Chapter 6 CAPTAIN JOE TAKES A PRISONER

Case waited patiently a long time for the return of his chum. When it came near midnight he decided to awaken Clay and inform him of the situation. The latter was out of his bed instantly.

"He shouldn't have gone," the boy said, anxiously. "There is no doubt that he is in trouble of some kind. I'm sorry for this!"

"Well, he would go," Case urged, "and he promised to go only to the shore and look around. Just after he left, Teddy splashed off the boat and ran into the thicket. I presume the two are together."

"Of course they're together," said Clay, "That is, if Teddy hasn't been discovered and shot. That is likely to happen."

"What shall we do?" asked Case anxiously.

"It isn't much use to go into the thicket after him," Clay decided. "There is plenty of moonlight here, it is true, but the foliage must make it very dark in the forest. It would be like looking for a special pebble on the beach to try to find him now. We'll have to wait."

"Perhaps Teddy will come and bring us news," suggested Case. "I have known him to do such things. He's a wise little bear."

There was no more sleep on board the Rambler that night. With the first flush of dawn Clay and Jule were abroad in the forest, leaving Case on watch. Although they searched patiently for a long time, no trace of the missing boy could be discovered.

Here and there were tracks which must have been made by Teddy, but it was not certain that the two had been together. After a time the boys returned to the bank of the river just above the location of the Rambler. There they found where a boat had been drawn up to the bank.

"I don't see how they ever got a boat by us," Clay argued, "but they certainly did, for they couldn't have got here first. They must have sneaked up the east shore in the shadows and landed above the Rambler. Are you sure that no boat passed down after Alex left?" he asked of Case. "One might have drifted down without making much noise."

"I was awake every minute of the time," Case insisted, "and no boat passed down. When the moon swung around to the south, the whole river was illuminated. I would have seen any craft that passed."

"Then it is certain that the intruders are still up river, perhaps above the falls, and I am afraid that Alex is where they are. That little rascal is always getting lost! He should have remained on board."

"Yes, he gets lost," admitted Case, loyally, "but he always comes out on top in the end. There wouldn't be any fun if Alex and Teddy were not always getting into trouble. It sort of keeps things moving!"

"Well," Clay concluded, "the place to look for the boy is, as I said before, upstream. Now, the question is, shall we take the Rambler up?"

"I am afraid the motors would declare our presence," Case observed, speaking from the deck of the boat, "and, besides, we couldn't go very far on account of the falls, so, perhaps, we would better go up as far as we can in the rowboat, making as little noise as possible."

"And what's the matter with putting Captain Joe on shore?" asked Jule. "He may be able to point out the spot where the men left the river. Anyhow, it won't do any harm to try."

"That's a good idea," declared Clay, "and I'll go along with him."

"I'm afraid you'll find it pretty rough walking along that bank," Case suggested, "for the country is rocky and leads up to the plateau above the falls, and small streams may run in from the peninsula. You might have to swim when you wasn't climbing hills."

"I'll try it a short distance, anyway," Clay answered, "and you, Case, remain on board and let Jule row up in the boat."

This arrangement was carried out, and in a short time, the little boat was moving upstream, with Jule pulling cautiously at the oars. Clay found the bank a difficult one to ascend. He was obliged to wade through small creeks and climb rocky heights, but he kept steadily on his way, with Captain Joe at his heels.

At last, they came to a creek which ran into the river at the foot of the falls. On the south side of this creek, for some distance in, was a level, grassy plateau, and here Captain Joe picked up the scent they were looking for. The south bank showed that a boat had recently been drawn up there.

Disregarding, for the time being, all commands from the boy, the dog raced up the small stream, and finally disappeared in a thicket.

Clay hesitated, undecided as to whether he ought to follow the dog at once or return to notify Jule of his discovery and secure his assistance.

He had already lost sight of the dog, so he concluded that he might as well return to Jule. This he did, and in a short time, the boat was anchored at the mouth of the creek, and the boys were pressing on into the thicket. Captain Joe was nowhere in sight.

"They certainly are on this side of the creek," Clay reasoned, "for they couldn't very well make progress on the other side unless they traveled in an aeroplane."

There were no tracks to follow, no indications of any one having passed that way recently, but the boys kept pluckily on, listening now and then for some sign from the dog.

"If he finds Alex," Jule declared, "he'll make a note of it, and we'll hear a racket fit to wake the dead."

"And that will warn the outlaws of our approach," said Clay in a discouraged tone of voice. "Perhaps we did wrong to bring the dog."

"You may be sure Captain Joe will give a good account of himself," Jule said confidently. "He may make a racket, but it's dollars to apples that they won't catch him."

In a short time the clamor the boys had been expecting came from the forest beyond. Captain Joe was barking and growling and, judging from the commotion in the copse, was evidently threshing about.

"That's a scrap," Jule declared. "Perhaps he has caught one of the men. If he has, I hope he's got him by the throat."

Pressing into the interior of the forest, the level grassy plateau having long since disappeared, the boys finally came to a small cleared glade and discovered the cause of Captain Joe's enthusiasm.

Teddy, the cub, was standing with his back to the hole of a giant tree inviting the dog to a boxing match. Captain Joe's clamor indicated only delight at the meeting with his friend.

Before showing themselves in the glade, the boys looked in every direction for some indication of the outlaws, but there was no sign of human life anywhere near them. No noise, save the cries of the creatures of the air and the jungle.

"You're a fine old scout, Captain Joe," whispered Clay as he finally advanced into the glade. "You notify everybody within a mile of us as to our location, but you don't do a thing to help us find Alex."

