Edward Stratemeyer

“ The rays of a small lantern met my eyes; and by the light I saw that two men were in the room. One was the man called Yates, and the other was Mr. Enos Norton.
My surprise at seeing the latter was intense. With all the others at the Bend, I had felt sure my guardian had made his way to Hillsburg to take the midnight train.
“It was a risky thing to come back here,” I heard Yates say.
“I don’t think so,” replied Mr. Norton. “No one would think I would dare to come back; and I left the impression behind that I had gone towards Hillsburg.” ”

“ As I moved down the shore toward the Bend I reviewed my strange situation. How much had happened in the last forty-eight hours!
I was far from satisfied with Mr. Norton—somehow I could not call him my uncle. I had expected my mother’s brother to be a different kind of a man. He would evidently make a hard guardian, and I was sure that for me there were many breakers ahead.
As the sloop skimmed along far enough from the shore to catch the full benefit of the breeze that was blowing, I espied another craft anchored in a little cove a quarter of a mile below the mill. ”

“ The light was turned on again, and I saw that the man called Avery had entered.
“All right?” asked the other two.
“There’s a boat at the dock,” replied Avery in a whisper.
“Who’s aboard?”
“No one.”
“Is it that Carney’s boat?” asked Mr. Norton eagerly.
“I don’t think it is. It’s a larger craft.”
“Then it must belong to the police!” cried Yates. “We must get right out of here.”
“But about dividing those stones?” asked Avery.
“We can’t do it now. Remember, we lost one the other night in our hurry; it won’t do to lose more.” ”

“ I wondered if Ford had got back from Bayport or the Bend, and I was just on the point of going on a tour to find out, when there was a noise behind me, and the mill-hand appeared.
“So I have found you at last!” he exclaimed, as he rushed up. “Where have you been? and what has become of the men?”
“The men have gone, and I don’t know where,” I replied. “It’s a long story. Did you bring any one with you?”
“Yes; here is Pointer, and Captain Harley from Bayport.”
“I’ve found him!” he called.
And the next instant the Bend constable and the Bayport captain of police appeared upon the scene. ”

“ For an instant I paused in perplexity. What was to be done? If I waited until the bridge was again in position, Mr. Norton would surely escape me.
“I’ll venture it,” I muttered.
And stepping back, I rushed forward and cleared the distance from the partly open draw to the opposite shore at a bound.
“Hi! hi! none of that!” cried the keeper in alarm; but I paid no heed.
Mr. Norton looked back to see what I would do. He was no doubt quite dismayed to see me take the jump.
I raised the cry of “Stop, thief!” but it did no good, and made Mr. Norton run faster than ever. ”

“ I have always been an honest man, even though I was poor.”
“Mr. Norton, you are a villain!” I cried in high indignation. “My father never did a willfully wrong action in his life, and I won’t allow you or any other man to say he did.”
“Come, come, don’t get on a high horse,” replied my guardian. “You know just how poor your father was. His estate is deeply in my debt, and I want the money paid. I have found out that there are other claims against this mill, and that will leave you without a penny. ”

“ Tom Darrow was more taken aback than ever. I enjoyed his amazement, and told my story.
“I declare, Rube, you’re quite a hero, and no mistake!” cried the fisherman. “So he gave you the sloop for the job? It was money easily earned.”
“It wasn’t earned at all, Tom. But the question is, what has become of the craft? Unless I find her she won’t do me any good.”
“True enough; but you are sure to find her sooner or later. She can’t leave the lake very well, and all you’ve got to do is to keep your eyes open.” ”

“ I, however, for some reason, decided that the trio had embarked for Rock Island. Perhaps I was mistaken, but I thought that the most likely place for such men to seek. The island was a wild and rocky place, and provided they could get enough to eat and drink, they could stay there a month without the authorities discovering their hiding-place.
As I walked on, I wondered what Andy Carney had had to do with the whole affair, and what had become of the fellow and the stuff he had taken from the mill. I was particularly anxious about the valise, and the letters he had said it contained. ”

“ Oliver Optic is a nom de plume that is known and loved by almost every boy of intelligence in the land. We have seen a highly intellectual and world-weary man, a cynic whose heart was somewhat embittered by its large experience of human nature, take up one of Oliver Optic’s books, and read it at a sitting, neglecting his work in yielding to the fascination of the pages. ”

“ Mr. James Jackson brought his fist down on the little desk in one corner of the mill with such force that everything jumped. “I’ve waited for it till I’m all out of patience, and now I want my money.”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Jackson,” I replied, “very sorry indeed to keep you waiting; but it cannot be helped. Business has been backward this summer, as you know, and money is tight.”
“It never was tight when your father was here,” growled the principal storekeeper of Torrent Bend, as he strode up and down the whitened floor. “Every bill was paid on the spot.” ”

