Part 8 (1/2)
”And the worst of it is, my watch is missing,” he announced.
”Perhaps you dropped it during the struggle,” suggested Songbird.
”Either that, or Dan Baxter got his fist on it while we were talking.
He is bad enough now to do almost anything.”
”Better go back and see if you can't find the watch,” said Tom. ”I'll go with you.”
They walked to the spot and made a thorough search, but the watch failed to come to light. d.i.c.k gave a long sigh.
”I'm out that timepiece, and I guess for good,” he murmured.
They were about to return to the houseboat, when d.i.c.k saw the planter approaching once more.
”Ha, so you have come back, suh!” he cried.
”Did you see anything of my watch?” remanded d.i.c.k sharply.
”Your watch?”
”Yes; it's gone.”
”I saw nothing of a watch.”
”I suppose that other fellow came back with an officer, didn't he?”
went on the eldest Rover sarcastically.
”I did not--ah--see him, suh.”
”I'm out my watch, all because of your foolishness.”
”Suh?”
”You needn't 'suh' me, I mean what I said. My watch is gone. If you didn't take it yourself, you helped that fellow to get away with it.”
”This to me, suh! me, Colonel Jackson Gibbs, suh, of the Sudley Light Artillery, suh! Infamous, suh!”
”So is the loss of my watch infamous.”
”I shall make a complaint, suh, to the authorities.”
”Go ahead, and tell them that I lost my watch, too,” and walked off, leaving Colonel Jackson Gibbs of the Sudley Light Artillery gazing after him in amazement.
”Do you think he will make more trouble?” asked Tom.
”Not he. He is too scared that I will hold him responsible for the loss of the watch.” And d.i.c.k was right; they never did hear of the planter again.
That night, all on board did nothing but talk about Dan Baxter and the way he had managed to escape.
”He is as bad as Paddy's flea,” said Dora. ”When you put your finger on him, he isn't there.”