heard Sim say as how they’d shot off -enough dynamite ter blast out a whole mountain, but they hadn’t -budged.” - -“It’s very strange,” Bob said, and let the matter drop. - -The first man they saw as they entered the hotel office was their -father. - -“Dad!” shouted both the boys, as they made a rush for him. - -“Thought it was about time you youngsters were getting back,” Mr. -Golden declared, after he had embraced them and greeted Rex. - -“But what are you doing up here?” Bob asked. - -“I just got here about an hour ago,” Mr. Golden replied. “Jean -’phoned that they couldn’t get the jam started and I thought I’d -better come up and see about it. It’s pretty important that we get -those logs going down the river rather soon, you know,” he smiled. - -Bob knew, more from his father’s looks than from what he said, that -he was worried over the delay. - -“Why can’t they get them started?” Jack asked impatiently. - -“No one seems to know, as far as I can find out,” his father -replied. - -“It sure looks fishy to me,” Jack declared. - -“I saw Donahue just before I left home and he declared that he was -as anxious to get them started as I was, but I’m afraid he was -stretching it a bit,” Mr. Golden told them, as he led the way into -the dining room. - -“I don’t doubt for a single minute but that he had his men jam those -logs there on purpose,” Bob declared, as he drew his chair up to the -table. “But what I can’t understand is how they could fix them so -that dynamite won’t start them.” - -“You just wait till we get at ’em and we’ll start something,” Jack -asserted, as he helped himself to a huge plate of baked beans. - -“You’re great on starting things,” Bob laughed, “but how about -finishing them?” - -“None of your kidding,” Jack laughed back. “I guess I’ve finished -more than one job that you started. There, I guess that’ll hold him -for a while,” he declared with a wink at Rex. - -Bob made no reply to the indictment, for he well knew that his -brother was very efficient both at beginning and finishing tasks. - -They were about half through supper when Jean Larue, his usually -smiling face wearing a deep frown, entered the dining room. - -“Well, Jean, what’s the matter now?” Mr. Golden asked, as the -Frenchman drew his chair up to the table. - -“Dem logs, heem no mean to start,” Jean growled, as he reached for -the dish of beans. - -“Don’t you worry, Jean,” Bob gibed. “Jack is going out after he eats -his supper and push ’em off for you.” - -Jean glanced at the speaker, a puzzled expression on his face. He -always had difficulty in deciding whether or not Bob was serious. -But as he caught the twinkle in the boy’s eyes, a broad grin spread -over his face. - -“I tink mebby I better hurry an’ go down der river and tell ’em to -clear der way, oui,” he said soberly. - -“Never mind, Jean,” Jack assured him. “They’ll have to take their -chances down below.” - -“What seems to be the main trouble,” Bob asked seriously. “Can’t you -find the key log?” - -“Oui, we find heem all right, one, two, three, many time, but when -we find heem and blow heem out, heem no key log one time,” Jean -declared with a seriousness which made them all laugh. - -It was dark before they had finished supper, and Mr. Golden and the -three boys went at once to their rooms on the second floor, where -they sat for some time discussing the situation. - -“Mr. Donahue promised that he would have his crew up here by noon -tomorrow,” Mr. Golden told them. “But,” he added, with a shake of -his head, “you know as well as I do how much dependence can be -placed on what he promises.” - -“You bet we do,” Jack said. “I’ll believe it when I see them and not -before. But it seems to me that there must be a key log there that’s -holding these logs. Oh, I know that Jean forgets more about log jams -every night than I ever knew,” he hastened to add, as he saw that -Bob was about to speak. “But you know, ‘fools rush in where angels -fear to tread,’ and I might be lucky enough to find it even when he -can’t. Anyhow, I’m going to have one good look for it in the -morning, and I may surprise you all.” - -“Here’s hoping,” Bob smiled, as he began to pull off his clothes. - -The boys were tired from their long trip and by nine o’clock they -were sound asleep. - -“They certainly are wedged in good and tight.” - -It was the next morning. They had eaten an early breakfast and, -accompanied by their father, the boys had hastened out to the jam. -Jean and his small crew were already at work with their peavies -prying out a log here and there. But, as Rex declared, it seemed -like a hopeless task where there were so many thousands of them. - -Bob and Jack had put on their calked boots, but Rex and Mr. Golden -were wearing their ordinary shoes. - -“They sure are,” Bob answered his brother’s remark, “But it’ll be -all right just as soon as Jack gets his eyes on that key log,” and -he gave Rex a sly wink. - -“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never harm me,” -Jack laughed as he moved out toward the middle of the river. - -The boy stepped slowly from log to log close to the head of the jam. -The dark water swirled out from beneath the logs as though trying to -tear them loose. Carefully he examined log after log, hoping that he -might be able to locate the one which might be causing all the -trouble. He had, before now, seen jams held up for days, while the -drivers sought for the key log, when all that was needed to start -the entire mass in motion was a slight movement of a certain log. It -was this log, if such there were, that he was trying to locate. Of -course he was aware that Jean and his men had examined them a number -of times, and having failed to find it he knew that his chances of -success, where they had failed, were slight. But this did not deter -him from his determination to find it, provided it existed. - -Slowly he worked his way along until he had reached the center of -the river. Here the logs were piled three or four deep in what -seemed like a hopelessly tangled mass. For some minutes he stood on -one end of a large spruce which reached out for five or six feet -over the water. A significant appearance of the water two or three -feet beneath him had caught his eye. - -“There’s a big rock down there, unless I’m very much mistaken,” he -muttered to himself, as he stretched out at full length on the log -in order to get his eyes nearer the water. Eagerly he strained his -eyes to pierce the rushing water. Then, as the sun suddenly came -from behind a cloud, he straightened up. - -“I thought so,” he whispered. “And the key log is jammed tight -against it.” - -“Found your key log?” Bob called, as Jack started back toward them. - -“Mebby,” he replied, as he reached the log on which they were -standing. - -“Do you really mean it, Jack?” Mr. Golden asked anxiously. - -“Well, of course I can’t be sure, but there’s a big rock out there -in the middle. It’s about a foot and a half under water and there’s -a big log jammed tight up against it.” - -“Let’s go look at it,” Bob proposed, as he started jumping from log -to log, closely followed by Jack. - -Mr. Golden and Rex followed much more slowly, as they had to be more -careful where they stepped. - -“I don’t see any rock,” Bob declared a moment later, as he stood on -the log reaching out over the water. - -“Neither could I till I got my eyes close down to it,” Jack -retorted. - -“You’re right, as usual,” he acknowledged a moment later, after he -had followed Jack’s example. “And what’s more, I believe that’s the -log that’s doing the trick.” - -By this time Mr. Golden and Rex had joined them, and after they too -had stretched out on the log, they agreed with Bob. - -“Hello, Jean!” Mr. Golden shouted. - -Jean, who at the moment was working well over toward the opposite -shore, raised his head at the shout. - -“Come here a minute,” Mr. Golden ordered, beckoning with his hand. - -Jean, peavey in hand, came running to them. - -“What do you think of it?” Bob asked a moment later, after Jack had -pointed out the situation to him. - -“I tink heem bout right,” and the Frenchman cast an admiring glance -toward Jack. “I tink heem key log, oui.” - -“See if you can budge it,” Mr. Golden proposed. - -But although Jean sank the sharp end of his peavey deep into the log -and exerted all his great strength, he was unable to move it. - -“Have to feex heem wid powder, oui,” he panted after he had pushed -and pulled for some minutes. - -“It’s going to be a pretty hard job to get the dynamite in the right -place don’t you think, Jean?” Jack asked. - -“Oui, heem be ver’ hard but I feex heem,” and the Frenchman started -for the shore while the others sat down on a log to await his -return. - -It was only a short time before they saw him coming back unwinding a -coil of wire as he stepped from log to log. - -“Where are you going to place it?” Jack asked, as Jean reached them -and took two sticks of dynamite from his pocket. - -“I have geet heem down close by dat rock, oui,” Jean replied as he -took off his heavy calked boots and rolled up his trousers. - -“He isn’t going to step in that ice cold water, is he?” Rex -whispered to Jack, who was standing close by him. - -“He doesn’t mind that,” Jack laughed. “You see a river driver’s feet -are wet about all the time he is on the drive, and they get used to -it.” - -“But I should think they would catch their death of cold,” Rex -declared. - -“So would I, but they don’t seem to,” Jack laughed. “I guess they -must be immune or something of the kind.” - -While they were talking the object of Rex’s concern had walked out -on the overhanging log and had swung himself off to the rock. As he -stood on it the icy water was well above his knees, but as Rex -afterward declared he did not so much as shiver, Feeling with his -toes he soon found a place to his liking and in another minute he -had the two cylinders of dynamite securely fastened between the rock -and the key log. - -“Now we soon know if she go bust,” he declared as he jumped back to -the log and quickly drew on his heavy woolen socks and boots. - -They all followed him to the shore where he had left the battery. - -“You found the key, if that’s the one, and it’s up to you to press -the button, Jack,” Mr. Golden declared, as they waited for the rest -of the crew to join them. - -“All right, now. Let heem go bust,” Jean shouted, as the last of the -men jumped to the shore. - -Immediately Jack pressed the button while they all held their -breath. A heavy explosion followed and a mass of water was thrown in -the air. For an instant there seemed to be no movement of the logs -and Jack was about