The Rover Boys on the Great Lakes; Or, The Secret of the Island Cave Read online

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  THE BLAZE REVEALED A LARGE MASS OF LUMBER RISING ANDFALLING ON THE TURBULENT WATERS.--_Frontispiece_]

  THE ROVER BOYS ON THE GREAT LAKES

  OR

  _THE SECRET OF THE ISLAND CAVE_

  BY

  ARTHUR M. WINFIELD (Edward Stratemeyer)

  AUTHOR OF THE ROVER BOYS AT SCHOOL, THE ROVER BOYS ON THE OCEAN, THEPUTNAM HALL SERIES, ETC.

  _ILLUSTRATED_

  INTRODUCTION.

  MY DEAR BOYS: This volume, "The Rover Boys on the Great Lakes," is acomplete story in itself, but forms the fifth volume of the Rover BoysSeries for Young Americans.

  When first I started this series with "The Rover Boys at School," I hadno idea of extending the line beyond three or four volumes. But thesecond book, "The Rover Boys on the Ocean," immediately called for athird, "The Rover Boys in the Jungle," and this finished, many boyswanted to know what would happen next, and so I must needs give them"The Rover Boys Out West." Still they were not satisfied; hence thevolume now in your hands.

  So far we have followed the doings of Dick, Tom, and Sam at dear oldPutnam Hall, with many larks and sports; then out upon the broadAtlantic in a daring chase which came pretty close to ending in saddisaster; next into the interior of Africa on a quest of graveimportance; and lastly out into the mountainous regions of the wildWest, to locate a mining claim belonging to Mr. Anderson Rover.

  In the present tale the scene is shifted to the Great Lakes. The threeboys go on a pleasure tour and, while on Lake Erie, fall in with an oldenemy, who concocts a scheme for kidnapping Dick, who had fallenoverboard from his yacht in a storm. This scheme leads to manyadventures, the outcome of which will be found in the pages thatfollow.

  In placing this volume in my young readers hands I can but repeat whatI have said before: that I am extremely grateful to all for the kindreception given the other Rover Boys stories. I sincerely trust thepresent tale meets with equal commendation.

  Affectionately and sincerely yours,

  EDWARD STRATEMEYER.

  _April_ 12, 1901

  CONTENTS.

  INTRODUCTION I. A STORM ON LAKE ERIE II. THE DISAPPEARANCE OF DICK III. ON A LUMBER RAFT IV. IN THE HANDS OF THE ENEMY V. THE SAILING OF THE "PEACOCK" VI. HUNTING FOR DICK VII. THE ESCAPE OF ARNOLD BAXTER VIII. ON THE LAKE AGAIN IX. CAUGHT IN A TRAP X. THE ESCAPE FROM THE HOLD XI. GAINING A POINT XII. A DINNER OF IMPORTANCE XIII. PRISONERS THREE XIV. DICK MAKES HIS ESCAPE XV. WHAT THE LAME MAN KNEW XVI. OFF FOR NEEDLE POINT ISLAND XVII. A CAVE AND A SNAKE XVIII. COFFEE FOR THREE XIX. AN ASTONISHING DISCOVERY XX. JOSIAH CRABTREE'S GAME XXI. TOM BRINGS ONE ENEMY TO TERMS XXII. THE SECRET OF THE ISLAND CAVE XXIII. THE BAXTERS ARE FOLLOWED XXIV. AN ENCOUNTER IN THE DARK XXV. BEACHING THE "WELLINGTON" XXVI. CRABTREE JOINS THE BAXTERS XXVII. HOW TOM WAS CAPTUREDXXVIII. THE BAXTERS TALK IT OVER XXIX. DORA STANHOPE APPEARS XXX. HOME AGAIN--CONCLUSION

  THE ROVER BOYS ON THE GREAT LAKES.

  CHAPTER I.

  A STORM ON LAKE ERIE.

  "Dick, do you notice how the wind is freshening?"

  "Yes, Sam, I've been watching it for ten minutes. I think we are in fora storm."

