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

by Edward Stratemeyer

  CHAPTER IV.

  IN THE HANDS OF THE ENEMY.

  Daylight found poor Dick all but exhausted. He still held to the stickof lumber, but his hands were numb and without feeling, and his lowerlimbs were in the same condition.

  "I can't stand this much longer," was his dismal thought. "I've got tolet go soon."

  He looked around him anxiously. All that met his eyes was the broadexpanse of water, with here and there a solitary stick of lumber. Hegazed about for Luke Peterson, but the lumberman was not in sight.

  "He must have been drowned," he thought. "Heaven help me, or I'll go,too!"

  Gradually the sky cleared of the clouds, and the hot July sun began topour down with a glare on the water that was well-nigh blinding. As thewaves went down he changed his position on the log, and this gave himtemporary relief. Soon the sun made his head ache, and he began to seestrange visions. Presently he put out his hand, thinking that Tom wasbefore him, and then went with a splash into the lake.

  Almost unconscious of what he was doing, he caught the log again. Buthe was now too weak to pull himself up. "It's the end," he thoughtbitterly. Then a cry came to him, a cry that seemed half real, halfimaginary.

  "Hullo, Rover! Is that you?"

  It was Peterson who was calling. The lumberman had drifted up onanother log, and as the two sticks bumped together he caught hold ofthe youth and assisted him to his former resting place.

  "I--I can't hold on any--any longer!" gasped Dick.

  "Try, lad, try! Some kind of a boat is bound to appear, sooner orlater."

  "I--I am nu--numb all over."

  "I suppose that's true--I'm numb myself. But don't ye give up."

  Encouraged somewhat by Peterson's words Dick continued to hold on, anda few minutes later the lumberman gave a cheering cry:

  "A steamer! Saved at last!"

  The lumberman was right; the freighter Tom and Sam had hailed wasapproaching, the castaways having been discovered by the aid of amarine glass.

  "A man and a boy," observed Captain Jasper to his mate.

  "The boy looks pretty well done for," returned the mate. "He must bethe one that was thrown off the yacht."

  "More than likely."

  As speedily as possible the freight steamer drew closer, and a line wasthrown to Peterson.

  He turned to give one end to Dick, and then made the discovery that thelatter had fainted from exhaustion.

  "Poor fellow!" he muttered, and caught the youth just as he was slidinginto the lake.

  It was no easy task to get Dick on board of the freight steamer. But itwas accomplished at last, and, still unconscious, he was carried to astateroom and made as comfortable as possible.

  Peterson was but little the worse for the adventure, and his chiefanxiety was for his friend Bragin, of whom, so far, nothing had beenheard.

  The coming of Dick on board of the _Captain Rollow_ was viewedwith much astonishment by two of the passengers on the freighter.

  These two persons were Arnold Baxter and his son Dan.

  The two had quite recovered from the injuries received in the landslidein Colorado, and it may be as well to state right here that they werebound East in order to carry out a new plot which the elder Baxter hadhatched up against the Rovers.

  What that plot was will be disclosed as our story proceeds.

  "Father, it is Dick Rover," cried Dan Baxter, after having seen theunconscious one brought on board.

  "Hush, Dan! I know it," whispered Arnold Baxter.

  "It's a pity he wasn't drowned in the lake."

  "I agree with you. But he isn't dead, and we'll have to keep out ofsight for the rest of the trip."

  "Humph! I am not afraid of him!" said the bully, for, as old readersknow, Dan had never been anything else.

  "That may be, but if he sees us he may--ahem--make much trouble forme."

  "On account of our doings in Colorado? What can he prove? Nothing."

  "Perhaps he can. Besides, Dan, you must remember that the officers ofNew York State are still after me."

  "Yes, I haven't forgotten that."

  "I wish now that I had put on that false wig and beard before we leftDetroit," went on Arnold Baxter. "But I hated to put them on before itwas absolutely necessary--the weather is so warm."

  "Can you put them on now?"

  "Hardly, since all on board know my real looks. I will have to keep outof Rover's sight."

  "I would like to know what he is doing out here."

  "On a pleasure trip, most likely."

  The talk went on for some time, and then Dan approached one of themates of the freighter, who had just come from the stateroom to whichDick had been taken.

  "How is that young fellow getting on?" he asked carelessly.

  "He's in bad shape," was the answer.

  "Do you think he'll die?"

  "Hardly, but he is very weak and completely out of his mind. The hotsun, coming after the storm, must have affected his brain."

  "Out of his mind? Doesn't he recognize anybody?"

  "No, he talks nothing but lumber, and cries out to be pulled from thewater. Poor boy! it's too bad, isn't it?"

  "It is too bad," said Dan Baxter hypocritically. "Do you know hisname?"

  "No, but he's a brother to those boys who hailed us from the yacht acouple of hours ago. A lumber raft struck the yacht and the boy wasknocked overboard and managed to cling to some timber."

  "Is the man who was saved his friend?"

  "No, he was on the raft and the two are strangers;" and with thisremark the mate of the freight steamer passed on.

  Without delay Dan told his father of what he had heard. Arnold Baxterwas much pleased.

  "If he remains out of his mind we'll be safe enough," he said. "Ipresume they'll put him off at Cleveland and send him to the hospital."

  "I wonder where that yacht is?"

  "Oh, we have left her miles behind."

  "And how soon will we reach Cleveland?"

  "Inside of half an hour, so I heard one of the deck hands say."

  No more was said for the time being, but both father and son set tothinking deeply, and their thoughts ran very much in the same channel.