to voice his disappointment, when suddenly a -shudder seemed to shake the jam and, with a rending sound, the -foremost logs began slowly to writhe. - -“Hurrah! She go bust!” Jean shouted, jumping up and down in his -excitement. - -“Bust is right,” Mr. Golden agreed; then turning to Jack, he -declared: - -“My hat off to you, son. You’re the champion key log finder of the -outfit.” - -“And I’ll take back all I said,” Bob declared, giving his brother a -hearty slap on his back. “You’re it, all right.” - -By this time Jean and his men were out in the middle of the river -working like mad as the whole mass of logs, now in motion, was -moving with the current. There was great danger that another log -might catch on the rock and another jam form at any minute. - -“We ought to have thirty or forty men here now,” Mr. Golden told -Rex, as he watched the movement of the logs. “Still they may be able -to handle them. You see,” he explained, “if once the head, that is -the part where the logs are piled up, gets past that rock, there is -not much danger of any of the others catching, as the rock is too -far beneath the surface to bother where there is only one layer of -logs.” - -Several minutes passed and it seemed that the danger was nearly over -when suddenly, without warning, the movement of the head stopped. - -“They’ve caught again,” Bob gasped. - -But, even as he spoke, they saw Jean leap to a log which seemed to -be standing nearly on end, and, catching it with his peavey, give it -a sudden twist. - -“Good boy, Jean,” Jack shouted. - -“He did the trick all right,” Bob added. - -“Yes, they’re going again,” Mr. Golden declared, as the mass began -once more to move. - -A few minutes later and he heaved a sigh of relief as he saw the -last of the head tumble down. - -“There, I think the danger is passed,” he declared in a relieved -tone. - - - - - CHAPTER XI - - THE BROKEN BOOM - - -Along the Kennebec River the camps of the river drivers are located -at intervals of from ten to twelve miles. Each of these camps -supports a crew numbering from twenty to forty men according to the -condition of the river. It is the duty of each crew to see that all -logs get safely by their allotted territory. - -The first of the Golden logs had been started down the river before -the camps were filled, as Mr. Golden was anxious to get the first -lot down as soon as possible to avoid all danger of forfeiting his -contract with the paper company. He had figured that the drivers -would be on the job before they got very far on their way, and he -had ordered Jean Lamont and his small crew to go straight through -with the logs to Waterville. It was time now for the different crews -to be in the cabins, and he fully expected that, from now on, he -would have all the help needed. - -About two and a half miles down the river from The Forks, is an -island lying nearly in the middle of the stream. It is a bad place -for a jam to form, as the island, occupying a good part of the -river, forms a natural barrier. Still there is little danger of a -jam forming, provided the safety boom is in good shape and does not -give way. This boom is made in the shape of a V, the apex pointing -up the river and fastened securely to a log driven into the river -bed. The sides of the V inclose the island and are firmly secured to -rocks or logs sunk into the river bottom. So long as this boom is in -proper shape, the logs, as they reach the point of the V are shunted -to the channels, on either side of the island. But once let the boom -give way and a jam is inevitable. - -As soon as Mr. Golden saw that the jam was really broken and that -there was little danger of another being formed, he called to Jean. - -“You’d better get down to the island as soon as you can with your -men. The boom there was all right when I came by yesterday, but, as -you know, there’s a certain man who will do almost anything to hold -back those logs. He said he’d be up here along about noon with a -crew and get them started out of the jam and goodness knows what he -may have done to that boom at the island.” - -“Oui, we go ver’ queek, an’ eef heem break that boom heem bet’ look -out,” and the Frenchman’s face, for the moment lost its cheerful -smile. - -“I don’t want you to have any trouble with any of his men if it can -be prevented,” Mr. Golden cautioned him. - -“Trust Jean for that,” Bob laughed, “But,” he added, “if trouble is -thrust upon him, look out for fireworks.” - -“I guess we might as well go along with him,” Jack proposed. - -“Now, boys, I want you to be careful and avoid trouble,” Mr. Golden -said soberly. “I’ve got to go back home at once and have just time -to drive to Solon and get the afternoon train. I wish I could stay -and see those logs through, but there’s an important meeting of the -bank directors tomorrow morning and I have to be there, so I’ll have -to leave it to you.” Then, turning to Rex, he asked, “How long can -you stay with the boys?” - -“Why, I suppose I ought to go home right away, but you see, sir, -this is all new to me and it’s so interesting that I’m going to stay -a day or two longer, that is, if they want me to,” Rex replied with -a sly glance at the two boys. - -“If you stay as long as we want you to you’ll stay till we go back -to college,” Bob laughed as he shook hands with his father. - -“Well, stay as long as you can, Rex,” Mr. Golden said as he bade -them goodbye. - -“How are we going to get down to that island?” Rex asked after Mr. -Golden had left. - -“Go down on the logs, of course,” Jack replied. “You see,” he -explained, “that’s the quickest way to get there. Of course if we -had a boat in the river ahead of the logs we could make better time, -but as we haven’t we’ll have to make the best of it. But Rex ought -to have a pair of calked boots if he’s going to ride the logs down,” -he added turning to Bob. - -“That’s so,” Bob agreed. “I guess we can pick up a pair at Sim’s, -but we’ve got to make it snappy.” - -They started for the store on the run and, having found a pair of -boots to fit Rex they were back in almost no time, as Jack put it. - -“Come on, now, let’s go,” Bob cried as they reached the river, now -filled with the floating logs. “Now Rex, you want to be careful,” he -added. “You can’t slip with those boots on, but, if you step on a -small log its apt to turn on you. Better stick to the big ones.” - -They had been running rapidly from log to log while Bob was -speaking. Rex had some trouble at first in keeping his balance, but -he was quick to catch on to the knack and by the time they had -reached the head of the drive, he insisted that he was as good as -any of them. - -“I’ll be an old stager in another day,” he laughed as he began to -dance on a giant spruce. - -Jean and his men with the exception of the cook, who had been sent -back to follow the drive down in the big scow, were on the foremost -of the logs. - -“How do they tell which of these logs belong to who?” Rex laughed. - -“That’s easy,” Bob replied. “If you’ll look you’ll see that each log -is marked or rather cut with a certain brand See that X on the end -of that log you’re standing on? Well, that means that the log -belongs to Mr. Ben Donahue, better known as Big Ben.” - -“Same’s they brand horses out West,” Rex said. “What’s your mark?” - -“All our logs are marked with a T,” Bob explained. “You see it has -to be a mark that can be easily made with an axe.” - -“About how fast are we going?” Rex asked, eager to learn all he -could. - -“Between two and three miles an hour, I should judge,” Bob replied. - -“Don’t the water run faster than that?” - -“Some,” Bob replied. “But you see there’s a lot of friction with the -logs rubbing against each other and butting into the banks all the -time and that slows them down so they never quite keep up with the -water. I suppose a single log or two out in the middle would go as -fast as the current, but a big lot together like these never do.” - -“Look,” Jack cried at that moment. “Jean and Pierre are going to go -ahead and get down beforehand.” - -Rex looked as Jack pointed and saw the two men, one on each end, of -what seemed to him a pretty small log to carry two heavy men, in the -act of pushing the log ahead with their peaveys. - -“Why, don’t they take a big one?” Rex asked. - -“Because they can make a little one go faster,” Jack laughed. - -Rex soon saw that what Bob had told him was true, for as soon as the -single log was well away from the rest it began to forge ahead. -True, its pace was increased by the fact that the two Frenchmen were -using their peaveys for paddles, but he could see that their log had -drawn away from the main drive even before they had began to paddle. - -“I’ll say they’re clever,” he declared as he noted the ease with -which the two kept their balance. - -“They don’t make ’em any better, not on this river anyway,” Jack -declared with pride. - -“That’s nothing,” Bob broke in. “I only hope we can get Jean to have -a log rolling contest with someone before you go back. Then you’d -see something that really is clever.” - -“I say, Bob,” Jack said as Jean and his fellow voyager disappeared -around a bend in the river, “If that crew of Ben’s is going to get -up to The Forks by noon it’s funny we haven’t seen anything of them, -don’t you think?” - -“Just what I was thinking,” Bob declared. “But,” he added, “you know -that if Ben said they’d be there today some time next week would -more likely be the time they’ll arrive.” - -“You’re about right there,” Jack agreed. - -“I say, but we’re leaving a lot of logs behind along the shore,” Rex -declared as he glanced about him. - -“Sure we are,” Jack agreed. “But that can’t be helped. You see,” he -explained, “we started out with a lot more than enough to make up -the first delivery. The crew’ll get those logs which stick later on -and if enough get by to fill the bill the rest can poke along -later.” - -“The crew which belongs on this beat ought to be here in a day or -two at the latest,” Bob broke in, “and they won’t be long in getting -them going again. Speed for the main bunch is what we’re after now.” - -By this time they had reached the curve in the river and as they -swept around it they had a clear view of the stream for a distance -of nearly a mile. - -“See! There’s the island,” Jack shouted. - -The island was in plain view about a mile ahead and, about half way -between them and it they could see the two Frenchmen riding their -log. - -“They’re making some time,” Jack said as he caught sight of them. - -“Sure are,” Bob agreed. - -“I never would have believed that they could make a log go that -fast,” Rex declared. - -“I’ll