eleven o’clock found the four friends, for the boys always considered sicum as one of them whenever he was present, waiting in the cabin for the show to begin, as jack put it. they had secured from jacques an extra cot for kernertok although the old indian had insisted that a rug was a good enough bed for him.
“bet you nothing happens,” jack said just as the clock struck the hour.
“if nothing does it means that somebody is on to our movements,” bob declared.
“and the somebody is?”
“we won’t mention names, but i hardly see how it could be anybody else,” bob replied and kernertok slowly shook his head.
“well, one thing is in our favor anyway,” jack declared after a few minutes of silence.
“meaning?”
“that nothing very drastic has happened as a result of the three warnings we’ve received.”
“but the end is not yet,” bob cautioned.
“maybe not, but i’m betting that those warnings were simply a bluff.”
“i hope so,” bob said soberly.
the half hour struck.
“time for the curtain to go up,” jack said as he turned down the light.
but nothing happened. the spot did not appear and no rapping was heard. midnight came and then the half hour struck and still not sign of the ghost was manifest.
“i told you so,” jack yawned.
“we’ll wait another half hour,” bob proposed.
it was a long half hour but the clock finally struck and bob turned up the light.
“guess we might as well hit the hay,” he declared as he threw off his coat.
“me for that,” jack agreed. “but you wake me up if you hear anything.”
“i will,” bob promised as he tumbled into bed.
but if any ghost came around that night he was very quiet about it for none of them was disturbed and the sun was shining in at the window when bob awoke.
it was sunday and breakfast was an hour later than usual so he decided to let jack sleep. kernertok’s bed was empty and sicum was not in the room.
“guess they’ve gone out for an early morning walk,” he thought as he began to dress.
it was only six o’clock and he knew that the old indian was an early riser so he felt no alarm at his absence.
“it’s a peach of a morning,” he said half aloud as he stepped out and softly closed the door behind him.
for a moment he stood just outside drawing into his lungs great draughts of the crisp air heavily laden with the mingled scent of spruce and pine. then he walked slowly toward the lake. as soon as he came around the corner of the big cabin he saw kernertok and sicum standing on the end of the wharf gazing out over the lake.
“she heap fine body of water,” the indian said as he joined them.
“sure is,” bob agreed as he bent over to pat sicum’s head. “but i hope we haven’t dragged you and sicum up here for nothing.”
“we catch um ghost heap soon,” kernertok assured him.
“i hope so,” bob returned but there was no note of assurance in his voice.
for an hour they sat on the end of the wharf and discussed the situation and then jack joined them.
“why didn’t you wake me?” he demanded.
“thought you needed the sleep,” bob returned with a smile.
“well, i got it all right.”
jack sat down beside sicum and began stroking his long ears, an action of which the dog thoroughly approved.
at half past seven the welcome sound of the breakfast horn broke up the conversation and they hurried to the big cabin.
“any ghosts?” mr. sleeper asked as he entered a few minutes later with mrs. sleeper and helen.
“narry a ghost,” jack declared.
“and it’s the first night they’ve missed isn’t it?”
“yes, that is, since we’ve been here,” bob assured him.
“don’t you think it’s a bit strange?”
“rather.”
the day passed quietly. in the afternoon they were all gathered on the porch of the sleepers’ cabin and kernertok entertained them for several hours with stories of his early life in northern canada. despite his broken english the old indian was a past master in the art of story telling and he had an abundance of material to draw from and held his listener spellbound with his vivid word pictures of life amid the deep snows and rushing streams.
“he’s wonderful,” helen whispered to bob as they were going to supper.
“a wonderful man and a wonderful dog,” bob assured her.
that night was a repetition of the previous one. the camp was as well behaved as any one could desire, much to the disgust of the two boys.
“it’s disgusting, that’s what it is,” jack declared as he rolled into bed.
