CHAPTER XIII -- The Committee of Investigation
Lightning seldom strikes twice in the same place, though I have known itto do so, and Mike Murphy was too wise to try a second shot, when therewas not one chance in a million of repeating his feat. With his loftiestair he proposed that he and Hoke should take turns in displaying theirskill.
"I've made a bull's eye,--do the same or betther and I'll take a whackand beat _that_,--and so it will go. Am I corrict, dochther, in mesintiments?"
"Undoubtedly; you can't refuse Mike's offer, Hoke."
The latter saw he was caught and accepted the weapon as if eager for thetest, though it need not be said it was otherwise. A vague hope stirredhim that the same exceptional success might reward his effort. He aimedwith the care and deliberation shown by Mike, and then pulled thetrigger five times in rapid succession.
"One of the bullets will be sure to land," was his sustaining thought,but nothing of the kind took place. Close examination by the threeshowed that Hoke had not so much as grazed the trunk of the sapling.
Neither Mike nor the doctor laughed, restrained from doing so by achivalrous sympathy, for Hoke could not wholly hide his chagrin. Mikewent so far as to say:
"Hoke, it was a chance shot on me part, and I couldn't do it agin in mylife time."
"And now let us adjourn to dinner," said the doctor; "it is later thanusual, but the folks will wait for me."
No words could be more welcome, but the fun of the proceeding was thatthe direction taken by the man showed that Hoke and Mike were bothwrong--as the former had intimated--in locating the lake. The formergrinned and the latter answered with a wink. The theme was oneconcerning which it was best to say nothing.
The call at the forest home of Dr. Spellman was so similar to what hasbeen described that it need not be dwelt upon. Sunbeam showed herpreference for the genial Irish youth, who certainly reciprocated heraffection, as he did in the case of Nora Friestone, whom he had met thepreceding summer farther up the Kennebec. The mother was always graciousand won the good opinion of every one with whom she was brought incontact.
When the meal was finished, and while mother and child were busy settingthings to rights, the doctor talked with his guests. Mike made known allthat had occurred since his previous meeting with the physician. Thelatter was much interested in the experience of that forenoon.
"I never saw that pile of logs, which is doubtless the remains of somefisherman or hunter's cabin that either was never finished or has beenallowed to fall into decay. I must add one thing, however," said thedoctor gravely; "I don't like the way those tramps are acting."
"It strikes me that about the only thing they are doing is gettingscared half to death or swimming or running for life."
"But why do they stay in this neighborhood? The hobo doesn't take to thewoods for long, though he may hide there when the officers make it toohot for him. What can there be in this part of the world that attractsthem?"
"They may be looking for a chance to steal from the Boy Scouts,"suggested Hoke.
"The last persons two hobos would tackle. What chance would they haveagainst twenty vigorous, active, fearless youths, who despite theirpeaceful principles are yearning for stirring adventure?"
"Then it must be you, doctor, that they have designs upon."
"I half suspect as much; I have been considerate to them despite theirinsolence, more so than I shall be again if they annoy us further."
Turning upon the youths, Dr. Spellman asked a question that fairly tookaway the breath of the two Boy Scouts.
"Has either of you seen Uncle Elk and those tramps together?"
Hoke was not sure he understood the question. Mike was shocked.
"Why should they be togither, docther, unless the spalpeens called athis cabin for food? Ye know his latchstring is always out, but I'veniver known of their being in his company."
"Didn't you hear them laughing or talking last night, along shore, andnot far from this spot?"
"Be the same token I heerd two men, but they were not the tramps."
"How do you know that?"
"Uncle Elk told me so."
There was reproof in Mike's tones, for he resented the slightestreflection upon the hermit, whom he held in high regard. The doctor madeno reply to the words of the youth, but smoked his cigar hard and seemedto be turning over something in his mind that was of a displeasingnature.
Mike knew of course of the unaccountable antipathy that Uncle Elk showedtoward the physician who was spending his outing in this part of Maine.Alvin Landon and Chester Haynes were as much mystified as the Irishyouth, and the doctor himself claimed to have no theory that wouldaccount for it. The last remark of the medical man sounded as if hereciprocated the dislike of the hermit. Not only that but doubtless hemistrusted him.
"You don't seem any nearer the solution of the tramps' behavioryesterday than you were at the time, and it looks to me as if you willhave to wait until Uncle Elk is ready to tell you."
"There saams no ither ch'ice, docther, though I'm riddy to make anothertry for the same. Will ye jine us?"
"No; there will be danger of Uncle Elk and me meeting, and I am no moreanxious for it than he is. I don't believe you will learn anything."
"We sha'n't by standing here, as Mickey Lanigan said whin the bull wascharging down upon him--whisht! what have we now?"
Alvin Landon and Chester Haynes walked out of the wood and smilinglymade the Boy Scout salute.
"Just in time not to be too late for dinner," was the warm greeting ofDr. Spellman, as he shook hands with the lads. They protested that theycould not permit his wife to bother with preparing a meal, when theregular one had been finished a short time before, but the hospitablehost would not listen, and I am compelled to say the objections of theguests were not very vigorous. All entered and crowded themselves asbest they could into the limited space.
