"Jasniff, I want to see you!" shouted Dave.
"What do you want of me, Dave Porter?" returned the big youth, as
boldly as he could.
"You know well enough."
"Humph! You think you've got me, don't you?" sneered Nick Jasniff, and
then he left the rail of the vessel and disappeared down a
companionway.
By this time the officers of the law were boarding the _Aurora_,
accompanied by Giles Borden and Captain Sanders.
"Where are those bloody 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 glasses, 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 passengers?" 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 ship," 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 bloody 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 shilling 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 passageway, 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."
"I'll fix nothing, Jasniff, and you'll hand over every jewel, and do
it right now!" cried Dave, and now he was so angry that he leaped on
the criminal and threw him backward over the trunk.
But if Dave was strong, so was Jasniff, and, as of old, the rascal
thought nothing of playing a foul trick. Around and around the
stateroom went both boys, with first Dave on top and then his
opponent. Then suddenly Jasniff pulled himself away and caught up a
water pitcher that was on a stand.
"I'll fix you!" he roared, in the same tone of voice he had employed
when he had once attacked Dave in the Oak Hall gymnasium, and he
brought the heavy pitcher down straight for Dave's head.
Had the blow landed as intended, our hero would have been knocked
senseless and perhaps seriously hurt. But quick as the bully was, Dave
was quicker, and leaped to one side. Then he let out with his fist,
landing on Jasniff's jaw,--a blow that sent the fellow crashing over
into a corner. As Jasniff came up, Dave hit him again, and this time
he went down all but knocked out.
"Dave!" called a voice from the doorway at that moment, and Captain
Sanders appeared. "Having a tussle, eh? Want any help?"
"May be," panted our hero. "He attacked me with the water-pitcher!"
And he pointed to the fragments of chinaware that lay on the floor.
"Do-don't h-hit me again!" spluttered Nick Jasniff.
"Will you hand over the jewels and behave yourself?"
"I--I haven't got the jewels," and now Jasniff arose unsteadily to his
feet.
"Perhaps he's hidden them," suggested the captain of the _Golden
Eagle_. "It would be like him to do it."
"I'll search him first and then look around the room. Where are those
officers?"
"They have their hands full just now with those Englishmen. But I'll
call them if you wish it."
"No, just see that he doesn't get away," answered Dave.
A rapid search of Jasniff's clothing told our hero that the rascal did
not have the gems on his person. Then Dave looked into the steamer
trunk.
"Are they there?" inquired Captain Sanders.
"No."
"You'll never get them from me," growled Jasniff, and gave Dave a look
that was full of the keenest hatred. "I'll go to prison for life
before I'll give them up, now!"
"Watch him carefully," said Dave to the captain, and got down on his
hands and knees in front of the berth in the room.
"Nothing under there!" cried Jasniff, but his voice had a trace of
anxiety in it.
Dave felt around, but found nothing unusual. Then he lit a match and
continued his search. Soon he saw where a board of the side wall had
been pried loose and then shoved back into place. He pulled on the
board and it came out, revealing a small compartment between two
upright posts. In the compartment was something wrapped in a bandanna
handkerchief. He pulled it out and crawled from under the berth.
"I think I've found it," he said, in a voice he tried in vain to
steady. Then he untied the handkerchief and brought to light a money
belt, exactly like that taken from Link Merwell. He placed it on the
steamer trunk and opened it with care. The sight that met his gaze was
a dazzling one. The money-belt contained all that Jasniff had carried
of the Carwith jewels.
"My, but that's a sight!" murmured Captain Sanders.
"Going to return them, I suppose," sneered Nick Jasniff. "You're a big
fool to do it! I'd keep them, and have a good time on the proceeds."
"I am not built that way," answered Dave, shortly. "I'll put this
around my waist, with the other," he added, and lost no time in
adjusting the second money-belt. It wasn't particularly comfortable to
wear those two belts, yet Dave felt a tremendous satisfaction in so
doing.
Jasniff was made to march on deck, and there he was handcuffed like
the other prisoners. He no longer pretended to have a toothache, but
he did have a jaw-ache, from Dave's blow.
The most surprised man was Captain Hunker, and he readily told his
story of how the Englishmen had hired him to take them to Cave Island
and then call for them later. When Jasniff had appeared, with the
smoked glasses and the bandage on his face, he had pitied the fellow
but had not paid much attention to him. When Dave had fired his gun
from the shore, Geswick had explained that other fortune hunters were
on the island but that they wanted nothing to do with the crowd, so
the master of the _Aurora_ had gone off without investigating.
Inside of an hour all of the interested parties had gone ashore, and
the three rascally Englishmen and Nick Jasniff were marched off by the
officers of the law. Roger and Phil appeared and wanted to know the
particulars of the capture.
"And what are you going to do next, Dave?" asked the senator's son.
"Get back to Crumville with the jewels, just as soon as I can get
away. But I've got to arrange it with the police first."
"Aren't you going to send word ahead?" asked Phil.
"Of course. I'll send a cablegram to-day."
"Won't they be surprised and glad to get it!" murmured Roger.
"And maybe I'm not glad to be able to take the jewels back with me!"
answered Dave, his eyes glistening.
An officer had been sent to take charge of Link Merwell, who had been
left on board the _Golden Eagle_. An hour later came word that Merwell
could not be found. He had left the vessel in some mysterious manner,
dressing himself in one of Dave's best suits before going. A little
later Dave learned that Merwell had left San Juan for the interior of
Porto Rico. The officers of the law said they would look for him.
