THE OUTDOOR CHUMS ON THE LAKE

CHAPTER I—THE BURNING STEAMBOAT

“Hurry up, and give the signal, Frank!”

“Yes, let’s get the agony over with—either Bluff is a better all-round paddler than I am, or else he has to take water, that’s all!”

“Please hold your horses till I get a good focus on you, fellows!” called Will Milton, the official photographer of the Rod, Gun and Camera Club.

He stood on a little private dock, overlooking Lake Camalot, and manipulated his camera with the air of a professional.

“Sorry, but you’ll have to wait a bit now, boys,” replied Frank Langdon, the judge, who was also seated in a cedar canoe very like those of the contestants, only it was built for two, his mate being Will.

“What’s gone wrong now, Frank?” demanded Jerry Wallington, with his double-bladed paddle poised for the first dip.

“Why, look at the Eastern Star—she’s making her first Spring trip around the lake, and heads in a line to cut you off your course,” declared the referee.

“So much the worse for the poor old boat; we’ll just have to run her down,” calmly observed the youth called Bluff.

“I was only thinking of your being swamped in the rough water she leaves in her wake. Better relax your muscles for a few minutes, you impatient braves.”

“Talk to me about your hard luck, what d’ye think of that? Why, the plagued old boat’s just gone and stopped where she blocks us off in our little spin,” grumbled Jerry, in plain disgust.

“That settles it, then; we’ll surely have to sink her,” remarked Bluff.

“Hold on before you think of that. I’m afraid there’s something wrong aboard, for Captain Amos would never stop out there on the lake—at least I never knew him to do such a thing before,” said Frank, standing up in the canoe to see better.

“Say, fellows, isn’t that smoke coming out of the cabin?” demanded Will.

“Smoke—why, perhaps the old tinderbox is afire!” ejaculated Bluff.

“Let’s paddle out and see; perhaps we can be of some help!” cried Jerry.

“Come on, then!”

“Hey! you fellers hold on; where do I come in?” shouted Will.

“You stay on the dock and get a snapshot of the whole circus!” answered the unfeeling Jerry, as he spurted away, urging his dainty craft along with rapid strokes of his spruce blade.

“Marooned, I declare,” muttered Will; “but perhaps I can improve the opportunity and get a picture that will go down in the history of steamboating on Lake Camalot.”

The three lads fairly flew over the intervening water, which was almost smooth, as the breeze hardly created a ripple on the surface.

Frank, having a larger boat to manage, fell behind a trifle; but his arms were seasoned in all manner of work, and he kept tagging along close in the rear.

Apparently there was need for alarm, as the smoke had rapidly increased in volume, and was now pouring out of the little steamer.

At the same time they could plainly hear the shouts of excited men; while the shriller voices that arose told that there were women passengers aboard.

Dashing up to the side of the boat the boys scrambled aboard, hastily securing their canoes to any object that promised temporary anchorage.

Then they hurried to the cabin.

Here they found a scene of the utmost confusion. Men were trying to dash buckets of water upon the fire, which seemed to have gotten quite a foothold. It even looked as though the first trip of the little Eastern Star this season would prove to be her last.

Captain Amos was plainly badly rattled by this sudden emergency, though he was working like a trooper to extinguish the flames, and leading his two assistants, the engineer and deckhand, in gallant rushes almost into the fire, where the contents of the buckets they carried seemed to do little or no good.

Frank Langdon was possessed of a cool head in emergencies that called for tact. He made an astonishing discovery as soon as he arrived upon the scene of action. This consisted of the fact that in the tremendous excitement, with the passengers shrieking in his ears, the captain had entirely forgotten the fact that the boat was equipped with fire extinguishers.

“Here, fellows, get busy, strap this on my back, and then get another. We’ve got to put out this fire or some one will be burned to death, or drowned. Don’t let any woman jump overboard!” he exclaimed.

Jerry and Bluff seemed to catch some of the spirit that animated their leader. They succeeded in fastening the extinguisher to his back, even though their hands trembled while so doing.

No sooner had this been done before Frank was off, rushing directly toward the spot where the flames seemed to have taken hold most fiercely.

It was rather appalling, but somehow or other the sight of the brave boy, equipped for mastering the mounting flames, caused a little cheer to arise from the excited passengers.

As soon as the prepared liquid from the little apparatus began to spread over the fire, its ardor was immediately checked. By the time Jerry rushed alongside, similarly equipped, Frank was getting the better of the conflagration.

“Don’t stop with the water, Captain Amos!” shouted Frank, knowing that if their extinguishers gave out before the fire was fully under control it might spring up again into new life.

“Away, boys! Hand up the buckets!” cried the captain.

Several of the male passengers, having by now partly recovered from their panic, started in to assist. Between the whole lot the water came faster, and in less than ten minutes the fire was practically out.

There had been some damage done, but nothing to seriously injure the steamboat; and a carpenter could make repairs while the vessel was covering a few daily runs in this balmy April weather.

Captain Amos now found a chance to rush up to Frank, and shake his hand vigorously.

He was a bluff chap, not much older than Frank, a very good steamboatman, only that he seemed apt to lose his head in a crisis, which after all, must be a grave fault.

“Bully for you, Frank! Your coming saved the boat, I believe. I’ll never forget it, I tell you. Was just about to lay hold of those fire extinguishers when your crowd forestalled me. It was a rough deal all around. With those women shrieking, and holding on to me, begging me to save them, a fellow might be excused for being a little slow to do the right thing. And you, too, Jerry and Bluff—shake hands!”

“What set the boat afire?” asked the curious Bluff, immediately.

The captain shook his head.

“I don’t believe it was an accident. We have always been mighty careful about leaving any waste around where it could start into a flame. Besides, if you notice, boys, you can see that it started close to the cabin, and not near the boiler.”

Captain Amos involuntarily lowered his voice and glanced suspiciously around while speaking. His manner thrilled the boys as they had seldom been before.

“Not an accident! Tell me about that, will you? Do you mean that you believe some one set the boat afire?” exclaimed Jerry.

“Don’t speak so loud, please. That is what I think. Unless it was intentional, I can’t imagine how the thing started,” answered the young captain, who was still much excited after his recent experience.

“But it seems monstrous. Who would be guilty of such a terrible thing?” asked Frank, possibly dimly suspecting