bet there’s something wrong with the boom and they’ve spotted -it,” Jack said. “You know Jean can see about twice as far as most -men with those eagle eyes of his.” - -“I’m afraid you’re right because they are certainly making the dust -fly,” Bob declared soberly. - -“I’m afraid you’re getting your figures of speech mixed a bit,” Rex -said as he glanced at Jack. “I don’t see anything particularly dusty -about this river.” - -“I stand corrected,” Bob laughed. “But I guess you know what I -mean.” - -“Oh, we get the idea all right,” Jack assured him. - -“Well, dust or no dust, they’re certainly getting that log through -the water at a faster rate of speed than I would have believed -possible,” Rex insisted. - -For some time after this no one spoke but all kept their eyes fixed -on the two men ahead. The distance was too great for them to see -much except that they seemed to be making strenuous efforts to get -the utmost speed possible out of their primitive craft, and the -distance was, of course steadily increasing. - -“There must be something the matter with that boom,” Jack insisted -as he shaded his eyes with his hand, “They wouldn’t break their -necks to get there so quick if it was all right.” - -“Well, I hope they will be able to get it fixed, whatever it is, -before we arrive,” Bob declared. “They’ll have just about twenty -minutes I should judge,” he added a moment later. - -It was about ten minutes later when Jack declared that the two -Frenchmen had arrived at their destination. - -“They’ve found something wrong,” he announced a little later as he -shifted his position to another log. - -By this time both Bob and Rex could see that Jack was right. It was -plainly evident that the two men were busily engaged in repairing -the boom. - -“I told you it would be broken,” Jack said. “And what’s more I’ll -bet my last year’s straw hat that I can name the party who is -responsible for it. Any takers?” - -“Nothing like betting on a sure thing,” Bob laughed. “I haven’t a -mite of doubt, but that you are right, but we’ll hope that Jean and -Pierre get it fixed in time. They certainly are doing their best all -right.” - -Now they could see that both men were in the water up to their -waists, pulling the logs of the broken boom into place and fastening -them with bits of rope which they had had the presence of mind to -take with them. - -“They’re not going to get it done in time,” Jack groaned. - -“I’m afraid you’re right,” Bob agreed. “They’ve only got about five -minutes more at the most.” - -Unfortunately the river narrowed slightly just opposite the head of -the island, so that, should the logs catch in the island, a jam -would be inevitable. Jean and Pierre were working as rapidly as -possible, but much still remained to be done and the head of the -drive was now close upon them. - -“Eet is no go,” Jean declared as he finished tying two logs -together. - -He was correct for, before he could fasten the peak of the boom to -the tying post, the front of the drive struck. - -“Never mind, fellows,” Bob shouted as he sprang to the shore. “You -did the best you could.” - -“Oui, we try ver’ hard, but some man cut most all the tie pieces and -we no have time to geet all feexed.” - -Fortunately the current at this point is not swift and there was no -piling up of the logs. They came to a stop, being wedged into the -two channels on either side of the island, as gently as a feather, -as Jack described it. - -“It’ll simply be a case of picking them out one by one until we get -a space big enough to string that boom,” Bob explained to Rex, as -they stood looking up the river. - -“Some job,” the latter declared. - -“Oh, it won’t take so long as you’d think when we get thirty or -forty men at it,” Jack said as he joined them. - -“Ben’s crew ought to be along any time now, though you never can -tell about what he’s up to,” Bob remarked as he glanced toward the -shore. - -“Here comes Sam with the grub,” Jack shouted a little later as he -spied the cook coming down the river on the logs carrying a big -basket in his hand. - -“There’s a camp over to the right of the island and I move we go -there and get dinner the first thing. It must be about noon,” Bob -proposed. - -“Just twelve o’clock and I second the motion,” Jack responded as he -started to lead the way. - -Sam soon had a roaring fire going in the cook stove, with which the -cabin was equipped, and Jean and Pierre crowded as close to it as -they could get in order to dry their wet clothes. - -“Aren’t you afraid you’ll catch cold?” Rex asked as he joined them. - -“Non, we no geet cold. We tough,” Jean grinned, and Pierre nodded -assent. - -They had just finished their lunch when the sound of voices were -heard outside. - -“Guess that’s Ben’s crew,” Bob said as he started for the door. - -He was right and in almost no time, the crew, numbering some thirty -men, had taken possession of the camp. They were a happy-go-lucky -crowd of half-breeds and Irish, in charge of a big Irishmen by the -name of Pat Murphy. - -The boys knew Pat slightly and he greeted them with a great show of -cordiality. - -“So yez got the jam away from The Forks, did yez?” he asked as he -shook hands with them. - -“But we didn’t get very far,” Bob said dryly. - -If Pat Murphy noticed the tone of his remark he showed no indication -of it. - -“Oh, well, and it’s us as’ll have ’em agoin’ agin before yez know -it,” he promised, as he glanced out of the window toward the river. -“There’s no head ter thot jam and they’ll be after starting aisy I’m -thinkin’.” - -It was well after two o’clock before the crew had finished dinner. - -“Sure and it’s no use tryin’ ter make them fellers do iny work till -they git filled up,” Pat assured them as he came out of the camp and -joined the boys who were sitting on a log in front of the building. - -“I suppose not,” Bob agreed. - -“No use at all at all,” Pat repeated. “But we’ll be after gitting at -’em pretty soon now.” - -But, as Bob predicted, one excuse followed another and it was nearly -four o’clock before they actually got to work, and even then, it was -plainly evident to the boys that they were instructed to accomplish -as little as possible. - -“The lazy loafers,” Rex said after he had watched them for a few -minutes. - -“It isn’t that,” Bob explained. “They’re under orders from Big Ben -to hold those logs here as long as they can without coming to a -showdown. If we could prove that they were holding them -intentionally we could make him pay for it as it’s against the law, -but there’s little chance of doing that. They’ll just doddle along -and put up a big front of working and at the same time do just as -little as possible. Oh, he’s a sharp one all right.” - -“But we’ve got the best of him more than once and we may this time,” -Jack declared. - -Both Jean and Pierre were working with the crew and the boys could -see that they were doing their utmost to make them work faster but -with little success. - -At five o’clock they knocked off for the day and Jack declared -bitterly, “They haven’t loosened up enough logs to make a good bunch -of shingles.” - -“Them logs are packed in tighter nor I thought,” Pat declared as he -came up the bank. - -“I hope none of your men over-exerted themselves,” Bob said looking -him full in the eyes. - -Pat turned his head away. - -“Well, yez see, they’ve had a long tramp the day and I guess they’re -kinder tired, but we’ll be after showin’ yez some action -ter-morrer.” - -Supper was a hilarious meal. The men were in excellent spirits and -jokes and stories ran around the table, interspersed with frequent -snatches of song. - -“They know they’ve got a soft thing of it for a few days at least,” -Bob whispered to Rex. - -As soon as supper was over the men went outside and gathered in -groups and talked, sang songs and smoked in the twilight. - -It was about an hour later when Bob announced that he was going for -a drink of water from a small spring a few rods back in the woods. -He had known of that spring for a long time and often declared that -there was no water quite so good as that. - -“Anybody coming along?” he asked. - -But both Rex and Jack decided that they were not thirsty, so he -started off alone. - -A few feet back of the camp was a small shed used as a store house -for tools. On his way to the spring Bob had to pass close to it and, -as he approached, the sound of voices reached him. He stopped for a -moment and listened. Two men, it was evident, were in the shed -talking earnestly. Under ordinary circumstances Bob would have -scorned the thought of being an eavesdropper, but he had recognized -the voice of one of the men as that of Pat Murphy. He was quite sure -that if Pat Murphy had brought one of his men out to the shed for a -private conversation the matter under discussion concerned him and -his father. So his conscience gave him no pricks as he crept closer -until he was directly beneath a small window at the back of the -shed. He could now hear distinctly all that was being said although -the men were talking in low tones. - -“Yez see,” Pat was saying, “we can’t hold them logs here much -longer. ’Tis a cinch ter git ’em started and Jean Larue well knows -thot same.” - -“But there’s only six of ’em,” the other man declared, “and what kin -they do wid us? Dem city kids don’t count.” - -“I know,” Pat explained, “but Baptiste Lamont and his crew of forty -or more Canucks will be up here sometime tomorrow and Baptiste don’t -stand for no funny work. He thinks as how the sun rises and sets fer -Golden.” - -“Wall, an’ whot is it ye want me ter do?” the other asked. - -“Ye will pick out three men ye kin trust and go down the river till -ye git ter the rips. It’s only about two miles down. Ye know the -water’s mighty fast thar where the river narrows and if we kin git a -jam thar they’ll pile up till it’ll take all of a week ter get ’em -started agin.” - -“But how we goin’ ter start a jam thar?” - -“Sure and it’ll be aisy enough. Ye’ll find a scow jest forninst a -big pine thot’s so big ye can’t miss it. The water’s only two or -three fate deep out in the middle thar, and there’s some mighty big -rocks out thar. Now all ye have ter do is ter git out thar wid yer -peaveys and build up a pier like of rocks. Build it up till thar’s -only about three or four inches of water running over it an’ it’ll -do the trick all right.” - -“Huh, talk’s cheap, an’ aisy,” the other sneered. “I spose as how ye -think it’ll be a reg’lar picnic wirkin’ in the ice water out thar.” - -“Don’t I know it’ll be cold,” Murphy snapped. “Ye dont think as how -I’m expectin’ ye ter do it fer nuttin,’ does