Dan Carter, Cub Scout, and the River Camp Read online

  CHAPTER 15 The Pay-Off

  Dan was hurled violently into the foaming water. As he went under, heheld his breath and instinctively turned his head upward.

  After what seemed an eternity, his face emerged from the water.

  But the boy was helpless, bound hand and foot. He rolled over on hisback, trying to float. The gag in his mouth had become water soaked. Hebegan to choke.

  This, he thought, was it.

  As black despair claimed him, a hand reached out of nowhere to supporthis back. The gag was jerked from his mouth so that he could breathagain. Gratefully, he sucked in big mouthfuls of air.

  Twisting his head, Dan saw that it was Jacques who had saved him. The boywas treading water beside him, supporting his body with his left hand.

  "Lie still," Jacques commanded. "I tow you. Police boat come. Pick usup."

  Even as he spoke, the powerful beam from the approaching launchspotlighted the water about them. A moment later, both boys were hauledaboard.

  "Jacques, you saved me," Dan murmured gratefully as the other boy bent tounfasten the ropes which bound him. "Thanks."

  Gravely they shook hands and wrung the water from their drippinggarments.

  "And you deliberately crashed the boat so the police would catch up withus," Dan added. "Why, Jacques?"

  The boy shrugged. "Only way," he answered briefly.

  After freeing Dan, Jacques watched anxiously while police picked up hisuncle, Frisk Fagan and Joe Matt. The three had saved themselves byclinging to the sinking motorboat.

  Before the men could release the boxes of stolen furs, police had themcovered. They were forced aboard the launch, and the smashed motorboattaken in tow. Fagan's forehead was cut and Jabowski nursed an injuredarm. Otherwise the crash had left them unscathed.

  "This was your fault!" Joe Matt accused Jacques savagely as a policemansnapped handcuffs on his wrists. "Yellow rat! I wish I'd let you go thattime you sneaked away!"

  During the ride back to the dock, police officers took detailedstatements from both Dan and Jacques. The later spoke in broken Englishand had difficulty in telling his story.

  However, he revealed that in recent weeks he had been held virtually aprisoner at Skeleton Island. Brought to America from France by his uncle,everything had gone well until Jabowski had fallen in with evilcompanions.

  On the night that the Cubs had found him lying exhausted on the beach,the boy had been assigned to carry a message in code to Joe Matt.

  "And what did that message say?" Dan asked. "I figured out only the firstword before it was snatched from the Cave."

  "Coming through 24," Jacques revealed. "Today the 24th."

  "That meant the fur shipment?"

  Jacques nodded, explaining that the message, relayed by tip-off men tohis uncle, had been intended for Joe Matt. But instead of delivering it,the boy had made up his mind to run away.

  "I leap from my uncle's boat and swim away in dark," he added. "Reachshore. Hard swim."

  "You were plenty tired when we found you," Dan recalled. "I understandnow why you were unwilling to talk. You were deeply involved with youruncle and the gang."

  "Uncle good to me," Jacques said simply. "Bring me to America."

  "I get the picture now," Dan said. "Without meaning to, I let Joe Mattknow you were staying at the Cave. He came there and made you return toyour uncle, didn't he?"

  Jacques nodded, his eyes on the shore lights which now were close by.

  "That explains those peculiar circular marks in the sand," Dan went onpiecing the story together. "They were made by Joe Matt's cane! Oh, hewas clever, pretending to be blind. All the while, he picked upinformation and relayed it to members of the ring. Hank considered him afriend!"

  The launch reached the dock and the three prisoners were herded ashore.Hank Hawkins, having revived from the blow Joe Matt had struck, readilyidentified the boxes of furs as the ones stolen from his company.

  "Another one of the gang got away!" he told police excitedly. "He pulledout in a taxi cab."

  "That would be Paper Bag Eddie," Dan informed. "The driver of the cab wasin on the deal too."

  "We'll get 'em both," the boy was assured. "If not tonight, within a dayor two. Eddie is the key man of a ring of river pirates. The gang iscomposed of tip-off men, highjackers, a lawyer and a bail bondsman. Alsoa fence or two who sell the loot. But we'll round 'em up in time."

  All three prisoners and Jacques as well, were taken to the police stationto be booked on larceny charges. However, officers assured Jacques thathe would not be held for trial, providing he would testify against JoeMatt and other members of the gang. This the boy agreed to do.

  Dan's narrow escape at the hands of the river pirates became the talk ofWebster City during the next few days. Especially was his adventure thechief topic of conversation among the Cubs of both Dens 1 and 2.

  "You're a hero, Dan," Brad told him proudly. "Why, you brought that gangto heel single-handed!"

