CHAPTER XIX
ON THE TRAIL
There was no doubt about it, the wreckers were not there, and theindications were that they had betaken themselves to some otherlocation.
When the men flashed the pocket electric lamps they had brought withthem, the little opening at the top of the cliff was well illuminated.
"Nothing doing!" exclaimed Joe, regretfully.
"They must have skipped out right after they chased us," decided Blake.
"And they went in a hurry, too," declared Tom Cardiff.
"What makes you think so?" asked one of the government officers.
"Look at how this stone pile, which they intended to use as a base fortheir lantern, is disturbed, and pulled apart," went on the assistantlighthouse keeper, as he flashed his torch on it. "I'll wager, boys,that when you saw it, with that contrivance atop by which they hoped tofool some vessels, this stone pile was well built up; wasn't it?"
"Yes," said Blake, "it was."
"Because," went on Tom Cardiff, "it would have to be so to make theirlight steady, to give the impression that it was one of the regulargovernment lights. They were going to work a shutter, you boys say, togive the impression of a revolving light, and that would make itnecessary to have a firm foundation.
"And yet now the whole top of this stone pile is torn apart, showingthat they must have ripped out whatever they had here to hold thelantern. They got away in a hurry, is my opinion."
"And I guess we'll all have to agree," put in the life saver. "Thequestion is--where did they go?"
"And that's a question we've got to answer," added Tom Cardiff. "We'vegot to get on the trail."
"Why so?" asked the life saver. "If you've driven 'em off, so they can'ttry any of their dastardly tricks to lure vessels ashore, isn't that allyou want? You've spoiled their game."
"Yes!" cried Tom Cardiff, "we've spoiled it for this one place, butthey'll be at it somewhere else."
"What do you mean?" asked Joe.
"I mean that they've gone somewhere else!" exclaimed the assistantkeeper. "They've made tracks away from here, but they've gone to someother place to set up their light, and try the same thing they weregoing to try here. It's our duty to keep after 'em, and break up thegang!"
"That's right!" cried Mr. Wilton. "There's no telling what damage theymight do, if left alone. Why, they might even get to some place wherelarge passenger steamers pass, and wreck one of them, though mostly theyaim to pick out a spot where small cargo boats would be lured on therocks. We've got to keep after 'em!"
"Then come on!" cried Joe. He was fired with enthusiasm, not only tocapture the wreckers for the purpose of protecting human life andproperty, but he was also eager to have the scoundrels safe inconfinement so that he might question them, and learn the source of thesuspicion against his father.
"On the trail!" cried Blake. "Maybe we can easily find the wreckers."
"No, not to-night," advised Mr. Boundley. "It wouldn't be practical, inthe first place; and if it was, it wouldn't be safe. We don't know thislocality very well. There may be hidden dangers and pitfalls that wouldinjure some of us. Then, too, we don't want to stumble on a nest ofwreckers without knowing something of the lay of the ground."
"What's best to be done?" asked Tom Cardiff.
"Do nothing to-night," advised the government man. "To-morrow we cantake up the trail, and by daylight we may be able to pick up somethingthat will give us a clue. I think they won't try any of their tricksto-night, so it will be safe for us to go back."
The others agreed with this view, and, after looking about the place alittle more, and trying, but unsuccessfully, to find clues in thedarkness, partly illuminated by the electric torches, they gave it upand started back to the lighthouse.
"Well, what do you think?" asked Blake of Joe, as the two lads reachedtheir boarding house in the little theatrical colony. It was quite late.
"Think of it?" echoed Joe. "I'm terribly disappointed, that's what. Ihoped I'd be able to get a start on disproving this accusation againstmy father."
"Yes, it was a disappointment," agreed Blake.
"And now there's no telling when I can."
"No, not exactly; but, Joe, I have a plan."
"What is it?"
"What's the matter with getting on the trail after these fellows thefirst thing in the morning. No use waiting any longer, and we can't tellhow prompt those government men may be. Of course they're interested,in a general way, in making the capture; but aside from that, you and Ihave a personal motive; for I'll admit I'm as interested as you are inproving that your father is innocent.
"So what's the matter with getting back up on the cliff as soon as wecan, and seeing if we can trace those fellows. You know we've had someexperience after taking films of those Indians, and can follow signspretty well."
"I'm with you, Blake!" cried Joe. "We'll do it. I guess Mr. Ringold willlet us off when he knows how important it is."
They spoke of the matter to the theatrical man early the next morning,and he readily agreed to let them continue the work of trying to capturethe wreckers.
"Go ahead, boys," he said. "Mr. Hadley and your lad, Macaroni, can takewhat films we want to-day. And I would like to see you get thosewreckers. There's no meaner criminal alive. All we'll do for the nextcouple of days is to get ready for our big drama--I've planned a newone--and I sure will want you boys to help film it for me."
"What's it going to be about?" asked Blake.
"It's a sea story, and a wreck figures in it."
"A real wreck?" asked Joe, in some surprise. "That will be hard to do;won't it?"
"It sure will, and I don't just know how to manage it. I could buy someold tub, and wreck it, I suppose, but I want it to look natural. While Idon't wish anyone bad luck, I do wish, if a wreck had to happen, that itwould come about here, so we could get moving pictures of it. But Idon't suppose I'll have any such good luck.
"However, I'll have to think about this. Now you boys can have a coupleof days off, if you like, and I hope you'll find those miscreants."
"I wish we could get you some moving pictures of them," spoke Blake;"but I'm afraid it's out of the question."
The boys were soon at the scene of the disappointment the night before.Daylight revealed more clearly the haste with which the wreckers hadremoved their false lantern. Stones were scattered about, as were bitsof broken wood, wire, rope and other accessories.
"Now," said Joe, after they had looked about, "the thing to do is totrail them."
"And the first thing is to get a clue," added Blake.
They looked about, using the knowledge they had gained from being withthe cowboy the time they filmed the pictures of the Moqui Indians. Forsome time their efforts were without success. They cast about in alldirections, looking for some lead that would tell them in whichdirection the wreckers had gone.
"I should think they'd go farther down the coast," suggested Joe. "Theycertainly wouldn't come toward the lighthouse, and they wouldn't goinland, for to work their plan they need to be near the shore."
"That's right, to an extent," decided Blake; "but, at the same time,they may have wanted to give a false clue. So we mustn't let that foolus. Keep on looking."
Narrowly they scanned the ground. It was covered with marks, not only ofthe footsteps of the wreckers, but of the men and boys themselves whohad made the unsuccessful raid the night before.
"Hello!" cried Blake, suddenly, as he dived into a clump of bushes."Here's something!"
"What is it?" asked Joe.
"A piece of cloth, evidently torn from a man's clothing. And, Joe, nowthat I recall it, it's the same color as the suit worn by Hemp Danforthwhen he chased us. We're on the trail at last, Joe!"