CHAPTER XX
A MINUTE TOO LATE
"Well, this looks like a wild goose chase, Dick."
It was Sam who spoke, from the bow of the motor-boat. For over twohours they had been moving up the Hudson River, slowly, scanning oneshore and the other with care. They had noted many boats, but nothingthat looked like the schooner for which they were so eagerlysearching.
"They had a pretty good start of you," said John Slater, the owner ofthe motor-boat. "Maybe they are up to Nyack or Haverstraw by thistime."
"Well, all we can do is to keep on and watch out," said Tom, with asigh. His disposition, for fun seemed to have entirely left him.
Another half hour went by, and they came in sight of a number oflumber barges, all heavily loaded. The barges were being towed by abig tug.
"I know the captain of that tug," said John Slater. "We might ask himabout the schooner."
"A good idea," answered Dick.
They were soon close to the steam tug and the motor-boat owner wavedhis hand to the captain of the larger craft, who waved in return.
"I want to find a schooner named the Ellen Rodney!" shouted JohnSlater. "Did you pass her, Captain Voss?"
"I did," was the answer. "She was opposite Nyack, heading in toshore."
"Opposite Nyack!" exclaimed Dick, "How far is that from here?"
"Not more than two miles," answered John Slater, as he turned hismotor-boat up the river again.
"We ought to be able to catch them now!" cried Sam, his facebrightening a bit.
"Wish we had the police along," remarked Tom. "Bringing those rascalsto terms may not be as easy as you imagine."
"I've got a gun on board," said John Slater. "A double-barreledshotgun I keep on hand to guard against river thieves. I use it to gogunning with, too."
"Good! Better bring it out and let us look at it," returned Dick.
The weapon was produced and found to be in good condition and loaded.It was placed on one of the seats, an oilskin raincoat being thrownover it to hide it from view.
"We won't use force unless it is necessary," said Dick, grimly.
They soon came in sight of Nyack, but nothing that looked like theschooner came into view.
"Maybe they went further," suggested Sam. "Their turning in might havebeen a bluff--to throw us off the trail."
"Or they may have sent a message ashore--maybe a message to Japson!"cried Dick.
"Of course they would want to put him on guard--and put those at theoffices on guard, too," murmured Tom.
They continued on up the river, with their eyes ever on the alert. Itwas now growing late in the afternoon and the sky was clouded, as if astorm was coming.
"Look!" cried Dick, suddenly, and he pointed ahead and to the right.
"The schooner, sure enough!" said Tom. "And see, a rowboat isalongside!"
"Maybe we are just in time," added Sam. "I hope so."
Without delay, the motor-boat was headed in the direction of the EllenRodney. As they drew closer they saw but one man on the deck of theschooner,--a burly fellow who looked like a sailor.
"Schooner ahoy!" shouted Dick, as they ran alongside.
"Ahoy, the motor-boat!" cried the burly man, coming towards them.
"Are you the captain?"
"No, the captain is ashore," was the short answer.
"I'll come aboard," said Dick, and without waiting for another wordfrom the man he made his way to the deck, followed by Tom. He hadalready directed Sam to remain in the motor-boat with John Slater, tosummon assistance if necessary.
"What do you want here?" demanded the burly man, surlily.
"I guess you know well enough," answered Dick, shortly. "Where is thatman who is a prisoner?"
"You mean the crazy man?"
"He isn't crazy, and you know it."
"Those men who had him in charge said he was crazy," grumbled theburly individual.
"Where is he?"
"What is that to you?"
"Everything. That man is my father, and they have kidnapped him. Maybeyou know that kidnapping is a State's prison offense," added theoldest Rover boy, sharply.
"Humph! I ain't had nothing to do with any kidnapping, young fellow,"growled the man. "I'm the mate o' this schooner, that's all. Ifanything is wrong, you'll have to see the captain about it."
"You say he went ashore?"
"Yes."
"Did those men and my father go with him?"
"All of 'em went, yes."
"Who was left here besides you?"
"Those two dago sailors, that's all," and the mate pointed to two menwho lay on the forward deck, asleep.
"Are you willing to have me take a look around?" went on Dick, after apause.
"You'll have to wait till the captain gets back," answered the man,doggedly. "If there is anything wrong I don't want to be mixed up init."
"If you want to keep out of trouble you'll help us all you can," putin Tom. "This is a serious business."
"I don't know a thing about it," and the man shrugged his shoulders.
