CHAPTER XV.
UNEXPECTED ALLIES.
It was with a feeling of thankfulness, as well as a sense ofsatisfaction, that Max Hastings started to head for the shore of theisland once more. By this time he felt that he ought to know every footof the way, after passing over it so often. And it afforded an easierpassage than by keeping straight through the dense underbrush and woods;though the crazy man seemed to prefer that course, having a possiblesecret trail of his own.
As the island was not many acres in extent, Max expected to reach thecamp before ten minutes had elapsed, or fifteen at most. The boys wouldbe anxious to see him. Perhaps they had been sitting up inside the tentsall the time, too worried to go to sleep. If so, he wondered whetherthey had known when the wild man of the woods again entered the camp,and made way with the provisions waiting for him.
Reaching the shore, where he could look out upon the passing river, heturned his head in the quarter whence he knew his destination lay.
In this way then he had been going, perhaps five minutes, and all seemedwell, when he met with a sudden and disagreeable surprise.
Something sprang upon him without the least warning. Max, althoughhorrified, and with that ferocious bobcat in mind, attempted to strugglethe best he knew how; but to his astonishment his arms were pinioned athis sides, so that he really found himself helpless to move, as he wasthrown heavily down.
Of course he had understood before this that it was not an animal at allthat had jumped upon him, but a human being like himself. His firstthought lay in the direction of the madman whom he had left in the cabinwith the barricaded door. In some mysterious way the fellow must haveescaped, and following fast upon his heel had now accomplished hiscapture.
And just when this awful thought was getting a grip on the mind of poorMax, he found occasion to change his opinion once more. A face had comein contact with his, and it was smooth, and destitute of the hair he hadseen straggling over the long unshaven countenance of the crazy man.
Could Ted Shafter and his cronies have dared venture back afterreceiving that severe fright earlier in the evening? The idea seemednext door to preposterous to Max; but what other explanation could therebe to the mystery.
"Got him safe, Jenkins?" asked a gruff voice close by; and Max realizedthat it was a question addressed to the unseen party who held him sotightly.
"That's what I have, sir; but seems to me there's something wrong here,"replied the other party, the athletic fellow to whom Max owed histumble.
"What d'ye mean by saying that, Jenkins?" demanded the man who seemed tobe in authority, since the second one called him "sir," and seemed readyto obey his orders.
"He don't feel near as big as our man; and his face, it's as smooth asmy own. I reckon we've hit on the wrong bird, Mr. Lawrence," continuedthe man, slightly relaxing his firm grip on Max.
"I'm sure you have," said the boy, thinking that it was time he letthese mysterious parties know that he seriously objected to being setupon, pulled down, and roughly treated, just as though he were a commoncriminal.
"Well, this _is_ a joke on us, sure enough," remarked the man who gaveorders; "let him up, Jenkins; it must be one of the boys we saw throughthe glasses yesterday camped at the foot of the island. They didn't goback home after all, as we believed, when we came back here with a boatthis evening. That must have been another lot we heard coming down theriver."
Max began to grasp things now. From these words he knew that these twomen must be the same whom Steve had seen watching the island on the daybefore, and who had appeared to go away _up_ the river. They must havecircled around, so as to finally reach Carson, where they heard certainthings that had sent them up again, this time in a boat, late theafternoon before.
And hearing the splash of oars as Ted and his cronies hurried back totown, they had believed that the boys were those whom they had seencamped at the lower end of the island. Doubtless they even suspectedthat Max and his chums might have been also frightened off by the samewild-looking man who had appeared to Herb Benson weeks ago.
"Who are you, and what are you looking for over here on CatamountIsland?" Max now asked, boldly, feeling pretty sure he could give a goodguess, even before the other spoke a word in explanation.
The crackle of a match told him that the leader of the couple wished totake a look at him, so as to be satisfied. And when the little piece ofwood flared up, Max was able to see that both men were, as Steve haddeclared, dressed in gray uniforms, that were decorated with the brassbuttons of authority.
