CHAPTER XVI
A LONELY CABIN
"What hermit?" asked Jerry.
"Why you haven't heard half the story of Lost Lake," went on Johnson."There's supposed to be a sort of wild man who lives on the shores ofthe lake, and he murders travelers. At least that's the yarn they tell."
"Was the hermit always there?" asked Ned.
"No, only the last few years," replied Johnson. "He is said to be an oldman with white hair. But I don't believe that part. Let me find the lakeand the gold, and I won't worry about hermits."
The prospector camped with the travelers that night. They were all upearly the next morning, and, at the professor's suggestion the boys gaveJohnson plenty of provisions to last him until he could get back tocivilization.
"Maybe you would like to go along with us and look for the lake?"suggested Bob.
"No, thank you," replied Johnson. "I'm afraid your chances of findingit are slimmer than mine are. I'll have another try all by myself. I'mmuch obliged for the help you've given me."
Then, shouldering his pack, he started off down the trail, while thetravelers, packing their things in the auto, set forward again.
The boys talked about little save the story of Lost Lake, but theprofessor was too busy arranging his latest specimens to join in theconversation.
"I'd like to find it and see the wild hermit," said Bob.
"I don't s'pose you'd care anything about the gold," put in Ned.
"Of course I would," replied Bob. "But we've got one gold mine now, whatdo we want of another?"
"It might be well to have a second in case we lose the first," Jerryventured. "Nothing like having plenty while you're at it."
"I wouldn't like to be a hermit," went on Bob. "Think of always beinghungry."
"Chunky is thinking of misers, I guess," laughed Ned. "There's nothingto prevent a hermit from living off the fat of the land. If it wasn'tfor being lonesome I'd be a hermit for a while."
"Stop the auto!" called the professor suddenly. "I just saw a finespecimen of a snapping turtle scoot across the road. I must have it.It's worth about twenty dollars to me. Stop the car! I must get out!"
Ned, who was running the auto, shut off the power and the machine cameto a stop. Before it had ceased to move Mr. Snodgrass had leaped out andwas running back. He began a hurried but careful search over the ground.Then he was seen to spring forward.
"He's got it, I guess," remarked Jerry.
An instant later there came a howl from the scientist, who was hiddenfrom sight by the tall grass.
"Help, boys! Help!"
"What's the matter? Won't he let you catch him?" cried Ned.
"He's caught me!" yelled the professor. "Come quick and bring a knife tocut his head off with!"
The boys piled out of the auto in a hurry, Jerry stopping to grab up abig carving knife from the camp utensils.
When they came up to the professor they hardly knew whether to laugh ornot. The turtle, which was a big one, had grabbed the scientist by thethumb, and was clinging so tightly that it was suspended in the air,swaying to and fro. Meanwhile Mr. Snodgrass was dancing about in pain.
"Why don't you take hold of the turtle's shell in the other hand, andyou won't feel the weight so much!" called Jerry.
"I can't," replied the professor. "I have a rare specimen of a toad inmy other hand, and I don't want to lose it. Oh boys! Hurry up, and prythe turtle's jaws open, but don't hurt him, for he's valuable."
"Can't you put the toad in your pocket?" asked Ned, knowing thescientist had no scruples about loading his garments up with all sortsof things. "Then you would have one hand free."
"I never thought of that," said Mr. Snodgrass. "I can do that, can't I?"
He did so, and, once the toad was secure he took hold of the turtle,which relieved his lacerated thumb from the dragging weight.
"He won't let go!" exclaimed the professor, after a vain attempt to pullthe turtle loose. "It is a genuine snapper, and they have a grip like abull dog. I am glad I found it, in spite of the pain," he added, thoughjust then, the turtle took a fresh hold and the professor squirmed inagony.
"Here; I'll cut its head off," said Jerry, coming forward with the knife.
"No, no!" exclaimed the professor. "It is too valuable to spoil. Justtake the point of the blade, and pry the jaws open while I hold itsteady."
Jerry tried to do this, but the turtle only seemed to grip the tighter,and the professor's thumb was bitten through nearly to the bone.
"What shall I do?" wailed Mr. Snodgrass. "I don't want to kill it."