yez? It’ll be twenty -dollars fer yez and ten fer each of the men, if ye git a jam thar. -Take it or lave it.” - -“Now ye’re sayin’ sumpin’,” the man replied more enthusiastically. -“I’ll take the job an’ we’ll make ’em jam up all right.” - -“All right,” Pat said, and Bob could hear him moving as though about -to leave the shed. - -“Guess it’s about time I was making a get-away,” he thought as he -moved carefully off toward a thick clump of pines a short distance -from the shed. - -As soon as he was certain that he was out of sight from the camp the -hoot of an owl sounded through the woods. The sound was repeated -three times and as the third hoot ended Jack, who was sitting on a -log, a few feet from the door of the camp, whispered to Rex, who was -beside him. - -“Listen. I think that’s Bob.” - -A moment later the cry came again, whoo, whoo, whoo—whoo, whoo, -whoo—whoo, whoo, whoo. - -“That’s Bob and he wants us,” Jack asserted, all doubt gone. “Now -follow me and be mighty careful. Just walk about slowly as though we -were not going anywhere in particular,” he whispered as he got to -his feet. - -Taking hold of Rex’s arm he led him slowly about among the groups of -men talking carelessly. Little by little the two worked away until -they were some distance from the camp. It was nearly dark by this -time and Jack felt sure that he had aroused no suspicions in the -minds of any of the men. - -“We’ll stand here and talk a few minutes till it gets a bit darker,” -he said. - -In another five minutes he felt safe in making a break and with a -word to Rex, he quickly led the way off from the river. - -“Just wait a minute, and I’ll find out where he is,” he said after -they had gone a few yards into the thick woods. - -“Whoo, whoo, whoo.” - -“Whoo, whoo, whoo.” - -“He’s right over there,” Jack declared as he turned to the left. - -“Got away all right, did you?” Bob’s voice greeted them close at -hand. - -“Sure. What’s up?” - -“There’s a lot up, or there soon will be if we don’t prevent it,” -Bob declared in a low tone, and he told them what he had heard. - -“What do you know about that?” Jack sputtered as soon as he had -finished. - -“It’s no more than you would expect, is it?” Bob asked. - -“Guess not, but it’s pretty dirty work at that.” - -“I should say so,” Rex broke in. “I didn’t suppose they did such -things as that now-a-days.” - -“You don’t know Big Ben Donahue,” Bob told him. - -“Well, what about it? I suppose it’s up to us,” and Jack waited for -Bob’s answer with an anxious mind. - -“I’ve been thinking about it while waiting for you and Rex to get -here, and it seems to me that there’s but one thing to do. Of course -we could get Jean and the rest of our men together and go down and -try to stop them but you know that will mean a fight and I think it -can be avoided.” - -“Fight’s our middle name,” Jack laughed. “But if you say no fight, -why no fight has it.” - -“I never believe in fighting when there’s a better way out,” Bob -declared. “Now here’s my plan. We’ll let them build up the pier and -then all we have to do is to take that scow, after they have -returned to the camp, and go out and tear it down. It ought not to -be very hard work to do it and I believe we can do it from the boat -without getting into the water at all. What do you think about it?” - -“I’ll say it’s a good idea,” Jack quickly agreed. “You certainly -have the thinking apparatus of this firm working in good shape.” - -“S-hh,” Bob whispered as his ears caught the sound of steps. -“Someone’s coming.” - -In another minute low voices were heard coming nearer and soon four -men, talking in low tones, passed within six feet of them. The boys -kept perfectly still until the men were out of hearing. - -“I guess those are the fellows who are to do the dirty work,” Jack -whispered. - -“No doubt about it,” Bob agreed. “We’ll wait about an hour and by -that time they ought to be at work. Then we’ll get some peaveys and -follow them down. We can hide in the woods till they get through.” - -The weather had turned warm during the day and they were not -uncomfortable as they waited. They could hear the laughter and songs -of the men as they sat around a small fire which they had started a -few yards from the door of the camp. But in the woods men go early -to bed and as the fire died down, by twos and threes they sought -their bunks and, by the time the hour had passed, all about the camp -was silence. - -There was no moon and the night was very dark. - -“Got your flash with you?” Jack asked. - -“Yep, I just happened to have it in my pocket,” Bob replied. - -“That’s luck. Mine’s in the camp.” - -“Well, let’s get the peaveys and then we’ll be on our way,” and Bob -led the way back to the shed. - -But securing the peaveys proved a more difficult task than they had -anticipated. - - - - - CHAPTER XII - - A TOUGH TASK - - -As the boys emerged from the clump of pines Bob, who was in the -lead, suddenly stopped. - -“There’s somebody in the shed,” he whispered. “See the light?” - -“Now wouldn’t that jar you,” Jack said in a disgusted tone. - -“Who do you suppose it can be?” Rex whispered. - -“Like’s not the cook is going to sleep there,” Bob replied. - -“Well, what’s the next move?” Jack asked. - -“We’ll have to wait and see,” Bob whispered. “I guess it’s his -move.” - -“But what can we do if he does sleep there?” Rex asked anxiously. - -“Well,” Bob replied, “those fellows usually sleep as though they -were dead and I guess we can get them without waking him up. We’ll -have a try at it anyhow.” - -For all of a half hour they waited while the light continued to -burn, but at last it went out and the boys strained their ears to -catch the sound of any one leaving the shed. But no sound came to -them and they were forced to conclude that the cook or someone else -was to occupy the place for the night. - -“Punk luck,” Bob whispered. “But we’ve got to have those peaveys, -cook or no cook.” - -“Spoken like a general,” Jack declared as he nudged Rex. - -“We’ll give him a few minutes to get to sleep,” Bob said. “Usually -it takes those fellows just about one second to be dead to the -world, but this one might be an exception.” - -“Better say he’d be sure to be,” Jack laughed. - -Slowly the minutes passed until, when Rex was certain they had -waited not less than an hour, Bob said as he glanced at his watch: - -“It’s been ten minutes. He ought to be asleep by this time if he’s -ever going to be. You stay here and I’ll see how the land lays.” - -He quickly covered the few yards to the shed, and, a minute later, -was crouching beneath the little window at the rear. At first he -could hear no sound. - -“He might have gone back to the camp after all,” he thought. - -But a moment later the faint sound of heavy breathing reached his -sharp ears. - -“He’s there all right and sound asleep,” he thought as he hastened -back to where he had left the others. - -“All right,” he announced. “He’s in slumberland all right.” - -“What if there’s more than one there and the other one is awake?” -Rex asked. - -“That’s a risk we’ll have to take, I guess,” and Bob shrugged his -shoulders. - -Still another disappointment awaited them for, when they came around -to the front of the shed, they found to their surprise that the door -was fastened. - -“That’s a funny thing,” Jack whispered. “They don’t usually even -have locks on the doors up here.” - -“There’s no lock on this one either, unless it’s a bolt on the -inside,” Bob said. “More than likely he’s got something propped -against it.” - -“Well, it don’t make much difference either way,” Jack whispered. -“It’s fastened and we want to get in, and the main question is, how -are we going to do it.” - -“The only way is the little window at the back. Think you can -squeeze through it? It’s open.” - -“I’ll try anything once,” Jack replied as he started back. - -The window was all of six feet from the ground, as the shed at the -back rested on piles driven into the soil. It was small and was not -glassed in, a piece of burlap serving to keep out the snow and rain. -But this was now drawn aside. - -“Great guns! A good-sized cat couldn’t get through that hole,” Rex -declared as Bob flashed his light upward. - -“S-hh,” Bob whispered. “Keep quiet a minute. If there should be -anyone awake in there he’ll see that flash.” - -But although they waited several minutes, all was still and only the -sound of the sleeper inside as he breathed came to their ears. - -“I guess it’s all right,” Bob whispered. “When it comes to getting -through a small hole Jack’s more than half cat,” he explained to -Rex, who nevertheless shook his head doubtfully. - -Meanwhile Jack had been taking off his boots. - -“Here goes for a try at it,” he declared as he slipped the -flashlight into his pocket. - -The next moment he was standing on Bob’s shoulders. For an instant -he waited listening. Then, letting himself down until he was on his -knees on Bob’s shoulders, he cautiously threw the rays of the torch -into the room. It was littered with all sorts of paraphernalia -pertaining to the driving of logs. Over in one of the farther -corners was a big pile of peaveys, but, although the breathing of -the sleeper came plainly to his ears, no sign of him could he see. - -“That’s funny,” he thought as he cast the light about. - -Then his heart sank for, as he looked downward, he saw a cot bed -directly beneath the window and on it was stretched a powerfully -built man. - -“So near and yet so far,” he groaned as he cast another glance at -the peaveys. - -The next moment he had jumped to the ground. - -“What’s wrong,” Bob and Rex whispered at the same time. - -“Everything, I guess,” Jack explained. “That guy’s got his bed right -under the window, that’s all.” - -“Whew! I should say that was enough,” Rex gasped. - -“I guess that puts the window out of commission then,” Bob said. - -“It sure does,” Jack agreed, as he began to pull on his boots. “Even -Rex’s cat couldn’t get in that window without waking him up and he’s -a giant.” - -“What are we going to do?” Rex asked. - -“I have another plan which may work and may not,” Jack began. “You -see he’s got a piece of two by four propped against the door. Now I -noticed that there’s a pretty big crack beneath it and if we can get -hold of a lath or something of the sort we may be able to push it -down. Of course it may wake him up when it falls but, as Bob said a -while ago, these fellows usually sleep so sound that a cannon -wouldn’t disturb them. Anyhow it’s the only way I can think of. But -I’m open to suggestions.” - -“I think your idea is good,” Bob whispered. “I don’t believe there’s -any other way and