The Border Boys Along the St. Lawrence

by John Henry Goldfrap

  CHAPTER XXXIV. THE TUNNEL ENTRANCE.

  The tender was a light one. It was no very hard task for the party todraw the little craft up the beach and into the concealment of a clumpof bushes.

  Hardly had this been done, when around the point behind which they hadlanded, came the craft they had heard. The night was starlit, and in thedim radiance they could see her dark outlines coming on at a good speed.

  Beyond the little cove into which they had drawn the tender was a fairlyhigh cliff, rocky and threatening. The motor boat crossed the littlecove and kept straight on. No lights burned on her. Plainly her errandwas not one which those on board cared to advertise.

  "Great Scott! what is she going to do?" exclaimed the inspector, in alow whisper, as the motor boat kept right on across the little covewithout altering her course in the least. Not one degree did she swervefrom the route she was steering.

  "What on earth do they mean to do?" breathed Ralph. "Run the boat smackinto that cliff?"

  "Looks as if they are bent on suicide," commented Jennings uneasily.

  "I told you it wasn't any ordinary kind of boat," said Harry Ware. "Itwouldn't surprise me if----"

  "Jumping Jupiter!" burst from the inspector.

  The rest of the party could only gasp their amazement. At the momentarticulate speech was impossible.

  The motor boat had reached the cliff--and vanished without sound orsign.

  "She's gone down!" cried Ralph, the first to recover from hisastonishment.

  "Gone down, nothing!" retorted Harry scornfully. "She's just melted intoair, that's what."

  "Don't be so foolish," chided Inspector Jennings. "Depend upon it, thatis another of their tricks, like the ones they played on you, boys."

  "We'll start for that cliff and examine it," declared the chiefinspector. "There's some clever sleight of hand in all this mummery."

  "We're going to that cliff!" gasped Harry, in affrighted tones.Nevertheless he set off with the others, but he might have been observedto hang some distance behind them. The boy was now more firmly convincedthan ever that there was something supernatural about the mysteriouscraft.

  "The Fenians had all sorts of secret ways of landing upon and leavingthis island," said the chief inspector; "and I'll wager that the motorboat just used one of those to work the trick we've just seen."

  The night was warm and there were occasional flashes of summerlightning. To Harry's thinking, this made the strange quest they wereengaged on all the more uncanny.

  At last they reached the cliff.

  "I wish another flash would come," said Ralph, "we daren't lightmatches. But I brought along an electric torch."

  "A good idea. We may need it later," said the inspector. "Hullo! Lookthere! I guess that explains the mystery of the motor boat's vanishing."

  Another flash had revealed a tunnel-like hole in the cliff which couldhardly be observed from the water side, on account of several thickbushes which grew, either by accident or design, about its mouth.

  "There's a path," said Ralph presently, as another flicker of lightningrevealed a rough trail leading up the cliff face.

  "We'll follow it. Easy, now, boys, we don't want to give the alarm,"warned the chief inspector.

  Through the darkness the intruders on the gem smugglers' realm crept upthe slippery track. At last they gained the top. Below them, as theflickering flashes showed, was a big pool of water, either natural orartificial. Doubtless the tunnel through the cliff led into it, formoored to one side of the pool could be seen the mysterious motor boat.

  There were no lights on board her. Apparently those who had arrived atthe island had made their way up the hill to the windmill tower, for alight could now be seen gleaming, like an angry eye, half-way up thestructure.

  "They're all up there. Collecting their effects preparatory to leavingthe island forever, I imagine," whispered the inspector. "Let's have alook at their boat."

  It was a rather risky business, but still they were a strong party andthe government officers were well armed. The descent to the side of thepool was made by a rocky path very like the one by which they hadascended the cliff.

  Harry hung back while the others inspected the boat. But Ralph ralliedhim after a short time.

  "She's all solid, Harry," he declared; "come on and see for yourself.Nothing ghostly about this fellow, unless a sixty horse-power motor ofthe best and speediest design appeals to you as being spookish."

  Harry came forward and soon satisfied himself that it was all as Ralphhad said. Inside the boat they found tubs of phosphorus, for producingthe ghostly effect that had so scared Harry, plenty of spare lanterns towork the stern-light trick and a stern search-light of great power,evidently intended to be thrown full in the eyes of the helmsman of anypursuing craft and dazzle his vision.

  In a locker, too, were sheets with holes for heads and a number of maskspainted to resemble grinning skulls.

  "Quite a paraphernalia," grinned the chief inspector. "All this wouldmake a regular eight-hour-union ghost turn green with envy."

