CHAPTER XI--RECOVERING A STOLEN BOAT
"After him!" exclaimed Frank, as he also sprang to his feet.
"Stop the scoundrel!" echoed Will, a bit slower at getting in motion.
Of course Frank never once dreamed that it could be any other than oneof the two hoboes. They needed various things, and a boat might be amongthe number, although evidently they must have had a craft of some sortin order to reach the island in the beginning.
The moon was half hidden among a few floating clouds that hung close tothe horizon, but gave plenty of light for them to see what was going on.The bold thief must have been prowling around in the vicinity of thecamp, trying to get a chance to make way with something.
Even as they looked he was shoving the canoe in the water. Then hetumbled into it rather awkwardly, which was a pretty good sign that heknew little about balancing in one of the cranky little craft.
"Where are the other boats--get the key to unlock them!" exclaimedFrank.
"I've got it right here--this way, fellows!" echoed Bluff.
He was already bending over the bunch of boats consisting of the mate tothe stolen craft and the big double canoe.
Frank snatched up a paddle and bounded over to where his comrades knelt.As soon as Bluff threw the chain aside the other snatched up the singlecanoe, rushed straight to the water's edge and launched it. All this hadtaken but a comparatively few seconds to transpire. Indeed, the thiefwas not fifty feet away at the time Frank threw himself into the othercraft.
Bluff and Will drew up on the edge of the water.
"Mind the camp! Get the guns secure! This may be a clever trick to drawattention away from the tents! I'll take care of the thief, fellows!"
Frank's voice boomed over the lake. Already he was sending his paddledeep into the water, and urging his frail craft onward with constantlyincreasing speed.
"He's right. We must guard the camp! This way, Will--pick up Frank'sgun, and keep watch. We can have one eye on the lake and the otherhere!" called Bluff, who was quick to catch on to a thing once he heardit.
So they stood there on the border, each making quick turns of the headin order to see all that went on.
If any thief entered that camp just then, calculating on having a clearfield for his operations, he was likely to soon regret his temerity, forthe boys were tremendously aroused, and Bluff had an impetuous nature.
Meanwhile Frank was pushing onward with furious zeal.
He could see that he was gaining with every stroke. The occupant of theother canoe seemed to be paddling desperately, but he evidently did notknow just how to get the best results from his labor. His craft wobbledconsiderably; that is, it headed from one side to the other.
As a result Frank was rapidly overcoming the distance that had in thestart separated him from the unknown.
He anticipated that at the last the other would try and turn to theshore with the idea of making a hurried landing. In order to cut him offfrom such safety Frank kept in-shore, where he could interpose shouldthe enemy try that game.
"I've got him!" was what he was saying to himself, over and over.
The thought gave the boy a fierce satisfaction. He now began to wonderjust how he was going to recover the boat. Would the rascal diveoverboard at the last, or put up a desperate fight to retain possessionof his prize?
Frank held to the belief that it was one of the hoboes. That meant hewould find himself opposed to a man accustomed to defying the law andready to commit even a crime in order to retain his liberty.
"He's a coward, anyhow, or he wouldn't run that way," he assuredhimself, as he worked harder than ever at the paddle.
Now he was close upon the other. Too late the thief tried to headshoreward, and escape in that way. Frank saw his opportunity to cut himoff; and again the race started straightaway over the moonlit lake.
Those on the shore at the camp could no longer see the rival canoes. Themoonlight was deceptive; and, besides, the fiercely paddling twain hadturned the point.
But a new light of a fire had dawned upon the vision of Frank, which heknew came from the camp of the Peters crowd; for the boys had, ofcourse, told him about the arrival of these rough customers on theisland.
"I declare, I believe it must be one of that lot, and not the trampafter all," he muttered, as he again cut the other off from headingashore.
This put a new face on matters.
He no longer hesitated about coming to conclusions with the thief. If,after all, it was but a boy like himself, he could not meet him any toosoon to satisfy his desires.
Observing the fellow's manner more closely now, he was not long indetermining upon his identity.
"It's Pet Peters himself. And he's getting worried to know just whathe's going to do to save himself and the stolen canoe, too. I'd betterend this agony with a rush, and here goes!"
So saying, he now headed directly for the other craft, rushing forwardwith furious speed that gave the finishing touch to the alarm of thepursued one.
In vain had Pet tried to outwit him; he had been caught every time, andforced to keep in the open. Even when he attempted to hold his ownstraight ahead it was to see the distance cut down steadily.
Before now he had tried conclusions with Frank Langdon, nor was hehankering after a repetition of his previous experiences. The memory ofsundry bruises had never entirely left him; and it looked as though theother might be more angry on this occasion than ever before.
"Hold up there, you thief! I've got you cornered!" called Frank, as hepushed still nearer.
Pet ceased paddling. After all it was just as well, for he had lost hopeof evading this persistent pursuer in the race.
He clutched his spruce paddle fiercely in his hands. If it came to theworst he could perhaps use the same as a weapon of defense. It hadfailed him in its legitimate channels, but could he give the other onesmart blow on the head with its edge, no doubt Frank must be put out ofthe running.
And Pet Peters had no scruples on the score of delicacy. He wasaccustomed to rough methods of carrying his point. A blow on the headusually concluded any argument in which he might be engaged.
"Keep back, you!" he yelled.
Frank saw that he was now standing rather unsteadily in the canoe. Hesmiled grimly, for he knew that the game was in his hands. Any fellowwho is so foolish as to stand upright in so frail a vessel placeshimself in a position where he is apt to receive a sudden and unexpectedbath.
Frank was still advancing in a line as though he calculated to comealongside the other boat. That was evidently just what the bullyexpected him to do, and to meet which anticipated emergency he was now,as he thought, fully prepared.
"Get out of that boat, and in a hurry, you!" cried Frank.
He was speaking more to hold the attention of Pet than because heexpected the other to obey him.
"Keep back, I tell yuh, Langdon, er it'll be the worse for yuh!"bellowed the other, at the same time making several vicious sweepsthrough the air with his poised paddle, as if to emphasize hispugnacious intentions.
The act came very nearly being his undoing, for he staggered and had toeven make a quick clutch at the gunwale of the canoe to keep hisbalance.
Frank saw his chance. He was by this time close enough to put his littlescheme into practice. That canoe had to be recovered one way or another.If Pet refused to surrender his ill-gotten plunder peaceably, then itwas high time other measures were brought into play.
With a sudden turn Frank headed his boat straight at the side of theother. He meant at the last instant to turn far enough to give but aslanting blow, not desiring to injure the second canoe by smashing inthe delicate ribs.
PET PETERS TOOK A HEADLONG PLUNGE OVER THE SIDE.]
Too late did Pet realize how completely he had placed himself in thepower of his more expert adversary, who had handled canoes so long thathe was perfectly at home in one.
"Hey, you, keep away!"
It was the despairing wail of a quitter. Even before the prow o
f Frank'scraft was in collision with the side of his own, Pet knew that he wasabout to experience a tremendous shock against which he would be givenno chance to prepare himself.
In his sudden terror his first act was to let fall the paddle which hehad intended to use in knocking Frank out. Then he tried to get hold ofboth gunwales, so as to brace himself against the shock.
It was too late, however. A second more and he might have donesomething, but by that little space of time he lost.
Bang! came the stem of Frank's canoe against the second boat, which wastilted half way over under the impact. Pet Peters took a headlong plungeover the side and disappeared under the moonlit waters of the lake witha tremendous splash!