if he wakes up, we can beat it.” - -“All right then. You wait here and I’ll sneak out back of the camp -and see if I can find a piece of stick thin enough to go under the -door,” and Jack was off before they had a chance to speak. - -He was back in less than five minutes with a lath, which he declared -would be just the thing. And so it proved for it slipped through the -crack beneath the door with considerable space to spare. - -“Easy now,” Bob whispered as Jack moved the lath back and forth. - -“There it is,” he declared as he began to push. - -A loud bang from within soon announced his success in knocking down -the prop. - -“If that don’t wake him it’s a wonder,” he whispered. - -A sound as of a bed creaking reached their ears. - -“I guess it woke him all right,” Jack thought as he held his breath. - -But, although the sound had evidently disturbed the sleeper it was -soon plain that it had failed to arouse him to full wakefulness, for -in another moment the unmistakable sound of snoring assured them -that he was still asleep. - -“Luck seems to be with us at last,” Bob whispered, as he began to -remove his boots. - -“Steady there,” Jack laid his hand on his brother’s arm. “I’m going -into get them.” - -“Not much you—” Bob began, but Jack interrupted him. - -“I know just where they are and I know the lay of the land and you -don’t so it’s up to me. Now don’t be foolish.” - -Bob could not help seeing the force of Jack’s argument and after one -more plea, he gave in. - -“I’ll have ’em out in two shakes of a dog’s tail,” he promised as he -took off his boots which he had not laced up. - -And he was as good as his word. The sleeper stirred and muttered -something just as the boy reached the pile of peaveys, and he held -his breath. But the man did not wake and in another minute Jack was -outside again with three of the peaveys. - -“Good boy,” Bob declared. - -“Gee, but I thought he was going to wake up once though,” Jack said -as he again pulled on his boots. - -The snow had been melting rapidly for the past two days and now -there was only about a foot of it in the woods while many bare -places were to be seen in the open. But the snow, though not deep -was soft and slushy and it was hard walking. But so pleased were -they that they had been successful in getting the peaveys, that they -trudged along in high spirits. - -“It’s only a little ways down to the rips and I know right where -that big pine is,” Bob assured them. - -Fortunately their boots were nearly enough waterproof so that their -feet remained dry in spite of the wet snow. - -“This isn’t exactly like walking on a pavement, is it?” Rex panted. - -“Are we going too fast for you?” Bob asked. - -“No. I g-guess not,” he replied gamely. “But if you don’t mind I’d -like to rest a bit. Got a bit of a pain in my side.” - -“Sure we’ll stop. There’s no hurry. Those fellows can’t be through -yet.” - -“We’re over half way there,” Bob assured him as he leaned against a -tree. - -Rex quickly recovered his wind and after a short rest they started -off again. It was very dark and they did not dare to use the flash -light for fear that it might be seen by the men. - -“There they are,” Jack suddenly announced as he, being in the lead, -came out onto a knoll from where he could see down the river. - -The light of two lanterns was visible out on the river but a -considerable distance away. - -“Yes, I guess that’s they all right,” Bob agreed. - -As they started off again they at once plunged into thick woods -which grew close to the river’s edge. Their progress was very slow -as they had to exercise great care to avoid bumping into the trees. - -“This dark is thick enough to cut,” Jack said after he had stumbled -over a hidden stump and had barely escaped falling headlong into the -snow. - -It took them nearly another hour before they reached the point -opposite to where they could still see the two lights out on the -water. - -“Wonder how long we’ve got to wait now,” Jack growled as he sat down -on a log close to the edge of the river. - -“Goodness knows,” Bob replied. “But it seems as though they ought to -be about through by this time. It’s nearly eleven.” - -“I’ll bet I could build a pier clear across the river in the time -they’ve been at that job,” Jack declared. - -“I guess they’re earning their money all right,” Rex said as he sat -down beside Jack. - -“Yes, and the joke is that they won’t get it, not if we succeed,” -Bob laughed. - -“Serve ’em right,” Jack declared. “A man who goes in for dirty work -deserves to get stung.” - -“I only wish that Ben himself was out there working in that cold -water,” Bob said. - -“It’s lucky for them that the weather turned warm,” Rex declared. -“It seems almost like a night in June.” - -“But, believe me, it hasn’t had time to warm that water up much,” -Jack assured him. “And to think,” he chuckled, “that they’re doing -it all for nothing.” - -“Here they come,” Bob said a few minutes later. “See the lanterns. I -guess they’re through at last and now we must get back in the woods -and hide until they get a good distance off. If they should see us -now it would spoil everything.” - -It was so dark that finding a place where there would be no danger -of being seen by the men was, as Jack declared, “the easiest thing -they could do.” All that was necessary was to go back about twenty -feet into the woods and keep perfectly quiet. And this they did. - -“Dar, I tink dat pier hold dem log, oui.” Bob nudged Rex as the -sound of the man’s voice came to his ears. - -“But I’ll bet they don’t just the same,” he whispered. - -“Dees water heem bon cold,” another of the Frenchmen declared, as he -shivered only a few feet from where they were crouched. - -“Well, we geet good pay, oui,” still another broke in. “Come on, we -hit trail ver’ queek, geet warm.” - -Their voices gradually grew fainter and soon they were out of -hearing altogether. - -“I’ll bet that water was cold,” Jack laughed as he straightened up -and stretched his arms. - -“Don’t be in a hurry,” Bob cautioned. “We want to give them plenty -of time to get far enough away so that they won’t see us as we’ll -probably have to use the flash, and remember, they can’t travel very -fast in this snow.” - -So they waited for nearly an hour in spite of Jack’s grumbling. - -“Better be careful than sorry,” Bob told him when he urged haste. -“We’ve got all night.” - -But finally even careful Bob was convinced that it would be safe to -proceed with their undertaking, and using the flash more freely than -they had heretofore, they made their way down to the river’s edge. -Here, as they expected, they discovered a square-nosed scow about -twelve feet long and nearly half that wide. - -“Do you think that there’s any danger of getting tipped over in that -boat?” Rex asked in a tone which he tried to make sound anxious. - -“Well, if you sit carefully in the exact center and do not move or -wink except with both eyes at the same time I hardly think that -there is a great deal of danger,” Jack replied in a tone full of -sarcasm, but a chuckle just behind him quickly made him wonder if -perhaps Rex had fooled him instead of the joke being the other way -around. - -“My, but you bit beautifully,” Bob said with a slight laugh. - -“I guess I did,” Jack acknowledged somewhat sheepishly. “I’ll hand -it to you, Rex. I thought you were in earnest. But come on. Let’s -get this racing cutter afloat and get busy. Believe me, it’s going -to be some job holding her against this current.” - -“And it’s apt to take us some time to find the pile of rocks seeing -that they are under water and I don’t imagine they made it very -large,” Bob said as he put his shoulder to the scow and pushed. - -The Frenchmen had pulled the heavy boat well up on the shore and it -took the united strength of the three to get her back in the water. - -“The Titanic has nothing on this craft when it comes to dead -weight,” Jack panted as the boat finally slid off the bank. - -“Where’s the oars?” he demanded as he jumped aboard. - -“Don’t believe there are any,” Bob replied as he threw the rays -about the scow. - -“Funny they’d take them away.” - -“Perhaps they didn’t have any, but pushed her with their peaveys,” -Rex suggested. - -“Afraid they wouldn’t be long enough,” Bob said still throwing the -rays of his light about. - -“Steady there,” Jack cried. “There’s a couple of long poles up on -the shore and seeing that they looked wet, I deduce that they have -quite recently been in the water.” - -“Great, Sherlock,” Bob laughed. - -“Well, whether my deductions are right or wrong, one thing is -certain and that is that those poles are going to be in the water in -about three seconds,” Jack declared as he sprang from the boat to -return a moment later carrying the two long poles. - -“They used them all right,” Bob declared, and a moment later the -scow was out in the stream. - -“As near as I can tell,” Bob said, “we want to go straight out.” - -“No trouble to want to do a thing,” Jack panted a moment later as -the full strength of the swift current caught the boat, “but -sometimes it’s a whole lot of trouble to get it, and I guess this is -going to be one of them.” - -A few feet out from the shore the water was too deep for Rex to -reach bottom with his peavey and as there were but two of the poles, -he was obliged to sit in idleness while Bob and Jack fought, with -all their strength, to keep the unwieldy craft from being swept down -stream. - -“You’re holding your own,” he encouraged them. - -“That’s what the corporal said,” Jack laughed. “Tell you the story -later,” he panted. - -As they neared the middle of the river the water began to shoal -rapidly. - -“This is the shallow place Pat was talking about, anyhow,” Bob -declared, “I guess your peavey’ll reach now, Rex,” he added, and Rex -sprang to his feet eager to do his part. - -It seemed to him almost like looking for the proverbial needle in -the haystack to try to find a pile of rocks out there in the -darkness, but he had learned to have great confidence in his -friends’ ability to accomplish things and he had no doubt but that -the “needle” would be found sooner or later. - -For some time they pushed the craft about, this way and that without -success. It was, as Jack declared, the hardest kind of hard work, -and before long all three, and especially Rex, were nearly at the -limit of their strength. - -“Throw over the drag and we’ll rest awhile,” Bob panted. - -At one end of the scow was a heavy rock to which was attached a -rope, and Jack, who was standing at that end, was quick to obey the -order. The boat swung around and, for a moment drifted slowly