As the two ate, Mike and Hoke told them of their experience at thewestern end of the lake earlier in the day, while the new arrivals hadtheir own interesting story to relate. They had seen two strangers enterUncle Elk's cabin, only to depart soon after in his company, as thecanoe was paddled away. The rather curious feature of this proceedingwas that neither Mike nor Hoke, who had scanned the lake more than once,caught sight of the craft, and Dr. Spellman heard of it for the firsttime, though of necessity the canoe passed quite close to his home.
Whatever the thoughts of the physician may have been he kept them tohimself. He had already expressed his distrust of Uncle Elk to MikeMurphy, who was quick to resent it, and it would be the same with Alvinand Chester, for they held the old man in too much esteem to listen withpatience to anything in the way of censure of him.
It might have been difficult for the doctor to convince any unprejudicedperson that there was the slightest understanding between the recluse orthe vagrants. In fact, the only foundation for such a charge, not takinginto account the mutual antipathy, was the knowledge which Uncle Elkshowed of the cause of the hobos' panic. And yet there was a reasonableexplanation of such knowledge, which would have acquitted the old man ofany improper motive, and it was singular that it did not occur to Dr.Spellman.
The explorers, as they may be called, now numbered four. With warmthanks to the members of the family they bade them good-bye and set outto continue their quest.
It will be borne in mind that the spot which they were to visit layquite a little way to the westward of Dr. Spellman's home. It was therethat Mike Murphy had passed under the overhanging vegetation from whichUncle Elk soon afterward emerged, and where the Irish youth had detectedthe odor of a cigar and heard chuckling laughter. Mike and Hoke bypushing into the woods, and partly losing their way, had left thislocality so far to one side that they saw nothing of it. The four nowintended to make their way thither.
"Couldn't it be that Uncle Elk wint back, while ye were thramping to thedocther's house?" asked Mike, as they straggled forward.
"There wasn't fifteen minutes at a time that
we were out of sight of thelake," replied Alvin; "we surely should have seen him."
"He might have come back through the woods."
"That is true," said Chester, "but I see no reason why he should do so."
"Doesn't the same gintleman do lots of things for which we see noraison?"
"Far more than we can understand. Now I have been wondering whether hewon't be offended by our trying to pry into matters which should notconcern us."
"I think it is the other way," said Alvin; "he is amused by ourcuriosity, and doesn't tell us the secret because he enjoys our effortsto discover it for ourselves."
"And there's no saying how long his fun will last," commented Mike, whobecause of his previous visit to this section took upon himself the partof guide.
They had tramped less than half an hour when Mike halted and lookedabout him with a puzzled air.
"We oughter to be there," he remarked, "but it saams we're somewhereilse."
Alvin pointed to where the undergrowth, a short distance in advance, wasless abundant than in other places.
"There seems to be a wagon track that has been traveled lately."
Hurrying over the few paces, they found the supposition correct. Therewere the ruts made by wagon wheels and the deep impression of horses'hoofs. The greatest wonder was how any team could drag a vehicle throughsuch an unbroken forest. Trees stood so close together that there seemedhardly room for a wheelbarrow to be shoved between, and yet a heavilyladen wagon had plunged ahead, crushing down bushes and even smallsaplings, with the hubs scraping off the bark from large trunks, butever moving undeviatingly in the direction of Gosling Lake.
"It's the trail of the chuck wagon!" exclaimed Chester; "it brings oursupplies that are taken across to the bungalow."
"And this is the day for it," added Alvin, who had scarcely uttered thewords when a threshing of the wood was heard, accompanied by the sharpcracking of a whip and a resounding voice:
"Gee up! Consarn you, what's the matter with you? You're purty nearthere!"
Two powerful horses, tugging at a ponderous open wagon piled high withboxes of supplies, labored into sight, while the driver, a lean,sandy-haired man perched on the high seat, snapped his whip, jerked thelines, clucked and urged the animals to do their best, which theycertainly did.
The boys stepped aside out of the way of the team, and saluted thedriver as he came opposite and looked down upon them. He nodded, butnothing more, for his animals required his attention. Our young friendsfell in or followed the wagon to the edge of the lake only a briefdistance away, where the driver flung his reins to the ground and leapeddown. He was bony, stoop-shouldered, without coat or waistcoat, and hadhis trousers tucked into the tops of his cowhide boots.
"Say, I see by your dress you b'long to the Boy Scouts," he remarked,addressing the whole party.
"We are proud to say we do," replied Alvin.
"And the Boy Scouts be proud to have us belong to 'em," added Mike.
"I should think they would be blamed proud of _you_," said the man witha grin.
"Your perciption of the truth is wonderful, as me mither exclaimed whinFather Meagher said I was the purtiest baby in Tipperary."
"And you chaps believe in doing a good turn every day to some person?"
"Right again."
"What good turn have you done anybody to-day?"
"Modesty kaaps our lips mute," replied Mike, who for the life of himcould not recall a single incident of the nature named.
"Wal, would you like to do _me_ a good turn?"
"We certainly shall be glad," Alvin took upon himself to reply.
"Help me unload this wagon; the stuff is for the Boy Scouts, so you'llbe helping yourselves."