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THERE WERE A FEW SHOUTS FROM THE SHORE.]
THE OUTDOOR CHUMS ON THE LAKE
OR
Lively Adventures on Wildcat Island
By CAPTAIN QUINCY ALLEN
AUTHOR OF "THE OUTDOOR CHUMS," "THE OUTDOOR CHUMS IN THE FOREST," "THE OUTDOOR CHUMS ON THE GULF," ETC.
_ILLUSTRATED_
NEW YORK GROSSET & DUNLAP PUBLISHERS
THE OUTDOOR CHUMS SERIES
By CAPTAIN QUINCY ALLEN
THE OUTDOOR CHUMS Or The First Tour of the Rod, Gun and Camera Club
THE OUTDOOR CHUMS ON THE LAKE Or Lively Adventures on Wildcat Island
THE OUTDOOR CHUMS IN THE FOREST Or Laying the Ghost of Oak Ridge
THE OUTDOOR CHUMS ON THE GULF Or Rescuing the Lost Balloonists
THE OUTDOOR CHUMS AFTER BIG GAME Or Perilous Adventures in the Wilderness
_12mo. Cloth. Illustrated. Price, per volume, 40 cents postpaid._
GROSSET & DUNLAP PUBLISHERS NEW YORK
COPYRIGHT, 1911, BY GROSSET & DUNLAP
_The Outdoor Chums on the Lake_
CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE I The Burning Steamboat 1 II Two Clever Rogues 10 III the Tell-tale Picture 19 IV The Paddle To Wildcat Island 30 V A Strange Happening 41 VI Frank Makes a Guess 49 VII Exploring the Island 60 VIII Old Enemies Appear 69 IX Guardians of the Camp 78 X Frank Tries To Figure It Out 87 XI Recovering a Stolen Boat 98 XII Down the Slope 106 XIII The Wild Man Develops an Appetite 114 XIV Bluff Takes Chances 122 XV Playing the Game 131 XVI Signs That Spelled Trouble 142 XVII Deeper Into the Jungle 151 XVIII Under the Cabin Wall 169 XIX Holding Bluff In 169 XX The Escape Of Jerry 177 XXI The Last Straw 186 XXII Holding the Fort 194 XXIII the White Flag 203 XXIV A New Alarm 212 XXV The Rescue--Conclusion 221
THE OUTDOOR CHUMS ON THE LAKE
CHAPTER I--THE BURNING STEAMBOAT
"Hurry up, and give the signal, Frank!"
"Yes, let's get the agony over with--either Bluff is a better all-roundpaddler than I am, or else he has to take water, that's all!"
"Please hold your horses till I get a good focus on you, fellows!"called Will Milton, the official photographer of the Rod, Gun and CameraClub.
He stood on a little private dock, overlooking Lake Camalot, andmanipulated his camera with the air of a professional.
"Sorry, but you'll have to wait a bit now, boys," replied Frank Langdon,the judge, who was also seated in a cedar canoe very like those of thecontestants, only it was built for two, his mate being Will.
"What's gone wrong now, Frank?" demanded Jerry Wallington, with hisdouble-bladed paddle poised for the first dip.
"Why, look at the _Eastern Star_--she's making her first Spring triparound the lake, and heads in a line to cut you off your course,"declared the referee.
"So much the worse for the poor old boat; we'll just have to run herdown," calmly observed the youth called Bluff.
"I was only thinking of your being swamped in the rough water she leavesin her wake. Better relax your muscles for a few minutes, you impatientbraves."
"Talk to me about your hard luck, what d'ye think of that? Why, theplagued old boat's just gone and stopped where she blocks us off in ourlittle spin," grumbled Jerry, in plain disgust.
"That settles it, then; we'll surely have to sink her," remarked Bluff.
"Hold on before you think of that. I'm afraid there's something wrongaboard, for Captain Amos would never stop out there on the lake--atleast I never knew him to do such a thing before," said Frank, standingup in the canoe to see better.
"Say, fellows, isn't that smoke coming out of the cabin?" demanded Will.
"Smoke--why, perhaps the old tinderbox is afire!" ejaculated Bluff.
"Let's paddle out and see; perhaps we can be of some help!" cried Jerry.
"Come on, then!"
"Hey! you fellers hold on; where do I come in?" shouted Will.
"You stay on the dock and get a snapshot of the whole circus!" answeredthe unfeeling Jerry, as he spurted away, urging his dainty craft alongwith rapid strokes of his spruce blade.
"Marooned, I declare," muttered Will; "but perhaps I can improve theopportunity and get a picture that will go down in the history ofsteamboating on Lake Camalot."
The three lads fairly flew over the intervening water, which was almostsmooth, as the breeze hardly created a ripple on the surface.
Frank, having a larger boat to manage, fell behind a trifle; but hisarms were seasoned in all manner of work, and he kept tagging alongclose in the rear.
Apparently there was need for alarm, as the smoke had rapidly increasedin volume, and was now pouring out of the little steamer.
At the same time they could plainly hear the shouts of excited men;while the shriller voices that arose told that there were womenpassengers aboard.
Dashing up to the side of the boat the boys scrambled aboard, hastilysecuring their canoes to any object that promised temporary anchorage.
