"Helen and I went walking that Sunday afternoon, the Sunday you and I had intended going across the river. First Helen had an errand to do on Conduit Street and right ahead of us you were walking along. You went into a big yellow house."

Stonewell gave a start. "Well," he said, "what of it?"

"Look here, Stone, old chap, you have something on your mind that's bothering you terribly. Is there no way I can help you; will it do you no good to talk things over with me?"

"Bob, I can't talk; I don't pretend I'm not worried, but I just can't unburden my mind, not even to the best friend a man ever had," replied Stonewell huskily, with almost a break in his voice. He walked away from his roommate with agitated face, and gloomily looked out upon the waters of Chesapeake Bay.

Loud were the expressions of disappointment from Robert's friends when he told them Stonewell could not join them on their trip. They all got aboard the steam launch, which immediately started up the Severn River; the day was pleasant and all were in high spirits. The Severn River is most picturesque in its scenery. High, densely-wooded banks, irregular in outline, line its sh.o.r.es, and there are many indentations of little bays that lead into the river. Three miles above its mouth the Severn widens into Round Bay, a sheet of water several miles in diameter. And above this and emptying into it is a narrow stream, which is still called Severn River.

The launch steamed through Round Bay, and then entered this narrow stream. "Isn't this beautiful?" cried Robert. "Just look at this winding little river; I wonder how far up we can go. Say, c.o.xswain, how far up this river can we steam?"

"If I knew the channel I could take you up to Indian Landing, sir,"

answered the c.o.xswain; "some of our steamers have been up that far; but I don't know the channel, sir; I'm afraid we'll go aground at any minute."

"Well, can't you follow that gasoline launch ahead of us? The fellow in it probably knows the channel."

"Yes, sir, I can do that."

A covered gasoline launch was a quarter of a mile ahead. "Give me all the speed you can," called out the c.o.xswain to the engineer; "I want to catch that boat ahead; this river has so many little turns that I'll have to keep close to that chap ahead." The engineer of the launch turned on a steam jet in the smokestack to force the draft and the little boat instantly responded and made a great fuss in increasing the speed of the engine.

"Why don't we catch up?" asked Robert, in a few minutes; "we are surely going much faster than we were."

"Because he has nearly doubled his speed, Mr. Drake," replied the c.o.xswain.

"Hurrah, it's a race!" shouted the midshipman; "now let's see who will win."

The steam launch commenced to gain on the gasoline boat. The c.o.xswain had been looking at the latter through a pair of binoculars; after a time he quietly remarked to Robert, "This isn't a race, sir; those men in the boat ahead of us think we are chasing them, and if I ever saw a pair of precious rogues in my life I'm looking at them now. Take a look at them, Mr. Drake."

"Well, no one would ever say they were pretty," remarked Robert after a good look at them through the gla.s.ses. "We are catching up with them now. h.e.l.lo, they've stopped."

In a short time the steam launch was abreast of the gasoline boat. In the latter but one man was to be seen, and an ill-favored man he was.

"My! What a brutal-looking fellow," remarked Nellie Strong with a shudder.

"What do you want?" demanded the man, in a surly, sullen way.

"We were stealing pilotage from you, that's all," replied Robert. "We're going up this river and don't know the channel and are afraid of going ash.o.r.e. Is there danger of that if we keep in the middle of the stream?"

"I hope you'll strike a shoal and stay there till the crack of doom.

You've no business to go running after another boat that way."

"What's the matter with you?" called out Robert; "and why don't your two friends show themselves? It looks to me as if you're afraid of the police."

The man made an angry exclamation and the steamer pa.s.sed ahead. "What an ill-tempered man," said Helen Blunt to Robert; "I wish he'd cut off that red beard of his; he wouldn't look so much like a pirate then."

"We won't worry about that fellow. Now I'm going up in the bow with a boat-hook to take soundings; we'll run slow and keep right in the middle of the river. But isn't it beautiful around here. Just look how the little river twists and winds about and how irregular the sh.o.r.e is; and there are lots of little creeks running into the river and little bays stretching out from it."

