It was surely growing very interesting. Jack felt that he was being treated to a real life drama of the most thrilling description. When the boys decided to come to the St. Lawrence river for their summer outing, not one among them dreamed that before they left that region of many islands they would have run up against a series of strange adventures well worthy of being given a place in the log of the motor boat club.
Indeed, all the trouble they had anticipated was possibly frequent ructions with Tricky Clarence and his side partner, Bully Joe Brinker.
At thought of the two a sudden idea seemed to flash through the mind of Jack. He remembered the event of the dark boat, when Herb and Dick were given such a fright. At the time he had wondered whether Clarence, on his own account, could have ventured to dash by at full speed, and come within an ace of smashing into the Comfort. The new idea was along the line that perhaps the two boys might have fallen into the hands of the smugglers, who were using the Flash to suit their evil purposes!
It was so stunning a thought that Jack felt his very breath taken away. Yet after all was there anything utterly improbable about it? These men must be daring after their fashion. They were being hunted all the time by shrewd government agents; and consequently must adopt new methods of carrying on their business.
And if it were indeed true, would it not account for many things—the white face of Clarence at the time he passed the boys who were fishing—his refusal to even answer the wave of the hand they gave him—he may have been in no position at the time to appear jovial, or even half-way friendly.
Voices again!
Jack moved up to his crack, prepared to see all there was going on. Such a glorious opportunity did not come across the path of most fellows, off on their summer vacation; and he ought to improve the golden chance to the limit.
It would be folly not to admit that the boy was trembling as he crouched there, for he never denied the fact himself. But after all it was more the excitement of the adventure than any bodily fear on his part that caused this.
He had hardly settled himself comfortably when through the doorway came a stooping figure. It was a man bearing a package on his back. This he deposited on the earthen floor, and turned to assist a second fellow whose bundle seemed of even larger dimensions than the first.
One of them had also fetched a shovel along, which had a long handle. This the leader seized upon eagerly, and commenced digging in a certain corner, first removing the accumulated straw, which was apparently used as a means for hiding signs of recent disturbance.