CHAPTER IV.
THE SEARCH FOR THE BLUE BOX.
Three days after his tragic death Hiram Bodley was buried. Although hewas fairly well known in the lake region only a handful of people cameto his funeral. Joe was the chief mourner, and it can honestly besaid that he was much downcast when he followed the hermit to his lastresting place.
After the funeral several asked Joe what he intended to do. He could notanswer the question.
"Have you found that blue box?" questioned Doctor Gardner.
"No, sir, I have not thought of it."
"Probably it contains money and papers of value, Joe."
"I am going to look for it to-day," said the boy. "I--I couldn't lookfor it while--while--"
"I understand. Well, I trust you locate the box and that it contains allyou hope for," added the physician.
As luck would have it, Ned Talmadge's family had just gone away on atrip to the West, so Mr. Talmadge could offer the boy no assistance. ButNed was on hand and did what he could.
"You don't know what you'll do next, do you, Joe?" asked Ned, as he andJoe returned to the wreck of the cabin.
"No."
"Well, if you haven't any money I'll do what I can for you."
"Thank you, Ned; you are very kind."
"It must be hard to be thrown out on the world in this fashion," went onthe rich boy, sympathetically.
"It is hard. After all, I thought a good deal of Uncle Hiram. He wasstrange in his ways, but he had a good heart."
"Wasn't he shot in the head once by accident in the woods?"
"Yes."
"Maybe that made him queer at times."
"Perhaps so."
"I've got six dollars and a half of my spending money saved up. You mayhave that if you wish," continued Ned, generously.
"I'd rather not take it, Ned."
"Why not?"
"If I can, I want to be independent. Besides, I think there is moneyaround somewhere," and Joe mentioned the missing blue box.
"You must hunt for that blue box by all means!" cried the rich boy."I'll help you."
After the death of Hiram Bodley, Joe and two of the lake guides hadmanaged to repair one room of the broken-down cabin, and from this thefuneral had taken place.
The room contained a bed, a table, two benches and a few dishes andcooking utensils The floor was bare and the window was broken out. Itwas truly a most uninviting home.
"Of course you are not going to stay here, now you are alone?" said Ned,after a look around.
"I don't know where else to go, Ned."
"Why not move into town!"
"Perhaps I will. But I want to find that blue box before I decide onanything."
Without delay the two boys set to work among the ruins, looking intoevery hole and corner they could think of and locate. They pulled awayheavy boards and logs, and Joe even got a spade and dug up the ground atcertain points.
"It doesn't seem to be here," said Ned, after an hour had passed.
"It must be here," cried Joe.
"Perhaps it was buried under a tree."
"That may be true. Anyway, I am certain it is somewhere around thiscabin."
After that the hunt was continued for another hour, and they visitedseveral spots in that locality where Joe thought the blue box might havebeen placed. But it was all to no purpose, the box failed to come tolight.
At last the two boys sat down on a bench in front of the cabin. Bothwere tired out, Ned especially so. Joe was much downcast and his frienddid what he could to cheer him up.
"The box is bound to come to light some day," said Ned. "That is, unlesssome of those men carried it off."
"What men, Ned?"
"The fellows who helped to mend the cabin just before the funeral."
"Oh, I don't think they would steal the box. Bart Andrews and JackThompson are as honest as the day is long."
"Well, it's mighty queer you can't find some trace of the blue box."
The boys talked the matter over for some time, and then Ned announcedthat he must go home.
"You can go with me if you wish," he said. "It will be better thanstaying here all alone."
But Joe declined the offer.
"I'll stay here, and begin the hunt again the first thing in themorning," he said.
"Well, if you want anything, come and see me, Joe; won't you?"
"I will, Ned."
Ned had come over in his own boat and now Joe walked down to the lakewith him. His friend gone, the hermit's boy returned to the dilapidatedcabin.
He was hungry but he had no heart to eat. He munched some bread andcheese which a neighbor had brought over. He felt utterly alone in thegreat worlds and when he thought of this a strange feeling came overhim.
It was a bitter night for the poor boy, but when morning came his mindwas made up. He would make his own way in the world, asking aid from noone, not even Ned.
"And if I can't find the blue box I'll get along without it," he toldhimself.
As soon as it was light he procured breakfast and then started onanother hunt for the missing box. The entire day was spent in thesearch, but without results. Towards night, Joe went down to the lake.Here he caught a couple of small fish, which he fried for his supper.
All told, Joe had exactly a dollar and a half of his own and ninedollars which he had found in the hermit's pocketbook.
"Ten dollars and a half," he mused, as he counted the amount over. "Notvery much to go out into the world with. If I want to do anything intown I'll have to buy some clothes."
From this it will be surmised that Joe was thinking of giving up hisroving life around the lake and mountains, and this was true.
Hunting and fishing appealed to him only in an uncertain way, and helonged to go forth into the busy world and make something of himself.
He had two suits of clothing, but both were very much worn, and so werehis shoes and his cap. Hiram Bodley had left some old clothing, but theywere too big for the boy.
"I guess I'll get Jasok the peddler to come up here and make me an offerfor what is here," he told himself.
Jasok was a Hebrew peddler who drove around through the lake region,selling tinware and doing all sorts of trading. It was time for him tovisit that neighborhood and Joe went to the nearest house on the mainroad and asked about the man.
"He will most likely be along to-morrow, Joe," said the neighbor.
"If he comes, Mr. Smith, will you send him over to my place? Tell him Iwant an offer for the things."
"Going to sell out, Joe?"
"Yes, sir."
"What are you going to do after that?"
"Try for some job in town."
"That's a good idea. Hunting and fishing isn't what it used to be. Whatdo you want for the things?"
"All I can get," and a brief smile hovered on Joe's face.
"I wouldn't sell out too cheap. Jasok is a great fellow to drive abargain."
"If he won't give me a fair price, I'll load the things on the rowboatand sell them in town."
"That's an idea. Do you want to sell Hiram's double-barrel shot gun?"
"Yes, sir."
"I'll give you ten dollars for it."
"I was going to ask twelve, Mr. Smith. It's a pretty good gun."
"So it is, although it is a little bit old-fashioned. Well, bring itover and I'll allow you twelve dollars," answered the neighbor, who waswilling to assist Joe all he could.
Joe went back for the gun without delay, and received his money. Then hereturned to the cabin and brought out all the goods he wished to sell.
By the middle of the next day the Hebrew peddler appeared. At firsthe declared that all of the things Joe had to sell were not worth twodollars.
"Very well, if you think that, we won't talk about it," said Joe,briefly.
"Da vos all vorn out," said Jasok. "De clothes vos rags, and defurniture an' dishes was kracked."
"If you don't want them, I'll take them to town and sell them. I am sureMoskowsky wi
ll buy them."
Now it happened that Moskowsky was a rival peddler who also boasted ofthe ownership of a second-hand store. To think that the goods might goto this man nettled Jasok exceedingly.
"Vell, I likes you, Cho," he said. "I vos your friend, an' I gif youdree dollars for dem dings."
"You can have them for ten dollars," answered the boy.
A long talk followed, and in the end the Hebrew peddler agreed to payseven dollars and a half, providing Joe would help to carry the goods tothe main road, where the wagon had been left. The money was paid over,and by nightfall all of the goods were on the wagon, and Joe was leftat the cabin with nothing but the suit on his back. But he had thirtydollars in his pocket, which he counted over with great satisfaction.
"I ought to be able to get something to do before that is gone," he toldhimself. "If I don't, it will be my own fault."