At mention of the lost boy's name, Teddy dropped down from his antagonistic attitude, and, thrusting a soft muzzle against Clay's hand, moved away to the west.

"The cub has more sense than the dog," Jule exclaimed. "Captain Joe makes a noise, and Teddy does the piloting. Do you suppose he knows where Alex is?" he added.

"It seems to me that he is trying to tell us something," Clay replied. "Anyway, we may as well follow him."

Teddy, who was an especial favorite of Alex's, and never lost an opportunity of following him about, appeared to know exactly where he was going, for he maintained a steady pace for half an hour or more, keeping to the south shore of the creek for a time and then crossing on a fallen tree to the opposite bank.

"Now," said Clay, "we ought not to follow close behind the cub. He makes as much noise as a freight train going up a steep grade, and we'll be sure to be seen if the outlaws are anywhere about."

"Perhaps he will go on alone," Jule suggested.

"In that case, we can skirt his track and remain hidden. That ought not to be very difficult in this broken country."

Teddy turned about with an inquiring glance as the boys left his side, but soon proceeded on his course. Fearful that Captain Joe would indulge in another demonstration of some kind, the boys kept him with them, Jule keeping a close hold on his collar.

"This doesn't seem much like a river trip to me," Jule grinned as they passed over rocks, sneaked through miniature canyons and threaded thickets alive with briers and clinging vines. "Seems more like an overland expedition to the north star."

"There is one compensation," Clay added humorously. "Alex will get good and hungry-and serve him right at that."

"Huh!" Jule declared, "Alex is always hungry anyway."

Teddy now quickened his pace so that the boys had great difficulty in following him. He ran with his nose to the rough ground, his short ears tipped forward, for all the world like a hound on a scent.

"Look at the beast!" Jule laughed. "Acts like he was a hound after foxes. That's some bear, Clay."

"So far as I know," Clay answered, "he's the only cub that ever did a stunt like that. Still, he's only exhibiting the advantages of an early education, for he has long been trained to follow us."

After a short time the boys, advancing up a ledge and then into a little gully, came upon Teddy lying flat on the ground, his nose pointing straight ahead. When they came to him Captain Joe pulled fiercely to get away, his nose pointing straight to the north.

"I guess," Jule panted, holding to the dog with all his strength, "that they have located Alex. If you'll take charge of this obstreperous animal for a while, I'll sneak ahead and have a look."

Clay finally succeeded in quieting the dog, and Jule pushed on up the gully. At the very end, where the depression terminated in a wall of rock, he saw a faint column of smoke. A closer approach revealed a small fire of dry sticks with something cooking in a tin pail over the coals.

Jule stopped and considered the situation seriously.

"Now, I wonder," he thought, "why Teddy didn't make a fool of himself by rushing right up to Alex. I don't believe he's scared of the men, and, to tell the truth, I don't see any men to be frightened at. Alex seems to be there alone. Wonder why he doesn't run."

The reason why Alex didn't run was disclosed in a moment. The boy's hands were tightly bound across his breast and a strong rope encircled his ankles. For a moment there was no one in sight save the boy, then a roughly dressed man came into view carrying an armful of dry wood for the fire. Jule heard both the dog and the cub protesting at being kept away from the fellow, and saw the man turn sharply about.

Then there came another revelation. With bound arms swinging out, and bound feet kicking violently, Alex was ordering the two animals away. Well trained as they were, they protested while they obeyed.

"Is that that bear of yours, again?" Jule heard the man asking. "If I wasn't afraid of attracting attention, I'd put a bullet into him. Call him up here and keep him quiet while I gather more dry wood. The boys will be here in an hour or so and will want breakfast."

"That settles it," whispered Jule. "If the boys are so far away that they won't be back in an hour or more, they won't find any cook when they return. If I have my way, the cook will be tied up."

"All right," Alex said in reply to the fellow's order, "I'll call him up and keep him quiet after you go away. He's been used to polite society and doesn't like you!"

The man snarled out some surly reply and disappeared. Jule was at his chum's side in a moment. The ropes were cut, and the two boys were speeding back to where Clay had been left.

There was a little scene of congratulation, and then Captain Joe, growling fiercely, leaped forward. The man who had gone in search of wood must have heard the noisy greetings of the boys, for he came running back to the fire. The boys saw him throw a hand back for a weapon, heard an exclamation of anger, and knew that the dog was springing at his throat.

The struggle was a short one, for the man who had been attacked had not succeeded in reaching his revolver. When the boys reached the scene the man was black in the face and the dog was shaking him viciously by the neck.

"Captain Joe seems to know who his friends are!" Alex shouted.

"If we don't break his hold in a minute, the man will be dead," Jule exclaimed, dancing excitedly about, "and we're not out to commit murder."

When the clutch of the dog was finally released, the man lay back, panting, on the ground. An examination of his injury showed that it was not serious, his throat having been compressed rather than torn.

In a moment the man sat up and glared about with murder in his protruding eyes. Seeing the dog still watching him, he gave him a vicious kick and came near inviting a repetition of the attack.

"I'll kill that dog!" he shouted.

"No, you won't!" laughed Alex. "We're going to take that dog out of this blooming country. We're going to tie you up so you won't over-exert yourself while in your present weakened condition, and streak it for the motor boat. We've had enough of this blooming election precinct."

This program was carried out so far as moving back toward the motor boat was concerned, but when, after a long, hard journey, they came to the place in the river where the Rambler had been left, it was nowhere to be seen. Satisfied that Case had not proceeded up the river-the falls would have prevented a long run up-they all entered the rowboat and passed on down toward the St. Lawrence.

"Talk about getting lost!" grinned Alex. "Case has gone and lost the boat!"