Part 49 (1/2)
By this time the officers of the law were boarding the _Aurora_, accompanied by Giles Borden and Captain Sanders.
”Where are those b.l.o.o.d.y rascals who robbed me?” exclaimed the Englishman, excitedly. ”Just let me get my hands on them!”
”I don't understand this!” returned the captain of the schooner, in surprise. ”You'll have to explain.”
”You have three Englishmen aboard here-fellows you took to Cave Island when I was with them.”
”Say, you're that fourth man!” gasped Captain Hunker. ”But that other chap,-the fellow with smoked gla.s.ses, who had his face tied up--” He did not know how to go on.
”He impersonated me, the villain! But I am after the others, for they robbed me of over a thousand pounds, don't you know!”
”Where are your pa.s.sengers?” demanded the officer in charge of those from the patrol boat, sternly.
”If they are not on deck they must be below,-they had no chance to leave the s.h.i.+p,” answered Captain Hunker. ”This gets me!” he went on, weakly. ”I thought they acted rather strange, but I supposed they were nothing but a crowd of weak-minded critters hunting for pirates'
gold.”
At that moment Geswick, Pardell, and Rumney came on deck, having heard the tramping of feet overhead and wondering what it meant. Almost before he could speak, Giles Borden had Geswick by the throat and was shaking him violently.
”Will rob me, and leave me a prisoner in that cave!” he roared. ”I'll teach you a lesson! Give me my money, you b.l.o.o.d.y scoundrel!” And then he banged Andrew Geswick's head against a mast.
”Ho, let up!” yelled the criminal. ”Let up, I say!” And he tried to squirm away. But it was useless, and in a minute more one of the officers of the law handcuffed him, and Pardell and Rumney were also secured.
”Now I want my money!” stormed Giles Borden. ”Every s.h.i.+lling of it!”
”I haven't any of it,” replied Rumney. ”Geswick and Pardell have it all.” Rumney had had a quarrel with his fellows, just as Merwell had quarreled with Jasniff.
”Just you wait, Rumney; we'll fix you for going back on us,” growled Andrew Geswick. But this threat did him little good. In the end he and Pardell had to hand over every penny taken from Giles Borden, and then they were marched off to jail, to await a hearing before the authorities.
In the meantime Dave had run across the deck and followed Jasniff down the companionway. He was afraid that the evil-minded youth might hide the stolen jewels or throw them overboard.
When he got below he looked around, but could see nothing of the other boy. He ran along a pa.s.sageway, peering into one stateroom after another, and also into the cabin and the pantry. Then he heard something like a cover drop near by and hurried in that direction.
Jasniff was in a corner stateroom on his hands and knees. Beside him was a flat steamer trunk, which was closed. It was the lid of this trunk that Dave had heard drop.
”Jasniff, come out of that!” ordered Dave, sternly. ”Come right out and hand over those jewels.”
”Say, Dave Porter, you think you are smart, don't you?” sneered the big youth, as he got up on his feet.
”Never mind what I think. I want those jewels, every one of them, and I am going to have them.”
”I haven't any jewels.”
”I know better.”
”All right then, you can search me if you want to-and search my baggage, too,” went on Jasniff, and held out his arms as if willing to have the investigation begin on the spot.
”If you haven't the jewels on your person, you have hidden them,” went on Dave. ”Bring them out, right away.”
”Not much, Porter, I am not that kind of a fool.” Jasniff lowered his voice to a whisper. ”To outsiders I won't acknowledge I have the jewels, but if you'll fix it so I go clear, I'll see to it that old Wadsworth gets the gems back.”