Chapter 21

THE ADIRONDACKS

Jet gave no heed to his own fatigue during this night's traveling.

His one desire was to reach the junction in time to send the telegram to Harvey, and make such changes in his costume as would serve to disguise him in some slight degree.

In order to effect this purpose, it would be necessary to travel every moment of the time at full speed.

This he did, and it was one quarter past four in the morning when he arrived at the junction.

He had more than two hours before the train would arrive, and his first care was to send the following telegram to the detective:

"He, with a friend, has just started for the Adirondacks hunting. If possible will let you know where they stop; but I may not be able to get out of the woods while they stay."

It had taken Jet a long while to write the message. He wished to word it so the operator could not understand that he was tracking a man, and yet it was necessary the detective should realize it might be many days before he could send any further information.

If the men had remained at Jabe's house one day after he discovered positively that Bob was there, the whole work would have been finished in a few hours, for an officer could have been sent from Albany to capture him.

Under the circumstances, therefore, nothing could be done, save to follow the men until it should be possible to let Harvey know where an arrest might be effected.

After the message had been delivered to the operator, Jet walked around the town waiting for the stores to be opened.

The "earliest bird" was a clothing dealer, and he "caught the worm" without difficulty.

Jet bought a reefer's jacket, a slouch hat, and such articles of underwear as might be needed. He also invested a dollar in a cheap carpet-bag.

Then he waited a few moments longer for the shoemaker, of whom he purchased a pair of top boots. Tucking his trousers into these, he had the satisfaction of knowing that he bore very little resemblance to the district messenger boy, who had left New York believing his destination to be Yonkers.

"I'd like to buy a gun and some cartridges, if I could get a good bargain," he said to the shoemaker, and the latter replied, eagerly:

"I've got jest what you want."

An ordinary breech-loading, double-barrelled gun was produced from behind the counter, and after some bargaining a trade was made on the basis of eight dollars for the weapon and sixty cartridges.

By this time Jet's stock of ready cash was running low; but he did not feel particularly worried, since there was yet enough remaining to pay his railroad fare to and from the mountains, with something over for the purchase of provisions.

A hearty breakfast at the depot restaurant, a wait of five minutes, and the train arrived.

Jet had good reason to believe his game would go direct to Plattsburgh before striking into the wilderness, for the shoemaker had told him it was the most direct route to the hunting region, and he procured a ticket for that point.

On boarding the train he went into the smoking-car, and there saw the men he intended to fellow.

The seat behind them was vacant, and he took it at once, pulling his hat down over his eyes in such a manner that one could not see his face without considerable difficulty.

The men were half asleep; but the conductor awakened them, and Jet was made glad by a glimpse of their tickets.

They were bound for Plattsburgh as he had guessed, and he resolved that at the next station he would telegraph this information to Harvey.

"I don't suppose he could get a man there before these fellows strike into the woods," he said to himself; "but there's just a chance they'll hang around the town a while, and it is best he should have all the information possible."

At Schenectady it was necessary to change cars, and here Jet found an opportunity to send Harvey word.

On boarding the other train, the boy again succeeded in getting a seat directly behind his men without apparently having been observed by them.

They had not started without an ample supply of liquid refreshments, and both indulged liberally, but not to such an extent as to loosen their tongues.

Jet listened eagerly, but not a word of particular interest or importance to him could he hear.

Owing to several delays, it was nightfall before the train reached Plattsburgh, and now came the hardest part of the amateur detective's task.

It was necessary to keep the men in sight, and yet at the same time avoid being seen by them.

He was convinced that it would be necessary for him to stand watch all night; but fortune favored him in a signal manner.

Observing Bob going toward the ticket-office, he slipped through the crowd, and heard the following conversation:

"When does the next train leave for Saranac Lake?"

"Seven to-morrow morning."

"From what depot?"

"This one."

"What is the fare?"

"Three thirty-five."

"Give me two tickets."

"I reckon that's enough for me," Jet said to himself, joyfully. "There's no question about where they are going, and I can do as I please until morning."