Without another word Dick walked across the deck and descended intothe cabin. The burly man's face clouded and he made a move as if tofollow him.
"You stay here," said Tom, and put his hand in his hip pocket, as ifabout to draw some weapon.
The man changed color and shifted uneasily.
"All right, have your own way," he said. He was a coward at heart, andas he had not been in the plot against Anderson Rover he did not wishto get any deeper into the trouble.
It did not take Dick long to convince himself that his father was noton board the schooner. He called his parent's name, and then passedswiftly through the cabin and several staterooms and also a cook'sgalley. He saw where somebody had been locked in one of thestaterooms, for the compartment was in disorder and the door wasmarred and cracked.
"Dad must have struggled to get away," he murmured. "I hope theydidn't hurt him."
When Dick came on deck he found Tom guarding the burly man. The twosailors were still asleep--or pretended to be.
"Nothing doing below," he announced. "I guess they took him ashore."
"We might as well go ashore, too, then," said his brother. "We arewasting valuable time here." He turned to the mate. "Will you tell uswhere they went? It will be to your interest to open your mouth."
"They mentioned the old Blue Horseshoe Tavern," growled the burlymate. "But I don't know if they went there."
Dick said no more, but hurried over the side, followed by Tom. As heleft the schooner the fun-loving Rover could not help but bring fromhis hip pocket an extra handkerchief and flourish it at the mate.
"There's my gun, how do you like it?" he cried, with a grin.
"Go to grass!" grunted the burly fellow, and scowled deeply.
In a few words the pair told Sam what they had learned. The motor-boatwas headed for a nearby dock, and a few minutes later the Roversleaped ashore.
"I don't know if I will need you again or not," said Dick to JohnSlater.
"If it wasn't for watching my boat I'd go along," said the motor-boatyouth. "I am interested in this case."
"Here is your money. But I wish you would hang around a while," wenton Dick, paying him.
"I sure will hang around, and I'll watch that schooner."
"Good! Our address in New York is the Outlook Hotel," said Dick.
The boys saw nobody around the dock, which was in the rear of a smalllumber yard. They walked through the yard to an office in front. Aroad ran out of the side of the yard and the boys wondered if the menthey were after had taken that.
Nobody but a boy of fifteen was in the office, clicking out a letteron an old typewriter.
"The boss ain't around--he had to go to New York on business," heannounced, as soon as the boys appeared. "Want to leave an order foranything?"
"We are looking for some men who came ashore a while ago," said Dick."Did you see 'em?"
The boy shook his head.
"Ain't nobody be
en here all afternoon," he said.
"Do you know anything of a place called the Blue Horseshoe Tavern?"
"Sure I do. It's up on the post road--the place where all the autoparties stop," was the knowing reply.
"How far from here?"
"Not over a quarter of a mile."
"Which way?"
"I'll show you," and the boy reached for his cap. Going outside, heled them from the yard to a road running up a hill.
"Keep right on that till you get to the Blue Horseshoe," he said. "Youcan't miss it, because it's the only place around here."
They thanked the lad and hurried on. By this time it was quite darkand a few drops of rain had begun to fall.
"The Blue Horseshoe Tavern must be one of the old-time roadhouses thathas had a revival of business since auto parties became popular," saidDick, as he and his brothers trudged along. "I wonder what thoserascals will tell the proprietor?"
"Most likely the same old story--that dad is crazy," answered Tom."That's Crabtree's favorite game."
They had just turned a curve in the road and come in sight of a low,rambling tavern, when they saw a big touring car of the enclosedpattern coming towards them. To avoid the machine, which was beingdriven rapidly, they leaped to the side of the road.
As the touring car came closer, they saw that two men sat on the frontseat,--the driver and a man who had his hat pulled far down over hisface and his coat collar turned up.
"Look!" yelled Tom, pointing to the man beside the driver.
"Look into the car!" yelled Sam.
The automobile rolled on, lost to sight in less than a minute, aroundthe bend of the road. It was headed in the direction of New York City.
"The man on the front seat with the driver was Pelter!" exclaimed Tom.
"And dad was inside the car!" gasped Sam.
"You are right," returned Dick. "And Crabtree and another man was withhim. Dad looked as if he had his hands bound behind him."
"What shall we do now?"
"How can we follow that car?"
"How did they get that auto so quick?"
"I think I know how they got the auto," said the oldest Rover boy,after a pause. "There must be a garage at the tavern. Come on and see.Maybe we can get another auto and follow that car!"