  In a small shanty which stood close by they found more evidence to showhow the operators of the _Artful Dodger_ had been practicing on thecredulity of the islanders. All sorts of rigs and canvas frames by whichthe outlines of the motor boat might be altered at will were discovered.For instance, one frame was found which could be hooped on to the boat'sstern, changing her whole appearance. A false cabin top was also found,by means of which the _Artful Dodger_ could be speedily converted to acabin cruiser, in case any one was looking for a motor boat of anothertype.

  "Well, this is the most complete layout we have uncovered for sometime," spoke the chief inspector. "I think----"

  But Ralph interrupted him.

  CHAPTER XXXV. HANDS UP!

  "Somebody with a lantern is coming this way!" exclaimed the boy.

  Advancing through the darkness was a single bright disc of light. It wasswinging violently, as if whoever was carrying it was walking fast.

  "Quick, get in here behind this hut," ordered the chief inspector.

  "Why not arrest them now?" asked Ralph.

  "'Twould never do. We want to get the diamonds and other stones. You candepend upon it, that if we were premature they would find some way todestroy that evidence."

  From their place of hiding the party watched the approach of the menwith the lantern.

  There were four of them. Two were recognized as Malvin and La Rue.Another, a big, beefy man with a flaring red face and a pair of hugeblack moustaches, was identified by the inspectors as Rawson; and thefourth was a slight, delicate-looking little fellow, undersized andnarrow-chested.

  "Slim Shiner," whispered the chief inspector, "the cleverest gemsmuggler at large! It was he who secured the gems in Europe and saw toit that they reached the gang over here safely. Then Malvin and the restdisposed of them across the line. Malvin was of invaluable use to thegang, for he worked from your father's boat, which, of course, was notonce suspected till we learned of the _Artful Dodger_ being seen offDexter Island."

  "Well, everything's cleaned out," La Rue was saying, "and now for aclear getaway. A lucky thing that the water was shallow when I jumpedfrom that blamed _River Swallow_, or I wouldn't have been alongto-night."

  "No, nor the gems, neither," growled Rawson. "We think a heap more ofthem than we do of your bones, La Rue."

  "That's right," chuckled Slim. "A good thing for you you managed to getthem away from that kid while he was asleep, La Rue, or you wouldn'thave dared face the gang again."

  "Well, I guess not," laughed Malvin. "But our troubles are over now,boys. We'll move on to the Great Lakes and try our luck there. That gangof young whelps on the _River Swallow_ broke up our game here, allright, bad luck to them."

  "We'll take care of them later on, never fear," snarled La Rue. "I've ascore to settle myself with that Stetson brat. Ha! ha! that was a goodjoke,
though, having his old man clapped in jail in Montreal. That wasyour trick, Slim."

  "Oh, these Canadian officials are such softies they'll believe anythingyou tell 'em," modestly declared Slim. "A telegram to the chief atMontreal was enough to turn the deal."

  "It was a good one, all right," snorted Rawson.

  "Well, let's get aboard. We've got lots of gasoline. What's our firststop, Rawson?" asked La Rue.

  "Buffalo," was the gruff rejoinder; "and you fellows want to lie low,too. I'll bet there's a hue and cry out after us right now."

  "You bet there is, and closer than you think," exclaimed Ralph tohimself.

  The men climbed aboard. Rawson bent over the engine, and the nextinstant the craft began to move across the placid pool.

  "Run hard now and cut 'em off," cried the inspector. "Run as you neverran before for the small boat."

  At top speed they raced over the cliff path and launched the tender justas the _Artful Dodger_, a mystery no longer, emerged from the cliffface.

  "Start the engine at top speed," ordered Inspector Jennings. "No use forconcealment now."

  Percy Simmons spun the wheel. The tender shot forward, headed so as tointercept the _Artful Dodger_ as she came out of the cove.

  At that instant those on board the smugglers' craft saw the swift littletender cutting across to head her off. They dashed ahead at full speed.

  "What's their game now?" demanded Ralph excitedly.

  "Heading for the Canadian line," was the chief inspector's briefresponse. "Give her more speed, boy, she mustn't slip through ourfingers now."

  "I'll burn up the engines," declared Percy.

  "Never mind that," shot out Ralph; "burn up the boat, but we've got toget them!"

  The fever of the chase was in his veins. He felt as if his life dependedon catching the other craft. The tender was now on a course which mustbring her across the craft's bows. As they drew near, the chiefinspector stood up.

  A revolver was in his hand. His two aides drew close to him with grim,determined looks.

  "Stop that boat!" hailed the chief inspector, in round, ringing tones.

  There was no reply.

  "Heave to, or I'll send a shot into you!" he cried threateningly.

