CHAPTER XXV PROFITS
The interest that had been aroused by the cave-in of Copper Coleson’smine was as nothing compared with the excitement which prevailed when itbecame known that the property had been used as a base by smugglers fromCanada. A large number of automobilists made the Coleson place theobjective of their Sunday-afternoon drive, but except for wheel and foottracks about the tightly shuttered building, there was nothing to beseen. The boys who had taken so active a part in the capture of the gangwere overwhelmed with praise and bombarded with questions, but actingupon a preconcerted agreement, they gave out very little information.
“Keep ’em guessing,” had been Ned Blake’s brief advice. “We’ll get thefellows together on Monday afternoon and decide what’s to be done.”
Owing to the fact that the Wilbur garage was newly painted, the meetingwas held in the Blake yard beneath the friendly, though of lateneglected, apple tree. Perched upon one of the lower limbs, Ned calledthe meeting to order, and Treasurer Beals from his soap-box submittedhis report which showed after payment of all outstanding accounts agratifying balance.
“We were going good, but I guess the game’s up,” concluded Tommy,gloomily.
“Yes, the Demon Dance bubble is busted,” agreed Rogers. “The Ghost ofCopper Coleson is laid, and the phantom stuff was really about all thatwe had to offer.”
“But we’ve paid the rent on the old shebang right up to October,”grumbled Dick Somers. “We’ve got to make _some_ use of it, or else admitwe’re licked!”
“That’s just what we’re here to decide,” declared Ned. “Instead ofquitting, I believe we’ll go bigger than ever!”
“Do you mean we’ll keep on with the dances?” asked Jim Tapley.
“I can’t see why not,” replied Ned. “All we need is some attraction tokeep the crowd coming and this raid has given us a lot of advertising.Judging from the talk that’s going round I’d say that everybody wants tosee where and how the thing happened. My idea would be to make ’em payfor what they learn. We can sell dance-tickets to include a walk acrossthe canvas track and through the cellar into the mine.”
“Swell idea,” agreed Wilbur, “only we ought to run the dances twice aweek while the interest lasts. D’j’ever hear about ‘making hay while thesun shines’?”
“Great!” applauded Rogers. “Fatty, it’s up to you to get out some newposters advertising semi-weekly dances at the Rum-Runners Retreat.”
“That’s the idea!” chuckled Dick. “We’ll get a new crank for the winchand charge half a dollar for a ride on the dump-car down the tunnel.That’ll be a swell job for Weary!”
“Aw say, Dick, use your bean,” urged Dave.
“There’s another plan that might help us,” suggested Ned, when the laughat Dave’s expense had subsided. “Suppose we were to clear out the oldwood-road, which has played such an important part in all that hashappened, and make it usable for our dance crowd. It’s a good two milesshorter than the regular route to Coleson’s.”
This was unanimously approved.
“All we’ll have to do is pull those vines to one side and chop out thebrush along the road,” said Rogers. “In a couple of days we’ll haveeverything ready for Wednesday night.”
“All right, fellows,” said Ned, as the meeting adjourned, “let’s meet atDave’s tomorrow morning all set for a long day in the woods. Everybodywill need a good sharp axe—and by the way,” he continued with a wink atTommy Beals, “mine is pretty dull. How about giving me a few turns onthe old grindstone, Weary?”
Dave Wilbur glanced at the crank-handle of the heavy stone and from itto the circle of grinning faces. “Oh, all right,” he drawled. “I guessit’s on me this time,” and added with a grin, “they do say that ‘achicken always comes home to roost.’”
THE END
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