Edward Stratemeyer

“ In a moment more the hermit’s craft was beside the big row-boat.
The Rockpointers gazed at the white-haired man in astonishment. They wanted to know who he was, but just then had other matters to attend to.
“You think you own the earth when you have a gun!” howled Si Peters to Jerry.
“We’re on top, that is certain,” responded our hero. “Say, Harry, supposing we get on the yacht and make them row us back to the island?”
“Not much!” growled Wash Crosby.
“Just the thing!” cried Harry.
Still keeping the Peters crowd under guard, Jerry and his friends boarded the yacht. ”

“ In a thoughtful mood, the young oarsman walked back upstairs. He met Mrs. Flannigan outside of the door.
“What’s wrong, Mr. Upton?”
“That is what I am trying to find out. Miss Ardell is missing. If I go out, will you look after the children?”
“Sure, Oi will, bless the dears,” she said. Her heart was as large as her ruddy, full-blown face.
Without waiting longer, Jerry ran down into the street and endeavored to trace the carriage down to the ferry. In this he was successful, and learned that the turnout containing two men and a young lady, who appeared to be ill, had crossed to Brooklyn. ”

“ The course of the Whistler was changed, and soon they rounded the shore of the island Jack Broxton had pointed out.
Sure enough, there was the Redeye, with all sails set, making up the lake.
Near the stern stood Si Peters, Wash Crosby and several rascally looking men.
“They have discovered that we are after them,” cried Jerry, a few minutes later. “See, they are crowding on all sail!”
The young oarsman was right. Leaving the vicinity of the islands, the other craft stood out boldly into the lake, and cut the water like a knife.
“She’s a good one,” observed Jack Broxton. ”

“ Evening found our hero a good deal worn out, not so much by the work as by the close confinement of the bindery. How different life in the great metropolis was to life in the green fields of the country!
After supper Jerry determined to take a walk uptown, to get the outdoor exercise and also in hope of seeing something of the tramp who had taken the packet. He knew that looking for the tramp in the metropolis was a good deal like looking for a pin in a haystack, but imagined that even that pin could be found if one looked long and sharp enough for it. ”

“ A little back of the summit of rocks was a grassy plateau, and here the boys decided to camp for the night.
“What a beautiful place for a picnic!” said Harry.
“Rather hard to get to, though,” returned Jerry. “I wonder if there is a spring handy?”
“A spring away up heah!” exclaimed Blumpo. “Yo’ expect watah to run up hill? Ha, ha!”
“Yes, Blumpo; strange as it may seem, the finest springs are found at the very tops of mountains. Come on and look for one.”
The homeless youth showed his surprise, but he readily joined in the hunt, and so did Harry. ”

“ As rapidly as he could, Jerry swam out of the mad animal’s reach. It was difficult with the struggling girl in his arms, but at last he accomplished it, and willing hands helped him to the dock.
“My Cora! my Cora! is she dead?” cried Mrs. Fleming.
“No, she is more frightened than hurt,” returned Jerry. “Let us take her to the house.”
But before he could go a step, Mrs. Fleming clasped her girl in her arms and led the way.
Anxious to be of assistance, Jerry followed the lady, while Harry, Blumpo, and the hired man tried to rescue the horse, who was very valuable despite his nervousness. ”

“ They packed up, and, accompanied by the hermit, set off, for the old camp.
Daniel Brown knew every inch of the mountain and under his guidance they reached the bottom much quicker than they would otherwise have done.
As they were trailing through the woods toward the camp, Harry suddenly put up his hand.
“Listen! Don’t you hear some persons talking?” he asked.
“Where can it be?” asked Jerry.
“Down by the camp,” said Blumpo.
“Si Peters’ crowd, I’ll bet a new hat!” cried Jerry. “Come on, all of you!” ”

