CHAPTER III.
THE STOLEN CAP.
"Say, Bob how fast do you suppose that new boat of the Jenkins boyswill go?"
"I don't know, but she is sure some speeder and I tell you what,sonny, the Sprite has got to cut through the wet a whole lot fasterthan she ever did before if we are going to hang on to that blueribbon."
It was late Friday afternoon, and Mike and the boys had just finishedputting in the new motor.
"Jack," continued Bob, "you run up to the house and get those endcaps, will you, while Mike and I run the boat out? Just as soon as itgets a little dark I want to give her a try-out."
Jack rushed off to the house while Mike swung open the big doors, andin a few moments the Sprite was floating at the pier. Just then Jackcame running wildly down the path leading from the house, and as soonas he reached the wharf asked eagerly:
"Didn't you say you left those caps in the table drawer in thebedroom?"
"Yes, why, didn't you find them?"
"No, they are not there."
"But they must be. I saw them there this morning," insisted Bob.
"Well they might have been there then, but they aren't there now, thatis, not unless I've lost my eyesight, and I seem to see you fairlywell," replied Jack grimly.
"O pshaw, you probably overlooked them. Come on back to the house andI'll show you where they are," said Bob starting for the house on arun.
"All right," answered Jack, close at his heels, "I'm from Missouri allright."
In a moment the boys, with Mike bringing up the rear, reached thebedroom and as Bob yanked open the drawer, he said, "Some people nevercan find anything." But the next moment he started back in dismay, foralthough he had taken everything out of the drawer, the caps were notthere.
"Well that's mighty funny," he muttered. "I declare I saw those capsthere this morning."
"Who's loony now?" jeered Jack, as he saw the look of dismay on hisbrother's face.
But the caps were gone and a thorough search of the room, and theentire house as well, failed to disclose them.
"Well, begorra, one thing is certain sure," declared Mike, "them erecaps didn't walk out 'o here all by their lonesome. Somebody sureswiped 'em."
Just then a loud cry of "Bob, Mike, come out here quick," brought themrunning down the stairs to the back door, where they found Jack on hishands and knees in the path which led to the woods back of the house.
"Say, did either of you go out here since dinner?"
"No," both replied.
"Well then," continued Jack, "you know we had a hard shower just afterdinner and these tracks were surely made since then."
"By Jove, that's so," affirmed Bob, examining the tracks carefully."And look here, these tracks were made by some one wearing sneakers.Now who wears sneakers round here?"
"Why," replied Jack, "Fred and Will Jenkins most always wear them whenthey are up here."
"That's so, and I'll bet a fishhook that one of them sneaked in herewhile we were at the boathouse," said Bob. "You remember, don't youJack, that you saw one of them at the window of the lab when we weretrying them? They must have suspected then that we were up tosomething, and then the fact that we have been hard at work here eversince would make them feel sure that we were doing something to theSprite."
"Begorra, and I'm jist agoing to go down to their place and make 'emhand 'em over," almost shouted Mike.
"No, no, that won't do," said Bob. "You see, we have no positiveproof that they took them, and of course they would deny it."
"But, Bob," spoke up Jack. "We've just got to get those caps back.They can get them analyzed and find out how they are made and then oursecret is up the flue, because most anyone who knows anything aboutstorage batteries would know that we use either manganese or leaddioxide in the cylinder, and besides we haven't time to make any morebefore the race."
"You're right there, son. Now just let me think a minute," said Bob,and then a moment later, "I'm going to try it. It's the only way andit may work."
"What may work?" asked Jack.
"Never mind just now, but I'm going to get those caps back if theyhaven't thrown them into the lake or break a tug trying."
That night about 8.30, Bob, dressed in a dark suit and wearingsneakers, stole down to the boathouse, and getting into the littlecanoe, started paddling down the lake. The Jenkins cottage was aboutthree miles from the head of the lake, on the east shore. It stood ina thick grove of cedars, about forty feet from the shore.
Reaching a place, about a quarter of a mile from the cottage, justinside a point of land reaching out into the lake, Bob drew his canoefrom the water and hid it in a little clump of bushes near the water'sedge. Circling around away from the lake he approached the house fromthe rear. As he got within a few paces of the cottage, a dog began tobark and Bob shuddered as he knew that they kept a large collie whichhad a reputation of being very savage.
"He's coming this way sure as guns," thought Bob, as he heard theanimal creeping through the bushes. Picking up a stone about as largeas his fist, which he felt under his feet, he crept back behind atree, hoping that the dog would not follow. But this hope was notrealized, for the keen-nosed animal had scented him, and with a lowgrowl was approaching. Holding the stone tightly Bob waited for theattack which he saw was inevitable. Just then the moon came out frombehind a cloud and by its light, he saw the brute almost upon him andabout to spring. Drawing back his arm he let fly the rock. Bob hadpitched on the Skowhegan high school team for two years, and hispractice now stood him in good stead, for the stone flew true to themark and hit the dog right between the eyes. With a single loud yelphe went down, gave a kick or two and was still.
