CHAPTER VIII
WORD FROM THE HERMIT
"Look here, you chaps," called Garry, as he gazed at the little roll ofbark, which he had not yet picked up. The boys crowded around and lookedat him in amazement.
"Without making any rash bets," announced Garry, "I'll wager my bestrifle against a plugged nickel, that one of our friends has been in thisvicinity within the past few hours. Cast your eyes on that roll of bark,and tell me if you dare that we won't find a funny cryptic littlemessage in it!"
"The Hermit!" burst out Dick and Phil almost in one breath.
"That's my guess. Now we'll see if we are right," and Garry stooped andpicked up the little roll from its resting place beneath the stone."It's the Hermit, and it's just the kind of a note I expected to find.Listen to this. 'Unseen watchers often give the best aid. When you needme most, I'll be with you.' And it's signed with his old mark, the lonepine with the crossmarked boulder," said Garry as he had finishedreading.
"Well, if that doesn't beat anything I ever heard of," said Dick. "Howin the name of all that's wonderful did he ever find us in this part ofthe country?"
"I think I can answer that," interrupted Phil. "He must have run acrossNate Webster and asked about us. It is likely that Nate told him wherewe were going, and since he knew that we were good friends, might havegiven him an inkling of the business that we were here on. The thingthat puzzles me is why he should not have waited and seen us, or evenwaked us up to say howdy."
"Well, you know what a queer old codger he was, and this latest stunt istypical of him. Much as I would like to see him, I confess I would havebeen a little bit disappointed if he had not done something out of theordinary," replied Garry.
"Wonder where he went after he left the note?" queried Dick.
"Oh, he's probably somewhere out in the woods, you know life in the openwoods is nothing to him, after all the years that he must have lived inthem. The main question now, since we can do nothing about our friendthe Hermit, as he will come in his own good time, is to see what hashappened to Sandy. I cannot understand his going away. He may havechased up some animal, and if so he will be back. But it is unusual forhim ever to stir away from where we are sleeping until he knows that weare up and about."
Throughout the morning they searched every nook and corner of the camp,going almost to the edge of the cutting operations, asking all theworkers they met whether or not the dog had been seen. Their search wasof no avail. The day dragged on, still no Sandy, and each passing hourmade the chums more downcast.
"I'm beginning to think that this is step number two to drive us out,"gritted Garry between his teeth. "I tell you this, boys, if it is so,and I'm inclined to believe it more and more, if any harm comes to Sandythrough the machinations of this crew that are trying to ruin Dad'sbusiness, there's going to be one of the sweetest little wars startedthat Barrows and his whole crew ever even dreamed of."
"I'm with you, Garry. That dog was more than human, and the best friendthat a bunch of chums like us could ever hope to have," replied Dick ashe patted his friend on the shoulder. Phil said nothing, but the otherscould see by the tightening of the corners of his mouth,--the dangersignal when Phil was really aroused over anything,--that he was withthem to the end.
"There doesn't seem to be anything that we can do. I've looked carefullyover the ground for any signs of a struggle, but I can find nothing.There was some trickery of some kind to get Sandy away. It may have beendone only to steal him and possibly sell him, but it may be that therewas a foul purpose in getting the dog away from us. The time has comefor real action. Let's get going early in the morning and keep our eyesand ears sharply on the lookout. Phil, you watch the cookee closely andsee if there are any more midnight appointments to be made. Dick, youlook out for the sawmill, and see if there is any funny business beingdone with the saw. You know enough about machinery to be able to detectif it is working properly, and your common sense will tell you if thereseems to be a slackening up of production. It stands to reason that theboss of the sawmill must be in on this scheme, for more delay can becaused here than anywhere else. It is unlikely that there are many menin on this plot. Too many would make it unsafe for the conspirators,they couldn't all keep their mouths shut. I'll keep an eye on Barrowsand see what conferences he holds with the men. I hope that Howells getsback here soon, I feel that we need immediate advice from someone who ismore experienced in the lumbering business than we are. Now let's hop toit."
The two boys did as their leader had directed. Phil ambled off to thecookhouse with the intention of offering his services in peelingpotatoes to the cookee in order that he might have an excuse for keepingnear the fellow. Dick at once made for the sawmill.
