CHAPTER X

THE CHASE

For nearly a minute Captain Wiggs continued his observation of the on-coming boat. Then, laying aside the glass, he remarked:

"I can't make anything out of her. It's a strange boat. Never saw her on the lakes before. And they seem to have an uncommon interest in us. A couple of men on deck are taking turns in looking at us through a telescope."

"Two men?" asked Fenn, beginning to get excited.

"There are two on deck, but of course there must be more somewhere aboard," replied the captain.

"And has one of them a--a sort of mean looking face?" went on Fenn.

"Well, from what I can see of him through the glass, he doesn't look to be a very cheerful chap."

"I'll wager it's those men after us!" exclaimed Fenn, turning to his chums.

"What men?" inquired Captain Wiggs.

"The men who chased us when we were at the elevator fire," and Fenn told of the adventure.

"I wish you had mentioned that to me before," said the commander, looking grave. "This thing may be serious."

"Why? Do you think they are thieves?" asked Bart.

"There's no telling what they are," and the captain took another observation at the steamer in the rear. "You know the lakes are part of the dividing line between the United States and Canada. Often criminals from both countries find it to their advantage to conduct some of their operations on the water, and there are any number of questionable characters plying on this lake. I can't make out why those men should want you boys, or Fenn, more particularly, unless they think he may know something of their operations, and they want to stop him from talking."

"Well, they can't prevent me!" boasted Fenn.

"Don't be too sure," cautioned the captain. "Of course you have nothing to fear as long as you are with me, aboard the _Modoc_, but don't run any chances while ashore. Meanwhile those fellows have got to catch us first. They've got nerve, I must say, pursuing us as if they were government officers and we were smugglers."

"Do smugglers cross the lake?" asked Ned.

"They try to, and, sometimes they succeed. But I wish you boys would go down to dinner. I want to keep watch of this boat. When you finish, come up on deck, and you can stand guard, while I eat. We'll keep tabs on her then, and we needn't let any of the crew here know about it. It's just as well to keep matters a little quiet until we find out what it all means."

The boys did not linger long over their dinner, and were soon on deck again. They found Captain Wiggs gazing at the pursuing steam yacht through the glass.

"She's coming on," he said. "Seems to have plenty of speed, but I guess we can show her a little ourselves. I'll give orders to the engineer to increase our rate some. Then we'll see what happens. You keep watch, and let me know when I come back."

He handed the binoculars to Fenn, and went below. The four chums took turns looking at the on-coming craft. Presently they noticed that their own steamer was making faster progress through the water.

"I guess we'll leave 'em behind now," observed Frank.

"Then you've got another guess coming," responded Fenn. "They've put on more steam."

The other boat seemed to spurt through the waves that were piled up in front of her sharp prow. She easily kept right after the _Modoc_, and even seemed to approach closer.

"I wonder what they'll do when they catch up to us?" asked Bart.

"Wait until they catch us," suggested Ned.

"Well, boys, how about it?" called Captain Wiggs, as he came on deck. "Have you polished up the anchor chain, as I asked you to. The regular polisher-boy is sick, and I'm short handed."

"You didn't tell us--" began Fenn, when a smile on the face of the commander warned him that it was only a joke.

"How is our friend, the enemy?" inquired Captain Wiggs, reaching for the glass.

"Well, we haven't lost her," replied Frank.

"So I see," observed the commander. "I think I'll have to try a little trick."

He went to the pilot house and soon the _Modoc_ was sweeping away from her course in a long, graceful curve.

"There, now we'll see if they are following us, or whether they are just on the same course by accident, and are using us for pace-makers," remarked the captain, as he came back to where the boys were.

In less than a minute the course of the pursuing vessel was also changed, and on she came, after the _Modoc_, the black smoke pouring from her funnel, testifying to the fact that the engine room force was piling on the fuel to make more steam.

"She's going to catch us or burst her boilers," remarked the captain, with a grim smile. "Well, we'll see. I made them show their hand. They evidently believe we're bound for the Canadian shore, and they think they have us outside the protection of the United States now, and can do as they please."

He hurried to the pilot house, and soon there were several signals of the engine room bells.

"We'll see if we can't get a few more knots out of her," observed the commander as he came back, and took a hurried look at the yacht astern. "I guess the _Modoc_ has some speed left in her yet, even if she is only a freighter."

True, the big steamer did go faster, but so did the pursuing boat. The chase was leading straight toward Canada now.

"Can't seem to shake 'em off," murmured the captain, with a somewhat worried look on his face. "I've a good notion to lay-to, and see what they want."

"I--I wouldn't," said Fenn.

"Why not?" asked the captain quickly. "You haven't done anything wrong; have you?"

"No, but--"

"Then I think I'll just ask them the meaning of this unwarranted chase. They haven't any right to keep after me like this, unless they're a government vessel, and they're not that or they would have shown their colors long ago. That's what I'll do. I'll stop!"

He turned toward the pilot house to give the order. Fenn took up the binoculars, which the captain had laid down, and looked through them at the strange steam yacht. He could make out the two men on deck, one of them--he with the sinister face--staring at the little knot of boys, who seemed, so unaccountably, to have become involved in a mystery.

Following the ringing of the engine room bells, the _Modoc's_ speed began to slacken. Captain Wiggs came back to where the boys were and remarked.

"Now we'll see what will happen."

Hardly had he spoken than there sounded from the pursuing craft, which had not slackened speed, a shrill hissing. Then a white cloud appeared to hover over her.

"She's broken a steam pipe!" cried the captain. "Too much pressure! I thought she couldn't stand it!"

The strange craft was almost lost to sight in the cloud of white vapor that enveloped her, while, from the midst of it, came excited cries.