The Rover Boys on the Great Lakes; Or, The Secret of the Island Cave

by Edward Stratemeyer

  CHAPTER XXIX.

  DORA STANHOPE APPEARS.

  "So you have been shipwrecked?" said the master of the sloop, a youngman of apparently twenty-five, whose name was Fairwell.

  "Yes," answered Baxter senior.

  "Your own boat, or some large vessel?"

  "Our own boat. We were out on a little cruise when we struck somethingin the dark and our craft went down almost immediately. Fortunately wewere not far from this shore, or we would have been drowned. Where areyou bound?"

  "Nowhere in particular. How long have you been on the island?"

  "Since night before last?"

  "All alone?"

  "Yes."

  "Had anything to eat?"

  "Well--er--not much," stammered Arnold Baxter. "We found some wreckagewith some bread and a few cans of sardines, but that is all."

  "Then I reckon you won't go back on a square meal?" laughed Fairwell.

  "Indeed I won't!" put in Dan, bound to say something.

  "We would like to get back to the mainland as soon as possible," wenton Arnold Baxter. "I am from Chicago, and must attend to some bankingmatters. My name is Larson--Henry Larson of State Street."

  "Well, Mr. Larson, we'll get you to the main shore as soon as we can;that is, providing the lady who has hired this sloop is willing to goon without stopping here. I reckon this young man is your friend?"

  "He is my son. And you are--?"

  "Randy Fairwell, at your service, sir. It's too bad you were wrecked,but you can be thankful your life was spared. Seen anybody around heresince you've been ashore?"

  "Not a soul."

  "Nor any sail?"

  "Nothing. It has been very, very lonesome," and Arnold Baxter shook hishead hypocritically.

  Tom and Sam listened to this talk with keen interest. Tom now nudgedhis brother.

  "This has gone far enough," he whispered. "Those men seem all right andI'm sure will prove our friends. I'm going to show myself."

  "Wait till the Baxters go on board," replied Sam. "Otherwise they maytake it into their heads to run away again."

  A few words more followed between those on the sloop and the Baxters,and then the latter ran on the deck of the sloop by means of a plankthrown out for that purpose.

  Then Tom came forward, stick in hand, and Sam followed.

  "Hold those men!" he cried. "Don't let them get away from you!"

  Of course the men on the sloop were much astonished, both by the boys'sudden appearance and by the words which were spoken.

  "What's that?" called out Randy Fairwell.

  "Those Rover boys!" ejaculated Arnold Baxter, and his face turnedwhite.

  "I said, Hold those men!" repeated Tom. "Don't let them get away fromyou."

  "What for? Who are you?"

  "Those fellows are rascals, and the father is an escaped prison-bird,"put in Sam. "Hold them or they will run, sure."

  "It's false," burst out Dan Baxter. "That fellow is crazy. I never sawhim before."

  "I guess they are both crazy," put in Arnold Baxter, taking the cuefrom his son. "Certainly I never set eyes on them before."

  "Do not believe one word of what he says," said Tom. "His name is notwhat he said, but Arnold Baxter, and he is the man who got out of a NewYork prison by means of a forged pardon. You must have read of thatcase in the newspapers last summer?"

  "I did read of it," answered Randy Fairwell. "But--but--" He was toobewildered to go on. "Where did you young men come from?"

  "We were carried off in a schooner hired by these rascals and put in acave on this island. We escaped only after a hard fight."

  "But why were you carried off?" asked one of the other men on board ofthe sloop.

  "These Baxters wanted to get our father to pay them money for our safereturn."

  "A kidnapping, eh?"

  "It's a--a fairy story, and these fellows must be stark mad!" criedArnold Baxter. "I give you my word, gentlemen, I never set eyes on thechaps before. Either they are escaped lunatics or else their lonelylife here has turned their brains."

  For a moment there was a pause; Sam and Tom standing at the end of theplank, clubs in hand, and the Baxters on the deck of the sloop,surrounded by the three men who had been sailing the craft. Those ofthe sloop looked from one party to the other in bewilderment.

