CHAPTER XXII
FENN’S MISHAP
Fenn had not gone very far, in pursuit of the two Chinamen and their white companion, before he became aware that he was not as strong as he thought he was. In his legs there was strange trembling, and his head felt dizzy.
“I guess I was sicker than I imagined,” he said to himself, as he kept doggedly on. “But I’ll trail ’em. I’m going to find out where they are staying, how they get to the cliff, and what it’s all about.”
Ahead of him Fenn could hear the trio making their way through the underbrush. They seemed to be following some trail, as there was a faintly-defined path through the woods at this point.
“They must be preparing to smuggle in a shipload of Chinese,” thought Fenn. “Probably it’s the same gang we scared off farther down the lake. They’ve come up here. Oh, if I had some way of sending word to a government detective, I could catch ’em in the very act! But, if I can find out where the landing place is I can show the officers how to get to it. That is, if they don’t take the alarm and skip out. They must know me by this time.”
The trail was becoming more difficult to follow. It still led toward the lake and Fenn was sure he was on the right track. Already he had visions of what he would do with the reward money, after he had given his chums their shares.
“Whew! But I’m getting tired!” exclaimed the lad, after making his way through a particularly thick bit of underbrush. “I wish some of the fellows were along to take up the chase. I wonder if they’re going much farther?”