"By Gum, I believe I've killed him," said Bob to himself. "Well, itwas either he or I and I'm mighty glad it wasn't I."
Just then some one shouted from the house: "Here, Brave, come here,where are you?"
Bob recognized Fred Jenkins' voice and then he heard two personscoming toward him. Quickly he grabbed hold of the dead animal anddragged it into some thick bushes. Hardly had he done this and dodgedback behind the tree, when he heard Fred and Will Jenkins within a fewfeet of where he was standing.
"Where do you suppose that dog went to?" he heard Fred say.
"I don't know, but I guess likely he heard a rabbit or something andhas gone on a chase after it," replied Will, adding a moment later,"Let's go back to the house. If he's on a rabbit trail we won't seehim till morning."
"No, I guess you won't," chuckled Bob as, much relieved, he heard themmaking their way back through the bushes. He waited till he thoughtthey had had time to get back, then carefully creeping on his handsand knees he slowly approached the house.
The front porch, as he knew, was built up from the ground, being facedwith lattice work, while both ends were open. Carefully creepingcloser, he slipped through the open end of the porch and stretchedhimself at full length on the ground. To his great disappointment heheard nothing for some time and was about to crawl out when he heard adoor bang over his head, and the creaking of chairs told him that theboys had come out on the porch. To his delight he found that he couldhear perfectly all that was said. For some time they talked aboutthings of no interest to our hero, and he was getting pretty badlycramped from lying so long in one position, for he did not dare move,but just then he heard Will Jenkins say:
"Fred, when are you going to take those caps down to the city and havethem analyzed?"
"Oh, some time the first of the week," was the reply, then he added,"If it wasn't for the race I'd take them down tomorrow."
"Oh, well, I guess next week will do just as well, but I want it doneas soon as possible," he heard Will say; then after a short pause headded: "I suppose those two swell heads will make a big howl, but theycan't prove anything, and we have sure put them out of the racetomorrow."
"Perhaps we can't prove it," thought Bob, "but here's betting that wecome pretty near it."
"Oh, by the way, where did you put them?" asked Fred a moment late
r toBob's delight.
"I've got 'em safe," was the reply, "in my coat pocket, in the closetin our room."
"All right, you lock up and I'll go down to the spring and get a pailof water."
Bob heard them go into the house and in a moment one came out andstarted for the spring, a little to one side of the house, while hecould hear the other going about locking the windows. Soon the onewith the water returned and in a short time all was quiet. Bob waiteda little longer and then carefully crept out and sat down behind somebushes a few feet away.
"I'll wait an hour," he thought as he looked at his watch and saw thatit was a few minutes past 10 o'clock.
It was hard work to keep awake and the time passed very slowly, but atlast the watch told him that the hour was up. Going to the back of thehouse, he carefully examined the windows and finally found one that hethought he could unlock.
"Well," he thought, "I never supposed that I would turn burglar, butI'm going to have one big try for those caps, so here goes."
With a strong knife blade he managed to push back the catch, andquietly raised the window. Slowly and noiselessly he crept through andflashing his electric torch about, advanced to the front of the house.Although he had been there several times before, he had never beenupstairs and did not know in what room the boys slept. His heart wasbeating so that he was almost afraid that some one would hear it, ashe was beginning to realize that he was engaged in a very serious anddangerous undertaking. He did not know for sure whether or not the twoboys were alone in the house, but as he had heard no one else on theporch he thought it probable that the rest of the family was at theirhome in Skowhegan.
Very carefully he crept up the stairs and a flash of the torch showedhim that four rooms opened from the hall. He stood still a moment andlistened. The sound of deep breathing in one of the front rooms soontold him which was occupied and stepping to the door a flash showedhim two forms in the bed.
"This is the room," he thought, "and that must be the closet, by thehead of the bed. It sure couldn't be in a worse place. Wonder if I canget the door open without waking them?"
Like a cat he crept across the room and fumbled with his hand till hefound the knob. The door squeaked slightly as he pulled it open, andone of the sleepers stirred and mumbled something about an electricboat. Bob's heart seemed to come almost into his throat, but in aminute the regular breathing of the sleeper reassured him and he edgedinto the closet. There were quite a lot of clothes hanging there, buthe had not searched far when he felt something hard in one of thepockets, and the next instant he had transferred the precious caps tohis own pocket.
"Now for a quick get-away," he muttered. But it seemed that Bob's goodluck was to end right there, for as he stepped out of the closet hisfoot caught in something on the floor, and he fell forward into theroom with a crash that fairly shook the house.