  "Well, I must say I don't know whom to believe," said Randy Fairwellslowly. He turned to the boys. "Who are you?"

  "Tom Rover, and this is my brother Sam," answered the elder of thepair.

  "I never heard the name before," said Arnold Baxter loftily.

  "They don't appear to be very crazy," put in one of the men, whose namewas Ruff.

  "That's true, but they must be crazy or they wouldn't address my fatherand me in this fashion," said Dan Baxter.

  "They can talk all they please," retorted Sam. "But if you let themescape, you will make a great mistake."

  "Here is a fair suggestion," said Tom. "Take us all to the mainland andto the nearest police station. The authorities will soon straighten outthis tangle."

  "That certainly seems fair," muttered Randy Fairwell.

  "I say these boys must be crazy," blustered Arnold Baxter. "If you takethem on board, the chances are they'll try to murder us."

  "I don't want to sail with a couple of crazy fellows," put in Dan,scowling darkly at the Rovers.

  "We might keep a close watch on them," suggested Ruff.

  "And keep a close watch on the Baxters," added Tom.

  At this moment the door of the tiny cabin of the sloop opened, and agirl came out, rubbing her eyes as if she had been taking a nap, whichwas a fact.

  She stared at the Baxters like one in a dream, and then gave a suddencry of alarm.

  "Is it you!"

  "Dora Stanhope!" ejaculated Tom and Sam in a breath.

  Then the girl started and turned her eyes ashore. "Tom Rover! And Sam!Where in the wide world did you come from?"

  The Baxters fell back, almost overcome, and the father clutched the armof his son savagely.

  "We've put our foot into it here," he muttered.

  "Who would have supposed that she was on this boat?" came from the son.

  "Do you know these folks, Miss Stanhope?" questioned Randy Fairwell.

  "Yes, I know all of them." answered the girl, when she had somewhatrecovered from her surprise.

  "Of course she knows us," put in Tom, "and she knows those rascals,too; don't you, Dora?"

  "Yes, Tom. But how did you come here?"

  "It's a long tale, Dora. But just now I want you to help me bring theBaxters to justice. They are trying to make out that they are all rightand that we are crazy."

  "Crazy! The idea! Indeed, Mr. Fairwell, these boys are not crazy. Theyare my best friends. They are Tom and Sam Rover, and they are brothersto the Dick Rover I told you about."

  "And what of these fellows?" questioned the master of the sloop.

  "This man is an escaped prisoner, and this is his son, who is alsowanted by the authorities, I believe."

  "Trash and nonsense!" stormed Arnold Baxter, hardly knowing what tosay. "This is simply a plot against us." He caught his son by the arm."Come, we had better be going, since we are not wanted here."

  He leaped upon the plank and Dan came after him.

  "Get back there!" roared Tom, standing at the outer end of the plank."Another step and I'll crack your head open, Arnold Baxter!"

  And he swung his club in the air defiantly.

  "Out of my way, or I will fire on you!" answered Arnold Baxter, andstarted to draw his pistol.

  "Oh, don't!" screamed Dora, and covered her face with her hands.

  "We want no shooting here--" began Randy Fairwell, and then stoppedshort in wonder.

  For reaching down, Tom had suddenly given the end of the plank awobble. Before they could save themselves, the Baxters, father and son,pitched with a loud splash into the lake.

  "Good for you!" cried Sam. "If only they don't try to shoot when theycome up."

&n
bsp; There was a commotion in the water and mud lining the shore, and slowlythe Baxters appeared to view, covered with slime and weeds, and bothempty-handed, for Dan had not had time to draw his weapon, and that ofthe father lay somewhere on the bottom.

  "Now do you surrender, or shall I do a little shooting?" said Tomsternly, although he had no weapon.

  "Don't shoot me, please don't!" howled Dan, his last bit of couragedeserting him.

  The father said nothing, but looked as if he would like to annihilateboth of the Rovers.