“ But now it was blowing a regular hurricane and no mistake.
“We’ll go to the bottom, suah!” groaned Blumpo dismally.
“Not much!” shouted Jerry. “Keep on bailing.”
“Look! look!” yelled Harry at that moment, and pointed over to the centre of the lake.
There, beating up in the teeth of the wind in the most hap-hazard manner, was the Cutwater. Evidently Clarence Conant was nearly paralyzed with fear, for he had almost lost control of the craft.
“Those ladies on board are worse off than we,” went on Harry.
“That’s so,” replied Jerry. ”

“ As it was rather warm, they left one of the flaps open to admit the air. Jerry lay in such a position that he could look out on the smoldering campfire.
Jerry was as tired as the rest, and it did not take him long to drop off into a sound sleep.
How long he slept he did not know. A low noise outside aroused him. He opened his eyes with a start, wondering what it was.
Then came another growl or grunt, he could not tell which. He sat up and looked outside. ”

“ Dick Lanning was slow in coming to the front. The eye was not only black, but it was closing rapidly.
“He’s got a stone in his fist—he don’t fight fair,” he growled to his friends.
“I have nothing in my fist,” retorted Jerry. “If he wants anymore, I fancy I can accommodate him, although I don’t care to fight.”
Dick Lanning was uneasy. He glanced toward his friends and passed a signal to one of his cronies.
“Police! skip!” cried the crony. “Come on, Dick, you don’t want to git caught!” ”

“ WHO WON THE SHELL RACE. Jerry saw at once that he had been right in imagining that this was the plot against him. Wash Crosby intended to keep just close enough to cause him trouble without actually fouling him.
Already the swash from the steam launch was telling on Jerry’s lead. Si Peters kept up at his best and soon was once more abreast of our hero.
“Hurrah!” came from the shore.
“Si Peters leads!”
“I said he would win!”
“That steam launch is too close to Jerry Upton.”
“Nonsense! Don’t croak because you are going to lose the race,” shouted Browling. ”

“ The carriage was turning into one of the fine thoroughfares when Jerry caught sight of a figure which instantly arrested his attention. The figure was that of Mr. Wakefield Smith.
“Stop!” cried the young oarsman to the driver of the carriage.
“What’s up?” demanded the colonel.
“Do you see that man over there by the paper stand?”
“Yes.”
“That is Wakefield Smith, the pickpocket.”
“Indeed! He ought to be arrested.”
“You know him to be a pickpocket?” questioned one of the detectives.
“I do. He robbed me of over twenty dollars. I got back ten dollars. He’s a very smooth and slick worker.” ”

“ Harry was unconscious, and he was taken to the cabin, where Dora and the other girls did all in their power for him; and then the Cutwater was headed for Lakeview, two miles distant.
The hurricane, or whatever it might be called, had by this time spent itself. The rain ceased and before the lake town came into view the sun shone once more as brightly as ever.
Clarence Conant came on deck looking very much annoyed. He felt that he had played the part of a coward, and knew he would have no easy time of it to right himself in the eyes of the young ladies. ”

“ Like two clocks, so far as regularity went, the two contestants bent their backs and pulled with might and main.
One thing was certain, unless something happened, it would be a close race.
But now the Lakeview boys were getting wild.
“See Jerry! He is gaining.”
“Jerry is five feet and more in the lead!”
It was true. Slowly but surely our hero was forging ahead. Should he be able to keep this up he would cross Si Peters’ course at the turning point.
But now Wash Crosby showed his hand. Without so much as a toot of the whistle, his steam launch kept drawing closer and closer to Jerry’s side. ”

“ The wind had been increasing steadily, and now it blew so strongly that the whitecaps were to be seen in every direction.
“We’re going to have no easy time getting back,” said Jerry, with an anxious look on his manly face. “Maybe we may be caught in a hurricane.”
“It’s hot enough,” returned Harry. “Such oppressive heat generally means something.”
A mile was covered, and then the wind began to send the flying spray in every direction and filled the row-boat’s bottom with water.
“Wet again!” laughed Jerry, grimly. “Never mind.”
“Blumpo, you had better bail out the boat,” said Harry. ”