  "Exactly my idea, and I shouldn't be surprised if it proved a heavyone, too. How far are we from shore?"

  "Not over three miles, to my reckoning."

  "Perhaps we had better turn back," and Sam Rover, the youngest of thethree Rover brothers, shook his head doubtfully.

  "Oh, I reckon we'll be safe enough," responded Dick Rover, who wasseveral years older. "I know more about sailing a yacht than I did whenwe followed up the Baxters on the Atlantic Ocean."

  "The poor Baxters!" put in Tom Rover, who stood close by, also watchingthe wind, and the heavy clouds rolling up from the westward. "Who eversupposed that they would be buried alive in that landslide on themountain in Colorado?"

  "It was a terrible fate," came, with a shudder, from Dick Rover. "But,nevertheless, I am glad we are rid of those rascals. They caused fatherand us trouble enough, goodness knows."

  "And they brought trouble enough to Dora Stanhope and her mother, too,"observed Sam. "By the way, Dick, weren't Dora and her mother going totake a trip on these lakes this summer?"

  "Of course Dora was," put in Tom, with a sly wink. "If she wasn't, whatdo you suppose would bring Dick here? He got a letter only last week--"

  "Oh, stow it, Tom!" cried the elder Rover, his face growing red. "Youwanted to take a trip on the Great Lakes as much as anybody--said youwouldn't like anything better, and told all the fellows at Putnam Hallso, too."

  "Well, I don't know as I would like anything better," rattled on Tom."The _Swallow_ seems to be a first-class craft, and I've no doubtbut what we'll see lots to interest us in this trip from Buffalo toLake Superior."

  "When are the Stanhopes coming out?" asked Sam.

  "I can't say, exactly," replied Dick. "I expect another letter fromthem when we reach Cleveland. In the last letter Dora said her motherwas not feeling as well as before."

  "A trip on the lakes ought to do her good."

  "Wonder if old Josiah Crabtree has been bothering her with hisattentions?" came from Tom. "Gosh! how anxious he was to marry her andget hold of the money she is holding in trust for Dora."

  "Crabtree's term of imprisonment ran out only last week, Tom. Hecouldn't annoy her while he was in jail."

  "He ought to have been given five years for the way he used them, andus. It's strange what an influence he had over Mrs. Stanhope."

  "He's something of a hypnotist, and she seems to be just the right kindof a subject for him. His coming from prison is one reason why Dorawanted to get her mother away. She isn't going to let outsiders know ofthe trip, so old Crabtree won't know where they are."

  "He'll find out, if he can," remarked Sam. "He always was a nosy oldchap."

  "If he tries any game on, I'll settle him in short order," came fromDick, with determination. "We've put up with enough from him in thepast, and I don't intend to give him any leeway in the future."

  "Leeway?" burst out Tom. "Not a foot! Not an inch! I haven't forgottenhow he treated me when he was a teacher at Putnam Hall. I wonder thatCaptain Putnam didn't kick him out long before he was made to go."

  A sudden rush of wind cut the conversation short at this point, sendingthe _Swallow_ bowling along merrily. The clouds were increasingrapidly, and Dick ordered that all the sails be closely reefed.

  "We don't want to lose our mast," he observed.

  "We don't want to lose anything," answered Sam. "For my part, I wish wewere back in Buffalo harbor."

  "Oh! we'll run along all right," came from Tom. "Don't get scaredbefore you are hurt." He looked at his watch. "Half-past five! I didn'tthink it was so late."

  "It will be dark before long," said Dick. "Perhaps the blow will godown with the setting of the sun."

  "We'll never know when the sun sets--excepting by the almanac,"murmured Sam. "It's as black as ink already, over to the westward."

  To keep up his courage Tom Rover began to whistle, but soon the soundwas drowned out by the high piping of the wind, as it tore over thedeck and through the rigging of the _Swallow_. They were certainlyin for a storm, and a heavy one at that.