  Randy Fairwell turned quickly to Dora Stanhope.

  "You are certain these people are bad?" he said.

  "Yes, yes; very bad!" answered Dora, and continued: "You can believeall the Rovers tell you concerning them."

  One end of the plank still rested on the sloop, and Fairwell quicklyplaced the board in position again.

  By this time the Baxters were crawling out of the lake. Sam caught holdof Dan while Tom tackled the father.

  With a heavy boathook in his hand Randy Fairwell now ran ashore,followed by Ruff.

  "You had better give up the fight," said Fairwell to Arnold Baxter. "Ifyou are in the right, you shall have justice done to you."

  "I will never give in!" growled Arnold Baxter savagely, and did hisbest to get away. Seeing this, Sam let Dan go and started in to helpTom. The struggle lasted several minutes, but Fairwell put an end to itby catching Arnold Baxter from behind and holding him in a grasp ofiron, and then the rascal was made a close prisoner by being bound witha rope.

  "Now for Dan!" cried Tom, and turned around, to find that Dan Baxterhad taken time by the forelock and disappeared. It was destined to bemany a day before any of the Rovers set eyes on him again.

  CHAPTER XXX.

  HOME AGAIN--CONCLUSION.

  "Dan is gone!"

  "Which way did he go?"

  "I don't know."

  "He ran up the shore, in that direction!" called out Dora, pointingwith her hand.

  Leaving Arnold Baxter in the grasp of Fairwell and Ruff, Tom and Samhurried off.

  But Dan Baxter had disappeared in a perfect wilderness of rocks andbushes and could not be located.

  "Never mind," said Tom; "let him go, if he wants to remain on thislonely spot."

  All were soon on board the sloop, and Tom and Sam told their tale, towhich Dora, as well as the others, listened with close attention.

  "Then my mother is safe!" burst out the girl. "Thank Heaven for that!"

  "She was safe when last we saw her," said Tom. "I guess the best thingwe can do will be to get back to the wreck of the _Wellington_without delay."

  "Yes! yes! take me to my mother at once. I have been hunting for herever since she disappeared."

  "But how did you happen to come here?"

  "I found out that Josiah Crabtree had hired the _Wellington_, andday before yesterday we ran across a steamboat which had sighted theschooner headed in this direction."

  "How did he get her away in the first place?"

  "We were stopping at a hotel in Canada and I went out to do somenecessary shopping. When I got back my mother was gone. She hadreceived a bogus note, written I presume by Crabtree, asking her tocome to me at once, as I had been taken sick in one of the stores. Iimmediately hired a detective, Mr. Ruff here, and we tracked Mr.Crabtree to the lake."

  "Good for you, Dora,--a man couldn't have done better," cried Sam soenthusiastically that Dora had to blush.

  "But now I want to get to mother without further delay."

  "Let us set sail at once, then," said Tom. "The distance to the wreckis not over two miles."

  Without delay the anchor was hoisted, the mainsail set, and the sloopleft the shore. She was a trim-built craft, and under a good breeze herbow cut the shining waters of the lake like a knife.

  The only one on the boat who was not in good humor was Arnold Baxter.When he got the chance he called Tom Rover to him.

  "Rover, what do you intend to do with me?" he asked.

  "We intend to hand you over to the authorities."

  "You are making a great mistake."

  "I'll risk that."

  "If you'll let me go I'll promise to turn over a new leaf, and, morethan that, I'll help your father to make a pile of money out of thatmine in Colorado."

  "Your promises are not worth the breath they are uttered in, ArnoldBaxter. You belong in prison, and that is where you are going."

  At this Baxter began to rave and utter words unfit to print. But Tomsoon stopped this.

  "Keep a civil tongue in your head, or we'll gag you," he said, and thenBaxter relapsed into sullen silence.

  The breeze was favorable, and it was not long before the sloop roundeda point of the island and came in sight of the _Wellington_.

  "Let us surprise old Crabtree," suggested Sam. "We can keep out of hissight until the last moment."

