AN INTERESTING CONVERSATION.
The sight of the three men with the stolen diamonds spread out between
them was an interesting one to Ford and myself. The trio had a lantern,
and in the rays of this the precious stones sparkled radiantly.
“If we could only dash in and scoop the pile,” whispered my companion.
“We want to scoop the men as well,” I whispered in return. “It won’t do
to let them escape now we have found out their hiding-place.”
There was a brief silence, and then Mr. Norton continued,――
“We’ve had a harder time getting this stuff than we anticipated, boys.
If I had known what a job it would be I would never have agreed to the
plan when it came up.”
“It wouldn’t have been so hard if you had listened to my way,” put in
Yates. “I can’t see why you wanted to drag in that boy over at the
mill.”
“That’s because you are not up to all the tricks of the trade,”
laughed Norton. “If he had been anyway pliable we would all have
escaped without half trying, and perhaps with more booty.”
“Oh, I understand it’s a big thing to stand in with some one in the
neighborhood,” remarked Avery. “It helped me considerable in Baltimore.
But this plan was so roundabout.”
“That was because things happened as they did,” replied Mr. Norton.
“If I hadn’t fallen in with Stone out West everything would have been
different.”
“Well, we’ve got the stones, and now the thing is to get out of the
neighborhood as quickly as possible,” said Avery. “You are known, and I
suppose we will be soon.”
“Yes.” Mr. Norton paused. “Come, let us examine the diamonds, and
divide them as evenly as possible.”
“All right. There are just fifteen of them, not counting the one that
was lost in the mill when you drugged the boy,” said Yates. “Who is to
lose that?”
“I drugged the boy for the good of the party,” explained Mr. Norton;
“it was better and handier than tying him. I am sure he doesn’t know a
thing of what happened that night.”
“Don’t be too sure of that,” I muttered.
In the meanwhile the diamonds were carefully examined, and after many
comments divided into three little heaps. Then Mr. Norton got out some
strips of paper, and they drew lots.
I motioned for Ford to follow me to a spot some distance away.
“What shall we do?” he asked, as soon as we were out of hearing.
“They are getting ready to leave,” I said. “One of us ought to let the
police know. It is impossible for us to capture the three of them.”
“One of us ought to stay here,” said my companion.
“Suppose I do that?” I suggested. “You can take the Mary and run over
to Bayport, and return as quickly as possible.”
“But if they leave in the meanwhile?”
“Then I will follow them, and leave directions on a slip of paper
pinned to this tree, so that you can follow.”
“That’s a good idea. But aren’t you afraid to stay alone?”
“No.”
“Don’t let them discover you. Remember, a boy can’t stand much show
against three men.”
“I’ll be careful, Dan. Of course you know enough to come back as soon
as possible.”
“Trust me for that, even if I have to come alone. I won’t be gone more
than an hour and a half.”
“All right. Now you had better start without delay.”
A moment later Ford was gone. For an instant my heart sank as I
realized that I was alone. Then I pulled myself together, and resolved
that come what might I would do all in my power to capture the three
lawless men.
I tiptoed my way back to the spot where the trio were sitting,
discussing the best plan for leaving Rock Island.
“It will be risky business to use the Catch Me,” observed Mr. Norton.
“Somebody might be on the lookout for that craft, and the moment we
were spotted that would be the end of the whole matter.”
“One thing is certain,” put in Yates, “we must leave before daylight
if possible. To remain longer, when all the police are on our track,
is foolish. The question is, are we going together, or are we going to
separate?”
“I move we separate,” said Avery. “It will lessen the chances of
capture. We can come together in Philadelphia.”
“It’s no fool of a job getting away in this darkness,” remarked Yates.
“It’s as dark as pitch, and I don’t know a thing about the island or
the lake shore.”
“You are no worse off than I,” replied Avery. “I’ve only been around
for a few days, and those were spent principally about Bayport.”
“Let us go down to the shore, and see how the land lays,” suggested Mr.
Norton.
This was agreed to, and a moment later the three rose and made a move
for the spot where the Catch Me had landed.
When they were out of sight I hastily struck a match and scrawled these
words on a bit of paper:――
“Gone to shore where the Catch Me was beached.”
This brief message I pinned fast to the bark of a tree and then
followed the men.
As I moved along my thoughts were busy, thinking over what I had heard.
It was a surprise to me to learn that the robbery had been so perfectly
planned, and that I had been dragged into it because to do so was a
trick “of the trade,” whatever that might mean.
Mr. Norton and his actions were a perfect mystery to me. He had taken
such pains to establish himself as my guardian, and now he seemed
willing to let the whole matter drop. Of course he had not expected
to be discovered as one of the robbers of the bank, but for all that
I――well, I simply couldn’t understand the man.
The men moved along swiftly, and in order to keep them in sight, I had
to approach quite close to them. In doing this I was injudicious, and
when they suddenly halted, I nearly ran over them.
I checked myself as quickly as possible, but not before I had made
considerable noise, which reached the ears of the entire party at once.
“What was that?” exclaimed Mr. Norton.
“Somebody following us!” cried Avery. “Hullo, there! who are you?” he
called out, as he made a dash back.
I made no reply, but continued to retreat. In a moment the whole party
were in pursuit.
“We must catch him, whoever he is,” cried Mr. Norton. “I shouldn’t
wonder if it is one of the fellows that followed me in the boat.”
“Why not leave him go and skip ourselves?” asked Yates, halting.
“No, no,” put in Avery. “If he is alone he will put others on our
track. He has overheard all we have said. Catch him!”
And they made after me with renewed vigor.
But I was nimble of foot, and was soon a fair distance away. In front
of me I saw a large cedar-tree, and it did not take me long to climb
into this and secrete myself among the branches.
As I did so, the party burst into the vacant space below.
“Phew! but he can run, whoever he is,” exclaimed Avery, puffing.
“Listen!” cried Mr. Norton; and they all did so.
I kept an absolute silence, and nothing but the croaking of frogs and
the lonely hooting of an owl broke the stillness.
“It’s no use,” he went on. “The fellow, whoever he is, has got away,
and it’s worse than hunting for a pin in a haystack to try to find him.”
The other two were silent, and by looking down I saw Avery scratch his
forehead.
“It’s funny that he could have got away so quickly,” he said. “We were
right on his heels.”
“Perhaps it was Reuben,” said Mr. Norton suddenly. “I take it that he
is mighty nimble on his feet.”
“Yes; but I supposed he was in jail.”
“Might have got out on bail. I’ve found out that they think a sight of
the young miller in Bend Center.”
“A good deal more than they do of his uncle, eh?” chuckled Yates.
And then he and Avery broke out into a coarse laugh, in which Mr.
Norton was forced to join.
“Let us forget that,” said the latter finally. “It’s a good joke on me,
I suppose; but we’ve got serious business ahead. Come, we will make for
the shore again.”
And he turned to do so. While they still hesitated, Avery flashed the
rays of the lantern about; and to take advantage of the light thus
afforded to get a good look at the two strangers, I leaned far down.
In doing this I forgot to hold my cap, and presently it left my head,
and before I could stop it, it went sailing straight to Mr. Norton’s
feet.
“What’s this?” he cried, starting back.
Then he picked up the cap and examined it.
“Reuben Stone’s cap!” he ejaculated. “I’ll wager a thousand dollars
he’s up that tree!”