Fairview Boys at Lighthouse Cove/Chapter 7
CHAPTER VII
ON THE TRAIL
"Where are you?" called Bob to the light-keeper, as the boys went into the living room. All was so dark they could see nothing.
"Right here, at the foot of the stairs," answered Mr. Floyd. "I haven't been able to move since my fall."
"Are you badly hurt?" asked Frank.
"I don't know, but I hope not. Never mind about me, though. You must set the lantern going, for I can't do it. That is most important. I have never yet let it go out—this is the first time; but I could not help that."
"Wait, I'll strike a match," said Sammy. "Then we can see what we are doing."
The tiny glow illuminated the room, and the boys could see the light-keeper huddled in a heap at the foot of the stairs that led to the tower, at the top of which was the big lantern.
"There's a lamp on the table," said the aged man, pointing to it. "Light that, and then go up to the lantern. Do you think you can light it?"
"I guess so," answered Bob. "Your daughter showed us how it was done."
"That's good. She little knew how soon you might have to do it. But if you think you can't do it, you must go for help. My wife and daughter have gone to visit relations, and will be away all night, but you can get some of the fishermen; they will know how to light the lantern."
"Oh, I'm sure we can do it!" exclaimed Frank. "Lucy showed us just how it was done."
"I'm thankful for that," went on the light-keeper. "Now, boys, don't bother with me!" he went on, as they advanced toward him. "Just get up aloft and set the lantern going. You see I have an arrangement so I can put it out from down here, without going all the way up. That's to save me climbing the stairs in the morning.
"Well, I was coming down, from having trimmed it, a little while ago, when I slipped. I put out my hand to save myself, and, by mistake I grabbed hold of the wire I had rigged up to put out the light. It put it out, all right, and here I've lain ever since, not knowing what to do. Oh, it was terrible!
"I couldn't tell when anyone would come, being all alone as I was. I called and called, but no one heard me."
The boys thought of the strange figure of the old man, with the lantern, running away, and they wondered if he had heard and had not heeded.
"I couldn't tell what moment some ship might go on the rocks," continued the light-keeper. "For the sailors, not seeing the light, might get off their course. I was glad there was no storm, for that would have made it much worse.
"But never mind about that now. You're here, thank Providence, and you can start the light going before it's too late."
"Come on!" cried Bob, and with a lantern which they had found and set aglow, to light them up the dark stairs of the tower, the three boys ascended. First, however, they had in spite of his protests, made Mr. Floyd more comfortable, by putting a pillow under his head, and straightening him out. They did not want to move him too much for fear one of his legs might be broken.
Up into the lantern tower the lads went. Then with hands that trembled a little, they ignited the big wicks, first having raised the extinguishers that Mr. Floyd had accidentally pulled down over them in his fall.
The machinery, that made the glass prisms turn, was still in motion, not having been stopped since it was set going early in the evening, so with this the boys had nothing to do. As soon as they had lighted the lantern, the welcome flash went sparkling out over the waters of the cove, to warn captains off the dangerous rocks.
"And now we'd better get down and help Mr. Floyd," said Bob, when they had made sure that the lantern was going all right, and would not smoke. "I guess we'd better get a doctor."
"I think so, too," added Frank. "Too bad about your wreckers, Sammy," he went on, with a laugh.
"Aw, quit your fooling!" exclaimed the lad who sometimes let his imagination run away with him. "Something like that might have happened, anyhow."
"Yes, it might," admitted Bob. "But it didn't."
"I'm sure there's something queer about that man with the lantern we saw," continued Sammy. "He's after that pirate gold, I'm positive."
"Well, he does act queer," admitted Frank. "We can have a try for his secret, as soon as we get this lighthouse business fixed up."
"We do seem to run into the queerest things," remarked Bob. "If it isn't one thing it's another."
"I like it!" exclaimed Sammy, who was always on the lookout for something to happen. That it seldom did take place never discouraged him.
"Well, is everything all right?" asked Mr. Floyd, as the boys came down stairs.
"Yes," answered Frank. "The lantern is going all right."
"And now we'll look after you," went on Bob. "Are you badly hurt?"
"I can't tell. Best have the doctor look me over, I guess. I'm more comfortable since you boys came. It isn't so much for myself that I care, but the light depends on me. Uncle Sam trusts me to keep it going, no matter what happens, and I've got to do it. If I get knocked out someone else will have to look after it."
"We'll go for a doctor," said Sammy.
"Yes, and maybe we'd better go tell your wife and daughter what has happened," suggested Frank. "They'll want to be with you."
"I guess that would be a good plan," agreed the light-keeper. "They ought to be here, for I'm afraid I won't be able to get up and down stairs much for a while."
While the boys were planning who should stay at the lighthouse, and who should go for the physician, hurried footsteps were heard outside, and a number of fishermen and sailors came crowding in. They were much surprised at what they saw.
"Look here!" exclaimed one big lobsterman, "what's all this here about, John Floyd?"
"We saw the light out," added another, "and we made up a committee to come and investigate."
"Thinking there was trouble," put in a third.
"Yes, thinking there was trouble," agreed the second speaker. "Has these boys been up to any tricks?" and he looked at the three chums suspiciously.
