The Corner House Girls on a Houseboat

by Grace Brooks Hill

  CHAPTER XXIV

  CLOSING IN

  "Perhaps these are the men!" exclaimed Ruth to the lawyer.

  "What men?" he asked.

  "Those tramps--the ones who robbed us in the rain storm that day. Ifthey come here--"

  "What's the matter?" asked the man of the cabin--Aleck Martin he hadsaid his name was. "What seems to be the trouble with the young lady?"And, as he spoke, gazing at Ruth, the barking of the dog and theshouting grew apace.

  "She is excited, thinking the rascals about whom we have been inquiringmight now make their appearance," Mr. Howbridge answered.

  "Mr. Martin laughed so heartily that his black beard waved up and downlike a bush in the wind, and Dot and Tess watched it in fascination.

  "Excuse me, friend," the dweller in the cabin went on, "but I couldn'thelp it. Those are my two boys coming back. They always cut up likethat. Seems like the quietness of the lake and this island gets on theirnerves sometimes, and they have to raise a ruction. No harm in it, not abit. Jack, the dog, enjoys it as much as they do."

  This was evident a few moments later, for up the slope came two sturdyyoung men, one carrying a gun, and the dog was frisking about betweenthe two, having the jolliest time imaginable.

  "There are my boys!" said Mr. Martin, and he spoke with pride.

  "Oh, will you excuse me?" asked Ruth, in some confusion.

  "That's all right--they do look like tramps," said their father. "Butyou can't wear your best clothes fussing around boats and fish andtaking parties out. Well, Tom and Henry, any luck?" he asked thenewcomers.

  "Extra fine, Dad," answered one, while both of them stared curiously atthe visitors.

  "That's good," went on Mr. Martin. "These folks," he added, "were blownashore last night in their houseboat. They want help to get it off."

  "Will you go and look at her, and then we can make a bargain?"interposed Mr. Howbridge.

  "Oh, shucks now, friend, we aren't always out for money, though we makea living by working for summer folks like you," said Mr. Martin,smiling.

  "Is that your boat over there?" asked one of the young men whose name,they learned later, was Tom.

  "Yes," assented Neale, for the fisherman pointed in the direction of thestranded _Bluebird_, which, however, could not be seen from the cabin.

  "We saw her as we came around," went on Henry. "I wondered what she wasdoing up on shore, and we intended to have a look after we tied up ourcraft."

  "Will you be able to help us get her afloat?" asked Ruth, for she ratherliked the healthful, manly appearance of the two young men.

  "Sure!" assented their father. "This is that O'Neil man's son," he wenton, speaking to his boys.

  "What, O'Neil; the Klondiker?" asked Tom quickly.

  "Yes," assented Neale. "Can you tell me about him? Where is he? How didhe make out in Alaska?"

  "Well, he's on an island about ten miles from here," was the answer ofHenry. "As for making out, I don't believe he did very well in the goldbusiness, to tell you the truth. He doesn't say much about it, but Iguess the other men got most of it."

  "What other men?" asked Neale, and again his heart sank and thatterrible suspicion came back to him.

  "Oh, a bunch he is in with," answered Henry Martin. "They all livetogether in a shack on Cedar Island. Your father hired a boat of us. Itrusted him for it, as he said he had no ready cash. But I reckon it'sall right."

  This only served to make Neale more uneasy. He had been hoping againsthope that his father would have found at least a competence in theKlondike.

  Now it seemed he had not, and, driven by poverty, he might have adopteddesperate measures. Nor did Neale like the remarks about his fatherbeing in with a "bunch" of men. True, Mr. O'Neil had been in the circusat one time, and they, of necessity, are a class of rough and ready men.But they are honest, Neale reflected. These other men--if the two whohad escaped in the motor boat were any samples--were not to be trusted.

  So it was with falling spirits that the boy waited for what was tohappen next.

  Agnes' quick mind and ready sympathy guessed Neale's thoughts.

  "It will be all right, Neale O'Neil. You know it will. Your fathercouldn't go wrong."

  "You're a pal worth having, Aggie," he whispered to the girl.

  "I would like to see my father," he said to the lawyer. "Do you think wecould go to Cedar Island in the houseboat?"

  "Of course we can!" exclaimed Mr. Howbridge. "We'll go as soon as we canget her afloat."

  "And that won't take long; she didn't seem to be in a bad position,"said Tom. "Come on, we'll go over now," he went on, nodding to hisfather and his brother.

  "I have an Alice-doll on the boat," said Dot, taking a sudden liking toHenry.

  "You have?" he exclaimed, taking hold of her hand which she thrustconfidingly into his. "Well, that's fine! I wish I had a doll!"

