After that the work went on better, for it was no small task to crate the motorboat and an additional pair of hands were much needed.
“And what did you say the name of the lake is, where we’re going camping?” asked Jack, during a pause in the hammering and sawing.
“Lake Woonset,” explained Tom. “It’s an Indian name. Didn’t I mention it before?”
“You did, but I guess I forgot it. Lake Woonset, near Wilden, in New York state. Say, Bert--!”
“By Jove, that’s so. It just occurred to me too,” interrupted Bert.
“What did?” asked Tom. “What’s up? What’s the matter with Lake Woonset?”
“Nothing, but isn’t it near Crystal Lake?” asked Jack, a curious look on his face.
“Yes,” answered Tom. “But Crystal Lake is a small one. Why, what has that to do with our going camping?”
“Nothing much, only we’ve got some curious news for you. Who do you think is going to camp at Crystal Lake?”
“I can’t imagine, unless it’s Sam Heller and that sneaking crony of his, Nick Johnson.”
“Worse than that,” declared Bert. “It’s our old enemy, Professor Skeel!”
“What’s that?” cried Tom. “Are you joking? Professor Skeel going to camp near us?”
“I’m not joking a bit,” declared Bert. “You can ask Jack.”
“It’s true enough,” put in Tom’s roommate at college. “We heard it the other day--just before we came on here--from your old friend, Bruce Bennington. I don’t know why we didn’t think to tell you before, except that I didn’t recall that Crystal Lake, and the one where we’re going camping, were so near together.”
“They’re about five miles apart,” said Tom. “But how is it that Mr. Skeel is going up there? The last I saw of him was when the ship picked us up from the derelict, the time we were wrecked, and he went on to Honolulu. What brought him back from there?”
“It seems the place didn’t agree with him,” explained Jack. “He tried to get into some business there but he failed. I guess he didn’t play fair. Anyhow his health failed, and the doctor said he had to get back to the United States. So he came.”
“Then he heard of a relative of his who was going up to camp in the New York woods, and he decided to go along. In some way Bruce Bennington got word of it. You know Mr. Skeel tried to play a mean trick on Bruce once.”
“Sure he knows it,” put in Bert. “Didn’t Tom show up old Skeel?”