down -stream. - -“Don’t believe she’ll hold,” Jack said. But, even as he spoke, the -rock caught and the drifting stopped. - -“Whew!” Bob puffed as he sank down on one of the cross boards. “I -wouldn’t want to keep that up for more than three or four hours at a -stretch.” - -“Make it minutes and you’ll be right where I live,” Rex laughed as -he followed suit. - -“Let me know when you children get rested and we’ll begin again,” -Jack jeered as he too sat down at the end of the scow. - -Neither Bob or Rex deigned to reply to the remark. They were too -busy getting back their breath, and for several moments no one -spoke. - -“How about it, children?” Jack asked at the end of perhaps ten -minutes. “Think you can try it again?” - -“I guess so, mighty chief,” Rex replied and all laughed. - -“Get your poles in behind there, then,” Jack ordered, “while I raise -anchor.” - -But the anchor would not rise. He tugged and pulled until his breath -came in gasps, but it would not budge. - -“That rock must have got wedged in between two others down there,” -he finally announced as he gave it up for a moment. - -“Wait a minute and we’ll push her up above and you can try it the -other way,” Bob suggested. - -Both pushing at the rear Bob and Rex forced the scow foot by foot up -against the current until the rope was pulling on the stone from the -other direction. Jack was right in his surmise that the anchor had -gotten wedged in between two other rocks, for a good hard pull now -brought it up. - -Twice more they were obliged to “lower anchor” and rest. - -“It seems as though we must have stuck these poles into every square -inch of the river within a mile of here,” Jack declared as he -started to pull the stone up for another try. “Do you suppose we’re -anywhere near the old pier?” - -“Well, of course, it’s pretty hard to be sure in the dark,” Bob -replied. “But it doesn’t seem as though we can be very far off. -What’s your idea?” - -“Don’t know’s I have any,” the boy replied. “Only I’m getting a -little tired of poking holes in the water here and have ’em fill up -so quick that you can’t tell whether we’ve been here before or not.” - -“You’re getting a bit mixed I’m afraid,” Bob laughed. “But let’s try -once more and if we don’t hit it we’ll go into a committee of the -whole and discuss ways and means.” - -“The moon’s coming up anyhow. Perhaps that will help,” Rex said. - -“Mebby, but I don’t see how.” - -Rex knew that Jack was trying to be cheerful. - -But their search was nearly at an end for they had pushed the scow -hardly fifty feet when its bottom was scraping and in another moment -they had come to a stop. - -“Hurrah! I guess we’ve hit it,” Jack shouted as he at once “heaved -the anchor.” - -“And it’s about time we did,” Bob added. - -A rapid investigation with the peaveys proved that they had at last -hit the right spot and they lost no time in setting about -demolishing the pier. The water, at this point, was only about two -feet deep and Bob explained that in the summer, when the water was -low, a good-sized island occupied the center of the river at that -point. - -It was slow work tearing the pier down with their peaveys, for some -of the rocks were as large as a strong man would want to lift, and -there were a good many of them. - -“If this water wasn’t so blooming cold we could roll up our trowsers -and do it in a short time,” Bob declared after they had been at work -for the better part of an hour. - -“This way suits me all right,” Jack assured him, and Rex also showed -no inclination to adopt Bob’s suggestion. - -“I guess you’re about right,” Bob assented. “We’re getting there -slow but sure.” - -They kept steadily at the work for another hour and had about -completed the task when a sudden interruption happened. - - - - - CHAPTER XIII - - A DIFFERENT KIND OF A RACE - - -Bob had just announced that he thought they had lowered the pier so -that there would be no danger of the logs catching when Rex, who had -happened to glance toward the shore, said: - -“There’s someone over there on the shore.” - -The moon had, by this time risen high in the heavens and was giving -light sufficient to enable them to see for some distance. - -Light from two lanterns greeted their sight as Bob and Jack looked -quickly shoreward. - -“Who do you suppose it is?” Jack whispered. - -“Don’t know unless it’s the fellows that built this pier,” Bob -replied. “Seems to me that I can make out four or five forms there,” -he added straining his eyes. - -“So can I,” Jack agreed. “But what could have brought them back -here?” he asked. - -Before Bob could answer a shout reached their ears. - -“What are you up to out thar?” - -“Don’t answer,” Bob cautioned. - -“You no answer, we come find out,” came another shout. - -“They’ll find it pretty wet walking,” Jack chuckled. - -“I believe it’s the same fellows,” Bob declared. “That voice sounded -familiar.” - -“Well, I don’t see how they’re going to get us out here,” Rex said. - -“Nor I,” Bob agreed. “I’m glad it isn’t cold because it looks as -though we might have to spend the rest of the night out here unless -we want to land over on the other side.” - -No other shout came to them and soon the lights disappeared, but a -moment later they saw them appear amid the trees. - -“Guess they decided that the water was too wet and cold,” Jack -laughed after they had watched the lights as they moved up the bank -of the river. - -“Well we might as well put in a little more work here,” Bob -suggested. “We don’t want to go in till we’re sure those fellows -have left for good and we do want to be sure and make a good job of -it here. But where in the name of common sense do you suppose -they’ve been all this time if they didn’t go back to camp?” - -Neither Rex nor Jack ventured a guess and for another half hour they -worked at the stones. - -“There, that old pier’s as flat as a flounder now,” Jack declared as -he threw his peavey to the bottom of the scow and sat down. - -“I guess so,” Bob agreed. “Think it’s safe to go in now?” - -“I’m willing to take a chance,” Jack replied. “How about you, Rex?” - -“You fellows know best. Whatever you say goes here.” - -“All right. I’ll get up the anchor,” Jack said. But before he had -time to get the stone into the boat Bob cried in a low tone: - -“Put it down again, Jack. Here comes a boat down the river.” - -Jack dropped the rock and looked up. A large row boat, in which they -could see five men, was coming rapidly toward them, and was even -then but a few yards distant. - -“Stand by to repel boarders,” Jack shouted as he sprang to his feet -and grabbed a peavey. - -Bob and Rex were quick to follow his example. - -The men, in the row boat, were not rowing. There was no need of it. -The swift current was rapidly closing the distance between the two -boats. - -The row boat was nearly upon them when the man, who was sitting in -the stern, steering with an oar, by a sudden sweep changed their -course and at the same time another threw over an anchor, so that, -in another minute, the two boats were riding opposite each other and -separated by not more than 20 feet of water. - -“They’re the men all right,” Bob whispered to Rex. - -“What you do here, eh?” asked one of the men, a big ugly half-breed. - -“Just sitting here,” Bob replied pleasantly. - -“You bust dem rocks, oui?” - -“What rocks?” Bob asked, looking about him. - -“I tink you know what rocks ver’ well,” the man asserted with a -sneer. - -“But I don’t see any,” Bob insisted. - -“Mebby you geet out an look, you see heem.” - -“Mebby,” Bob repeated. “But it’s too wet to try.” - -“Dat mak no matter. You goin’ geet out build up dat pier, oui,” the -breed shouted as he rose in his seat. - -“Looks as though he meant business,” Jack whispered. - -“Get a hold on that rope and be ready to pull in when I give the -word,” Bob whispered back. - -He had risen to his feet again and stood, peavey in hand, as two of -the men were pushing the row boat sideways toward the scow. He -waited until the two boats were but four or five feet apart. - -“Now,” he shouted, and at the same instant he threw his peavey with -all his strength. - -The sharp point of the peavey went through the bottom of the row -boat as though it had been made of paper. With a gasp of surprise -the two men, who had been pushing with the oars, dropped them and -did just what Bob had hoped for. Both grabbed the peavey and with a -strong wrench, pulled it out. - -By this time Jack had the rock off the bottom and the scow quickly -drew away. - -“Look out,” Bob shouted, and Jack dodged just in time to escape the -peavey which the maddened breed had hurled at him. - -It struck the bottom of the scow but at such an angle that it did no -damage. - -“That was mighty close,” Rex gasped. “Another inch and it would have -hit you, Jack.” - -“A miss is as good as a mile,” Jack laughed, but both of the others -could see that his face was white. - -“What idiots,” Bob said. “If they’d have let that peavey alone it -would have kept the water from coming in fast enough to do much harm -and they could have got us. But I thought they would do that very -thing.” - -Looking back they could see that the row boat was sinking rapidly. - -“Lucky for them it isn’t deep there,” Jack said. - -“That must have made a pretty big hole by the way she’s sinking,” -Rex declared. - -“I guess it did,” Bob replied. “But we’d better get to the shore as -soon as possible. They’ll be mad enough to do murder and it won’t -take them long to wade ashore.” - -As rapidly as possible they worked the heavy scow toward the bank. - -“We’re not out of the woods yet, not by a long shot,” Bob declared a -little later as he saw the men, having abandoned the row boat, -wading toward the shore. - -“You’re right,” Jack agreed. “And,” he added, “it’ll be light pretty -soon. And if they get hold of us goodnight.” - -A glance toward the east told the others that what Jack had said was -right. Already dawn was lighting up the sky. - -“What’ll we do?” Rex asked anxiously. - -“Run for it as soon as we get ashore,” Bob replied as he redoubled -his efforts. - -Nothing more was said while they were urging the scow shoreward. -Both Bob and Jack, being well acquainted with the nature of the -half-breeds of Northern Maine, knew that the situation was serious. -Should the five men get hold of them, while still maddened at the -wetting and the tearing down of the pier, they would be lucky indeed -to escape serious injury to say the least. But they were careful not -to alarm Rex, hoping that they would be able to escape. - -From time to time they cast anxious glances toward the men, who -could be plainly seen