Part 24 (1/2)

murmured the troubled man.

Plainly the owner was not the man to discuss this suspicion with. Toward dark, however, Tom and Joe went to one man on the place whom they believed to be above all suspicion. That was big Michael, the coachman.

With Michael, they discussed the matter long and earnestly.

Though the honest coachman could tell them nothing definite, Tom Halstead went away from that talk on a new scent of danger ahead.

Dawson, too, was thinking hard, and, as a consequence, was even more quiet than usual.

”I'm afraid it wouldn't be much use to go to Mr. Dunstan with this,”

sighed the young captain. ”We'll just keep our eyes open.”

CHAPTER XVI-FOLLOWING UP THE CLUE

There was plenty to do by the time the boys got back to the pier. Jed, lone-handed, was pumping gasoline into the tank through the strainer.

Several barrels of the oil had been sent down to the water front.

Stripping off their coats, Tom and Joe turned to and helped.

Bouncer, the bull pup, was on hand also, chained in the engine room. In view of the late near-tragedy Mr. Dunstan had decided to keep the dog aboard, at the home pier, hereafter, and had brought Bouncer down himself.

”We'll finish this job Jed, if you'll turn to and cook up a quick supper,” proposed Halstead.

”Anything on?” asked Jed, looking keenly at them.

”I shouldn't wonder,” nodded the young captain.

Jed asked no more questions, but got a tempting supper ready in close to record time. As they were eating Tom told Jed, in low tones, the little they had discovered.

Briefly, it was this: The Dunstan gardener and greenhouse man was a Frenchman named Gambon. He was a quiet, even sulky fellow, who had made no friends among the other employes of the place. Mr. Dunstan had once rebuked the Frenchman for some carelessness. Michael had seen Gambon shake his fist after the employer as the latter was going away. This had happened four months ago.

There was not very much in that alone. But Gambon, who lived in a little two-room cottage all by himself, and who had no work to occupy him evenings, had always been in the habit of smoking and reading, then retiring early. For more than the last fortnight, however, Gambon had left the place every evening. Sometimes he was gone an hour; sometimes he had not returned until late. Two nights after Ted's disappearance Michael, who had reported to Mr. Dunstan concerning the Frenchman's actions, had been authorized to follow Gambon. The Frenchman, however, merely went to the Park in Nantucket and sat for a couple of hours on one of the benches, smoking and seemingly dreaming. Mr. Dunstan, when this tame fact was reported to him, pooh-poohed Michael's suspicions and forbade him to watch the Frenchman any longer.

”For,” said Mr. Dunstan, ”watching any man long enough is likely to make a half-rascal of him.”

”But, Captain Tom, when a very quiet man suddenly changes the fixed habits av year-rs,” said Michael earnestly, ”then there's likely a strong reason for it, and maybe a bad one.”

These were the facts that Tom and Joe now rehea.r.s.ed, in undertones, to Jed.

”Does it look likely, from that,” asked Prentiss, ”that Gambon would steal down here in early morning and pump our tank dry?”

”Michael saw him standing on the wharf this morning, smoking,” replied Halstead. ”Michael thought we must be up and about, though, so he didn't pay any attention to the Frenchman.”

”Kind of a hazy clue, altogether, isn't it?” queried Jed.

”It's enough to be worth looking into,” Tom replied earnestly. ”Do you realize that to-morrow is the last day that Mr. Dunstan has to get Ted before the probate court! That, if he doesn't do it to-morrow, the big inheritance of millions goes by the board? So anything is big enough to work on to-night. It's our last chance. Now Mr. Dunstan has a.s.sured me that the 'Meteor' won't be ordered out to-night. Joe and I are going to watch the Frenchman. Jed, you'll want to stay right here by the boat and keep a sharp eye on it, for Gambon may not be the one who is trying to put the 'Meteor' on the sc.r.a.p heap. You'll have Bouncer to help you.

Even if it came to taking the boat over to Wood's Hole, on a changed order, you're equal to it, aren't you?”