  "Do you?" asked Dot, all smiles now. "Well, I have a lot of 'em at home.There's Muriel and Bonnie Betty and a sailor boy doll, and Nosmo KingKenway, and then I have twins--Ann Eliza and Eliza Ann, and--"

  "Eliza Ann isn't a twin any more--anyway not a good twin," put in Tess."Both her legs are off!"

  "Oh, that's too bad!" exclaimed Henry sympathetically.

  "And if you want a doll, I can give you one of mine," proceeded Dot."Only I don't want to give you Alice-doll 'cause she's all I have withme. But if you want Muriel--"

  "Muriel has only one eye," said Tess quickly.

  "I think I should love a one-eyed doll!" said the young man, who seemedto know just how to talk to children.

  "Then I'll send her to you!" delightedly offered Dot.

  "And I'll send you one of Almira's kittens!" said Tess, who did not seemto want her sister to do all the giving.

  "Hold on there! Don't I get anything?" asked Tom, in mock distress.

  "Almira's got a lot of kittens," said Dot. "Would you like one of them?"

  "Well I should say so! If Henry's going to have a kitten and a doll, Ithink I ought at least to have a kitten," he said.

  "Well, I'll send you one," promised Tess.

  And then, with the two children, one in charge of Henry and the otherholding Tom's hand, the trip was made back to where the _Bluebird_ wasstranded.

  "It won't be much of a job to get her off," declared Mr. Martin, when heand his sons had made an expert examination. "Get some long poles, boys,and some blocks, and I think half an hour's work will do the trick."

  "Oh, shall we be able to move soon?" asked Mrs. MacCall, coming out ondeck.

  "We hope so," answered Ruth, as she went on board and told of the visitto the cabin, while Neale hurried to the engine room to see what successHank had met with. The mule driver had succeeded in getting the monkeywrench out from under the flywheel, and the craft could move under herown power once she was afloat.

  "What's the matter with Neale?" asked Mrs. MacCall, while the men werein the woods getting the poles. "He looks as if all the joy had departedfrom life."

  "I'm afraid it has, for him," said Ruth soberly. "It seems that hisfather is located near here--on Cedar Island--and is poor."

  "Nothing in that to take the joy out of life!" And Mrs. MacCall strodeaway.

  "Well, being poor isn't anything," declared Agnes. "Lots of people arepoor. We were, before Uncle Peter Stower left us the Corner House."

  "I think Neale fears his father may have had something to do with-- Oh,Agnes, I hate to say it, but I think Neale believes his father eitherrobbed us, or knows something about the men who took the jewelry box!"

  "But we know it isn't true!" exclaimed Agnes.

  "Anyway, the Klondike trip was a failure."

  "Yes, and I'm so sorry!" exclaimed Agnes. "Couldn't we help--"

  "I think we shall just have to wait," advised her sister. "We can talkto Mr. Howbridge about it after we find out more. I think they are goingto move the boat now."

  This task was undertaken, and to such good advantage did Mr. Martin andhis sons work, aided, of course, by Neale,
Mr. Howbridge and Hank, thatthe _Bluebird_ was soon afloat again.

  "Now we can go on, and when I get back home I'll send you a doll and apussy cat!" offered Dot to Henry.

  "And I'll send you two pussy cats!" Tess said to Tom.

  The young men laughed, their father joining in.

  "How much do I owe you?" asked the lawyer, when it was certain that thehouseboat was afloat, undamaged, and could proceed on her way.

  "Not a cent!" was the hearty answer of Mr. Martin. "We always help ourneighbors up here, and you were neighbors for a while," he added with alaugh.

  "Well, I'm a thousand times obliged to you," said the guardian of theCorner House girls. "Our trip might have been spoiled if we couldn'thave gone on, though I must say you have a delightful resting spot inthis island."

  "We like it here," admitted the fisherman, while his sons were lookingover the houseboat, which they pronounced "slick."

  Neale seemed to have lost heart and spirit. Dot and Tess, of course, didnot notice it so much, as there was plenty to occupy them. But to Ruthand Agnes, as well as to Mr. Howbridge, Neale's dejection was veryevident.

  "Is the motor all right?" asked the lawyer of Neale, when the Martinshad departed with their dog.

  "Yes, she runs all right now."

  "Then we might as well head for Cedar Island," suggested the lawyer."The sooner you find your father the better."

  "Yes--I suppose so," and Neale turned away to hide his sudden emotion.

  Once more the _Bluebird_ was under way, moving slowly over the sparklingwaters of Lake Macopic. All traces of the storm had vanished.

  "Mrs. Mac wants to know if we are going to pass any stores," said Agnes,coming up on deck when the island on which they had been stranded hadbeen left behind.

  "We can run over to the mainland if she wants us to," the lawyer said."Is it anything important, Agnes?"

  "Only some things to eat."

