CHAPTER XII
IN THE TELEGRAPH OFFICE
"Maybe it slipped free and floated off," said Chester, who did not pauseuntil he reached the water's edge.
"Mebbe she climbed out of the river and wint round t'other side of theblockhouse," suggested Mike, who regretted the next moment his ill-timedjest and joined Chester, with Alvin only a pace or two behind them.
There was a brief hope that Chester was right and that the motor boathad worked free and drifted down stream, but it was quickly evident thatthat was impossible. The bow line and anchor would have held if notdisturbed by some one.
Then, too, what meant the muffled exhaust heard a few minutes before? Itcould have been caused only by the starting of the motor. Alvin, whoshowed quicker wit than his companions, examined the ground at thewater's edge. He quickly read the solution.
"There are the footprints of several people in the soft earth. All is asplain as day."
"All what?" asked Chester.
"The manner of the _Deerfoot's_ going."
"Give us your explanation."
"While we sat behind the blockhouse eating lunch, two or three orperhaps more persons came out of the woods and walked to this spot; theycast off the bow line, sprang aboard; one of them drew the boat out overthe stern anchor and tripped it; they did not start the engine till theyhad drifted round the bend below; then they headed for Sheepscot Bay andare well on their way there, running at full speed as they do not needto spare the launch."
"Bedad! I b'lave ye're right," said Mike, compressing his lips. "I'moff!"
"What do you mean?" asked the astonished Captain.
"I'm going to run a race wid the same to Cape Newagen!"
"Why, you have no more chance of overtaking the boat than you have ofout-swimming the _Mauretania_."
But Mike made no reply. Spitting on his hands and rubbing them together,he broke into a lope and quickly passed from sight in the woods.
Despite the alarming situation, Alvin and Chester looked in each other'sface and laughed.
"Did you ever know of anything so crazy?" asked the Captain.
"Never; the idea of putting his short legs against a boat that can runtwenty odd miles an hour and has a good start, is worthy of Mike Murphyalone."
"But we must do something," said the puzzled Alvin; "some one has stolenthe launch and should be headed off."
"How shall we do it?"
"The easiest way is to cross the long bridge to Wiscasset on the otherside of the river and telegraph to different points down stream."
They were about to start when Alvin said:
"I ought not to have allowed Mike to go off as he did. He is so rashand headlong that he will be sure to run into trouble. If we go toWiscasset, we shall be separated so long that we shall lose himaltogether. If I had only put the switch plug in my pocket they couldnot have started the motor without a lot of time and trouble!"
"Why not follow him down stream?"
"That plan was in my mind. The boat hasn't had time to go far. Supposewe try Point Quarry. That is the lowest village of Edgecomb township,where Cross River turns off and runs into the Back River, which followsthe course of the Sheepscot and joins it lower down. At Point Quarry thestream is so narrow that the _Deerfoot_ is sure to be seen."
"Provided some one happens to be looking."
"Many of these small places have telegraph lines open in the summer, butare closed in winter. A road leads from Charmount to Point Quarry, whichisn't more than four or five miles away. Less than half of that distancewill take us to Charmount. Come on."
The boys lost no time. Both had studied their map so closely beforeleaving home and on their way up the Sheepscot that they had no fear ofgoing astray. The surrounding country is sparsely settled, withprosperous farms here and there lining the highway. The walking was goodand the sky had cleared within the last few hours. The lads wereathletic, and were impelled by impatience and resentment toward whoeverhad taken such a liberty with another's property.
Two miles took them to a point where a branch road led off at rightangles in the direction of the Sheepscot and consequently to the meagersettlement of Charmount, below the eddy, where a wooden bridge joins themainland to Davis Island. They met no vehicles or footmen, though theypassed a number of tidy looking houses and saw men at work in thefields. Their destination was less than a mile off and they reached itin due time. They found a young woman in charge of the telegraphinstrument, who in answer to their inquiry said she could send a messageto Point Quarry, where the station would be closed in a few weeks.
The youths while on the road had formulated what to say by telegraph.Since they had no acquaintance at either place, Alvin addressed hisinquiry to the operator, who happened also to be a young woman. This wasthe message:
"Will you be good enough to tell me, if you can, whether a motor boathas passed down the river within the last few minutes?"