Then they hurried to the cabin.
Here they found a scene of the utmost confusion. Men were trying to dashbuckets of water upon the fire, which seemed to have gotten quite afoothold. It even looked as though the first trip of the little _EasternStar_ this season would prove to be her last.
Captain Amos was plainly badly rattled by this sudden emergency, thoughhe was working like a trooper to extinguish the flames, and leading histwo assistants, the engineer and deckhand, in gallant rushes almost intothe fire, where the contents of the buckets they carried seemed to dolittle or no good.
Frank Langdon was possessed of a cool head in emergencies that calledfor tact. He made an astonishing discovery as soon as he arrived uponthe scene of action. This consisted of the fact that in the tremendousexcitement, with the passengers shrieking in his ears, the captain hadentirely forgotten the fact that the boat was equipped with fireextinguishers.
"Here, fellows, get busy, strap this on my back, and then get another.We've got to put out this fire or some one will be burned to death, ordrowned. Don't let any woman jump overboard!" he exclaimed.
Jerry and Bluff seemed to
catch some of the spirit that animated theirleader. They succeeded in fastening the extinguisher to his back, eventhough their hands trembled while so doing.
No sooner had this been done before Frank was off, rushing directlytoward the spot where the flames seemed to have taken hold mostfiercely.
It was rather appalling, but somehow or other the sight of the braveboy, equipped for mastering the mounting flames, caused a little cheerto arise from the excited passengers.
As soon as the prepared liquid from the little apparatus began to spreadover the fire, its ardor was immediately checked. By the time Jerryrushed alongside, similarly equipped, Frank was getting the better ofthe conflagration.
"Don't stop with the water, Captain Amos!" shouted Frank, knowing thatif their extinguishers gave out before the fire was fully under controlit might spring up again into new life.
"Away, boys! Hand up the buckets!" cried the captain.
Several of the male passengers, having by now partly recovered fromtheir panic, started in to assist. Between the whole lot the water camefaster, and in less than ten minutes the fire was practically out.
There had been some damage done, but nothing to seriously injure thesteamboat; and a carpenter could make repairs while the vessel wascovering a few daily runs in this balmy April weather.
Captain Amos now found a chance to rush up to Frank, and shake his handvigorously.
He was a bluff chap, not much older than Frank, a very goodsteamboatman, only that he seemed apt to lose his head in a crisis,which after all, must be a grave fault.
"Bully for you, Frank! Your coming saved the boat, I believe. I'll neverforget it, I tell you. Was just about to lay hold of those fireextinguishers when your crowd forestalled me. It was a rough deal allaround. With those women shrieking, and holding on to me, begging me tosave them, a fellow might be excused for being a little slow to do theright thing. And you, too, Jerry and Bluff--shake hands!"
"What set the boat afire?" asked the curious Bluff, immediately.
The captain shook his head.
"I don't believe it was an accident. We have always been mighty carefulabout leaving any waste around where it could start into a flame.Besides, if you notice, boys, you can see that it started close to thecabin, and not near the boiler."
Captain Amos involuntarily lowered his voice and glanced suspiciouslyaround while speaking. His manner thrilled the boys as they had seldombeen before.
"Not an accident! Tell me about that, will you? Do you mean that youbelieve some one set the boat afire?" exclaimed Jerry.
"Don't speak so loud, please. That is what I think. Unless it wasintentional, I can't imagine how the thing started," answered the youngcaptain, who was still much excited after his recent experience.
"But it seems monstrous. Who would be guilty of such a terrible thing?"asked Frank, possibly dimly suspecting that the other might be seekingto cover up some lack of proper caution on his part, though that was notlike Amos Short.
"Say, did your crew mutiny?" gasped Bluff, whose eyes were wide openwith wonder over this new development of the affair, and who had latelybeen doing considerable reading of sea tales.
"Well, hardly. I only have the engineer, an old faithful fellow; thepilot, who stuck to his post through it all, and would have run usashore if the worst came; and one deck hand, a darky," he repliedwarmly.
"Then it was a passenger, you think?" demanded Frank, determined to getat the bottom of this new mystery.
"Well, none of my pay passengers. Listen and I'll tell you. This beingthe first trip this year we were not so particular about taking pay. AtNewtonport a couple of tramps got aboard. When I went to collect theirfares they said they had no money, but wanted to get across the lake toCenterville. Rather than have a disturbance on board I allowed them toremain, cautioning them to stay below near the engine."
"Perhaps you are right, Captain; but what could be their object infiring your boat?" asked Frank.
One of the passengers hurriedly approached at this moment. He wasplainly much excited, and as the fire was completely out it could nothave been from that cause.
"Captain, before you get into Centerville I demand that you have everyperson on board this boat searched!" he exclaimed vigorously.
"Searched, Mr. Pemberton--what do you mean?" exclaimed the captain, indismay.
"Because, sir, my luggage has been opened while we were all excitedabout the fire, and my property scattered about. I have been robbed ofsomething that was worth considerable money to me, sir. And I intend tohold you and your steamboat company liable for damages!" he criedindignantly.
The captain looked at Frank--here then was an explanation of the suddenfire!