CHAPTER XX
THE FISHING PARTY
Ruth felt so unhappy she wept openly. It seemed too bad that Jerry Shemingshould be taken away to the mainland a prisoner.
"They'll find some way of driving him out of this country again," remarkedPreston, the foreman. "You don't know Blent, Mr. Tingley, as well as therest of us do. Other city men have come up here and bucked against him intimes past--and they were sorry before they got through."
"What do you mean?" demanded the angry owner of Cliff Island.
"Blent can hire those fellows from the lumber camps, and some of theguides, to do his dirty work. That's all I've got to say. Hunting campshave burned down in these woods before now," observed the foreman,significantly.
"Why! the scoundrel sold me this island himself!"
"And he's sold other outsiders camp sites. But they have had to leave ifthey angered Blent."
"He is a dangerous man, then?"
"Well--things just happen," returned Preston, shaking his head. "I'd keepwatch if I were you."
"I will. I'll hire guards--and arm 'em, if need be," declared Mr. Tingley,emphatically. "But take it from me--I am going to see that that boy Jerryis treated right in these backwoods courts. That's the way I feel aboutit."
Ruth was glad to hear him say this. As she had decided when she first sawhim, Mr. Tingley could be very firm if he wished to be. At once he wentback to the house, had a team hitched to a sleigh, and drove over to themainland so as to be sure that Blent did not get ahead of him and havecourt convened before the proper hour.
The day was spoiled for Ruth and for some of the other young folk who hadtaken such a deep interest in Jerry. The boy had been caught because hetried to get the mattock Ruth and Tom had put out for him. Ruth wished nowthat she and Tom had not gone down to the brook.
There was too much going on at Cliff Island for even Ruth to mope long.Mr. Tingley came back at dark and said he had succeeded in getting Jerry'scase put over until a lawyer could familiarize himself with the details.Meanwhile Keller, Blent's man, had refused to accept bail. Jerry wouldhave to remain in jail for a time.
A man came across from the town that evening and brought a telegram forMr. Tingley. That gentleman had without doubt shown his interest in JerrySheming. Fearing that the local legal lights might be somewhat backwardabout opposing Rufus Blent, he had telegraphed to his own firm of lawyersin New York and they were sending him a reputable attorney from anup-State city who would be at Logwood the next day.
"Let's all go over to court to-morrow and see that lawyer get Jerry free,"suggested Belle Tingley, and the others agreed with enthusiasm. It wouldbe as much fun as snow-shoeing; more fun for those who had not alreadylearned that art.
The day after Christmas, in the morning, the boys insisted that everybodybut Mercy Curtis should get out and try the shoes. Those who had been atSnow Camp the year before were able to set out quite briskly--for it is anart that, like swimming and skating, is not easily forgotten.
There were some very funny spills and by luncheon they were all in a glow.Later the big sledge was brought around and behind that the boys strung acouple of bobs. The horses drew them down to the ice and there it was easyfor the team to pull the whole crowd across to Logwood.
The town seemed to have turned out to meet the party from Cliff Island.
Ruth and her friends noted the fact that many of the half-grown boys andyoung men--those of the rougher class--seemed greatly amused by theappearance of the city folk.
"But what can you expect from a lot of rubes?" demanded Tom, ratherangrily. "See 'em snickering and grinning? What d'ye s'pose is the matterwith them?"
"Whatever the joke is, it's on us and we don't know it," remarked Heavy,who was easily angered by ridicule, too. "There! Mr. Tingley has gone offwith the lawyer. I guess we'll know what it's all about pretty soon."
And _that_ was true, sure enough. It came out that there would be no caseto try. Justice Keller announced that the accusation against Jerry Sheminghad been withdrawn. Mr. Blent had "considered Mr. Tingley's plea formercy," the old fox said, and there was nothing the justice could do butto turn the prisoner loose.
"But what's become of him?" Mr. Tingley wanted to know.
"Oh, that does not enter into my jurisdiction," replied Keller, blandly."I am not his keeper. He was let out of jail early this morning. Afterthat I cannot say what became of him."
Blent was not even at the court. It was learned that he had gone out oftown. Blent could always find somebody to handle pitch for him.
It was later discovered that when Lem Daggett had opened the jail toJerry, several of Blent's ruffians had rushed the boy to the railroadyard, put him aboard a moving freight, given a brakeman a two-dollar billas per instructions from the real estate man, and Jerry wasn't likely toget off the train, unless he jumped while it was moving, until it wasfifty miles farther west.
