CHAPTER III -- A Strange Occurrence
It was not far to the edge of the lake, and, as you will remember, therewas abundant undergrowth, but the fleeing tramps had left a trail ofbroken and twisted branches which it would have been easy to follow,even with greater distance and more uncertainty of direction. Mike kepta few paces in the lead, and soon caught the shimmer of water, but whenhe glanced around saw nothing of his craft. He stood perplexed when Dr.Spellman stepped beside him.
"Where's the canoe?" asked the man.
"That's what meself would like to know."
"Is this the spot where you stepped ashore?"
Mike moved farther until his shoes touched the water. He recognized theprojecting limb of a beech which had attracted his notice when he cameashore.
"There's no mistake about the same. Now, docther, that boat can't hev ahabit of sneakin' off whin ye're not watching--what's the matter?"
His companion touched his arm and pointed over the water.
"There's the answer to your question."
"It beats me, as the drum said to the drum stick."
Some two hundred yards out on Gosling Lake was the canoe heading towardthe western end of the sheet of water. In it were seated Biggs and Hutt,the two rascally tramps, their appearance suggesting that they wereowners of the graceful craft in which they were making a pleasureexcursion. Their backs were toward the two on shore, but Hutt who satnear the stern turned his head. Observing the indignant couple, he wavedhis hand in salutation and grinned so broadly that the gleam of hisyellow teeth showed.
Neither Mike nor the doctor spoke for a moment or two. Then the youthsolemnly extended his hand.
"Docther, would ye mind shaking?"
"Certainly not, but what is the idea, Mike?"
"'Cause I can't think of anything ilse to do, as the p'liceman said whinhe prosaaded to break his club over the head of ivery one in sight."
"Were there ever two such pests? The next time I get a chance I won'tkill them, but I'll give each something he'll remember."
"Where's your boat?"
"At the foot of the path leading to the house; the distance is so shortthat I did not use it, but strolled to this point."
"Let's jump into the same and make fur these spalpeens."
The physician was so angry that he did not hesitate. They hurriedthrough the wood to the spot where the other craft lay as it had beenleft by its owner. It has been shown that from this spot the house wasnot visible and therefore the wife and daughter knew nothing of what wasafoot, which perhaps was best. The doctor, being the most skilful withthe paddle, took up the implement, and headed after the other craft,which was making good progress toward the farther end of the lake.
Each of our friends had asked himself the question as to what Biggs andHutt meant by their act and what they were likely to do. It could not beseen that the vagrants had anything to gain, for they must soon abandonthe canoe and continue their flight on foot. They knew the medical mancarried a deadly weapon, and did not seem backward in using it, becauseof which they certainly could not desire another meeting with him.
Moreover, a third canoe was involved. It seemed to have disappeared forthe time, but must be somewhere near the western end of the lake, whichbeing the case, the tramps were likely to find themselves between twofires, though it was not to be supposed that they had any cause to fearthe unarmed Boy Scouts in the invisible boat.
The flight and pursuit had lasted only a few minutes when an unpleasanttruth impressed itself upon Mike and the doctor:--Buzby Biggs, who swungthe other paddle, did it so deftly that his boat steadily drew away fromthe pursuer despite the utmost efforts of Dr. Spellman. In astraightaway race the tramps were sure to win, but the course hadbounds, and in the end they must be pocketed, a fact so apparent thatthey themselves saw it from the first. They had the choice of keepingdirectly on until they reached the western margin so far in advance oftheir pursuers that they need give them no thought, or they could takethe shorter course to the northern shore, opposite the bungalow. Itlooked as if they had decided upon the former plan, which would indicatethat they knew or suspected nothing of the third canoe, nestlingsomewhere under the overhanging limbs along shore.
Such undoubtedly would have been the action of the tramps, had not itchanged so abruptly and inexplicably that the astounded doctor ceasedpaddling and stared without speaking a word.
Since our friends sat with their faces toward the backs of Biggs andHutt, they saw their every movement no matter how slight. Hutt was idle,with a grimy hand resting on either gunwale of the canoe. Now and thenhe glanced back and when he saw the pursuers steadily falling behind,had the impudence to reach out one hand and beckon them to move faster.The other, knowing he could not be overtaken, showed little interest inthose who were striving to come up with him. Something far in advanceseemed to hold his attention.
Such was the situation, and the forward boat was within a furlong of thewestern shore when Biggs suddenly held his paddle suspended as if he hadcaught sight of some object that startled him. The next moment he flungaside the implement, uttered a cry of terror and dived overboard. Huttwas not five seconds behind him. Both stayed so long under water thatour friends suspected they were drowned, but the frowsy heads, onewithout a hat, bobbed up at some distance from the boat, and they wereseen swimming furiously toward the northern bank, which was not far off.
