Part 20 (2/2)

”I make out of it that Merwell and Jasniff are guilty!” burst out Dave.

”They went from here to Florida, and now they have either gone to sea, or are going, as soon as that schooner sails. Do you notice what Luke says about their being scared almost to death when they saw him? They evidently thought some of us, or the officers of the law, were with him.”

”And the little valises!” burst out the s.h.i.+powner's son. ”Perhaps they contain the jewels!”

”Would they be foolish enough to carry them around like that?”

questioned Roger. ”Wouldn't they hide them?”

”They may be looking for some good hiding-place, or some place where they can sell them,” answered Dave. ”Remember, Jasniff and Merwell are green at this business-they wouldn't go at it like professionals. If they were professionals, they wouldn't have acted so scared.”

”That is true. What will you do, tell Mr. Wadsworth of this?”

”I think I'll tell my father and my Uncle Dunston first. Mr. Wadsworth doesn't place much credit in the story of Merwell and Jasniff's guilt.

He thinks the detectives are on the right track.”

”Well, possibly they are,” admitted Phil. ”But I must say, this looks mighty suspicious to me.”

”I have half a mind to take matters in my own hands and run down to Jacksonville,” went on our hero. ”Who knows but what I might find Merwell and Jasniff? If I did, I could stop them and make them give an account of themselves by making that old charge of abduction against them, and that charge of having used my name.”

”Say, that's an idea!” cried Roger. ”And say, I'd like to go with you.”

”So would I,” added Phil. ”We might go down in one of my father's s.h.i.+ps.”

”Too slow, Phil-the limited express for this trip,” answered Dave. ”But I must talk it over with dad first,” he added.

”We have got over three weeks before school opens again,” pursued the senator's son. ”We could go down to Florida and back easily in that time.”

Dave's father had gone to New York on business, but came home that evening. In the meantime a telegram was sent to Luke Watson, asking for the name of the hotel, at which Merwell and Jasniff had stopped, and of the schooner.

Dave's father and his uncle listened closely to what he had to tell, and to the reading of the letter from Luke Watson. They talked the affair over for an hour with the boys.

”You may be right, boys,” said Mr. Porter, at last. ”And it may be a good plan to follow those rascals up. But I don't think I would bother Mr. Wadsworth about it. He received a telegram from one of the detectives, and the officer is more sure than ever that he is on the right track. He caught Red Andrews p.a.w.ning a fair-sized diamond, and he thinks the gem is from the Carwith collection.”

”Can't he make Red Andrews confess?” asked Dave.

”Unfortunately the rascal got away when on the way to the police-station. But the detective feels he can soon round him up again.”

Dave looked thoughtfully out of the window and tapped the table with his fingers.

”You still think Merwell and Jasniff guilty?” remarked his uncle, with a smile.

”Yes, Uncle Dunston. After what Hooker Montgomery said, I'll think them guilty until somebody proves otherwise.”

”Then I tell you what I'll do, boys,” said Dunston Porter. ”I'll take a trip down to Florida with you and look into this matter. I'd rather be on the move than sitting still waiting for something to turn up.”

”Will you go?” cried Dave, eagerly.

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