The Rover Boys on Snowshoe Island Part 44

"I guess you're right," returned Randy. "I'm quite sure Asa Lemm doesn't smoke cigarettes, and when he was on the island Mr. Brown was smoking a black-looking cigar."

"Well, if those boys stole the box, they will most likely turn it over to the professor and Brown," said Uncle Barney. "Oh, if only I could get my hands on them!" and his eyes flashed.

The trail now led through a patch of woods and went into something of a semicircle. Then there was a little loop, which caused the boys some perplexity, but did not bother the old lumberman.

"They lost their way--that's all," explained Uncle Barney. "But, after moving around in a loop, they headed in this direction," and he pointed with his hand. "Come on! Maybe they got hopelessly lost further on and are still in the woods. I hope so."

The trail led deeper and deeper into the woods and wound in and out among a number of rocks. It was plainly evident that Slugger and Nappy had lost their way, and had made a number of false turns.

"Here is where they rested again," announced Jack presently, and showed where some rocks had been swept clear of the snow.

"Yes, and they stopped long enough to have something to eat," added Randy. "Here are a crust of bread and some cake crumbs."

The trail continued to wind in and out among the woods, and the Rovers and the old lumberman followed it for fully an hour longer. Then they came out on the eastern sh.o.r.e of the island.

"I guess this is the end of it," announced Uncle Barney dismally. "They probably skated away from this point."

"No, they didn't!" cried Jack, who was making an examination of the footprints. "They went down the lake sh.o.r.e."

"I'll tell you what I think!" said Randy. "They most likely wanted to get to Rockville, and they were afraid that if they attempted to cross to the other side of the island they would become lost again. So instead of going across, they went down to the lower end."

"Here come two men!" cried Randy suddenly. He had been peering out on the surface of the lake.

"Maybe they are Professor Lemm and Mr. Brown," suggested Andy.

The men were at a great distance, but skating rapidly toward the island.

As they came closer, Jack saw that they were strangers, and he waved his cap and shouted at them.

"They may have seen Slugger and Nappy, or else they may have some news for us," he said.

As the two strangers came closer, Uncle Barney looked at them curiously.

Then he drew himself up and his face stiffened.

"Don't you know those two men?" he questioned rather sharply, turning to the boys.

"No," answered Jack, and the others shook their heads.

"The man ahead is Fred Stevenson, and the other is Mr. Powell."

"Oh, is that so!" exclaimed Jack; and then without further ado he ran out on the ice to meet the newcomers.

"So this is Jack Rover, eh?" said Mr. Stevenson, shaking hands warmly.

"I'm glad to know you; and I must thank you for sending me that telegram."

"I sincerely hope you can patch up your differences with old Uncle Barney," answered Jack quietly. "He's in a peck of trouble just now."

"Why, what has happened?" questioned Ruth's father. "But excuse me," he added. "This is my friend, Mr. Powell."

By this time the other Rovers had come forward, and all told the two men of what had taken place. In the meantime, Uncle Barney remained behind on the lake sh.o.r.e, resting on his gun and eyeing the visitors speculatively.

"I wish you would all do me a favor," said Mr. Stevenson, in a low tone of voice, so that the old lumberman might not hear. "I wish you would give me a chance to speak to Uncle Barney alone."

"Certainly we'll give you that chance, Mr. Stevenson," answered Jack readily. "We are after the two rascals who stole that treasure box. Tell Uncle Barney that we are going to continue the hunt while you are doing your talking. Maybe Mr. Powell would like to go with us."

"Certainly. I don't want to interfere with this affair between these other men," was the quick reply.

Leaving Ruth's father to talk matters over with the old lumberman, the Rover boys and Mr. Powell began the journey down the side of Snowshoe Island. As they proceeded, the boys told the man many of the particulars of how Professor Lemm and Mr. Brown, accompanied by Slugger and Nappy, had come to the island to take possession, and then how the old lumberman had been attacked in the cave and how the precious blue tin box had been stolen.

"That's certainly carrying matters with a high hand," was Mr. Powell's comment. "I sincerely trust the old man gets the box back. If he doesn't, it may cause him a great deal of trouble, especially if those deeds have not been recorded since the old courthouse burnt down. I remember well that that fire caused a great deal of trouble among property owners in this county."

He told the boys that he and his wife and daughter May had been visiting the Stevensons at the time the Rovers' telegram arrived. He had left his wife and daughter to continue the visit, and had accompanied Mr.

Stevenson on the trip just for the sake of a little outing.

"This quarrel between old Uncle Barney, as he is called, and the Stevensons is all nonsense," he declared flatly. "It could have been cleared up years ago if the old man would only have listened to reason.

But he was much upset by his financial losses, and more upset when his wife died, and he wouldn't listen to a word. Now that he is willing to talk I am sure they can patch it up."

About a mile was covered, and then the Rovers and Mr. Powell found where Slugger and Nappy had gone ash.o.r.e again at a point where the island was quite low.

"I'll wager they thought they could cross here with ease, and thus save themselves the trouble of going around the south point," said Jack, and in this surmise he was correct.

Once again the trail led into the woods, and now it was fairly straight up to a point where the ground became rougher. Here they found the snow scattered around some rocks, and rightly guessed that one of the youths had had a tumble.

"And I guess the tumble must have hurt some," announced Randy. "Look at those footprints further on, will you? One of the fellows did a lot of limping."

"Maybe he twisted his ankle, or something like that!" cried Andy.

"It's too bad he didn't hurt himself so severely that he couldn't go any further," grumbled Fred.

"It won't be long now before we come out near that cabin where we stayed during that awful snowstorm," said Jack.

It was now well along in the middle of the afternoon, and the Rovers rightly concluded that this point had not been reached by Slugger and Nappy until late the day before.

"If one of them was hurt, they wouldn't want to skate away over to Rockville in the dark," said Randy. "Maybe they stayed on this island all night."

"There is that old cabin!" exclaimed Fred, as they reached a cleared s.p.a.ce and could see some distance ahead.

The little cabin was thickly surrounded by snow, and looked very much as it had when they had left it. But to their surprise, not to say delight, they saw a thin wreath of smoke curling up out of the chimney.

"Somebody is there as sure as fate!" exclaimed Jack.

"Come on, let's see who it is!" burst out Randy.

All hurried forward, making no noise in the snow, and soon reached the side of the cabin. Then Jack, who was in advance, peered in through a corner of the broken-out window, pulling aside the nailed-up blanket for that purpose.

The sight which met his gaze filled him with surprise and satisfaction.

On a rude couch at one side of the single room of which the structure boasted, rested Slugger Brown, his ankle tied up in a rude bandage. In front of the fire sat Nappy Martell with the old lumberman's treasure box on his lap. Nappy had a knife in one hand, and, with the file blade, was trying to file apart the padlock to the box.