He cudgeled his brains to find a reason for the presence of Masterson so far from home, but was unable to arrive at any solution till an idea suddenly struck him.
"They"re out here trailing us," he muttered. "Yes, I"m sure of it. But how in the world did they ever learn our plans? I guess I"ll get back to camp and put the rest on their guard, for we don"t want any spies hanging about, and those fellows were out on a spying expedition or I miss my guess."
CHAPTER XXVI.
THE START FOR THE UNKNOWN.
But the days went by, and the Wondership stood once more a.s.sembled and ready to take the greatest flight of her career, and no further sign of the three worthies, whom d.i.c.k suspected of designs against them, appeared. Zeb went to town once or twice, using a small burro for a saddle animal. Jack heard from his father, who said that he was progressing well, but was very much worried over money matters.
"If only you can find the Z.2.X.," he wrote, "we can all be happy again."
"I will find it," Jack murmured to himself, as he concluded reading the letter, and pa.s.sed it over to Tom for his perusal.
d.i.c.k helped with the Wondership and spent the rest of the time fishing and hunting. He managed to get a few rabbits, but there was no other game in the vicinity. It was too barren for deer, although it was said there were plenty of them further down the river. The young reporter, who had quite a mechanical genius of his own, constructed a rough sort of boat out of boards from the walls of the old shack, and used it on his fishing expeditions, "punting" it along with a long pole made from a willow sapling from a grove on the river bank some distance below where they were camped.
One afternoon the fancy took him to pole up the current and round the bend below which Masterson"s boat had appeared the evening d.i.c.k saw and recognized the son of the Moon proprietor.
He had not gone that way before and was surprised to find that, instead of the low banks that edged the river where the boys were camped, round the bend were steep, almost clifflike acclivities on both sides of the stream. In places these were honeycombed with caves, running back, apparently, some distance into the bank. Although d.i.c.k did not know it, these caves had once been the dwelling places of an extinct tribe of Indians.
The boy was surprised to see smoke coming from one of them, for he had supposed that they were uninhabited.
"Maybe there are Indians up there," thought the boy. "I guess I"ll give them a look, and maybe get a good picture," for d.i.c.k invariably carried his camera with him on the chance of getting a good snapshot at something or other.
A rough path led up to the cave and it was well worn by feet which had, apparently, traversed it recently. d.i.c.k reached the entrance of the cave and peered in.
It was deserted; but to his astonishment he saw, from the way it was fitted up, that whoever lived in it were not Indians. Blankets lay on the floor, and the smoke was coming from a fire which had been used for cooking and was dying out. The utensils were not such as Indians use, being made of agate ware. Then, too, he noticed some old coats and other garments hanging on nails that had been driven into the wall.
As his eyes grew more accustomed to the light, he saw a suitcase in one corner. There were initials on it. d.i.c.k made them out to be W. M.
""W. M."? Who can that be?" he mused. "Whoever lives here is a white man, that is plain. But why is he a hermit? Anyhow, I"d better be getting out of this before he comes back. I"ve really got no business in here at all."
At this juncture he heard voices coming from the river. They were punctuated by the dip of oars. As he heard the speakers outside, d.i.c.k"s mind suddenly realized who "W. M." was.
"What a chump I was not to think of it before!" he exclaimed. "It"s William Masterson, of course, and that"s his voice outside. Gee whillakers, they must have camped here on purpose to spy on us."
Just then it occurred to d.i.c.k that he was, as a matter of fact, spying on Masterson. He went to the cave door. Below was a boat containing Masterson and his two friends. They had apparently been to town for supplies, for the boat was full of canned goods and provisions.
Just as d.i.c.k got to the door Masterson spied the home-made boat lying on the bank at the foot of the cliff.
"Say, fellows," he exclaimed, "somebody"s been paying us a call."
"Some thieving Indian, judging from the looks of that boat," said Sam Higgins.
"Well, we"re not receiving callers of any kind right now," sputtered Eph angrily.
d.i.c.k crouched back into the doorway of the cave. He was trying to think what to do. It was an awkward situation. He didn"t want to be caught in what looked, on the face of it, like an act of spying, and yet he didn"t wish Masterson and his cronies to think him a coward.
"Say, fellows," spoke up Higgins suddenly, "you don"t think it could be one of those kids from the camp below, do you? They may have seen us snooping around there at night and got wise to where we are hiding."
"It had better not be one of them," said Masterson in a loud, threatening voice. "If I catch him, I"ll break every bone in his body."
