CHAPTER XXX
THE TWO-TAILED LIZARD
Seconds seemed stretched into minutes, and minutes into hours, as theboys waited. They spoke little, not even when they went down to look atthe _Scud_. She was in shallow water, and could easily be pulled up onshore, and the leaky seams made tight.
“She lasted as long as we needed her,” remarked Jerry, simply.
It must have been two hours later, perhaps more, when Dr. Brown cameout of the cabin. His clothes smelled of ether and iodoform as hegreeted the boys, saying:
“It’s all over.”
“Is he--will he----?” faltered Jerry.
“He will recover, unless some complication sets in,” was the answer.“The operation was a complete success. Oh, it was worth watching, towitness the masterly manner in which Dr. Wright worked! I am underobligations to you boys for giving me the opportunity.”
“It is we who are in your debt,” responded Jerry. “Can we see him?”
“Oh, indeed no. He has not come out of the ether yet. I doubt if youcan see him before to-morrow noon. You had best go to bed. The doctorand the nurses will look after him.”
And, worn out with their nights’ vigils--Jerry and Bob from theirlong trips, and Ned and Andy from watching--they all felt the need ofrest and sleep. But sleep came only fitfully at first, until, towardmorning, when they all fell into heavy slumber.
They were awakened by Dr. Brown at their tent.
They found the professor paler and thinner than before, but lookingbetter in spite of that, for he was out of pain. The relief of theoperation, given under merciful insensibility of ether, had deliveredhim from the grip of pain.
“I--I want to talk to you, Jerry,” he said, faintly.
“Not too much,” cautioned Miss Payson.
“It--it will relieve my mind,” was the low reply of the sick man. “Ihave something to tell Jerry.”
They would not let him tell it all then, but he said enough to letJerry know that fraud had been practiced by the Universal PlasterCompany, and that fraud, Jerry was sure, was sufficient to set asidethe sale, on the part of his mother, of the valuable lands in theswamp.
In a few days Professor Snodgrass was able to tell the whole story.
“I had no idea of the medical value of that yellow clay until, on oneof my trips after insects, I met Fussel and Professor Bailey,” he said.“I know now that they are scoundrels, but I had no idea of it then.They asked me to test the yellow clay for certain ingredients, and Idid so. I found them there, and they told me their plan--to impregnatethe clay with certain medicines. I then saw how valuable a use of itcould be made, and I gave them a testimonial of its worth. They paidme well. But if I had thought it was injuring my friends I never wouldhave aided those scoundrels.
“I had no idea then, Jerry, that this was the same clay you had showedme. For when I examined your specimen I had no thought that it might bea vehicle for the administration of medicine in the shape of plastersand poultices.
“But from the moment I had given advice to Fussel and his gang, I hadno chance to communicate with you. In fact, I did not know there wasa large deposit of this clay on your mother’s land. They said it camefrom Mr. Nixon’s land, and from another part of the swamp. So I was notconcerned about you, Jerry.
“Then they hurried me away, on the false assertion that I could find atwo-tailed lizard up here. I had no time even to come and see you. Infact, I guess I did not think of it, I was so excited.”
“We thought that strange,” commented Jerry, “your not coming back.”
Jerry explained how he and his chums had set off in search of thescientist, to get his explanation of the matter, and Jerry told oftheir adventures on the way.
“I intended to have another analysis made of the clay, to see if it wasof any value,” the tall lad said, “but I did not get a chance. However,it wasn’t necessary, Professor. But we sure did think it queer that youdidn’t come back to us.”
“It was odd,” the professor admitted. “But I was so anxious to get thelizard that I thought of nothing else. I came up here and made thegreat discovery.”
“Did you find the lizard?” asked Ned.
“No. But one day, when I was out after specimens, I opened one of thebox-cages I had brought with me from the hotel in Bellport, where I wasstopping when Fussel and his gang sought my advice. In that box I founda certain paper which showed me how I had been tricked. It was oneof the plaster company’s documents, and must have fallen into my boxby mistake. But it gave away the whole plan, and showed how they hadplayed a trick to get your mother’s land, Jerry.”
“A trick?” questioned the tall lad.
“Yes. They tried to make her believe she would have no right of way toget to her strip, and so, as I understand it, she sold.”
“That was one of the reasons that induced her to part with it,” saidJerry. “That, and the fact that we could not prove the yellow clay tobe of any value.”
“And that representation that she had no right of way was a fraud,” theprofessor declared, “for she had. And it is well established in lawthat where the conveyance of land is obtained by fraud that it will begiven back to the original owners.”
“Then mother will get her land back!” cried Jerry, joyfully.
“Yes, and the valuable clay with it,” declared Professor Snodgrass. “Iwill testify in her favor, and I have the documents to prove it.”
“When did you discover them?” asked Ned, eagerly.
“One day, as I say, when I was out hunting specimens. I had just caughta rare bug, and was putting it in the box, when the paper attracted myattention. Then, as I took it out and put the paper in my pocket, I sawa rare butterfly. I made a reach for it with the net, and fell over theledge.
“I remembered nothing more for some time. When I recovered consciousnessI found myself, badly injured, at the foot of the cliff. My water bottleand lunch box had fallen near me, and I managed to eat and drink. ButI could not move. I called for help, but none came. Then I lostconsciousness again, and I remembered nothing more until--until justbefore the operation.