in the increasing light. They were making good -progress through the water and, although they would be obliged to -swim a part of the way, both the boys recognized the fact that their -start would be short. - -“Think we’d better stick to the scow and let her go down river?” -Jack whispered. - -“I don’t know but it would be safer,” Bob replied. “If you and I -were the only ones to be considered I’d say run for it but I’m -afraid Rex wouldn’t hold out. Guess we’d better stick to the ship.” - -They were only about ten feet from the shore when they came to this -conclusion and Bob was about to announce their decision to Rex when -his eye caught sight of something, a short distance above them, -which made him change his mind. - -“We’ll have to run for it after all,” he whispered to Jack. “See, -there’s a skiff up there and they’d get it and chase us and, as you -know, the rips end only about a half mile below, and in that slow -water, they’d catch us in no time.” - -“How about taking the skiff with us?” - -“We wouldn’t have time,” Bob answered. “There’s nothing to do but -run for it.” - -“Down river,” Bob ordered, as the scow hit the bank, “Caratunk is -only about a mile below here and if we can make the town we’ll be -safe.” - -Glancing back, as he spoke, he saw that the foremost of the -Frenchmen was about twenty yards above them and was making the water -fly as he swam with powerful strokes toward the shore only a short -distance away. The others were not far behind. - -“We’ve got to make it snappy, now,” he cried as he led the way. - -They were by no means in good shape to start on a run through the -snow after their strenuous work of poling the heavy scow, but he -consoled himself with the thought that their pursuers would be even -more winded after their swim. He sat a pace as rapid as he dare. He -knew that Rex would soon give out, should he go as fast as he and -Jack were able. - -It was now nearly daylight. The snow was soft and mushy as the night -had been too warm to harden it. It was hard footing as in many -places they sank nearly to their knees. As he pushed on he could -hear Rex puffing a few feet behind him and his heart sank as he -noticed that his friend’s breath was already coming in gasps. - -“He’ll stick to it till he drops,” he thought, as he came to a stop -after they had covered about a hundred yards. - -“Let’s breathe a minute,” he said. - -“S-second the motion,” Rex panted as he leaned against a tree. - -“Hear anything?” Bob asked. - -“Not a sound,” Jack replied straining his ears. - -“Mebby they won’t follow us,” Rex suggested. - -“Mebby not,” Bob replied, but he knew that the hope was without much -foundation. - -“You’ll get your second wind in a minute or two,” Bob encouraged Rex -as he started again. - -But they had made scarcely another hundred yards when, from the -sound close behind him, Bob realized that Rex was near the end of -his endurance. - -“If it only wasn’t for that pain in my side,” he panted as Bob -stopped. - -“No wonder you have a pain in this going,” Jack declared. - -“Now, I’ll tell you what,” Rex began as he got his breath. “You two -go on and I’ll stay here. You see,” he explained as Bob was about to -interrupt, “they don’t know me and I doubt if they’d harm me.” - -“Say, Rex, if I didn’t know that you were innocent of any bad -intention I’d sure give you a punch for that,” Jack declared. “To -think that we’d leave you. No sir ree! We stick together, sink or -swim, live or die, survive or perish.” - -“Hark!” - -“Hear something?” Jack asked. - -“I think I can hear them coming this way,” Bob replied. “How about -it Rex, old man? Think you can make another stab at it or shall we -meet them here? They’ll probably catch us anyhow and perhaps it will -be as well to save our strength.” - -“The pain’s gone now and I guess I can hold out for awhile, but I -wish you’d do as I said.” - -“Nothing doing along that line,” Bob smiled as he started to lead -the way once more. - -Rex seemed to have gained his second wind, as Bob had hoped, and for -some time they made good progress considering the going. It was now -broad daylight and the sun was beginning to touch the tops of the -tall pines and spruces with its rays. Both Bob and Jack from time to -time caught the sound of their pursuers and both knew that, in spite -of their best efforts they were gaining steadily on them. - -They had covered perhaps half a mile, when Bob again stopped. - -“Go on, I’m not winded,” Rex said. - -“I know it,” Bob replied, “but it’s no go.” - -“What do you mean, no go?” - -“Listen.” - -Even Rex had now no difficulty in distinguishing the sounds of the -approaching men. - -“It’ll be a big advantage to us to have our wind in good shape when -they come,” Bob explained. “And they’d catch us in another hundred -yards or so anyhow.” - -“What are you going to do?” Rex asked. - -“Depends on circumstances,” Bob replied. “You two let me do the -talking. Remember the odds are five to three and we mustn’t do -anything rash.” - -Even as he spoke he caught the sight of the leader crashing through -the thick woods only a few yards away. The man was closely followed -by the other four. The boys could tell by their heavy panting that -they were far from fresh but they well knew that the physical -endurance of many of these men of the woods was little short of -miraculous. - -The leader saw them a moment later and stopped in his tracks only a -few feet away. His companions quickly gathered about him and they -all began to talk in French. - -Although both Bob and Jack spoke the language fairly well and -ordinarily had no difficulty in understanding it, the men spoke so -rapidly and in such low tones that they were able only to catch a -word here and there. Finally the leader took a few steps toward -them. - -“You bust our rocks, an’ you mak’ us geet wet, oui,” he said with an -angry sneer. - -“You had no right to build that pier there,” Bob began. “We know -that it was intended to jam our logs.” - -“Dat our beesness.” The breed scowled as he took a step nearer. - -Bob glanced at Rex. The latter’s face was pale although he showed no -other sign of fear. As for Jack he was leaning against a tree as -nonchalantly as though nothing had happened or was likely to. - -“As for getting you wet,” Bob continued. “You have only yourselves -to blame for that. You surely didn’t expect us to stand still and be -beat up, did you?” - -“We no would have hurt then but now you geet beat up ver’ queek and -ver’ bon; just soon we rest a leetle minute,” and the leader stepped -back to where the others were standing. - -“I’m afraid he means it,” Bob said in low tones. “The question is -had we better take it or fight?” - -“I’m going to fight,” Jack declared. “I’m not going to stand still -and let any half-breed beat me without giving him something in -return.” - -“I’m mighty sorry we got you into this, Rex,” Bob began, but Rex -quickly interrupted him. - -“You needn’t be as far as that’s concerned. It won’t be the first -beating I’ve taken and I flatter myself that I’m fairly good with my -fists. I’ll bet I leave a mark on one of them before he gets me.” - -“Here they come,” Bob shouted at that moment. “Don’t let them get -hold of you if you can help it.” - -The five men were coming with a rush, no doubt intending to finish -the job in short order. The man who had done the talking was the -first to reach them and he selected Bob for his onslaught. He rushed -at the boy with a hoarse cry of rage and exultation combined. - -Bob stepped quickly forward to meet him, an act which seemed to -disconcert the man for an instant. He nearly stopped but, seeing -that the others were close behind him, he came on again. As he came -within striking distance he swung a vicious blow at the boy’s head. -Bob dodged the blow easily and succeeded in landing a glancing blow -in return. - -As the man plunged past Bob turned but, before he could set himself -for another blow, his feet were jerked out from under him and he -came down in a heap in the soft snow. - -“Now I geet you bon,” the breed cried as he sprang forward. - - - - - CHAPTER XIV - - LOG ROLLING - - -“Here, now. What’s all the rough house about?” - -As the man who was about to jump on Bob heard the shout he turned -and Bob sprang to his feet. A cry of joy burst from his lips as he -looked about and saw a crowd of men coming toward them. - -“Jack Skeets!” he shouted as he recognized the foremost, a swarthy -faced giant. - -“Bless my buttons if it ’ain’t Bob Golden,” and the big fellow came -forward with a leap and grasped Bob by the hand. - -Meanwhile the five half-breeds had slunk back and were now making -the best time possible in the direction from which they had come. - -Bob quickly introduced the big man to Rex as soon as he had shaken -hands with Jack. - -“Rex, this Jack Skeets, the champion log roller of the Kennebec.” - -“I am certainly glad to make your acquaintance, sir,” Rex declared -as he grasped his hand. “And you certainly came in the nick of -time.” - -“Sure did, Jack,” Bob agreed. - -“What were those fellows trying to do to ye and why?” - -As the rest of the crew drew closer, Bob told of their adventures of -the night. - -“The brutes,” Skeets said when he had finished. “But let ’em go now. -We’re on our way up to the camp and we’ll tend to ’em when we get -there,” and he explained that he was in charge of the crew that was -to occupy that camp for the season. - -There were about thirty in the crew and after a short rest they all -started for the camp. It was just after seven o’clock when they -arrived. They found Jean much disturbed over their absence and about -to start out to look for them. The boys quickly told him what had -happened and the Frenchman’s eyes flashed with anger as he listened. - -“Dey no come back here, I don’t tink,” he said as Bob finished. “But -I find out ver’ queek and if dey did I feex heem bon.” - -At first it was impossible to learn that the five men had returned -to the camp but, after many inquiries, Jean learned that they had -come in about a half hour before the arrival of the crew. - -“They were wet to the skin and looked about all in,” the man said -who had seen them. - -Having learned that they were in camp Jean was not long in finding -them. They were in the cook’s quarters huddling close to the stove. -They looked up in fright as Jean, followed by the boys, entered. - -“You one bon bunch,” Jean declared in disgust as he stood looking at -them. “When you geet dry an’ rest, I, Jean Larue, will geeve you -beeg lickin’, one at a time.” - -They were a thoroughly cowered quintet as they crouched there by the -hot stove and