“ I pointed to a cove close at hand, and the old fisherman turned and we swept behind the bushes.
“You are sure that is the same boat you saw towing the sloop?” I questioned eagerly.
“Guess I am. My eyes don’t deceive me very often, though they are getting old.”
“Is the boat a strange one around the Bend?”
“Yes; but it belongs on the lake.”
“Is it Carney’s?”
“Maybe it is. But did you see it around the island when you were here before?”
“No; it was over at the mill.” ”

“ The man walked rapidly until he passed Hallett’s house; then he made for the lake, and I rightfully conjectured that he was going to his boat, which he had left some distance up the shore.
As he approached the water, I drew nearer to him. He passed down a bed of rocks, and there hidden in the bushes was his craft.
Just as he prepared to cast off I hailed him. He was startled, and turned as if to pull out his pistol.
“Stop that!” I ordered. “I have a gun now, and I can fire as straight as you.” ”

“ Mr. Norton tried to force me forward; but I refused to budge, and finally sat down on a rock.
“Now what are you going to do?” asked Avery, who I really believe was inclined to laugh at the whole scene. “Rather rough when an uncle can’t manage his own nephew.”
And both he and Yates let off a loud laugh.
“It’s no laughing matter,” growled Mr. Norton. “This boy knows altogether too much. If we got caught, he could place us in a fine box.” ”

“ What a base and cruel man Mr. Norton had proved himself to be! Undoubtedly he was one of the three robbers; and I could not help but shudder at the thought that he was my uncle.
The trio had now divided the diamonds and were ready to separate. If they could find a means of leaving the island, they would do so in short order; and once on the mainland it would be no easy matter to follow them. There were numerous roads, and the Bayport and Bend Center police were not of the best. ”

“ Markham pay you for the boat?”
“Pay me! Not a cent, sir; not a cent!”
I was surprised.
“He didn’t pay you?” I gasped.
“No, he didn’t; and besides, even if he did, the boat is still mine. When a man hires a boat for a day he isn’t supposed to keep her forever.”
“Do you mean to say he didn’t even pay you for hiring her?” I asked faintly.
“No, he didn’t; and you know it. He was the biggest rogue at the hotel, and when he left he owed me nearly fifty dollars for boat-hire.”
The news actually staggered me. Mr. Markham a fraud! I could not believe it. ”

“ At once there was a tramping on the stairs, and then Ford appeared, carrying one of the mill lanterns.
“Why, Reuben, who put you here?” he exclaimed, as he bent down and freed me.
“Mr. Norton.”
“Your uncle? Why I thought he had sneaked away to Hillsburg.”
“So does everybody else,” I returned, as I jumped to my feet. “But he was here less than half an hour ago with those other two thieves.”
“You don’t tell me! Where have they gone?”
“They have a boat up in the cove above. They are going to some point on the lake.” ”

“ I went on. “Don’t you dare to move while I do so.”
“Won’t do you any good,” he muttered.
Without replying, I made my way through the rough brush and over the rocks to where the mast of the boat could be seen. It was but a short distance, and soon I stood face to face with the hidden craft.
For an instant I did not recognize her. The blue-and-white hull had given way to one of red, and the name had been scratched and covered with several coats of paint; but the general appearance of the deck and rigging had not been changed, and I was certain that the craft was the missing Catch Me. ”

“ I wished to examine the cuddy of the sloop, but could get no chance to do so, for Ford was busy sailing the craft, and I thought it would not be safe to leave Carney unwatched even for a moment.
It did not take us long to reach the wharf at the Point. Here a small crowd soon surrounded us; for the report of the robbery had made a good many men suspend work and keep a lookout for the robbers.
Ford marched Carney up to Squire Slocum’s office. I lingered behind to make an examination of the cuddy. ”

“ At that instant a shadow fell across my window, and looking up, we saw four men approaching the mill. They were Constable Pointer, President Webster of the Bayport Bank, and two strangers.
“Constable Pointer!” I exclaimed, as the quartet filed in.
“Ha!” cried Mr. Norton, and I saw him turn pale. “What do you men want here?”
[120]
“Reuben, we want you,” said the constable, as he placed his hand on my shoulder.
“Want me!” I cried, starting back.
“Exactly.”
“About that boat matter?” I asked.
“No, not about any boat matter,” put in President Webster. ”

“ I replied.
“And that was the case with me,” added Ford.
“I will also have a man take charge of Carney’s boat,” went on the squire. “We now have three different boats with detectives on board sailing the lake, and perhaps we’ll catch these fellows before night.”
“Ford and I are going after them too,” I returned.
“Well, every one counts,” said the squire with a smile.
I could see that he was in a terrible hurry, and as soon as the fisherman was given in charge of the jailer we left.
On my way to the wharf I ran against Tom Darrow. He was glad to see me out. ”

