The Go Ahead Boys on Smugglers' Island Part 33

"We shan't get back to Mackinac before eleven o'clock if you go by c.o.c.kburn Island."

"It's very important," broke in the man. "I ought to be there now. I'll pay you ten dollars if you'll take me."

"All right," said George, after he glanced questioningly at his companion.

Without delaying, the man at once stepped on board the skiff and in a few minutes all three were on board of the motor-boat.

There was no delay now and the swift little boat was soon leaving Western Duck Island behind it.

Somehow the mystery in which the boys had found themselves involved during the past few days instead of becoming clearer was darker than before. Who was their pa.s.senger? Why was he so desirous of being carried to c.o.c.kburn Island? These questions and many others were discussed in low tones by George and Grant while their pa.s.senger remained seated in the bow of the swiftly moving little motor-boat.

"Speaking of calm," said the captain breaking in upon the prolonged silence on board, "I knew a man once that was held up three days on one of these islands by a storm. 'Twas a regular no'-easter and blew a gale without stopping. This man I'm telling you about managed to get ash.o.r.e on one of the islands and couldn't leave until the storm pa.s.sed and he was picked up by some boat. So you see you needn't get so down-hearted about your friends. Something may have happened to their boat or they may have landed somewhere and maybe they didn't pull their skiff far enough up on the sh.o.r.e. There's a hundred things I can think of to comfort your hearts."

"That's good of you," said Grant "I wish I felt about it the way you do."

It was dusk when at last the motor-boat drew near the familiar sh.o.r.es of c.o.c.kburn Island.

"Some boat's ahead of you," called the captain. "See, there's a motor-boat already there at that little landing."

The attention not only of the boys but of their other pa.s.senger was at once called to the boat in the distance. And it was apparent too that the man was greatly excited by the discovery.

As the boys came nearer they both were convinced that they had never seen the boat before. They were able to see that it had been long since it had been painted and its general air of dilapidation was so manifest that under other circ.u.mstances the boys would have laughed at its appearance.

Occasionally they glanced at the man on board whose surprise and excitement or alarm at the discovery of the presence of the other motor-boat had now become more marked.

"Look yonder!" said Grant at last when they were within a few yards of the landing place. "There's somebody coming from the house."

Both boys were silent for a brief time as they watched the approaching men. One of them was tall and ungainly and had a strange swinging motion as he walked across the fields. Beside him were two boys.

George suddenly grasped his friend by the arm and in a low voice said, "Do you know who those fellows are?"

CHAPTER XXIII AN UNEXPECTED MEETING

"They look like Fred and John," replied Grant in a whisper. "Where do you suppose they came from?"

"I don't care where they came from, the most I want to know is that they are here. You don't suppose they are ghosts, do you?"

"I think you would find out whether they were ghosts or not if you tried to throw Fred. Come on, let's go ahead and meet them."

Advancing quickly the boys soon drew near the place where the approaching forms were seen.

"Fred, is that you?" called George anxiously.

Instantly the trio stopped and in amazement stared in the direction from which the unexpected hail had come.

"Is that you, Fred? Is that you, Jack?" George called again, this time speaking a little more loudly.

"Yes," replied John. "Who is it calling us?"

"You have been gone so long you don't recognize your own friend," called back George. "What are you doing here?"

"That's the same question we might ask you," retorted Fred. "We didn't expect to find you here."

"Neither did we expect to find you," said George. "We're mighty glad we have though, for we have been looking for you a long time."

"The trouble is you didn't look in the right place," laughed Fred, who was delighted to be with his friends once more.

"You don't need to tell us that," retorted Grant. "We have had troubles enough of our own without having you twit us about them. We looked all around Western Duck Island and up and down the sh.o.r.e but couldn't find any trace of you. Now tell us where you have been and what you have been doing."

All six were now returning to the sh.o.r.e together, the strange companion of Fred and John walking in advance of the boys. Several times George nudged Fred as he pointed toward the ungainly figure which was somewhat dim in the obscure light. The peculiar gait, the strange swinging motion of the shoulders were not to be forgotten when once they had been seen.

Rufus, however, had not spoken since the meeting of the boys and because of that fact there were still further revelations to be made that were to startle the newcomers.

"How did you get here, Fred?" demanded George unable longer to restrain his curiosity when the boys were within a few yards of the sh.o.r.e.

"We came in a motor-boat."

"From where?"

"Sault St. Marie."

"Be honest, Fred. This is no time for joking. Where did you come from?"

"I'm not joking and I'm telling you the truth. We started from Sault St.

Marie."

"How long have you been here?"

"About two hours."

"Why did you come to c.o.c.kburn Island?"

"Because our skipper said he had to come here before he could take us to Mackinac."

"What did he want to come here for?"

"Don't talk any more now," said Fred. "Wait until we get back and we'll tell you all about it and there are some things worth hearing, too."

When the boys and the strange skipper returned to the sh.o.r.e and it was discovered that there were two motor-boats there, John quickly said to Rufus, "Our friends are going back to Mackinac and we can go with them so you won't have to go out of your course. You can go right back to Sault St. Marie."

"How about them ten dollars?" demanded Rufus, speaking in his shrillest tones. "I don't intend to let go of you until I see the color of them dollars."

"Have you got any money with you?" demanded Fred, turning quickly to George and Grant.

"How much do you want?" inquired George.