“I understand you boys found me. You saved my life!”
“And you have saved my mother’s property!” voiced Jerry.
“You will find the papers to prove the fraud in my coat,” the professorsaid, and there they were. Jerry took charge of them.
“Then you haven’t found the two-tailed lizard?” asked Bob.
“No, and I am afraid I never shall,” was the discouraged answer. “Idon’t believe there are any up here.”
Everyone in the camp was in a happy mood. As the days passed theprofessor grew stronger. There was no question now about his recovery.Jerry had sent the good news to his mother, and had communicated withthe family lawyer, who promised to see that action was taken againstthe swindlers.
And I may state here that eventually Mrs. Hopkins received back herland, and the sale of the yellow clay recouped her fortune. In fact, onthe adjoining property there was only a small amount of the clay, andMrs. Hopkins had a monopoly. So she did not have to worry about moneymatters. Fraud was clearly proved on the part of Fussel and his crowd,and though they fought the case in the courts they were defeated. Thepaper accidentally found in the professor’s box won the case for Jerryand his mother.
Dr. Wright, with his sister and the nurse, remained at the camp untilit was certain the professor was out of danger. Then Dr. Brown wasplaced in charge.
Jerry was a little apprehensive about Dr. Wright’s bill, but thatmatter was easily settled. When Jerry spoke of it the great surgeonlaughed and said:
“Do you think I would present Professor Snodgrass with a bill for myservices? We scientists are brothers, you know. It was a pleasure topreserve him for the great work he is doing.”
And so Dr. Wright, with the two ladies, went back to civilization. The_Scud_ had been hauled out by the boys, the seams caulked, and she wasas fit as ever. In her the doctor was taken back to his hotel.
&n
bsp; The boys would remain in the woodland camp about a week longer, andthen, by easy stages, would go back home, taking the scientist withthem as far as Boston.
One night Bob awoke with a yell, sitting suddenly up in his bunk.
“What’s the matter--got the nightmare?” asked Jerry.
“No, but there’s something in my bed. A snake, I guess,” Bob cried.
Ned came with a light, and Bob, hopping out of his bed, turned back thesheet, for only that light covering was needed on account of the warmweather. As he did so something wriggled farther under the covers.
“There it is!” cried Bob. “Look!”
“It’s something, anyhow,” Jerry agreed.
The coverings were thrown off and Bob cried:
“There it is! The two-tailed lizard!”
It was a large lizard, surely enough, and Jerry, who had little fear ofcrawling creatures, easily captured the specimen.
“I believe it _is_ a two-tailed one,” he said. “At least it might passfor one. Let’s show the professor.”
Dr. Snodgrass slowly examined the specimen in the light of a lantern.He turned it carefully from side to side.
“Well, I suppose you could call that a two-tailed lizard,” he finallyannounced. “But it is not what I expected. See, there is the rudimentof the second tail,” and he pointed to a short horny knob growing outabove the main, or long tail, of the wriggling creature.
“Nature evidently intended to give this species of lizard two tails,”went on the professor, “but something interfered with her plans.Perhaps she, herself, changed her mind. But it is a sure-enoughtwo-tailed lizard, and will be a valuable addition to our museum. AndI can prove that my friend Professor Battin is mistaken when he saysthere is no such creature. Who found it?”
“It crawled in my bed,” spoke Bob, looking around as though he mightsee more of the uncanny creatures.
The professor was eagerly examining the specimen. Undoubtedly it wasthe two-tailed lizard, but it was not such an odd freak as mighthave been expected. However, the scientist was apparently satisfied.The lizard was put in a box, and the next day the professor, who wasrapidly convalescing, made copious notes concerning it.
The motor boys spent another week in camp, fishing and tramping about.The professor was able to walk now. None of the plotters came to driveour friends away from the hunting lodge.
And then, one day, camp was broken, and they started down the lake, tofinish the trip by auto, Professor Snodgrass going with them.
“Well, we sure did have an exciting summer of it,” commented Jerry, ashe steered the boat over the course on which he had guided her in therace to save the life of the scientist.
“That’s right,” agreed Ned. “And I wonder if we’ll have as lively atime next season?”
Whether our young friends did or did not may be learned by reading ournext volume, entitled: “Ned, Bob and Jerry at Boxwood Hall; Or, TheMotor Boys as Freshmen.” This will be the first volume of a secondseries devoted to the activities of our heroes.
In due time the boys, with Professor Snodgrass, reached Cresville. Onthe way the scientist caught several more specimens, but none, in hisopinion, was as valuable as the two-tailed lizard, which had made abed-fellow of Bob.
“Where you going, Jerry?” asked Ned, one afternoon, as he saw his chumstarting out in the motor boat.
“Oh, just over to the swamp to see how the work is coming on. I heardthey struck an even richer bed of yellow clay on mother’s land thanthat which those fellows developed at first.”
“I’ll come along,” went on Ned, and Bob came up soon after, joining thelittle party.
And while they are on their way to watch the men at work on the landso strangely restored to Mrs. Hopkins, we will take leave of the motorboys.
THE END