CHAPTER XXII.
HEAPS OF MONEY
Mont was right. Far out on the fast-darkening waters of the stream wasa small rowboat, with Corrigan at the oars, and poor Deb huddled up onthe stern seat.
Jack's heart sank within him.
"He's out of reach," he groaned. "Oh, what fools we were to let himdupe us at the mill."
"I suppose he was afraid to trust us to let him go," said the young man."Can't we do something?" he asked, disconsolately, as he stepped to thetop of a rock to get a better view.
"Come down!" cried Jack, pulling him by the coat. "It's no use lettinghim know that we have tracked him so far, or he'll do his best tomislead us."
"That is so," returned the young man, and he hurried into shelter. "Isuppose he intends to join Mosey and Pooler."
"It's a good thing he didn't know we had been to the island," said Jack."Suppose we take Meg's boat and follow?" he added, suddenly.
"We would never be able to cope with those three men. If we had arms itmight be different. But we haven't as much as a toy pistol."
"Never mind, I'm going," was Jack's reply, and he made for the covewhere the craft had been left.
"Then I'm with you," Mont returned, and he followed.
At the water's edge both gave a cry of disappointment.
The boat was gone!
"Of course, Corrigan took it," said the young machinist. "He knew thiswas the place to look for Pooler's boat."
Mont shook his head dubiously.
"I guess you're right. What's to be done now?" he asked, slowly.
Jack cudgeled his brain for an instant.
"I'll look around. There must be other boats. Of course we haven't anyright to take them, but we can't stand on ceremony in a case like this."
He ran down the beach and soon came to a tiny craft tied to a fallentree.
"Just the thing," he exclaimed, untying the boat and jumping in. "Tellyou what to do, Mont. I'll row out and keep them in sight, while yourun over to Farmer Farrell's for assistance. Get him to come, and otherhelp, too, if you can, and row directly for the landing. If you don'tfind me there, fire a pistol shot, and I'll come as soon as I can."
This hurried arrangement was agreed upon, and Mont made for the lanethat led to the farmer's homestead.
Jack shipped the oars, and tired as he was, pulled manfully out into thestream. The other boat was no longer in view, but he had carefullynoted the direction it had taken, and now headed exactly the same way.
He pulled for five minutes or more, and then looked ahead.
He was chagrined to find that the other craft was still out of sight.
Resuming his seat, he redoubled his efforts, sending the spray flying inall directions.
Presently the island loomed up before him, and straining his eyes, hesought for some signs of his sister and her abductor.
But though he looked in all directions, and even rowed a considerabledistance up and down the irregular shore, not a thing was revealed.
"Well, I'm stumped!" was his rather slangy but forcible exclamation."I'm positive they're not far off, and how I can be slipped in thisfashion gets me! Wonder if he has gone up to the cottage?"
Jack ran the boat up the beach and landed. It was now very dark, and hehad no little difficulty in finding the right direction.
Finally he struck the path, and three minutes' walk brought him to theclearing. A bright light was burning in the cottage living-room, andcautiously approaching one of the side windows, he peeped in.
At the table, his head nodding sleepily, sat Mosey, with a glass andbottle close at hand.
"He must be alone," thought the young machinist. "Wonder where Pooleris?"
In his disappointment, he was about to return to the shore, when thedoor leading to the garret stairway opened, and Corrigan appeared.
He did not utter a word, but closing the door behind him, he locked itcarefully.
Jack was pleased to see him. He instantly surmised that Deb had beenbrought to the place, and was at the present instant probably locked upin the room above.
He was bound to rescue her at all hazards, and looked around for someavailable weapon with which to defend himself if the occasion required.
A small axe lay near the doorstep, and he picked it up. It was ah uglylooking thing, and he felt better when he had it where it could bebrought into instant use. Both of the men were desperatecharacters--one of them had tried to take his life--and he was resolvedto run no more risks.
"Oi suppose we can't go back to Corney any more," remarked Mosey, as hetook the bottle and helped himself freely. "Ye'll be up fer stealin'and----"
"You'll be up for something worse," finished Corrigan, with a forcedlaugh. "You're right, Andy. The place is getting too hot to hold us.We'll have to clear out soon, I'm afraid. Where is Max?"
"Gone to the cave."
"What for?"
"Oi don't know, leastwise he thinks Oi don't."
"Which means that you do," remarked Corrigan, suggestively.
Mosey unclosed one eye with great deliberation.
"Oi do that," he replied slowly.
"Do you think it's money, Andy?" asked the other, as he seated himselfon the edge of the table.
"It's not anything else, Dennis, me b'y," was the reply.
"How much do you expect to get from him?"
"Not one cint. Oh, but he's a close-fisted miser. Oi know him!" andthe Irishman rubbed his chin savagely. "He owes me many a dollar, so hedoes!"
"Suppose we take what we ought to have by force," whispered Corrigan.He was slightly pale and his lips twitched nervously.
"Oi'm wid ye," replied Mosey, rising to his feet. "Oi was thinkin' ofthe same thing myself. Max is no good any more. Come on!"
With an uncertain step the Irishman moved toward the door. In aninstant Jack stepped behind the opposite side of the building.
Corrigan followed his brother-in-law out, and both walked toward thewoods on the right.
The young machinist watched them out of sight and then ran into thecottage.
Unlocking the stairway door, he mounted the steps hastily.
"Deb! Deb!"
"Oh, Jack! is that you?" came a voice from the darkness.
"Yes. Where are you?"
"Here, over here, this way!"
Groping his way along the rafters, the young machinist soon held hissister in his arms. In a trice he cut the straps with which Corriganhad bound her.
"Are you hurt?" he asked tenderly.
"Oh, no, but I was awfully frightened!" declared the girl. She wastrembling like a frightened fawn, and clung to him closely as he carriedher down the ladder and into the open air.
"We'll go over to the shore," said Jack; "I think Mont is there. He wasto follow me."
When they reached the edge of the water, they found that the young manhad just landed. He was accompanied by Farmer Farrell, one of the hiredmen, and Meg, who had insisted upon coming along to show the way.
In a few words Jack introduced Deb, and related what had occurred.
"And now I believe these men mean harm to this Max Pooler," he said inconclusion. "If I knew the way to the cave I'd follow them at once."
"I know the way," put in Meg. "Pooler thinks I don't, but I found itout one rainy night by followin' him."
"And will you show us?" asked Jack, eagerly.
"Yep, if you want me to," replied the young girl. "Come on. 'Taintfar."
"Hurry up, then. I have a feeling that every minute is valuable."
Meg led off at once, Jack and Mont following first, with Farmer Farrellclose behind, and Deb helped along by the hired man, who laggedconsiderably, having no desire to expose himself to possible harm.
"'Taint very pleasant," said Meg, as they journeyed over rocks andstumps, and through a copse of thick undergrowth, and then over ashallow stream.
Quarter of a mile brought them to a ravine, near
the center of theisland.
"Here we are!" exclaimed the young girl. "There's the mouth of thecave."
She pointed to a huge rock, split directly in the center. Without aninstant's hesitation, Jack entered, followed by the rest.
Bang!
A pistol shot rang out ahead!
"They've shot him, sure?" exclaimed the young machinist, dartingforward.
A turn in the passage brought him to a small square chamber hollowed outof the rock, and furnished with a table and two chairs.
He was utterly bewildered by the scene before him.
On either side of the small opening stood Mosey and Corrigan, the formerwith a smoking pistol in his hand. Between them lay Max Pooler, a woundin his shoulder.
But the scene upon the floor of the cave was what riveted Jack'sattention. There, scattered in every direction, were gold and silvercoins, amounting to many thousands of dollars.