CHAPTER IV -- Curious Sights And Doings
One of the incidents which made that night memorable in the life of MikeMurphy was that it brought him a compliment, the equal of which he hadnever received before, nor in the years to come can any similar words sotouch his heart.
Ruth Spellman, or "Sunbeam" as she was coming to be called, was sointerested in his fairy stories that when the time arrived for her to goto bed she was restless and the mother feared it was something in thenature of a fever that disturbed her. The father, however, assured hiswife that it was due to mental excitement and would soon pass away. WhenRuth had said her prayers, kissed each good night and lain down on hercot, with the thin blanket spread over her, she still fidgeted. From thenext room the three heard her tossing as children will do when sleepfails to soothe them.
Suddenly they heard her pleading voice:
"Cousin Mike, won't you please sing to me?"
"I'll do my bist," he replied with a laugh, as he walked back and sat ona camp stool beside her couch, where only a small portion of the lightfrom the front apartment reached them. He began the baby song with whichhis mother had often lulled him to slumber in infancy. Its exquisitesweetness was beyond description, the parents sat motionless andlistening as much enthralled as the little one for whose benefit it wassung. They were almost holding their breath when Sunbeam murmured duringone of the slight pauses:
"I think one of the angels you told me about, mamma, is singing."
"I don't wonder," whispered the father; "I never heard anything likeit."
Five minutes later the child had drifted away into dreamland and Mikecame forward and joined the two on the outside. They sat silent for afew minutes. Neither referred to the wonderful treat they had enjoyed,for it would have grated when compared with the simple words of Sunbeam.Nor did Mike speak of it, but, as has been said, his heart had beentouched as never before.
It was comparatively early in the evening when he bade his friendsgood-by, having declined their invitation to stay over night, and walkeddown to the water, accompanied by the doctor.
"When you next see Uncle Elk, assure him that his wishes shall berespected by me; I shall not call at the bungalow in the evening unlessyou signal for me, nor do I intend to go near his home."
Mike promised to carry out the doctor's wishes and turned the prow ofthe boat south, which was the most direct course home. He glanced back,and observing that his friend had gone up the path, made a change ofdirection, his action showing that he did not wish the doctor to noticeit.
The truth was that Mike was obsessed with what he had witnessed thatafternoon. There must be an explanation of the fright of the two tramps,but he could not frame any theory that would stand for a moment.
"And I'll niver be able to do it," he muttered, "till I larn a good dealmore than I know now, which isn't anything at all, as Ted Ryan repliedwhin his taycher asked him what he knowed about his lesson."
Now, as that which terrified Biggs and Hutt seemed to have appeared inthe lake near them, it would seem that there was the spot to look forthe solution of the mystery, and yet it was impossible to hit upon theprecise place. He and the doctor had come pretty near it some hoursbefore, without any result.
"We agraad that what the spalpeens saw was _in the water_, but thatcouldn't be. It must have been on the land and that's where I'll huntfor the same."
There were just as strong objections to this supposition, the chief ofwhich was that the vagrants when they went overboard swam with franticenergy toward the shore; in other words, they made for the point wherethe terror was awaiting them. Moreover, their actions in divingrepeatedly and glancing back proved that what they dreaded was behindthem.
It was useless to theorize, for the more Mike tried it, the more puzzledhe became. He decided to paddle slowly and silently to the point wherethe tramps had landed and make his investigations there. Using his eyesand ears to the utmost, he ought to learn something, provided alwaysthere was something to learn. He certainly displayed "nerve," but nomore than he had done on other occasions.
It has been shown that the youth was only an amateur in handing a canoe,but by slowly and carefully moving the paddle, he caused scarcely aripple and was sure no one could detect him through the sense ofhearing. There was no moon, but the sky was clear and studded with starswhose brilliancy enabled him dimly to see objects at a distance of ahundred yards or so. From the first, he kept so close inshore that theundergrowth and wood were in sight and served him as a guide. Even anexpert in the circumstances would not have been able to decide preciselywhere Biggs and Hutt left the water, but Mike was sure he was not farfrom the spot when he ceased plying his paddle.
He decided not to land, at least not for the present, but to halt wherethe bow of the canoe rested directly under the dipping branches. Thus,should it become necessary, he could slip out of sight under the leafyscreen, or could retreat if it should prove advisable to do so.
