  “Well, I suppose this means the end of this expedition.” Kernertok had not returned and the boys were sitting around the fire. “What do you mean, end of the expedition?” Bob asked. “Why, we’ll have to turn back now, won’t we?” Rex asked, with a note of sorrow in his voice. “Turn back nothing. Have you any idea how long it would take us to paddle back up that river?” “I didn’t think of that. I suppose it would take us longer to go back than it did to come down.” “I’ll say it would,” Jack declared. “What’ll we do then?” “Unless I’m mistaken, that lake we’re after is not very far from here, and believe me, we’re going to make it if it’s a possible thing, after coming this far. If he’s there he’ll probably have a good stock of provisions and trout and raspberries will get kinder monotonous after a few meals.” “I sure hope we’ve shaken off that lalapaloosla,” Jack said. “Sure and we’ve got trouble enough without that to help it along.” “Perhaps we can track it if it comes around again, now that Sicum has got his nerve back,” Rex suggested. “Mebby,” Bob agreed. “Do you know it’s the strangest thing about that dog,” Rex said thoughtfully. “Do you suppose that plunge in the water made him forget all about his trouble?” “Possibly he had gotten the idea in his head that he was old and of no more use and then when he pulled me out it convinced him that he had been mistaken and was as good as ever, all his old spunk returned.” Just then Kernertok returned, carrying on his shoulder a small spruce tree about ten feet long and four inches through at the larger end. “No could find cedar,” he said, as he threw the trunk down on the ground. “But spruce she do heap well.” It was nearly dark, but the fire, which they kept burning brightly, gave a good light and he began work at once hewing out the paddles. Fortunately the little hatchet was sharp, but even so, it was slow work. It was late when at last he pronounced them finished. They were rough, to be sure, but Rex was amazed that they could be made so well with only a knife and a hatchet as tools. “There’s not much outside of the canoe to watch to-night,” Bob said, after he had praised Kernertok’s skill. “But that’s a very important article just now,” Jack asserted. “Sicum him keep watch now him all right.” Kernertok was very positive in his statement. “Then to make things doubly safe, I move that we make our beds two on each side of the canoe,” Bob suggested. “Heap good think,” Kernertok grunted. “Hope the weather stays warm till we get out,” Bob said. “If it should turn cold it would be mighty uncomfortable without blankets, and we’d better make the beds as close to the fire as possible, because it’s not going to be very hot round the edges along toward morning.” It was nearly twelve o’clock by Rex’s watch, which, as it had a water-proof case, had not stopped, before they were ready for bed. “It’s a mighty lucky thing that we went over in time to get our clothes dry before night,” Jack declared, as he stretched himself out on his bed of fragrant spruce boughs. Bob and Rex had dragged onto the fire two good sized logs which they had found near the bank of the river, and Bob declared that they ought to keep it going until morning. It was still dark when a low growl from the dog made Bob start up wide awake. He could see Sicum by the light of the fire, which still burned, standing a few feet away. “What is it, boy?” he whispered. The dog gave another low growl and Bob could see that the hair on his back was bristled. Just then Kernertok, who was on the same side of the canoe, awoke. “Sicum hears something,” Bob whispered. The dog paced back and forth, giving vent to low rumbling growls from time to time. “White boy stay here, watch; Injun go see,” Kernertok whispered, and in another minute without making the slightest sound he was gone. “Here Sicum,” Bob ordered in a low whisper. The dog somewhat reluctantly came to his side. “You stay right here. Remember what happened the last time you left camp alone.” Bob strained his ears to listen, but except for the roaring of the water as it rushed over the falls, he could hear nothing. He had no way of telling the time, but it seemed to him a long time since the Indian had left, when he noticed that the east was beginning to lighten. “Wonder why he doesn’t come,” he thought. Soon it was daylight and Kernertok had not returned. He waited until he judged that another hour had passed and then woke Rex, but was careful not to disturb his brother. “He needs all the rest he can get,” he told himself. “S——h; don’t wake Jack,” he whispered, as he placed his hand on Rex’s arm. “Come over here a bit.” As soon as they were far enough away so that they could talk without disturbing the sleeping boy, Bob told him what had happened. “I can’t imagine what can be keeping him,” he finished. “How long did you say he had been gone?” “I didn’t say, but I should say not less than four hours. You know my watch isn’t going, so I had to guess at the time.” “Sicum seems mighty uneasy.” “He knows something’s wrong.” The dog whined and showed an increasing disposition to take to the woods, but Bob restrained him with a word of command. “If you’ll get