The Ranger Boys Outwit the Timber Thieves Part 14

The canoe was launched, and the boys climbed in. Garry and Phil elected to paddle, leaving d.i.c.k to sit in the middle.

"If that patch will hold d.i.c.k up, you can be sure it's a good job, Garry," laughed Phil, as they pushed off.

"So that was why you chaps were so kind as to do all the paddling. I'm to be the happy little subject of the experiment. Well, if I get a ducking there is some consolation in the fact that you two will follow suit," said d.i.c.k good naturedly.

Garry had done a fine bit of work, however, and the craft proved to be all that they hoped it would. They made it dance through the water and were delighted to find that they could make much better speed than in the ordinary wooden canoe. The only thing necessary, however, was to keep perfectly quiet, as the balance of a bark craft is a much more precarious thing than that of a solid factory made canoe.

It took them but a short time to reach the outlet, and they beached their boat and started on a tour down the stream, which was a shallow, weedy affair.

Their early scout training, and their need of vigilance during their patrolling of the woods when on duty as fire rangers had made their powers of observation especially keen, and it was second nature almost for them to note signs of trail that would be unseen by one unversed in the lore of the woods and forests.

They had walked about a quarter of a mile, when Phil's exclamation made them pause.

"There's fresh trail there, or I'm no good at sign reading any more,"

remarked Phil. The boys gazed at the ground and quickly saw that Phil was right.

With no wasted words, they turned and followed the slightly outlined trail. It took only a few minutes for them to reach a crude log shack, one that had evidently been constructed early that summer, as the fresh cut logs showed.

The door swung loose on crude rope hinges, and after debating a moment they decided to enter: They found practically nothing in the way of furniture. There were no bunks, but a pile of boughs had been thrown in each corner, and a rough table had been built in a corner of the hut. On this reposed several dirty tin dishes. The remains of the food were still fresh, showing that someone had eaten there within the past day or so.

"That means that they are apt to be back at any time, and so we'd better light out. It may be some camper and it may be some enemy. I am inclined to think it the latter, for a camper would have taken some pains to make things just a little bit more comfortable," said Garry. "I think, however, we will plan to keep watch of this place and see who happens to occupy it."

"Well, I can tell you right now that it is someone from the logging camp. One of those who are mixed up in the trouble there. Look under that table on the floor!"

CHAPTER XII

d.i.c.k DISAPPEARS

The others bent forward curiously and gazed at the floor. There, laying in a little mess of debris, as though it had slipped from the pocket of some one who had been sitting at the table, was the knife with d.i.c.k's name on it, that he had bought of the sidewalk merchant in Bangor!

"Isn't that conclusive proof that it's someone from the camp?" demanded d.i.c.k as he rescued the knife.

"It surely is, and they are up to no good. Why should anyone from the cutting have a place over here? It's a signal for us to get out and get out quick. There's one good thing, though, we can set the hermit to watching over here and leave ourselves free to go about other business.

We'll pace out the distances and draw a rough map and leave it in the tree postoffice so that the old fellow can come over here and keep watch," said Garry.

Being careful to leave no traces of having been in the cabin, they hastened outside. They had hardly gone two feet, though, when d.i.c.k darted back. He rejoined his companions almost instantly, and answered their puzzled stare with this explanation:

"I've just sacrificed my good knife. The thought came to me that one of them, the man who found it, might have remembered dropping it there, and would at once know that someone had been in the cabin if it was missing."

"Good headwork, d.i.c.k," said Garry approvingly.

They took it on the run back to where their canoe was beached, and soon were on their way back across the lake.

"I wish that we had more time without fear of interruption," said Garry, "for it is likely that the occupants of the cabin have a canoe hidden somewhere along the bank of the lake. Safest thing now, however, is to get back to the other side of the lake, where we have an excuse for being."

"I am afraid that there will be little use in watching that cabin, however, for it is quite probable that Barrows will warn those who are living there that we are swimming and fishing around the lake, and advise them to seek a new hiding place," observed Phil.

"That's a fact," answered Garry. "Still, there's no harm in trying. It was only by extreme carefulness in watching for signs that we discovered that trail. It was probably the one that the men use to get water, and the cabin is well hidden. One would not stumble on it casually in a long time."

It was sundown by this time, and they held a council to decide whether they would camp there for the night or go back to the lumber camp. They were all anxious to visit the big lake, however, and so it was decided to return.

"After the camp is quiet we can skip out and visit our other objective,"

said Garry.

Taking their fish out of the water, where they had been placed to keep fresh, they trekked towards home. It was about dark when they reached the camp, and about the first person they met was Barrows. He was all curiosity to know how they had spent the day, and they returned equivocal answers, being careful to make no mention of the canoe which they had carefully hidden before starting away from the lake.