Bob could not help but pity them. - -“After all,” he whispered to Rex, “they live as they have been -brought up.” Then, as a sudden thought struck him, he turned to Jean -and drew him away a short distance. - -“Jean, isn’t that big fellow Baptiste Deveraux?” he asked. - -“Oui, dat heem.” - -“I thought so. Haven’t I heard that he claims to be the best log -roller in Maine?” - -“Heem tink so, oui.” - -“Good. Now, Jean, Rex has never seen a log rolling contest and right -here are two of the best, Jack Skeets and this Baptiste. Why not -settle the question as to which is the better. Tell Baptiste that if -he can beat Jack Skeets nothing will be done about last night.” - -For a moment Jean was silent, then his face lighted up. - -“Dat be one beeg sight, oui,” he declared. - -“It’ll be a sight worth coming a thousand miles to see,” Bob -declared enthusiastically. - -“I see what Baptiste, heem say,” and Jean again approached the group -by the stove. - -“Hey, Baptiste, you bon at log rolling, oui?” he asked. - -Instantly the face of Baptiste lighted up. - -“Oui, I beat all mans.” - -Jean then proceeded to lay the proposition before him. - -“Oui, I roll heem,” he said eagerly as soon as he was made to -understand the terms. - -“Now if Jack Skeets will only consent,” Bob said to Rex. - -Jack Skeets was a Canadian Frenchman, but since early childhood had -lived in Skowhegan and spoke English with hardly an accent. He was a -splendid type of woodsman and all who knew him respected him for his -sterling qualities and good nature. He was jealous of his reputation -although by no means a boaster. Bob had little doubt but that he -would accept the challenge. - -He was not mistaken, for as soon as Jean told him that Baptiste had -said that he could roll anyone he readily agreed to give him the -opportunity to make good his boast. - -“We try eet as soon as they have eat, oui?” - -“Suits me,” Skeets replied. - -“Well, I wish we could stay and see those logs down,” Bob said a -little later as he, together with Rex and Jack, was eating -breakfast. “But now that the regular crew is on there is not the -slightest doubt but that they will get there in good time. Big Ben -won’t dare to try any more of his funny business.” - -“And college opens in three more days,” Jack said as he helped -himself to hot-cakes. - -“And I must be getting back to business,” Rex declared. “But it’ll -be fine to go back together.” - -“Sure will,” both boys assured him. - -“By the way, Bob, how about that story of the corporal you said you -would tell me when you got time?” Rex asked. - -“That’s a good one,” Bob laughed. “And I’ll just about have time to -tell it while we finish.” - -“It was this way,” he began. “Over in France, during the war, a -corporal was marching a squad of men to a certain town which we will -call St. Giles. I’ve forgotten the name of it. It was getting late -in the afternoon and the men as well as the corporal were tired and -hungry. They met a farmer and asked: - -“‘How far is it to St. Giles?’ - -“‘About two miles,’ was the reply, in French of course. - -“Well, they trudged on for another half hour or so when they met -another man. - -“‘How far to St. Giles?’ the corporal asked him. - -“‘Only two miles.’ - -“After another half hour or more a third man was met. The same -question brought the same answer: - -“‘Only two miles.’ - -“‘Well, thank goodness, we’re holding our own,’ the corporal said.” - -Rex laughed heartily at the story and soon after they went out in -the bright sunshine. - -News of the contest had spread through the camp and they found the -men in high spirits, gathered about in groups. - -“Skeets has got to do his best this time,” they heard one man -declared, and they stopped beside the group to listen. “I’ve seen -that man, Baptiste, roll, and take it from me he’s no slouch.” - -“And no more is Skeets,” spoke up another. “Two to one on Skeets.” - -But no one seemed inclined to take the bet and they moved on toward -the river, where they could see Jean and Skeets. - -“Dis ees one bon place,” Jean was saying as they drew near. - -“Going to pull it off right now?” Bob asked. - -“Oui. I tink dis one bon time. Den we geet deese logs started,” Jean -replied. - -Just below where the logs had jammed was a little bay where the -current had worn away the bank. There the water was deep and -comparatively still. A perfect place, as Jean had said, for the log -rolling contest. - -“Here he comes,” Jack shouted as he caught sight of Baptiste, -followed by nearly all of the crew, making his way rapidly down the -bank. - -“You peek out your log,” Jean ordered as soon as Baptiste had joined -them. - -It was some time before a log was found which suited both of them, -but finally they agreed on a spruce about thirty feet long and -perhaps twenty inches in diameter. The log tapered but little but -still there was a slight difference in the size of the two ends. - -Jack Skeets drew a coin from his pocket and tossed it in the air, -catching it as it fell. - -“Odd or even, Baptiste?” he asked. - -“Even,” the Frenchman called. - -“1906. You win,” Skeets declared as he glanced at the date. - -This meant that Baptiste was entitled to the larger end of the log, -giving him a slight advantage. - -Quickly the log was pried out from its position by a number of the -men and dragged to the clear water. After measuring its length Jean, -with an axe, cut a wide gash exactly in the middle. Neither man must -cross that mark although they were allowed to come as near it as -they might wish. - -Baptiste jumped to his end and, giving the log a slight push, Skeets -followed. Slowly the log floated out in the water until it was some -fifteen or twenty feet from the jam. - -“All set?” Jean called. - -“Oui?” - -“Yes.” - -“Then go.” - -For a moment neither man moved, each waiting for the other to open -the battle. Then Skeets, standing sideways, began to revolve the log -with his feet. Faster and faster the log turned until it seemed that -both men were running at the top of their speed. - -“My gracious, but I never thought a log could roll so fast,” Rex -gasped as he looked on fascinated at the sight. - -“Wait till they really get to going,” Jack said, and Rex gasped -again. - -It had seemed to him that they could not possibly make the log roll -any faster, but he was soon to learn that it was not only possible -but that they could do it. Faster and faster it rolled until it -seemed to Rex that the men’s feet failed to touch the log at all. - -Then, suddenly, Skeets stopped and threw all his weight to the -front. The log stopped, as it seemed to Rex, almost at once. -Baptiste had, however, been expecting just that move and so was on -his guard and did not have to exert himself unduly to keep his -balance. Having failed in his first attempt, Skeets waited, hoping -that Baptiste would take the lead. But he seemed loath to do it and -after a moment or two had passed and some of the men had begun to -shout and urge them to action, Skeets again began to roll. This time -he did not roll as fast as before, and both Bob and Jack knew that -he had something else in mind. - -“Keep your eyes peeled and you’ll see something in about a minute,” -Bob whispered to Rex. - -They did not have long to wait, for suddenly Skeets, with a wild -yell, sprang from the log high into the air. Rex held his breath -expecting to see the man fall back into the water. But no. Skeets’ -feet struck the log fair and square and, although he had to struggle -for an instant to regain his balance, he did not lose his footing. -As Skeets left his end of the log the other end of course sank -deeper in the water and when his two hundred pounds again landed, -Baptiste’s end came up with a violent jerk. - -“He’s a goner,” someone shouted, as the Frenchman wavered back and -forth in his efforts to keep his balance. - -He succeeded but, as Bob declared, “it was by the skin of his -teeth.” - -And now Baptiste had evidently made up his mind that it was high -time for him to start something. Quickly he ran to the middle of the -log, stopping only when he was close to the dividing mark. Skeets -did the same, and as Baptiste started the roll the two men were -standing only about a foot apart. - -“This is a new one to me,” Bob whispered. - -“Me too,” Jack replied. “Wonder what he’s up to.” - -They soon found out, for after getting the log to revolving nearly -as rapidly as at first, Baptiste, with a marvelous display of -agility, ran back to his end and, turning, started to move his feet -the other way. The move gave the log a sudden wrench and Skeets was -for the moment hard put to it to stick on. - -“Pretty near had him that time,” declared a man who was standing -close to Rex. - -Baptiste plainly showed his disappointment at the failure of the -trick, and for a moment both men rested, Skeets moving slowly back -to his end. - -“Aw, mix it up,” someone shouted from the shore. - -All this time the log had been drifting slowly down the river and -now it was all of a hundred feet from the jam. - -But the end was near at hand. Skeets began jumping up and down at -the extreme end of the log. Baptiste had no trouble in following the -movement, but after Skeets had the log bobbing up and down to his -satisfaction he suddenly gave it a violent twist by throwing all his -weight to one side. The move caught Baptiste unawares, and at once -threw him off his balance. Desperately he struggled to save himself, -but Skeets, taking quick advantage of his opportunity, gave the log -another sudden twist and the next instant Baptiste was in the water. - -“Hurrah for Skeets,” shouted a dozen men all at the same time, and -the forest echoed with the cheers. - -“It was great,” Rex declared as they moved toward the shore. “I -wouldn’t have missed it for a farm.” - -The contest ended, the entire crew set to work, and in less than an -hour had cleared away enough of the logs to permit of the boom being -repaired. This accomplished, it was not difficult to start the logs -in motion again, and by the end of another hour they were running -smoothly past either side of the island. - -The boys and Rex were to leave after dinner, going down river as far -as Solon on the stage. There they could connect with the afternoon -train for Skowhegan. - -The stage was, for a wonder, on time, and all the men gathered by -the roadside and gave them a farewell cheer as they started. - -“Best time I ever had,” Rex declared as he sank back in his seat. - - THE END - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's The Golden Boys on the River Drive, by L. P. 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