The Strange Cabin on Catamount Island

by Lawrence J. Leslie

  Produced by David Garcia, Juliet Sutherland, Charles Franksand the Online Distributed Proofreading Team.

  THE STRANGE CABIN ON CATAMOUNT ISLAND

  "THE VOYAGE WAS RESUMED"]

  THE STRANGE CABIN ON CATAMOUNT ISLAND

  BY LAWRENCE J. LESLIE

  CONTENTS

  CHAPTER

  I.--HOW THE DARE WAS GIVEN

  II.--BANDY-LEGS IN TROUBLE

  III.--ON THE ISLAND WITH THE BAD NAME

  IV.--THE SUDDEN AWAKENING

  V.--EXPLORING THE ISLAND

  VI.--WHAT THE ASHES TOLD MAX

  VII.--THE MYSTERY OF THE CABIN

  VIII.--AN UNWELCOME DISCOVERY

  IX.--WATCHED FROM THE SHORE

  X.--THE BUILDER OF THE STRANGE CABIN

  XI.--WHAT HAPPENED ON THE SECOND NIGHT

  XII.--A BOLD PLAN

  XIII.--UNSEEN PERILS THAT HOVERED NEAR

  XIV.--HOW THE SCHEME WORKED

  XV.--UNEXPECTED ALLIES

  XVI.--THE LAST CAMP FIRE ON CATAMOUNT ISLAND

  THE STRANGE CABIN ON CATAMOUNT ISLAND.

  CHAPTER I.

  HOW THE DARE WAS GIVEN.

  "And so Herb Benson dared you, Max, you say?"

  "That's what he did, Steve."

  "To camp on Catamount Island?"

  "And stay there a full week. He said that even if we did have nerveenough to make the _try_, he'd give us just one solitary night to hangout there!"

  "Huh! just because Herb and his old club got scared nearly to death awhile ago by some silly noise they thought was a ghost, they reckonevery fellow is built on the same plan, don't they, Max?"

  "I guess that's what they do, Steve."

  "So they challenge us to make a camp, and stick it out, do they? Whatdid you tell Herb? Oh, I hope you just took him up on the spot!"

  "Well, I said I'd put it up to the rest of the chums, my cousin, OwenHastings, Toby Jucklin, Bandy-legs Griffin, and yourself."

  "Count me in as ready to accept the dare. Why, I'd start this blessedminute if I had my way, Max!"

  "I know you would, because you're always so quick to flare up. That'swhy they all call you 'Touch-and-go Steve Dowdy.' But come along, andlet's get the other fellows. We can go down to the boathouse and talk itover, anyhow."

  "But tell me first, when _can_ we be ready to go, Max--some timeto-morrow?"

  "You certainly are the most impatient fellow I ever knew," replied Max,with a laugh; "yes, if the other boys are willing, I guess we might getoff at noon to-morrow. It wouldn't take long to lay in our supplies; andyou know we've already got tents, cooking things, and all that stuff onhand."

  "Oh, shucks! leave the grub part of the business to me," remarked Steve,instantly. "What's the use of having a chum whose daddy is the leadinggrocer in Carson if he can't look after the supplies. But I'm justtickled nearly to death at the chance of this little cruise up the BigSunflower."

  "I can guess why," Max observed, as he kept pace with his nervouscompanion's quick strides.

  "The new canoes!" exclaimed Steve; "it gives us the chance we've beenwanting to find out how they work in real harness. We've only triedlittle spins in them so far, you know, Max. Gee! I hated like everythingto let my motorcycle go; but the folks put their foot down hard, afterthat second accident to our chum, Bandy-legs; and, like the rest of thebunch, I had to send it back to the shop for what it was worth. It waslike going to the scrapheap with it, because I lost so much money."

  "Well, let's hope we can make it up in fun on the water with our boats,"was the sensible way the other put it. "Here's Ordway's drug store, andwe can use his 'phone to get the rest of the crowd along."

  A minute later, and inside the booth they were calling for M-23 West. Itwas not later than eight-twenty in the evening when the two boys metdown in front of the hardware store, where a brilliant light burned allnight long; so that the evening was young when Max caught the well-knownvoice of Toby Jucklin at the other end of the wire.

