CHAPTER XXIII
THE MYSTERIOUS VOICE
The shock threw the _Dartaway_ back. Jerry had already turned off thepower, and was slowing down for the reverse when the smash came. Themotor boat had fairly poked her nose into the side of the schooner.
"Are we damaged?" cried Ned.
"I guess not," replied Jerry, seizing one of the oil lanterns andholding it over the side of the bow. He could see a big dent in thewooden hull of the motor boat, and a larger one in the schooner. Thetwo boats were now drifting apart.
Aboard the schooner there was much confusion. Several persons seemed tobe talking at once. Lights flashed here and there.
"Look out, I'm going to back away," said Jerry to Bob and Ned. "Is itall clear to the rear?"
He swung the search lantern so that the beams cut a path of light aft.
"Nothing in the road," sung out Ned.
Slowly the _Dartaway_ separated from the side of the schooner. As shedid so the stern of the larger vessel swung over toward the motor boat,and Bob, who was watching it gave a sudden cry.
"What's the matter? Is she going to hit us again?" called Jerry,slowing up the engine.
"No!" cried Bob. Then lowering his voice and crawling to where Jerrystood he whispered:
"This boat has the name of _Bluebird_ on her stern!"
At the same instant there came floating over the water the sound of avoice from some one aboard the larger craft.
"We're sinking! Quick Bill! Get the boat over and find me a lifepreserver. I don't want to drown!"
At the sound of the mysterious voice, coming so plainly amid thestillness that followed the crash the boys were startled.
"Doesn't that sound just like--" began Bob.
"Hush!" cautioned Jerry in a whisper. "Wait a while before you talk."
"I tell you we're sinking!" the voice went on. "They rammed a holeclear through us. They did it on purpose! They want to capture me!"
"Keep quiet, you numbskull!" the boys heard some one exclaim in reply."You'll be caught quick enough if you don't keep still. Do you wantto give the whole thing away? Get below before they flash that searchlight on the deck and see who you are!"
Silence ensued, broken only by the sound of some one moving about onthe deck of the schooner.
"Flash the light on 'em!" called Ned.
Jerry swung the big gas lamp around on its pivot, and the blindingwhite glare illuminated the schooner. The only person to be seen ondeck was a man at the helm, and, by the beams the boys could see he wasroughly dressed.
For an instant the steersman stood plainly revealed in the beams. Hewore nothing on his head, but, as soon as the glare set him out fromthe darkness he caught up from the rail a slouch hat which he pulledover his eyes, screening the upper part of his face.
"What's the matter with you?" demanded Jerry with a pretense of anger,as he wanted to hear the man's reply. "Couldn't you see our boat?"
"If I could have d'ye s'pose I'd a stood here an' let ye run int' me?"the man asked in answer. "Them gasolene boats is gittin' too dangerous.I'll have th' law on ye for this."
"What about the law requiring sailing boats to carry lights at night?"asked Jerry. "I guess if there's going to be any suing done we can doour share."
The steersman made no answer. The wind freshened just then, and theschooner gathered way. The helmsman put her about, and she heeled overas the breeze came in powerful gusts.
While the after part of the sailing vessel was still in the zone of thesearch light the boys observed a second figure aboard. It came up thecompanionway leading down into a small cabin.
"Git down there!" the steersman exclaimed. "They'll see you!"
The figure disappeared suddenly. The boys, seeing it would be nofurther use to argue with the surly skipper, put their boat on hercourse and resumed the trip to the island. They found beyond a slightloosening of the engine, due to the shock, no damage had resulted.
"Well, I think we ran into something that time," remarked Ned.
"Two things I would say," put in Jerry. "If that mysterious voice, thesteersman tried to hush, wasn't that of Noddy Nixon's I'll eat my hat."
"I was just going to say the same thing," added Bob. "I was sure Irecognized it."
"Then he isn't kidnapped at all," said Ned.
"I never believed he was," came from Jerry.
"I wonder who the other person was," said Bob.
"I have an idea it was Bill Berry," said Jerry.
"It didn't sound like his voice," interposed Ned.