  "Who in blazes are you?" came back a shout from the other craft.

  "Inspectors of the United States Customs Service!" came the sharpresponse. "Heave to!"

  "Go to the dickens! You can't bluff us! We're for the Canadian line!"came back a taunting shout.

  Bang! A shot whizzed across the bows of the fleeing motor boat.

  "The next will come closer," warned the inspector.

  There was a hurried consultation on board the other craft. Angry voicesarose. It was plain that some were counseling surrender, others flight.In the midst of it all came Malvin's voice.

  "All right. We give up and be hanged to you."

  The tender ranged alongside the other craft. The engines of the latterhad been stopped; she lay motionless on the water. But the inspectorswere alert for a trap. Perhaps the men on the _Artful Dodger_ had oneready, but the sight of the armed officials caused them to undergo achange of mind.

  Just as they ranged alongside, there came a snarl of rage from Malvin ashis eyes lighted on Ralph. Beside himself with fury, he sprang at thelad with the ferocity of a tiger.

  "Confound you!" he roared. "You are to blame for all this!"

  Ralph caught the fellow by the wrist as Malvin aimed a vicious blow athim with an oar. The next instant there was a splash and Malvin wasoverboard. There was not much fight left in him when they fished himout.

  In the meantime La Rue had been detected in the act of attempting toconceal a leather wallet. The chief inspector wrenched it from him, andit was found to contain the gems all intact.

  Rawson submitted to arrest more quietly than had been expected, as didthe redoubtable Slim. On the way to the _River Swallow_, with the_Artful Dodger_ in tow, Malvin admitted having stolen the old man's boatwhile he and Ralph were at breakfast, and said that it could be found onWindmill Island.

  "Now, if I only had my boy back, I should be happy," sighed the old man,as he heard of the safety of his beloved skiff.

  "You'd better tell him, La Rue," said Malvin, to his sullen comrade.

  "Well, if you want to know," said La Rue, after a pause, "your preciousgrandson is in the Mercy Hospital in Cardinal."

  "In the hospital?" gasped the old man. "Jimmie?"

  "Yes. Those brats on their _River Swallow_ can tell you how he camethere. As for me, all I know about the little whelp is that he was blownashore on the island one night in a storm. He sought shelter in thewindmill tower and overheard us while we were discussing our plans. Itdid not suit our policy to let him go and blab all he knew to theoutside world, so we kept him there until that explosion resulted inStetson and the other pups taking him away."

  "Oh, thank heaven, Jimmie is found!" exclaimed the old man.

  "I guess you won't enjoy each other's company long," sneered Rawson."The kid's going to die."

  But Jimmie didn't die. In fact he soon recovered, and is now in theemploy of Mr. Stetson. The railroad king arrived home from Montreal intime to see the rascals who had placed him in such an embarrassingdilemma in Montreal, arraigned in the police court at Piquetville andheld for the United States authorities. All received terms in theFederal prison and took their sentences according to their dispositions.Hansen was never heard of again, and as he was only a pawn in the greatgem smuggling game, he was not sought after.

  Mr. Stetson received a handsome apology from the Canadian government forits embarrassing mistake. He has had it framed, and it hangs in hislibrary, where he shows it to visitors as a great joke. Naturally, thisleads to a recital of the part that Ralph and his chums played inbreaking up the gem smuggling gang on the Canadian line.

  Old man Whey is happy on his island, and Mr. Stetson has seen to it thathe has everything he desires. Windmill Island was purchased by a wealthyNew Yorker not long after the events we have described, and turned intoa handsome summer home. The old tower, the scene of so many lawlessscenes, is now a lighthouse, and thus good has come out of evil.

  The Border Boys have once more proved their right to the title by thestirring times in which they participated along the Canadian frontier.It is not likely that they will ever forget a single detail of theirexperiences on the mighty St. Lawrence. Harry no longer believes in thesupernatural. That night when the gang met its fate laid the "ghost" ofsuperstition for once and all in his mind.

  And now, having brought our tale to a conclusion, we will bid God-speedto the Border Boys. Wishing them well in all they may undertake in thefuture, and a happy issue to all the adventures which such enterprisingyoung spirits are likely to encounter, we will bring this latest volumeof their experiences to a close.

  THE END.

  Transcriber's Notes

  --Copyright notice provided as in the original--this e-text is public domain in the country of publication.

  --Silently corrected palpable typos; left non-standard spellings and dialect unchanged.

  --Modified the Table of Contents to match the actual pagination.

  --In the text versions, delimited italics text in _underscores_ (the HTML version reproduces the font form of the printed book.)