  Toby stuttered, at times, fearfully. He kept trying to overcome thehabit, and the result was that his affliction came and went in spasms.Sometimes he could talk as well as any one of his four chums; thenagain, especially when excited, he would have a serious lapse, beingcompelled to resort to his old trick of giving a sharp whistle, and thenstopping a couple of seconds to get a grasp on himself, when he was ableto say what he wanted intelligently.

  "That you, Max?" asked Toby, who had lived with an old, crabbed uncleand been treated harshly, despite the fact that his father had leftquite a little fortune for him when of age; until Mr. Hastings took holdof the case, had the court depose Uncle Ambrose, and place the boy incharge of a generous gentleman whose name was Mr. Jackson, with whom henow lived in comfort.

  "Just who it is, Toby," replied the other. "Say, can't you hike down tothe boathouse and meet us there?"

  "Now?" demanded Toby, his voice beginning to show signs of wabbling.

  "As soon as you can get there," was what Max answered.

  "Hey! what's on the carpet now, tell me, Max?" demanded Toby, quickly.

  "Keep cool," warned the boy in the booth. "Steve is here with me in thedrug store. We've got a scheme for a little outing in our canoes, andwant to put it up to the rest of the bunch. How about coming down,Toby?"

  "S-s-sure I'll b-b-be there!" exclaimed the other.

  "Then make a start soon," and with that Max rang off, because he knewToby would hold him indefinitely if once he got started asking questionsand stuttering at the same time.

  He soon had another boy on the wire, this time Bandy-legs. And theresponse was as rapid and favorable in this quarter as it had been withToby. From the tone of the inquiries Max made, the boys understood theremust be something out of the common on tap, and their curiosity wastherefore excited. They would have been at the place of meeting, eventhough they found it necessary to crawl out of bedroom windows and slidedown the post of the front porch; which in neither case was required,for both Toby and the other chum had plenty of freedom.

  When Owen, who, being an orphan, lived at his cousin's house, had beenbrought to the 'phone and asked to join the rest for a seriousconsultation, Max "shut up shop," as he called it.

  "Let's get a move on ourselves now, Steve," he remarked, as they leftthe booth, "and hustle around to the little boathouse my splendid dadbought for us when we got the canoes. It isn't a beauty, but it answersour purpose fine."

  "Just what it does," replied Steve, as they walked out of the store. "Ireckon all the boys are on their way by now, eh, Max?"

  "I'd like to see anything hold them back after the way I stirred thingsup. Why, just as like as not even poor old Bandy-legs is tumbling allover himself, sprinting down to the river through the dark."

  "He does have the greatest time trying to keep his legs from trippinghim up," remarked Steve; "but all the same there never was a better chumgoing than Bandy-legs Griffin. In a pinch he'd stand by you to thelimit, no matter what happened. But hurry, Max; as we did the calling,it's up to us to get there ahead of the rest, and have the lamps lit.Wow! I barked my shin then to beat the band. Hang the dark, say I!"

  "A little slower, Steve," cautioned the other, catching hold of hischum's coat sleeve. "Rome wasn't built in a day, you know. We'll getthere just as soon, and with our skin whole, if only you don't rushthings so hard."

  "I can see the boathouse ahead there, I think," suggested Steve,presently.

  "That's right; and we're the first after all, you see, because everyfellow has a key, and if any one got in ahead of us we'd notice a lightin the window. Hello! who's that?"

  "Think you saw something, did you, Max?" asked the other; "but as therewasn't any answer, I g
uess you must have been off your base that time."

  "Perhaps I was," replied the other; "but here we are at the door now,and as I've got my key handy, I'll open up."

  The boathouse had once been some sort of low, squatty building, which,being made over, answered the new purpose very well. And when Max hadstarted a couple of lamps to burning the prospect was cheery enough.Several canoes were ranged in racks along one side. Three of these weresingle canoes; the other a larger boat, which two of the boys paddled,and they called it the war canoe.