some more of those berries, I’ll hook a few more trout, and if he doesn’t come by the time we’ve had breakfast we’ll have to go after him.” They called Jack as soon as breakfast was ready. “What’s the big idea?” he asked, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. “We thought you needed to sleep,” Rex replied. “Well, I want it distinctly understood from now on that I’m no invalid and don’t want to be treated like one. Where’s Kernertok?” “I wish we knew,” Bob replied, and then told him of the happening in the night. “Did you look to see if there are any more of those tracks?” “No; I never thought of it to tell the truth.” “Then let’s go see.” As they reached the sandy spot, there, close to the water’s edge, were three of the imprints. “Just as I expected,” Jack declared. “Well, let’s get breakfast over with and if he hasn’t shown up by that time we’ll start out after him,” Bob said, as he turned back. Breakfast was quickly cooked and eaten. Still there was no sign of the Indian. “Suppose he has got lost!” Rex asked. “Kernertok lost! You couldn’t lose that Indian in the State of Maine if you should blindfold him, let me tell you that,” Jack replied. “Jack’s right about that,” Bob declared. “Kernertok knows the country up this way about as well as any man living, I reckon. No; it’s not a question of him being lost.” “What then?” “That’s it. What then?” Bob repeated. “But come on, let’s not lose any time. Here Sicum.” After some argument and a good deal of objection on the part of Jack, who insisted that he was as strong as ever, it was decided that Bob and Rex should take up the search while Jack remained to guard the canoe. “Now don’t you go too fast, boy,” Bob said to the dog, as he told him to go find Injun. Sicum started off with a yelp of joy, and in spite of Bob’s warning, they had hard work to keep him in sight or hearing. “Wish I’d had a leash to put on him,” Bob panted, as he called the dog back for the twentieth time. Their course led them straight back from the river into the forest, and before they had gone far the ground began to rise, and the going became more and more difficult as they advanced. “Does this hill have any top, I wonder?” Rex panted, as he pulled himself up by a bush. “I really believe we’ll be up in the clouds before long if we keep on going.” It was nearly two hours since they had left Jack, and they were still climbing, when they heard the dog a few yards ahead give voice to a bark which Bob was quick to interpret. “He’s found him,” he cried, as he hurried on closely followed by Rex. A moment later they reached the spot where the dog was jumping frantically about, and, for the moment, they could scarcely believe their eyes. There, securely tied to a small spruce tree was the Indian. Over his head was a meal sack. “Of all things!” Bob gasped, as he sprang forward. “Kernertok!” But the old man made no reply, and Bob’s heart nearly stopped beating, as the fear came to him that his old friend was past help. In an instant he had snatched the bag from his head. The old man’s eyes were closed and his head drooped low on his chest. Anxiously Bob placed his ear over his heart. To his joy he could hear the heart beats steady and fairly strong. “He must have fainted,” he told Rex. “Here, you hold him, while I cut the ropes.” In another moment the old Indian was lying on the ground, while Bob and Rex chafed his wrists. Presently his eyes opened. “Don’t talk,” Bob cautioned. “Just lie still and rest. You’ll be all right in a minute.” “Back heap sore,” he groaned. They carefully turned him over onto his side and pulled up his shirt. “Well-what-do-you-know-about-that?” Rex gasped. “I know that whoever did it is going to settle accounts with me if I ever find him out,” Bob said and a look into his eyes told Rex that he was uttering no idle threat. Criscrossed on the old man’s back were many broad whelts, evidently made by a heavy piece of rope. “Oh, the brutes,” Bob groaned, as he carefully turned the Indian back. “Who did it, Kernertok?” “Injun no know. No see um.” “You mean that you didn’t see anybody?” “No see um.” “But what happened?” “Injun walk along, him heap dark. No see um, no hear um. Bag drop on head. Two three men jump on Injun. No chance fight, heap too many.” “But did they keep the bag on your head while they beat you?” “No take bag off. Beat heap lot, then bang on head an’ no more.” “I should say you did get a bang on the head,” Bob declared, as he felt a big lump on the back of the old man’s skull. “If I ever find out who did it I’ll, well he’d better look sharp, that’s all.” After resting for about a half hour Kernertok declared that he was able to start back. “Now you take it easy,” Bob cautioned him. “Remember, you are not as young as you were once.” “Injun heap tough,” the old man grunted. “Take heap lot to kill him.” “I’ll say it will,” Rex laughed. Rex was astonished at the quick recovery of the old man and at his endurance. Indeed he was panting, when about an hour and a half later they got back to where Jack was waiting for them. The latter was overjoyed to see his old friend safe once more and was loud in his expression of indignation, as Bob told him