CHAPTER XXX.
THE MYSTERY SOLVED--CONCLUSION.
"There!" exclaimed Thad, as he panted for breath after his supremeeffort which resulted in the toppling of the boulder over the mouth ofthe rocky retreat of the two desperate characters; "if only there is noother way out, I reckon we've got those birds safely caged till theofficers come."
"Well," remarked Smithy, who actually had some color in his usually palecheeks, and whose blue eyes were sparkling with excitement; "fromcertain things they let fall when they were conversing, Thad, I am ofthe opinion that this is the only exit, as well as entrance to theplace."
Smithy had been fed on big words, and very exact language so long, thatas yet his association with other boys less particular had failed to rubaway any of the veneer. In time, no doubt, he would fall into thecustomary method among boys of cutting their words short, and savingbreath in so doing.
"Yes," remarked Thad, smiling broadly, "and from the way you can hearthose two fellows on the other side of the stone carrying on, I guessyou must be right; for they seem to be some angry I take it."
"You don't think they could upset this rock, do you?" asked Smithy, alittle anxiously.
"Not in a thousand years, without crowbars to help them. There they staytill we get ready to invite 'em out. When the officers come, they'llfind a way to do the trick, never fear, Smithy. But how do you feelabout taking a trip across to the camp right now?"
Smithy started, and turned an anxious face out to the water, where thewaves were still running fairly high, though the wind had died down.
"I'm willing to do anything you say, Thad," he replied, with a sigh.
"Even if you never swam fifty feet in your whole life," remarked thescout-master, admiringly, for the pluck of the tenderfoot appealed tohim strongly; "but make your mind easy, Smithy, for I don't want you toswim, this time."
"But Thad, how else can I go?" pursued the other. "We have no boat; Inever did learn to walk on the water, you see; and so far, my wingshaven't sprouted worth mentioning; so how can I get over to our camp?"
"Why, I didn't think to mention it to you, and I really haven't had thechance, to tell the truth; but I happened to discover where those menhid _our_ boat in the bushes as I came along on the trail you left. AndSmithy, while I think of it I just want to say that was a clever dodgeof yours, making all the mess you could with your shoe every time youcame to a patch of dirt. It helped me a heap, and saved me a lot oftime."
Smithy fairly glowed with pride. A compliment from the scout-master wasworth more to this boy than anything he could imagine.
"I don't know what made me think of that, Thad; it just seemed to popinto my mind, you see. And I'm delighted to hear you say it helped some.As to my going over to the camp in the boat, I'm ready, as soon as wecan launch the canoe. While I have had only a little experience in aboat, I've managed to pick up a few wrinkles, and ought to be able toget ashore safely. What do you want me to do, Thad?"
"Explain the situation to the others, and then have Allan and Bob Whitepaddle over; yes, Step-hen might as well come with them to take back theboat again, for the officers will need it when they arrive."
The canoe was easily carried down to the water and then Smithy with afew directions from his chief, started across. He managed very well,though once Thad had a little scare, thinking there was going to be anupset.
In due time Smithy was seen to land, with the other boys crowdingaround, doubtless plying him with eager questions. Shortly after theboat started off again, this time holding Allan, who plied the paddlewith wonderful skill, Bob White, who might have done just as well ifgiven the chance, and Step-hen.
When they reached shore Thad breathed easier. If the two men shouldbreak out now there would be four stout fellows to oppose them; but allthe same no one was anxious to have such a thing happen.
The boys had brought something to eat along, and they all sat down tohave a bite. Everything was quiet inside the old bear's den. Bob Whitesaid he hoped the rascals had not been smothered; and Thad declared theycould get plenty of air through the crevices between the rocks. On hispart he was secretly hoping that the fellows might not be able to cuttheir way out before help came.
The time dragged slowly. Again and again did some impatient fellow askThad to look at his watch, and tell him how much longer they must waitbefore the officers might be expected.
As the westering sun sank lower and lower, Thad himself began to growanxious; and could be noticed listening intently every time the faintbreeze picked up; for it was now coming exactly from the quarter whencethe assistance they expected would come.
"There, that was sure an auto horn, tooting!" he exclaimed abouthalf-past four in the afternoon.
Every one of them listened, and presently sure enough they agreed thatit could be nothing else, though the loon out on the lake started hisweird cry about that time, as though he considered it a challenge fromsome rival bird.
"Get aboard, and pull for the shore, Step-hen," ordered thescout-master; and as he had been expecting this, the long-legged scoutpushed off.
