CHAPTER XXV
SEARCHING FOR THE SCHOONER
"Well if this isn't mystery and more of it!" exclaimed Bob. "What inthe world does it all mean, and the tramp going off in this fashion?"
The boys gathered close together, their heads bent over the mysteriousmessage on the birch bark.
"Let's call to him to explain," suggested Ned.
"It's too late," said Jerry. "He's too far out. Besides I don't believehe'd come back. Anyhow I think I know what the message means."
"What?" asked Ned and Bob in a chorus.
"Isn't it plain enough?" asked Jerry with a smile. "If Andy Rush washere he'd have half a dozen explanations."
"Let me read it once more?" came from Ned.
"'Where the _bluebird_ spreads her wings, there you'll find the stolenthings. Search her deep and search her through, you will find I'mspeaking true.'"
"Why of course!" exclaimed Bob. "It must be the schooner _Bluebird_he's referring to, and he means your father's things will be found inher, Ned. It's as plain as the nose on your face."
"That's so," agreed Ned. "Is that what you make of it Jerry?"
"Sure. That part is easy enough. What does puzzle me though is thattramp. I can't quite make him out. He's a funny character, andhis latest effort is stranger than any since his adventure on thehay barge. I wonder how he knew there was stolen stuff aboard the_Bluebird_?"
"Well that seems simple enough to me," spoke Ned. "He's probably beena criminal in his time, and knows some of the crooks who robbed myfather's store. In some way he found out they had the stolen stuff onthe schooner, and he wanted to let us know to pay for our favors tohim. You remember how excited he got when he found out my name wasSlade."
"Yes, that's all right as far as it goes," said Jerry, "but you'llnever get me to believe that tramp is either a criminal or one whotravels with thieves. He's a different character altogether. You'll seeI'm right. He may have found out where the stolen stuff is, but it wasin some other way than being a companion of the thieves."
"Well, maybe, you're right," came from Ned. "That part can be settledlater. The main thing is to find the _Bluebird_ and see what there isaboard."
"Which isn't going to be such an easy thing as it sounds," Jerryremarked.
"Why not?"
"Well, it may be a simple matter to locate the vessel, as the lake isnot very large, but when we get to her have you thought of what we willdo with her?"
"Go aboard, of course, and demand my father's goods and money," saidNed boldly.
"You seem to forget there is a difficulty in the way," Jerry went on."The men who stole the stuff, provided it is aboard the ship, are notlikely to let us come over the side as if we were on a visit, andsearch for incriminating evidence. Then, too, there is Noddy, and he isnot likely to welcome a call from us. No, I think we'll have our handsfull in getting aboard the _Bluebird_."
"What would you advise?" asked Bob, as both he and Ned had come toregard Jerry's ideas as being a little better than their own onimportant matters.
"I think it would do no harm to make a search and find where the_Bluebird_ is lying," said Jerry after a little thought. "Then, perhapswe can decide on a plan of action. It's a sort of following the oldrecipe of making a rabbit pot-pie,--to first catch the rabbit."
The other boys agreed this was the best idea. They watched the boatwith the tramp-fisherman growing smaller and smaller as he rowed out onthe lake, and puzzled more than ever over the queer character.
"Well, shall we start right away?" asked Ned.
"I don't believe it would do any good," said Jerry. "Let's get readyfor supper, and this evening we can take a run out on the lake. Weprobably will not discover anything, but it will be fun, and we maygain a clue."
Shortly after sunset, the evening meal having been finished, the boysmade the _Dartaway_ ready and started away from camp. The lake wasalive with power and other boats and the boys met a number of newacquaintances they had made at the luncheon following the winning ofthe prize. They speeded back and forth until dusk, and then acceptedan invitation of a party that was bound for one of the resorts on theshore of the lake.
They spent some time there and when they reached their island dock andmade a landing it was as dark as pitch. The boat was made fast to thewharf and then, lighting some oil lanterns, the boys walked up totheir camp, which was a little way from shore.