An overhanging bough rested on the prow of the craft and held itmotionless, a very slight force serving as an anchor in the case of sodelicately poised a craft. First, with his heart beating a little fasterthan usual, he peered round in the gloom that shut him in on every hand.To the southward he saw the lights of the bungalow twinkling like stars,one of the windows throwing the rays well out on the lake, but in noother direction could be noted a sign of life.
"Every one of the byes, not forgitting Scout Master Hall, are there, forthe ones that wint out in t'other canoe must have gone back while I wasat the docther's. They know where I wint so they won't be worrying aboutme, which they wouldn't be likely to do annyhow," he added with a touchof his natural whimsicality, "if they didn't know anything about me atall, at all."
No sound reached the intently listening ears, except that deep almostinaudible murmur which is never absent in a stretch of forest or nearthe ocean.
"I'll try it awhile, but if Mike Murphy knows his own heart, which hethinks he do, he isn't going to sit in this steamboat manymore--whisht!"
From a point not fifty feet distant shot out a canoe, like an arrowdriven from a bow. In it a single man was seated and vigorously swingingthe paddle. He had emerged from under the overhanging limbs and spedsouthward, absolutely without any noise at all. Mike was so startled bythe apparition that he stared breathless for a minute, nor did his witsfully come back until the craft and its occupant were swallowed up inthe gloom.
Not only was the unexpected appearance of the canoe startling, but therecognition of the Master of Woodcraft who drove the boat forward like askimming swallow, added to the amazement of Mike. Beyond a doubt he wasUncle Elk. He was so near when he first darted in view that there was nopossibility of mistake.
"I wonder ef I'm Mike Murphy or a big fool or jest both," muttered theyouth, when able to pull himself together. "I lift Uncle Elk in hiscabin studying his primer or spelling book, and now he is in _this_ partof the world."
After a moment's reflection the youth added:
"Which the same may be said of mesilf, so that don't count. It looked tome as if he was heading for the bungalow and an interisting questioncomes before me: being that I obsarved him, did he return the complimentand obsarve _me_?"
After turning the question over in his mind, Mike said to himself:
"If I kaap at this much longer I'll go clean daft, as Jimmy Hagan didwhin he tried to whirl his two hands in opposite directions at the sametime. Can it be I'm mistook?"
He sniffed the air several times and was convinced that he caught theodor of a burning cigar which could not be far off, else the nose wouldnot have detected it when no wind was blowing.
"Uncle Elk doesn't smoke, leastways I niver obsarved him doing the same,and if he did he ain't here, so the perfume can't be projuiced by him."
He now ventured to draw his canoe nearer shore, by gently pulling theoverhanging bough. It was blankly dark all around him, the foliageshutting out the star gleam, so that he had literally to feel his way.Suddenly there was a slight j
ar, proving that the bow had touched shore.He paused to consider whether anything was likely to be gained byleaving the craft. While it seemed almost certain that Uncle Elk hadcome to this lonely spot to meet some one, there was no obvious way bywhich Mike could assure himself on the point.
He still noted the aroma of the cigar, which he judged to be a prettyfair specimen of the weed, though he was so accustomed to the pipe ofhis father that he was a poor judge.
"The spalpeen can't be fur off," concluded Mike still gently sniffing,"and begorra! he isn't!"
The exclamation was caused by the sound of a voice, not in speaking, butin chortling, as if pleased over something. The sound was so near thathad there been the least illumination Mike must have seen the one fromwhom it came. Then a second person--as the peculiar sound proved--joinedin the ebullition, the two so near together that otherwise the listenerwould have thought the laugh came from one.
"It's them tramps!" was the thought of the startled Mike; "though one of'em wouldn't be smoking a cigar unless he stole it or Uncle Elk had givethe same to him."
It was unpleasant thus to associate the hermit with the pestiferousvagrants with whom the youth had had much trouble already. He waited forthe strangers to speak, but they did not seem to care to do so. Once hethought he saw the glowing end of the cigar, but was probably mistaken,for a second look failed to reveal it, nor did either of the men laughagain.
With a feeling akin to disgust, Mike stealthily worked his canoe fromunder the overhanging boughs and set out on his return to the clubhouse.