CHAPTER XIII
FIGHTING FIRE WITH FIRE
Ruth felt her heart swell in anger against Rufus Blent, the Logwood realestate man. If she had not been determined before to aid Jerry Sheming inevery way possible, she was now.
If there was a box of money and papers hidden on Cliff Island, oncebelonging to Pete Tilton, the old hunter, Ruth desired to keep Blent fromfinding it.
She believed Jerry's story--about the treasure box and all. Rufus Blent'sactions now seemed to prove the existence of such a box. He wanted to findit. But if the money and papers in the box had belonged to old PeteTilton, surely Jerry, as his single living relative, should have the bestright to the "treasure trove."
How to thwart Blent was the question disturbing Ruth Fielding's mind. Ofcourse, nobody but Jerry had as strong a desire as she to outwit the oldreal estate man. The other girls and boys--even Mrs. Tingley--would notfeel as Ruth did about it. She knew that well enough.
If anything was to be done to save Jerry from being arrested on a falsecharge and dragged from Cliff Island by Blent, _she_ must bring it about.Ruth watched the last flakes of the snow falling with a very seriousfeeling.
The other young folk were delighted with the breaking of the weather. Nowthey could observe Logwood better, and its surroundings. The roughly built"shanty-town" was dropped down on the edge of the lake, in a clearing.Much of the stumpage around the place was still raw. The only roads weretimber roads and they were now knee-deep in fresh snow.
There was a dock with a good-sized steamer tied up at it, but there wastoo much ice for it to be got out into the lake. The railroad came out ofthe woods on one side and disappeared into just as thick a forest on theother.
The interest of the young people, however, lay in the bit of land thatloomed up some five miles away. Cliff Island contained several hundredacres of forest and meadow--all now covered with glittering white.
At the nearer end was the new hunting lodge of the Tingleys, with theneighboring outbuildings. At the far end the island rose to a ruggedpromontory perhaps a hundred and fifty feet high, with a single tall pinetree at the apex.
That western end of the island seemed to be built of huge boulders for themost part. Here and there the rocks were so steep that the snow did notcling to them, and they looked black and raw against the background ofdazzling white.
The face of the real cliff--because of which the island had received itsname--was scarcely visible from Logwood. Jerry had told Ruth it was a verywild and desolate place, and the girl of the Red Hill could easily believeit.
The crowd had left the inn as soon as the clouds began to break and a rayor two of sunshine shone forth. Two ox teams were breaking the pathsthrough the town. The boys and girls went down to the dock, singing andshouting. Mrs. Tingley and the foreman came behind.
Three other men were making ready a huge punt in which the entire partymight be transported to the island. Later the punt would return for theextra baggage.
This vehicle for water-travel was a shallow, skiff-like boat, almost asbroad as it was long, and with a square bow and stern. There was a placefor a short mast to be stepped, but, with the lake covered with driftingice cakes, it was judged safer to depend upon huge sweeps for motivepower.
With these sweeps, not only could the punt be urged forward at a speed ofperhaps two miles an hour, but the ice-cakes could be pushed aside and achannel opened through the drifting mass for the passage of the awkwardboat.
Mr. Preston had explained all this to Mrs. Tingley, who was used toneither the woods nor the lake, and she had agreed that this means oftransportation to Cliff Island was sufficiently safe, thoughextraordinary.
"Let's pile in and make a start," urged Ralph Tingley, eagerly. "Why! wewon't get there by dark if we don't hurry."
"And goodness knows we need to get somewhere to eat before long," criedJennie Stone. "I am willing to help propel the boat myself, if they'llshow me how."
"You might get out and swim, and drag us behind you, Heavy," suggested oneof the girls. "You're so anxious to get over to the island."
They all were desirous of gaining their destination--there could be nodoubt of that. As they were getting aboard, however, there came a hailfrom up the main street of Logwood.
"Hi, yi! Don't you folks go without me! Hi, Preston!"
"Here comes that Blent man," said Mrs. Tingley, with some disgust. "Isuppose we must take him?"
"Well, I wouldn't advise ye to turn him down, Mis' Tingley," urged theforeman. "No use making him your enemy. I tell you he's got a bigpolitical pull in these parts."
"Is there room for him?"
"Yes. And for the fellow with him. That's Lem Daggett, the constable. Oh,Rufe is going over with all the legal right on his side. He'll bring Jerryback here and shut him up for a few days, I suppose."
"But on what charge?" Mrs. Tingley asked, in some distress.
"That won't matter. Some trumped-up charge. Easy enough to do it when youhave a feller like 'Squire Keller to deal with. Oh," said Preston, shakinghis head, "Rufe Blent knows what he's about, you may believe!"
"Who's the old gee-gee with the whiskers?" asked the disrespectfulIsadore, when the real estate man came down to the dock, with theconstable slouching behind him.
"Hurry up, Grandpop!" shouted one of the Tingley boys. "This expedition isabout to start."
Blent scowled at the hilarious crowd. It was plain to be seen that anysupply of milk of human kindness he may have had was long since soured.
Ruth caught Tom Cameron's eye and nodded to him. Helen's twin was a verygood friend of the girl from the Red Mill and he quickly grasped her wishto speak with him alone.
In a minute he maneuvered so as to get into the stern with his sister'schum, and there Ruth whispered to him her fears and desires regardingBlent and Jerry Sheming.
"Say! we ought to help that fellow. See what he did for Jane Ann," saidTom. "And that old fellow looks so sour he sets my teeth on edge, anyway."
"He is going to do a very mean thing," declared Ruth, decidedly. "Jerryhas done nothing wrong, I am sure."
"We must beat the old fellow."
"But how, Tom? They say he is all-powerful here at Logwood."
"Let me think. I'll be back again," replied Tom, as the boys called him tocome up front.
The punt was already under way. Preston and his three men worked the craftout slowly into the drifting ice. The grinding of the cakes against thesides of the boat did not frighten any of the passengers--unless perhapsMrs. Tingley herself. She felt responsible for the safety of this wholeparty of her daughter's school friends.
The wind was not strong and the drift of the broken ice was slow.Therefore there was really no danger to be apprehended. The punt wasworked along its course with considerable ease.
The boys had to take their turns at the sweeps; but Tom found time to slipback to Ruth before they were half-way across to the island.
"Too bad the old fellow doesn't fall overboard," he growled in Ruth's ear."Isn't he a snarly old customer?"
"But I suppose the constable has the warrant," Ruth returned, smiling. "SoMr. Blent's elimination from the scene would not help Jerry much."
"I tell you what--you've got to fight fire with fire," observed Tom, aftera moment of deep reflection.
"Well? What meanest thou, Sir Oracle?"
"Why, they haven't any business to arrest Jerry."
"Agreed."
"Then let's tip him off so that he can run."
"Where will he run to?" demanded Ruth, eagerly.
"Say! that's a big island. And I bet he knows his way all over it."
"Oh! the caves!" exclaimed Ruth.
"What's that?"
"He told me there were caves in it. He can hide in one. And we can getfood to him. Great, Tom--great!"
"Sure it's great. When your Uncle Dudley----"
"But how are we going to warn Jerry to run before this constable catcheshim?" interposed Ruth, with less confidence.
"How? You
leave that to me," Tom returned, mysteriously.