  It was decided to leave behind them the skiff that had been wrecked and as the boys ran down to the shore they saw that the beautiful little boat had been drawn up on the land. “That can be fixed all right,” said the mate in response to the question of the boys. “The frame’s all good.” Neither of the boys, however, heard his words as they both climbed into the skiff, which Grant had rowed ashore. “Where were you, fellows?” he asked as he grasped the oars and headed the little boat once more for the Gadabout. “We went ashore. The mate just let us drive before the wind. We couldn’t do anything against it.” “Yes,” added Fred. “We stove in the boat when we tried to land. The waves were a million feet high.” “How high?” laughed John. “Well, they were pretty nearly ten feet anyway.” “That’s about as near as you get to things, isn’t it?” remarked John. “Well, you know what I mean.” “I don’t care what you mean as long as you’re both safe. The captain was afraid you might capsize.” “You mean he was afraid we would be capsized,” retorted Fred. “May be that was it. At all events he was afraid you would go into the water and he knew you couldn’t take care of yourselves if you did.” “Hello,” exclaimed John abruptly. “Here comes our recent host. I wonder what he wants now.” As he spoke John pointed toward the shore from which the man in whose house they recently found refuge was seen approaching in a skiff. Just where his boat had been kept was not plain to either of the boys. There was no boathouse on the shore and few places where the craft might have been sheltered. “I guess he has forgotten something,” laughed Fred, “or he’s after us. John, did you take anything from the table when you left the house?” “Nothing except what I had already taken inside,” retorted John. In response to the call of the man the departing Gadabout was delayed until he came alongside. There was a whispered conversation between him and the captain, which lasted only a few minutes. What was said could not be heard by the boys, although John was really trying to discover what the subject of the conversation was, at the same time doing his utmost to appear indifferent. Fred, who understood the peculiarities of his companion, laughed silently as he saw John’s actions and shook his head warningly. Quickly, however, the captain turning about gave the order to start and almost as if it had been hurled forward by some powerful and unseen hand the graceful little boat suddenly started swiftly on its return to Mackinac Island. The speed of the motor-boat was much greater than in the morning. Indeed as the time passed and the graceful little craft darted over the surface of the water the boys looked at one another in amazement. The water seemed almost to rise and be parted by the bow. It rushed past them with a noise that was loud and almost confusing. Still the speed of the Gadabout increased. The roaring of the waters and the occasional call of the captain were all that could be heard and in a brief time the boys abandoned all attempts to speak to one another. Darkness had fallen when at last they arrived at their destination. The lights of the many windowed hotels and of the cottages along the road were shining in the evening darkness. There was yet time, however, for the boys to obtain dinner and in a brief time all four were seated about the table, which had been assigned them when first they had arrived. Fred was the last to enter the dining-room and as he did so his companions saw that something had greatly amused or pleased him. “Look here, fellows,” he said as he seated himself at the table. “See what I have got.” Drawing from his pocket a letter, which he explained he had received from the clerk on his way to the dining-room, he placed the sheet of paper on the table and began to read,— Sir,—I am one good american Citizen and I will do not the other Strangers peoples Cheat us My duty Me oblige to let you know which Cheater the U. S. Secret Contraband the man is it one British have one store in Chicago and one other store in Montreal Canada. This man make her Business in this Way. he order her goods to come from Paris france to Montreal Canada and ther he pay duty Very Cheap and then he express her goods to the boarderings of the untied States and then he took the Said goods and giving to the Cariage Man and the Cariag Man in the nighte time he Carry them With other different things eggs and other things lik that in many Barrel and the goods Mixed With Them So the goods entre in united States in the Way the dessert. “What do you think of that?” demanded John as he extended his hand and received the letter. “I don’t know what to think of it,” laughed Fred. “What do you think of it?” “It’s too much for me,” said Grant. “I don’t believe even papa here knows what it means.” “But it was sent to me,” said Fred. “At least the directions are to Mr. F. Button, and that’s my name.” The boys were still laughing and talking about the strange epistle which Fred had received when at last they