The manager admired the fish, and thanked the boys for offering them to provide breakfast on the coming day. Pleading their strenuous walk and day as an excuse, they retired early to the shack.

Here a campaign was speedily decided on. d.i.c.k was to go back to the office and chat for a few moments, while the others slipped out of camp.

This would make it appear that they were in the neighborhood, and after a reasonable time, d.i.c.k could return and retire for the night.

d.i.c.k wandered back to the office to engage the manager in a talk about fishing and the possibility of a long hike to extend over a week or more, while Garry and Phil made for the lake.

The tote road that had been made to transport the sawed lumber ran for a short distance along the lakeside. Here there was a slightly wider place made so that the tractors that met each other could pa.s.s with ease. The ground was here covered with broken branches and debris of all sorts, well tramped into the ground. Garry flashed his lamp about and searched for signs of any sort, but seemed to find none. Then he went to the lake edge and peered about.

Some peculiar formation of rock made a sort of a ledge that stood about three feet above the water. This ledge interested Garry immensely, but he said nothing as he wanted more time to puzzle out the situation before coming to any definite conclusions. At the point where the tote road had been widened, there was a triple string of broad wheeled flat cars loaded with lumber.

"Now I wonder why these cars were left here," asked Phil.

"That's easy. The drivers knock off work at a regular hour, and when that time comes, if they have not gone very far on their trip, they simply come back to the camp and wait until morning. That is to prevent accidents which running in the dark might bring about," said Garry.

"Hush, what's that?" asked Phil. Both boys listened intently. Far off across the lake they heard a faint chugging noise. Sometimes it seemed to cease altogether, then as the breeze stirred they could hear it, getting fainter and fainter.

"Phil, I've discovered the secret of the stolen timber or I'm a Chinaman. That noise solves the whole proposition. That sound that we heard is the engine of a powerful motor boat. And Barrows insisted that there was no kind of water transportation on either lake. Now why should he lie about it unless he had some ulterior motive in covering up the presence of a boat? This is the answer or I'll return from our mission and tell Dad I'm not bright enough to solve the mystery."

"What have you doped out," asked Phil, as Garry paused for a moment.

"Just this. I'll bet you a dollar to a doughnut that the drivers that are in on this timber stealing business have it so arranged that there is always a load of cars waiting here overnight. That's step number one.

Now we have a rock formation here that makes a perfectly good wharf.

Next you have noticed that all the chips and bits of broken branches strewn between the turnout here and that strip of rock. That's just to hide the footprints that are made by the thieves. So far so good. How does this strike you? That motor boat that we heard is a big one, at least it had immense pulling strength. I know enough about engines to tell from the sound how good they are. That boat is probably used to draw a raft across the lake. Just after midnight, or some safe time during the dark hours, a raft can be backed against that natural wharf there, and in half an hour enough lumber can be carried from the flat cars to the raft to make it a profitable night's work. Why, the whole thing is as plain as a pikestaff. Phil, we've got everything nearly dead to rights now!"

"What's the next step then, old timer? Shall we hike out and write, or wire your father to come on so we can show him what's going on?"

questioned Phil.

"Not yet a bit, there's still something else we must find out. Is this a part of the treachery to ruin Dad's enterprise here, or is it a private bit of work on the part of Barrows?"

"How's this for a guess? The people that are behind Barrows, meaning those that have bribed him to play false to the trust your father put in him, may have outlined this whole scheme, and offered to give Barrows as his pay what he can make off the stolen timber. At the rate that it has been disappearing, one-fifth and one-quarter at a time, as the report that Howells received would show, and at the price which lumber is bringing today, that would be pretty good pay for one summer. Chances are that the interests that are opposing Mr. Boone are paying all the expenses. Their only idea is to put him out of business for breaking up their combination and going into business on his own hook. If that's the kind of men they are, I don't blame your father for getting out of the combination."

"I think you have the right idea, Phil. My, I wish we had our canoe over here. We could paddle across the lake and investigate the other side and see what is done with the timber once it is rafted over the water," said Garry.

"No use in wishing. Best thing we can do is hike for home and turn in.

Then tomorrow we can make arrangements to go on, say a three day hike.

We can portage the canoe across country, and hide out along the bank until nightfall. The moon is in its last quarter now, and by night after tomorrow it will be dark. We can paddle out well into the lake and wait for what transpires. When we hear the raft and motor boat coming we can paddle far enough to be un.o.bserved and then follow it by sound. The boat will probably travel without lights for two reasons. First, it is safe enough as there is probably no other craft on the lake, and secondly, they will not want to attract any undue attention. Then we can note the spot where the raft docks, and in the morning can follow it to whatever rail spur the stuff is taken. With what help Howells may be able to give us on the outside, we ought to have the thing pretty well in hand. What do you think of my suggestion?" asked Phil almost breathlessly, as he concluded.