They had not taken a dozen strokes when they dived again and went as farunder the surface as before. Thus diving, swimming and workingdesperately, they quickly reached land, scrambled out, plunged in amongthe trees and vanished as if Death himself were nipping at their heels.Never was greater panic shown.
Doctor Spellman sat mute and motionless until the tramps haddisappeared. Then he turned his head:
"What do you make of that, Mike?"
The occasion was one of the rare ones when the Irish youth had nothingto say. He sighed and shook his head; he couldn't do justice to thetheme.
"Something scared both of them out of their wits. It couldn't have beenon the shore ahead, for that's too far off, nor on their right, for theytried with might and main to reach land there."
"Could it have been at the rear?" ventured Mike.
"That is toward us. _We_ couldn't have caused them such alarm."
"Mr. Hutt may have looked around and catched the frown on me brow; I'mtowld I have a tumble exprission when I'm mad."
"It must be true to cause them thus to leap into clear spring water,knowing it meant the coldest kind of a bath. No, Mike," added the doctorgravely, "they saw something _in the water_ that threw them into fits.What could it be?"
This was the only theory possible and yet it simply deepened themystery. What could there be in the clear cool waters of Gosling Lake,besides the different species of ordinary fishes that are taken withhook and line? To Mike and the doctor the puzzle was more inexplainablethan before.
One conclusion, however, was warranted by what had occurred: if thetramps had seen something which terrified them beyond imagination, whatwas to prevent the man and youth from gaining a sight of the samefrightful object whatever it might be?
Now, while it cannot be denied that Dr. Spellman and Mike Murphy weremore than ordinarily brave, yet they felt a shrinking in stealing up tothe spot where the tramps had dived from the other canoe. It was theirignorance of the character of the peril which affected them more thanany tangible danger could have done.
The doctor dipped his paddle in the water and gently swayed it. The boatmoved slowly toward the other canoe, drifting like an eggshell over theplacid surface. In leaping overboard, Buzby Biggs had flung the paddlefrom him and it was seen floating a couple of rods distant from theboat. Very slowly the doctor advanced until Mike leaned over and liftedthe implement into their craft. Then the man sheered his boat beside theother and Mike, tossing the paddle into it, held it steady, and satdown.
"Now, docther, we can manage it, I'm thinking," remarked the youth,looking up into the
face that it seemed to him had gone a little pale.
"Can you find anything to explain the fright of the tramps, Mike?"
Both peered into the clear water, whose depth was too great for them tosee the bottom, but nothing rewarded their piercing scrutiny. And righthere a fact must be admitted which was not discreditable to either ofthem. The breath of air that sighed over the lake had swept the emptycanoe fully a hundred feet from whence it was at the moment Buzby Biggsdived overboard. It followed, therefore, that when Mike and the doctorpeered into the pellucid depths, it was not at the spot where the trampshad descried something which unnerved them. Moreover, each of thepursuers knew such was the case, but did not try to correct it nor dideither drop a hint of his knowledge until some time afterward.
It may be added that had the doctor and his young friend paddled alittle farther in the proper direction they would have solved themystery and been overcome probably by the same panic that had driven thetramps overboard.
"Well," said the physician, "there is nothing to be gained by stayinghere. Let's go to my home, have supper and spend the evening. I know mywife will be glad to have you, and I suspect that Stubby feels a littlethat way herself."
"I hope so," replied Mike feelingly; "I may as well confess that my mainpurpose in going thither is to meet Sunbeam, as the callers used to sayregarding mesilf whin they purtended they wanted to see dad and mither."
Paddling at a leisurely rate, they soon drew the two canoes up the bankand stepped out. Mike paused and looked back.
"Can there be any fear of thim spalpeens poking round here while we'renot in sight?"
"It seems unlikely; since they tried that sort of thing they have beenscared so fearfully that I think they will avoid us."
"Docther, what could it have been that made them jump out of their boatand swim and dive like two crazy persons?"
"I should give a good deal to be able to answer that question, but Ihave no more idea than you. Let us try to content ourselves with thebelief that like the cause of Uncle Elk's resentment toward me, it willbe made clear sooner or later."
Before leaving the landing, as it may be called, they scanned thesurface of the lake. The doctor generally carried his binoculars and hetraced the margin clear around from their right back again to theirleft. There stood the bungalow with the flag idly drooping from thestaff and several of the Scouts were seen lounging at the front. In noother direction was a sign of life discerned.
"I cannot discover the other canoe," remarked Dr. Spellman, passing theglass to Mike at his side. "If the boys had returned, the boat would bein sight by the bungalow; whoever used it, they are still absent."
"They have landed and gone into the woods to look after birds or totrace out other kinds of trees. They will be back before the set ofsun."
"No doubt, unless," added the doctor half in earnest, "they shouldreceive the same shock that struck Biggs and Hutt."
"In that evint, they will be home still earlier."
"Come on; I'm beginning to feel hungry."
"And I'm wid ye there."