CHAPTER XXX

CAUGHT--CONCLUSION

About seven o’clock the two pursuing boats were about ten miles above Cresville. They made a short stop at a little village and coffee was prepared. While the simple breakfast was being gotten ready the chief and Detective Layton went ashore. They learned from a man who kept a boathouse that a large motor craft had gone up the river about four o’clock that morning. He said he had seen it when he came down to go out on a short fishing trip.

“Three hours ahead of us,” said Mr. Layton. “Well, if they only have some sort of an accident we might catch them. If not, we’ll have to trail them to the cave.”

Jerry, who had not been asleep during the past two nights, save for a brief nap or two, was almost exhausted. Seeing his condition Mr. Layton offered to steer the _Dartaway_.

“All right,” said Jerry. “But wake me up the moment you sight the other boat.”

About two o’clock the pursuing boats swung out into a long straight stretch of the river.

“We’re getting pretty close now,” the tramp-detective called to the chief. “About five miles up is where they left the boat the other time and took to the cave. I wish we could sight ’em now.”

“Same here,” the chief replied. “Say,” he went on, standing up and pointing ahead, “doesn’t that look like some sort of a boat?”

“It sure does,” Mr. Layton replied. “Wait a minute.”

Holding the wheel steady with his knees he drew from his pocket a small telescope. Adjusting it, he peered forward and looked steadily through it for several seconds.

“I believe it’s them!” he exclaimed. “I can’t make out the figures very well, but it’s a big motor boat, and one I’ve not seen around here before. They seem to be having some trouble aboard. Maybe the engine has broken down.”

“Let’s hope so,” the chief said. “If it only stays broken until we catch up!”

The _Terror_ and _Dartaway_ were making good time against the current. Nearer and nearer they came to the other boat. When within a mile of her Mr. Layton could make out the occupants quite clearly through his glass.

“There they are!” he cried. “And whatever was the matter with the engine they’ve got it fixed now for they’ve started up again.”

“Try and get a few more revolutions out of your craft!” cried the chief. “Every inch tells. I guess we can hit our engine up a bit more!”

“I’ll have to wake up Jerry,” Detective Layton said. “I don’t know enough about engines to monkey with ’em.”

Jerry awoke as soon as he felt the detective’s hand on his shoulder.

“Have we caught them?” he asked.

The detective pointed ahead.

“Can you get a little more speed up?” asked the officer.

“We’ll have ’em pretty soon!” cried Jerry, as he put the engine to the utmost limit.

The gang of thieves was now making frantic efforts to escape. Several of the men were in the stern, and they seemed to hold guns in their hands.

“Better lay low,” advised Mr. Layton.

At that instant a shot rang out from the boat ahead.

“I guess they mean real business!” exclaimed Andy Rush. “That sounded like a bullet.”

“It was,” Mr. Layton said, “but they fired in the air to scare us. Go on, Jerry!”

The _Dartaway_ was in the lead. Close behind it, however, was the police craft. A short quarter mile separated the pursuers from the pursued.

“They’re giving up!” cried Detective Layton.

A minute later the craft ahead had run ashore. Out of her piled several men and Noddy Nixon. They set off on a run across the meadows which at that point bordered the river.

“Where are Bob and Ned?” exclaimed Jerry.

“They’re probably tied in the boat!” yelled Mr. Layton. “You look after them. The chief and I will see to the thieves!”

Jerry steered the _Dartaway_ close to where the disabled boat was poking her nose into a mud bank. As soon as it was near enough to shore Mr. Layton leaped for the bank. He was followed by Chief Dalton and his men, who went off on the run after the thieves.

Jerry shut off the power and then leaped into the other boat. He saw Bob and Ned lying bound on the seats.

“Are you hurt?” he cried, but the boys could not answer because of the gags. Jerry saw what the trouble was and cut them. Then he released his friends, and with Andy Rush, chaffed their hands, which were numb from lack of circulation, caused by the tight ropes.

“Are you all right?” asked Jerry, when he saw Bob and Ned could stand up.

“Well I guess so!” exclaimed Bob, speaking for the first time in several hours. “Have you got anything to eat, Jerry?”

