Chapter XXX. Back Home—Conclusion - The Rover Boys down East by Edward Stratemeyer
"Too late!" groaned Dick. "Oh, why didn't we get here a minute sooner!"
"Stop, you rascals!" sang out Captain Wells. "Stop, or I'll fire!" and he raised his pistol.
"Don't shoot! You might hit Mrs. Stanhope!" whispered Dick.
"I only want to scare 'em," muttered the captain of the steam tug.
The motor boat gathered headway rapidly, and soon was out of range of the pistol. The Rovers saw that the craft contained Tad Sobber, Jim Pally, Josiah Crabtree and Mrs. Stanhope and another woman, probably Mrs. Sobber.
"Wonder what has become of Koswell, Larkspur and that Darkingham," said Sam.
"I don't know, and I don't care, just now!" returned Dick. "Captain, we must follow that boat without delay. If they get out of our sight we may never get another chance to rescue Mrs. Stanhope!"
"I'll get after 'em as soon as I can," returned the master of the steam tug.
But to start a pursuit was not so easy, from the fact that the tug lay on the other side of the island and could not be signalled.
"Tom and I can go after the tug," said Sam. "The rest of you can try to keep that motor boat in sight;" and so it was arranged.
The two Rover boys skirted the south end of Chesoque Island. They kept on a run, and on turning a corner of rocks, plumped fairly and squarely into Koswell, Larkspur and Darkingham, who were talking earnestly among themselves.
"They said they would send the boat back sure," Koswell was saying, when Tom almost ran him down.
"Hello! you here!" cried Tom, and then, as Koswell grabbed him by the arm he added: "Let me go!"
"Not so fast!' roared Koswell. "Bart, catch the other fellow!"
"I will!" muttered Bart Larkspur, and caught Sam by the arm.
What followed, came with such swiftness that both Koswell and Larkspur were taken completely off their guard Tom drew back and hit Koswell a blow in the nose that sent him staggering back against the rocks and made the blood spurt freely. Sam, seeing this, also struck out, reaching Larkspur's left eye, and putting that optic in deep mourning. Larkspur fell back on Darkingham, and for the moment there was great confusion.
"Skip! We don't want to be delayed!" cried Tom, to his brother, and on they went again, before their enemies had time to recover.
Inside of five minutes they came in sight of the steam tug. Those aboard were on the watch for the return of Captain Wells, and the engineer had a full head of steam up, to use in case of emergency.
"Quick!" cried Tom, as he and Sam rushed on board. "Captain Wells and my brother want you on the other side of the island at once!"
"We'll get there as quick as the propeller can take us," said the mate, and the engineer nodded to show that he understood. The tug backed away from the island, and in a moment more was on the way to the old dock.
"Say we gave Koswell and Larkspur something to remember us by," remarked Sam, grimly.
"So we did," answered Tom, with a grin, "Wish it had been ten times as much!"
"They and that Darkingham must have loaned the motor boat to the Sobber crowd."
"Most likely Sobber paid 'em well for its use. He could do it easily—out of that fortune."
As the steam tug rounded the end of the island, Tom and Sam were just able to see the motor boat in the distance. It seemed to be heading for the mainland.
"All aboard!" sang out Tom, as they ran up to the old dock. But this invitation was unneces sary, for Dick, Captain Wells and Larry Dixon leaped on the deck as soon as the craft was close enough.
"Now then, after her!" sang out the eldest Rover boy. "Crowd on all steam! I'll pay all expenses, and more!"
"Even if she blows up?" queried the captain, with a bit of dry humor.
"Yes, even if she blows up, Captain! Oh, we must catch them!" added Dick, pleadingly.
"We'll do our level best, Mr. Rover. Nobody could do more."
Soon the throbbing of the engine showed that the tug was running under a full pressure of steam. The spray dashed all over the craft and those on board, but to this nobody paid attention. Every eye was riveted on the craft ahead.
Those on the motor boat were equally eager, and watched the pursuit with chagrin.
"Do you—er—think they will catch us?" asked Josiah Crabtree, nervously, not once but several times.
"I don't know—I hope not," answered Pally.
"Can't we run faster?"
"I am crowding her to the limit now."
"Do you know about motor boats? Perhaps Mr. Sobber knows more."
"I don't," answered Tad Sobber. "Wish I did."
"I know about 'em—I ran one for two summers," answered Jim Pally. "I'll leave 'em behind if it's in the boat to do it."
"Oh, please let me go!" cried Mrs. Stanhope, almost tearfully. "Mr. Crabtree, I do not want to go with you another step! Please let me go!"
"Keep quiet, Mrs. Stanhope, don't excite yourself," he answered, trying to soothe her. But he was so nervous his voice trembled as he spoke. He had not dreamed that the pursuit would become so swift and sure.
Closer and closer drew the steam tug, until those on board could plainly see all that was taking place on the motor boat.
"I command you to stop!" yelled Captain Wells. "Stop, or we'll run you down."
"No, no, don't you do that!" screamed Josiah Crabtree, in fright.
"Save me! Oh, save me!" screamed Mrs. Stanhope, and then, of a sudden, she sprang to her feet, leaped to the stern deck of the motor boat, and cast herself headlong into the waters of the bay.
The movement was so unexpected by the others on the Magnet that not a hand was raised to detain her. She went down, directly in the path of the oncoming tug.
"Stop! Back her!" screamed Dick, in horror, and Tom and Sam also yelled out a warning. There was a quick jangling of a bell, and the engine was stopped. Then the power was reversed, and the steam tug was steered to one side.