After Bob left the window to rejoin Sam, the boy purchased a ticket for the same point, and then went to a small hotel near the depot where he registered as David Small.

The two men had evidently sought shelter elsewhere, for he saw nothing of them during the evening.

After a hearty supper, which was all the more needed, because he had refrained from buying dinner, in order to husband his rapidly decreasing store of cash, Jet wrote a long letter to Harvey, telling him all he had learned, and urging that some officer be sent to Saranac Lake in order to make the arrest.

"I shall keep on their track as long as I can," he said in conclusion; "but after they get into the woods it's going to be a hard job, and the sooner they are pulled the more certain we'll be of having them."

This done he went to bed and slept soundly until awakened at six o'clock.

Half an hour later he was at the depot, and took a seat in the smoking-car.

Neither Bob nor Sam were there; but they arrived five minutes before the train left, and seated themselves some distance from Jet.

From that time until considerably past noon the boy could do no more than watch his men; but he was well content, knowing they had no suspicion as to being followed.

Then the end of the first stage of the journey was finished, and the real work of trailing the human game began.

Jet loitered around the station asking questions relative to the best way of getting into the woods, but all the while keeping his eye on the men.

Their movements puzzled him.

Neither appeared to be in any hurry to leave the town.

They also asked a number of questions; but Jet was not near enough to overhear the conversation, and then both went to the hotel.

A boy about his own age was standing near the depot platform eying Jet curiously, and the latter asked, more as an excuse for remaining where he was than anything else.

"Do you know where a fellow could find some good hunting?"

"You'd have to go down to the lake, and strike into the woods most anywhere."

"Where is the lake?"

"Down that road a couple of miles."

"Isn't there any other way of getting into the woods?"

"Not unless you strike through the fields, an' then you'd be goin' right away from the best hunting. There's a fork in the road a little more than a mile down, an' the people mostly take the right-hand turn. How far are you countin' on traveling?"

"I don't know; just want to have a little trip."

"I don't reckon you want a guide, eh?"

"I guess I couldn't stand anything quite so expensive. I heard one of them fellers say he wanted, three dollars a day."

"Yes, some of 'em get pretty big prices; but I'd put myself alongside of the best, 'less it comes to deers."

"And how much do you charge?"

"I'll go for nothin', if you'll pay the bills."

"Bills for what?"

"Grub, hire of a boat, powder an' shot, an' sich things."

"Have you got a gun?"

"Of course; but she's not so good as your'n."

"I'll take you along. When will you be ready?"

"In five minutes; I've only got to run home a second to get some things."

"Don't be away any longer than you can help."

The boy started off at full speed; and Jet congratulated himself on having made the arrangement.

"That fellow can do a good deal to help me, and since he lives around here, Bob won't recognize me so quick, because he'll be apt to take me for one of the natives."

Jet's guide returned in a very short time.

He brought with him several fishing-lines, an old muzzle-loading gun, some cooking utensils, and a small bundle of provisions.

"Now, you've got to buy a lot of grub, an' then we'll have so much to carry that a team will be needed to haul 'em. I know where we can get a boat."

"I'll stay here while you pick out as much as we'll need; but don't spend more'n ten dollars."

"Ten dollars! Why, half of that'll be enough."

"Go ahead, an' call me when you've found out how much the bill is."

"Why don't you come, too?"

"I didn't know but I might see a friend, an' I want to kinder watch out for a while."

The boy hurried away, and returned half an hour later.

"The stuff comes to six dollars an' eighty cents, an' we'll have to pay a dollar to get it hauled down."

Jet was averse to losing sight of the hotel door even for a moment; but it was necessary to settle the bill, and he hurried off just as the stage drove up.

He paid the amount asked for, and had turned toward the store door when he saw Bob and Sam, with guns, rods, and quite an amount of baggage, clambering on the roof of the coach.

"Hurry up an' get your team," he said, in a low tone to his new friend. "I'd like to know where that stage stops."

"I can show you any time," the boy replied, carelessly; but he obeyed the injunction, and in a few moments after the public conveyance rolled away the amateur detective was following it.