“ The Whistler was soon on her way up the lake with old Jack Broxton at the tiller, and as the breeze was steady the boys had little to do but talk. Once again our hero related his story, and Harry proved a most attentive listener.
“That Alexander Slocum ought to go to prison for life,” he said, at the conclusion. “The idea of daring to make out that Nellie Ardell was insane.”
“It was a bold scheme, Harry.”
“It seems to me the world is full of bad people, Jerry. Look at such men as that Slocum and his tools, and then at such boys as Si Peters and Wash Crosby.” ”

“ Here they ran in for a few minutes, to pass a word with Blumpo’s father, who greeted them cordially. After this, they continued up along the south side of the lake.
As they skirted the beautiful shore they gradually crept up to a large excursion boat.
“Hullo, what’s that boat doing here?” cried Jerry.
“It’s a Sunday school excursion from Cedar Falls,” replied his chum.
The steamboat was not a large one and she seemed to have more than her regular allowance of passengers aboard. Every deck was full of grown folks and children, dressed in their best. ”

“ Jerry stepped back, and running a few feet, made the leap in safety. Harry followed, and then both boys waited for Blumpo Brown to join them.
The homeless youth measured the distance with his eye and came on like a steam engine. ”

“ And he dragged Dick Lanning away, while the crowd scattered like magic. No policeman was in sight, nor did any appear. It was only a ruse to retire without acknowledging defeat.
But that fight taught Dick Lanning a severe lesson. He still remained down upon the young oarsman, but in the future he fought shy of our hero, knowing that Jerry would not stand his bullying manner. ”

“ Islen sold out his bindery, and by this turn of affairs our hero found himself out of employment. But he had had enough of the great metropolis for the present, and was glad enough to go back to Lakeview while awaiting the time when Slocum should be brought to trial.
The news of what he had accomplished had leaked out, and when he arrived he found Harry and Blumpo awaiting him at the depot.
“You’re a clever one, Jerry!” cried Harry, shaking his hand warmly. “To run off on the quiet and come back with a fortune for your family.”
“We haven’t got the fortune yet,” laughed the young oarsman. ”

“ When Si went to the reformatory he told father he intended to send his son to a military school and cut off his allowance.”
“Maybe Si has promised to reform. Hullo! they are coming this way!”
Jerry sprang up in alarm, for the big yacht had suddenly veered around several points and was now coming head on toward them.
“We’ll be run down!” shrieked Blumpo, in terror.
“The young fools!” muttered Jack Broxton. “Don’t they know anything about steering?”
“The big yacht is evidently one too many for them. See, there is no one aboard but Si and Wash. Two hands are not enough for such a craft.” ”

“ Harry and Jerry had studied up all the newspaper reports concerning the race between the Defender, a splendid yacht from the Poplar River, and the Spray, a craft from up the lake, and they knew exactly where to go in order to see the race to the best advantage. ”

“ The boy wanted to question Jerry for further particulars, but the young oarsman did not care to say too much, and hurried off, to seek the tramp again.
That evening found our hero at Mrs. Price’s, footsore and downhearted. He had seen nothing of Crazy Jim, and it looked as if the precious packet was gone for good.
Jerry could not help but wonder what Alexander Slocum’s next move would be. Would the man endeavor to hunt him out or would he write to his father?
The next morning, on his way to Mr. Randolph Islen’s place of business, Jerry met Nellie Ardell. ”

“ Si Peters and Wash Crosby were evidently alarmed at the turn affairs had taken, and they called their chums around them for consultation.
“We can’t do anything while the wind is down,” said Crosby.
“Let’s get out and row,” suggested Graves, who was one of the number.
“Can we tow the yacht?”
“We can try.”
This was decided on, and all of the crowd leaped into Harry’s boat. They brought the craft around to the yacht’s bow, and then every one took an oar.
“See, they are hauling off the yacht!” cried Harry. “They mean to get away somehow.”
“We’ll race them,” replied Jerry. ”