CHAPTER XX

CUT ADRIFT

There had been little delay in starting off in the _Elizabeth_. She was provisioned for a long cruise, and in charge of a competent crew. There was plenty of gasolene in her tanks, and there were many stations along the lake shore where more could be procured.

“Have you made any plans?” asked Mr. Potter of Larry, when they were well on their way to Lake Huron by the way of Lake St. Clair.

“I can’t say that I have,” he replied. “You see, I can’t tell where the men have gone, taking the boy with them. They may be cruising about on the lake, or they may have headed for the Canadian shore, or some place on this side, where they can stay in hiding.”

“That’s so, but I agree with you that most likely they have hired some sort of a craft and are steaming about.”

“One reason for this is,” went on Mr. Potter, “that they would not dare risk going about too publicly, as in a large steamer. They will have to keep under cover, for the appearance of the stolen boy is well known, by his descriptions that have appeared in the papers, and by his photograph.

“So, if they are out in a boat, they’ll very likely put in only at small and isolated ports. And we’ll do the same. We’ll make a tour of the great lakes, if necessary. I haven’t had a vacation in some years, and I’m going to take a good one now.”

“I don’t know that it will be much of a vacation for you, hunting for a stolen boy,” said Larry.

“Yes, it will!” exclaimed the millionaire. “It will be a change for me, and, besides, I want to help Madame Androletti if I can. I have often heard her sing, and I admire her very much. As soon as I get back from this trip, and we have the boy--or, for that matter, whether we get him or not--I’m going to use my influence to have the strongest kind of a law passed, providing for the extreme penalty for kidnapping.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” said Larry, “and I can assure you that the _Leader_ will back up your efforts.”

“Thanks. It’s always a help to have a good newspaper back of you,” spoke the millionaire.

Madame Androletti seemed much improved in spirits as soon as she started on the cruise. While, of course, there was no immediate chance of locating her son, it was a relief to her to be doing something, even though it was but sailing about, rather than to sit still, waiting for some news.

“I could not have stood it much longer,” she said.

Larry and Mr. Potter talked over their plans. They had come away in a hurry and without much thought of what they had best do. The young reporter sent a story to his paper, telling of finding the deserted room, where Lorenzo had been, and of a new clew he was following. He received an answer back to proceed as he thought best.

“I think we can get on the trail as soon by following along shore, and putting in at various ports, as by any other way,” suggested the millionaire. “To my notion, those fellows are not going very far out on the lake. In the first place, I don’t believe they have a vessel big enough to weather a hard storm such as we’re likely to get any time now, with winter coming on. And in the second place, they can’t have any object in crossing Huron.

“They are in this kidnapping business to make money. I’m sure of that. They have been keeping silent up to now, so as to make it all the more agonizing for Madame Androletti. They want to get her in such a state that she’ll give in the moment she gets their demand for ransom money. That’s why they have not made any advances to her. They are playing a deep game.”

“Yes, I believe so,” assented Larry. “That Parloti looked to be a deep plotter.”

“And you still think him guilty?”

“Well, I wouldn’t like to say. I’ve been fooled more than once,” said Larry, with a smile. “I may be again.”

“Of course it’s best to be cautious,” returned Mr. Potter, “but I’m convinced that Parloti is at the bottom of this. If we can find him, we’ll have the boy.”

The cruise continued. The weather was calm, and but for the nervous anxiety of the voyagers it would have been most delightful. Madame Androletti improved in spirits, and, as for Grace Potter, she vied with Larry in keeping watch for suspicious-looking vessels.

But none was seen. Lake steamer after lake steamer was passed, but it was agreed that it would be useless to try to locate Lorenzo on any of these.

“He’ll be on a small, disreputable-looking craft, if he’s on any,” declared Mr. Potter, and Larry assented.

But they saw none of these. They put into port after port, and made thorough inquiries, but with no success. I say with no success, but they did discover some clews.

Several times they heard of a small motor boat that had put in just ahead of them for gasolene or supplies. It was not in good condition, and nearly every place they asked about her, they heard that she was in some kind of mechanical trouble.

“And she doesn’t come to the dock, either,” remarked one man who ran a small repair shop near the lake shore. “I know the craft you speak of,” he said, in answer to inquiries. “I heard of her from a friend of mine down the lake a way. It seems as if whoever’s running her is afraid of letting a repair man come on board. They came to me and told me what was busted. I said I couldn’t fix it without I saw it.

“But they wouldn’t take me out to her. They came ashore in a small boat, and, after a lot of talk, they bought some motor parts, and said they’d do the repairs themselves.”

“What was the name of the boat?” asked Larry.

“She lay so far off shore that I couldn’t make it out. Maybe she didn’t have a name. Anyhow, I didn’t get it. But I’m sure it’s the craft you want, all right, though I neither saw nor heard of a boy. I didn’t like the looks of the men any too well.”

“And she’s only about a day ahead of us?” asked Mr. Potter.

“That’s about all. If she has more motor trouble she won’t be that much. I believe you can catch her.”

“We’ll try!” cried Larry.

After that the _Elizabeth_ was speeded up to her top notch, and fairly foamed through the water.

“It looks like a storm,” remarked Larry one night, when, after a hard day’s run, they had put in at a small port to learn that the mysterious craft they were chasing had left but a short time before.

“Yes, and but for the coming storm I’d give chase,” said Mr. Potter. “But, as it is, I think we’d better tie up for the night. Their boat won’t be able to do much in the blow. I say let’s tie up, and go on in the morning.”

Larry agreed that this was a good plan, and the _Elizabeth_ was hove to, and anchored not far from shore. As the occupants of her turned in for the night the wind was rising, and there was a heavy swell on.

It was about midnight when Larry was awakened by an unusual pitching and tossing of the vessel. He was almost thrown out of his bunk.

“Mr. Potter! Something’s wrong.”

“I should say so!” exclaimed the millionaire. “We’ve dragged our anchor in the storm, and we’re adrift!”

Quickly he sprang from his berth and called some orders to the man on watch. In a few moments the _Elizabeth_ was under power, and was moving ahead over the heaving waters of the lake. The mate came down into the cabin.

“Well, what is it?” asked Mr. Potter.

“The captain told me to report to you, sir,” he said, “that our cable had been cut. That’s why we went adrift.”