Meanwhile don't bother yourself boasting how you're going to cut figure eight's around me, with that pirate boat of yours. She looks dangerous; but in a race something besides looks counts. I've got it right here.

That'll be enough for you, Clarence," and George declined to exchange any further words with the skipper of the defeated motor boat.

CHAPTER XXII-BUSTER'S HOUR OF TRIUMPH

It proved that Mr. Carson knew his St. Lawrence in the neighborhood of the Thousand Islands by heart, so that even in the misty moonlight he was able to guide the two speed boats back to the haunted island.

Their arrival was the signal for an outburst of cheers from those of the motor boat boys who had been left behind.

Great was the excitement that took possession of the four when they discovered that it was Clarence and Bully Joe who were now in charge of the mysterious dark speed boat; and after finding out that three smugglers lay in the bottom, with their ankles tied, and steel bracelets on their wrists, Nick and Josh were so overwhelmed with amazement that they could hardly speak for a brief time. And as the others realized, when the tall lad lost his voice it must be something wonderful indeed that had happened.

Mr. Carson meant to lose no time. He sent his Indian a.s.sistant across the island to take the little canvas collapsible canoe, and cross over to a neighboring piece of land, where their noisy motor boat had been concealed earlier in the evening.

Of course the boys now understood that it had been this river craft whose loud, rattling pulsations they had caught at the time George first mentioned hearing the sounds.

When, a little later, the pilot returned, bringing the snub-nosed boat with him, the three prisoners were transferred without much trouble.

After that the revenue man and his helper went ash.o.r.e to complete the job. One by one they brought off the trio of prisoners who had been left there helpless.

Finally they carried aboard the large packs that Jack had seen hidden in the cavity under the old straw in the cabin's earthen floor.

"I think that finishes the job," remarked the energetic agent, as he wiped his wet forehead. "And I must admit that, taken as a whole, it's about the most satisfactory piece of business I've handled for a long time."

"Did you get them all, sir?" Josh asked, filled with admiration for the man who could engineer a big scheme like this and bring it to a successful close.

"The entire working force is now in custody, I believe," replied Mr.

Carson. "To be sure there are probably some persons connected with the band whom we will never lay hands on; such as those who supplied the funds, and shipped the goods across the border. But it may be possible to catch some of the guilty receivers over on our side of the river.

When rogues find themselves fast in the toils, they frequently offer to confess all they know in order to curry favor with the authorities. And secretly, between us, I imagine Glenwood may yet be induced to turn state's evidence."

"Are you going to leave us now, sir?" asked Jack, seeing that the other was evidently preparing to cross over to his own well laden motor boat.

"Yes," came the reply. "The sooner I get this cargo behind the bars, the better. But I want to shake hands with each one of you, and thank you again most heartily for the a.s.sistance you have given me in this matter.

I don't mean to let it drop there; and you may expect to hear from me again, since Jack Stormways has given me his address. Good night boys, and may the balance of your vacation be as peaceful as the beginning has been stormy."

"Oh! well, we've sure enjoyed it, Mr. Carson," said George, "and it was worth a heap to me to have that chance to try conclusions with the _Flash_."

"I've no doubt of it, George," laughed the agent, as he clambered over the side of his stubby little launch. "And since I miss that same evil looking boat, I surmise that our friend Clarence did not care to stay here in your company any longer than he could help."

"He scooted off as soon as you had gone ash.o.r.e for the prisoners, sir,"

observed Nick, who wanted to have a last word with the man he admired so much.

And in another minute the Indian pilot had set his chatterbox of an engine to beating a lively tattoo, upon which the stub-nosed launch began to draw away. As long as it remained in sight in the moonlight the boys cheered, and called goodbyes, so that if there chanced to be any more ghosts lingering about that haunted island they must have taken this for a clear defiance of their power, and concluded to remain in hiding during the balance of the stay of the motor boat boys.

"Think we can pick up a few winks of sleep, fellows?" asked George, when the clatter of the loud-voiced engine had been mellowed by distance.

"We ought to try, anyhow," said Jack, "Seems to me we've had our rest pretty badly broken up lately. For one I'm going to forget it all for a while."

But the chances were that none of them got any satisfactory sleep during the balance of that eventful night.

On the following morning they prepared to vacate the cove that had been their anchorage for so long. All of them first went ash.o.r.e; for Nick and Herb were very anxious to see the cabin, and the hole in the floor were the smugglers kept their goods concealed after secretly bringing the stuff over from the Canada mainland, waiting until a good chance opened to scatter it through the state, free of duty.

"Well," declared Nick, as they prepared to get underway later in the morning; "this has been a great experience all around, sure enough. And it ended fine-that is for us boys, though I guess poor old Glenwood and his fellow conspirators don't feel so very gay over it."

