The Go Ahead Boys on Smugglers' Island Part 11

The response of the j.a.panese was another boisterous laugh.

"Why don't you tell us?" demanded John, irritated by the manner of the little man; but the sole response of the j.a.panese was a loud burst of laughter after each inquiry.

"Let's go in anyway," suggested Fred.

The j.a.panese offered no opposition to their entrance and when they were within the familiar room they glanced hastily about them, but there were no signs of the man they were seeking.

Abruptly, however, Fred said, "Hus.h.!.+ Listen, Jack! That's the captain's voice upstairs."

Both boys were silent as they listened attentively to the sound of voices which now could be heard from the upper room. Gradually the captain's voice became louder and it was manifest that he was either in trouble or angry.

To the astonishment of the boys the interview suddenly ended and the captain, rus.h.i.+ng down the stairway, abruptly departed from the house.

Apparently he had been unaware of the presence of either of the boys. He had glanced neither to the right nor to the left and as the boys looked out of the window they saw that he was walking rapidly toward the sh.o.r.e.

"Let him go," said John, "he'll have to wait for us anyway."

"I wish I was sure that he would wait," said Fred doubtfully.

"Wait? Of course he'll wait," retorted John. "That's what he's paid for."

"I'm not so sure," said Fred once more. "I think the best thing to do would be for one of us to go back and see that everything is all right."

"All right," responded John quickly. "You stay here if you want to and I'll go down to the sh.o.r.e and see if anything happens there."

Meanwhile Fred seated himself in the room and watched the j.a.panese servant, who apparently ignored his presence save occasionally when he stopped and stared blankly at him for a moment and then broke into a noisy laugh.

Not many minutes had elapsed, however, before John came running back to the house.

"The captain has taken the skiff and left the island!" he said excitedly when he burst into the room.

"Oh, I guess not," said Fred.

"But he has, I tell you. He was rowing like mad. He has taken the skiff and left us here."

"We'll go down to see about it," said Fred, abruptly rising and accompanying his friend as together they ran back to the sh.o.r.e.

"There it is, just as I told you!" said John, when they arrived on the bluff. "The boat has gone and the captain has gone with it."

For a moment Fred made no reply. He glanced in either direction along the sh.o.r.e, and then peered intently out over the water, but neither the boat nor the captain was to be seen.

"What shall we do?" demanded John. "That's strange and I told you there's something wrong."

"He'll come back again," said Fred confidently.

"I'm glad you think so," responded John. "I'm not so sure of it myself."

"It'll come out all right," persisted Fred. "Come on now, we'll go up to the house again."

When the boys returned to the house and once more entered the kitchen, the little j.a.panese servant, who met them at the door, made no protest when they entered.

Once more the boys seated themselves in chairs near the window. They occasionally glanced blankly at each other for there was really no explanation for their presence in the house. At the same time they were both watching the waters of the lake not far away, but their watching was vain, for when an hour had pa.s.sed no signs of the captain had been seen.

"Where is the man that lives here?" finally Fred inquired of the j.a.panese.

The servant laughed loudly, but shook his head to imply that he did not understand.

"He knows English, all right, I'm telling you," said John in a low voice to Fred. "This is getting all mixed up. I wish we were back in Mackinac."

"You are finding trouble everywhere, Jack," said Fred, although he too was at pains to speak in subdued tones. Turning once more to the j.a.panese he continued, "Can you get us some supper? We'll pay you for it."

The sole reply of the servant was another of his unmusical bursts of laughter. Either he did not understand what was said, or he took this method of ignoring the requests of his uninvited visitors.

"Let's go back to the sh.o.r.e," suggested John.

"All right," responded Fred, and together the two boys at once departed from the little house.

When they arrived at the sh.o.r.e not only was their own boat gone, but the boat in which Mr. b.u.t.ton had come had also disappeared.

"What do you make of that?" demanded John in astonishment.

"I'm sure I don't know," answered Fred, genuinely surprised by the double disappearance.

"Maybe I'm not Calamity Jane's brother after all," said John. "There's more in this than you think."

Fred was silent, though it was plain that he was puzzled by the failure to discover any of the boats. The _Gadabout_ also was nowhere within sight.

"Nothing for us to do," said Fred at last, "except to wait. They must know we're here and there's no way for us to get away unless the _Gadabout_ comes for us."

"Then we'll have to wait," said John, "and that's all there is to it."

Together the boys remained on the sh.o.r.e until at last the sun sank below the western horizon. Darkness would soon be creeping over the land and both boys now were more serious.

"It's plain the boys are gone," said Fred soberly. "I thought surely one of them would be back here."

"Well, I didn't," said John. "The captain was in such a hurry when he started that I didn't believe he would come back. I don't half believe we will ever see him again anyway. I tell you there's something wrong here."

Fred's expression was serious as without making any reply he looked out over the waters of the lake.

The darkness deepened and night would soon be at hand. "There's nothing for it," said Fred at last, "except to go back to the house."

"I don't know what good that will do," said John, "but I'm ready to go if you want to. This is the strangest thing I have ever been mixed up in in my life. For my part I wish I was out of it."

"Don't cry, John," said Fred, striving to speak cheerfully.

"I'm not crying," retorted John, "but I don't like the look of the whole thing. I tell you there's something serious in it."

Fred said no more and in a brief time the boys were standing once more at the kitchen door.