“As a matter of fact, yes. She would have sailed at midnight for Toledo to load coal had I not received Bronson’s wire.”
“For Toledo?” exclaimed Mrs. Atwood. “Why can’t you load here, and then the boys would have plenty of time to enjoy the falls and inspect the power-house on the Canadian side? I thought it was your policy never to send a boat up Lake Erie empty when you could help it?”
“This is one of the times when it cannot be helped. There is a report that some one has put dynamite in the coal at the docks, and none of the fleet managers, certainly I do not, care to run the risk of losing any boat by loading here. But come on, boys, we are only losing time by talking. Will you go with us, my dear?” and Mr. Atwood looked at his wife. Ere she could reply, however, Phil spoke. “We could not think of causing any more delay, Mr. Atwood,” he declared. “It was more than kind of you to hold the boat as long as you have. We’ll leave Niagara as a sight for the future; it won’t do to see everything at once, there’ll be nothing left, you know.”
The look of relief that showed on Mr. Atwood’s face at the words made both boys glad they had renounced the trip to the Falls. And after thanking Mrs. Atwood for her hospitality, they followed the ship-owner to the piazza, expecting to see his automobile ready to take them to the dock.
“We will go out to the Admiral in my launch,” said he, reading the boys’ thoughts. “It will save any unpleasantness along the waterfront.” And without more ado he set out at a brisk pace along a path which led through spacious grounds to a float at the shore of Lake Erie.
As they proceeded, they met several big powerful men, with whom their host spoke, and saw several others in the distance, evidently patrolling the estate.
Their presence, coupled with the incident at the station and Mr. Atwood’s remark about the coal, suddenly filled the boys with an appreciation of the gravity of the situation, and they could not but admire the manner in which the ship-owner went about his business when he knew his movements were fraught with a danger so menacing that police offered him escort protection and watchmen guarded his home.
“Don’t you think we’d better go by train?” whispered Ted to his brother.
“And let Mr. Atwood and Mr. Bronson and Dr. Blair think we are ‘quitters’ after all the trouble to which they have been put?” retorted Phil.
“I hadn’t thought of that,” returned the younger boy.