"Well, it _is_ a boy, as sure as anything, Jenkins," remarked the man,who wore a short-pointed beard, and had a keen face, as though he mightbe in the habit of dealing with charges who required constant vigilance."Now, I hope my assistant didn't hurt you much when he jumped you,following my orders, when he heard you coming?"
Now, Max did feel a trifle sore, where he had struck the ground with thesaid Jenkins on top of him; and doubtless the feeling would be stillmore pronounced by another day. But then he was too proud to confess toany such small thing.
"Nothing to mention, sir," he remarked, just as though it were a commonthing to have people wallow all over him, as though they were playingtackle in a football struggle. "But are you looking for a lunatic?"
"Hello! Do you mean to say you can put us on the track of one?" demandedthe man who had been called Mr. Lawrence by his assistant.
"A rather big man, with a shock of white hair, and staring eyes; a mandressed in a faded suit of brown, and wearing an old blue flannelshirt?" Max went on.
He could not see the men now, because the match had long since gone out;but it was evident that they were delighted to hear him talk in the wayhe did.
"You've described him to a dot, my lad," remarked the gentleman; "onlyhis hair was cut fairly short, and his face smooth, when he broke loosefrom the asylum, now two months back, and disappeared. Such a job Inever before struck. We've been on twenty different trails, and everyoneturned out false. And we were about to give it up, when I rememberedthat long ago he had lived in this section of the country; and the ideacame to me that perhaps even a crazy man might remember places. So wecame up here to look at the island, only to find a party of boys campedon it; and that seemed to indicate a crazy man could not be anywherenear them. But down in Carson I heard a story from a boy about awild-looking creature that had frightened himself and his friends nearlyto death up here on the island; so, not knowing what else to do, Jenkinsand myself got a boat and came back, meaning to explore the place in thenight time, as well as by daylight. We intended going back home andgiving it all up as a bad job, if this last hope failed, and we didn'tlocate old Coombs in the place he once lived, they told me."
Max uttered a cry.
"What was that name you spoke, sir?" he asked.
"Why, the name of the lunatic that broke out, and has given us all thischase over the blessed country; Wesley Coombs his full name is. Have youheard of him, my boy?" replied the warden of the asylum.
"Oh, yes, and to think that when he escaped, after being confined for somany years, the poor man turned back here to the last place he had livedwhen he had a wife and child. They were both drowned in a freshet. Iunderstood he had gone, too; but he must have been taken to the lunaticasylum instead, poor fellow."
Max was feeling very sad as the truth broke in upon him after thisfashion. To think that Wesley Coombs had been alive all these years;restrained of his liberty. And how pathetic it was to know that when hefinally found an opportunity to get away, he had, through some queerfreak of fate, come back to this island of the Big Sunflower, where hehad brought his young wife and child years ago, and which stillremained, the one remembrance of the past in his poor dulled mind!
"Is he here now on the island?" asked Mr. Lawrence, eagerly.
Perhaps Wesley Coombs was a person of very little importance in himself;but he had been sought for so long that his recapture would bringconsiderable satisfaction along with it.
"To the best of my kno
wledge and belief, he is," replied Max, chucklingto think how he was in a condition to know, and enjoying the prospect ofspringing a surprise upon the two wardens of the asylum.
"Then you've seen him?" continued the head keeper.
"I certainly have, sir, or I couldn't have described him very well," Maxwent on, not too anxious to make his disclosure; for he thought he oughtto enjoy the situation a little, after experiencing that rough tumble.
"Can you take us to where we can find him?" next asked the warden.
"Inside of five minutes, sir. I was just on the way to get the rest ofmy chums, and then send for assistance, because I've caught the crazyman in a trap!"
"A trap! D'ye hear that, Jenkins? This lad has been able to do what youand I would have given a lot to accomplish. What sort of a trap, wouldyou mind telling us, young man?" continued Mr. Lawrence, with morerespect in his voice than at any time previous.
"In his old log cabin, sir," Max replied, "where once upon a time heused to live. He has been sleeping there every night, but hiding in thethick jungle during the day. Several times now he's gone and raided ourcamp for provisions, which he would take to the cabin, and eat up. So Ifixed it for him to get something more to-night, while I waited up here,ready to fasten the door of the cabin with a log."