"There she is!" cried Tom, pointing with his hand, and the next instant came a splash, as Dick made a dive overboard. He, too, had seen Mrs. Stanhope floating near, and soon he had her in his arms and was supporting her.
The engine of the tug was now stopped, and a rope was thrown to the eldest Rover boy, and he and Mrs. Stanhope were hauled on board. As the lady was brought on deck, she fainted away, but in a few minutes she recovered.
"Thank heaven, she is safe!" murmured Dick.
"I'm thankful we didn't run her down!" added Captain Wells. "It was a close shave! We had to reverse like lightning."
"It was well done, sir," answered Sam.
"Couldn't have been better," came from Tom. "But, say, aren't we going after those rascals? Remember, even though we have rescued Mrs. Stanhope, they still have the fortune!"
"Sure, we are going after 'em!" cried Dick. "Go ahead!"
The order to proceed was given, but, much to the captain's chagrin, the tug refused to get up any speed. Then came a report from the engineer that the sudden reversing of the engine had broken some of the machinery. They could run, but it would have to be slowly.
"Then they'll get away after all!" groaned Sam. "And with that fortune, too!"
"Fortune?" came from Mrs. Stanhope, who was standing near the boiler, trying to dry her wet garments. "What about the fortune, boys?"
"Haven't they got that fortune with them?" questioned Tom, quickly.
"Oh, no, they buried it, in the cave on the Island," was the answer. "They didn't know I saw them, but I did. Tad Sobber and Mr. Crabtree said they would come back, after—after—" And here she blushed deeply.
"After old Crabtree had forced you to marry; him, I suppose," whispered Dick.
"Yes, Dick. But, oh! I didn't want to do it! He tried to hypnotize me, just as he tried to do years ago—but I fought him off as best I could!", answered Mrs. Stanhope, earnestly.
"He ought to be in prison again!" muttered Dick.
"If the fortune is on the island, let us go and get it," cried Sam. "We can't catch that motor boat anyway!" For the craft was now all but out of sight.
The steam tug was headed for Chesoque Island, and slowly made her way to the old dock. There the engineer and his assistant set to work to make the necessary repairs, while the three Rover boys and Mrs. Stanhope visited the cave. Once in the underground opening, the lady pointed out the spot where the valise containing the fortune had been secreted between the rocks.
"Here it is!" cried Tom, and dragged the valise to light.
"Open it and see if the fortune is safe!" came from Sam, in a voice he tried in vain to steady.
The key to the valise was missing, so the lock to the bag had to be broken open. Inside were the gold and precious stones.
"All here—or at least the greater portion of it," was Dick's comment, and he was right. Only about five hundred dollars in gold was missing, and two small diamonds—hardly worth mentioning beside the total value of the treasure.
"Hurrah!" shouted Tom. "We've beaten them after all! We've got the treasure!"
"And Mrs. Stanhope," added Dick. "We must send word to Dora and the others just as soon as we can!"
"It's a pity we didn't catch those rascals," murmured Sam.
"Oh, we'll get them some time!" said Dick. How they fell in with their enemies again will be related in another volume of this series, to be entitled, "The Rover Boys in the Air; or, From College Campus to the Clouds," a tale telling the particulars of several happenings far out of the ordinary.
While the steam tug was laid up for repairs, several of the party took a walk and looked for Koswell, Larkspur and Darkingham. But they looked in vain, for those rascals were thoroughly frightened, and kept themselves well hidden in the woods.
That evening found the Rover boys and Mrs. Stanhope in Portland, where they put up at one of the leading hotels. Messages were sent to Dora, the Lanings, and the Rovers at home, telling of the rescue of Mrs. Stanhope, and of the recovery of the fortune. Then Mrs. Stanhope told how she had been lured from her home and abducted, and then placed in the care of Mrs. Sobber, and how she had managed to mail the postal card.
"They treated me kindly enough," she said. "But they would not let me have my liberty, and I think they told outsiders that I was insane."
"That is just what they did," answered Dick.
A general alarm was sent out for Sobber, Crabtree and the others. But they kept in the dark and were not captured.
"Oh, how glad I shall be to get back home!" murmured Mrs. Stanhope, when the return was begun. "It seems an age since I went away!"
"Dora will be glad to see you," answered Dick.
"I owe you and your brothers a great deal, Dick!" she went on earnestly. "You are all noble young men!" And this earnest praise made all of the Rover boys blush.
The return to Cedarville was a great event. Dora clasped her mother in her arms and laughed and wept by turns, and then threw herself into Dick's embrace.
"Oh, Dick! It was splendid!" she cried. "Oh, I shall never forget it, never!" And then she kissed him right in front of everybody.
The Lanings were equally pleased, and Nellie and Grace were proud of the parts Tom and Sam had played in the affair.
"You are a regular hero!" said Nellie to Tom, and gave him a glance that thrilled him through and through.
"And we shall always remember what you did!" added Grace, to Sam.
"You did better than the authorities," was Mr. Anderson Rover's comment.
"The authorities did nothing," added Mr. Laning. "If it hadn't been for your boys——" And then he bobbed his head enthusiastically. "Great lads! fine lads!" he added.
"Whoop!" cried Tom, in sudden high spirits, and catching Sam by the arms and whirling him around. "Say, I suppose now we can go back and finish that vacation, eh?"
"Sure thing, Tom!" cried Sam.
And then both set up a merry whistle; and here let us take our leave and say good-bye.
THE END