Edward Stratemeyer

“ It was a sailing vessel of fair size, carrying a single mast.
"That's not the Peacock!" ejaculated Sam.
"You're right!" cried Tom. "She's a stranger. Hurrah! Perhaps Dick has followed us up, after all!"
"Anyway, we ought to find friends on that ship, Tom. Let us get to her as soon as possible."
"I'm willing. But I must rest a bit, I'm so dead tired."
"I wish we could get those on the strange ship to make the Baxters and
Captain Langless prisoners."
"Perhaps we can. But it will be a good deal to get out of the clutches of the enemy, even if we can't do any more." ”

“ Come," and he motioned Sam and Tom to follow him.
"I don't think it fair that you should leave us helpless," said Tom.
"At least untie our hands and let us each get a good stick."
"So you can fight us, eh?" cried Arnold Baxter. "We are not such fools."
"You have your pistols," put in Sam. "And what could we do on a lonely island and without a boat?"
"The lads are right—it's not fair to leave them helpless when there may be other danger at hand," interposed the captain. "If I unloosen you, will you promise not to run away?" ”

“ Hiding in a thicket, Dick and Peterson saw the Baxters enter the cave. The pair remained inside for fully quarter of an hour, and came out looking much disappointed.
With torches close to the ground they searched for Sam and Tom's trail.
"Here are footprints!" exclaimed Arnold Baxter, at last. "They are not made by men, either."
"They must be the boys'," answered Dan. "Come on, let us follow." ”

“ But just as Sam was almost fainting for the want of food, the door to the cabin passageway was flung open, and Captain Langless appeared with a lantern, followed by Arnold Baxter, who carried a tray containing a plate of bread and two bowls of beef stew.
"Hungry, I'll wager," said the captain laconically. All the pleasantness he had previously exhibited had vanished.
"You ought to be ashamed of yourselves to let us starve so long," replied Tom, who never hesitated to speak his mind. ”

“ Then he caught sight of Dan and stared as if he had seen a ghost.
"Dan Baxter!" he said slowly. "Can it be possible?"
"Yes, it's me," replied the bully, with small regard for grammar. "Do you know that you are in my power, Dick Rover?"
"I—I—thought you were dead," and Dick closed his eyes again, for it was next to impossible for him to arouse himself.
"I'm a long way from being dead," laughed Dan harshly. "I reckon you'll die before I do."
Dick pulled himself together with a great effort.
"Then the landslide didn't catch you?" he questioned. ”

“ Sam and Tom standing at the end of the plank, clubs in hand, and the Baxters on the deck of the sloop, surrounded by the three men who had been sailing the craft. Those of the sloop looked from one party to the other in bewilderment.
"Well, I must say I don't know whom to believe," said Randy Fairwell slowly. He turned to the boys. "Who are you?"
"Tom Rover, and this is my brother Sam," answered the elder of the pair.
"I never heard the name before," said Arnold Baxter loftily.
"They don't appear to be very crazy," put in one of the men, whose name was Ruff. ”

“ We can make it worth your while, if you will help us and help bring the Baxters to justice. Do you know that Arnold Baxter is an escaped convict, who got out of a New York prison on a forged pardon?"
"No, I know very little of the man."
"He is a bad one, and his son is little better. Standing in with them is a serious business. I don't know much about you, but you don't look like a man who is bad by choice."
At this the captain of the Peacock let out a light laugh. "You talk as if you were a man of deep experience instead of a mere boy." ”

“ The owner of the schooner frowned.
"Well, one must make a living, if you want an answer," he returned shortly.
"True, but you might make a living more honestly."
"By helping us, for instance," added Tom.
"By helping you?"
"Yes, by helping us," resumed Dick.
"I must say, lads, I don't quite understand you." The captain looked at them sharply, as if anxious for either to proceed.
"Let us review the situation," continued the eldest of the Rovers. "In the first place, we take it that you have been hired by the Baxters to do a certain thing." ”

“ The Peacock was the first to feel the going down of the wind, and slowly, but surely, the Swallow crept closer to the schooner.
But at last both vessels came to a standstill, about quarter of a mile apart.
"Now what's to do?" questioned Sam dismally.
"I reckon we can whistle for a breeze," returned his brother.
"Whistling won't do us any good. I've been wondering if we could not do some rowing in the small boat." ”

“ Returning to the mouth of the cave Tom took up his position at one side and Sam on the other. Talking of things in general at first, they gradually put the sailor in good humor, and then turned on the subject of snakes.
"That was a bad snake we killed," said Tom. "I sincerely hope there are no more around the cave."
"Snakes are ugly things," said the sailor, shaking his head vigorously. ”

“ Arnold Baxter gazed at the armed youths in alarm, and Captain Langless grated his teeth.
"This is foolishness," said the owner of the schooner, after a painful pause. "If you try to fight you'll only get into worse trouble. We are, all told, ten to three, and the best thing you can do is to throw down those arms and submit."
"We won't submit," came from Sam, with a boldness which was astonishing in one of his years. His stirring adventures in Africa and in the West accounted for much of this valor.
"We are not going to remain on this vessel," said Dick. ”

