CHAPTER V
LAUNCHING THE BOAT
For a moment Tom did not answer, but stared at Jack as if he could notbelieve what his chum said. Then our hero asked:
"Are you sure?"
"Of course I am. Take a look for yourself," and Jack moved over so thatTom could have a glimpse into the other car.
"It's those chaps, sure enough," spoke Tom. "This is a great go! SamHeller and that nuisance Nick Johnson on the same train with us, andthe prospect of meeting Professor Skeel when we get to camp. I don'tlike this!"
"Neither do I," agreed Bert. "But we can't help it."
"Do you think those two fellows are going to meet that mean professoryou spoke of?" asked Dick.
"I hardly imagine so," answered Jack. "Mr. Skeel wasn't any toofriendly with even Sam Heller, though Sam was more in his class thanthe rest of us. No, I guess it's just a coincidence, that Sam and hiscrony are on this train. But I'd like to know where they got on, andwhere they're going."
"They must have boarded the train before we did," explained Bert, "forI've been looking out of the window at every station we came to sinceBriartown, and I didn't see them hop on."
"That's right," agreed Jack. "Come to think of it now, Sam lives inNewtonville, and that's not far below your town, Tom. Nick was probablyvisiting Sam, and the two are off on a trip together."
"Yes, but where are they going?" persisted Tom. "I hope, if they'regoing camping, that they don't pick out any spot near us. There'll besure to be trouble if they do. I won't stand for any more nonsense fromeither Sam or Nick."
"And I don't blame you," declared Bert.
"There's one way to find out where they're going," suggested Dick Jones.
"How?" asked Tom.
"Ask 'em."
"That's right!" laughed Tom. "Only I don't like to do it. There'd besure to be a quarrel if I did, for Sam and I never got along welltogether."
"I'll ask 'em," offered Jack. "While I'm not any too friendly with themI think I can get into a conversation with 'em, and learn what's up.Shall I?"
"Go ahead," spoke Tom; and Jack sauntered into the next coach. Sam andNick were surprised to see him, of course, and they probably suspectedthat Tom was somewhere about, but they did not admit it, or show muchcuriosity regarding Jack's presence, so unexpectedly manifested.
"Going far?" asked Jack.
"Oh, not so very," replied Sam, coolly. "And yet we may make quite atrip of it before we finish; eh, Nick?"
"Sure. Where are you bound for, Jack?"
"Oh, we're just going camping--Tom Fairfield, Bert Wilson and a friendof Tom's."
"No camp life for ours!" exclaimed Sam. "It's too much work. We stop athotels."
"Yes, and you miss half the fun," rejoined Jack.
There was some more conversation, and then Jack went back to join hischums.
"Did you learn anything?" asked Tom.
"Not much. They were as close-mouthed as clams. I did my best to pumpthem without showing too much curiosity as to where they were going,but there was 'nothing doing,' as our friend Shakespeare might say. Iguess they thought I wanted to know, and so they took special pains tokeep mum. But we won't let it make any difference to us."
"That's right," agreed Tom. "Maybe there won't be any trouble afterall."
The boys traveled all that day, the journey being a pleasant one forthe four chums, who had much to talk about. They took an observationnow and then of the forward car, and saw that Sam and his crony werestill aboard.
"Well, we'll soon be at Wilden," remarked Tom, as the day was drawingto a close.
"Where are we going to stop?" asked Jack.
"At a hotel, of course," put in Bert.
"Hotel nothing!" exclaimed Tom. "In the first place there isn't any,and in the second place mother's friend, Mrs. Henderson, would feelhurt if we didn't put up at her house. She wrote specially to inviteus when she heard we were going camping near Lake Woonset. So we'll gothere, and proceed to make ourselves at home."
The train pulled into a station a few miles below Wilden, and to thesurprise of Tom and his chums, Sam Heller and his crony got off. Ourfriends watched them.
"What do you know about that!" exclaimed Jack, as he leaned out of awindow to look. "The expressman is pulling off some tents and othercamping stuff, and Sam is telling him where to place it. Say, thosefellows are going camping after all their high-flown talk about ahotel, and I'll wager we run across them again before the summer'sover!"
"I shouldn't wonder," spoke Tom. "No matter, we'll have a good timeanyhow. We'd better be getting ready to leave on our own hook."
As the train pulled out again our friends saw Sam and Nick arrangingtheir tent and baggage, but the two did not look up at their formerschoolmates.
Wilden was soon reached, and as Tom was making inquiries of the freightagent as to whether or not his boat had arrived a man stepped up andgreeted our hero.
"Isn't this Tom Fairfield, and his camping chums?" he asked pleasantly.
