CHAPTER XXXIV
THE MYSTERY EXPLAINED
Jack opened the cabin door, and stood in it, prepared to greet Will. Theother captives gathered back of their chum.
"How are you, Will?" asked Jack, as soon as his friend came withinspeaking distance. "We were quite worried about you."
"I'm all right," answered the strange lad.
"Why did you run away?" inquired Sam, while Nat looked closely at Andy.The man had a good-natured, smiling face, and Nat's spirits began torise. He did not think they had much to fear from such a man.
"It's a strange story," said Will, as he entered the cabin, followed bythe man.
The boys crowded around the two, and waited anxiously for Will's nextwords.
"First," began the lad, who had acted so strangely, "let me introduce toyou my uncle, Mr. Andrew Swaim."
"Your uncle!" exclaimed Jack.
"Your uncle!" echoed Sam, Bony and Nat.
"That's right. My uncle, whom I ran away from home to seek," went onWill. "I never expected to find him here."
"Nor I to see my nephew," explained Mr. Swaim. "I was never moresurprised in my life than when he ran to me in the shed. After he hadcalled me by name, he fainted dead away. He has been unconscious allnight, and only a few minutes ago did he come to his senses. I remainedat his bedside all the while. As soon as he roused, and felt better, hetold me about coming here with you boys, and insisted that I come out tolook for you. That was the first I knew you were still in my camp. Ihope you haven't suffered any inconvenience. I saw you as I was about toopen the shed doors, but I supposed my men warned you away. I hope youare not angry."
"Not much," replied Jack with a smile. "And so Will fainted as soon ashe greeted you?"
"Yes. He explained later that he got a blow on the head, and that,together with the thrilling ride down the mountain, on top of the worryhe had sustained in searching for me, and other hardships he hadundergone, made him go temporarily out of his mind. But he is all rightnow, he says."
"Yes, that's what I am," said Will. "All my troubles are over, now thatI've found my uncle. What did you think, when I ran away?"
"We didn't know what to think," replied Jack. "Especially when youdidn't come back."
"This is how it was," explained Will. "I saw my uncle as soon as hebegan opening the big doors the second time. Before I knew what I wasdoing I had run toward him, and when I was near enough I called hisname, and told him who I was. He recognized me at once, and----"
"Yes, and I saw that he was about to keel over," interrupted Mr. Swaim."I caught him in my arms, carried him inside the shed, and I had myhands full all night with him. I had given orders to my men never toenter that shed except on certain occasions. They did not disobey myinstructions to tell me you boys were still here, and, of course, Willcould tell me nothing until this morning. Then he insisted that we comeout and find you. I called in Stephen----"
"Is that the red-haired man?" asked Jack.
"He is. I called him in, and he explained about you being in this cabin.And now here we are--Will and I, and I can't thank you enough, JackRanger, for what you did for him. He has told me a little about it, andhow kind you were to him in school. I shall have a score to settle withthat rascally guardian of his. I never suspected Gabel could be so mean.But his charge of my nephew is ended. I will make other provisions forWill. Are you boys all right now? Did you have some breakfast?"
"Oh, yes," replied Jack. "If we had known that Will's uncle was incharge of this camp, we wouldn't have----"
"Now don't make any apologies," interrupted Mr. Swaim. "It's all right.I want you to make yourselves right to home here. My regulations wereonly intended for men who might try to spy on my work. For I amperfecting a means----"
"Fellows, you'll never guess what the mystery is," burst out Will."Excuse me, Uncle Andy," he went on, "but let me tell them. You seewe've puzzled over it so long, and none of us could guess. Jack, Nat,Sam, Bony--what do you think it is that my uncle has in the bigshed--the thing that flew over our camp and scared Long Gun so? See ifyou can guess."
"A great bird--like the roc of the Arabian Nights," said Nat.
"No."
"Some sort of eagle, larger than any ever seen in these parts," venturedSam.
"No, that's as far off as Nat was."
"A kite, carrying an engine, working a camera, for taking movingpictures at night," was Bony's guess.
"No," said Will. "It's your turn, Jack."
Jack thought for a minute. He glanced at the big shed, and then started,as a sudden idea came to him.
"A balloon?" he asked.
"No, but you're nearest to it. Shall I tell them, Uncle Andy?"
Mr. Swaim nodded.
"It's a great aeroplane!" exclaimed Will.
"An aeroplane!" exclaimed all the other lads in a breath.
"A new form of aeroplane, with propellers built like the great wings ofa bird," explained Mr. Swaim. "It's an invention of mine, but is notperfected yet, though it flies fairly well. There are certain parts, onwhich I have not yet got my patents, and that is why I do not admit anyof the men to the shed when the '_Eagle_' as I call her, is there. ButWill got in before I could stop him, though I guess he'll not try to getahead of his uncle."
"No, indeed, Uncle Andy!"
"And did you fly it over our camp?" asked Jack.
"I did, and that was the sound you heard. It makes quite a whirringnoise, when the wings are working fast, and the engine has a peculiarthrobbing sound. I don't wonder you and the Indian guide werefrightened."
"Oh, Long Gun was more scared than we were," explained Nat.
"Probably. You see I only flew it at night, because I did not want anyone to see it."
"And it really works?" asked Bony.
"Yes, but not as well as I would like it to. I have only been able totake up myself and one other man, so far. I want it to carry at leastfive passengers, but I shall have to alter my engine, or change theshape of the wings, or else increase their size, before it will liftthat much. But Stephen and I often flew over the mountain. We used tojudge of our position by your camp-fire. At least I suppose, from whatWill tells me, that it was your fire."
"Yes," said Jack. "We heard you calling to one another one night, andthat kept us guessing more than ever."