"If you noticed," went on Jerry, "he talked with two voices. When hespoke to Noddy his tones and words were much different than when headdressed us and threatened to have the law on us. I'm sure it was BillBerry."
"Then those two are up to some mischief, I'll bet," ventured Ned."There must be some game afoot when Noddy lets it be thought he iskidnapped, and when we find him away off here in a schooner."
"There is," spoke Jerry. "It's the same game that began with thereference to something 'blue' that Bill Berry made that day. It'sthe same game that we nearly discovered when we almost ran into the_Bluebird_, and now we have the same schooner away down here on thelake and we nearly sink in consequence of hitting her, or of herhitting us, for I believe they got in the way on purpose."
"But what is the game?" asked Bob.
"That's what's puzzling me," replied Jerry. "I'm inclined to think thatthe gang Chief Dalton is after will be found to have some connectionwith this vessel, and while I have only a mere suspicion of it, Ibelieve the robbery of Mr. Slade's store is--"
"Look out there! You're going to hit me! Keep to the left!" exclaimedan excited voice.
Jerry rapidly spun the wheel around and the _Dartaway_ veered to oneside with a swish of water, just grazing a rowboat with a man in it,that loomed up dead ahead.
"Almost had me that time," said the rower pleasantly as the _Dartaway_slowed up. "It was my fault though, I ought to have had a light."
His frank admission of his error, and his failure to abuse the boys fornearly colliding with him, as most rowers would have done under thecircumstances, made the boys feel at ease.
"Sorry we caused you such a fright," said Jerry. "Can we give you atow?"
He swung the search light about to illuminate the rowboat. As he didso he gave an exclamation of astonishment. The rower was none otherthan the ragged tramp who had been rescued from the hay barge, and whohad been given a ride in the _Terror_ following the unsuccessful chaseafter the motor boat thieves. He recognized the boys at once.
"Oh it's you, my young preservers!" the tramp said. "Well, we seemfated to meet at odd moments. First you save my life, and then younearly take it from me. Well, it evens matters up."
"Can we tow you anywhere?" asked Jerry again.
"Thanks, noble sir," replied the tramp with the same assumed grand airhe had used when talking to Chief Dalton. "I fain would dine, and ifyou can take me to some palace where the beds are not too hard, andwhere I could have a broiled fowl, or a bit of planked whale, with asip or two of ambrosial nectar, I would forever call you blessed."
"Do you mean you're hungry?" asked Bob, who had a fellow feeling forall starved persons.
"As the proverbial bear," answered the tramp. "You haven't a straycracker about your person, have you?"
"No, but I've got a couple of ham sandwiches," said Bob.
"Well if you're not at it again, Chunky," said Jerry. "Where'd you get'em?"
"I put 'em in my pocket at the feed this afternoon," replied Bob,taking the sandwiches out and passing them to the tramp, whose boatwas now alongside. "I thought they'd come in handy."
"As indeed they do," the ragged man put in, munching away at the breadand meat with right good appetite. "I thank you most heartily."
"If you care to come to our camp we can give you something more and alittle coffee," said Jerry. "You could also sleep under shelter. Wehave a tent ashore you can use and we can sleep on board the boat."
"If it wou
ld not discommode you, I would be glad of the opportunity,"the tramp said, dropping his assumed manner and speaking sincerely. "Iwas about to spend the night in the woods," he went on, "but I muchprefer shelter. I have a mission here, and while I am on it I have torough it at times. But I am almost finished."
"Will you come aboard, or shall we tow you?" asked Ned.
"Perhaps it would be as well to tow me," replied the tramp. "I havesome things in my boat I would not like to lose."
The tow line was soon made fast to the _Dartaway_, and the boys resumedtheir trip which had twice been interrupted by accidents. They reachedthe island in safety, and soon were preparing some coffee and a lightsupper. The tramp fastened his boat to a tree that projected over thewater, and, then sat at the rough table the boys had constructed undera canvas awning.
"I don't believe I have been presented to you gentlemen," said thetramp, as the night dinner was about to begin. Jerry laughing,introduced himself and his chums.
"Are you Aaron Slade's son?" asked the tramp excitedly, as Ned's namewas mentioned.