Under the orders of the sheriff, some of the posse started things moving. In a short time the old cabin was a ma.s.s of flames. They made sure that the fire could not extend to the surrounding forest, which was just beginning to be covered with an early crop of new leaves. Then the whole company started through the thickets, headed for the sh.o.r.e.

"Hang the luck! We forget one thing, after all!" said Bluff suddenly.

He had been so busy getting several pictures of the burning cabin that for the time being all other things had escaped him.

"What was that?" asked Frank, winking at Jerry knowingly.

"The wild man! We forgot to get him out of that hollow tree!" exclaimed Bluff.

"Well, it's too late now. For one, I object to walking back there.

Besides, we must hustle in order to make camp again against the coming of the girls," observed Frank seriously.

"But ain't we ever going to know what the mystery of that queer creature must be? Perhaps we'd better write to that keeper we met before, Mr.

Smithson, and let him know. Then if he's shy a member of his happy family of lunatics, he'll know where to hunt for him," Bluff went on innocently.

"A bully good idea, and you can do the writing when we get home, if you feel that way," said Frank, with a face that was as sober as that of a judge, while Jerry had to turn his head away to keep from laughing outright.

"But about the girls, fellows! Do you know they may not come, after all.

Perhaps the folks have heard about the lively times down here on Wildcat Island, and put a veto on the outing. Then, again, you can hear the wind in the tops of these tall trees, so there must be whitecaps on the lake.

It would be risky for a lot of girls to embark on so long a trip,"

observed Jerry.

"Well, boys, we're going to turn aside here, and make for a point where the tug is to meet us. I want to thank you again. Don't forget there's a nice little hundred waiting for you when you want to claim it," said Mr.

Dodd, after a bit.

"We've decided that you are to turn that reward over to Tom Somers here.

He was a great help to us, and we'd like his family to get the hundred, Mr. Dodd," said Frank.

Tom started to say something, then broke down, and could only look at each of the three boys with his heart in his eyes.

"Now for the place again. It's tenting once more on the old campground for us, fellows. I hope Will has had the sense to cross over after he saw the tug come, and the posse come ash.o.r.e," remarked Frank.

They pushed through the dense growth stubbornly, and in the course of time realized that they were drawing near the open.

"One more rush, and we can pa.s.s around that big bluff and see our place.

There's the lake, and whitecaps, too. Too bad the girls can't be with us. What a yarn we'd have to tell 'em, eh, fellows?" said Frank, laughing.

"Thunder!" exclaimed Bluff just then.

"What's happened to you, old sport?" asked Jerry.

"Look here, through this opening! Ain't that the boat with the girls, out there in that jumping sea? And side on, part of the time.

Something's happened to 'em, that's what, as sure as you're born!"

e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Bluff.

The others looked, and also uttered exclamations of dismay, while Frank called out:

"They seem to have only one oar, and Nellie's trying to steer with that.

Much she knows about sculling! Oh! They were nearly over that time! My heart's in my mouth. Run for the sh.o.r.e, boys! If only Will has come in with our canoes!"

And plunging like mad through the remaining brush, the three lads broke out upon the little beach, just where they had first landed when coming to Wildcat Island to camp.

CHAPTER XXV--THE RESCUE--CONCLUSION

"Will's here!" shouted Jerry, as they broke cover.

"Into the canoes, then, as fast as you can!" exclaimed Frank.

He had given one frantic look out on the lake. This had shown him that as yet the helpless boat containing the four girls had not capsized, though with every wave it seemed liable to turn over, having broached to in the heavy running seas.

The way they threw out the contents of the canoes was a caution.

Packages fairly covered the little beach, to the bewilderment of Will, who just then came out of the bushes, where he had been placing his first load, and who must have believed at first that his three chums had gone stark mad.

Then the canoes were launched. This in itself was no easy task, but Frank and his chums were experts at handling the small craft, and had often practised all manner of tricks with the boats while in swimming.

Through the breaking surf that rushed up on the sh.o.r.e they ran with the canoes. Then jumping in, they seized the paddles, and started to work furiously.

Success attended their efforts, and presently they were moving swiftly toward the rolling rowboat, in which crouched the four frightened girls.

"Sit down, and keep still! We'll get you all right!" bawled Frank, as he saw one of the girls make an effort to use the remaining oar.

So they came alongside. Frank breathed a prayer of thanksgiving when his hand caught the gunwale of the skiff.

"I've got the boat to hold two of you. Nellie, can you climb over, if I hold on tight?" he asked his sister; "and you, too, Violet, will you dare?"

Nellie made the change easily enough, and then came Will's sister.

Meanwhile, the other boys had decided to convoy the rowboat in with its remaining pa.s.sengers, rather than attempt the risky task of transferring them out there on the rough lake.

They made fast, one on either side, and began to paddle with the waves.

In this way the entire number finally found themselves safely ash.o.r.e.

"We hardly expected you'd try it in this wind," said Frank, as he helped Violet up the beach to the deserted camp.

"But the wind came up after we started, and we couldn't go back to save our lives, you see," she explained, laughing a little hysterically.

"But what does this mean? Where is your camp, boys? It looks as though everything is done up just as you left home," said Mame Crosby, as she eyed the many packages which the others were now busily gathering together.

At that they all looked at each other and burst into roars of laughter.

"It's a long story, girls, and we'll spin it while we sit around the fire having dinner. As it's now long past noon, and there's a heap to do getting the camp fixed again, you must excuse us. Bluff, start the fire going, and the girls can help us out by taking charge of dinner while we build our camp," said Frank.

Things began to a.s.sume the old-time air in less than half an hour. Of course, the girls chattered like magpies as they worked, but all their appeals for information fell on deaf ears until they were sitting around, in picnic style, enjoying the splendid dinner, which was helped out by the delicious things brought from home.

"And to think how near we came to feeding the fishes with these, too,"

said Susie Prescott, as she helped Will to a second portion.