The Border Boys Along the St. Lawrence Page 8

  CHAPTER VII. RUN DOWN.

  Something must be done. In another moment the frail boat would be drawnby the current right down on the bow of the _River Swallow_ and cut intwo. But there was no room to turn out or avoid them!

  Ralph was the first to gain possession of his senses. He sounded thegong impatiently for Persimmons. Then in the same breath he orderedHardware to hand him one of the life belts.

  "Now then, you take a rope and when we strike them, for it can't behelped," he breathed, "lower it over and try to catch one of the men.I'll get the other."

  Young Ware with compressed lips nodded. At the same moment Persimmonscame on deck.

  "Take the wheel, Perce," exclaimed Ralph in a low tense voice, "and keepgoing upstream whatever happens."

  "What's going to happen?" asked the alarmed boy.

  "In another second we are going to hit an Indian canoe. If we can we aregoing to save their lives. Hold fast!"

  There was a grating bump and a jar, and a cry of alarm came out of thenight. Hardware cast his rope, while Persimmons, with a white face andstrained muscles, kept the _River Swallow_ on her course. Ralph hadtaken off his boots; now he ran to the other side of the bridge.

  For a flash he saw below him an upturned face, borne past with therapidity of lightning on the swift current. He cast the life preserver,which had a rope attached to it. To his joy he felt the life-savingdevice caught and the rope grow taut. But the next moment, under thesudden strain of his weight, a line, stretched across an opening in thebridge against which he had been leaning, parted.

  While the other lads set up a yell of alarm, they saw Ralph jerked fromthe bridge into the tempestuous current. Ralph struck the water and wentunder.

  When he came to the surface, he felt as if a hundred hands had hold ofhim drawing him under again. Weighted by his clothes, he was sadlyhandicapped. But he made a valiant fight for it. He still held the rope,but he was unable to reach the life preserver, because it was borne downstream with the Indian clinging to it, as fast as he was.

  For what appeared an eternity the battle kept up, and then Ralph felthimself suddenly hurled upon some rocks. Gripping them with the grasp ofdesperation he hauled himself out of the water and laid hold of the ropewith both hands.

  It pulled taut. It was plain, then, that the Indian still clung to thelife preserver. Conserving his strength for a few minutes, Ralph beganto draw steadily in on the line. To aid him he took a turn of it arounda small tree. The slender trunk bent like a whip under the strain, butit held without snapping.

  Inch by inch Ralph hauled in, and after what seemed an interminablestruggle, he pulled up on the bank a dripping, half-dead figure. It wasthat of the Indian who had grasped the life preserver. The man casthimself down on the beach for a short time, but soon recovered with thevitality of his race.

  He gazed at Ralph as if the boy had been a being from another world.Then he appeared to realize what had occurred and broke out angrily intoa tirade. Ralph held up a roll of dripping bills to appease his wrath.

  "All right. No could help. Me pay," he said, trying to placate the angryIndian.

  The man nodded, but still sullenly.

  "Where my friend? You drown him, you pay lot more!" he said.

  "So that's the way they rate friendship, is it?" reflected Ralph. "Iguess 'Lo, the poor Indian,' has been a lot overestimated, or else thisis an exceptional specimen."

  "I hope your friend is all right," he said aloud, "but anyhow, we'llsoon see. Look!"

  From up the river came a sudden glare of blue light. It was a Costonsignal from the _River Swallow_.

  "There they are now," cried Ralph. "They are lying to for us. Luckything I have along my water-proof box of matches."

  He fumbled for the metal cylinder which had been of so much use to himin many tight places. Then, followed by the Indian, he set off acrossthe little island to the side on which, judging by the light, the _RiverSwallow_ was lying to. It did not take long to collect dry sticks andleaves and make a bright glare.

  Through the night came a hail from the _River Swallow's_ megaphone.

  "Are you all right, Ralph?"

  Ralph cupped his hands. "Fine; but mighty wet! You'd better send ashore.I've got the Indian."

  "Good! We got the other," came back another hail.

  "Your friend all right," said Ralph turning to the Indian. "Pretty soonthey send small boat ashore for us."

  "Huh," muttered the Indian, leaving a doubt to be inferred as to whetherhe would not just as soon have had the extra money as learn that hisfriend was safe. Not long afterward the small boat carried by the _RiverSwallow_ came ashore, and they were rowed off by Hardware.

  Full speed was made to the island, where the Indians were accommodatedfor the night. The next day they were sent on their way rejoicing with askiff which had been lying idle in the boat house and a substantialrecompense for their misfortune.

  It was two nights later, after the boys had made a flying trip to theThousand Islands with some guests of Ralph's father, leaving them there,that, on the return voyage, they once more encountered "the mystery ofthe river," as they had come to call it.

  Malvin and Hansen were both on board, but neither was on deck, whensuddenly out of the darkness the form of the gray, ghost-like motorcraft emerged once more, like a figure in a fog, lightless and suddenlyvanishing, as if swept from sight by an invisible hand.

  Ralph had the wheel. He gave a sudden gasp as the apparition appearedbefore his eyes, then faded, vapor-like.

  "The search-light, quick!" he ordered Hardware in low breathless tones.A bright spear of light cut the night. Here and there it swung, like aradiant, pointing finger. But it settled on no gray, swiftly sneakingcraft.

  The momentary reverie into which Ralph had been plunged by themysterious appearance of the "ghost craft," already encountered uponother night trips in the _River Swallow_, lasted but a brief time.

  "You can't find her with the search-light, eh, Harry?" he asked.

  "Not a hide nor hair of her, as Mountain Jim would have said," was thereply; "she's certainly a big mystery, Ralph."

  "And one which it is going to be up to us to solve," was the rejoinder."You remember the last time we saw her, she was sneaking away fromDexter Island. This is the first time we have noticed her since, and sheis coming from the same direction. From the fact that she carries nolights and altogether acts in a highly suspicious way, it is fair toassume that she is after no good. In some way that I can't just explainI'm pretty sure that whatever tricks she is up to are in some mannerconnected with Dexter Island."

  "Just the way I feel about it, old fellow," was his chum's rejoinder."I'd give a lot to unravel the mystery and--hello! Look there!"

  Right ahead of them seemingly a light had suddenly flashed up out of thedarkness. It was out of the path of the search-light and shone quitebrilliantly. The light was in about the location where they had lastsighted the gray night rover.

  "Out with that search-light instantly," ordered Captain Ralph snappily.

  Instantly the bright rays of the big electric night-piercer were cutoff.

  "Now switch off the other lights, the running lamps and the stern one."

  Harry Ware hesitated an instant.

  "You are going to run without lights?"

  "For a time, yes."

  Snap!

  Out went every light on board the _River Swallow_ that might betray herwhereabouts to any other craft.

  "We're taking a big chance, Ralph," said Harry Ware curiously. "What'sthe game?"

  "Why, that light ahead belongs to the 'ghost craft'; I'm sure of it. Atany rate, it's a clew worth following."

  "You're going to chase her?"

  A thrill of excitement vibrated in Harry's voice.

  Ralph's jaws came together with a click. It was characteristic of hisfather, the "railroad king," to do this when he had reached an importantdetermination.

  "Yes, Harry, I'm goin
g to follow that light up for a while. See, it'smoving pretty quickly. Ring for more speed."

  "Well, that old spook of the St. Lawrence will have to go some to dodgethe _River Swallow_," ejaculated Harry, as he obeyed Ralph's order; andalmost simultaneously the swift craft leaped forward in pursuit of theWill o' the Wisp ahead of her.

  The chase was on. It was destined to be the beginning of a strangeseries of adventures.