  "Well, that's important enough!" he laughed. "We'll stop at that pointover there," and he indicated one. "From there we can make a straightrun to Cedar Island. You won't mind the delay, will you?" he askedNeale, who was steering.

  "Oh, no," was the indifferent answer. "I guess there's no hurry."

  They all felt sorry for the lad, but decided nothing could be done. Mr.Howbridge admitted, after Ruth had spoken to him, that matters lookedblack for Mr. O'Neil, but with his legal wisdom the lawyer said:

  "Don't bring in a verdict of guilty until you have heard all theevidence. It is only fair to suspend judgment. It would be cruel toraise Neale's hopes, only to dash them again, but I am hoping for thebest."

  This comforted Ruth and Agnes a little; though of course Agnes, in herloyalty to Neale, did not allow doubt to enter her mind.

  The point for which the boat was headed was a little settlement on thelake shore. It was also the center of a summer colony, and was a livelyplace just at present, this being the height of the season.

  At the point were a number of stores, and it was there the supplies forthe Scotch housekeeper could be purchased. Ruth and Agnes had made theirselections and the things were being put on board when a number of menwere observed coming down the long dock.

  One of them wore a nickel badge on the outside of his coat, and seemedto have an air of authority. Neale, who had been below helping Hankstore away some supplies of oil and gasoline that had been purchased,came out on deck, and, with the girls and Mr. Howbridge, watched theapproach of the men.

  "Looks like a constable or sheriff's officer with a posse," commentedRuth. "It reminds me of a scene I saw in the movies."

  "It is an officer--I know him," said Mr. Howbridge in a low voice. "Heonce worked on a case for me several years ago. That's BobNewcomb--quite a character in his way. I wonder if he remembers me."

  This point was settled a moment later, for the officer--he with thenickel badge of authority--looked up and his face lightened when he sawthe lawyer.

  "Well, if it ain't Mr. Howbridge!" exclaimed Mr. Newcomb. "Well now,sufferin' caterpillers, this is providential! Is that your boat?" heasked, halting his force by a wave of his hand.

  "I may say I control it," was the answer. "Why do you ask?"

  "'Cause then there won't be no unfriendly feelin' if I act in theperformance of my duty," went on the constable, for such he was. "I'llhave to take possession of your craft in the name of the law."

  "What do you mean?" asked Mr. Howbridge, rather sharply. "Is this craftlibeled? All bills are paid, and I am in legal possession. I have a billof sale and this boat is to be delivered to a client of mine--"

  "There you go! There you go! Ready to fight at the drop of the hat!"chuckled the constable. "Just like you did before when I worked on thattimber land case with you. But there's no occasion to get roiled up, Mr.Howbridge. I only want to take temporary possession of your boat in thename of the law. All I want to have is a ride for me and my posse. We'reon the business of the law, and you, being a lawyer, know what thatmeans. I call on you, as a good citizen, to aid, as I've got a right todo."

  "I recognize that," said the lawyer, now smiling, and glancing at Ruthand the others to show everything was all right. "But what's the game?"

  "Robbery's the game!" came the stern answer. "We're going to round upand close in on a band of tramps, robbers and other criminals! They havea camp on an island, and they've been robbin' hen roosts and doin' otherthings in this community until this community has got good and sick ofit. Then they called in the law--that's me and my posse," he added,waving his hand toward the men back of him. "The citizens called in thelaw, represented by me, and I am going to chase the rascals out!"

  "Very good," assented Mr. Howbridge. "I'm willing to help, as all goodcitizens should. But what am I to do? Where do I come in?"

  "You're going to lend us that boat," said Constable Newcomb. "It's theonly large one handy just now, and we don't want to lose any time. Assoon as I saw you put into the dock I made up my mind I'd commandeer thecraft. That's the proper term, ain't it?" he asked.

  "Yes," assented the lawyer, smiling, "I believe it is. So you want tocommandeer the _Bluebird_."

  "To take me and my posse over to Cedar Island, and there to close in ona bunch of Klondikers!" went on the constable, and Neale, hearing it,gave a startled cry.

  "Anybody on board that's afraid to come may stay at home," said theconstable quickly. "I mean they can get off the boat. But we've got tohave the craft to get to the island. Now then, Mr. Howbridge, will youhelp?"

  "Certainly. As a matter of law I have to," answered the lawyer slowly.

  "And will you help, and you?" went on the constable, looking in turn atNeale and Hank, who were on deck. "I call upon you in the name of thelaw."

  "Yes, they'll help," said Mr. Howbridge quickly. "Don't object or sayanything," he added to Neale in a low voice. "Leave everything to me!"

  "Fall in! Get on board! We'll close in on the rascals!" cried theconstable, very well pleased that he could issue orders.

  Neale's heart was torn with doubts.