“ The sight of the three men with the stolen diamonds spread out between them was an interesting one to Ford and myself. The trio had a lantern, and in the rays of this the precious stones sparkled radiantly.
“If we could only dash in and scoop the pile,” whispered my companion.
“We want to scoop the men as well,” I whispered in return. “It won’t do to let them escape now we have found out their hiding-place.”
There was a brief silence, and then Mr. Norton continued,—
“We’ve had a harder time getting this stuff than we anticipated, boys. ”

“ We had hardly done so before Ford uttered a cry.
“That is where they landed! See, there is the Catch Me now!”
Everybody looked, and we saw that he was right; for there, in an inlet, was the sloop tied to a clump of bushes. In two minutes we had reached the spot, and jumped ashore.
“Here are the marks of their feet,” said Pointer; “but see, they seem to spread out, as if the three of them separated.”
“That was their intention,” I answered.
“Most likely. It is rarely that criminals keep together after having committed a crime,” put in Captain [216] Harley. ”

“ I expected to reward you for what you have done for me, and now I am not able to do so.”
“I don’t expect any reward, sir.”
“Nevertheless, I shall do what is right.”
“The sloop is worth several hundred dollars. That is more than I deserved.”
“I don’t think so. Every time I think of what might have happened to my wife and my little son I cannot help but shudder. Brown and I ought never to have ventured out without a man to sail the boat. We have learned a lesson that we shall not forget in a hurry.” ”

“ If I had known what a job it would be I would never have agreed to the plan when it came up.”
“It wouldn’t have been so hard if you had listened to my way,” put in Yates. “I can’t see why you wanted to drag in that boy over at the mill.”
“That’s because you are not up to all the tricks [183] of the trade,” laughed Norton. “If he had been anyway pliable we would all have escaped without half trying, and perhaps with more booty.”
“Oh, I understand it’s a big thing to stand in with some one in the neighborhood,” remarked Avery. “It helped me considerable in Baltimore. ”

“ Five minutes later the shower stopped short, and the clouds began to scatter.
“The squall is over. They are always short, sharp, and nasty. Let us hoist the mainsail, and continue our chase.”
Easier said than done. Under cover of the squall the Catch Me had slid out of sight.
“Then we’ll make for Rock Island. I am satisfied that that is the place for which Mr. Norton was bound. It is more than likely he has been off to get some provisions.”
“Shouldn’t wonder but what you were right, Rube. Shall we make for the south shore?” ”

“ Ford led the way at once to the cove in which the boat lay at anchor. The sail was hoisted, and a quarter of an hour after the party had found me we were on the move.
“The question now is, which way did they go?” said Ford, as he took the tiller. “Did they steer for Hammer’s Point or Loadhead?”
“One is as near as another,” said Pointer.
“My idea is that they steered for some point between the two places,” I ventured to suggest. “They knew better than to sail right for any town on the lake; for the news has spread, and they would be likely to be captured as soon as they set foot on shore.” ”

“ I rushed outside and down to the pier. Sure enough the Catch Me had disappeared.
I gave a groan as I made the discovery. Ford shook his head.
“Mr. Norton is a bad man and no mistake. He’s the kind of a relative that no one wants,” he exclaimed decidedly.
“You are right, Dan. I would rather be alone in the world ten times over than have him for my uncle. [153] How my father ever took up with him in the West I cannot imagine.”
“Perhaps he hid his real nature when he was with your father,” suggested Ford. “Smart rogues can do that very easily, you know.” ”

“ It took us quite a while to secure another craft in the vicinity. However, we at length hailed a fishing-sloop, and the owner agreed to take us down the lake provided we would put up with such accommodations as his boat afforded.
“Good enough,” said Chief Larkins. “The main thing is to get there.”
“I was never treated so meanly in all my life,” growled Mr. Norton.
“You’ll see worse, I reckon,” was the reply. “A man that steals shouldn’t look for any comfort in this life.” ”

“ In sailing up the lake to the spot where the Torrent Bend emptied, I had to pass Bend Center; and I decided to tie up at the village, and settle up with Mr. Jackson, who was so afraid I was going to cheat him.
There was a trim harbor at this spot, and into this I ran and lowered the mainsail.
“Hullo, Rube!” I suddenly heard some one call; and looking up, I beheld Tom Darrow, an old fisherman that I knew well, seated at the other end of the pier, smoking his pipe.
“Hullo, Tom!” I returned. “Through work for the day?” ”

“ I said, after I had done all I could to increase our speed.
“We will if this breeze holds out, and he doesn’t trim the sails,” replied Ford. “He is carrying too much canvas.”
“I suppose Mr. Norton is not much of a sailor, or he would run right away from us. The Catch Me is a far better boat than the Mary.”
“Of course; but his lack of knowledge is to our benefit.”
“I don’t like the looks of those clouds over there,” I went on, pointing over to the west. “That is a regular squall quarter.”
“If we catch anything like that, it will be look out all around!” laughed my helper. ”