  "Don't give me that line," Dan laughed. "I was just an unwillingpassenger. Jacques was the one who brought about the capture. To do it hehad to turn his own uncle in and risk prison himself. That kid sure haswhat it takes."

  "He's a Cub too," Brad said proudly. "He joined in France. Mr. Hatfield'strying to make arrangements to keep him here in Webster City."

  "Maybe he'll join our Den!"

  "Here's hoping. He'll be a live wire, that's certain."

  As both boys knew, Jacques had been released on probation to Mr.Hatfield. Temporarily, the French lad was living in the Cub leader's homewhere he would remain until called to testify in court.

  Three days elapsed. At the end of that time the Cubs were elated to learnthat Paper Bag Eddie had been captured in a neighboring city. Thereafter,one by one, other members of the ring were arrested and returned toWebster City to face charges.

  "Now that the entire gang is in the jug, I feel a lot safer," Danremarked one night to Brad. The two boys had arrived early at the Caveprior to a Den meeting at which Jacques was to be taken in as a member."For awhile, I couldn't look a sack of popcorn in the face!"

  One by one, the Cubs and their parents began to arrive for the meeting.Mr. Hatfield started it off with a little talk. First he told the boyshow proud he was that Den 2 had won the swimming meet and the silvertrophy which now graced a table in the Cave.

  Next the Cub leader paid tribute to Dan for his coolness in the face ofdanger. Finally he spoke of the Cub ideals and the honor of theorganization.

  "A real Cub always is square," he emphasized, smiling across the room atJacques. "Crooked people are unfair, even to themselves. So the Cubfollows the law of God and man. I commend Jacques for being true to theideals he was taught as a Cub. The organization is proud to claim him asa member."

  "Three cheers for Jacques!" proposed Dan.

  The Cubs gave them with a will. Mr. Hatfield was on the verge ofproposing a song, when footsteps were heard on the steps leading up tothe Cave.

  Everyone turned to see Mr. Manheim standing in the doorway. The owner ofSkeleton Island looked a little embarrassed.

  "Hope I'm not intruding," he said awkwardly.

  "Certainly not, Mr. Manheim," the Cub leader replied. "The Cubs alwaysare pleased to have visitors."

  "Matter of fact, I came here on business," the island owner said,entering the clubroom. "May I have permission to speak a few words?"

  "The floor is yours," the Cub leader told him.

  Mr. Manheim faced the circle of Cubs. He cleared his throat and thenbegan:

  "Boys, I owe you an apology. I've meant to come here before, but thetruth is, I've been ashamed. You all know what happened at SkeletonIsland. My man Jabowski, in whom I placed great trust, deceived me."

  Suddenly made aware that Jacques was in the group, Mr. Manheim coughed inembarrassment and added quickly: "But that is not what I came here tosay. I apologize to the Cubs for misjudging them. Events have provenconclusively that D
an Carter was right and that I was wrong."

  "Under the circumstance, your mistake was natural, Mr. Manheim," the Cubleader said politely. "After all, the Cubs were a trifle hasty in theiractions."

  The island owner waved aside the apology. "This is what I really came tosay. I hope the Cubs will forget that I ever ordered them away from theisland. I'm engaging a new caretaker, and the property is yours to usewhenever you like."

  "That's most generous of you, Mr. Manheim," the Cub leader thanked him.

  "Furthermore, I'm deeding the camp site to the Scouts without charge.It's the least I can do to make amends."

  The island owner's generosity delighted the Cubs. Dan proposed a cheerfor Mr. Manheim which was given with a will.

  "One thing more," the island owner said. "I understand that Mr.Holloway's sailboat was struck either by my motorboat or one whichclosely resembled it. In either case, Jabowski was mixed up in theaffair. I'll send my check to cover the damage."

  "It really isn't necessary," Mr. Holloway protested.

  "I want to do it," Mr. Manheim insisted. "Shall we say it eases myconscience? Well, good-bye boys. I'll see you at the new camp." With afriendly wave of his hand, he departed.

  The Cub meeting now ended quietly with the singing of "The Star SpangledBanner." After the last note had died away, the boys clustered aboutJacques to grasp his hand and welcome him to the organization.

  "Very glad to be a Cub," the boy grinned. "Glad to be American too."

  "Don't think we aren't tickled to have you!" Brad said warmly.

  "Oh, we'll have wonderful times next summer at Skeleton Island," Danadded with an air of deep satisfaction. He linked arms with Jacques andBrad as the boys trooped out of the Cave. "Best of all, we've proved toMr. Manheim that Cubs really know their stuff!"

  Transcriber's Notes

  --Silently corrected a few typos (but left nonstandard spelling and dialect as is).

  --Rearranged front matter to a more-logical streaming order.