"What about those queer marks in the snow?" asked Bony.
Mr. Swaim looked puzzled until Jack explained.
"Oh," said the inventor, "that was when we had an accident. The _Eagle_came down unexpectedly, and turned turtle. Neither I nor Stephen washurt, but we had quite a time righting the machine. The marks you sawmust have been the impressions of the wings in the snow."
"We thought it was a great bird," explained Nat.
"And I wasn't so far out, calling it an eagle," spoke Bony, cracking acouple of finger knuckles, and ending up with both thumbs.
"I have been out here in this secluded place for several months," wenton Mr. Swaim. "That is why I left no address for my nephew's guardian,as I did not want to be disturbed. I never supposed my nephew would tryto find me, and he probably would not have done so, except by accident.But I will soon go back East, for my invention is almost perfected, andI want to give some exhibitions, and try for some government prizes.Would you boys like to see it tried?"
"You bet!" exclaimed Jack fervently, and the others nodded assent.
"We were going to give it a trial when you boys arrived here," went onMr. Swaim. "Now that Will is all right, I think I will take the _Eagle_out for a flight. I was considerably worried," he continued, "when mymen brought me reports of strangers trying to enter the camp, and I gavestrict orders to keep them out. That is why my men were rather bruskwith you."
"That's all right," answered Jack. "We had no right to come around, butwe were very curious."
"I don't blame you. Well, I'll go and get the machine ready for a trialspin."
"Excuse me for mentioning it," said Jack, as Mr. Swaim prepared to leavethe cabin, "but you have a ch
ap here named Jerry Chowden? My friends andI used to know him."
"Is that so?" asked Mr. Swaim in some surprise. "I know little abouthim. He came to me one day, and asked for work, saying he needed money.As I was short of help I took him on, but I am sorry I did so, for myforeman tells me he is not worth his salt, and is lazy in the bargain.He never said anything to me about meeting you. I shall get rid of him,I think. Is he a friend of yours?"
"Well, I guess not!" exclaimed Jack heartily.
"I'm glad of it, for I don't like his manners. Now I'll go and see abouttaking the ship out. Will may remain with you."
The boys had plenty to talk about now. Their exchange of experiences ofthe incidents of the last few hours was interrupted by the appearance ofthe great aeroplane, as the men wheeled it out of the shed.
"Wow! Petrified pancakes!" exclaimed Nat. "That's a dandy, though!"
Indeed the _Eagle_, in spite of the fact that Mr. Swaim had said it wasnot completed, was a fine example of an aeroplane. The boys crowded upclose to it, examining the different parts, while Will's uncle and someof his men got it ready for a flight. As they started the motor, whichworked the great wings, Nat said:
"That accounts for the gasolene smell. I guess the mystery is allexplained now."
"It seems so," spoke Jack.
The aeroplane was taken to the ice-covered pond, over which the sled hadslid on the finish of its perilous trip.
"Is that what this is for?" asked Jack.
"Yes," replied Mr. Swaim. "We cleared the snow off it on purpose to usefor our trials. An aeroplane, you know, as at present constructed, hasto get a start on the ground, in order to acquire enough momentum torise. I find it much easier to skim along on the slippery ice, than overthe ground. Well, are we all ready, Stephen?"
The red-haired man, who was the chief mechanic, nodded an assent. He andMr. Swaim got into a seat, adjusted some levers and wheels, and thenanother man cranked up the motor.
The great propellers, built like the wings of a bird, began to work,with a sound that was exactly like that heard over the camp. Theaeroplane slid forward, and after going for some distance over thefrozen pond, rose into the air, as Mr. Swaim shifted the elevationrudders.
Up, up, up it went, until it was higher than the mountain down which theboys had slid. Then it began to circle about.
"My! But that's fine!" exclaimed Jack.
"Jupiter's Johnnie cake! But it certainly is!" exclaimed Nat fervently.
For half an hour or more Mr. Swaim circled about in the air overhead;then he and Stephen came down, landing on the pond with scarcely ajolt.
"What do you think of it?" asked the inventor proudly.
"It's great!" exclaimed Jack enthusiastically, and his chums echoed thissentiment.
"Would you like to try a ride in it?" asked Will's uncle.
"Well--er--not just now," stammered Jack, and Mr. Swaim laughed.
"No, I wouldn't want you to risk it, until I have perfected it a littlemore, though Stephen and I have gone twenty miles in it."
One of the workmen ran up, and whispered something to Mr. Swaim.
"Is that so?" he asked, in some surprise. "Well, that simplifiesmatters. I have just been told," he went on, turning to the boys, "thatJerry Chowden has disappeared. I guess he did not want to meet youlads."
"I guess not," said Jack significantly.
The boys spent some time further, examining the aeroplane, and visitingthe machine shop, whence came the throbbing of a gasolene engine--thesame sound they had heard when on their second visit to the camp.
Jack asked Will's uncle if on any occasion he and Stephen had not landednear the camp, for Jack had in mind the occasion when the meat wasstolen from the tree by the bear.
"Oh, was that your meat?" asked Mr. Swaim with a laugh, when Jack hadexplained. "We always wondered whom we had robbed. Stephen and I wereout for a flight that night, and we had to descend because of anaccident to the motor. We came down near the tree where the meat was,and surprised a bear at work getting it. Bruin scrambled down and ranaway, and we concluded to take some of the meat, as we were short. Thenwe started the machine off again, and came here. I hope we didn't putyou to any inconvenience."
"Oh, no," replied Jack. "It only puzzled us some, that was all. But haveyou an arrow in hobnails, on the soles of your boots?"
Mr. Swaim lifted his foot and showed the arrow.
"That explains everything," remarked Nat.
"Yes, the mystery is ended," added Jack.