CHAPTER X
THE CHASE
For nearly a minute Captain Wiggs continued his observation of theon-coming boat. Then, laying aside the glass, he remarked:
"I can't make anything out of her. It's a strange boat. Never saw heron the lakes before. And they seem to have an uncommon interest in us.A couple of men on deck are taking turns in looking at us through atelescope."
"Two men?" asked Fenn, beginning to get excited.
"There are two on deck, but of course there must be more somewhereaboard," replied the captain.
"And has one of them a--a sort of mean looking face?" went on Fenn.
"Well, from what I can see of him through the glass, he doesn't look tobe a very cheerful chap."
"I'll wager it's those men after us!" exclaimed Fenn, turning to hischums.
"What men?" inquired Captain Wiggs.
"The men who chased us when we were at the elevator fire," and Fenn toldof the adventure.
"I wish you had mentioned that to me before," said the commander, lookinggrave. "This thing may be serious."
"Why? Do you think they are thieves?" asked Bart.
"There's no telling what they are," and the captain took anotherobservation at the steamer in the rear. "You know the lakes are part ofthe dividing line between the United States and Canada. Often criminalsfrom both countries find it to their advantage to conduct some of theiroperations on the water, and there are any number of questionablecharacters plying on this lake. I can't make out why those men shouldwant you boys, or Fenn, more particularly, unless they think he may knowsomething of their operations, and they want to stop him from talking."
"Well, they can't prevent me!" boasted Fenn.
"Don't be too sure," cautioned the captain. "Of course you have nothingto fear as long as you are with me, aboard the _Modoc_, but don't runany chances while ashore. Meanwhile those fellows have got to catch usfirst. They've got nerve, I must say, pursuing us as if they weregovernment officers and we were smugglers."
"Do smugglers cross the lake?" asked Ned.
"They try to, and, sometimes they succeed. But I wish you boys would godown to dinner. I want to keep watch of this boat. When you finish, comeup on deck, and you can stand guard, while I eat. We'll keep tabs on herthen, and we needn't let any of the crew here know about it. It's justas well to keep matters a little quiet until we find out what it allmeans."
The boys did not linger long over their dinner, and were soon on deckagain. They found Captain Wiggs gazing at the pursuing steam yachtthrough the glass.
"She's coming on," he said. "Seems to have plenty of speed, but I guesswe can show her a little ourselves. I'll give orders to the engineer toincrease our rate some. Then we'll see what happens. You keep watch, andlet me know when I come back."
He handed the binoculars to Fenn, and went below. The four chums tookturns looking at the on-coming craft. Presently they noticed that theirown steamer was making faster progress through the water.
"I guess we'll leave 'em behind now," observed Frank.
"Then you've got another guess coming," responded Fenn. "They've put onmore steam."
The other boat seemed to spurt through the waves that were piled up infront of her sharp prow. She easily kept right after the _Modoc_, andeven seemed to approach closer.
"I wonder what they'll do when they catch up to us?" asked Bart.
"Wait until they catch us," suggested Ned.
"Well, boys, how about it?" called Captain Wiggs, as he came on deck."Have you polished up the anchor chain, as I asked you to. The regularpolisher-boy is sick, and I'm short handed."
"You didn't tell us--" began Fenn, when a smile on the face of thecommander warned him that it was only a joke.
"How is our friend, the enemy?" inquired Captain Wiggs, reaching for theglass.
"Well, we haven't lost her," replied Frank.
"So I see," observed the commander. "I think I'll have to try a littletrick."
He went to the pilot house and soon the _Modoc_ was sweeping away fromher course in a long, graceful curve.
"There, now we'll see if they are following us, or whether they are juston the same course by accident, and are using us for pace-makers,"remarked the captain, as he came back to where the boys were.
In less than a minute the course of the pursuing vessel was alsochanged, and on she came, after the _Modoc_, the black smoke pouringfrom her funnel, testifying to the fact that the engine room force waspiling on the fuel to make more steam.
"She's going to catch us or burst her boilers," remarked the captain,with a grim smile. "Well, we'll see. I made them show their hand. Theyevidently believe we're bound for the Canadian shore, and they thinkthey have us outside the protection of the United States now, and can doas they please."
He hurried to the pilot house, and soon there were several signals ofthe engine room bells.
"We'll see if we can't get a few more knots out of her," observed thecommander as he came back, and took a hurried look at the yacht astern."I guess the _Modoc_ has some speed left in her yet, even if she is onlya freighter."
True, the big steamer did go faster, but so did the pursuing boat. Thechase was leading straight toward Canada now.
"Can't seem to shake 'em off," murmured the captain, with a somewhatworried look on his face. "I've a good notion to lay-to, and see whatthey want."
"I--I wouldn't," said Fenn.
"Why not?" asked the captain quickly. "You haven't done anything wrong;have you?"
"No, but--"
"Then I think I'll just ask them the meaning of this unwarranted chase.They haven't any right to keep after me like this, unless they're agovernment vessel, and they're not that or they would have shown theircolors long ago. That's what I'll do. I'll stop!"
He turned toward the pilot house to give the order. Fenn took up thebinoculars, which the captain had laid down, and looked through them atthe strange steam yacht. He could make out the two men on deck, one ofthem--he with the sinister face--staring at the little knot of boys, whoseemed, so unaccountably, to have become involved in a mystery.
Following the ringing of the engine room bells, the _Modoc's_ speedbegan to slacken. Captain Wiggs came back to where the boys were andremarked.
"Now we'll see what will happen."
Hardly had he spoken than there sounded from the pursuing craft, whichhad not slackened speed, a shrill hissing. Then a white cloud appearedto hover over her.
"She's broken a steam pipe!" cried the captain. "Too much pressure! Ithought she couldn't stand it!"
The strange craft was almost lost to sight in the cloud of white vaporthat enveloped her, while, from the midst of it, came excited cries.