The Go Ahead Boys on Smugglers' Island Part 32

CHAPTER XXII A Pa.s.sENGER FOR c.o.c.kBURN ISLAND

Neither George nor Grant was aware of the reason for their abrupt flight when the shout of the approaching man was heard.

"Hold on!" called George to Grant after the boys had gone a hundred yards or more. "What fools we are. What are we running for anyway?"

"Because we want to get somewhere. We don't know just where it is but we're in a hurry to get there, I guess."

As he spoke Grant glanced toward the woods in the distance from which the man that had hailed them had unexpectedly come. "I'm not afraid. Come on, let's go back to the motor-boat."

"Did you find them?" inquired the captain when the boys approached the boat.

"No."

"You look so tuckered out, both of you, that I thought maybe you saw them somewhere."

"No, we didn't find them," said Grant, "but we saw--"

The boy stopped as if he hesitated to refer to the fact that they had fled from a man who had unexpectedly hailed them.

"Saw what?" said the captain.

"Do you know who lives on c.o.c.kburn Island?" abruptly asked George.

For a moment the captain made no reply as he looked keenly at the boys.

At last he said, "I have sailed over to c.o.c.kburn Island a good many times. Why do you want to know who lives there?"

"We had some strange experiences on that island," explained Grant.

"I don't doubt you," said the captain. "I don't doubt your word a bit.

What did you see there?"

"Why, it wasn't so much what we saw as the fact that there seemed to be something very mysterious about the island and the people who live there.

We went into a little shanty one day. At least it looked like a little shanty, not very far back from the sh.o.r.e and we found it all fitted up like a city house. There were rugs on the floors, and chairs and tables just such as you might see in town. The man had a j.a.panese servant, but there was something so strange about the whole thing that we didn't know just what to make of it. Do you know the man who lives there?"

"I have seen him," said the captain simply.

"Is there anything queer about him?"

The captain whistled as he looked up into the sky as if he was searching the clouds for an answer. "I know him when I see him," he said at last. A moment later he added, "I guess I see him now."

Startled by his words the boys looked quickly in the direction indicated, and across the field saw two men approaching the sh.o.r.e. One plainly was the man whom they had seen on c.o.c.kburn Island and his companion was the one who had approached from the woods and at his unexpected and startling hail the boys had fled up the sh.o.r.e.

"What do you suppose they want?" said George in a low voice to Grant.

"I haven't the remotest idea. If we stay here a little while we may know more about it."

Not a word was spoken while the boys and the captain waited for the two men to approach. It was plain that they were walking toward the place where the motor-boat was anch.o.r.ed, although what their errand was neither of the boys understood.

At the same time George felt of the letter in his pocket. The strange epistle had not only puzzled the boys but somehow they were unable to free themselves from the thought that it was directly connected in some way with the approaching man.

At that moment George pulled the sleeve of his friend and excitedly pointed toward the lake. Not far from the sh.o.r.e a swift little motor-boat was pa.s.sing and when George whispered, "That's the little j.a.p at the wheel, I'm sure it is," the excitement of both boys became more intense.

Abruptly the two men who had been approaching when they discovered that the boys were not alone, turned and walked along the sh.o.r.e in the direction in which the motor-boat, driven by the j.a.panese, was moving.

"There!" exclaimed Grant "We had our run for nothing. Those men didn't want us."

"I'm glad you are so well informed," said George, still watching the departing men as long as they could be seen.

"Well, boys," said their captain, "it's about time for us to start on. If we are going to find your friends we have got to get busy or we shan't get back to Mackinac Island to-night."

His words at once were heeded and the search for the missing boys was quickly renewed.

George and Grant walked along the sh.o.r.e maintaining a careful outlook for their friends, or for any signs that would indicate that they had been there not long before. Occasionally the boys advanced into the island, but in every case they returned without having discovered any traces of their missing companions. In this way much of the afternoon pa.s.sed and the sun was sinking lower in the western sky when the captain said, "There isn't much use in trying any longer, boys. We must be starting back."

Both George and Grant were depressed now for they had been working busily throughout most of the day and all their efforts had been unavailing. The missing boys had not been found nor had anything been discovered to indicate that their friends had even landed on Western Duck Island.

"They will be all right," said the captain, striving to cheer up his downhearted young companions. "They'll take care of themselves. There hasn't been any storm and two boys in such weather can't get into trouble on Lake Huron unless they try to and you say they aren't that kind."

"No," said George quickly. "They wouldn't be looking for trouble, but trouble may have been looking for them."

"I guess not," laughed the captain. "Most likely when we get back to Mackinac you'll find they are already there or else have chartered another motor-boat to go out and look for you."

As the boys were about to take their places on board the little craft they were surprised when they heard a hail from some one who was approaching from the woods.

In a brief time it was manifest that the man whom they had seen on c.o.c.kburn Island was the one who was now before them and that he was earnest in his request for them not to depart before he joined them.

"Are you going to leave now?" inquired the man when at last he stood beside the boys who were ready to embark on the little skiff and row out to the motor-boat.

"Yes, sir," said Grant quickly.

"I am wondering if you'll be willing to take me on board."

"As far as I'm concerned, I'm willing."

"I guess the captain wouldn't object if I agreed to pay him. How about it?" added the new pa.s.senger, turning to the captain as he spoke.

"The boys have chartered the boat," said the captain, "and I haven't anything to say about it. They'll have to decide."

"Do you want to go to Mackinac?" inquired Grant.

"No," replied the man. "I want to stop at c.o.c.kburn Island."

"That's out of our course," said the captain quickly. "We shall cut right across to Mackinac. In weather like this we're as safe as we would be on a mill-pond."

"I'll pay you well for my pa.s.sage."

"How much longer will it take?" inquired George turning to the captain as he spoke.