"I guess I"ll have a fight on my hands," muttered d.i.c.k. "Well, serves me right for b.u.t.ting in," he added philosophically.
"Let"s go up and see who it is?" said Eph. "He must be in the cave."
"You go first," said Sam Higgins, who was not over-brave, "it might be a bad man or an Indian."
"Pshaw, I"m not afraid!" said Masterson. "Give me your pistol, Sam, if you"re scared."
"I"m not scared, but there"s no use running into trouble," said Sam. "Besides I"m kind of lame. I think I--er--wrenched my ankle getting out of the boat."
"I guess you wrenched your nerve," sneered Eph.
Then, headed by Masterson, with the pistol in his grasp, they began to ascend the pathway. d.i.c.k was in a quandary. But he decided that the only way to tackle the problem was to take the bull by the horns. As Masterson reached the mouth of the cave the boy dashed out like a redheaded thunderbolt.
Taken utterly by surprise, Masterson stepped back.
Bang!
The pistol went off in the air and the next instant Masterson, despite his efforts to save himself, toppled off the narrow path and went rolling down the bank into the river. Luckily for him, he was a good swimmer, and struck out l.u.s.tily as he came to the surface.
"Wow!" yelled d.i.c.k, and charged like a young buffalo at Eph.
Young Compton tried to strike him but d.i.c.k, with lowered head, charged him in the stomach. With a grunt Eph fell back, and in his fall knocked over Sam Higgins, just behind him.
"Whoop-ee!" shouted d.i.c.k, rejoicing in his triumph. He leaped over the rec.u.mbent forms of Eph and Sam and dashed down the path to the place where he had beached his boat.
He jumped on board and poled off just as young Masterson reached the sh.o.r.e and pulled himself out of the water.
"You infernal young spy!" shrieked Masterson, beside himself with rage, "I"ll get even with you for this, see if I don"t!"
Sam and Eph, who had picked themselves up, shouted other threats at d.i.c.k. But he turned round and, with a pleasant smile, waved a hand as the current carried his boat round the bend. He felt in high good humor at the way he had gotten out of a difficult situation. It was fortunate for him, though, that he had taken Masterson and his cronies so utterly by surprise, otherwise the adventure might have had a different conclusion.
He had established one fact, however, and that was that Masterson and the others were spying on them every night and watching every step in their preparations for the departure for Rattlesnake Island.
That night a strict watch was kept in the camp, all the adventurers taking turns at sentry duty. But n.o.body came near the place.
CHAPTER XXVII.
THE PROFESSOR"S SECOND DILEMMA.
Early the next day old man McGee paid them a call. He came to take back the burro they had hired from him for convenience in getting back and forth from Yuma. He also wanted to get a ladder which had been left at the deserted shanty. The old man rode into camp on a razor-backed horse and professed great astonishment when he saw how nearly completed the work on the Wondership was.
"But you kain"t fool me," he said knowingly. "I may be old but I"m wise. That thing fly? Why, you might as well tell me the Nat"nul Hotel in Yuma could go kerflopping about in the air. By the way," he went on, "frum ther talk in ther town you ain"t ther only ones as is goin" down ther river. There"s three young chaps has bought two boats and allows that they"re fixin" to take a trip."
"Is that so?" exclaimed Jack with a significant look at his chums. "I think we can guess who they are."
But old man McGee was busy fussing with the donkey and didn"t hear him. He was going to carry the ladder back to town on the little creature"s back. He lashed the ladder across the saddle so that it stuck out on both sides of the burro, who viewed the proceedings with a kind of mild surprise. It brayed loudly and flapped its long ears in a way that made the boys laugh heartily.
"There," said old man McGee at last, "that"s done. Now I reckon I"ll bid you so-long and good-luck, and be on my way. When are you goin" ter start?"
"To-morrow morning," replied Jack, "if everything is all right."
"Hold on a minute," said Tom suddenly, as old man McGee was riding off. "I"ve got a notion for some rabbit pie. Give me the rifle, d.i.c.k, and I"ll go a little way with Mr. McGee, as far as that little willow wood where you got the cotton-tails."
"All right," said d.i.c.k, "and tell you what I"ll do. I"ll come, too. I can borrow Jack"s rifle."
"It"s in the tent," said Jack. "Take good care of it."
"I"ll do that," promised d.i.c.k.