“ But how did you come here?"
"It's a long tale, Dora. But just now I want you to help me bring the Baxters to justice. They are trying to make out that they are all right and that we are crazy."
"Crazy! The idea! Indeed, Mr. Fairwell, these boys are not crazy. They are my best friends. They are Tom and Sam Rover, and they are brothers to the Dick Rover I told you about." ”

“ Their one thought was to put distance between themselves and those who wished to keep them prisoners.
"Stop! stop!" roared the mate. "Stop, or it will be the worse for you!"
"I guess we know what we are doing!" panted Tom. "Come on!" And he caught Sam by the arm.
The deck gained, they gave a hasty look around. The schooner was lying at anchor about a hundred yards from shore, at a short distance above the busy portion of the city.
"There ought to be a small boat handy," said Dick, leading the way to the stern.
"We can't wait for a boat," answered Sam. "Let us swim for it. ”

“ CHAPTER XIII. PRISONERS THREE. It was easy to see that Captain Langless was "feeling his way," as the saying is, and Dick felt that he must go slow or he might spoil everything. Criminals are of all shades and degrees, and look at affairs in a different light from honest men. It is said that some would rather be dishonest than honest, and Dick did not yet know how the owner of the Peacock stood on that point.
"Perhaps you had better tell us first what Arnold Baxter has offered you," said the elder Rover, as he looked the owner of the schooner squarely in the eyes. ”

“ As Luke Peterson was now doing fairly well, all of the others ran on deck, and soon the Swallow was in pursuit of the schooner. At first but little could be seen of the Peacock, but when the sun came up they saw her plainly, heading toward the northwest.
"We must keep her in sight," said Tom.
"Yes, but supposing the Baxters are on board, how can we capture them?" came from Sam. "We are but three, or four at the most, counting Peterson, while that craft must carry a crew of five or six."
"We can hail some other boat to help us. The main thing is not to lose track of the rascals." ”

“ Regardless of the danger, Tom flew across the deck to where there was a life-preserver, attached to a hundred feet of small, but strong, rope. Once at the stern again, he threw the life-preserver as far out as possible.
"Catch the lifeline!" he shrieked. But if Dick heard he gave no answer.
"Can't we fire a rocket?" said Sam. "We ought to do something," he added, half desperately.
Lashing the end of the lifeline to the stern, Tom ran down into the cabin and brought forth several rockets. ”

“ The breeze was favorable, and it was not long before the sloop rounded a point of the island and came in sight of the Wellington.
"Let us surprise old Crabtree," suggested Sam. "We can keep out of his sight until the last moment."
Tom was willing, yet Dora demurred, wishing to get to her mother as soon as possible. Yet, as they drew closer, the girl stepped behind the cabin for a minute.
"A ship!" cried Peglace, who was on watch on deck. "A ship at last, and coming to shore!" ”

“ The schooner had suddenly tacked in the strong wind, and the bowling over of the empty craft had caused Tom to take a long roll. He struck up against his brother, and the pair went sliding to the end of the hold, to hit a jug of water which had been left there in the darkness. ”

“ When poor Dick was brought up on a cot, still unconscious, Arnold
Baxter stepped forward.
"I have determined to stop off at Cleveland," he said to Captain Jasper. "If there is anything I can do for this poor fellow, I will do it willingly."
"Why, I thought you were going through to Buffalo," returned the captain in surprise.
"I was going through, but I've just remembered some business that must be attended to. I'll take the train for Buffalo to-morrow. If you want me to see to it that this poor fellow is placed in the hospital, I'll do it." ”

“ I haven't forgotten how he treated me when he was a teacher at Putnam Hall. I wonder that Captain Putnam didn't kick him out long before he was made to go."
A sudden rush of wind cut the conversation short at this point, sending the Swallow bowling along merrily. The clouds were increasing rapidly, and Dick ordered that all the sails be closely reefed.
"We don't want to lose our mast," he observed.
"We don't want to lose anything," answered Sam. "For my part, I wish we were back in Buffalo harbor."
"Oh! we'll run along all right," came from Tom. "Don't get scared before you are hurt." ”

“ Slowly the hours wore away, and in the meanwhile Dick learned that the lumberman's name was Luke Peterson and that he was from the timberlands of Michigan.
"I used to be in the United States service on the lakes, hunting down smugglers between here and Canada," said Peterson. "But that was years ago."
"Do they do much smuggling?" asked Dick.
"More than most folks think," was the decided answer.
The lumberman listened to Dick's tale with interest. Of course the story had to be short, and was frequently interrupted, as high waves would come along and almost sweep them into the lake. ”

“ To get to the headland they had to make a detour around a marshy spot and then climb over a number of rough rocks. The exertion exhausted Josiah Crabtree, and he soon fell behind.
Reaching the headland, Sam gazed around anxiously. He could see a long distance to the north and the west, but not a sail was in sight.
"The Peacock ought to be somewhere around here," he told himself, and then, coming to a tall tree with low, drooping branches, he began to climb to the top. ”

“ Sam and Peterson, followed by Tom, traced him to the fence, but once on the opposite side, lost all track of the rascal.
"He's gone," said Tom, after running hither and thither on the dock.
"He has given us the slip nicely."
"He can't be far off," returned Sam. "I believe he was bound for that doctor's sanitarium when we spotted him."
"So do I, and I wouldn't wonder if poor Dick is at the place, a prisoner." ”