CHAPTER XVIII

READY FOR A CRUISE

“They’re slowing up!” cried Jerry. “They’re going to stop! We’ll get ’em now!”

Sure enough the _Dartaway_ was slackening speed. She was headed toward shore. The _Terror_ was gaining rapidly now. Chief Dalton stood up and drew his revolver in preparation of capturing the motor boat thieves.

But now the _Dartaway_ was so near shore that the men in her could almost leap to the bank. They could be seen turning the wheel so as to throw the craft parallel with the shore.

“They’re going to jump! We’ll lose ’em!” cried Ned.

“Let ’em go,” advised Bob. “All we want back is our boat and we’ll get that.”

“That may suit you but it doesn’t me,” spoke the chief of police grimly. “I’m after thieves and I’m going to get ’em. They may not be the men I want, but I’ll catch ’em just the same and find out what they’re up to.”

But it looked as if the chief would have no easy task to secure the motor boat thieves. For, the next instant the pair leaped ashore, splashing through the shallow water near the edge, and leaving the _Dartaway_ to continue on from the momentum it had gathered.

With a whirl of the wheel the _Terror_ was headed toward shore. The chief and some of his men prepared to make a quick landing.

“As soon as we get ashore I’ll have the engineer put you out where you can get your boat,” the chief said. “I’ve got to take after those fellows!”

“We’ll be with you as soon as we secure the _Dartaway_!” cried Jerry.

“That’s what!” chimed in Ned and Bob.

With drawn revolvers the chief and his men leaped toward shore, not waiting until their boat was at the bank, but splashing through the water as the thieves had done. As soon as they were off the engineer of the _Terror_ put his craft after the boys’ boat.

In a little while the boys were aboard. They soon satisfied themselves that no great damage had been done, nor had anything of value been taken. The thieves had evidently made themselves at home, since the lockers were pretty well emptied of food.

The _Terror_ had put back to where the chief and his men disembarked. Jerry set the engine of the _Dartaway_ going and soon found it was in good order. Then, with Ned at the wheel, the craft was turned around and headed back toward where the thieves had jumped off. The boys landed at about the same spot, and moored their craft to a big tree.

“Look there!” exclaimed Jerry pointing to a soft place in the mud on the river’s bank.

Ned and Bob glanced to where he indicated. There in the soil were the marks of several large foot-prints, and, conspicuous among them were several in the sole of which was the mark of an arrow, made in hob nails.

“The same man who took our boat stuck by her until the end,” said Jerry. “Come on; let’s go after the chief.”

Calling to the engineer of the _Terror_ to have an eye on their boat, the boys raced up the bank and across the fields in the direction the police posse had taken. As they started to run they heard the sound of several revolver shots.

“They’re fighting!” cried Jerry. “Come on!”

The boys needed no urging. They raced at top speed in the direction of the shots. As they topped a small hill they could see in a valley below them, two roughly dressed men running away from the chief and his officers, who were a quarter of a mile behind. As they watched they saw the chief raise his revolver and fire twice into the air.

“He don’t want to hit them, he’s only trying to scare them into stopping!” cried Ned. “Come on!”

Down the hill they raced, losing sight of the pursued and the pursuers as they got below the hill top. Still they could hear the shouts of the police.

The chase was now on in earnest. But it was a stern one and likely to prove a long one. The boys, in about five minutes, caught up to one of the officers, and raced along with him. They could hear the crashing of the underbrush as policemen ahead of them raced through it. The chief fired several more shots, but, the boat thieves were not to be intimidated, and did not halt.

In a little while the boys came up to the chief. He and the leaders were panting from the run.

“Have you lost them?” asked Jerry.

“I’m afraid so,” said the chief. “They turned into a swamp, and I’m not familiar enough with it to make it worth while to go in. I’m going to get help from the local authorities and surround the place. Then perhaps I can catch them.”

“Can we take any message for you?” asked Jerry. “I think we’d better be going back. It’s getting dark and I don’t suppose you can do anything more this evening.”

“I don’t believe I can,” admitted the chief. “I guess we’ll all go back. I’ve done my part in this. Let the local constables finish where I left off. I’ve run their men to cover now let ’em get ’em out.”

“Anyhow you got back our boat for us,” said Jerry, “and we’re much obliged for that.”

Rather tired from the chase and the excitement, the boys and the policemen retraced their steps to the river. They found the two boats awaiting them.

“Did they do any damage to your craft?” asked the chief of Jerry.

“None that I could notice, but I didn’t make a close examination,” replied the boy. “Come aboard, you’ve never been on her.”

“Thanks,” replied the chief, and, as his men got into the _Terror_, he stepped into the _Dartaway_. As he did so he uttered an exclamation.

“What’s the matter? Is she leaking?” asked Jerry in alarm.

“No, but see what I found!” the chief said, holding up a small object he picked from the cockpit of the _Dartaway_.

“What is it?” asked Ned.

“A diamond ring,” said the chief. “It is one of several stolen, together with the money, from the Northville store. There’s no doubt now but that the motor boat thieves and those who robbed the store are the same. My! But I wish I could have caught them!”