As the gleam of the lamps fell on the place Jerry who was in the leaduttered an exclamation:
"Some one has been paying us a visit!" he said. "And they haven't beenfriends of ours either."
This was soon evident, for the camp was topsy-turvy. The shelter tentwas pulled down, the utensils and camp stuff were scattered all about,and the place looked as if a small cyclone had struck it.
"I wonder who did this?" came from Ned. "I'd like to get hold of themfor a few minutes."
"Maybe this tells," said Jerry, taking up a piece of paper from theplanks that served as a table. The scrap had evidently been placedwhere it would be easily seen. It read:
"You had better clear out of here before something worse happens to you and your boat."
"Who signs it?" asked Ned.
"It has 'The River Pirates' at the bottom," said Jerry, "but I'd bewilling to bet a new hat against a cookie that it's Noddy Nixon'swriting."
"Then the _Bluebird_ has been here in our absence," said Bob.
"Looks so," admitted Jerry. "Now let's see if any great damage has beendone."
They made a hasty examination, but beyond tearing up the camp, andupsetting things, nothing appeared to have been stolen or seriouslydamaged. It seemed that the visitors merely wanted to annoy the boys.
There was nothing much that could be done until morning, so the boys,seeing that the _Dartaway_ was securely made fast, went to sleep onboard. They rested undisturbed until morning.
"Now to hunt for the mysterious schooner!" exclaimed Ned afterbreakfast. "Do you know I have a good scheme?"
"Let's hear it," said Jerry.
"We ought to disguise ourselves," went on Ned. "If we go hunting forthe schooner in our motor boat the way we are now, they can see uscoming and get on their guard. We ought to make up as fishermen, justas the tramp did, and steam around slowly."
"They know the boat by this time," objected Jerry.
"We can disguise her a bit by hanging strips of canvas over the sides,"went on Ned, "and by taking the canopy off."
"I believe that's a good suggestion," said Jerry. "Then we could takethe thieves by surprise. Come on, we'll see what we can do to the boat."
By removing the awning, and putting strips of dirty canvas over thebright clean paint on the sides of the _Dartaway_ the whole appearanceof the craft was changed.
"Now for ourselves," said Bob. "We'll wear our oldest clothes."
If the boys hoped to succeed with little effort they were doomed todisappointment. They spent all the morning cruising around the lakeand did not get a glimpse of the craft they wanted. They did not goback to camp for lunch, having brought some eatables with them. In theafternoon the cruise was resumed, but with no better luck.
For three days the boys went forth every morning disguised asfishermen, and came back at night having had their trouble for theirpains.
"This is getting tiresome," said Ned, on the evening of the third day."We're having no fun out of this trip at all. Let's let the thieves go.I don't believe they have any stuff on the boat."
"Let's try one more day," pleaded Jerry. "We'll go away down to theother end of the lake."
So it was agreed. They made an early start the next morning and in theafternoon found themselves cruising around at the extreme southern endof the lake. There the body of water narrowed in one place because ofan island close to shore. It was a spot seldom visited, and there wereno camps in that vicinity.
"Let's take a look around the other side of that island," suggestedJerry, when his companions proposed going home. "There might be a dozenschooners there."
/> The _Dartaway_ was headed through the narrow channel. Jerry, who wassteering, was proceeding slowly, as he was in unfamiliar waters, andthe channel seemed rather shallow.
Suddenly, as the motor boat emerged from the strait, the three boyscould hardly help refrain from uttering an exclamation. There, mooredto the shore, was the _Bluebird_.
"We've found her!" whispered Bob excitedly.
"Hush!" cautioned Jerry. "Pretend to be fishing while I work the boatnearer. Don't look at the schooner. They may be watching us."
With swiftly beating hearts the boys listened to the throb of thepropeller that brought them nearer and nearer to the _Bluebird_.