CHAPTER XXIX

THE CHASE

“Humph! This is strange!” the chief exclaimed as his boat swung up alongside of the _Dartaway_. “Let’s go aboard.”

Making the motor craft fast, they all scrambled up and were soon on the schooner’s deck.

A hasty search served to show that the schooner had no occupants.

“I can’t understand it,” said Jerry, who was much alarmed.

From the shore, where the tramp had gone, leaping from the schooner’s deck, there came an excited shout.

“Here’s a clue!” he cried.

“What is it?” asked the chief as he prepared to join the ragged man.

For answer the tramp pointed to several footprints in the soft sand near the edge of the lake.

“The man with the arrow on his shoe!” he said. “I thought we’d find him with the gang. Now, Chief, I guess we can close in on ’em.”

Jerry and the two detectives had gone ashore by this time. They observed several footprints, indicating that a number of men had been tramping around near where the schooner was moored to the bank. Probably they had been engaged in making the craft fast.

“I wonder if the boys were here also,” said Jerry.

“Looks very possible,” said the tramp. “Here are the mark of feet smaller than those of men. Did Bob or Ned have any peculiar nail marks in their shoes?”

“Not that I know of,” replied Jerry.

“Well, the chances are if they were not here on shore they were in some boat the rascals had,” the tramp went on.

“You think they must have had some other boat than the schooner?” asked the chief.

“I’m certain of it,” the ragged man replied. “How else could the schooner have gotten here? There wasn’t enough wind all night to move a canoe, let alone a heavy schooner. Yet we find this vessel several miles from where Jerry left her. The thieves must have had a power boat, gone back after their craft and towed her. Now I don’t see any use lingering here. They’ve got a good start of us, but maybe we can catch them.”

“Where shall we look?” the chief asked. “Up or down the lake; or follow the river?”

“Follow the river,” the tramp said. “I’ll round these fellows up now. We’ll land ’em at the cave if not before.”

Jerry wondered at the tramp’s manner. He seemed to have assumed control of matters, and to be directing the hunt after the thieves.

“Who is he?” Jerry asked of the chief.

The tramp overheard the lad’s question.

“Shall I tell him?” the odd character asked. “I guess we’ve kept up the mystery long enough, Chief, and we’re pretty near the end of the affair now.”

“Go ahead,” spoke Mr. Dalton.

“So you think there’s something queer about me, do you?” the tramp asked Jerry, who nodded in assent. “Well, I admit I am not what I seem. Allow me to make you acquainted with the Duke of Wellington, otherwise known as Detective Sergeant Layton, of New York,” he went on with an elaborate bow and an assumption of his former grand manners.

“A detective!” exclaimed Jerry. “Well I had my suspicions all along that you were something like that, but I couldn’t see what you were after.”

“I’m after these thieves,” replied Detective Layton. “From the time you rescued me from the hay barge I’ve been on their trail, first here, then there, often in this disguise, and now I think I am about to close in. The chase started in New York, where they committed a series of daring robberies in department stores. For a while I lost track of them. Then I heard they were in this section and I came here. They kept quiet for some time and I thought I had lost them. Then I got on the track of Bill Berry and--”

“Is Noddy Nixon mixed up in this robbery?” asked Jerry.

“I’m not sure, but I don’t believe he is,” replied Mr. Layton. “I think he is with the gang instead of being kidnapped, but I believe he is more a tool in the hands of designing men than an actual criminal himself. However, we’ll soon see.

“The time the thieves took your motor boat I was after them, but they gave us the slip as you saw. However, I managed to locate a cave where I am sure they have their headquarters.”

“All ready, then!” exclaimed the chief. “We’ll speed the boats up after the scoundrels!”

“Going to make it a night affair?” asked one of the Cresville detectives. “It’ll soon be so dark we can’t see.”

“That’s all right,” said Mr. Layton. “We’ll make a start, and tie up long enough for supper. Then we can go on all night. It will not do to lose any time. Have we any provisions?”

“We can stop at our camp and get some,” said Jerry.

This plan was carried out, and, in a short time, both boats having been well stocked, the craft puffed away toward where the river flowed into the lake.

While the preparations of the police for capturing the thieves were going on, the fellows themselves had not been idle. Once Ned and Bob were aboard the motor boat, and the towing of the schooner was resumed, the robbers followed a well-laid-out plan.

The schooner was taken to the little cove where she was hidden behind the trees. Then, those who had been aboard her, getting into the motor boat, the flight began.

Bob and Ned were gagged to prevent them giving any alarm when other boats were passed, and they were bidden to lie at full length on the cushions in the small open cabin of the craft, so they could not be seen. Paxton put one of the gang to keep watch over the boys while he attended to the steering of the boat. Another was kept at the engine to see that it ran properly, and Noddy Nixon and Bill Berry were left to their own devices.

All that morning the motor boat was speeded up the river. About noon the boys could see, from the surrounding country that they were nearing Cresville. This fact seemed to be apparent to Paxton and his gang. He steered the boat close to shore and tied up in the shadow of some bushes. There a rude meal was prepared, and the two captives were allowed to eat a little. They expected to see the boat start up again after dinner, but this was not Paxton’s plan.

He realized to go past Cresville in daylight might result in the discovery of the two boys, and, though he knew his craft was a swift one, he did not want any pursuit.

Accordingly he held the boat in its hiding place until dusk. Thus it happened that Jerry and Chief Dalton, in their craft, on their journey down the river had passed the boat in which the thieves and their captives were.

It was after dark when Paxton gave the order to start, and the motor craft slipped past Cresville about ten o’clock. A little while before this the _Dartaway_ and _Terror_ had taken up the pursuit on Cantoga Lake, starting in the race more than a score of miles behind.

Bob and Ned, though they had kept their spirits up bravely were almost in despair. Their jaws ached from the strain of the gags, and their bodies were tired from lying in one position so long.

Through the long night the flight continued. Past village after village the thieves and their captives sped.

Behind them, though they did not know it, came the pursuers in the _Terror_ and _Dartaway_. The two boats were making good time, but were far in the rear. It was early dawn when the forces of the chief, and Jerry in his craft, which also contained Andy Rush and Detective Layton, passed Cresville.

“I wonder how far they are ahead,” asked Jerry.

“We’ll make some inquiries of persons ashore, as soon as it gets light enough,” the tramp-detective said.