CHAPTER XXVIII
DICK'S MIDNIGHT ADVENTURE
A minute after the last of Lew Flapp's crowd left the hermit's den Dickleaped to his feet, went to the doorway, and listened intently. It wasquite dark, so he could see little or nothing.
At a distance he heard the masked cadets stealing swiftly along throughthe woods. They had put out the lantern, knowing the road fairly wellthrough repeated excursions to the den. Soon the crowd was completelyout of hearing.
It must be confessed that Dick felt lonely, and almost the first thinghe did was to take a match from his pocket and strike it. Discovering abit of candle on the table he lighted this also.
But little was to be seen outside of that which had already met hisgaze. The hermit's den had been cleaned up around the table, on whichrested half a dozen bottles, an empty cigar box, and several packs ofcards.
"This must be the stuff those fellows bought in Oakville," thought theeldest Rover. "They have been using this cave for a regular club room.What a beastly crowd they are! And they really imagine they are havinggood times, too!"
As will be remembered, Dick had been given a trip on a rowboat beforebeing brought into the den and he imagined that he was somewhere nearthe head of Bass Lake, how far from the camp he could not tell.
"Perhaps I'm near where Tom and the others met those snakes," he mused."Ugh! I don't want to fall in with things like that. And how I am toget back to camp without a boat is more than I can settle."
Blowing out the bit of candle, he placed it in his pocket and left theden. On all sides were the thick bushes already described, and poorDick knew not which way to turn. He listened once more, but hardly asound broke the midnight silence.
"Might as well strike out as to stay here," he said. "I don't thinkthey'll come back in very much of a hurry, and perhaps they won't comeuntil morning."
Pushing his way through the bushes he at last reached a tiny streamthat poured over the rocks. He followed the stream and after half anhour's hard walking reached the edge of the lake. He had journeyeddirectly away from the camp and was now in a spot that was lonely inthe extreme.
Fortunately or unfortunately, the water at this point was very shallowand soon Dick was wading over to what he took to be the island uponwhich the encampment had been located. But as a matter of fact he washeaded for the main shore of the lake, and soon he was tramping furtheraway from the camp than ever. For once in his life, so far as his bumpof locality was concerned, Dick was hopelessly mixed.
Dick traveled nearly a mile before he reached the conclusion that hewas not on Pine Island or anywhere near it.
"I'm on the mainland, that's certain," he told himself. "I guess thebest thing I can do is to wait for daylight before going further. I mayonly--Hullo, a light!"
Dick had emerged from a grove of trees and now saw a light streamingfrom the window of a cottage but a short distance away. The sight ofthis caused him to breathe a sigh of relief.
"Some farmer's place, I suppose," he murmured. "Well, anything will do.I can get a place to sleep, and the farmer can testify to it that Ihaven't been drinking, as Lew Flapp and his cronies will want toprove."
A curtain was drawn over the window of the cottage, so that Dick couldnot see into the room. The cottage was small, with but a single doorsand on this the youth rapped loudly.
The rapping was followed by a commotion inside of the cottage and Dickheard two persons leap to their feet.
"Who's there?" demanded a rough voice.
"A stranger," Dick answered. "I have lost my way in the darkness," andwithout waiting he tried the door, and finding it unlocked, opened it.
"Dick Rover!"
The cry came from one of the occupants of the room, a tall,awkward-looking young man, much tanned by exposure, and with a pair ofdark and wicked-looking eyes.
"Great Scott!" gasped Dick, falling back a step. "Am I dreaming or isthis really Dan Baxter?"
"Oh. I'm Dan Baxter right enough," answered the former bully of PutnamHall.
"But--but I thought you were still on that island in the Pacific."
"You wanted to see me end my days there, didn't you?" sneered DanBaxter.
Dick did not reply, for he was gazing at the other occupant of theroom, a man with a short crop of hair and a short beard.
"And your father, too!" he murmured.
"Come in here," cried Arnold Baxter savagely and caught him by the arm."Are you alone?"
"Yes," answered Dick, before he had stopped to think twice.
"Good enough. Come in," and Arnold Baxter continued to hold him.
"He may be fooling us, dad," put in Dan Baxter. "The officers of thelaw may be with him."
"Take a look around and see, Dan. I'll keep him here."
"Let me go!" cried Dick, trying to break away.
"Not much, Rover. You'll stay right where you are for the present,"answered the older Baxter grimly.
Dan had slipped out and he made a thorough search before returning tothe cottage. In the meantime Dick was forced to sit down on a bench ina corner, while Arnold Baxter stood over him with a stout club.
"This is getting interesting, to say the least," thought Dick. "I wishI hadn't come anywhere near the cottage."
"Nobody around," announced Dan Baxter, as he came in and closed andlocked the door.
"Good," answered his father. He turned again to Dick. "Now, how comesit that you are wandering around here, Rover?" he went on.
"I was trying to find my way back to camp and lost my way in thewoods."
"But your camp is on an island."
"I know it. I was carried off by some students who were hazing me. Theyput a bag over my head and took me in a boat, and I got mixed up.
"I hope they hazed you good," came from Dan Baxter with a maliciousgrin.
"Thank you, Dan, you always were a real friend," returned Dick, ascoolly as he could.
"Oh, don't you come any of that game over me!" roared Dan Baxter. "Ihaven't forgotten the past, Dick Rover, and you'll find it out sobefore I get through with you. I was just hoping you or your preciousbrothers might drop into my arms."
"What are you and your father doing here?"
"That is my business," broke in Arnold Baxter.
"I don't see why you fellows can't turn over a new leaf," went on Dickearnestly.
"Oh, don't preach, Dick Rover," answered Dan Baxter. "You make me sickwhen you do that."
"I suppose you find this a good hiding place."
"It has been--up to now," said Arnold Baxter. "But since you havediscovered us--" he did not finish.
"We'll make him pay for it," said Dan Baxter. "I've been waiting tosquare accounts for a long time."
"How did you escape from that island, Dan?" asked Dick curiously.
"A ship came along about a week after you left it."
"I see. And did you come right through to here?"
"That is my business, Dick Rover. But I came to help my father, I don'tmind telling you that."
"Then you knew he had escaped from prison?"
"From the hospital, yes."
"And did you know he had robbed our house?"
"He took what belonged to him, Dick Rover. Your folks robbed him ofthat mine in the West."
"Well, I won't argue the point, Dan Baxter." Dick got up and movedtoward the door. "I think I'll go."
"Will you!" cried both of the Baxters, in a breath, and seizing himthey forced him back into the corner.
"Let us make him a prisoner," went on Dan Baxter, and this was speedilydone by aid of a rope which the elder Baxter brought forth. Then Dickwas thrown into a closet of an inner apartment and the door was lockedupon him.
The Rover Boys in Camp; or, The Rivals of Pine Island Page 28