He placed the ring in his pocket, and, after a look over the boys’ craft, prepared to return to his own.

“Maybe the thieves left some cash behind as well as a ring,” suggested Jerry.

“No such luck,” the chief made answer as he went over the side. “Well, are you boys going down the river?”

“I think we’ll put up at the hotel in Northville, if there is one,” said Jerry. “It’s too long a trip to go back to Cresville to-night.”

“That’s a good idea,” said the chief. “I think I’ll do the same. Just come along with me and I’ll see that you are accommodated with lodgings. I’ll swear you in as my deputies,” he said with a laugh, “and it won’t cost you anything. Besides I may need your help.”

Just as the two boats were making ready for the trip down the river there was a movement on shore. The bushes parted and a roughly dressed man, with what seemed to be a week’s growth of beard on his face, stepped out.

“Can any of you gentlemen oblige a poor tired wayfarer with a lift down this placid stream?” he asked with a bow which took in both parties.

At the sound of his voice the boys started. They wondered where they had heard those tones before.

“Who are you and what do you want?” asked the chief sternly. “They don’t deal very lightly with tramps in these parts. You’d better clear out. We’re police officers.”

“Glad to meet you. I am the Duke of Wellington,” said the tramp in airy tones.

At that answer the chief gave a start, and then tried to appear as if nothing had happened. But Jerry who was watching intently, saw an almost imperceptible sign pass between the chief and the ragged man.

“Oh, if you’re the Duke, I suppose we’ll have to accommodate you,” the chief replied. “You can come in my boat if you want to.”

Then, to the no small astonishment of the policemen, the tramp climbed aboard the _Terror_, which, with a throb of the engine started down the river. The _Dartaway_ put after her at full speed.

“Well, I must say we’ve had plenty of excitement for one spell,” observed Jerry.

“And there may be more,” said Ned.

“What makes you think so?”

“Because of that tramp,” and Ned indicated the one aboard the _Terror_. “There’s something strange about him. Does he remind you of any one?”

“There!” exclaimed Jerry. “I was wondering where I had heard that voice before. He’s the tramp who was asleep on the hay barge. I wonder what he’s doing around here, and so friendly with the police.”

“There’s something behind all this,” observed Ned. “We must keep our eyes open.”

The boys’ craft soon caught up to the police boat which was more heavily laden, and the two proceeded down the stream toward Northville. It was after dark when they tied up at a dock, and, making their boat snug proceeded to follow the lead of Chief Dalton.

“Is it safe to leave our boat here?” asked Jerry.

“I guess so,” replied the officer. “I’m going to have a man on guard all night. I guess the thieves won’t come back. Come ahead; we’ll go to the hotel and have supper.”

Jerry and Bob walked on ahead with the main body of policemen, but Ned, who lingered to get from the locker a better coat than the one he was wearing, the other boys having changed garments before, found himself close behind the chief and tramp who were walking up from the river together.

“Any luck?” Ned heard the chief ask the ragged man in a low voice.

“I think I’ve discovered the cave where they hide the stuff,” was the cautious rejoinder. “It’s about where--”

In his eagerness to walk softly and hear what was being said, which perhaps he had no right to do, Ned stepped on a piece of wood that broke with a sharp crack. The two men turned suddenly.

“As I was saying,” the tramp spoke suddenly in a loud voice, evidently for the benefit of any listeners, “I have tramped many weary miles, and have eaten scarcely anything. I am too ill to work, and I don’t know where I am to sleep to-night.”

The jingling sound of money passing from the chief’s hand to that of the tramp could be heard.

“Now you’d better clear out of here,” said the police officer sternly. “It isn’t a healthy place for tramps. If I catch you loafing around I’m going to lock you up.”

“You’ll never catch me,” the tramp said with a laugh as he moved away in the darkness. “I’ll clear out.”

“Odd character,” the chief remarked turning back to Ned. “Sometimes I feel sorry for those fellows. Some of ’em are all right, but luck is against ’em. Well, I expect you are hungry.”

“Oh I can eat a little,” replied Ned, puzzling his brains over the strange scene he had witnessed. But the chief was evidently not inclined to talk about it, and Ned did not feel like asking.

In a little while the whole party was at the hotel, where a meal was served. Then the boys, having sent telegrams home, stating they were all well and would be home the following day, went to bed.

The next day they returned Mr. Johnson’s boat and went home.

For a week after this the boys dug away at their examinations and, though they were, perhaps, thinking more of what they would do in vacation than about their studies, they all managed to pass with good averages.

“Now for a long cruise down to Lake Cantoga!” exclaimed Jerry on the afternoon of the last day of school. “I’m going to tie a stone to my books and anchor ’em out in the middle of the river. When I want ’em again I hope the fishes will have eaten ’em up!”

The boys arranged to leave the Tuesday following the last Friday at school. Bob and Jerry were early down at the boathouse that morning. Ned had promised to be on hand early but, for some unaccountable reason was late.

“I wonder what’s keeping him,” said Jerry.

“Here he comes now,” spoke Bob, “and he’s running as if something had happened.”