Messenger No. 48 Part 38

"I'm from Plattsburgh; but Jim lives at the village of Saranac Lake."

"Then he ought to be acquainted with the best fis.h.i.+ng grounds."

"He thinks he is, and wanted me to keep on into the upper lake; but after that long carry I thought I'd had enough of such work, and so we've hauled up here a while."

"Going to stay long?"

"I don't reckon we can be away more'n a week."

"Do many of the visitors stop on this lake?" Bob asked, as he turned to Jim, and Jet took advantage of the opportunity to move farther inside the shanty.

"No, sir, they mostly keep farther on. This place has been fished over so much that there's no fun for the city chaps what wanter catch big fellows."

Under Jet's example Jim was rapidly recovering his presence of mind, and since the visitor did not immediately set about killing them, he dared to look him in the face.

This answer seemed to please Bob, and Jet could readily understand why.

He gazed around once more, and then started back, much to the relief of his hosts.

Jim attempted to say something a moment afterward, but Jet interrupted him by crying loudly:

"Don't you think we'd better try to fix this camp up a little more before night?"

"Why, she's good enough," Jim replied, in surprise, as he came to the front of the hut, which gave Jet the opportunity to whisper:

"Don't you dare to say a word about him yet a while. There's no knowing how near he may be."

It was fully a quarter of an hour before the small guide ventured to speak again, and then Jet had seen both the men on the sh.o.r.e in front of their hut.

"You can talk now," he said, as he rose to his feet; "but in the future be mighty careful where those fellows are before opening your mouth about them. What were you going to say?"

"I don't know now; you frightened it out of my head. I swow! but I thought he'd come over to raise the very old Harry with us."

"It wasn't pleasant to see him so near; but now I'm glad he made the visit, for I don't think he suspects anything, and won't have a reason to prowl around. We must spend a good deal of time fis.h.i.+ng tomorrow."

"Why don't you send word for them fellers to come up an' nab him?"

"Perhaps we will to-morrow, if they are still here; but you must remember that it isn't yet certain they'll stay very long, and by the time the officers arrived both might be out of the way."

"Of course, you've got the management of this job; but, if it was in my hands, I'd want to have it over as soon as I could."

"So do I; but at the same time it won't do to make a mistake. How long would it take you to walk back to the village, if I rowed you to the falls?"

"Pretty nigh one whole day."

"Would you go up there and send a telegram?"

"Couldn't you come to?"

"No, because they might leave while we were gone."

"Then I s'pose I'd have to do it," Jim replied; but it could readily be seen that he did not care for such a job.

Without saying anything to his companion, Jet decided that if the men should be in this camp on the morning of the second day he would send Jim to the village, and take the chances of their concluding to make a change of location.

Surely Bob would not think of starting off that night, therefore the amateur detective felt it was safe for him to take all the rest he needed, and, after a hearty supper, he and Jim turned in.

The sun was an hour high in the heavens when the boys awakened next morning.

As a matter of course the first thought of both was regarding the game they were watching, and their gaze was at once directed toward the other camp.

Both men could be seen lounging around the fire, and Jet said in a tone of relief:

"It's all right so far. If they are there to-morrow you shall go back."

Jim made no protest unless one might have been read in the expression of his face.

This second day in the woods was spent in a lazy fas.h.i.+on by the occupants of both camps.

It was nearly noon before Jim and his companion were ready to go out fis.h.i.+ng, and then the sport was so dull that they did not remain very long.

Half a dozen medium-sized fish was the only result of their labor, and these the guide proposed to roast, because, as he explained, it would save the trouble of cleaning them.

He set about the task in the most approved backwoods style, and succeeded in bringing forth a most acceptable dish.

After this meal the boys did nothing, save watch their neighbors, and when night came Jet began to discuss the details of the return trip, for he was now confident the men were permanently located.

"Go right to the telegraph office as soon as you get home," he said to Jim, "and if the operator asks who sent the message say it was some one you met in the woods who hired you to bring it."

"S'posen he won't take it?"

"There's no danger of that. I'll give you the money, and he'll be bound to do as you say."

"You'll have to stay here all night alone, for, of course, I can't get back the same day."

"I shan't mind it, except that I may be lonesome; but I mustn't think of such a thing now."

Jim brought up various reasons why it would be better both should go; but Jet would not listen to them, and when they laid down to sleep it was understood that the guide would start at an early hour.

Next morning shortly after sunrise Bob and Sam were seen cooking breakfast, and Jet wrote the following message to Harvey:

"Come at once to Saranac lake, and hire a boat to Round Lake. I will watch for you."

When this had been done the amateur detective suddenly realized that if both he and Jim should set out in the craft and but one returned, it might arouse suspicion, therefore he said to the guide:

"It won't pay to run any risks, and you'll have to walk the whole distance. Here's money enough so you can buy anything you think we may need."