"I have it!" exclaimed Ned. "There's a little puddle of water over therebeside the road. Dip the turtle in it, and he'll think he can swim. Thenhe'll let go."
"Good!" cried the professor as he proceeded to put the plan inoperation. "Then I can save him alive."
The scheme worked well. As soon as the turtle felt the water it letgo, and started to swim off. But the puddle was too shallow, and theprofessor, watching his chance, grabbed the reptile again. This time hetook care to catch it at the middle of the shell, where the turtle couldnot reach around and bite.
"I have it, after all," remarked the scientist as he deposited his prizein a box, and proceeded to put some salve and a rag on his thumb. "It'sa rare specimen. I'm glad I got it."
"And we're all glad we didn't get it," spoke Jerry with a laugh in whichthe others joined. But the professor took it good naturedly. He was usedto such accidents he said.
Resuming their journey, the travelers made only one more stop, that atnoon, to get dinner. They had seen no signs of human habitation, and,as the afternoon wore on, and no house or cabin was seen, they began tofeel that they might as well prepare to camp out again.
As they were descending a gentle, sloping hill that led down into asmall valley, just as the sun was setting, they saw, about a mile aheada lonely cabin. The sight of smoke coming from the chimney told themthere was some one at home.
"I hope whoever lives there can accommodate us," remarked Chunky. "Myappetite's getting the upper hand of me again."
"It don't look large enough to hold us all," observed Jerry.
"There's a barn, or some sort of building, in the rear," remarked Ned."Some of us can use that if the man or woman lets us."
A few minutes later the auto came to a stop in front of the cabin, whichwas indeed a lonely one, not another dwelling, large or small, showingin the whole valley.
"Good evening," greeted an old man, with snow-white hair falling overhis shoulders. He came to the door of the shack, and seemed to regardthe coming travelers as a matter of course. "I am glad to see you," hewent on. "You are just in time."
"Time for what?" asked Mr. Snodgrass.
"For the great final and successful experiment," proceeded the aged man."The test is about to begin. Come in and see me make gold from commonearth. At last I have found the long-lost secret!"
The eyes of the lonely man glowed with a strange light, and he seemed soexcited that the boys did not know what to do.
"Humor him," advised the professor in a whisper. "He is probably aharmless lunatic. Let him have his way, and pretend to agree with all hesays."
"Will you come in?" went on the old man. "I must proceed with my work."
"We'll be glad to," went on the scientist. "That is, if we will notdisturb you at your labors."
"My labors are now ended," the man said. "I have worked for twentyyears on the secret of making gold from the baser metals. At last I havethe correct method. I will be a millionaire in another month. But comein! Come in!"
The boys, obeying Mr. Snodgrass's advice, went in, the scientistfollowing them. They saw that the cabin, though small, was neat andclean. Nearly all of the first of two rooms was occupied by a large,rudely made furnace, while on a table near it stood all sorts ofchemical apparatus. On the furnace a pot was boiling furiously.
"Now for the last act in the drama of life," said the aged man. "See,I place in the pot these pieces of brass," and he showed t
he travelerssome chunks of the yellow stuff. He put them in the pot, from whicharose a cloud of steam.
"Next I throw in this powder, which I have labored on for years. It isthe secret that men would give their lives for."
He threw the powder into the pot, which boiled more furiously thanbefore, and a white cloud of steam arose. Then it died away, and the potseemed to cool off.
"Now for the gold!" exclaimed the chemist.
He lifted the pot from the furnace, and, holding it with some thickcloths poured the water off into a hole in the ground floor of thecabin. Out toppled the pieces of brass which had been thrown in, butwhile they had been dull before, they now glittered with the yellowgleam of gold.
"The test! The test!" exclaimed the old man in a voice that trembledwith eagerness.
He placed one of the yellow pieces on the table, and put a few drops ofgold-testing acid on it. There was a little hissing sound, and then, onthe shiny surface of the piece of metal there came a dull black spot.The old man uttered a despairing cry.
"Another failure!" he exclaimed. "It is brass still. I thought it wouldturn to gold! I must have made a mistake in mixing the powder."