"It is, and you--"
"I'm Mr. Amos Henderson. My wife used to go to school with your mother,and when Sallie--that's my wife--heard you were coming up here she gotall ready for you. She sent me down to the station to bring you up tothe house. I said I didn't think I'd know you, but land shucks! Salliesaid that didn't matter. She told me to pick out four boys, and they'dbe sure to be the right ones.
"And I did, by gum! Though it wasn't a hard matter, seeing as howyou're the only ones who got off the train. But come on now, supper'swaiting, and Sallie won't like it to get cold."
Tom and his chums, pleased with their warm reception, followed Mr.Henderson, and were soon sitting down to a substantial meal, enlivenedby much talk.
"Tell us all you can about the old mill, and that crazy man, please,"asked Tom, during a lull in the conversation.
"Oh, I do hope you don't run across him!" exclaimed Mrs. Henderson."He's really dangerous," and she proceeded to give a few more detailsof the story of the secret of the mill, already substantially known tomy readers.
Tom and his chums asked innumerable questions, as to how to reach themill, and where the best spot to camp would be.
"I can see what those boys are pointing for," said Mr. Henderson whenthe four had gone to bed.
"What?" asked his wife.
"The old mill. You couldn't keep 'em away with ropes. They'll go pokingabout it, looking for that treasure, which I don't believe exists, andthey'll have a row with old Wallace as sure as chickens."
"Oh, Amos! What had we better do?"
"Can't do anything, as I can see. Those boys will do as they please,anyhow. But I guess they can look out for themselves."
Early the next morning Tom went to see about getting the boat and otherstuff carted to the camp in the woods. On the advice of Mr. Hendersonthey had picked out the east shore of the lake, that being the nearestto Wilden.
"And that side is the most direct road to the old mill, by way of theriver," said Mr. Henderson, "but," he added, with a twinkle in hiseyes, "I don't 'spose you boys will go there."
"Oh, won't we though!" exclaimed Tom, laughing.
Provisions were bought, the camping stuff, together with the boat, wasloaded upon a heavy wagon, and with good-byes to the Hendersons, theboys started for the depths of the woods. The boat had been hard to geton the wagon, and they knew they would have difficult work launchingit, but the wagon-driver and his helper promised to assist.
During the drive through the woods Tom and the others kept a lookouton every side for a possible glimpse of the old man who had searchedso long for the mill-treasure, but they did not see him. The scenerybecame more and more wild, and the road was almost impassable in places.
"Say, this looks like the jumping-off place," remarked Dick, as theypassed through a particularly lonely spot.
"It's just what we want," declared Tom. "We'll do some real camping outhere."
"Yes, I guess no one will bother you," said the driver. "No one hardlyever goes to Lake Woonset
, except maybe a fellow who wants some goodfishing now and then. I like it myself, but I haven't been but twice inthe last three years. It sure is lonesome."
"How much farther to the lake?" asked Dick, after a pause.
"About a mile. You can see it when we get to the top of the next hill,but the road winds around."
A little later they had a glimpse of a beautiful sheet of water, set inthe midst of wooded hills.
"That's great!" cried Tom, and the others agreed with him.
They drove along the edge of the lake until they came to a place wherea spring bubbled out, and Tom exclaimed:
"Here's where we'll camp! Let's unload and get the boat into the water.I want to see if she'll run."
"Got gasolene?" asked Jack.
"Yes, there's plenty on the wagon, and I've arranged for a supply to bebrought up to the lower end of the lake, and left there. A couple ofbarrels ought to last us all summer."
It was hard work to unload the boat, and harder still to launch it,but it was finally accomplished, and when the tents and campingparaphernalia had been stacked up, the driver and his helper turnedback toward civilization.
"Say, it sure is lonesome!" exclaimed Dick, when the rattle of thewagon had died away.
"It won't be in a minute," said Tom. "We've got lots to do to get ourcamp in shape. Come on, now, everybody get busy, and we'll try out theboat."
There was some little work to be done to it, and then, having filledthe gasolene tank, and improvised a dock out of some dead tree trunks,the boys were ready for a spin.
"Now to see if she'll run," remarked Tom, as he prepared to turn overthe flywheel.
There was a wheeze, a cough, a sigh and a groan, and the _Tag_ startedoff as if she had never an idea of balking.
"Hurray!" cried Tom. "This is great!"
As they skimmed over the smooth lake, the beauty of it impressed themmore and more, and they were delighted with their camping place.Tom steered the boat into a little cove, and as he neared the shoresomething moved in the bushes.
"Look!" whispered Jack. "It's a deer, maybe."
A moment later a man, with a long white beard, and clad in raggedgarments, fairly leaped into view. For a moment he stood staring at theslowly moving motorboat, as if he could not believe the evidence ofhis eyes. Then with a howl of rage he leaped into the water, and beganswimming toward the craft.