In a brief while, an unexpectedly favorable reply was returned. It wasaddressed, however, to the young woman herself, who after writing itdown rose to her feet and called to Alvin.
"Here is your answer. Miss Prentiss says that it isn't her business tokeep watch of boats passing up and down stream, her salary being so bigthat she has no time to give attention to anything except the affairs ofher office."
"I suppose that is meant as sarcasm," commented Alvin.
"It does sound like it, but she adds that the fisherman, Pete Davis,came into the office directly after your message reached her, and sheasked him your question. He told her that such a boat as you speak ofhad gone past under full speed only a few minutes before and he read thename _Deerfoot_ on her bow."
"That's it!" exclaimed Alvin. "Did the fisherman say anything more?"
"Probably he did, but Miss Prentiss hasn't reported it. Is thereanything further I can do for you?"
"Nothing--thank you."
As he spoke, he passed a half dollar tip to her, whereupon she beaminglyexpressed her gratitude. In truth she was so pleased that she smiledmore broadly than ever into the handsome face of the youth before her.Alvin suspected she was ready for a mild flirtation, but he was in nomood for such frivolity and was about to turn away, when Chester spokein a low voice:
"She has something more to say to you."
"Well?" he remarked inquiringly, returning the sunny gaze of the youngwoman.
"Do you know anyone by the name of Mike Murphy?"
Alvin laughed.
"I rather think we do; he came up on the boat with us, and is rushingdown the river in the hope of overtaking it."
"Well, he stopped in here and sent a telegram about it."
"Is it possible? Let me see it."
She shook her head.
"Not without an order from court; the rules do not permit anything ofthat kind."
"We won't tell anybody."
"I know you won't, for you will never have anything to tell."
She turned and looked down at the last sheet of yellow paper on herfile. Then she grew red in the face and shook with mirth.
"To whom did Mike send his message?"
"I wish I dare tell you; it is the funniest thing that has ever happenedin the office since I have been here. You couldn't guess in ten years."
"We have hardly that much time to spend in trying, so we shall have togive it up."
"When you see your friend say to him from me that his message wasforwarded just as he directed."
"Where did he tell you to deliver the reply?"
"He said nothing of that. I have a suspicion that there won't be anyreply to his telegram."
Alvin was turning away again, when the miss, leaning on her desk andtapping her pretty white teeth with the end of her lead pencil smilinglyasked:
"Would you really like to see Mike Murphy's telegram?"
"It would be of great help to us in our search for the stolen boat,"replied Alvin, stepping closer to her.
Chester remained standing by the outer door, with hands thrust in hispockets
. He read the signs aright.
"She has taken a fancy to him," he reflected, "and as there doesn'thappen to be much business on hand just now is disposed to flirt alittle, but Alvin isn't."
"How much will you pay for a sight of the message?"
"Anything in reason."
"And you will never, never, never tell?"
"I give you my pledge that I will not whisper it to any person."
"How about your friend back there? He has a hangdog look which I don'tlike."
"I'll answer for him; there are worse fellows, though not many.Chester!" commanded Alvin, turning abruptly upon him, "get out of sightand wait for me."
"Yes, sir," meekly answered the youth, turning about and passing intothe open air, where he added to himself, with a broader grin thanbefore:
"He doesn't suspect she's kidding him, but that's what she's doing."
The young Captain beamed upon the miss.
"Now I'm ready to have a look at my friend's telegram."
"You haven't said how much you will pay," she replied, with a coquettishglance at the expectant youth.
"How much do you ask?"
"Is it worth five dollars?"
"That's a pretty big price, but I'll give it."
"It isn't enough."
"Name your charge then."
"Fifty thousand dollars; I can't do it for a cent less."
Alvin read the pert miss aright. He soberly reached into his pocket anddrew out his wallet.
"I haven't that much with me; will you take my promissory note?"
"Nothing but cash goes here."
"Some other day--good day."
He lifted his cap and passed out doors to join his grinning friend. Thetwo started off at a brisk pace and had not taken a dozen steps whenthey ran straight into trouble.