"Indeed they have not!" exclaimed Mr. Floyd, earnestly. "If it hadn't been for these boys the light would be out yet. And if you fellows had come a little quicker, instead of waiting to form a committee, it might have been better."
"Well, we didn't notice, until a few minutes ago, that the light wasn't flashin'," said a clam dealer. "You know you can't see it very well from shore. But Ted Knowlton was out in his boat after eels, and he noticed right away that there wasn't any flash. So he rowed in as fast as he could and told us."
"But the boys got here first, and I'm mighty thankful to 'em!" exclaimed Mr. Floyd. "Howsomever, now that you men are here, you might lift me up on that lounge, and then get the doctor."
"And we'll go for your wife!" said Bob. "We can do that, if you'll tell us where she is."
The light-keeper gave them the directions for finding Mrs. Floyd and Lucy, who had gone to a relative about two miles away. The boys left, after waiting to learn that, in the opinion of the fishermen, Mr. Floyd's leg was only sprained, and not broken.
Stopping at Barnacle Cottage to tell Mrs. Bouncer what had happened, and where they were going. Bob and his chums hurried to where Mrs. Floyd was staying. She and Lucy were at first much alarmed at the news, but were soon told that nothing serious had happened. They at once returned to the lighthouse with the boys.
The keeper was feeling much better now, and the doctor had bandaged his leg. He would be unable to walk around for several days, it was said, and some of the fishermen agreed to come and help with the heavier work about the lighthouse until Mr. Floyd was able to be about.
"Well, that's over," remarked Bob, as he and his chums went back to Barnacle Cottage again. "Quite some little excitement for a while; eh?"
"That's right," agreed Frank.
"But it isn't over yet," said Sammy Brown.
"Why not?" asked Bob. "That is unless you're going to have a look for the wreckers, Sammy," and he nudged Frank, to show that he was only joking.
"Humph! Wreckers, yes!" exclaimed Sammy. "If there had happened to be any you fellows would have been glad enough to want part of the credit. But as long as there wasn't, you can only poke fun at me."
"Oh, we didn't mean anything!" said Bob, quickly. "I was only joking, Sammy. Go ahead; tell us what you mean by it not being over yet."
"I mean we haven't found out who that queer old man is with the lantern," said Sammy. "I'm sure there's some mystery about him."
"Pirate gold; do you mean?" asked Frank.
"Well, I'm not going to say that again, and have you fellows laugh at me!" exclaimed the lad who did so much sensational thinking. "But that man is after something around here."
"I agree on that," said Frank.
"But what is it?" asked Bob.
"That's what we've got to find out!" declared Sammy, promptly. "Fellows, what's the matter with us trailing that queer man, until we find out all about him."
"Trail him?" questioned Bob.
"Yes," went on Sammy. "We'll try to find where he lives, and what he is after."
"And why he goes about nights with a lantern," added Frank. He and Bob were now as much interested as was Sammy, and they were eager to help their chum clear up the mystery.
Getting to the cottage, they found company had come to call on Mr. and Mrs. Bouncer, and before the boys went to bed they had to tell all about their adventure at the lighthouse.
"My, you boys certainly do things!" exclaimed one of the callers.
"Yes, too much, sometimes," said Mrs. Bouncer, with a sigh, as she looked at her son and his chums. "I never know what they'll be up to next. That's one reason I rather dreaded coming here. I didn't so much mind it at home, for though they were out on Rainbow Lake much of the time, there was a limit to that water. But here, so near the big ocean,—I don't know. I'm always afraid they'll be carried out to sea!" and she shivered slightly, as if from some unknown fear.
"Carried out to sea!" exclaimed Bob. How could we be? We never go as far as the inlet."
"And I hope you never will!" exclaimed his mother.
The boys told more in detail of their doings at the lighthouse and then were sent off to bed, for the hour was growing late. They only made a mention of the strange man with the lantern, whom they had passed in the darkness, and they did not tell of their intention to get on his trail, and try to find out who he was and what he was after. They thought that, had they spoken of him, permission to seek after his secret might not be given.
"Well, what's on the program this morning?" asked Bob, after breakfast one day.
"Me for a swim, as soon as it gets a little warmer," decided Frank, for the morning was a bit chilly.
"I'm with you!" agreed Bob.
"Can't you boys get a few crabs first?" asked Mrs. Bouncer. "I'd like some to make a salad. The tide is right now; isn't it?"
"Yes, it's coming in, and they always bite best on the incoming tide," replied Bob, who had learned that from an old fisherman. "What do you say, fellows; shall we go crabbing?"
"Sure," agreed his chums. "We can swim later."
Accordingly with crab nets, pieces of meat tied on strings for bait, and a deep basket in which to keep the catch, the boys set off in their boat, for the other side of the cove, since there the larger crabs could be gotten.
They had good luck, and were busy pulling in some large ones, with big blue claws, when Bob suddenly called to his companions:
"Look, there he is now!"
They glanced up, to see, some distance back from the beach, in a clump of scrub evergreen trees, a man digging.
"There's our man of mystery!" exclaimed Sammy. "Let's trail him, fellows!"