“and then some,” bob agreed from his side of the room.
but kernertok merely grunted as he stretched his long frame on his cot.
they were up bright and early the next morning and, after a plunge in the lake, bob suggested that they pay a visit to the cave on mount katahdin.
“the mountain wouldn’t come to mahomet, you remember, so mahomet had to go to the mountain,” he laughed. “well, the ghost won’t seem to come to us any more so we might as well go to him.”
“but why do you think he’s there?” jack asked.
“i don’t, but we may get a clue. somehow i can’t help thinking that the fellow they call jim the penman is in some way mixed up in the ghost business.”
“well, it’ll get rid of the day anyhow,” jack said, and kernertok agreed that it was a good plan.
they started immediately after breakfast, telling the sleepers that they were going to the dam and might not be back until night. the wind was blowing strong down the lake and kernertok and jack made the light canoe almost fly through the water.
“haven’t seen anything more of those fellows have you?” bob asked the old dam tender, who met them as they landed.
“no, but i seen a light up on the mountain, ’bout ten o’clock las’ night,” he told them.
“did it flash as though someone was signaling?” bob asked excitedly.
“well, it did kinder seem so. kept it up fer as much as ten minutes mebby more, then it went out an’ i didn’t see it agin’.”
“then they must be back,” bob said turning to jack and kernertok.
“looks like it,” jack agreed.
a moment later and they were making their way down the deep gorge, sicum leading the way.
“i’d give a cent to know if they were signaling to mr. sleeper,” bob said to jack as they walked side by side.
“who else could it be?”
“ah, there’s the rub,” bob quoted.
“and there’s the balloon,” jack added. “that must have been a signal and it doesn’t seem hardly possible that both parties are signaling to a third person, does it?”
“hardly. but what possible connection can there be between them?”
“ask me something easy,” jack said as he wiped the sweat from his face. “whew, but it’s hot.”
as soon as they reached the foot of the mountain they stopped for a rest and a council of war, as jack put it.
“we’ve got to be mighty careful now,” bob told them. “they’ll treat us rough if they get us in their power again. they’ll think we put the officers onto them and they’ll have little mercy.”
“none comes nearer to it i’d say,” jack declared.
“we go heap quiet,” kernertok advised with a solemn shake of his head.
“frankly it’s my opinion that you’d better stay here and let me go up alone,” bob proposed. “one can go with less noise than four, you know.”
“not much,” jack objected. “we’ll hang together in this.”
“white boy no go alone,” kernertok shook his head and bob did not insist, realizing that they were probably right.
it was a hot day and the climb up the mountain was hard and both boys were puffing when they reached a point only a few rods from the cave. but kernertok was not in the least winded.
“now we’re almost there,” bob said as they came to a stop. “you wait here and i’ll creep up and see what’s doing. oh, i’ll be careful and yell if they get me,” he added as he saw that jack was about to object again.
kernertok nodded assent and bob crept noiselessly away. they had followed the path up the mountain but now he left it and stole around to the right so that he might get a view of the front of the shack. he made not the slightest sound as he worked his way through the thick underbrush and soon was crouching behind a bush from which he had a good view of the shack by slightly parting a couple of branches. not a soul was in sight and the place had a deserted look which went far toward convincing him that they had not returned. still there was the light which the old man had seen the night before and he decided to wait awhile before coming to a conclusion.
for nearly a half hour he waited and then, just as he was thinking that he might as well go back to the others, the sound of voices off to his right caught his ear. someone was coming toward him and he squirmed farther into the clump of bushes hoping that they would pass without seeing him. he lay perfectly still hardly daring to breathe while the voices rapidly approached and soon two men passed not more than six feet from him. he was unable to see them, but he had no difficulty in recognizing jim the penman by his voice. he was not so sure of the identity of the other, but had little doubt that it was one of the half-breeds who had been with him at the shack. he waited until he judged that they had time to reach the shack and then he began slowly to back out. but as it happened he came out of the clump much quicker than he had intended. he had hardly started when his feet were grabbed by a powerful pair of hands and he was violently jerked out. so quickly was it done that he had no time to shout before a huge hand was pressed over his mouth while another seized him by the throat.