When he arrived there, the busy hum of activity seemed to be all abouthim. But as he watched he became conscious of the fact that there seemedto be several things that delayed the game. The man who drove one of thetractors seemed to be having continual trouble with the engine, andseveral minutes on each trip were consumed in needless repairs. Dickcould see with half an eye that there was little the trouble with theengine except that which was created by the driver himself. The man keptup a continual stream of grumbling at the way the engine was acting,evidently to make the trouble appear to be real.
Once Dick saw that there was a loose wire connection which the driverpurposely overlooked, and after he had watched the man waste ten minutesin needless overhauling, he stepped up and offered his services.
The man refused with a growl and an oath. Dick managed to restrain histemper, although he wanted to tell the man how evident his stallingaround was.
"Oh, all right, I don't mean to interfere with your business, but yourwire to your battery is unconnected," and Dick turned on his heel.
Seeing that Dick really knew what he was talking about, the driverattached the wire and in a moment or two was off for another load oflogs.
"If he wastes that much time every trip," thought Dick to himself, "hemight just as well try to bring in the logs on his back. In the courseof a week that would mean almost a day's production gone to waste, and Ihaven't watched long enough to know how much time he takes on his trip."
Quite frequently the saw would be stopped for a moment while the bosssawyer oiled up different parts of the machinery. He did not seem tolike Dick's watching him, but he was evidently a little wiser than thedriver, and attempted an explanation.
"This is the last saw we have in the camp," he told Dick. "The ones thatwe ordered haven't shown up yet, and if anything goes wrong with thisone, we are hurt and hurt bad."
Dick pretended a great deal of ignorance about the saw, but he could seethat the sawyer regarded him with some suspicion.
Dick kept in the sawmill, but stayed as much as possible in thebackground. After nearly an hour of watching, a great log was rolledonto the carriage, and glancing at his watch, the boss sawyer called anassistant and gave him charge of the saw. Then he hastened from the milland started in the direction of the camp, evidently to hold a conferencewith Barrows. Dick was turning to saunter out when he heard a terrifictearing sound as of steel being ground between heavy rollers, then a cryof pain from the sawyer. Dick turned and rushed to the scene. The sawwas still grinding into the obstruction that was causing the noise, andseveral pieces of flying steel were in the air. The sawyer had his handsclasped to his face, and the blood was streaming from between hisfingers.
Dick saw that there was no one with presence of mind enough to throw thelever that shut off the saw, and he ran and threw off the lever. Then hereturned to the injured man. The flying teeth of the saw had cut hisface in several places, but fortunately his eyes were uninjured. That hehad escaped being blinded was almost a miracle.
The thought that flashed through Dick's mind that here was an instanceof what Howells had told them, of the spiking a tree in the upper partwhere it would hit the saw. Dick asked the old man who had told them howto fumigate their shack the day before if he could roll back the sawwithout starting up the engine
and causing more teeth to be broken andstart flying about the place.
In a few minutes the old timer had worked the saw back so that Dickcould examine it. It required only a moment to see that the saw wasirreparably ruined. Most of the teeth had been bent or broken off, and afurther examination showed that several parts of the saw carriage andcontrol had been broken or strained by the unwonted burden that had beenput on them.
At this moment the boss sawyer and Barrows, the manager, had comerushing up to the mill to inquire what was the trouble. Garry was withthem, and Dick gave him a significant look, unobserved by the others.
"What's all the trouble?" inquired Barrows needlessly, for he could seewith half an eye the damage that had been wrought.
"Seems as if your saw was a total wreck," answered Dick. "Must havestruck a ton of metal in the heart of that tree to do all that damage."
"Nonsense," cried Barrows. "Whoever heard of metal in a tree?"
"Could it have been a defective saw?" inquired Garry soberly, for thepurpose of hearing what reply Barrows would make.
"Yes, that's what it must have been, a defective saw," repeated themanager, parrot fashion.