  It was the middle of July, and the Rover boys had journeyed from ValleyBrook, their country home, to Buffalo, a week before, for a six-weeks'outing upon the Great Lakes previous to their returning to Putnam Hallfor the fall and winter term. Their thrilling adventures in Colo
rado,as told in "The Rover Boys Out West," had taxed them severely, andtheir father, Mr. Anderson Rover, felt that they needed the recreation.At first he had wished them to remain at the farm, and so had theirUncle Randolph Rover and their motherly Aunt Martha, but this had beenvoted "too slow" by the three brothers, and it was decided that theyshould go to Buffalo, charter a small yacht, and do as they pleaseduntil the opening of school.

  "Only please keep out of danger," had been Mr. Rover's pleading words."You have been in peril enough." And the boys had promised to do theirbest, little dreaming of the many adventures and dangers ahead.

  The boys knew very little about the lakes, and at the last moment hadinvited Larry Colby, an old schoolmate, to accompany them on theouting. Larry had spent two summers on Lake Huron and Lake Superior,and knew both bodies of water fairly well. But the lad could not comeon at once, and so had sent word that he would join the party atSandusky, some time later. Larry's father was rich, so the expense oftraveling counted for nothing.

  With the boys, however, went one individual with whom all our oldreaders are well acquainted. This was Alexander Pop, the colored manwho had once been a waiter at Putnam Hall, and who was now a servant tothe Rovers in general and the three boys in particular. The boys haddone much in the past for Aleck, as they called him, and Pop was sogreatly attached to the youths that he was ready at all times to doanything they desired.

  "I dun lub dem Rober boys, aint no ust ter talk," Pop would say. "Demis de most up-to-date boys in de world, dat's wot, and da did dis yeahniggah a good turn wot he aint forgittin' in a hurry, too." What thatgood turn was has already been related in full in "The Rover Boys inthe Jungle." Pop was now installed on board the _Swallow_ as cookand general helper, a position he was well fitted to fill.

  The boys had laid out a grand trip, and one which certainly promised agood deal of pleasure. The first stop was to be at Cleveland, and fromthat city they were to go to Sandusky, and then up the lake and throughthe Detroit River to Detroit. Here a short stay was to be made, andthen the journey was to be resumed through Lake St. Clair and the St.Clair River to Lake Huron. Once on Lake Huron they expected to skirtthe eastern coast of Michigan, stopping whenever they pleased, and thusgradually make their way to Whitefish Bay and Lake Superior. What theywould do when Lake Superior was reached would depend upon how much timewas left for the outing.

  The _Swallow_ was a well-built, sturdy craft, fifty feet long andcorrespondingly broad of beam. She had been constructed for a pleasureboat and had all of the latest improvements. She belonged to a rich manof Buffalo, who had known the Rovers for years. The rich man was nowtraveling in Europe, and had been only too glad to charter the yachtfor a period of six weeks. When the Rover boys were through with hershe was to be placed in charge of the rich man's boatman, who was totake her back to Buffalo.

  The start on Lake Erie had been full of pleasure. The yacht had a goodsupply of provisions on board, and everybody was in the best ofspirits. Aleck Pop had brought along his banjo, and on the firstevening out had given them half a dozen plantation songs, for he was agood singer as well as player. On the day following the breeze had diedaway and they had all gone fishing, with fair success. This was thethird day out, and since noon the wind had been blowing at a livelyrate, helping them to make good time on their course toward Cleveland.Now the wind was blowing little short of a gale, and the sky wasgrowing blacker each instant.

  "We are in for it, beyond a doubt," said Dick, with a serious shake ofhis head.

  Every inch of canvas had been taken in, yet the _Swallow_ spunalong before the wind rapidly, ever and anon dipping her bow deeplyinto the white-caps, which now showed themselves upon all sides.

  "Here she comes!" burst out Tom suddenly. "Hold hard, everybody!"

  And then the storm burst upon them in all of its fury--a storm whichlasted all night, and one which the Rover boys never forgot.