Part 24 (1/2)

”You let the newspapers alone,” advised Captain Joe. ”They have advertised you boys, and the _Rambler_, and the bulldog, and the bear, from one end of this river to the other.”

”Well, what do you think about this advice given by the chief?” asked Clay. ”We ought to reach some conclusion immediately.”

”You came down here to find that lost channel, didn't you?” asked Uncle Joe with a twinkle in his eyes.

”We came down here to look for it,” answered the boy.

”Well, then,” continued Captain Joe, ”we'll go and look for it.”

”That's what I thought!” cried Case.

”I wouldn't turn back now for a million!” yelled Alex.

”Boys,” smiled Captain Joe, ”I never knew any one to get rich by changing plans every time some fool friend advanced a contrary opinion. When you make up your mind to do a thing, you go right on and do it. Did you ever notice the bulldog when he gets into a sc.r.a.p?”

”I've seen him in several sc.r.a.ps,” answered Clay.

”Well,” went on the captain, ”when the bulldog gets into a fight, the harder they chew him the tighter he hangs on, and that's about the way all the money and reputations have been made in this combative world.”

”Oh, we hadn't any idea of turning back,” Clay hastened to say. ”I only wanted to know what the others thought about it.”

”Well you found out pretty quick,” laughed Jule. ”Why, we've had four or five days that we haven't had a fight, or seen a midnight prowler, or been dumped on a sand bar, or experienced any other pleasant little incident of that description. I was actually beginning to fear that our river trip from this time on would be one long sweet dream.”

The boys pa.s.sed another restful night and were up with the sun. The first thing Alex did after bathing and dressing was to spring to the pier and start off into the city.

”Here, here!” cried Captain Joe. ”We don't allow little boys to go wandering off alone! If you've got to go, I'm going with you.”

”That's fine!” shouted Alex, capering about on his toes. ”Come along, and we'll take the old town to pieces to see what makes it tick.”

”I'm going uptown,” Alex explained as they mounted one of the sidling streets which led up from the river, ”to buy a porterhouse steak that weighs ten pounds. This will be our last chance.”

”Now,” said Captain Joe mildly, ”don't you think a porterhouse steak weighing nine pounds and a half would be enough for our breakfast?”

”But we ain't going to have this steak for breakfast,” Alex protested.

”I'm going to put this steak in that cute little cold air refrigerator of ours and when wet get down to Cartier island, I'm going to cook a beefsteak a la brigand. If you eat a steak cooked in that way once, you'll never want one cooked any other way. It's simply great!”

”It's a new one on me,” replied Captain Joe.

”Oh, well,” Alex said, ”I'll show you all about cooking it when the time comes. When we get back to the South Branch, you can have one every day if you want it. We can get pretty good porterhouse in Chicago.”

The two strolled through the city for a couple of hours, buying vegetables, condensed milk, tinned goods, fresh fruit and meats.

Later, when the provisions were delivered to the _Rambler_ at the foot of the pier, Case declared that Alex had spent money enough to take them all over Europe. Alex was somewhat disappointed to think that he had not encountered Max in the city, but did not inform his chums how keenly he had watched for him.

”What did the chief of police say about Max?” asked the boy as they returned to the boat. ”You forgot to say anything about that.”

”Sure I did,” answered Clay. ”Well, he said that Max had blossomed out in a suit that must have cost a hundred, with a big roll of money in his pocket. He said, too, that he had strutted around the city for a few days and then suddenly disappeared. It is the opinion of the chief that the boy, who is by no means as young as he looks, went down the river to Cartier island.”

”I really hope he has,” Alex blurted out, ”I'll crack that boy's crust if I ever come across him.”

”And you'll wash dishes, too,” laughed Captain Joe. ”Oh, I remember how you boys used to fight against slang up on the South Branch.”