  Tom was willing, yet Dora demurred, wishing to get to her mother assoon as possible. Yet, as they drew closer, the girl stepped behind thecabin for a minute.

  "A ship!" cried Peglace, who was on watch on deck. "A ship at last, andcoming to shore!"

  He uttered the words in French, and they speedily brought to the deckhis companion and his companion's fat wife.

  "A ship, sure enough," said the other Canadian, while his wife shedtears of joy.

  Josiah Crabtree had just been interviewing Mrs. Stanhope in the cabin.He was trying again to hypnotize her, and she was trying to keep fromunder the spell.

  "A boat must be coming, by the cries," said the former teacher. "I willgo to the deck and investigate."

  He ran up the companion way, and Mrs. Stanhope followed. The lady feltweak and utterly discouraged.

  "If I only had Dora with me!" she murmured to herself.

  "Did you speak?" asked Crabtree, looking over his shoulder.

  "Not to you," she answered coldly.

  Soon Crabtree was at the stern. The sloop came closer, and a rope wasthrown to the _Wellington_ and made fast by the Canadians. Thesmaller craft drew so little water that she did not ground, even whenlying at the larger ship's stern.

  "Hullo!" began Josiah Crabtree, addressing Randy Fairwell. "This ismost fortunate."

  "I see you are wrecked," returned Fairwell calmly.

  "Exactly, sir--a very unfortunate affair truly. Will you rescue us?"

  "Anybody else on board?"

  "Yes, a lady to whom I am engaged to be married," and Crabtree smiledblandly. "Will you come on board?"

  "I guess I will," answered Fairwell. "Eh, Mr. Ruff?"

  "Yes," answered the detective, and leaped on the deck of the wreck.

  By this time Mrs. Stanhope was on deck also, gazing curiously at thoseon the sloop.

  "I believe this is Mr. Josiah Crabtree?" went on Ruff coldly.

  "Eh? Why--er--you have the advantage of me!" stammered the formerteacher of Putnam Hall, falling back in dismay.

  "Are you Josiah Crabtree or not?"

  "I am; but--"

  "Then consider yourself my prisoner, Mr. Crabtree."

  "Your prisoner!"

  "That is what I said."

  "But why do you say I am arrested? Who are you?"

  "You are arrested for plotting against the welfare of Mrs. Stanhopethere and Dora Stanhope, her daughter; also for forging Dora Stanhope'sname to a letter sent to the girl's mother."

  "It is false. I--I--Oh!"

  Josiah Crabtree staggered back, for Dora had run forward. In a secondmore mother and daughter were in each other's arms. An affecting scenefollowed. Josiah Crabtree turned a sickly green, and his knees smotetogether.

  "I--er--that is, we--the lady and myself--there is some mistake." Hetried to go on, but failed utterly.

  "You fraud, you!" cried Tom, and came forward, followed by Sam. "Now,Josiah Crabtree, we are on top, and we mean to stay there. Mr. Ruff,you had better handcuff him."

  "I will," returned the detective, and brought forth a pair of steel"nippers."

  "Handcuff me!" groaned Cra
btree, "Oh, the disgrace! No! no!"

  "You ought to have thought of the disgrace before," was Ruff's comment,and the next minute the handcuffs were fast on the prisoner.

  A shout was now heard from one of the Canadian sailors. He was pointingto the north of the island, where a steam tug had just hove into sight.

  The tug was coming on rapidly, and as she drew closer Tom and Sam madeout a youth standing on the cabin top, eagerly waving his hand to them.

  "Dick!" cried both of the Rovers. "Dick, by all that is wonderful!"

  It was indeed Dick and the _Rocket_, and soon the steam tug cameup to the stern of the sloop and made fast.

  "Tom and Sam, and safe!" burst out Dick, and then his eyes fell uponthe Stanhopes. "Dora!" He shook hands and blushed deeply, and so didthe girl. "Why, I never expected this!"

