CHAPTER VIII. EAGLES ON THE TRAIL.
"Hullo! Wonder what's become of those two fellows?"
Merritt voiced the inquiry, as he and Rob emerged from the policestation. The sergeant in charge had promised to do all he could toapprehend the stealers of the pocketbook if they were anywhere withinstriking distance of Aquebogue.
Rob looked about him. There stood the automobile. But of the two ladsthey had left to guard it there was no sign. After waiting a reasonabletime, the two Boy Scout leaders began to feel real alarm.
"Somehow I feel as if Hunt and his gang have got something to do withthis," murmured Rob uneasily.
"It does seem queer," admitted Merritt. "Let's look around a bit more,and then, if we find no trace of them, we'll go back to the policestation and look for aid."
"All right; I guess that's the best thing to do."
But, as we know, it was impossible that their search could terminate inanything but failure. Not a little worried, Rob informed their friend,the sergeant, of what had occurred. That official at once galvanized intoaction. Before this, he had not seemed to take much interest in theiraffairs. But now he really moved quickly. By telephone he summoned twodetectives, and the lads soon put them in possession of the facts in thecase.
"Pretty slim grounds to work on," remarked one of them with a shrug.
Rob could not but feel that this was true. After their consultation withthe detectives, who at once set out to scour the place for some trace ofHunt and his crew, the two lads, much dispirited, and with heavy hearts,set out for home. They arrived there in the early morning, and turned infor a brief sleep. As Rob had expected, his father was not at all pleasedwhen he learned of the nocturnal use made of his car, and of the seriousconsequences which had ensued. But Major Dangerfield, who had listened tothe lad's story with interest--it was related at the breakfast table--wasinclined to take a less serious view of the matter.
"After all, Mr. Blake," he said, "the boys behaved like true Boy Scouts.It was their duty to try to aid in the matter of the pocketbook, and theydid their best. I think that it was cleverly done, too."
"But young Hopkins and Hiram are missing," protested Mrs. Blake. "Whatwill their parents say?"
"I don't think, from my observation of Master Hopkins, that he is thekind of lad to get into serious difficulties," said the major. "In fact,I am convinced that he has stumbled across some clew and is following itup."
"I hope it may be so, and that both of them are safe," said Mrs. Blakefervently.
The first duty, after the morning meal, was to call on Mrs. Hopkins, whowas a widow, and also on Hiram's parents, and explain the case. It wasnot a pleasant task, but Rob saw it through with Spartan courage. Hesucceeded in quelling the first vivid alarm of the lads' parents,however, and promised to return with news of them before the day wasover. This done, Major Dangerfield, Merritt and Rob set out in the Blakecar for Aquebogue.
"It is your duty as Boy Scouts to find your missing comrades," said Mr.Blake, as the car started off.
"We'll do it, if it's possible----" began Merritt dolefully.
"We'll do it, anyway," said Rob stoutly.
"That's the right Scout way to talk," said the major commendingly, "thatis the spirit that will win."
No news greeted them on their arrival in Aquebogue. The two detectiveswere still out on the case, and the officials in charge had nothing toreport. This was discouraging, but before long one of the detectivesarrived with an important clew. He carried in his hand a paper package.On being opened, it proved to contain two pairs of shoes, of Boy Scoutpattern. Rob and Merritt immediately identified them as belonging toHiram and young Hopkins. The major seemed much impressed by the value ofthis bit of evidence, and before many minutes had passed they were all inthe auto and spinning toward the spot where the articles of apparel hadbeen discovered.
The detectives, it transpired, had not yet explored the hut, and Rob'skeen eyes were the first to spy the jagged hole in its roof. He at onceset his scout training to work. The first thing he observed was that thehole had been freshly torn. An investigation of the inside of the hutshowed the traces of the fight between Hiram and young Hunt.
All at once Rob gave a sharp exclamation, and pounced on some object in acorner of the place. Its bright glitter, as the light fell on it throughthe hole in the roof, had attracted him at first. True Scout as he was,Rob did not allow even the minutest object to escape his scrutiny. Inthis case, he was richly rewarded, for what he had seen turned out to bea Scout button. It was one that had been torn from Hiram's coat in thestruggle.
