CHAPTER XIX
FENN BECOMES ILL
"Well, now, what's our program?" asked Frank when the four Darewellchums were in the railroad train, speeding through the outskirts ofDuluth. "I s'pose Fenn will make a bee line for Bayville and see Ruth."
"I intend to go there, not only to see Ruth, but to see her father,"announced Fenn coolly. "It's no more than right, is it? He invited us tocome and see him, if we ever got out this way, and here we are. It wouldbe mean not to pay a visit."
"Oh, yes, Stumpy," remarked Ned. "We know just how you feel about it,"and he laughed, whereat Fenn blushed, for he was rather sensitiveconcerning his liking for young ladies.
"Leaving Mr. Hayward out of it, what do you intend to do, after we'vegot our camp established?" asked Frank, looking at Fenn, with whom thisidea had originated.
"I'm going to see what those men were doing on the cliff," was thedecided answer. "Maybe they were Chinese smugglers. If they were--"
"Yes, if they were I s'pose Stumpy will climb up there single handed,make 'em all prisoners, and then write a half-dime novel about it," putin Bart.
"Not exactly," answered Fenn. "I don't see what's to hinder me givinginformation to the government, though, about the smugglers, if that'swhat they are. I understand there's a reward for that sort ofinformation, and I could use a bit of spare cash as well as any one."
"That's so!" exclaimed Ned. "I didn't think about that. I'm with you,Stumpy."
"You'll want half the reward, I guess," interjected Bart.
"Sure," said Ned. "Who wouldn't? Why can't we all go in on this thing?"
"Of course we can," declared Fenn. "We'll go camping somewhere back ofthat cliff, and then we can--"
"Hush! Not so loud!" suddenly cautioned Frank. Then, bending his headcloser to his chums, as they were sitting in two seats facing each otherhe added: "There's a man a couple of seats back who's been watching uspretty sharply ever since we began talking this way. I don't like hislooks."
"Where is he?" asked Fenn in a whisper.
"Don't look now," replied Frank, making a pretense of pointing out thewindow at a bit of scenery. "He's staring right at us. It's the man withthe light hat, with a white ribbon band on, whom I mean. You can sizehim up as soon as he turns his head."
The boys cautiously waited for an opportunity, and took a quickinspection of the man Frank had indicated. He was a total stranger tothe four Darewell lads, as far as any of them knew, but it did not takelong to disclose the fact that the man was much interested in them.
He watched their every move, and, when any one of them spoke, the fellowtried to catch what was said. The man seemed like an ordinary traveler,and, except for a peculiar cast in one eye, was not bad looking.
"Let's change our seats," suggested Fenn, when the train had proceededsome miles farther, and the car was not so full. "We want to talk, andwe can't be whispering all the while."
They moved farther away from the man with the cast in his eye, and wereonce more discussing their plans, when Frank again noticed that the manwas listening. He, too, had moved up several seats, and, under pretenseof reading a paper, was straining his ears for whatever the boys said.
"Let's go into the other car," proposed Fenn. "If he follows us therewe'll tell the conductor."
But the man evidently did not care to run any more risks and the boyswere not further annoyed.
"I wonder who he was?" asked Ned. "Perhaps he had something to do withthe smugglers."
"Oh, I guess he was just some fellow more interested in the business ofother persons than in his own," replied Frank. "I hope we didn't talktoo much, so that he'll know what we are going to do."
"That's so, he might go and give information to the government, and getthat reward," announced Fenn. "I wish we'd been more careful!"
"Well, I guess he'll have his own troubles finding that cliff," wasBart's opinion. "We didn't mention any special place. Our secret is safeenough."
After further consideration of what they had said the boys agreed withthis view. As they were now almost alone in the car they talked freely,deciding on what to do when in the woods.
They had brought a small sleeping tent with them, some guns which theyhad hired and a limited supply of food. As they were going to be withinreach of small settlements, villages or, at the worst, scattered farmhouses, they calculated they could, from time to time, buy what theyneeded to eat.
They had made a careful study of a map of the country they intended toutilize as part of their vacation trip, and decided on a place to campthat was not far from where they had observed the queer actions of themen on the cliff. It was also within a short distance of Bayville,where, as has been said, Mr. Hayward and his daughter lived.
They left the train at a station, near the foot of a small mountain, onthe slopes of which they were to pitch their tent. Their baggage andsupplies was piled up on the platform and, Frank, surveying it,exclaimed:
"Oh, dear, I wish we had that mule we used when we were rescuing myfather. He could carry a good deal of this stuff, and we wouldn't breakour backs."
"Aw, don't mind a little thing like that!" advised Bart. "Why it's notfar, and we can make two trips if necessary."
They decided this would be the best plan, and, taking what they couldcarry, they set off into the woods, the station agent agreeing to lookafter what baggage they left behind, until they came back for it.
The weather was fine, and the air, in that northwestern region, wasclear and bracing.
"I could carry twice as much as this," announced Ned, as he walkedalong, balancing his load on his shoulder.
"Here, take mine then!" cried Frank quickly.
"Not to-day," retorted Ned with a laugh. "I was only figurativelyspeaking."
They picked out a good camping place, and, as they had brought the tentwith the first load, they set that up.
"Now for the rest of the stuff, and we'll be in good shape for thenight," remarked Bart. "Come on, fellows. Why, Fenn, what's the matter?"he asked quickly, as he noticed the stout youth seated on a log.
"Me? Nothing. I'm all right."
"No, you're not. You're as white as a sheet of paper," went on Bart."Don't you feel well?"
"Sure. I'm all right. I guess I walked a little too fast; that's all."
"Well, take a good rest before you make the second trip," advised Ned.
"No, I'll tell you what we'll do," proposed Frank. "We three can easilycarry what stuff is back there at the depot. Let Fenn stay here andrest, and we'll go back for it. Besides, we ought to leave somebody onguard," he added quickly, fearing Fenn might object to anyone doing hisshare of the work.
"Oh, I'll be all right in a minute, fellows," said Fenn, trying tosmile, but making rather poor work of it. "It's the heat, I guess."
"It is hot," agreed Bart.
"You go ahead and I'll catch up to you," proposed Fenn. "I'm feeling alittle better now."
"No, you stay here and we'll fetch the rest of the stuff," repeatedFrank, and he insisted on it, with such good reason, also pointing outthat if any tramps came along they might steal the tent, that Fennconsented to remain on guard. In fact he was very glad to do so, as hefelt a curious sensation in his head and stomach, and he was not alittle alarmed, as he had never been seriously ill.
"I hope he isn't going to be sick," observed Bart, as the boys startedback to the station. "We'll have to give up our camp if he is."
"Oh, he'll be all right," asserted Ned, confidently. "It was only theheat and the walk."
"I hope so," rejoined Frank.
But when the boys returned with the remainder of the camp stuff twohours later, they found an unpleasant surprise awaiting them.
In the tent, stretched out on some hemlock boughs which they had cutbefore leaving, they found poor Fenn. He was very pale and his eyes wereclosed.
"He's asleep," whispered Ned.
Frank entered softly and placed his hand on Fenn's head.
"He's got a high fever," he said, with alarm
in his voice. "Fellows, I'mafraid Fenn's quite sick."