That very afternoon all of the campers made their way to the spot, and Clint, as well as several other contestants for the photograph prize, managed to get several pictures of the “monkey shack” as the boys called it. They took inside views also, with the array of recovered articles in plain sight, as a reminder of the thievish propensities of the big ape.
Several days later some one was discovered making gestures, and signalling from the mainland. Upon this a couple of the boys rowed over and found that two men had arrived in a sort of wagon, that could be also called a cage.
This was the circus proprietor and one of his assistants, who had come to get the valuable animal that had been loose so long. The proprietor brought a letter from Mr. Capes, as had been agreed upon. This told of the reward of two hundred dollars which had been offered for the capture of the gorilla, and which the proprietor had agreed to pay to the boys in camp.
After some little time the experienced circus men managed to get the gorilla into the cage. Dick suspected that they made use of chloroform or something of that nature, though he was never sure about it, because no one was allowed to accompany them when they went to the pit.
On the following day the two skiffs were fastened together, and in this way served as a ferryboat to take the cage and its occupant across to where the wagon awaited them.
The money in cash was handed to Dick, greatly to the delight of Dan and the rest of the boys; for it had been decided that the reward was to go into the club treasury for future needs.
This was not all the good fortune that came their way. Mr. Holwell had insisted in redeeming his word, and he placed ten dollars in Dick’s hand when he was handed his valued gold watch, unharmed save by a single scratch that would always serve to bring the exciting events of the occasion fresh to his mind.
Not to be outdone, Dan also handed his “magnificent reward” over, swelling the aggregate receipts of the treasury by another ten cents. And later on, when the sportsmen from Creston were communicated with and told the wonderful story, they sent twenty-five dollars to Mr. Bartlett for the boys of the Cliffwood Y. M. C. A. with their compliments.
Returning again to the afternoon just after the ape had been trapped, it can be easily understood that there were many lighter hearts in the camp, now that all danger of a night visit from the gorilla was past.
Nat and his two cronies in particular seemed to have recovered their lost nerve—a fact that Dick was none too glad to see, for he half feared Mr. Bartlett might have trouble with the trio after Mr. Holwell left. Still, as the loyal ones were so overwhelmingly in the majority it hardly seemed likely that Nat would try any of his tricks, with the odds so greatly against him.