  "None of us did," answered Dora with a warm smile.

  "And your mother, too!"

  "It's like a fairy tale," put in Tom, "and I guess it's going to endjust as happily as fairy tales usually do."

  It took some time for each to tell his story. When it came to Dick'sturn, he said the steam tug had done her best to follow up CaptainLangless and his schooner, but had failed because of the darkness.

  "She's now out of sight," he concluded, "and there is no telling whereshe is."

  "Well, let him go," said Tom. "We have Arnold Baxter, and he is thechief villain. I don't believe Captain Langless will ever bother usagain."

  After a long conversation it was decided that all of the party shouldreturn to the mainland in the steam tug and the sloop, the latter to betowed by the former. Dick remained on the sloop with the Stanhopes,while Josiah Crabtree was placed in the company of his fellow-criminal,Arnold Baxter. With the party went the Canadian who was married, andhis wife, leaving the other Canadian to look after the wreck until hispartner should return with material with which the boat could bepatched up.

  The run to the mainland was a pleasing one to the Rovers, and also toLarry and faithful Aleck Pop. The negro was on a broad grin over thesafety of the brothers.

  "Dem boys beat de nation," he said. "Nebber gits into trouble so deepbut wot da paddles out ag'in in short ordah; yes, sah!"

  During the trip it was decided by the Stanhopes, on Dick's advice, toprosecute Josiah Crabtree to the full extent of the law. Mrs. Stanhopedemurred somewhat to this, but Dora was firm, and when the case wasbrought to trial Crabtree was sent to prison for two years.

  The first thing the Rover boys did when on shore was to telegraph totheir father, telling him of their safety. This telegram caught Mr.Rover just as he was about to arrange for sending the ten thousanddollars to Arnold Baxter. He was overjoyed at the glad tidings, andcame on as far as Detroit to meet the whole party.

  "My boys, how you must have suffered!" he said, as he shook one afteranother by the hand. "In the future you must be more careful!"

  Arnold Baxter wished to see Anderson Rover, hoping thereby to influencethe latter in his behalf, but Mr. Rover refused to grant the interview,and on the day following Arnold Baxter was sent back to the prison inNew York State, there to begin his long term of imprisonment all overagain.

  There was much speculation concerning Dan Baxter, and when the Roverswent back to the island on the steam tug,--to obtain what had beendiscovered in the cave,--they asked the Canadian on the wreck if he hadseen the youth.

  "Yes, I see him," was the answer. "But he is gone now. He went off in asmall boat that torched here yesterday."

  "It's just as well," said Tom. "We didn't want to see the fellow starvehere."

  But at the cave which Dick and the others had discovered he changed histune, for there were many signs that Dan Baxter had visited thelocality. The money which had been lying on the dust-covered table wasgone, likewise the map and the dagger.

  "We are out that much," said Dick to Larry and Peterson.

  "The boxes and casks are not disturbed," replied the old lumberman.

  "He couldn't carry those," said Larry. "Perhaps he thinks to come backfor these later."

  "Then we'll fool him," replied Dick.

  All of the goods were transferred to the steam tug and taken toDetroit, where, after remaining unclaimed for some time, they weresold, the sale netting the Rovers and their friends several thousanddollars.

  One odd-shaped box Dick kept as a souvenir. It had been a money casketand was lined with brass. Little did the youth dream of all the strangeadventures into which that casket was to lead him and his brothers.What those adventures were will be told in another volume of thisseries to be entitled, "THE ROVER BOYS IN THE MOUNTAINS; or, A HUNT FORFUN AND FORTUNE."

  The home-coming of the three boys was celebrated in grand style, notalone by the Covers, but by many of their friends, who flocked in fromfar and near to see them. Captain Putnam was there, along with many oftheir old schoolfellows.

  "It's good to be home once more," said Sam.

  "Especially with so many friends around you," added Tom.

  "And after escaping from so many perils," came from Dick.

  And here let us leave them, wishing them well, both for the present andthe future.

  THE END.