“Say, if you were to be blown up in a powder mill, I believe the first thing you’d ask for when you came down would be a sandwich,” exclaimed Ned. “But go ahead, Jerry, get him something to eat, and then tell us how it all happened.”

“Come over on our boat,” advised Jerry. “We’ve got lots to eat there.”

While Ned and Bob were partaking of food Jerry quickly told of what had happened. In turn the boys related their experience, and how, at the last moment the engine of the thieves’ boat gave out, which lucky chance led to their being overtaken by the pursuers.

“I hope they catch the thieves,” said Ned. “They’re a bad gang.”

“Well, I don’t care what happens as long as you and Bob are all right,” Jerry replied.

The boys exchanged all the details since the parting at the place where the schooner was moored, and were going over some events for the second time when they heard a sound as of some persons approaching. A few seconds later there appeared at the edge of the river Chief Dalton, Detective Layton, and the two Cresville officers. Each one held a captive by the arm, and the wrists of the captured ones were enclosed in irons.

“Did you land ’em?” asked Jerry.

“We sure did!” cried the tramp-detective.

“Got ’em just as they were going to barricade the cave. Nabbed ’em without a shot being fired, and got possession of a lot of plunder too.”

“Is the stuff from my father’s store there?” asked Ned.

“Yes, and from half a dozen other stores,” replied the detective. “It’s the biggest round-up of thieves in a good while, and you boys deserve credit for your part.”

“Where’s Noddy?” asked Bob.

“Well, he and Bill Berry got away,” said Chief Dalton. “But we don’t mind. We got the principal ones. Noddy was not mixed up in the thefts. He only helped the men, and I guess they bled him for money. Bill Berry we’d like to have, but we’ll get him later. Now for home.”

The captives were taken aboard the police boat. Some of the more valuable of the plunder was placed on the _Dartaway_, and the rest was left in charge of one of the detectives.

There was a sensation that lasted for several days when the motor boys got back to Cresville and the affair became known. There were stories in the newspapers, not only in the town where they lived, but in the New York journals. The boys were complimented on all sides for the parts they had played.

Mr. Slade recovered nearly all of his stuff and the money taken was found buried in the cave. He divided the reward among the boys and the police. Several other store proprietors in nearby towns, and in New York, received goods that had been stolen from them. The schooner, it developed, had often made the voyage between New York and Cresville.

The thieves were tried and convicted, being sentenced to long terms in prison.

As for Noddy, he was not found for nearly a month after the sensational capture. Then one of the Cresville detectives, who was working on a chicken stealing case, found him in the old hut, near which the boys had once picked up Noddy’s knife. It developed that he had run away after the arrest of the thieves, and had been living as best he could, traveling about the country doing odd jobs. He was brought back home, but was not arrested, as there was no charge against him.

“I wish he’d stayed away,” remarked Jerry, when he heard of Noddy’s return. “He’s a bad sort of chap to have around.”

“Well I guess we’ve taught him not to interfere with us,” said Bob.

“That kind never learns a lesson,” Jerry added. “We’ll be bothered with Noddy as long as he’s anywhere near us.”

And though he did not know it, Jerry spoke with truth. For Noddy was smarting over what had happened, and much ashamed of the disclosures regarding his connection with the thieving gang.

The further trouble he and Bill Berry caused the motor boys will be told of in another volume to be called, “The Motor Boys on the Atlantic; Or, The Mystery of the Lighthouse.”

But with the clearing up of the mystery of the robbery, and the arrest of the gang the motor boys were destined to have a period of quietness. They went back to Lake Cantoga after matters in regard to the trial of the thieves had been settled, and enjoyed several days of life in the open.

There we will leave them for the present, having a good time in their motor boat, which proved to be all that they had hoped.

THE END

Transcriber’s Notes:

--Text in italics is enclosed by underscores (_italics_); text in bold by “equal” signs (=bold=).

--Punctuation and spelling inaccuracies were silently corrected.

--Archaic and variable spelling has been preserved.

--Variations in hyphenation and compound words have been preserved.