Jack and Zeb went back to their task of putting the finishing touches on the Wondership, stocking her lockers with provisions for the Rattlesnake Island trip, while old man McGee, accompanied by the two boys, rode out of the camp.
The professor was away collecting specimens somewhere and had not been seen since breakfast time.
The donkey, carrying its odd burden, walked behind old McGee"s horse and the boys kept pace alongside, listening to the old prospector"s everlasting stories of how some day he would strike it rich. His faith never wavered. He believed implicitly that eventually he would make the "big strike" and live in affluence for the remainder of his life.
The willow grove, where d.i.c.k went rabbit-hunting, was up the river and on its banks far away from the water nothing grew but cactus, greasewood and mesquite. As they neared it the monotony of the walk began to pall on d.i.c.k. He wanted to have some fun.
He fell behind and took a magnifying gla.s.s from his pocket. It was one he used in his photographic work. Holding it up he focused the sun"s rays through it so that they fell in a tiny burning spot on the donkey"s back. After a few seconds the heat burned through. The donkey gave a loud bray and kicked up its heels wildly.
Before old man McGee knew what was happening, the creature had jerked the rope by which he was leading it out of the old man"s hand and dashed off toward the willow wood.
"Hey, come back, consarn ye!" shouted old McGee. "What"s the matter with ther critter, anyhow? He"s gone plum daffy."
d.i.c.k, doubled up with laughter, watched the circus. There was the donkey with the ladder across its back racing at full speed toward the wood, and after it came old McGee on his bony old horse, shouting at the top of his voice.
Straight for the wood the donkey raced, kicking up its heels and braying loudly. It dashed in among the trees of the willow wood and at the same instant there came an appalling yell from among the trees.
"Gracious, what"s happened now!" gasped Tom, and then catching d.i.c.k"s laughing eye, he exclaimed: "d.i.c.k, this is some of your work!"
"Maybe," said d.i.c.k, still choking with laughter, "but what on earth is happening in the wood?"
"Help! Lions! Help! They"re after me! Help!"
The cries came thick and fast.
"It"s the professor," choked out d.i.c.k.
"He says there are lions in there," cried Tom, looking rather alarmed, but at this juncture something happened to the donkey that momentarily distracted their attention. In trying to pa.s.s between two saplings the animal had b.u.mped the ladder against them and brought itself up with a round turn. But it still struggled forward and kept up its braying: "Cotched, by ginger!" shouted old man McGee. He galloped toward the runaway donkey, but the next moment a curious thing happened.
In pressing forward, the donkey had bent the saplings over with the ladder until it became entangled in their branches. Suddenly the animal ceased struggling and the saplings sprang up, no longer having any pressure on them, and the donkey was fairly lifted from its feet and carried up into the air. And there he hung, threshing about with his hoofs and suspended from the ladder. At the same instant the figure of the professor emerged from the wood. He looked rather sheepish.
The boys ran up to him.
"What"s the matter, professor?" asked d.i.c.k.
"Yes, you called for help," added Tom.
"Um--er--ah did I call?" inquired the man of science.
"You certainly did. You scared us almost to death," said d.i.c.k.
"Something about lions," added Tom.
"Lions--er--did I say lions, boys?"
"You did," d.i.c.k a.s.sured him.
The professor gave a rather shamefaced smile. He looked at the donkey suspended from the ladder between the two straightened saplings.
"Um--er--perhaps it would be better to say no more about it," he said. "I do not suppose that I am the first man to have been scared by a sheep in wolf"s clothing."
"Or a donkey in a lion"s skin," chuckled d.i.c.k.
In the meantime old man McGee had arrived at the donkey"s side and was scratching his head to think of some way to relieve it from its predicament. The boys solved the problem for him by cutting the branches that held the ladder and Mr. Donkey came down to earth. The professor, with rather a red face, had gone back to his work of collecting specimens, which the arrival of the long-eared beast had interrupted in such a startling manner.
"Thar, I hope that"s taught you some sense," said old man McGee, as the donkey was once more on terra firma. As he rode off, d.i.c.k burst into shouts of laughter. His little joke had certainly turned out to be better than he expected and for many days after that he had only to slyly introduce some talk about a lion to cause the professor to look at him in a very quizzical way.
CHAPTER XXVIII.
THE UPPER REGIONS.
The boys were up with the sun the next day. It was the morning which was to witness the start of the flight for Rattlesnake Island. Everything about the Wondership was in readiness for the enterprise, and there only remained the tin breakfast utensils and the tents to be packed when they had concluded the morning meal.