"And isn't it lonely?" rejoined Helen. "There is hardly a house or a clearing to be seen; it's a regular wilderness."

Robert went to the bow of the steamer, and taking a boat-hook thrust it in the water; it was quite deep enough, so he felt rea.s.sured about the boat's not going ash.o.r.e.

"There's Indian Landing ahead of us," called out the c.o.xswain. "I don't think we had better go much further; we've got eleven miles to run before we get back, and I'm afraid of getting low in coal."

"All right, put aback and return." And soon the steamer was headed down the river.

"Where's that gasoline boat; can you see her anywhere?" asked Robert, a few moments later.

"No, sir, we would have met her by this time if she had followed straight up the river. And that's odd, too. Indian Landing is the only place boats ever come to up here--she must be hidden in one of those lonely creeks."

"That's it, I imagine. There's something queer about that boat; it certainly had three ugly-looking men in it, and two of them didn't want to be seen. That bearded chap was a fierce-looking specimen."

"Say, Bob," called out Gla.s.sfell from aft, "mess gear is spread and we're waiting for you to pipe us to dinner, but we won't wait long--you'd better get here in a hurry."

Robert lost no time and immediately joined the others. An attractive lunch had been spread and was now attacked with energy; in the launch was a party of good friends, all in gay spirits. The day was delightful and when they finally reached the "Santee" wharf and left the launch it was unanimously agreed that a most enjoyable afternoon had been spent.

Early this afternoon Stonewell left his room, and unaccompanied went out in the city of Annapolis. He walked rapidly and before long was in Conduit Street, and without stopping to wait for admittance, entered a large yellow house. Two hours later he left and hastened to a telegraph office.

But Stonewell was not the only visitor that day who entered this large yellow house on Conduit Street. For at about eight o'clock that evening a man in civilian garb, wearing a moustache and heavy pointed beard, with a brown slouch hat drawn low over his forehead, and in closely b.u.t.toned sack coat, went to the same house, and without hesitation, opened the door by a pa.s.s key and pa.s.sed inside.

CHAPTER XVIII

AN OLD COLORED MAN IS IN TROUBLE

A hop was given that Sat.u.r.day night at the Armory. There was nothing particularly noteworthy about this hop; it was just like hundreds of its predecessors. As usual, near graduation time, there were many out of town visitors, and it is likely that bra.s.s b.u.t.tons proved attractive to them. Many glad faces were to be seen whirling around, and judging by the happy laughs that were heard everyone was having a jolly time.

Robert Drake had escorted an old friend that night, Miss Nellie Strong.

He had seen her card filled up, had presented her partners, and had taken three numbers himself.

"Something is always happening to you, Robert," remarked Nellie as they walked around the room after the second dance. "Now tell me what misadventure you have had this year."

"Not one, Nellie; my bad luck is all over; not one single unpleasant thing has happened to me since I became a first cla.s.sman."

"What was the occasion of that remarkable disappearance of yours a year ago? Surely you can tell me now; I've never been so curious over anything in my life."

"I've never told anybody about that, neither my father nor Stonewell nor Helen nor anybody else."

"Well, I declare! I don't suppose it amounted to much, anyway. And perhaps you think you're more interesting if you're mysterious. Now, Mr.

Robert, tell me something else; why wasn't Harry Blunt with us this afternoon? I asked him and he said you hadn't invited him. Don't you like him, Robert? I think Harry is a nice boy."

"Don't talk to me about Harry Blunt. Let's talk about his sister. Helen is a very good friend of mine, and her father is one of the finest----"

"Robert," suddenly interrupted Nellie, "something is going to happen to you again--that colored man in the doorway motioned to you; just look at him, he's motioning to you now; he wants to speak to you,--oh, I just knew something would happen to you."

"Nonsense. That's old Grice. He's a great old chap. He just wants to see me about something--I'll take you to where Mrs. Blunt is and then go see what he wants."