"Well, that sounds clever of you, I must say," remarked the other,admiration in his voice, "and the trap worked, did it?"
"He came along, and he walked into the cabin. Somehow he must havesecured a supply of matches, for he has been having fires there, sir;and he lighted a splinter of wood when he came in to-night. I peepedthrough a chink and saw him for the first time. He gave me a chill, Itell you. You see, we got the idea in our heads that it was an escapedconvict hiding out on the island; but none of us ever thought of a crazyman, and poor old Wesley Coombs at that."
"After he went in you fastened the door, did you?" the other asked.
"I had a heavy log handy, and this I propped up against the door, so nosingle man could ever push it open. But because he threw himself againstit so hard I dragged a second one over to back up the first. And now,sir, I'm sure he can't get out of that cabin unless he takes toburrowing under the logs; which would take him hours; for he had noknife, and the earth is as hard as stone there."
"Well done, my lad. Allow me to thank you for the great help you havegiven us, and to congratulate you as well. Shake hands, won't you,please," and this Max did with all the sincerity in the world.
"And I sure hope you don't hold any grudge against me, young feller,because I bumped your head when I took you in?" remarked Jenkins, as he,too, brushed up, and felt for the hand of the boy in the darkness.
"Why, of course not," replied Max, giving an unseen grimace as hisbruised side hurt him just then. "You were only doing what you thoughtwas your duty; and, after seeing that wild man, I can understand that hemust be strong as an ox, and I suppose violent, too."
"Oh, no, not a bit," declared Mr. Lawrence; "that is, he's never been soin the past. No keeper ever had the least trouble with old Coombs. Theyall liked him, because he was so gentle and tractable. But would youmind taking us to that cabin now, young fellow!"
"I wish you'd go with me down to our camp first," said Max.
"To be sure we will, and it's a very little favor to ask after doing ussuch a good turn; but what's the idea, my boy?" asked the head warden,cheerfully.
"My name is Max Hastings," replied the boy, who did not just fancy beingcalled "my boy" and "young fellow" any too much. "You see, I wanted tohave my four chums on hand at the time you opened the door, and securedpoor old Wesley Coombs. We can get back there in a jiffy, and they'd beever so much obliged for the chance of seeing how the last thingworked."
"Well, it seems to be your game all along, Max, since we don't even knowwhere this strange old cabin, that we've been hearing so much aboutlately, is located. So, as you promise to lead us back there with aslittle delay as possible, certainly we'll go with you. And the sooner westart, the quicker we can be back again."
That was a hint from Mr. Lawrence that Max could not ignore. There waslogic and a world of truth back of it, too.
"Come on then, please, sir; the going is better close to the shore line;and that's the way I came up."
With that he started, the others trailing along in his wake. And Maxchuckled to himself more than a few times while thus drawing nearer andnearer to the camp, where a great surprise awaited his chums.
CHAPTER XVI.
THE LAST CAMP FIRE ON CATAMOUNT ISLAND.
"Hello! In camp, there, ahoy! Show a head!"
That was the way Max shouted, as he broke into the circle of light castby the camp fire, none too good just then, on account of lack ofattention.
Instantly several heads appeared in view, two at each tent flap, to beexact.
"It's Max, all right!" shouted Steve.
"And, say, what's this he's gone and brought back with him, fellers?"cried Bandy-legs, staring in surprise at the two men, with their grayuniforms and brass buttons of authority.
The four boys now came creeping forth. And when he saw that all of themwere fully dressed, Max knew that sleep could hardly have visited thecamp during his long absence.
"These are my chums, gentlemen," remarked Max, as he bent a smiling faceon the staring quartette. "The one on the right is my cousin, OwenHastings; next to him comes Toby Jucklin; then this boy is Bandy-legsGriffin, who is much better than he looks; and the last of all is SteveDowdy, or 'Touch-and-go Steve' we call him. And this gentleman is Mr.Lawrence, while his assistant is Jenkins."
"From the penitentiary, of course; I can see the uniform?" remarkedSteve.
"Wrong again, old fellow," laughed Max. "They happen to be wardens fromthe State Asylum for the Insane!"