They watched him paddling, and when he had almost reached the spot whereSmithy and Bumpus, together with Davy Jones stood, a car came in sight,loaded with some four or five men in blue uniforms; Giraffe, andanother, wearing ordinary clothes.
Step-hen brought two of the officers, and the extra man over, and thenwent back for another pair, while Thad talked with the Chief of theFaversham police, and the man whom he recognized as the guest they hadgiven a cup of coffee to at the time the owner of the bear claimed hisproperty.
The story was soon told, and it thrilled the scouts as they had seldombeen stirred before. It seemed that the two men were notoriouscounterfeiters, known to the authorities as Bill Dalgren and Seth Evans.They had been surrounded by officers a month before, at a place wherethey were engaged in the manufacture of bogus half dollars; but hadcleverly managed to escape with some of their dies and other material.One of them had been injured in the fracas accompanying this failure tocatch them at work.
Since then their whereabouts had become a matter of considerable momentto the authorities at Washington, and one of the cleverest revenueofficers was put on the case. He had disguised himself, and hiring theowner of the dancing bear, had gone around the country trying to gettrace of the men, one of whom he knew wore a shoe with an oddly patchedsole.
This gentleman, Mr. Alfred Shuster, assured the scouts that they wereentitled to the heavy reward offered by the Government to any one givinginformation leading to the capture of the two bold rascals; and hedeclared that he would see to it that this amount was paid into thetreasury of the Cranford Troop of Boy Scouts, as they had certainlyearned it.
When the big rock was finally rolled away, with the aid of heavy woodenbars, the trapped men came meekly forth when ordered. All the fightseemed to have been taken out of them. Indeed, the one with the lame legdeclared he was glad that he might now have the assistance of a doctor,for he had of late begun to fear that blood poisoning was setting in. Inthe place plenty of evidence to convict the two men was found.
So by degrees everybody was ferried over to the camp, Bob White takingturns with Allan in wielding the paddle. Afterward the big auto whirledaway, taking the wretched prisoners, as well as their exultant captorsalong. Then the camp of the Silver Fox Patrol settled down once more toits usual peace.
Until late that night, however, the boys, unable to sleep after all thisexcitement, sat around the blazing camp-fire, talking. From every anglethe story was told until each fellow knew it by heart. And all united inpraising Smithy for the part he had had taken in the capture of the menfor whom the officers of the law were searching.
For two more days the scouts remained in camp, and during that time manywere the things Allan and Thad showed them. No one ever missed the realscout-master for a single minute. And when the hour arrived for thetents to come down, since a wagon had arrived to bear them back home,the eight members of the patrol united in declaring t
hat they had hadthe time of their lives; and did not care how soon the experience mightbe repeated.
On the way back Thad ordered a halt at the identical spot where thatlittle spring bubbled up, and ran away with such a cheery sound. Whilethe fellows were drinking and sitting around, Thad called the attentionof them all to some peculiar sort of fruit the small tree close byseemed to be bearing, in one of the lower crotches, where three limbsstarted out, forming a sort of cup.
"Why, I declare, if it isn't my compass!" cried Step-hen, turning veryred in the face, as he eagerly reached up, and secured the littlealuminum article.
"Yes," said Thad, severely, "I saw you put it there, carelessly, when wewere all here, and said nothing at the time; for I wanted to teach you alesson. And now, all the time we were in camp, you've been accusingBumpus here of losing, or hiding your compass. I think you owe himsomething, if you're a true scout, Step-hen."
"You're right I do," said the other, jumping up, and hurrying over towhere the fat boy sat, his eyes dancing with delight over being clearedso handsomely; "and right here I want to say that I humbly apologize toBumpus, who is the best fellow in the whole lot. I hope he'll forgiveme, because I really thought he was playing a joke on me. You will,won't you, Bumpus? I was just a silly fool, that's what."
"Mebbe you were, Step-hen," said Bumpus, calmly, as he gingerly acceptedthe other's hand; "and I hope that this will be a lesson to you, as ourpatrol leader says. When a scout gives his word, he expects it to bebelieved, Step-hen. But it's all right; and I hope you find right gooduse for that fine little compass when we get off on that trip into theBlue Ridge mountains."
And at that every scout snatching off his campaign hat, gave threecheers, as though right then, with the coals of their first camp-firehardly cold, they were looking forward with eagerness to another outingthat would bring new adventures in its train.
THE END.