CHAPTER IV
OFF TO CAMP
"What's that?" cried Tom. "Are you joking? Professor Skeel going tocamp near us?"
"I'm not joking a bit," declared Bert. "You can ask Jack."
"It's true enough," put in Tom's roommate at college. "We heard it theother day--just before we came on here--from your old friend, BruceBennington. I don't know why we didn't think to tell you before, exceptthat I didn't recall that Crystal Lake, and the one where we're goingcamping, were so near together."
"They're about five miles apart," said Tom. "But how is it that Mr.Skeel is going up there? The last I saw of him was when the ship pickedus up from the derelict, the time we were wrecked, and he went on toHonolulu. What brought him back from there?"
"It seems the place didn't agree with him," explained Jack. "He triedto get into some business there but he failed. I guess he didn't playfair. Anyhow his health failed, and the doctor said he had to get backto the United States. So he came."
"Then he heard of a relative of his who was going up to camp in the NewYork woods, and he decided to go along. In some way Bruce Benningtongot word of it. You know Mr. Skeel tried to play a mean trick on Bruceonce."
"Sure he knows it," put in Bert. "Didn't Tom show up old Skeel?"
"Oh, yes, I forgot about that," admitted Jack. "Well, anyhow, our oldenemy Skeel is going to camp near us, it seems."
"It won't bother me," spoke Tom. "I don't believe he'll come near ourplace, and, if he does, we'll just politely ask him to move on."
"Sure," said Jack. "But it's rather odd that he should be so near us."
"It is," agreed Tom. They discussed, for some time, the possibility ofmeeting the former Latin teacher, who had been so unpleasant to them,and then they resumed work on making the cradle, or crate, for themotorboat.
There were busy times ahead of the boys. Their camp equipment had tobe gotten together, packed for shipment, and then came the details ofarranging for a food supply, though not much of this could be doneuntil they reached Wilden.
"And maybe we'll come across the fortune that's hidden in the oldmill," suggested Jack, laughing.
"Or we may make friends with the wild man."
"Don't build too much on that," advised Tom.
"Anyhow, we won't want to be puttering around the old mill much," saidDick. "We'll be out in the boat, or fishing, or going in swimming, orsomething like that most of the time."
"Or else hunting," suggested Tom. "I hope you fellows brought guns."
"We sure did," spoke Jack.
The boys packed their kits of clothing, taking only as much as wasabsolutely necessary, for they were going to rough it. A small quantityof the most needful medicines were put up, and some other supplies wereincluded.
Their grips and guns they would carry with them, but the tent, aportable cooking stove, and a case of canned provisions, as wellas some in pasteboard packages, were to be shipped by express. Themotorboat, which had been well crated up, was to go by freight.
By letter Tom had arranged for a supply of gasolene which was to beleft at a small settlement at one end of the lake. They could also getadditional provisions there and some supplies, and they hoped to getfish enough to help out on the meals.
Finally everything had been packed up. The motorboat had been shipped,with the other things, and the boys were to leave the next morning.They would have to travel all day, reaching the town of Wilden atnight. They would sleep there, and go on to camp the next day.
The evening mail came in, and there was a letter for Mrs. Fairfield. Itwas from her former school chum, Mrs. Henderson, and as soon as Tom'smother read it she exclaimed:
"Oh Tom! That old Jason Wallace is worse than ever."
"How so?" asked Tom.
"It seems the other day that some campers who were staying near the oldmill went in the ruins and began digging about. He saw them and had aquarrel with them. Now he's got an old army musket and he keeps goingabout the place like a sentinel, Mrs. Henderson says. He threatens toshoot anyone who comes near. Oh, I don't want you to go there!" andMrs. Fairfield was seriously alarmed.
"Don't worry, mother," spoke Tom. "I won't take any chances. I guess usfellows can make friends with old Wallace, and we'll have him so tamethat he'll eat out of our hands, and show us all the interesting placesin the woods and about the old mill."
"Oh, Tom, you will be careful; won't you?" asked his mother.
"Sure I will," he promised, and she had to be content with that.
Later, when Tom told Jack and Bert about the news from the place wherethey were going camping, Jack said:
"I wonder if it could have been Mr. Skeel who bothered the old man?"
"It can't be," declared Bert. "Why he's hardly up there yet."
"He might be," spoke Jack. "If he is, and he hears anything abouttreasure, I'll wager that he gets after it. And he'll make troublewhereever he goes--he's that way."
"He sure is," agreed Tom, thinking of how the former professor hadhidden away a secret supply of food and drink when the others weretrying to save themselves from starvation in the lifeboat.
"Well, anyhow, we don't need to worry," said Dick, who had come over toTom's house to have a last talk before the start in the morning.
"That's right," agreed Tom. "Now let's go over everything, and see whatwe've forgotten."
This took them the best part of the evening, and having found that theyhad omitted a few things, they packed them into their grips and went tobed, Dick promising to come over early in the morning to go with thethree chums to the train which they were all to take to reach Wilden.
Mr. and Mrs. Fairfield went to the station with the boys. The baggagewas checked, and Tom had to spend some time saying good-bye to a numberof his town chums.
"Hey, wish you'd take me along," said Dent Wilcox, as he shuffled alongthe depot platform. He seemed to have forgotten his little feelingagainst Tom for not taking him in the motorboat, the day our hero gotthe letter from his chum. "Can't you take me, Tom?"
"I might if you'd promise to chop all the wood, go for all the water,do the cooking, wash the dishes, make the beds, sweep up, and run forgasolene."
"Huh!" exclaimed Dent, looking for a place to sit down. "I guess Idon't want to go."
"And we don't want you," spoke Tom in a low voice.
There was a toot of the whistle, a puffing of smoke, and the train thatwas to take our lads to camp, pulled in. The last good-byes were said,Mrs. Fairfield made Tom promise about a dozen things that he would becareful about, and gave him so many injunctions that he forgot half ofthem. Mr. Fairfield shook his son's hand, and those of his chums, andthere was a trace of moisture in the eyes of father and son as theysaid farewell.
"Be careful, Tom," said his father. "Don't be tempted too much by thefortune in the old mill."
"I won't dad, but--er--that is, I think I'll have a try for it--wildman or not."
"Well, I supposed you would, after you heard the story. But don't worryyour mother."
"I won't. Good-bye!"
"All aboard!" called the conductor, and the boys hurried into thecar. They waved their hands out of the windows and, a moment later,the train pulled out. Tom had a last glimpse of his mother with herhandkerchief to her eyes, and he felt a lump coming into his throat.
"Oh, here, this won't do!" he exclaimed half aloud. "I must send her apostal from the first post office, to cheer her up," and he carried outthat intention.
As the cars clicked along the rails, Jack, who had been looking intothe coach just ahead of the one in which he and his chums were riding,uttered an exclamation.
"What's the matter--forget something?" asked Tom.
"No, but I just saw someone I know."
"Oh, if that's the case, go ahead up and talk to her," laughed Bert."He's the greatest chap for girls I ever saw," he confided to Tom."He'll spot a pretty girl anywhere. And he knows so many of 'em."
"This isn't a girl," said Jack in a low voice.
"No? Who is it t
hen?" asked Tom, curiously.
"It's our old enemy, Sam Heller; and Nick Johnson is with him!"