"What?" gasped Steve. "Ain't they looking for a desperate escaped jailbird?"
"Not at all, but an escaped lunatic; a man who got away some monthsback, and has kept hidden ever since here on this island, while they'vebeen searching all over for him. And, fellows, you'll be surprised asmuch as I was when you hear who the poor chap really is we've beenfeeding with our ham and other grub. Steve, remember what you heard yourfather say about the man who once started to make his home on CatamountIsland; but the flood came and upset his plans?"
"Say, do you mean Wesley Coombs?" demanded Steve, quickly.
"Yes," replied Max. "Well, you got things a little mixed there. He losthis wife and baby in the freshet, but he was saved, though his mind wasalways a blank; and all these years the poor fellow has been shut up inthe lunatic asylum. He managed to escape a while ago, and seems to havebeen drawn back here to the place where he was last happy. And nowthey've come after him to take him back, for he'd he frozen to death, orstarve, if left loose here winter times."
"But can they get him, d'ye think?" asked Steve.
"Oh, that's dead easy for them," returned the other, trying to keep fromdisplaying anything like pride in his voice or manner. "You see I've gothim shut up in the old cabin right now. We only came down here to getyou fellows, and then these gentlemen want to hike back there to makethe capture."
"Whoop! It takes Max to do big things!" shouted Steve.
"He never bites off more'n he can chaw!" asserted Bandy-legs, appearingto be supremely happy over the improved prospect of things.
"I'm rather inclined to agree with you, boys," remarked the head warden."Max has certainly done himself proud on this special occasion; andwe're placed under a heavy debt of gratitude to him. But if you'reready, boys, we might as well make a start. The sooner we have our manin custody, the easier we'll feel. He's given us such a long chase thatit'll be good to know we can bring him back to his old quarters, wherehe seemed fully contented until the chance came to skip. None of 'em canever let that pass by, no matter how satisfied they are. It's a part ofthe disease, the doctors tell us."
So they started forth, taking both lanterns with them so that they mighthave plenty of light along the way. Not one of the boys felt thesl
ightest alarm about leaving the camp unprotected now; especially afterMax had described how he gave Ted Shafter and his cronies such a goodscare.
"We saw the flash, Max," remarked Owen, "just when we were thinking ofgetting under cover, like you suggested. And we heard the yells, too.All of us thought we recognized the voice of Ted, and we had a prettygood guess coming that you'd given 'em something to remember."
"Say," remarked Steve, laughingly, "when they went shooting past thelower end of the island as fast as they could row, they were chatteringlike a lot of old crows. We kept as mum as oysters, and let the lot go.It was a good riddance of bad rubbish anyhow, and we didn't want to hold'em back for one minute."
The return journey was easily accomplished, with Max to lead the way,swinging one of the lighted lanterns in his hand.
As they left the shore and headed in toward the place where the oldcabin stood, all of them were listening to ascertain whether the inmatewere beating against the fast door, and perhaps shrieking as only amadman might.
But all seemed very quiet.
"Chances are he's digging a tunnel under the wall, like you said hemight, Max," suggested Steve.
"Well, he's in there safe and sound, anyhow," replied Max, in asatisfied tone.
After reaching the cabin the head warden went up to the door, and, withthe help of the others, threw both logs down.
"Hello, in there, Wesley Coombs, this is Warden Lawrence, come to takeyou back to your comfortable quarters at the palace."
With that he threw open the door, and lantern in hand stalked in. Thewild man was sitting there on the hard earthen floor, and engaged incalmly eating. He merely glanced up as they entered, and paid no furtherattention to them, which rather pleased Max, for he had feared aterrible struggle, and secretly deep down in his heart felt a great pityfor poor old Wesley Coombs.
The crazy man seemed to recognize the badge of authority in the uniformsof the two wardens, for he obeyed their slightest orders without theleast hesitation. But Max was pleased to see that there did not seem tobe cringing fear in connection with this obedience, such as would ratherindicate that he might have been badly used at times in the past by menwearing these same uniforms.
