Part 15 (1/2)
A hasty search did not bring the rowboat to light. The boys met on the other side of the island, and stared wonderingly at each other.
”See anything?”
”Not a thing.”
”The boat must be somewhere.”
”Maybe they sunk her!” cried the senator's son. ”Merwell and Jasniff are just unprincipled enough to do it.”
”If they did that, they must have done it close to where we tied her up.
They wouldn't have time to take her away,” returned Dave. ”Let us go back and see if we can find any trail in the mud and sand.”
They crossed the island, pa.s.sing the chestnut trees as they did so.
Under one of the trees Dave picked up a letter. It was addressed to Nicholas Jasniff, General Delivery, Rockville.
”Jasniff must have dropped this when he was nutting,” said Dave, as he and the others looked at the address.
”What is in it?” asked Phil. ”It's open; read it.”
”Would that be fair, Phil?”
”I think so. Jasniff is an enemy, not a friend. It may contain some clew to his doings, and if there is anything underhanded going on we can let the authorities know.”
Dave took out the single sheet that the envelope contained. On it was written, in a sprawling, heavy hand, the following:
”MY DEAR JASNIFF:
”I got your leter and I wil do all I can to help you pervided you wil help me on that bussines I meantioned to you. I know we both can make money and hardly anny risks. Beter not come to the office but meet me at Dunns on the River.
”Yours afectenately, ”DR. H. MONTGOMERY.”
”Why, this letter was written by that Doctor Hooker Montgomery, the man whose silk hat we knocked off!” cried Dave.
”His education seems to be extremely limited,” observed Phil. ”He'd never stand at the top of the spelling cla.s.s, would he?”
”I was asking about him, and he's a regular fakir,” said Roger. ”He isn't a doctor at all, although he calls himself one. He puts up a number of medicines and calls them 'Montgomery's Wonderful Cures.' I was told that he used to do quite a business among the ignorant country folks, but lately hardly anybody patronizes him.”
”And that is why he is willing to aid Jasniff in some scheme, I suppose,” said Phil. ”I'll wager it is something underhanded. When are they to meet?”
”It doesn't say,” answered Dave. ”But the postmark is a week old, so I presume the meeting is a thing of the past. I guess I'll not keep the letter,” he concluded, and cast it on the ground where he had found it.
Arriving at where the rowboat had been tied up, the three chums looked around carefully, and soon saw footprints leading to a little cove, shaded by tall elderberry bushes. Pus.h.i.+ng some of the bushes aside, Dave looked into the water and gave a cry:
”Here she is, fellows!”
”Have you really found the boat, Dave?” questioned Phil.
”Yes. She's at the bottom of the cove. They piled her full of stones and sunk her. They must have had quite a job doing it.”
”And here are the oars!” exclaimed Roger, dragging them from the bushes.