CHAPTER XXII
AT THE CABIN
"Girls," declared Cora Kimball, "I can't stand it any longer! I've gotto do something--or have nervous prostration."
"And that's just the way I feel!" said Bess. "Waiting is the mostnervous thing in the world."
"Have another chocolate," suggested Lottie, helping herself from thebox on a table near her.
"How dare you suggest such a thing?" demanded Bess. "As if I wasn'ttrying to do all I could to reduce."
"Oh, well, I was thinking of your nerves," observed Lottie.
"But what is it you want to do, Cora, dear?" asked Marita.
"I want to go to Denny's cabin, and see what has happened," was theanswer.
"What!" cried Belle, with an exclamation of surprise and alarm. "Trampthrough the woods at this hour of night?"
"It isn't any such great, or late, hour of night," replied Cora,calmly, "and the woods are not dark. There's a lovely moon. But Idon't propose to go through the woods. What is the _Chelton_ for if wecan't use her?"
"Cora Kimball, do you mean to say that you'd go out on the bay, andover to Denny's cabin, after dark, with the prospect that somedesperate men are going to attack him?" asked Bess.
"The boys are going to be there," answered Cora, still refusing tobecome excited. "Besides, they may need our help. We could take aprisoner or two in our boat."
There was a chorus of screams.
"Cora Kimball--how dare you?" demanded Belle.
"Oh, I meant if he was tied hand and foot," went on the leader of themotor girls. "Villains are always tied hand and foot, you know. Theycan't move. They're gagged, too. I think I should insist on having ourvillain gagged. It might happen to be that young man who raced with usto-day, and he might get sarcastic if he could talk. Yes, I think hemust be gagged."
"Oh, Cora, you're hopeless," sighed Lottie. "What would my mother sayif she could see me now."
"She'd tell you to stop eating chocolates and come with me," returnedCora, firmly. "I'm going to the cabin."
"I--I'll go with you," volunteered Marita, and then she blushed at theattention she attracted.
"Well, if Marita isn't afraid to go, I'm not," announced Lottie, withspirit. "Come on, Cora."
"Oh!" gasped Bess.
"Oh, dear!" echoed Belle. "Do we have to stay here all alone?"
"Either that, or come with us," invited Cora. "I'm going over to thecabin in our boat."
There was a step at the door of the living room, and Mrs. Lewis lookedin.
"Did I hear you girls say you were going out?" she inquired.
"Just for a little trip on the water," replied Cora, signing to herchums to keep silent. "It is so lovely with the moon, and we won't gofar."
It was not a great way to Denny's cabin.
"Well, don't be gone too long," cautioned the widow. "You mustremember that I am, in a way, responsible for you girls."
"Oh, we'll be careful," Cora promised. "We'd take Freda with us, butperhaps she had better stay with you."
"Yes, I think so. Besides, she is so nervous after what nearlyhappened last night, that I'd rather she wouldn't go out. Oh, if onlythings were settled! If only we were sure we could get that propertyback, and not have to worry about it being taken away from us!"
"Have they been annoying you of late?" asked Cora, thinking perhapsthere had been some developments of which she was unaware.
"No, nothing special, since that horrid woman. But it is a constantworry to me."
"It must be," returned Cora, sympathetically. "Well, we will hope forthe best."
Cora did not say so--even to her chums, but she had great hopes thatsomething might develop from the events of this night. If theunscrupulous men could only be caught in some wrong-doing a hold mightbe obtained over them that would enable them to be defeated in court.Thus their claim to the property--which claim Cora felt sure was afalse one--might be disproved.
That there were papers in existence which would show the widow and herdaughter to be the rightful owners Cora did not doubt. Freda'sgrandfather, from all accounts, was a careful business man, ifeccentric in some ways. He would not have come into possession ofproperty without having the papers to prove his claim. And he was nota man to put them in some safe deposit vault and leave no memorandumas to finding the key.
Perhaps they were concealed in some nook or cranny in the widow'shome. Cora made up her mind to have a search made after this night wasover.
Then, too, Denny might be able to come upon them. Eccentric in someways, as Freda's grandfather had been, he might have hidden the papersin Denny's cabin.
That was a new thought. Perhaps the scheming men knew this, and thatis why they wanted to attack the old fisherman.
"We simply must go to his cabin," decided Cora, "and find out what hashappened. I can't wait any longer."
Wraps were quickly donned, and down to the dock went the girls. The_Chelton_ was in running order, and soon they were out on the moonlitwaters of the bay.
"There's a light in his cabin," said Cora, as they came out frombehind a point, and had a view of the little cove where nestledDenny's cottage.
"I hope the boys are there," remarked Bess, "and that they have thevillains all tied up and ready for delivery."
"Ugh!" exclaimed Belle. "If they have I wish they'd send them byparcel post instead of asking us to take charge of them."
"They'll be harmless," guaranteed Cora. "Besides, the _Dixie_ can'thold more than the boys; our boat is larger."
"We could let the boys run this one, after the men are tied in her,"suggested Lottie, "and we could come home in the _Dixie_."
"Never!" exclaimed Cora. "You can't rely on her. I'll stick to the_Chelton_."
But if the girls had only known that, at that moment, far out onCrystal Bay, was the ill-fated _Dixie_, drifting to sea, while theboys tooted hopelessly for aid on the compressed air whistles!
The _Chelton_ made a quick and uneventful trip to the fisherman'scabin. From it a light peacefully glowed.
"There's no one here," announced Bess. "Not even the boys."
"Be careful," warned Cora. "It may be a trap. Let us go up softly."
"But what about those men?" asked Belle. "Maybe they have taken Dennyaway with them, and the boys, too."
"Don't be silly," advised Cora. "Let's go up and look in."
As they peered in the cabin window they saw Denny seated in an easychair. He was alone, and across his knees was the red oar of which heseemed so fond.