  Hardly had they reached this point than there was heard the sound of avoice at the door. Steve opened it to admit a panting boy, whose shortlower extremities had a positive inclination to pattern a little afterthe type of bows, which gave Bandy-legs the name by which he was knownfar and wide.

  Then came Owen Hastings, a quiet sort of a fellow, looking very like hiscousin Max; and a minute later Toby Jucklin appeared.

  "Now open up, and explain what all this fuss and feathers means?"demanded Owen, as the five gathered around the table upon which thelarger lamp stood.

  The boys expected to fit this building up as a sort of club room lateron, and in this place during the next winter keep all their magazines,as well as other treasures connected with their association, together.

  So Max explained just how it came that Herb Benson, the leader ofanother group of Carson boys, had challenged them to spend a certainlength of time on Catamount Island, far up the Big Sunflower branch ofthe Evergreen River, which flowed past the town.

  Some time previous to this Max and his four chums, wishing to securefunds in order to carry out certain pet projects for the summervacation, and early fall, had conceived the notion that perhaps themussels, or fresh-water clams, that could be found, particularly alongthe Big Sunflower, might contain a few pearls such as were beingdiscovered in so many streams in Indiana, Arkansas, and other MiddleWestern States.

  They had been fairly successful, and during a search discovered a numberof really valuable pearls. From the proceeds of the sale of a portion oftheir find they had purchased motorcycles, with which they enjoyed a fewruns. Then, as Steve had remarked so forlornly, Bandy-legs being soclumsy with his mount as to have a few accidents, which, however, hadnot been serious, their folks had united in declaring war on thegas-engine business. Consequently they had been compelled to dispose ofthe machines at a sacrifice. And the canoes had been their secondchoice.

  After the other three had heard what the proposal was, they united indeclaring their perfect willingness to take up the dare, if only to showHerb that there was a big difference between his brand of nerve, andthat which the five chums possessed.

  Of the lot possibly Bandy-legs was the only one who did not show greatenthusiasm over the project. Max noticed that he seemed to simply letthe others do the talking, though when a vote was taken upon whether ornot they should accept the challenge, the Griffin boy's hand went upwith the rest. Still, that was certainly a sigh that broke from hislips.

  "What's the matter, Bandy-legs? Don't you feel like making the try?"demanded the impetuous Steve, quick to notice that the other was notbrimming over with the same kind of eagerness that actuated himself.

  "Oh! I'm going along, all right," declared the shorter chum, doggedly."Ketch me staying out when the rest of you want to go. But I neverdreamed I'd ever pluck up the nerve to stay a night on that bloomingisland. Why, ever since I c'n remember I've heard the tallest yarnsabout it. Some say it's just a nest of crawlers; and others, that allthe varmints left unshot in the big timber up beyond have a roost onthat strip of land in the middle of the river."

  "Rats!" scoffed Steve, derisively. "That's all talk; hot air, you mightsay. Don't believe there's any truth in it, any more'n that story aboutghosts, and queer noises that Herb and his crowd tell about. Anyhow, Inever let a dare go past me."

  "That's right, Steve," remarked Owen; "it acts on you just like a redflag does on a bull. But it's decided, is it, fellows, that we goto-morrow noon?"

  "We ought to be able to paddle up there in five hours or so," remarkedMax.

  "Sure, and I'm in fine trim for the job; how about you, Toby?" Owencontinued, for the stuttering boy was to be his mate in the doublecanoe, which could hold the tents, and some of the more cumbrous luggagedevoted to camping comfort.

  "Just aching for exercise," the other managed to say, promptly enough.

  "Well, I reckon we'll all get what we want," Max remarked, as theyprepared to quit the boathouse; "for the current is pretty strong inplaces, and the island lies a good many miles off. Everybody be on handearly to-morrow, for we've got a heap of things to do before lunch time.Skip out now; I'm going to douse the glim."

  As the chattering boys walked away in the darkness they were followed bya stealthy figure that seemed desirous of not being seen. And a littlelater, when passing a house where a light gleamed from a window, thisfigure came for just a second in the shaft of light; so that had any oneof the five chums happened to glance behind just then they might haverecognized the evil face of their most vindictive enemy, Ted Shafter,the bully of Carson!