CHAPTER XXXV.
AND THE LAST.
THE others were hardly less frightened than the little darkey. TheGreeks fell to their knees and mumbled prayers, while the fishermenstood white-faced and panic-stricken. Even the party with the rifles intheir hands felt a thrill of fear as the gruesome object swept down onthem. Suddenly the whirling sound ceased and the creature of the nightglided down to the ground before them.
"A hydroplane," cried Walter, with a sigh of relief, fervently echoedby his companions.
From the air-ship stepped out three men, two of whom they recognizedwith a thrill of joy. They were Sheriff Daley and his deputy. The thirdman was a stranger to them.
The three approached the panic-stricken group of smugglers with drawnrevolvers.
"I arrest you all in the name of the United States of America,"announced the stranger, throwing back his coat and showing a marshal'sstar. "Put the handcuffs on them, Sheriff Daley."
The sheriff stepped back to the hydroplane and brought out a bunch ofjangling handcuffs which he proceeded to lock on the cowering captiveswho offered no resistance.
"Take them down to their launch and run them over to Clearwater,Sheriff," the stranger directed, as soon as the job was done. "Keepthem guarded close till evening, then we will take them on to theFederal prison in Atlanta. I will follow you in the hydroplane in alittle while. I have a few words to say to our friends here before Ileave."
As soon as the sheriff was gone with his prisoners, the stranger turnedto our friends with a smile.
"There is considerable explaining to be done, gentlemen," he said,pleasantly. "Let's go out aboard the schooner where we will be morecomfortable."
Chris was called down from the top of a tall palmetto where he hadtaken refuge and the bewildered party followed the stranger aboardthe dingy and were soon standing on the deck of their well-beloved"Beauty." The boys felt a lump in their throats as they looked upon thefamiliar, beautiful ship. The captain was here and there and everywhereover her deck. Examining everything like a parent with a long lostchild.
"They haven't harmed her at all," he declared, with joy. "Only paintedher over a different color and altered the rigging to disguise her. Nowonder we thought she looked familiar to us."
It was with reluctance that the delighted old sailor obeyed themarshal's summons down into the cabin.
"My friends, you have unknowingly made me a lot of trouble and prettynearly caused me a failure," the stranger said, when they were allseated around the cabin table.
"We will have to ask you to explain," Charley said. "We are allthoroughly bewildered."
"I suppose things do seem rather mixed up to you," smiled thestranger. "Well, I will try to make everything plain. For some timethe government has been receiving complaints of liquor being smuggledinto various places along the West coast, and at last, I was assignedto trace up the smugglers and this seemed to me to be as likely aplace as any to start my investigations. Well, it didn't take long todetermine who disposed of the liquor here, but it was quite anotherthing to discover the identity of the smugglers. I had a pretty fulldescription of the schooner from several parties who had seen herhanging around at different places along the coast. One man had evenseen the crew and he described them to me pretty accurately. But whenI tried to find out who were the schooner's owners and what port shehailed from I ran against a snag. No ship answering her descriptionwas registered in either America or Cuba. Quite by chance, when inTarpon Springs, I heard of your lost ship, and the description of herand the Greeks on her, tallied so exactly with the schooner and thesmugglers that I was convinced that they were one and the same. Havinggot a clue to the smugglers and the receivers, the next thing was tocatch them in the act. I took up my residence in Tarpon Springs with afriend who happened to be an enthusiastic air man, and went to work.I spent most of my nights on the island going there after dark in myfriend's hydroplane. I was getting along very nicely when you took upresidence on the island and upset my plans. I was quite out of patiencethat first night when you were the means of frightening the schooneraway. And then when you found the cache of liquor, I almost gave uphope. I was afraid you would ring in the local authorities and thatthey would mess up things without the evidence necessary to convict theoffenders. To discourage them at the start, if they should take anyaction, I removed the liquor from the cache. In fact, I was almost asanxious as Hunter to have your party leave the island. However, all'swell that ends well, and I have got the rascals at last, where theycannot escape long jail sentences. I was posted on to-night's doingthrough having easy access to Hunter's mail when it passed through thepost-office. An accident to the hydroplane's engine came near making metoo late to take the rascals in charge. As it is, I will have to havethe testimony of your party taken down in writing to-morrow, for I didnot see the actual handling of the smuggled goods myself. And now, Iguess that is the whole story. It will doubtless explain many thingswhich have puzzled you."
"Then it must have been you whom Chris took for a ghost?" Walter said.
"And you are the one who brought us the liquor and the doctor whenWalter was so ill," Charley exclaimed.
"I plead guilty to both charges," said the marshal, with a smile. "Oneother thing I would mention that is important to you," he added. "Insmuggling cases, the government usually seizes the vessel, but in thiscase, you, the real owners, are so entirely innocent of wrong-doing,that I am going to assume the responsibility of leaving you inuninterrupted possession of your vessel. And now, I am thoroughly tiredout and so I'll wish you good night, or rather good morning. Meet me inClearwater this afternoon and we will finish up our business together."
When the marshal was gone and the Roberts boys had departed for theircamp, the four chums sat in happy content in the "Beauty's" cozy cabin.
"Pinch me that I may make sure I am not dreaming," Walter sighed,blissfully. "All this seems too good to be true."
"If you are dreaming, I am, too, and do not want to be wakened,"Charley said. "Gee! a few weeks ago we had nothing but the clothes onour backs. Now we have over two thousand dollars in cash and a shipthat we can easily sell for three thousand dollars more, and best, ofall, we have been able to assist the Roberts, who were so friendly tous when we sorely needed friends, to a share in a part of our goodfortune."
"It's the good Lord's kindness," said Captain Westfield, reverently."Let's thank him for the blessings he has showered upon us."
All were silent for a time after the heartfelt prayer was ended. Atlast Walter said, practically:
"What shall we do now? No use to start fishing again, it's only a fewdays till closed season."
"I can tell you what we had better do, next," Charley said, rising.
"What?" his chum demanded.
"Turn in and get a good sleep," Charley responded, yawning.
And safe in their bunks, dreaming blissfully of the future, we must forthe present leave our four friends.
What the future held in store for them our readers can discover inthe next volume of their adventures: "The Boy Chums Conquering TheWilderness; or, Charley and Walter Amongst the Seminole Indians."
THE END.
* * * * *
Transcriber's Notes:
Original text did not have a Table of Contents. One was created by thetranscriber to aid the reader.
Obvious punctuation repaired.
Page 1, "Chnms" changed to "Chums" (The Boy Chums' Perilous Cruise)
Page 22, "comforable" changed to "comfortable" ( a comfortable,home-like)
Page 90, "know" changed to "knew" (chum knew what he)
Page 131, "somethink" changed to "something" (children or something)
Page 144, "Monays" changed to "Morays" (Morays, a kind of salt)
Page 149, "Permangate" changed to "Permanganate" (Permanganate ofpotash)
Page 221, "dopped" changed to "dropped" (dropped off to sleep)
Page 226, "contracted" changed to "contacted" (wires contacted and)
Page 227, "appetities" changed to "appetites" (appetites of wolves)
Page 232, "riggled" changed to "wriggled" (which wriggled at their)
Page 243, "fesh-water" changed to "fresh-water" (fresh-water oysters,upon)
Page 253, "tattoed" changed to "tattooed" (tattooed on his back)
The Boy Chums Cruising in Florida Waters Page 35