“you mak’ der noise an’ i keel you,” a voice hissed in his ear.
he knew that he was no match for the powerful giant and that the latter was quite capable of carrying out his threat. so he kept still and the man, removing his hand from his throat, seized him by the collar and yanked him to his feet.
“you come ’long an’ mak’ no sound,” he ordered as he started for the shack keeping a firm hold on the boy’s collar.
bob knew that there was nothing to do but obey, so he made no resistance and in a moment they were at the door of the shack which opened just as they reached it and jim the penman, followed by the other breed, came out.
“so you have paid us another visit, eh,” jim sneered. “well, we’ll see that you don’t get away so easily this time. tie him up good and strong,” he ordered.
but before the breed could carry out the order a sudden interruption intervened.
“hands up.”
the order came in stern tones and, as they turned, their eyes met a sight which caused bob’s heart to jump with joy. standing just at the edge of the woods were five men and each held a winchester which was pointing directly at them.
without a word the hands of the three men shot into the air and bob, thinking he might not be recognized, did the same.
“i didn’t mean you, bob,” the sheriff said as he came forward, and bob gladly lowered his hands.
“you came just in time, sir,” he said.
“and i’m mighty glad of it. keep ’em covered, boys, while i frisk ’em,” he ordered.
quickly he removed an automatic from a pocket of each of the men and then, satisfied that they had no more weapons upon them, he told them that they could lower their hands.
“but no funny business,” he warned them.
“well, jim, you’ve led me a pretty long chase but i’ve got you at last,” the detective said as he snapped a pair of handcuffs on his wrists.
“it would seem so just now,” the man smiled.
in another minute the two breeds were handcuffed and bob could not repress a sight of relief.
“you made your big mistake when you flashed that light last night,” the detective said turning to the man called jim. “friend of mine saw it and phoned me.”
“i think i know who it was,” the man returned. “some day i may be able to thank him.”
“not for a good many years, i reckon,” the detective said dryly. “you’ll be the state’s star boarder for some time to come.”
“maybe, but i’ve seen sicker cats than this get well,” the man smiled.
leaving the three deputies to guard the prisoners, the sheriff accompanied by the detective and bob made a search of the shack and cave. bob showed them the trap door in the corner and, after they had descended and squeezed through into the second chamber, he showed them how he and jack had made their escape.
“but there must be another room or something of the sort here,” the detective insisted when they had returned to the upper cave. “they must have some food here and i haven’t seen a sign of it.”
for some time they searched going over every foot of the walls and floor and were about to give it up when bob discovered the secret. he was on the side of the cave opposite the door which opened into the shack and suddenly his quick eye caught sight of a crack in the rock. playing his flash up and down on the wall he could trace it from the floor to a point about even with the top of his head. then it turned sharply at right angles. it was such a small crack that it was little wonder that it had eluded him when he had searched the cave before.
“i think i’ve found something,” he called and the others hastened to his side.
“see that crack?” he asked eagerly.
“yes, but—”
“wait a minute,” bob interrupted as he darted across the cave and passed through the door into the shack.
he was back in a minute with a screw driver which he remembered to have seen in the shack. this he inserted in a place, he had noticed, about two feet from the floor and carefully using it as a pry, he gave a cry of satisfaction as a small door swung open, a door so cunningly constructed and closely fitted that probably not one man in a dozen would ever have found it. it was made of boards, the side facing the cave being covered with thin slabs of rock so skillfully cemented together and to the door that it was practically impossible to distinguish between it and the rest of the wall.
the door opened into a large room which was furnished with several cots and chairs as well as a cook stove and the necessary cooking utensils. a good supply of food was stored in a closet in one corner.
“i knew there must be some place,” the detective declared as he stood in the middle of the room and looked about.
