The Outdoor Chums in the Forest; Or, Laying the Ghost of Oak Ridge

by Quincy Allen

  CHAPTER XV

  JERRY MAKES A GUESS

  "Frank, what about the other wagon?" asked Will.

  "Well, what about it?"

  "Suppose it got caught the same way I did, and the horses were draggeddown?"

  "But it won't, all right, depend on that. In the first place, you didn'ttry to cross at the regular ford, but wandered downstream a bit, yousee. Then, again, I mean to leave a notice fastened to a stick righthere in the road, warning Adolphus against turning aside. I've testedthe ford, and it's safe," was Frank's reply.

  The wagon was taken over without any accident. Then they started afreshfor the upper regions, where that jewel of a lake nestled in the heartof the mountains, awaiting their coming.

  "It's a much longer journey than I thought," admitted Frank, an hourlater, as, having climbed the ascent, they were winding in and outamong the heavy forest.

  "And a harder pull than I dreamed of. Peter is the boss horse, for allhis wheezing and grunting," declared Bluff.

  "I'll never forget what he did for me!" exclaimed Will, who had beenfeeding the old animal on lumps of sugar at intervals for the last hour,until Frank forbade him to keep it up longer, lest he founder the beastwith kindness.

  "Well, that ought to pay us for all we've endured!" cried Jerry,pointing.

  "It's sure-enough Surprise Lake!" cried the others in chorus, for theyhad burst out of the woods at a point that allowed the first glimpse ofthe beautiful sheet of water for which they were headed.

  Presently they reached the bank, and Frank, with the instinct of a truesportsman, picked out the ideal spot for the tents to go up.

  First they had a bite to eat, for the hour was long past their customarylunch time, and all of them owned to being hungry. Will, in particular,declared he could eat even cold bear meat, if there was any handy.Though somewhat sore around his waist and arms, he said he felt allright.

  Then the tents went up, and the place assumed the appearance of agenuine camp.

  "When the canoes are floating on that lovely lake it will look likefairyland!" declared Frank enthusiastically.

  "I don't see any sign of a living being," remarked Bluff.

  "Nor do I believe any one is camping up here right now. We've got thewhole lake to ourselves, fellows," observed Will.

  The afternoon passed slowly. They were anxiously waiting to hear thecheery voice of old Adolphus in the distance, talking to his horses toencourage them.

  "What are you so serious about, Frank?" asked Jerry, dropping downbeside the other on the soft turf.

  Frank looked cautiously around to see that the others were engagedelsewhere.

  "I was going to take you into it, Jerry, when a chance came, but thoughtthat just now it might be well not to tell all the others. Listen, then.You remember that some time ago we were talking over that dog matter,when you spoke of the bloodhounds Colonel Halpin brought up from theSouth, and which were borrowed by the warden to chase the two escapedprisoners?"

  "Why, yes, I remember that," answered the other, looking surprised andcurious, as well he might.

  "One man was recaptured through the aid of the dogs," went on Frank.

  "That's so. You and I heard different stories about how it happened theother poor chap got away. One account said he took to the water, whileanother spoke of him using red pepper to fuddle the scent of thehounds."

  "All right, Jerry. The main point is that he got away, isn't it?"

  "It sure is; and I give him credit for some smartness. Any man who canoutwit that head warden of the penitentiary, and backed up by a coupleof trained hounds, at that, is no slouch, in my opinion."

  "Well, it happened that in a paper we had wrapped around some of ourthings I found an account of that escape. It was interesting to me,"said Frank.

  "Why?" asked Jerry eagerly.

  "For one thing, because it was a thrilling story. Another thing lay inthe fact that all sorts of strange possibilities flashed before my mind,for, Jerry, the name of the escaped convict was familiar to me, and willbe to you."

  Frank gave another hasty look around. Then taking out a piece of paper,evidently torn from an old news sheet, he held it out so that the othercould see where he had drawn a heavy black ring with his lead pencil.

  "Thaddeus Lasher!"

  As Jerry muttered that name his eyes sought those of his chum.

  "Whew!" he whistled in an expressive way.

  "It looks serious for Andy, don't you think?" asked Frank.

  "It does now, for a fact. Do you think this can be his dad?" asked theother.

  "Don't know; either that, or an uncle, for the account mentions that heis a man about fifty years of age. He seems to have been imprisoned agood long time back for the crime of robbery. There was a little doubtabout it at the time, and he was sentenced on purely circumstantialevidence. Some people even thought he might be innocent," went on Frank.

  "And all these years he has lain in the penitentiary, forgotten by everyone but his family; that's pretty tough," muttered sympathetic Jerry.

  "How long have you known Andy?"

  "He and his mother came to Centerville about five years back. Nobodyever knew anything about the family. I always supposed his father wasdead," replied Jerry thoughtfully.

  "Well, it looks as though this escaped convict, who still had years toserve, might be his father. Some cruel people would say that that is whyAndy has always been a wild, tough boy; but I think that came from otherreasons. But, Jerry, do you remember that we couldn't for our livesguess what was taking Andy up in this region?"

  "Yes. He never peeped a word about it, for a fact!"

  "And he carried a bag. We supposed he had clothes in that, but now I'mof the opinion that it might have been food," said Frank.

  "For his hiding father? Frank, it takes you to see through thesemysteries. Ten to one, you solve the ghost racket before we go back."

  "Don't be too sure. I may slip up on that; but I may as well hint, evennow, that I've got, a sort of vague idea in connection with anexplanation there. Later on I'm going to try and prove it out. But saynothing to the others until I give you permission."

  "Of course not. It's your say in the matter. But what can Andy bethinking of? Perhaps he means to help smuggle his dad out of the States,into Canada, when the coast is clear. Anyhow, I can't help feeling sorryfor the fellow. It shows that he has something good in him, just as Ialways said."

  "That's so, Jerry. Any fellow who stands up for his father can't be allbad."

  "All right, Frank. Glad to hear you say so. What do you want to ask me?"

  "Have you any idea about the matter? Can you give a guess what theescaped convict would be doing up here all this time?"

  "What date is that paper, Frank?"

  "Some three months back. The man has been loose all that time."

  "But perhaps not up here. He may have gone far away, and only come backto this neighborhood recently, for some reason," ventured Jerry.

  "That's what I wanted to hear from you. I know that you have inherited alittle of the clear reasoning power that has made your father thesuccessful banker he is. Apply it to this case, now. Supposing ThaddeusLasher did go away, and has recently come back here, what brings him?What does he mean to do here?"

  "H'm! Evidently he found means to communicate with his family," musedJerry.

  "Yes; if, as we believe, Andy had provisions in that stout grip which hewas taking up to his father, to tide him over. But the clamor has longsince died out, Jerry. Then why doesn't this escaped convict get awayfor good?"

  Jerry looked at him keenly.

  "I can see that you've got something on your mind, Frank," he said.

  "I admit it."

  "Something connected with this affair and the coming of Andy with thegrub his mother has sent. Wait a minute till I put two and two together,and perhaps I can catch a glimpse of the same thing that has struckyou."

  Frank watched him curiously.

  Presently Jerry looked up and grinned.
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  "You've hit something, I see," remarked his chum.

  "I reckon I have, pard. It may sound foolish, but all the same, as mydad would say, it seems like a logical sequence to me," he ventured.

  "You think, then, there is some connection between this hiding ofThaddeus Lasher in the hills and something that has puzzled us? Supposeyou say plainly just what you believe. What do you lay at his door,Jerry?"

  Jerry raised his heavy eyebrows and uttered a couple of words thatbrought a smile to the face of his companion and a quick nod of thehead.

  "The ghost!"