what had happened. “We’ll get those brutes sometime,” he declared, “and when we do, look out.” While they had been away Jack had caught a good mess of trout and had picked several quarts of raspberries, so it took them but a short time to prepare dinner. “Hadn’t we better rest the remainder of the day and start out good and early in the morning?” Bob asked Kernertok. “We go now,” the Indian replied. “Injun all right. It only twenty mile more more down river, then twelve mile through woods to little lake.” “All right, you’re the doctor,” Bob said. “We’re sure traveling light, all right,” Rex laughed as they shoved off. “Light is right,” Jack agreed. “A little too light for comfort. Hope we strike some grub soon.” For the remainder of the distance down the stream the current was rapid, and they made splendid time. It was only a little after two o’clock when the Indian guided the canoe to a sandy spot and informed them that they were at the end of their trip, so far as travel by water was concerned. “We better hide the canoe in a safe place,” Bob declared, as he stepped onto the shore. “You bet,” Jack agreed. “We don’t want to come back here and find it gone. We sure would be in a pickle then.” “We find um good place hide him,” Kernertok assured them. Bob and Rex insisted on carrying the canoe, although Jack declared that he was getting tired of being treated like a baby and Kernertok insisted that he was all right. “Injun heap tough,” he said several times, but the boys would not give in to him. So with the Indian leading the way, they plunged at once into the dense forest of spruce and pine. For fully a quarter of a mile they carried the canoe before they found a hiding place which satisfied them. A thick clump of cedars, growing so closely together that it was impossible to see more than a few feet into it, offered what seemed to all of them, a secure place. Using the utmost care to break no branches, they dragged the canoe into the center of the clump. After they emerged, Kernertok carefully removed all traces of their presence. “Nobody find um now,” the Indian assured them, as he looked toward the cedars. “I’ll say they won’t,” Rex declared. “But are you sure that we can find it again?” “Trust Kernertok for that,” Bob reassured him. Their way led through a forest more dense than Rex ever seen. The immense pines and spruce grew so closely together that at times it was only with great difficulty that they were able to make their way. “I should think that there was lumber enough around here to supply the world for the next thousand years,” Rex declared, as they stopped for a short rest. “There won’t be any great shortage for the next few years at any rate, I reckon,” Jack agreed. “Is this what you call virgin forest?” Rex asked. “How about it, Kernertok? Ever been any lumbering here?” Bob turned to the Indian. Kernertok shook his head. “No think so. Injun no remember it.” After they had been walking about two hours the ground began to rise and the boys noticed that the trees were a little farther apart. “How high is this hill, Kernertok?” Jack panted, after they had been climbing for some time. “Him big hill, heap high.” “Is the lake on the other side of it?” Bob asked. “Lake on top, ’bout two three mile long.” “How big is it?” “Him no heap big. Mebby one mile long.” As they neared the top their way became more and more steep, as the trees gave way to large rocks and cliffs, many of them so steep that they were obliged to make long detours to get around them. “I’d call this a big hill,” Jack panted, as he pulled himself up by a bush. “More like a mountain,” Rex declared. “We near top now. Better keep heap still,” Kernertok cautioned. “Mum’s the word,” Bob whispered. There was no more talking as they struggled upward, now clinging to friendly bushes and then creeping carefully around an immense rock. Finally they reached a small plateau only a short distance from the summit, and here Kernertok advised that they eat their supper and wait until after dark before going farther. “No want man see us first,” he said. “Righto,” Bob agreed. Eating supper was a very simple affair, as they had only fish and raspberries left from dinner. “The larder’s pretty near the vanishing point,” Jack groaned. “Well, I guess we can catch some more fish in that lake, but I don’t think we’ll be able to find any berries up here,” Bob declared. The sun was sinking like a big ball of fire in the west as they ate, and soon the shades of night began to steal over the forest, while a new moon gave promise of a small amount of light. They had not heard a sound since stopping, save the gentle rustle of the wind, as it swept through the branches of a tall pine which grew a little to their right. “We go now, heap still,” Kernertok announced about eight o’clock. On the mountain top the moon gave sufficient light to enable them to see for some distance, and they were only a few minutes in reaching the top. Rex happened to be next to the Indian and suddenly he started with a gasp of surprise. “It’s fairyland.” “You’re not far off,” Bob whispered, as he seized his friend by the arm. “Did you ever see anything more beautiful?” There in a