withdrew from the dining-room and selected four chairs near together on the broad piazza. They had not been seated very long before the clerk of the hotel approached the group and said to Fred, “I think I gave you a letter which belongs to some other man.” “I guess you did,” laughed Fred. “I don’t think it belongs to me anyway. Is this the letter?” he added, as he held forth the epistle which had been the cause of so much mirth among the boys. “I don’t know whether it is or not,” replied the clerk. “All I know is that there is another man here, whose name is almost like yours. He is Mr. Ferdinand Button. That letter was directed to Mr. F. Button. As you had been here longer than he I thought it was for you.” “Well, it isn’t,” said Fred. “If it was my letter I would read it to you, but I guess it belongs to Ferdinand, so you had better take it and give it to him.” Laughingly Fred held out the letter which the clerk took and at once withdrew from the place. It was not long afterward before a stranger approached the boys who were still seated and said, “One of you, I am afraid had a letter to-night which belonged to me.” “Yes, I guess we did,” said Fred quickly, rising as he spoke. “My name is Fred Button and the clerk said that this letter was meant for Mr. Ferdinand Button.” “That’s my name,” explained the stranger, “and the letter was for me. Did you read it?” “I shall have to acknowledge that I did,” answered Fred. “I didn’t suspect until I had done that that it really belonged to any one else.” Somewhat confused by his confession Fred noted the bearing of the man before him more carefully. It was plain to him now that the stranger was quiet in his manner, gentlemanly in his bearing and possessed of a quick intelligence that enabled him to perceive many a thing which his younger companions might have lost. The stranger was about thirty-five years of age and his bronzed face was nearly the color of that of the captain of the Gadabout. “Have you been here long?” inquired John. “I came this morning.” “I thought perhaps you had been on the lake—” “I have been on the lake,” interrupted the stranger. “Indeed, I spend much of my time on the lake. I am sorry you had the misfortune to receive this letter which apparently was meant for me.” “What makes you so sure it was for you?” inquired Fred laughingly. “It was signed ‘American Brother’ and was simply addressed ‘Sir.’ Perhaps it was meant for me after all.” “No, the letter is mine,” said the man quietly and as he spoke the four boys were aware that he intended to retain possession of the perplexing missive. That he was able to do so was manifest in the breadth of his shoulders and the evidences of strength which were apparent as he turned and walked away. “Whew!” whispered Grant. “I guess that man could tell some stories if he wanted to.” “I hope he will want to,” said George. “I know I want to hear them.” The conversation turned from the stranger who had claimed the letter to plans for the following day and then when two hours had elapsed all four boys, thoroughly tired by their experiences of the day, sought their rooms. The following morning John was surprised when he first went down to the lobby to discover there his host of the preceding day. At first John suspected that the man intended to ignore him, for he advanced toward him with outstretched hand to express his surprise at the unexpected meeting. The stranger, however, turned abruptly away. Abashed by the action John’s face flushed and he watched the man when he slowly walked out to the piazza and seated himself near the entrance. Turning to the clerk John said, “Who is that man?” “I do not know,” replied the clerk. “I have seen him here several times this summer.” “How many years have you been coming here?” broke in John. “Fourteen.” “And you never saw this man until this summer?” “No. Why?” “Oh, nothing much. I just wanted to know. I had an idea somehow that he belonged to this part of the country and that perhaps he was here every summer.” “No, sir,” answered the clerk. “This is the first summer he has shown up on Mackinac Island.” “You mean it is the first time he has shown up at your hotel,” suggested John. “No, I don’t mean anything of the kind. I mean just what I say, that this is the first summer he has been seen on the island.” John said no more and turned away. He had decided that he would go out to the piazza and see if this mysterious man was still there. Was it possible that he had been mistaken? Was not this the man who had received them in his strange house on Cockburn Island the preceding day? If any questions concerning the identity of the man remained in John’s mind they were quickly dispelled when he glanced toward the dock and there saw the newcomer talking to the captain of the Gadabout. At that moment the other three boys approached the place where John was standing and declaring that they were hungry demanded that he should at once go with them to the dining-room. |
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