CHAPTER XVI--MR. LAWRENCE OF WINNSOCKET LODGE
"Welcome to the island!" cried a cheerful voice, as the boys approachedthe lodge, and, looking up they saw that the stranger had removed acigar from his mouth and was smiling genially.
He was an attractive-looking man of perhaps thirty-five, slightly bald,his temples tinged with gray. He was fully six feet tall and of amagnificent physique.
"Thank you, sir," Chot responded. "We have no wish to intrude, but weare searching for a camping place."
"And the island looked good to you, eh?"
"Oh, we did not intend camping here."
"Well, there, what if you did. It's a pleasure I assure you to have youvisit me. I so seldom see anyone who is sociable."
He came down to the foot of the steps, hand out-stretched to greet them.
"I am Jared Lawrence of Boston," he told them. "This is my summercottage. I call it Winnsocket Lodge."
"And it's a beauty all right," said Fleet, after Chot had introducedeach in turn--"just the sort of a place to have in the ThousandIslands."
The other boys echoed Fleet's sentiments.
"I suppose you wouldn't think of accepting a proposition from us for amonth or so, Mr. Lawrence?" queried Chot.
"You mean that you want to rent the lodge?"
"Yes, sir."
"Well, now, that might be arranged easier than you imagine. But come in,all of you, and make yourselves comfortable."
He led the way on to the spacious verandah which looked out over aportion of the river and afforded an excellent view of many of the otherislands.
"You see," continued Mr. Lawrence, "I am in a secluded spot, yet when Ifeel lonesome, I can watch the boats over yonder plying up and down thestream."
"Do you live alone, then?" asked Tom.
"Well, yes, except for my Japanese cook and valet. I suppose I may aswell admit boys, that I am a bachelor," and he smiled ratherindulgently. "I am fortunately able to come here with Hoki and spend thesummers, going back to Boston in September or October to again take upmy business duties."
He did not state what these duties were, but the boys felt that he mustbe either a banker or a broker, to be able to leave his work for anentire summer on a stretch, and they secretly envied him his ease.
Soon they were seated on the verandah, their coats having been taken byHoki, an intelligent looking little Jap, dressed in a white suit. TheJap then brought two tables which he placed in front of the boys. Thenthey could hear him cracking ice somewhere in the rear of the building,and presently he emerged with a mammoth pitcher of lemonade.
"I knew you boys must be thirsty," said Mr Lawrence, "hence told Hoki tofind the largest pitcher in the house. You see, I was a boy oncemyself."
The boys began to like Mr. Lawrence from the start, and as for thecooling beverage brought by Hoki, nothing would have been more welcome.Soon they found themselves feeling comfortable not only from a physicalstandpoint, but thoroughly at ease at Winnsocket Lodge, and wishing thatsome trick of fate would cause Mr. Lawrence to rent them the premisesfor the time of their stay.
As if divining what was passing in their minds, after a moment'ssilence, in which he appeared to be debating something to himself, Mr.Lawrence said:
"I find it imperative that I take a short journey, probably leavingto-morrow. I had intended leaving Hoki in charge of Winnsocket Lodge,but I am inclined to believe that I could not do better than leave it inthe hands of you boys."
The Comrades and their chums exchanged glances of mingled joy andamazement, and Mr. Lawrence, stopping only to take a couple of drawsfrom his cigar, continued:
"I may be gone two or three days; the time may stretch into two or threeweeks. I am going on special business, and it is impossible to say justwhen I can accomplish what I desire. The lodge is well stocked withprovisions, and Hoki is a fine servant. He will obey you as implicitlyas he does me if I say the word."
"But, Mr. Lawrence," said Chot, "I feel that we should protest againstyour kind offer. We don't want to take advantage of your hospitality. Wewould rather rent--"
"That's just it; you boys want to rent the lodge, but the lodge is notfor rent. You are simply a fine lot of young fellows, athletes everyone,I imagine, and I am very fond of young men. I trust you thoroughly, andI ask you to stay at Winnsocket Lodge until my return--to stay as myguests, taking care of my property, at the same time going where youplease, when you please, in search of such amusement as you may desire.The rent you boys could afford would be nothing to me. I say to you,frankly, that the money would not be of the slightest use, as I now haveall I can care for with any peace of mind."
"Since you put it in that light, and speaking for us all, sir," saidChot, "I will say that we accept your kind offer, and will show you thatwe can take the very best care of your property while you are away."
"I have no doubt of that. You will find plenty of sleepingaccommodations both downstairs and up. I frequently have house partieshere, and I provided sufficient room for everyone when I built thelodge."
And it was to these rooms that the boys were shown that night, afterthey had been taken through the lodge by their host. The lodge wasconstructed after expensive plans, mostly of rough wood, but solid andsubstantial, and with interior fittings that might have gone well in aBoston brownstone front. There were six rooms below--a living room, adining room, a kitchen and three bedrooms, with a bath in a convenientspot to each of the latter. Upstairs there were a large bedroom, asmaller bedroom and a large compartment used as a plunder-room, in whichfishing nets, tackle, hunting apparatus and many other things werestored. The house was fitted with electric lights, generated, Mr.Lawrence told them, by a small dynamo in the cellar, or basement.