"And don't forget our friends, Clarence and Bully Joe, while about it,"

spoke up George. "Just stop and think what Macklin went through-held a prisoner by those reckless men, and threatened with all sorts of trouble if he so much as squeaked on 'em. Then forced to do whatever they wanted. And last, but far from least, beaten in a fair race by this dandy little meteor boat that he once sneered at. That's glory enough for me, I'm telling you, shipmates."

"I guess we all enjoyed it," remarked Josh.

"Yes, so far as I'm concerned I'd be quite contented and happy right now, if I only knew one thing," remarked Nick, looking doleful again.

"Here, don't you go to starting up your tune about that break," said George, "we all agreed long ago that if you _did_ leak to Clarence, you never would have done it on purpose. So forget it."

"But I tell you I can't," flashed back the fat boy. "I feel sore about it; and I want to find out the truth so that every one of you'll get down on your marrow-bones and ask my pardon. And something tells me the time ain't so far away when that very thing is going to happen."

"Then speed the hour," grinned Herb; "after you've seen us in a row asking forgiveness, perhaps we'll have peace, and you'll forget the incident."

"Don't count too heavily on that," George said. "You don't know Buster as well as I do. Just as like as not he'll turn out to be made up the same way as that thirsty young woman in the sleeping car, you know."

"But perhaps we don't know, so suppose you tell us," Nick himself burst out with curiosity consuming him.

"Oh! I thought it was a chestnut; but if you will have it, listen. A traveling man, trying to go to sleep, heard some woman keep on saying out loud in the berth next to him 'Oh! I am so thirsty! Oh! I am so thirsty!' When he couldn't stand for it any longer he got up, went and fetched a gla.s.s of water, and begged her to accept it. Then he went back to his berth, thinking he would have peace. But soon he heard the same woman saying over and over again: 'Oh! I was so thirsty! I was so thirsty!' So look out Buster don't play that game on you, Herb."

There was a shout at this, in which Nick joined; for being a good-natured chap in the main, he could take a joke that was leveled at himself.

About nine o'clock the signal was given, and the three motor boats forming the cruising fleet pulled out of the friendly cove. Those on board looked back with more or less rejoicing and regret at the scene of their recent adventures. They would not soon forget all that had happened since first they dropped in there for a night's stay. And Jack's entries in the official log would doubtless prove very entertaining reading for the folks at home.

Upon examining the bow of his speed boat George had found where that bullet had struck, that was fired last of all by the desperate smuggler, in hopes of frightening the boy at the wheel of the pursuing craft.

It had made quite a hole, though fortunately doing no real damage. Later on he could of course, have the aperture plugged; but for the present it would stand as a mute witness to the truth of the adventurous story the boys had to tell. If any one of their mates at home ventured to scoff at the idea of their having been actually under a hot fire, he stood ready to pry that bit of lead out of its lodgings, and thus confound the skeptic.

They were now on the second week of their vacation, and of course had lots of territory to cover still, before they could say they had exhausted the pleasures of this wonderful cruising ground. But already the motor boat boys were looking forward to another daring venture, and all of them had written home to gain the consent of those who must be consulted ere determining positively on their plans.

This included a long trip through lakes Ontario and Erie, up past Detroit into Lake Huron, along the sh.o.r.e of this great body of water until the wonderful Soo was reached at the head of the St. Mary's river; and then possibly into Superior; winding up with a run down Lake Michigan to Milwaukee, where the boats could be sent home the same way they had left, via railroad.

Of course, being real boys, once a great undertaking like this had formed itself in their minds they could talk of little else. And Jack knew very well that if any determined opposition developed at home, that would put a damper on the grand scheme, there would be a feeling of gloom settle down over the whole expedition.

After leaving the haunted island the first object of the boys was to get back to Clayton, and not only replenish their depleted supplies, but gather up any mail that would, according to orders, be held for them at the post office there.

Josh went ash.o.r.e to get the mail, while Jack looked after the supplies.

Nick seemed unusually uneasy all the time they were gone; and upon their showing up he demanded shrilly that the letters be distributed without delay.

"Only one for you, Pudding," jeered the letter carrier, as he held it up; "and seems to me I smell violet perfume on that. Must be a dainty billet doux from Rosie Sinclair; but here, take it and go off by yourself. It would make us all die of envy to see you reading such sweet stuff, when we are forgotten by our best girls."

Nick eagerly s.n.a.t.c.hed the missive from his hand, and with trembling fingers tore it open. A minute later the others were astonished to hear him give a loud whoop.

"What did I tell you, fellows?" he exclaimed, trying to dance around like a wild Indian, and waving the open letter. "Mebbe I ain't something of a detective myself? Come around here, every one of you now, and get ready to do that marrow-bone act you promised."