Part 26 (1/2)

”The same, Mr. Porter. Then you know him?”

”Indeed I do!” returned Dave. ”Why, I sailed with him in the South Seas!”

”Well, he's here.”

”We'll have to try to see him before we leave,” said Phil. ”He was a nice fellow.”

At the second s.h.i.+pping office further inquiries were made concerning the sailing of the _Emma Brower_. It was learned that the bark had carried not more than half a cargo for Barbados and eight pa.s.sengers. The names of Merwell, Jasniff, Leeds, or Cross did not appear on the pa.s.senger list.

”Did anybody here see those pa.s.sengers?” asked Dunston Porter.

”I did,” returned a young clerk. ”I was aboard just before she sailed, and I saw all of them.”

”Were there two young fellows, chums?” asked Dave.

”There were, two tall chaps, a bit older than you.”

”Did they look like these fellows?” and now our hero brought out the photographs he had used before.

”They certainly did!” cried the clerk. ”I remember this fellow distinctly,” and he pointed to Jasniff's picture, taken just before that individual had run away from Oak Hall.

”Then they sailed, just as we feared!” returned Dave, and there was something like a groan in his voice.

”Wonder if they took the jewels,” murmured Roger.

”Most likely, Roger,” answered Dunston Porter.

”But what would they do with them in such an out-of-the-way place as Barbados?”

”I rather imagine their plan is to keep quiet for a while, until this affair blows over. Then they'll either return to the United States, or take a British vessel for England. Barbados is an English possession, you must remember, and a regular line of steamers sail from there to England.”

”I wonder if we couldn't charter a steam tug and go after the bark?”

mused Dave.

”It might be done,” returned his uncle. ”But I doubt if we could catch the bark, or even locate her. She has too much of a start.”

”Was the bark going to stop at any ports along the way?” asked Phil.

”She was not,” answered the young s.h.i.+pping-clerk.

”Then there is nothing to do but to sail for Barbados after them!” cried Dave.

”Sail after them-that far!” e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed the senator's son.

”Yes, Roger. Of course you haven't got to go, or Phil either. But I think my uncle and I ought to go after 'em. Don't you think so, Uncle Dunston?”

”I don't know-perhaps,” was the slow reply. ”We had better make a few more inquiries first, Dave.”

”Oh, yes, let us find out all we can about Merwell and Jasniff.”