Expressing a curiosity to see this, the boys were taken below by theirhost. The basement, built entirely of stone, was damp and cool. In oneend a small dynamo-room had been partitioned off, and in this was thedynamo and batteries that served to light the lodge in such a brilliantfashion.
The cellar contained several barrels of wine--or, so the boys judgedfrom their appearance--countless jars of fine fruit, packed away onshelves, as well as many other things that demanded a cool place forsafe keeping. Mr. Lawrence was, indeed, well supplied for a summer'souting.
The boys were curious to know more about him, but he did not volunteerany further information, and they were too well bred to appear at allinquisitive.
Tom and Chot were given the bedroom just to the rear of the one occupiedby Mr. Lawrence, with Bert occupying a bedroom still farther back. Fleetand Pod were taken to the large chamber upstairs, and Hoki occupied thelittle one next to it.
With this arrangement, the boys retired, ignorant of the deep mysteriesconnected with Winnsocket Lodge, as well as of the many thrillingadventures which were to befall them before they took their departure.
The first inkling that there were mysterious doings in the lodge came toChot and Tom when, upon awaking almost simultaneously in the middle ofthe night, they heard a low, scraping sound from the direction of Mr.Lawrence's chamber. It ceased after a moment, was again renewed, thenceased again.
"That was a strange noise," said Tom, in a whisper. "I wonder what itcan be?"
"You can search me," was Chot's reply, also in a whisper. "It might betaken for a dozen different things."
"What, for instance?"
"Well, I don't believe I'd know just how to guess. It may be in Mr.Lawrence's room, and again it may have come from the basement."
"You're right," said Tom. "I hadn't thought of the basement."
"Well, it's stopped, anyway. I don't suppose anyone is going to carry usoff."
"No; but let me be sure the door leading into the hall is locked. It'sbest to take no chances."
Tom tip-toed softly to the door and tried the lock. The boys hadfastened the door before going to bed, and Tom found that, apparently,it had not been disturbed. Then going to the windows which looked outover the island to the east, Tom peered into the night. The windows wer
eup, as both boys were great believers in fresh air.
The lodge stood on stilts, as it were, and Tom knew that it was at leastseven feet from the ground to the window sill. No chance for anyone toenter the house that way, unless aided by another, or by means of aladder.
As Tom listened there was not a sound save for the faint stirring of thetrees. The breeze had about died out. Off to the left Tom could seeseveral lights glistening across the river, and far in the distance abright, white glare in the sky marked the location of Rockport.
After a moment he came to bed again. For some time the boys lay awakediscussing the strange noises in low tones, but finally fell asleepagain.
Sometime later they were again wakened, this time by the same scrapingsound as before. It continued for an even longer period, but finallyceased altogether.
A feeling of vague uneasiness began to steal over the boys. Try as theymight, they could think of no solution of the sound. There were noanimals of any sort on the island, they knew, so the noise must comefrom some human agency. But just what they were unable to determine totheir satisfaction.
After discussing the matter in low tones for a time, they were ready tohave another try at sleeping, when a noise from without caused them totip-toe to the windows with suppressed excitement.
Here they listened intently. A conglomeration of small sounds came tothem, but they were unable to distinguish any certain ones, until,finally, they heard the chug-chug of a motor-boat. The sounds grew morefrequent but of less volume, and they decided that the little craft mustbe moving away from the island.
The sound died away entirely as the motor-boat apparently lost herselfamong the little islands surrounding the one on which stood WinnsocketLodge.
Chot and Tom grew wide awake speculating over the matter, with theresult that there was little sleep for them during the remainder of thenight. They decided that it must have been in the neighborhood of threeo'clock when they heard the motor-boat leave the island, for some twohours later it began to grow light, and soon the sun peeped over theislands to the east.
When they arose they found Hoki in the kitchen preparing breakfast. Hegrinned and nodded a Cheerful, "Good morning to you, sirs," in hisquaint, broken English.
"Good morning, Hoki," said Chot. "That coffee smells mighty fine."
"Glad you like," was the Jap's response. "I take pleasure in making theservice for you, sirs."
"He means it's a pleasure to serve us," said Chot, as a look ofperplexity stole over Tom's face.
Hoki grinned and nodded at this.
As they were talking to Hoki, Bert came out of a nearby room, rubbinghis eyes, and a moment later Fleet and Pod came downstairs, feeling fineafter a morning plunge in the tub.
Hoki bustled back and forth between the kitchen and the diningroom, andsoon announced breakfast.
"But we're to wait for Mr. Lawrence, of course," said Chot.
"No wait," said Hoki, gravely. "It gives me greatest pleasure to acceptyou as masters of lodge. My master, he not here--he go away in thenight!"