"Defective saw me eye," broke in the old helper. "That tree has beenspiked and spiked good and plenty. That's the second saw that went thatway this summer. Tother time it nearly killed the sawyer when the beltflew off and almost got him tangled up in the machinery. There's onesure way to find out what caused it, and that's to roll her off thecarriage and split off that place where the saw started to eat through.If there isn't a spike there, you can have my month's wages."
"You seem to know all about it, and perhaps we shall find out why youknow so much about the matter," and Barrows favored the old man with alook that boded no good to him.
In the face of the old timer's statement, and because Dick and Garrywere looking at the manager as though they expected him to take speedyaction, there was nothing for Barrows to do but follow the suggestionand order the log rolled off. This was done, and then several wedgeswere driven in, and using the backs of single bitted axes, the sectionof tree was soon split open. There plainly revealed to view were severalbent, cut and twisted spikes!
"That's what broke your saw," exclaimed the old man. "Shame, too, a nicesaw like that ruined and the only one in the camp at that!"
"That will do, Collins," cut in Barrows sharply. "Your opinion wasn'tasked. Besides, I am still wondering how your knowledge of the spikingseemed to prove so accurate."
"I was raised in the woods, and I know all the little tricks. There'sdirty work afoot here somewhere," returned old Collins staunchly.
"Yes, I guess you do know all the tricks, but I know a good one, too;you go and get your pay from the timekeeper and start on your way,"ground out the manager.
"Isn't that just a trifle hasty, Mr. Barrows?" cut in Garry.
"Listen, my boy. With all due respect to the son of my employer, I mustsay that I am manager of this camp, and what I say goes. You know I amprotecting your father's business, and there has been so much funnybusiness going on lately that something must be done, and I am going tobegin by cutting out all the suspicious characters. In my judgmentCollins is such a character."
"Huh," muttered Dick in an undertone. "A fine protector you are, and youknow that Collins is innocent. He knows too much, that's all."
Old Collins marched out of the mill section and started toward theoffice. A moment later Dick unobtrusively followed him. In a few secondshe had caught up with the man and said goodbye to him.
"Goodbye, my lad, and let me give you a warning. Tell your pal that hisfather's business is going to pot here. There's something underfoot, Idon't know what it is or why, but it's there. Too many accidents. Youwatch that Barrows and watch the timekeeper, and keep an eye on the twodrivers with the moustaches. Throw in the cookee for good measure, andyou'll have a precious lot of rascals."
Dick tried to elicit further information, but found that the old felloweither did not know anything specific, or was crotchety and would nottell.
There being nothing that could be done further, the manager and Dickreturned to the office, while Garry went to the bunkhouse to see if hecould render any aid to the man who had been cut by the flying particlesof the saw.
At the office they found waiting their acquaintance of the attemptedholdup, Arthur Howells. He acted according to the agreement and waitedtill they had been introduced.
"This is our scaler and cruiser," announced Barrows.
Upon the boys professing ignorance of what the duties of a scaler were,they received an invitation from Howells to come with him after dinnerand watch the operations. Barrows heartily advised the boys to go withhim and learn something of the way in which the trees were spotted andthe lumber measured.
The chums knew well that the invitation was solely for the purpose ofgetting them away from the camp so that they could confer on what wasgoing on.
After dinner they sought out Howells, and after he had armed himselfwith a scaling stick, marked off in measurements, which was used tomeasure the trees, they wandered into the woods.
"Now, boys, what news?" he asked.
In a few words they told him of the events that had transpired sincetheir arrival.
Howells was especially interested in the matter of the spiked tree, andwas indignant at the fact that Collins had been discharged.
"Why, the old man was as honest as the day is long. He used to know yourfather a good many years ago, Garry, and he would never do anything thatwould harm him or his business," Howells said vehemently.
"Next thing on the docket," said Garry, "is to ask what news you have."
"I have something that will knock the feet almost out from under you. Inaddition to the trouble caused by the breakage and wasting, there issomething even deeper yet. I always get the reports from the receivingstations of the amount of lumber that is sent out. I know aftermeasuring, just how much has gone out. Today my reports show that allthe timber that is cut here does not arrive at its destination.
"What do you mean?" said Garry.
"Just what I mean is this. Somewhere, somehow, your father's lumber isbeing stolen en route to its destination!"