The cablegram to Mr. Wadsworth was sent, and soon a reply came back.
Then came nearly a week of waiting for a steamer that would take the
boys to New York. In the meantime matters were arranged with the
authorities so that they could get away, and take the jewels with
them. A detective accompanied them, to make certain that the jewels
would be properly delivered, for the whole case was now in the hands
of the law. Giles Borden remained in San Juan, to press his charge
against his fellow countrymen. Captain Sanders remained in the harbor,
to await orders from Phil's father.
"Sorry to part with you boys," said the captain, as he shook hands.
"Hope you'll sail with me again some day."
"An' sail with me, too," put in old Billy Dill, who was present, and
as much interested as anybody.
"But not on such a mission as this has been," returned Dave.
"Nor to such a place as Cave Island," added Roger.
"For caves and pitfalls that island certainly was the limit," was
Phil's comment.
The voyage to New York proved to be uneventful, and all of the lads
were glad when it was over. Arriving in the metropolis, they lost no
time in getting a train for Crumville, the detective going with them,
and Dave carrying the precious jewels.
And then what a home-coming followed! All the Wadsworths and the
Porters were at the depot to meet them, and everybody was brimming
over with good feeling. Mrs. Wadsworth fairly hugged Dave, and Laura
kissed him over and over again, and even Jessie could not resist the
temptation to rush into his arms.
"Oh, Dave, to think you really got the jewels!" said Jessie. "Oh, I'm
so glad! What a hero you are!" And she gave him a look that touched
him to the bottom of the heart.
And then came Mr. Wadsworth, his voice shaking with emotion, and then
Dave's father, and Uncle Dunston.
"One lad out of a million!" murmured the manufacturer. "Mr. Porter,
you can well be proud of Dave!"
"And I am proud of him," replied the parent, heartily.
"We are all proud," added Dunston Porter.
In the excitement it must not be supposed that Phil and Roger were
forgotten. While Dave related his story to the men, and delivered the
jewels to Mr. Wadsworth, his chums had to tell about all that had
occurred, to Mrs. Wadsworth and the girls. And the questions that were
asked and answered would fill a chapter and more.
"And what will they do to Jasniff?" asked Laura.
"Undoubtedly put him in prison for a number of years," answered the
senator's son. "And he deserves it."
"What a misspent life!" sighed Mrs. Wadsworth.
"And what about Link Merwell?" asked Jessie.
"I don't know what they'll do to him. Perhaps they won't catch him,"
said Phil.
"If they don't, I hope he turns over a new leaf and makes a real man
of himself," said Laura.
Dave had gone to the jewelry works with the men, and soon Phil and
Roger followed. Here the jewels were examined with care, being checked
off on a list,--the duplicate of a receipt Oliver Wadsworth had given
to the owner of the gems.
"Four stones are missing," announced the manufacturer. "And they are
worth less than a thousand dollars. Dave, you certainly did well."
"We can get back at least two of those stones," answered Dave. "The
pawnbrokers will have to give them up."
"Then the loss will be less than five hundred dollars--a mere trifle
alongside of what it might have been. Dave, I'll not offer you a
reward, for I know you won't take it. But I thank you, my boy, I thank
you most heartily!" And Mr. Wadsworth caught Dave by both hands, while
tears of emotion stood in his eyes.
"It saved us all from a tight place, if not ruin," added Dunston
Porter.
"How is that old watchman?" asked our hero, to change the subject.
"You mean the man who was hurt?" asked his father. "He is about as
well as ever."
"And have you heard from Hooker Montgomery?"
"Not a word, and we sha'n't need to, now."
"Any word from Oak Hall?" asked Roger.
"Yes, the place opened again last week."
"Then I suppose we'll have to get back once more," said Phil. "Well,
we've had a long enough vacation,--if you can call it such," he added,
with a grin.
"And such adventures!" murmured Roger. "We'll never see such strenuous
times again, eh, Dave?"
"There is no telling, we may," answered Dave. There were still many
adventures ahead, and what they were will be related in the next
volume of this series, to be entitled, "Dave Porter and the Runaways;
or, Last Days at Oak Hall," in which we shall meet our hero and his
chums and enemies once more.
"If we are to go back to Oak Hall so soon, let us have all the fun we
can," said Dave, after the matter of the jewels had been settled; and
the next day he and his chums and the girls went out for a grand
sleighride, for it was still winter at home, even though it had been
like summer on Cave Island.
"Dave, are you glad to be back?" asked Jessie, while they were gliding
over the snow.
"Yes, I am," he answered. "And doubly glad to be here, at your side,"
he added, in a lower voice.
"Oh, Dave, I was so afraid while you were away!"
"Of what?"
"That those bad boys would harm you! Oh, please be careful in the
future, for my sake."
"All right, Jessie, I'll be careful," he answered, and then, under the
big robe, he gave her little hand a tight squeeze, and I don't know
but that Jessie gave him a squeeze in return. To her Dave was the
finest boy in all the world.
"Let's have a song!" cried out Phil, from the seat in front.
"Right you are!" returned Dave. "What shall it be?"
"Oh, anything!" came from the girls in concert; and then they started
to sing one familiar song after another; and while they are singing
let us say good-by and take our leave.
THE END
End of Project Gutenberg's Dave Porter on Cave Island, by Edward Stratemeyer