They all went back to the camp; and since sleep seemed next toimpossible, after such exciting times, they just sat around talking. Thetwo wardens proved very pleasant fellows indeed; and declared that thecup of coffee which was brewed for them was nectar, "ambrosia," Mr.Lawrence called it.
When morning came the wardens took their prisoner away. Poor WesleyCoombs seemed to cast one last pitiful glance back at the island ere hepassed from the sight of the youthful campers. No doubt he was safelyreturned to the asylum; for some time later Max received a verycourteous letter from the superintendent in charge of the institution,thanking him and his friends very warmly for the aid they had given thewardens in effecting the recapture of the escaped lunatic, But it wouldalways give Max a queer little feeling of pain deep down in the regionof his heart every time he thought of the wild man of Catamount Island,and what a sad memory of the dim past it had been that drew him backthere after so many years of blankness had ensued.
Now the balance of their stay on the island partook more of the natureof a picnic than anything else. With the passing of the supposed "ghost"of the strange cabin, there no longer remained anything to disturb theirpeace of mind. Ted Shafter and his crowd would certainly give the placea wide berth from that time out; and with reasonable precaution the boysneed not fear contact with any wild-cat or poisonous snake while stayingthere.
On the last morning of their camping experience, while they werebeginning to dismantle the tents, and prepare for loading the canoes,quite a flotilla hove in sight down the river, there being three boats,each rowed by a couple of weary boys.
It turned out to be Herb Benson and some of his friends, who had startedfrom Carson very early in the morning, and had just been able to makethe island before noon. Of course it was mostly curiosity to see whetherMax and his chums had really spent the whole week on the island that hadbrought them up.
But enough provisions remained to give the entire crowd a dinner; andfeeling refreshed after this, they were ready to start back with thecurrent, a much easier task than butting against it.
Sitting there, and enjoying the hospitality of the five campers, Herband his friends listened to an account of the many things that hadhappened. And how their eyes did distend with wonder and interest whenthey heard all about the wild man of the strange cabin of the island,whose sudden appearance at the time the others occupied that shack haddriven them away in mad haste.
They frankly admitted that Max and the rest possessed more grit thanthey had given them credit for, and that the little wager had beendecided in their favor. After all, our five boys had enjoyed the outingmore than words could tell; and were then, one and all declared, readyto repeat the experience at the earliest possible opportunity.
That time was closer at hand than any of them suspected when speaking oftheir desire to again get together under cover of the tents.
They made the return trip in pretty fast time, the canoes gliding alongas if drawn by unseen hands, as the paddles flashed in the light of thewestering sun. It had been a week of many surprises, and not a fewthrills, that would haunt them for a long time to come. And among allthe other things for which they believed they had reason to be thankful,that little episode in connection with the Shafter crowd stood outprominently. No doubt, in time, the fellows would learn what it was thathad given them such a grand scare; and they would also try to make outthat they guessed it all along, and had only fled because their presencehad become known; but Max would only smile if he heard that. He wouldnever forget the cries of genuine alarm that had gone up from that boat,when the awful glare suddenly burst out from the bushes of the hauntedisland.
Of course, one of the first things done after reaching town was to handthe cedar canoe over to the local boat builder, and have him put a newgarboard streak in the bottom, to take the place of the defective one,which had been bored through and then artfully plugged, in such a waythat it would not be noticed, yet must work loose at some time perhapswhen far up the river, as we know it did.
They never really found out just who was guilty of such a mean act; butfelt positive that it could originate in no other brain but that of TedShafter, even if actually committed by his shadow, Shack Beggs.
The boathouse was soon improved, and made so strong that the boys feltthey could defy such conspirators; for they hardly believed Ted wasready to set fire to a building, and take the chances of being sent awayto a reform school, in order to get square with some of those boys hehated bitterly.
That his enmity would endure, and give Max and his chums further causefor anxiety, all those who knew the stubborn nature of the Carson bullyfelt convinced.
What befell the five chums on another outing trip which soon followedthe camp on Catamount Island, with many thrilling adventures, and amystery in the bargain, will be found recorded in the pages of the nextstory in the "Camp Fire and Trail Series," entitled "Lost in the GreatDismal Swamp."
THE END.
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