CHAPTER XIX--IMPORTANT DISCOVERIES
Tremblingly Chot Duncan paused on the stairs leading into the basementof the lodge, one hand on the electric button, the other holding arevolver. Bert Creighton's appealing cry was still ringing in his ears,and he knew not what would be disclosed when the basement was floodedwith light.
Then, as he heard Tom and Pod tumbling out of bed behind him, he gavethe button a twist, and a yellow glow quickly banished the darkness.
Chot stood, amazement written on every line of his features, for thebasement was empty--there was not a sound to be heard; not a soul to beseen.
Still holding his weapon in readiness for use, Chot advanced cautiouslydown the stairs.
"What's the matter?" he heard Tom ask, as he and Pod started into thebasement.
Truem and Fleet could be heard slipping on their shoes, and Chot feltdecidedly relieved when they, also, came down the basement steps.
A thorough search was made, no one speaking a word for the space ofseveral moments. Then Chot broke the silence:
"I heard Bert Creighton's voice calling for help. I'd know it anywhere.It came from the basement, but sounded at a distance, as if he might beconcealed somewhere and unable to get out."
"Then let's make a more thorough search," said Truem. "There is somesecret about Winnsocket Lodge of which we are in ignorance."
"Must be a secret room down here somewhere," said Tom. "I can offer noother solution."
"Well, perhaps you'll be kind enough to show us where it is," saidFleet.
"It may be worked by a spring in the wall," Tom earnestly replied. "Iknow that sounds like a fairy tale, but such things exist even to-day insome of the old colonial mansions of Canada, so why shouldn't a cleverman like this Mr. Lawrence adopt the scheme if it served his ends?"
"Well, we'll make a search, anyway," said Chot.
Then each took a section of the basement wall and the investigationbegan. They felt carefully over every inch of surface, even taking thefruit jars off the shelves and peering intently behind them. Luckily thelights were so arranged as to be moveable to almost any part of thebasement, and shadows were quickly dispelled whenever the boys desired.
"Hello, what's this?" said Chot suddenly.
Instantly every boy stopped searching and rushed to his side, knowingfrom the tone in which he spoke that he had made an important discovery.
Chot had worked his way around on his section of the wall until he wasbeneath the stairs. Here, in a little nook, carefully concealed from theeyes of any who were not making a most thorough search, was a smallmetal tube projecting several inches from the wall, attached to whichwas a rubber tube of the same dimensions.
"Sh!" said Chot, as the others gathered about him. "This is a speakingtube, though where it leads I haven't the slightest idea."
He put his ear to the end of the tube, and greatly to his surprise, heheard voices.
"Hold still, boys, and I believe our mystery will be a mystery nolonger," he said, in a low tone. "I hear people talking. Let me see if Ican catch what they say."
The voices were evidently some little distance from the other end of thetube but as absolute silence reigned in the basement, Chot could, bystraining, catch nearly every word.
"I tell you I will get to that speaking tube," he heard Bert Creightonsay.
There were several exclamations of anger at this, and the sound of ascuffle. Then Chot caught the magic words that unfolded to him at leastone of the many mysteries that had been perplexing the boys since theirarrival at Winnsocket Lodge.
"You think I don't know your schemes, but I do," Bert went on, "and I'mgoing to inform the authorities on you the first chance I get. You knowwhat the government will do to smugglers."
"Smugglers!" muttered Chot. "Ah!"
"Of course, we know what they'll do if they catch us," said anothervoice. "But you'll never have a chance to inform on us. It was only byaccident that you ever heard us in the basement of the lodge, and eventhen, if you had been sensible enough not to investigate, you would nowbe safe with your friends. As it is, you're in a pretty bad fix."
"I'll appeal to Mr. Lawrence when he returns."
"Well, what do you think he'll do? Don't you suppose he's as heavilyinvolved in this business as we?"
"He's involved more than we," growled another voice.
"Well you fellows see that the kid doesn't get to the speaking tubeagain. His friends are probably asleep, but because they didn't hear hisfirst cry is no sign another wouldn't wake them. We've got troubleenough without ever letting them know this island is inhabited."
"I don't see what the boss ever let the kids stay in the lodge for inthe first place. He's always taking desperate chances," said one of theothers.
"Well, he's never been caught yet."
"No; but he will be," came in the tones of Bert.
Then the voices moved out of range and all was still. Quickly Chotrepeated to the other boys what he had heard.
"Bert's cry," he said, "must have come through the tube. No wonder itsounded distant."
"The mystery, then, is a mystery no longer," said Truem.
"I see you are thinking of the same thing as I," said Chot. "Thesmugglers have a rendezvous on the island to the north, and that iswhere they are holding Bert captive."
"Yes," said Truem, "and those are the voices I heard the other night,and it was the smugglers' boat, very likely, which capsized my skiff."
"And it is evident from the conversation Chot heard that our friend, Mr.Lawrence, is the leader of the band," said Tom. "That I think, is to methe most surprising of all."
"Yet, it is no doubt true," said Chot. "You will remember reading in thepapers some time ago how different articles were mysteriously broughtacross the Canadian border, and how the revenue officers were perplexedand had failed to apprehend the smugglers. Well, the officers havesimply not had the opportunities for investigation that we have had,that's all."
"Then the launch we heard the other night was taking smuggled articlesto the other island?" said Pod.