But, of course, this story did not come out right away. The whole town waslaughing at Mr. Tingley. Nobody cared enough about the city man, or knewhim well enough, to explain the details of Jerry's disappearance at thattime.
Mr. Tingley looked very serious when he rejoined the young folk and he hadlittle to say on the way home, save to Ruth, whom he beckoned to the seatbeside him.
"I am very sorry that the old fox got the best of us, Miss Fielding. AsPreston says, I must look out for him. He is sly, wicked, and powerful. MyAlbany lawyer tells me that Blent is notorious in this part of the State,and that he has great political influence, illiterate as he is.
"But I am going to fight. I have bought Cliff Island, and paid a goodprice for it. I have spent a good many thousand dollars in improvementsalready. I'll protect myself and my investment if I can--and meanwhileI'll do what I can for your friend, Jerry Sheming, too.
"They've got the boy away from the vicinity for the time being, but Ireckon he'll find his way back. You think so, too, Miss Fielding?"
"If he understands that we are trying to help him. And--yes!--I believe hewill come back anyway, for he is very anxious to find that treasure boxhis Uncle Peter lost."
"Oh--as to that--Well, there may be something in it. But Pete Tilton wasreally insane. I saw him myself. The asylum is the place for him, poorman," concluded Mr. Tingley.
Ruth felt in secret very much worried over Jerry's disappearance. When sheonce became interested in anybody, as Helen said, "she was interested allthe way through."
The others could laugh a little about how the crafty real estate agent hadfooled Mr. Tingley and gotten Jerry out of the way, but not Ruth. Shecould scarcely sleep that night for thinking of what might have happenedto the ill-used youth.
But she tried to hide her anxiety from her companions the next morningwhen plans were made for a fishing trip. All but Mercy joined in thisouting. They went on snowshoes to the far end of the island, keeping onthe beach under the huge cliffs, to a little cove where they would besheltered and where the fishing was supposed to be good.
Preston, the foreman, went with them. He and the boys dragged a bobsledwell laden with the paraphernalia considered necessary for fishing throughthe ice.
First the holes were cut--thirteen of them. Then, near each hole, and onthe windward side, two stakes were set about four feet apart and a squareof canvas lashed between them for a wind-break. A folding campstool hadbeen brought for each fisherman and "fishergirl," and there were a lot ofold sacks for the latter, especially, to put under their feet as theywatched the "bobbers" in the little pool of water before which they sat.
After Preston saw them well started, he went back to the house. The crowdintended to remain until evening, and planned to make their dinner on theshore of the cove, frying some of the fish they expected to catch, andmaking coffee in a battered camp pot that had been brought along.
The fish were there, as the foreman had assured them. Each member of theparty watched and baited two lines. At first some of the girls hadconsiderable trouble with the bait, and the boys had to show them how toput it on th
e hook; but it was fun, and soon all were interested inpulling out the flopping fish, vying with each other in the catch,calling back and forth about their luck, and having a splendid time.
It was so cold that the fish froze almost as soon as they were thrown uponthe ice. Had they been catching for shipment, the fish could have beenboxed and sent some distance by express without being iced.
But the young folk did not mind the cold much, nor the fact that the sundid not shine and the clouds grew thicker as the day advanced.
"I'm going to beat you all!" declared The Fox, after a great run of luck,in which she could scarcely bait rapidly enough to satisfy the ravenousfish. "Might as well award me the laurel wreath right now."
"Don't you be too sure," drawled Heavy. "You know, 'He laughs best wholaughs last.'"
"Wrong!" returned Mary Cox. "The true quotation should be, 'He laughs bestwhose laugh lasts.' And mine is going to last--oh-he! here comes another!"
Tom and Ruth got the dinner. There was plenty of dry wood under the firtrees. Tom cleaned the fish and Ruth fried them to a delicious brownnessand crispness. With the other viands brought from home and cups of good,hot coffee, the thirteen friends made a hearty and hilarious meal.
They were sheltered by the high cliff at their backs and did not noticewhen the snow began to fall. But, after a time, they suddenly discoveredthat the flakes were coming so thick and fast that it was all butimpossible to see the farthest fishing shelters.
"Oh, dear me! we don't want to go back yet," wailed The Fox. "And we werecatching them so fast. Do, do let's wait a while longer."
"Not much fun if it keeps on snowing this way," objected Bobbins.
"Don't begin croaking, little boy," advised his sister. "A few flakes ofsnow won't hurt us."
Nevertheless, the storm did not hold up. It was more than a "flurry" andsome of the others, as well as Bob Steele, began to feel anxious.