  Just as the freight steamer was about to make the landing at Cleveland,Arnold Baxter touched his son on the arm.

  "If they take Dick Rover ashore, let us go ashore too," he whispered.

  "I was thinking of that, dad," was Dan's answer. "Was you thinking,too, of getting him in our power?"

  "Yes."

  "I don't see why we can't do it--if he is still unconscious."

  "It won't hurt to try. But we will have to work quick, for more thanlikely his brothers will follow us to this city," went on ArnoldBaxter.

  The steamer had but little freight for Cleveland, so the stop was onlya short one.

  When poor Dick was brought up on a cot, still unconscious, ArnoldBaxter stepped forward.

  "I have determined to stop off at Cleveland," he said to CaptainJasper. "If there is anything I can do for this poor fellow, I will doit willingly."

  "Why, I thought you were going through to Buffalo," returned thecaptain in surprise.

  "I was going through, but I've just remembered some business that mustbe attended to. I'll take the train for Buffalo to-morrow. If you wantme to see to it that this poor fellow is placed in the hospital, I'lldo it."

  The offer appeared a good one, and relieved Captain Jasper's mindgreatly.

  "You are kind, sir," he said. "It isn't everyone who would put himselfto so much trouble."

  "I was wrecked myself once," smiled Arnold Baxter. "And I know howmiserable I felt when nobody gave me a hand."

  "I suppose the authorities will take him until his brothers come in onthat yacht."

  "There is no need to send him to a public institution. I will see to itthat he gets to a first-class hotel," went on Arnold Baxter smoothly.

  There was a little more talk, and then Dick was carried ashore and acoach was called.

  By
this time the freight steamer was ready to leave, and a minute latershe proceeded on her way.

  Arnold Baxter and Dan looked around and saw only a few people at hand.In the crowd was Luke Peterson, who now came forward.

  "Want any help?" asked the lumberman respectfully.

  "You might keep an eye open for that yacht," replied Arnold Baxter.

  "All right, sir. Where are you going to take young Rover?"

  "To the Commercial Hotel. I am well known there, and can easily get hima good room and the necessary medical attention."

  "Then, if I see anything of the yacht, I'll send his brothers up to thehotel after him."

  "That's it," returned Arnold Baxter. He turned to the driver of thecoach. "To the Commercial Hotel," he went on, in a loud voice. "Anddrive as easy as you can."

  Dan was already in the coach, supporting poor Dick in his arms. ArnoldBaxter leaped in and banged the door shut. Soon the coach was movingaway from the water front and in the direction of the hotel which hadbeen mentioned.

  "Of course you are not going to the Commercial Hotel," observed Dan, assoon as he felt safe to speak.

  "Leave it all to me, my son," was Arnold Baxter's reply. "We got himaway nicely, didn't we?"

  "Yes, but--"

  "Never mind the future, Dan. How is he?"

  "Dead as a stone, so far as knowing anything is concerned."

  "I trust he remains so, for a while at least."

  The coach rattled on, and presently came to a halt in front of thehotel which had been mentioned.

  "Wait here until I get back," said Arnold Baxter to his son and to thecoach driver, and then hurried inside of the building.

  Instead of asking for a room he spent a few minutes in looking over abusiness directory.

  "It's too bad, but they haven't a single room vacant," he said, oncoming back to the coach. "I've a good mind to take him to some privatehospital, after all. Do you know where Dr. Karley's place is?" he wenton, turning to the coach driver.

  "Yes."

  "Then drive us to that place."

  Again the coach went on. Dr. Karley's Private Sanitarium was on theoutskirts of Cleveland, and it took half an hour to reach it. It was anold-fashioned building surrounded by a high board fence. Entering thegrounds, Arnold Baxter ascended the piazza and rang the bell.

  A negro answered the summons, and ushered him into a dingy parlor. SoonDr. Karley, a dried-up, bald-headed, old man appeared.

  "And what can I do for you, sir?" he asked, in a squeaky voice.

  "Just the man I wanted to meet," thought Arnold Baxter.

  He was a good reader of character, and saw that Dr. Karley would doalmost anything for money.

  The doctor's sanitarium was of a "shady" character. Among the inmateswere two old men, put there by their relatives merely to get them outof the way, and an old lady who was said to be crazy by those whowished to get possession of her money.

  "I have a peculiar case on hand, doctor," said Arnold Baxter, afterintroducing himself as Mr. Arnold. "A young friend of mine has beenalmost drowned in the lake. I would like you to take charge of him fora day or two."

  "Well, I--er--"

  "I will pay you well for your services," went on Arnold Baxter.

  "You have him with you?"

  "Yes, in a coach outside. He was found drifting on a log and almost outof his head on account of exposure to the water and the hot sun. Ithink a few days of rest and medical attention will bring him aroundall right."

  The little old doctor bobbed his head. "I will go out and see him," hesaid.

  Quarter of an hour later found Dick in an upper room of the sanitarium,lying on a comfortable bed, and with Dr. Karley caring for him.

  In the meantime Arnold Baxter had gone out and paid the coach driver.

  "Do you generally stand down by the docks?" he asked.

  "No, sir; my stand is uptown," was the reply. "I had just brought downa passenger when you hailed me. But I can go down for you, if youwish."

  "It will not be necessary. The doctor has a carriage, and I will hirethat later on, when I see how the patient is making out."

  "All right, sir; then I'm off."

  As the coach passed out of sight Arnold Baxter chuckled to himself.

  "I reckon that was well done," he muttered. "I don't believe the Roverswill find their brother very soon, if they ever find him!"