Part 3 (1/2)
”We'll be getting off cheaper than I thought,” said Tom, on d.i.c.k's return. ”Ought to come out of Mumps' pocket.”
”That's so,” added Sam. ”By the way, I wonder what he meant by saying we were d.o.g.g.i.ng him?”
”I can't say,” replied d.i.c.k. ”But I've been thinking that he can't be up to any good, or he wouldn't be so suspicious.”
”Just exactly my idea!” burst out Tom. ”Do you know what I half imagine?”
”Well?”
”That Mumps is cruising around waiting for Dan Baxter to join him.”
”But Baxter went to Chicago.”
”He won't stay there--not as long as his father is in the East.
He will be back before long, if he isn't back already.”
”But he took that money belonging to his father.”
”What of that? His father can't do anything against him, for he himself is worse than his son, as we all know. Besides, his father is most likely still in the hospital.”
”If you young gentlemen want to sail around until tomorrow noon, I can take you out in one of my boats,” remarked Martin Harris.
”I've got a first-cla.s.s yacht, the _Searchlight_, that I can let you have reasonably.”
”Thanks, but I would just as lief stay on sh.o.r.e until our boat is mended,” answered d.i.c.k. ”But I want to pay you for what you did for us,” he added.
”Oh, that's all right.”
But the boys thought otherwise, and in the end gave Martin Harris two dollars, with which the boatman was highly pleased.
”Remember, I saw that accident,” he said, on parting. ”I can prove it was the _Falcon's_ fault.”
”We'll remember that,” answered d.i.c.k.
From time to time they had watched the _Falcon's_ course until the yacht had disappeared down the river.
After a short debate the brothers decided to put up at a hotel which stood not far away, on a high cliff overlooking the n.o.ble Hudson.
”We've been on the water for nearly two weeks now,” said d.i.c.k, ”and to sleep in a real bed will be something of a novelty.”
As it was in the height of the summer season the hotel was crowded; but some guests were just departing, and they managed to get a fairly good room on the second floor. This had a double bed, and a cot was added, to accommodate Sam; d.i.c.k and Tom sleeping together, as usual.
It was supper time when the boys arrived, and as soon as they had registered and washed up and combed their hair, they descended to the s.p.a.cious dining room, where fully a score of tables were set.
”This way, please,” said the head waiter, and showed them to a table at one side, overlooking one of the wide verandas of the hotel.
”I'm as hungry as a bear!” exclaimed Tom. ”You can't serve us any too quick,” he added, to the waiter who came up to take their orders.
”Yes, sah, do the best I can, sah,” grinned the colored man.