“Oh! the caves!” exclaimed Ruth.

“What’s that?”

“He told me there were caves in it.  He can hide in one.  And we can get food to him.  Great, Tom—­great!”

“Sure it’s great.  When your Uncle Dudley——­”

“But how are we going to warn Jerry to run before this constable catches him?” interposed Ruth, with less confidence.

“How?  You leave that to me,” Tom returned, mysteriously.

CHAPTER XIV

THE HUE AND CRY

Ruth and Tom Cameron had no further opportunity of speaking together until the punt came very close to the island.  Here the current ran more swiftly and the ice-blocks seemed to have been cleared away.

There was a new stone dock, and up the slight rise from it, about a hundred yards back from the shore, was the heavily-framed lodge.  It consisted of two stories, the upper one extending over the lower.  Big beams crossed at the corners of this upper story and the outer walls were of roughly hewn logs.  The great veranda was arranged for screening, in the summer, but now the west side was enclosed with glass.  It was an expensive and comfortable looking camp.

There were several men on the dock as the punt came in, but Jerry Sheming was not in sight.  Tom had, from time to time, been seen whispering with the boys.  They all now gathered in the bow of the slowly moving punt, ready to leap ashore the moment she bumped into the dock.

“Do be careful, boys,” begged Mrs. Tingley.  “Don’t fall into the water, or get hurt.  I certainly shall be glad when Mr. Tingley comes up for Christmas and takes all this responsibility off my hands.”

“Don’t have any fear for us, Mrs. Tingley, I beg,” said Tom.  “We’re only going to scramble ashore, and the first fellow who reaches the house is the best man.  Now, fellows!”

The punt bumped.  Such a scrambling as there was!  Ann Hicks showed her suppleness by being one of the first to land and beating some of the boys; but she did not run with them.

“They might have stayed and helped us girls—­and Mrs. Tingley—­to land,” complained Helen.  “I don’t see what Tom was thinking of.”

But all of a sudden Ruth had an idea that she understood Tom’s lack of gallantry.  Jerry Sheming, not being at the dock to meet the newcomers, must be at the house.  The boys, it proved later, had agreed to help “tip” Jerry.  The first fellow to see him was to tell him of the approach of Blent and the constable.

Therefore, when Rufus Blent and Lem Daggett reached the lodge, nobody seemed to know anything about Jerry.  Tom winked knowingly at Ruth.

“I tell ye, Preston, I gotter take that boy back to Logwood with me,” shouted Blent, who seemed greatly excited.  “Where are you hidin’ the rascal?”

“You know very well I came over with you in the boat and walked up here with you, Blent,” growled the foreman, in some anger.  “How could I hide him?”