E-text prepared by Juliet Sutherland, Mary Meehan, and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team (https://www.pgdp.net) Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustrations. See 28504-h.htm or 28504-h.zip: (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/8/5/0/28504/28504-h/28504-h.htm) or (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/8/5/0/28504/28504-h.zip) THE RIVAL CAMPERS ASHORE Or, The Mystery of the Mill by RUEL PERLEY SMITH Author of "The Rival Campers Series," "Prisoners of Fortune," etc. Illustrated by Louis D. Gowing Boston The Page Company Publishers Copyright, 1907 by The Page Company Entered at Stationers' Hall, London All rights reserved Made in U. S. A. New Edition, May, 1925 The Colonial Press C. H. Simonds Co., Boston, U. S. A. [Illustration: "HE HANDED THE PACKAGE TO COLONEL WITHAM."] CONTENTS I. AN INLAND VOYAGE II. TURNED ADRIFT III. THE OLD MILL IV. THE TROUT POOL V. SOME CAUSES OF TROUBLE VI. CAPTURING AN INDIAN VII. A LONG RACE BEGUN VIII. CONQUERING THE RAPIDS IX. AN EXCITING FINISH X. HENRY BURNS MAKES A GIFT XI. COL. WITHAM GETS THE MILL XII. THE GOLDEN COIN XIII. A SAILING ADVENTURE XIV. THE FORTUNE-TELLER XV. A HUNT THROUGH THE MILL XVI. THE GOLDEN COIN LOST AGAIN XVII. A STRANGE ADMISSION XVIII. GRANNY THORNTON'S SECRET XIX. THE MYSTERY OF THE MILL LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS "HE HANDED THE PACKAGE TO COLONEL WITHAM" "AT THE SOUND OF THE MAN'S VOICE, HENRY BURNS AND JACK HARVEY HAD SPRUNG UP IN AMAZEMENT" "THE WATCHERS ASHORE SAW THE CANOE SLOWLY TURN AND FACE THE SWIFT CURRENT" "HE SEPARATED THE LINE INTO TWO COILS, WHIRLED ONE ABOUT HIS HEAD AND THREW IT FAR OUT" THE RIVAL CAMPERS ASHORE CHAPTER I AN INLAND VOYAGE The morning train from Benton, rumbling and puffing along its way through outlying farmland, and sending its billows of smoke like sea rollers across the pastures, drew up, ten miles from the city, at a little station that overlooked a pond, lying clear and sparkling at the base of some low, wooded hills. An old-fashioned, weather-beaten house, adjacent the station, and displaying a sign-board bearing the one word, "Spencer's," indicated that Spencer, whoever he might prove to be, would probably extend the hospitality of his place to travellers. Here and there, widely scattered across the fields, were a few farmhouses. The locomotive, having announced its approach by a mingled clanging and whistling that sent startled cattle galloping for the shelter of the thickets, came to a dead stop at the station; but, as though to show its realization of the insignificance of Spencer's, continued to snort and throb impatiently. Certain important-appearing trainmen, with sleeves rolled to the elbows, hastily throwing open the door of the baggage-car, seemed to take the hint.