CHAPTER XVI

FIRE ON BOARD

But this time it proved to be the other way about. The two mysterious men, at the sight of the boys, dived back into the woods again, and showed no desire to come to closer acquaintance with them. Instead of taking after the four chums, the men acted as though they feared pursuit.

"They're running away from us!" exclaimed Frank. "I guess we haven't anything to fear from them."

Suddenly, through the forest, there sounded a shrill steam whistle.

"What's that?" asked Ned.

"Captain Wiggs, signalling to us," replied Frank. "I guess we've stayed in the woods too long. Come on."

"Maybe it's the smugglers' boat," suggested Fenn.

"I guess not," Frank remarked. "They've been signalled to keep off.

That was the _Modoc's_ whistle. I recognized it."

Frank's words proved correct, for, when the boys reached the sh.o.r.e, they again heard the signal, and saw steam coming from the whistle pipe of the vessel on which they were cruising.

"Look there!" exclaimed Frank, pointing off to the left. The boys glanced in the direction, and saw a boat. From the funnels black smoke was pouring, as if every effort was being made to get up steam. "That's the smugglers' craft, very likely," the lad went on. "She's making fast time away from here."

Captain Wiggs listened gravely to what the boys had to tell him. He agreed with Frank, that the smugglers of Chinese had tried to make a landing, but, evidently, had been frightened off.

"What will they do now?" asked Ned.

"Change the landing place to some other locality," replied the captain.

"Up or down the coast. Up, I should say, seeing the way that steamer's headed," and he pointed to the craft, with the black smoke hanging like a cloud over it. The vessel was almost out of sight.

"What will they do with the clothes?" asked Bart.

"Oh, they'll take 'em along. Probably that's what the two men came to get, when they saw you and ran away. It's a well organized business, this Chinese smuggling, and there is a lot of money in it--for the agents. They are probably saying all kinds of mean things about you, for breaking up their plans."

"Then I hope they don't catch us alone off in the woods, sometime,"

remarked Fenn. "That Chinese didn't look like a very pleasant fellow to meet after dark; especially if he had a grudge against you."

"I think you've seen the last of 'em," declared Captain Wiggs. "If I thought it worth while I'd notify the government authorities, but, by the time I could get a message to 'em, the smugglers will be miles away.

There's no telling where they'll land next time. The steamer will hang around the coast, until it gets a signal all is clear. Then the pig-tails will be dumped into a boat, rowed ash.o.r.e, and the vessel will scoot off for another load in Canada."

The anchor was broken out, hoisted, and soon, under a good head of steam, the _Modoc_ was proceeding over Lake Superior at a fast rate, for, though he carried no perishable freight, and had no special date of arriving at Duluth, Captain Wiggs believed in doing what he had to do as quickly as possible.

That night Fenn, who was not sleeping as soundly as he should, in consequence of having eaten too much supper, was awakened by hearing a peculiar buzzing noise. At first he could not locate it, and then, after sitting up in his bunk, he decided it came from the stateroom adjoining his, and which had no occupant this voyage.

"It sounds like a hive of bees," he said to himself. "I wonder if the captain can have any in there."

Then the absurdity of such an idea was apparent to him, and he smiled at his notion. Still the buzzing continued, growing louder. Fenn was wide awake now.

"Maybe something is wrong with the ship," he reasoned. "That sound might be water coming in through a leak. I think I'll tell the captain."

He got up, and, moving about his stateroom, in search of his trousers and slippers, he knocked a gla.s.s out of the rack.

"What's that?" called Frank, who was a light sleeper.

"It's me," replied Fenn.

"What's the matter? Sick?"

"No, but I heard a funny sound, and I want to find out what it is. Maybe the boat's sprung another leak."

"Oh, you're dreaming," commented Frank. "Go back to bed."

"Well, you come in here and listen, if you think I'm dreaming," retorted Fenn.

Frank jumped out of his berth and came into his chum's room. The buzzing had increased in intensity, and Frank had no difficulty in hearing it.

"What did I tell you?" asked Fenn, in triumph.

"It is a queer sound," admitted Frank. "What's in that next room?"

"Nothing, that I know of. I pa.s.sed it this morning, the door was open, and it was empty."

"Then let's have a look," suggested Frank, stepping out into the pa.s.sage.

"Maybe you'd better--maybe it's a--" stammered Fenn.

"Well, what?" demanded Frank. "Are you afraid?"

"Maybe it's an infernal machine those smugglers put aboard," went on Fenn. "It sounds just like one."

"How do you know how an infernal machine sounds?" asked Frank.

"Well, I mean like I've read of their sounding."

"Oh, that's different. But this is no such thing. Besides, how could the smugglers get one aboard? They haven't been near the ship."

This was, of course, unanswerable, and Fenn followed Frank into the corridor, and to the door of the stateroom, whence sounded the peculiar buzzing noise. As they stood outside the portal it could be heard more plainly.

"Here goes!" whispered Frank, turning the k.n.o.b.

Both he and Fenn started back in surprise, at the sight which greeted them. There, sitting in a steamer chair, in a big red bath robe, was the invalid, Mr. Ackerman. On the bunk in front of him was a small box, from which extended cords, terminating in shining metal tubes, which he held in his hand. The buzzing was coming from the small box.

"Oh, boys, I'm glad to see you!" exclaimed the man who thought he was sick.

"What's the matter?" asked Frank, in some alarm.

"I'm taking a current of electricity, from my medical battery," was the answer.

"Electricity?" repeated the two chums, in questioning accents.