hollow, seemingly about twenty feet from where they stood, lay the lake. It was nearly circular in shape and bordered by a fringe of trees, and at that moment the moon shed a silvery pathway directly across the center. For some minutes not another word was spoken as they looked on the scene. “I’m afraid it’ll vanish if I speak,” Jack finally whispered. At that moment Rex caught his arm in a firm grip. “Look.” Jack drew in his breath sharply, as he gazed out over the little sheet of water. “What is it?” he asked. It was no wonder that he asked the question, for out there seemingly floating in the air about three feet above the surface of the lake was the dim outline of a canoe, and in it was a figure in white, lazily wielding a paddle. The light was not sufficient to afford them more than a hazy outline of the strange craft and its ghostly occupant, and soon it passed out of the moon’s path and vanished in the shadow of the tall pines at the edge of the water. “White Flower,” Jack whispered. “White Flower your eye,” Bob mocked. “I’ll bet a thirty-eight would make short work of that ghost.” Rex looked anxiously at Kernertok to see how he took the vision, and was relieved to note that there was an expression of contempt on the old man’s face. “But that canoe was floating above the water,” Jack insisted. “Seemed to be, you mean,” Bob replied. “Refraction of light could cause that.” “I suppose so, but, believe me, it looked spooky, all right.” “And no doubt that’s just the effect whoever’s doing it wanted to produce.” “Well, I congratulate him on his success,” Jack laughed. “He’s sure got the goods, all right, when it comes to effects.” “What’ll we do, Kernertok?” Bob asked. “We go round where white canoe went. Go heap easy.” The point where the canoe had vanished was about half way to the other side of the lake from where they were standing. They started, Kernertok leading the way, and had gone perhaps a little over a mile when he stopped. “White boys stay here, Injun go see what to see,” he whispered. “Look out you don’t get another crack on the head,” Bob cautioned. “Injun look heap sharp,” he grunted, as he disappeared in the darkness, which, now as the moon had set, was intense. “That guy in that canoe was never John Stebbins,” Rex whispered, as they stretched out close together beneath a large spruce. “What makes you think so?” Jack asked. “Because he hasn’t got enough originality in his makeup to plan a thing like that. He’s the most prosaic fellow you ever saw. Steady and all that, but I don’t believe he ever doped out a scheme of any kind in his life. It simply isn’t in his make-up.” “And yet he got all that money,” Bob suggested. “I know, but I’ll bet my hat that some one else planned it.” “Any idea who?” “Nary an idea, but it must have been some one besides him. You’d say the same thing if you knew him as I do.” “Still waters run deep,” Jack reminded him. “Not always,” Rex declared. “Stebbins was still enough, goodness knows, but he absolutely was not deep.” “Well there’s some one connected with this affair who’s deep enough,” Bob said. “You know as well as I that somebody has been trying to scare us away from here. There’s that arrow and those tracks. It’s mighty lucky for us that Kernertok knows enough to be above superstition. I’ll bet there’s not another Indian in the state that wouldn’t have turned back long ago.” “I dare say you’re right,” Rex agreed. “But I still insist that John Stebbins is not the one who is managing the fracas.” “I wonder,” Bob mused. “That idea’s been in the back of my mind ever since he skipped,” Rex continued. “I’d have banked on his honesty and I know that Father felt the same way about him.” “Well, if we have any luck and if he’s up here we ought to clear the mystery up pretty soon or—” “Or go hungry,” Jack interrupted. “You said it,” Bob added. “It’s about time Kernertok was getting back, I should think,” Jack said a little later. “Hope he hasn’t gotten into trouble again,” Rex declared. “I don’t think he has,” Bob assured him. “He got caught once and he won’t be likely to let ’em put it over on him a second time.” As if in confirmation of Bob’s words the Indian, without making a sound, was at their side. “What did you find?” Bob asked in a whisper. “Little log cabin close to lake ’bout three four hundred feet away. Injun creep up close. No hear sound. Injun wait close under window. Pretty soon hear breath. Injun listen. No more sound. Injun come back.” “Then you don’t know how many there are?” “Injun no tell.” “Sure no one saw you?” “Heap sure. Injun no make noise.” “I’ll bet you didn’t,” Jack muttered. “What’s next?” Bob whispered. But before the Indian could reply a sound broke the silence. “What in the world was that?” Jack gasped. “Listen,” Bob whispered. Again the sound came to their ears. Beginning with a low rumble it grew louder until it ended in a piercing shriek. “What is it, Kernertok?” Bob asked. “Injun no know,” he replied. “It’s only some more of their attempts to scare us,” Jack declared. “And we don’t scare worth a cent,” Bob added. Four times the cry rang out over the lake, and then all was still. |
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