Mr. Gray decided not to see or speak to the captured smugglers.

"Let them still think of me as Mr. Lawrence, and that I have been captured and taken away," he said, and Lieutenant Winters agreed.

Stanwood Gray left the lodge again that night, leaving the boys in full charge. Following, shortly, went Lieutenant Winters in the "Lucia," with the smuggler captives.

"I don't know when I shall return," said Mr. Gray, just before his departure, "but until I do the lodge is in your care. If you run short of provisions, Hoki knows where to get more, and you can have them charged to me. Should you be forced to leave before I get back, lock the lodge, leave the key at this address, and send me a wire at this one. It will be forwarded to me wherever I may be. Now, enjoy yourselves, and be comforted by the thought that you will be disturbed no more by midnight prowlers-at least, none of the smuggler variety."

CHAPTER XXIV-IN MORTONVILLE AGAIN

The next few days were ones of great enjoyment for the young canoeists.

Their fondest dreams of life among the Thousand Islands were realized; for bathing, boating, fishing, and occasionally some scrub games of baseball, with access to the really fine library of the lodge, served to occupy their time.

Hoki still acted in the capacity of cook, preferring to serve the boys in this way as long as they should remain at the lodge. The matter of Mr. Gray's double ident.i.ty had been explained to the j.a.p, and he had at last reversed his opinion of his former master; he now stood in fear of him no longer. Mr. Gray's deception of Hoki had only been a part of his well-devised plan to lose his real ident.i.ty completely.

One day in the early part of August Stanwood Gray arrived in his motor-boat, his face wreathed in smiles. He had succeeded in winding up the case of the smugglers, he said, and the matter was now at rest until their trial came up at the fall term of court.

"I am going to put in three weeks of solid rest," he said, "before going to another part of the country to look into an affair of an entirely different nature. I have been a long time on the case of the smugglers, but the final result entirely justified my judgment in the matter. You boys were of great a.s.sistance, and I am glad to be able to present you each with a little token of the government's appreciation."

He handed each of the boys a personal letter from the chief of the United States secret service, thanking them warmly for the part they had played in the breaking up of the smugglers. To say the boys were delighted would be expressing it mildly indeed.

A few days after Mr. Gray's arrival the boys took their leave, camping one night on the island to the south, and sleeping in the open, then paddling on to the New York sh.o.r.e.

At Clayton they took a train for their homes, Bert Creighton going back to Lake George, the Comrades to Mortonville, and Truem and Pod to Bayville, where they would spend the few remaining days of their vacation. Hoki, of course went with the Comrades. All of the boys looked eagerly forward to another meeting at Winton in September.

This was the first time the Comrades had seen their folks since going to Stockdale Preparatory School the previous fall, and the welcome given them, not only by relatives, but friends, as well, was a royal one.

Hoki's reception was also a warm one, and during his stay he was considerable of a curiosity to the villagers.

Tom's mother, since the death of his father, was living at the house of a relative, and here Tom took his meals, making his headquarters at other times in the old home where he had an attic fitted up in a similar fashion to those of Chot and Fleet. The house had been rented by one of Mr. Duncan's employes, who generously accorded Tom full privilege to do as he pleased. The attic had remained practically undisturbed, and Tom found great pleasure in rummaging among his books and mechanical contrivances.

The Comrades' trunks had been sent home before they left Winton, together with Tom's phonograph and Chot's miniature windmill, on both of which inventions the boys expected to eventually realize great returns.

Considerable remained on each to put them in shape for a first cla.s.s marketable commodity, and during the days they were idling away their time they undertook to perfect them.

Tom was working faithfully one day when the private telephone which connected his attic with those of Chot and Fleet, rang loudly.

"h.e.l.lo!" cried Tom, taking down the receiver.

"This is Chot."

"Oh, h.e.l.lo, Chot!"

"h.e.l.lo! h.e.l.lo!" Fleet broke in at this instant.

"h.e.l.lo, yourself," returned Chot. "Listen fellows, I want you to come over here immediately. I want your advice on something of great importance."

"Look for us," said both Tom and Fleet, and hanging up their receivers, both boys hurried in the direction of the Duncan home.

"What is it?" cried Fleet, out of breath, he being the first to arrive.

"Curb your impatience till Tom gets here," Chot replied.

Tom arrived about a minute after Fleet, his face plainly expressing his curiosity.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"That's what I want to find out," said Chot. "I have just received a letter from Luther Pendleton."

"Well, what does he want this time?" growled Tom.

"More money, of course. Listen to what he says:

"'Dear Chot:

No doubt you will be surprised to hear from me after this long silence, but I a.s.sure you that the reason I have not written is because I have had no good news for you regarding the mine. The money you advanced me at Stockdale was not sufficient to accomplish the result we desired, and unless more funds can be raised for the same purpose, I can do nothing. I dislike to ask another favor, but you will understand the situation thoroughly.

I haven't been able to interest capital in the proposition, as yet, but I still have great hopes if I can have funds to carry out my plans. It will take another thousand dollars at least-perhaps more-but I will try and make out with that sum.

Trusting you will give this your immediate attention, I am your friend, etc!'

"Now what do you think of that, fellows?"

"I think what I've always thought," said Tom. "Luther Pendleton is a rascal, and he's going to get his just deserts some of these fine days."

"Admitting that to be true," said Chot, "the most important question is, should we let go of the proposition entirely, and figure that the money already given Pendleton is just so much lost, or shall we trust him a little farther, and if he still fails, take other means of looking after our interests in the property?"

"I should be in favor," said Tom, "of letting it go by the board."

"Of course, I haven't the thousand dollars," said Chot, "and the only way I should be willing to take hold of the matter again would be to first explain to my father what the other money was used for, and ask his advice in the matter."

"I think that's a good plan," said Fleet, "and I will further suggest that we talk the matter over with my father, also; I believe he might advance me the money to get in on the deal."

"Well, of course," said Tom, "I am in only through the kindness of Chot and his father. I own a fifth share, but it has not cost me one cent, except that I have obligated myself to pay for it, as well as for the money Mr. Duncan is advancing to send me to Winton, after I leave school and branch out into business for myself."

"Your invention will realize more than enough to pay your debts," said Chot, "so there's no need to worry over that. However, I should hate to go farther into this proposition without your consent, Tom."

"Oh, I'll agree to anything you think best after you have talked the matter with your fathers," said Tom.

It was decided to lay the matter before Mr. Duncan and Mr. Kenby that night, and the boys immediately arranged for a conference. Mr. Duncan had often wondered, he said, what Chot had done with the money asked for so mysteriously while at Winton, but had never sought to question him, knowing that Chot would tell him in good time.

The conference was held in Chot's attic room, and the matter of the mine laid before Mr. Duncan and Mr. Kenby in detail. Chot told of Luther Pendleton's visit to Stockdale, how he had sent for him and made the proposition, and how for Lucy's sake, more than anything else, Chot had wired Mr. Duncan for the money.

"You and Tom, then, own a fifth share each?" Mr. Duncan asked.

"Yes, and another fifth is held by Lucy. Pendleton kept two-fifths as his share for working the proposition."

"Well there's nothing unfair about that, but if matters ever came to a crisis, it would depend on Lucy entirely as to which way the stock would go. Do you understand what I mean? If Lucy leaned toward her father he would have the controlling interest. If she leaned toward you, the advantage would be on your side."