“but how in thunder did he make that door?” the sheriff asked.
“maybe he didn’t,” the detective returned. “looks to me as though that door was made some years ago. but how he found out about it beats me.”
just then a low cry from one of the deputies attracted their attention and, hastening to his side, they found him gazing with wide staring eyes at a suit-case which lay open on the floor at his feet. it was no wonder he had uttered the cry of astonishment for the case was filled with piles of new ten-dollar bills.
“gosh, i didn’t know there was that much money in the world,” the man gasped. “i reckon as how there must be close on ter a billion dollars there.”
“hardly that much,” the detective laughed as he picked up one of the bundles. “there’s quite a lot of it though, but the trouble is it isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on.”
“what you mean, it ain’t worth nothin’?”
“phony. green goods.”
“you mean it’s counterfeit?”
“exactly.”
“but it looks good ter me,” the man insisted picking up another of the bundles.
“of course it does,” the detective laughed. “it has to look mighty good to get by these days.”
they spent a few more minutes searching the room but nothing more of consequence was found and the detective declared that they might as well be on their way back.
“i won’t feel easy till i get them fellows behind the bars,” he declared as he picked up the suit-case and led the way out through the cave.
“that room explains how he got away that time we had him tied up,” bob thought. “those others must have been in there all the time.”
as they came out into the open the two half breeds glared at the suit-case with ill-concealed rage, but the leader only smiled as though it was a matter of no importance.
“don’t suppose you’d tell me how you found the door leading into that room, jim,” the detective said as he stood in front of the man.
“and i guess you’re right in your supposition,” he smiled.
“all right, it doesn’t matter. we’ve got the goods and that’s the main thing.”
on the way down the mountain they picked up jack and kernertok and they were much surprised as well as gratified when they learned how the affair had turned out.
it was nearly noon when they reached the dam and the sheriff insisted that the boys and kernertok help them eat the bountiful lunch which he had brought with him. soon after the men, together with their prisoners, departed in the two cars in which they had made the trip up and, after bidding them good-bye the four friends started on their way up the lake.
“well, that chapter is closed so far as we’re concerned,” jack declared.
“and mighty satisfactorily,” bob added.
“the question now is whether the ghost has gone with them,” jack said.
“that’s what,” bob agreed.
“how you betting?”
“that it has. take me?”
“nope. that’s my bet too.”
they were in no hurry to get back and took it easy so that it was nearly three o’clock when they reached the camp. there was no one on the wharf and no one in sight about the camp as they walked slowly up the bank toward the big cabin.
“reminds me of the deserted village,” bob laughed.
“it doesn’t look exactly lively,” jack agreed.
as they reached the front of the cabin the door opened and jacques stepped out.
“where’s all the folks?” bob asked.
“gone,” the man replied.
“gone! gone where?”
“i dunno. dey had me tak’ ’em down to dam little while after you go.”
“but didn’t they say where or why they were going?” bob asked.
“dey say nottin’, only dat they go.”
“did they take their stuff with them?”
“oui, dey tak’ it all. dey no come back.”
“i reckon you’re right, but it beats me,” bob declared as he led the way to their cabin. “what do you make of it, jack?” he asked as soon as they had closed the door behind them.
“why, that they had something to do with that other gang. what do you think?”
“looks as though you were right, but how could that fellow signal to them from the mountain? you can’t see it from here.”
“see it from hill over there,” kernertok said.
“that’s so,” bob declared. “i never thought of that. it’s only a little way to the top from here and now i think of it, mr. sleeper wasn’t with us after nine o’clock last night, you remember.”
“but just what do you suppose was the connection between them?”
“it’s no use guessing. maybe we’ll know sometime.”
“well, their going makes it all the more likely that we’ve seen the last of the ghost.”
“i suppose so,” bob agreed.
“you don’t seem much pleased at the prospect,” jack told him.
“well, i can’t help feeling that we haven’t had much to do with it.”
“that’s so,” jack agreed.
