"There a way to get down," replied Bart, after a moment.
"How; a ladder?"
"No. Ropes. See, there are cables fastened to the sides of this shaft, and it looks as if they had been used several times."
Bart reached down and got hold of a clay-covered rope, one of those which Fenn had tried so vainly to grasp.
"That"s funny," remarked Frank. "Looks as if this was a regular underground railway system."
"I"ll bet that"s what it is," cried Ned. "This must be one of the means whereby the smugglers get the Chinamen ash.o.r.e. Why didn"t we think of it before? Let"s go down there. We can easily do it by holding on to the ropes."
"It"s too risky," decided Frank. "There"s no telling what is at the bottom."
"But we"ve got to save Fenn!" exclaimed Bart, who rather sided with Ned.
"I know that, but there"s no use running recklessly into danger. We can"t help him that way. If he"s down that hole, or in the hands of the smugglers, we can do him more good by keeping out of that pit, or away from the scoundrels, than we can by falling into their hands. Fenn needs some one outside to help him, not some one in the same pickle he"s in."
Frank"s vigorous reasoning appealed to his chums, and, though they would have been willing to brave the unknown dangers of the hole, they admitted it would be best to try first some other means of rescuing their chum.
"Let"s prospect around a bit," proposed Frank. "Maybe we can find some other way of discovering where this hole leads to. The lake can"t be far away, and if we can get down to the sh.o.r.e we may see something that will give us a clue."
"All right, come on," said Bart, and the Darewell chums started down the hill, in the direction of Lake Superior.
As they emerged upon a bluff, which overlooked the vast body of water, they came to a pause, so impressed were they, even in their anxiety, with the beautiful view that stretched out before them. Under the bright rays of the morning sun the lake sparkled like a sheet of silver.
"I wish we were all safe together again, aboard the _Modoc_," remarked Ned, after a moment"s pause.
"Same here," echoed Bart. "But, if we"re--"
He was interrupted by a sound off to the left. Gazing in that direction the boys saw, coming along the trail toward them, a man and girl.
Something about them seemed familiar.
"Mr. Hayward!" cried Ned.
"And his daughter!" added Frank, in a lower voice.
"Well! Well!" exclaimed the man, whose lucky escape from the automobile accident in Darewell, had led to the boys" acquaintance with him. "If here aren"t my young friends, the Darewell Chums, come to pay me a visit! I"m very glad to see you, but I thought there were four of you."
"So there are, father," interrupted Ruth. "Where is Fenn?" she asked, turning quickly to the three boys. "Is he ill--didn"t he come with you?"
"He"s lost!" replied Frank. "We"re hunting for him."
"Lost?" repeated Mr. Hayward. "How? Where?"
Frank briefly related what had happened since they had started from Darewell on the cruise to Duluth.
"Well I never!" exclaimed Robert Hayward. "That"s a great story! And the last trace you have of him is down that hole?"
"The very last," answered Ned, looking at Ruth, and not blaming Fenn for thinking she was pretty.
"This must be looked into," declared Mr. Hayward. "Lucky I happened to be out here with my daughter. You see I live several miles from here, but to-day, Ruth and I decided to take a little trip. I--I wanted to look at some land I--some property I am interested in out here. I was on my way to it when I saw you boys."
The man seemed to have a curious hesitation in his manner and his words, and Ruth, too, appeared under some strain. But the boys were too anxious about their comrade to pay much attention to this.
"Come on!" suddenly called Mr. Hayward.
"Where are you going, father?" asked Ruth.
"I"m going to find Fenn Masterson. I think I have a clue that will help us," and he strode forward, followed by his daughter and the wondering boys.
CHAPTER XXVI
FENN"S ODD DISCOVERY
Mutual surprise showed on the face of Fenn, as well as on the countenance of the man who made this surprising announcement in the cave, where we have left that rather unfortunate youth. The boy, who had been prepared to meet a band of Chinese smugglers, now saw before him the mysterious person, who appeared to have some interest in the affairs of Mr. Hayward, and who seemed to be pleased that misfortune should overtake the man who had recovered from the auto accident near Fenn"s house.
"Well, how"d you get here?" asked the man gruffly, advancing closer to the captive, and holding his torch to throw the light on Fenn"s face.
"Slid part way, and climbed the rest," answered the lad, who decided to remain as cool as possible under the circ.u.mstances.
"Humph! Well, I reckon you know where you are now?"
"I haven"t the least idea, except that I"m under ground."
"Yes, and you"re liable to stay here for some time. You"ll find, before I get through with you, that it isn"t healthy, out in this country, to pay too much attention to the business of other folks. I"ll pay you back for spying on me. I thought I"d gotten rid of you some time ago, but I see you"re still after me."
"I"m not after you," answered Fenn. "I didn"t expect to see you down here. Nor am I spying on you. You"re mistaken."
"Weren"t you trying to hear what I was saying--the night of the fire--aren"t you in the employ of Robert Hayward?" demanded the man, asking his questions too quickly to permit of any answer.
"I"m not employed by Mr. Hayward, though I know him, and he is a friend of mine," declared Fenn. "I wasn"t intentionally listening to what you were saying that night, but, when I found you were an enemy of Mr.
Hayward, I wanted to know more about you."
"How do you know I am his enemy?" asked the man.
"From the way you talked. Besides, why did you chase after me, and try to catch us on the _Modoc_?"
"That"s something for me to know, and for you to find out," replied the man, with an unpleasant laugh. "You"re too wise, you are."
"Maybe I"ll find out more than you want me to," retorted Fenn.
"No danger. I"m going to put you where you can"t do anything for a while, and, after you"ve cooled down a bit, I"ll think of what to do next. Tom, come here," he called.
A big man approached, and, at a nod from the fellow of the sinister countenance, gathered Fenn up in his arms, in spite of the resistance the lad made. Fenn soon found it was useless to struggle, so he remained quietly in the grip of the burly chap.