"No," said Chot; "the launch was either bringing smuggled articles fromthe other island to the lodge, or taking them from the lodge to somepoint in the United States. There's very little stuff taken from theUnited States into Canada, strange to say. The contraband stuff allcomes the other way."
"There's one thing we haven't found out yet," said Fleet. "How do theyget the stuff into the lodge?"
"By some secret tunnel surely. There must be a compartment to thebasement of which we are still in ignorance, as Truem said a while ago,in spite of the fact that we believe we have been over every inch ofspace."
"Then the best thing to do, seems to me," said Tom, "is to search for anopening of some sort on the north side of this island."
"That will be our plan," said Chot.
"And Bert's capture is not so much of a mystery now," said Truem. "Heevidently heard the smugglers rummaging in the cellar, knew he was aboutto make a discovery of some sort, motioned you fellows to come, and wentto investigate. Then the smugglers captured him, and took him outthrough the secret passage before any of you could reach the lodge. Theymay have stayed in the tunnel until the excitement simmered down--whoknows?"
"Well, I believe we have the advantage of them now," said Chot. "We knowtheir secret. They do not know we know it, and we are thus betterprepared to take action to get Bert out of their clutches and hand thesmugglers over to justice."
"I wonder if Mr. Lawrence is on the other island?" said Fleet.
"If you want my opinion," said Chot, "Mr. Lawrence went off the othernight with a launch full of smuggled goods. The scraping sounds Tom andI heard in the night were evidently caused by the removal of cases ofsome sort that had been brought to the lodge from the north island, andI believe Mr. Lawrence went with them to some secret nook where he cansafely land the goods on the New York shore."
"But why should he want to bring them to the lodge before taking them tothis other rendezvous?" Pod queried.
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"There is only one way in which I can explain that," said Chot. "Theboundary line between the United States and Canada must run betweenthese two islands. Thus, while the island to the north is in Canada,Winnsocket Lodge is in the United States, and once goods are broughthere they have been carried over the first and most dangerous stage oftheir journey."
"What do you think they smuggle?"
"A little of everything, perhaps, but I should say mostly valuable lacesand precious stones, including diamonds, of course, brought into Canadathrough Labrador or some other secluded spot."
"No wonder Mr. Lawrence told us that the money we could pay him for therent of the lodge would be of no use," said Fleet.
"But we're forgetting Hoki," said Truem. "I hope he hasn't deserted usin the excitement."
They immediately went upstairs, intending to plan out a course of actionbefore morning, as they did not want to leave Bert in the enemy's handsany longer than was absolutely necessary.
They found Hoki still crouching at the foot of the staircase when theyreached the first floor. The Jap's eyes were fairly bulging with terror.At the sight of the boys he cried out to them not to hurt him.
It look Chot some time to convince the Jap that they intended him nobodily harm, and when he finally succeeded in winning him over the boysknew they had won a warm friend. Chot explained to Hoki that Mr.Lawrence would eventually be apprehended by the authorities, and thatunless Hoki was prepared to ally himself with them, he would be arrestedwith the other smugglers.
Once the Jap had made up his mind to do a certain thing, nothing couldturn him from it. All he asked, he told Chot, was protection from Mr.Lawrence if he became angry, and this the boys gladly promised. Hokiknew of the smuggling, but had been sworn to secrecy by his master. Heknew none of the details he told them, except that the men had a secretway of getting into the lodge.
The boys did not try to sleep any more that night, fearing anotherappeal for help from Bert, and they sat on the verandah until daylightbroke grayly over the islands. At sun-up Hoki served them with coffeeand cakes, and they ate ravenously, for the little Jap's cooking suitedtheir tastes to perfection.
During the early morning they mapped out a plan of action. It was acertainty, they felt, that the smugglers would soon enter the lodgeagain, believing the boys to be in ignorance of their secret. The tunnelmust be on the shore towards the other island, and while the boys didnot care to make a search for it in broad daylight, as the shore was inplain view from the smugglers' retreat, they felt that they could prettynearly guess its location.
Truem, then was to watch the shore end of the passage every night untilthe smugglers entered it, then find a means to close it behind them, sotheir only mode of exit would be through the basement of the lodge. Thissounded like a big undertaking, but Truem volunteered for the task. Hewas to be armed with a revolver and a good supply of cartridges.
Tom, Fleet and Pod were to keep watch in the basement of the lodge, alsoheavily armed, prepared to take the smugglers by surprise should theyreveal their mode of entrance.
While this was taking place Chot and Hoki were to go in Fleet's bigcanoe to the north island, there to find and liberate Bert, overpoweringhis guards if need be, and returning to the lodge in time to be ofassistance to Truem or the boys in the basement, as the exigencies ofthe case might demand.
Every boy was determined, knowing that if he did his share the smugglerswould be captured. Then there would be but two things left to do to makethe job complete--the notifying of the United States authorities, andthe capture of Mr. Lawrence on his return to the lodge.
What bothered the boys was the fact that Mr. Lawrence had taken theminto the lodge and left them in charge during his absence. They couldfind no plausible reason for his action, but felt that this, likeeverything else connected with the plans of the smugglers, would berevealed in time.
So, with their plans thoroughly mapped out, the boys took turns sleepingthrough the afternoon and early evening, and at night prepared to playtheir respective parts in the little drama should the smugglers againenter the secret passage leading to the lodge.