"This is conclusive evidence that the two lads were here," decided themajor. "What else can you deduce from what you have seen, Rob?"
The leader of the Eagle Patrol pondered a moment. Then he spoke.
"In the first place," he said decidedly, "it is evident that Tubby andHiram in some way got on the track of our enemies in the town. Theyfollowed them here. That is proved by the finding of their shoes on thatdune near the hut. They took their shoes off for some object, of course.Evidently it must have been to silently observe the men who occupied thisshanty. By looking at the footmarks in the sand outside, I traced them tothe wall of the place. The steps did not turn in at the door, therefore,obviously, they must have climbed on the roof, for the steps ended at thelow-hanging eaves, and they do not go back.
"An examination of the roof shows that it must have given way under theircombined weight. See, that beam is as brittle as match-wood, from dryrot. They could not have been hurt--at least, I don't think so--or thisbutton, which must have been torn off in a struggle, for they are tightlysewn on, would not have been found."
"Very good," approved the major. "I have seen Indian scouts on the borderwho could not have done much better. But what is the next step?"
"To find out what has become of them, of course," put in Merritt.
"Well, let's see how close we can come to deciding that," said the major,with a side glance at the detectives, who seemed puzzled and bewilderedat the swift deductive work of the young Scout.
Merritt left the hut and made a hasty examination of the numerous trackswithout. He then scrutinized the muddy banks of the inlet closely. Thetide was not yet full, and the marks of the sloop's keel still showed.Also sand had been tracked on to the little wharf. It was evident that avessel of some sort had lain there between tides. Equally plain did itappear, that the two missing lads had been carried on board her. Merrittlost no time in communicating his discoveries to his companions.
"You have done well," commended the former army officer, "I am convincedthat your deductions are, in the main, correct. But now the thing is toget some craft to go in pursuit of these fellows."
"Ike Menjes, up the creek a little way, has a big gasoline launch he letsout," volunteered one of the detectives.
"We'll get it if possible," said the major instantly. "Is she a fastboat?"
"None quicker hereabouts," said the other arm of the law.
Ten minutes later a bargain had been struck, and with Ike Menjes at theengine, and Rob at the wheel, the swift launch _Algonquin_ was dashingoff down the winding creek headed for the open sea. As she tumbled androlled through the rough waters of the bar at the creek's mouth, Rob'seye swept the sky.
"Bad weather coming," he remarked.
"No need to worry in this craft," declared Ike; "she's weathered theworst we ever get off here."
"I expect so," agreed the major, with an approving glance at the craft'sbroad lines and generous beam.
Before many moments had passed, Rob's prediction came true. The_Algonquin_, without any diminution of speed, was being pushed alongthrough a rapidly rising sea, while the wind howled about her, growingstronger every moment. Rob caught himself wondering what sort of a craftthe kidnappers of the boys possessed. He hoped it was staunch, for in hisjudgment the blow was going to be a bad one.
"It'll get worser before it gets betterer," opined Ike Menjes, comi
ngforward from his engines and peering ahead at the tumbling masses ofgreen water. The rising wind caught their tops and feathered them off inmasses of snowy spume. Overhead, dark, ragged clouds raced along. So lowdid they hang that they seemed almost to touch the crests of the angrywaves.
Each time the _Algonquin_ topped a roller and then staggered down into adeep trough, Rob scanned the surrounding sea eagerly. But no sign, had,so far, appeared, of any craft resembling the one which they knew musthave left the creek. Seaward some sails showed, but they were all thoseof large coasting schooners.
The craft they were in search of was, no doubt, a smallish vessel,otherwise she could not have negotiated the narrow, winding creek, withits innumerable bends and shallow places.
"Keep more in shore," advised Ike. "They may have hugged the land to getthe benefit of the weather shore."
Rob headed closer in toward the low-lying coast. He could see the wavesbreaking angrily in white masses on the sandy beach. All at once, above adistant point of land, he sighted the gray shoulder of a sail. The nextinstant it had vanished.
Had it found an opening through which to slip into an inlet in the bleakcoast, or had it foundered in the wild breakers?
The question agitated Rob hugely. Some intuition told him that the crafthe had glimpsed had been the one they were in search of, but of its fatethey could have no immediate knowledge.
The Boy Scouts' Mountain Camp Page 8
