"This is a serious charge, Mr. Pemberton!" said the captain, in a low
voice.
"But I mean it, every word, sir. I tell you I have lost certain articles
that represent a large amount of money to me. And I shall proceed
against your company unless they are recovered," declared the passenger,
angrily.
Frank believed he recognized in this party a traveling agent who visited
the jewelers in the lake towns several times a year. This being the case
it was easy to understand that the packet which he complained was
stolen, might have contained precious stones, or something along that
line.
"Stop and make sure before you say that, Mr. Pemberton," remarked the
captain, turning pale at the threat; for under the circumstances such an
action against the company might lose him his comfortable berth.
For once his good-heartedness seemed to have placed him in a
predicament. According to the plain rules of the company it should have
been his business, upon being refused the proper fare by the two ugly
tramps, to have called upon his crew to assist him in putting them
ashore, or getting rid of them somehow, even if he had to throw them
overboard.
"I know just what I am saying, sir; the packet is gone, and I am ready
to swear that I left it in my bag," replied the other, firmly.
"But consider, sir, that in all this excitement a man might lose his
head. Just as likely as not you may have done something with the packet
yourself. It would seem to be the first thing a man might think of."
Captain Amos was arguing with a view to shifting the blame; but he had a
positive customer to deal with in Mr. Pemberton. The other shook his
head and frowned.
"I insist upon every one being searched before they leave the boat," he
said. "No honest person will object to such a course, I feel sure; and
it is the only safe way. And you yourself should be the one to do the
job, Captain, in the interest of your company--of course with the assent
of the passengers and crew."
The commander of the boat somehow at this juncture looked at Frank, just
as if he sought advice from this source.
"It is the right thing to do, Captain," that party hastened to say, "and
as for my two chums and myself we would like you to begin right now with
us."
"There is no necessity in your case, my boy; for you have been under my
eye all the time you were aboard, and we owe you much," the gentleman
hastened to exclaim.
"Nevertheless, if any are to be searched all should be without a single
exception, to make it fair. But it strikes me, Mr. Pemberton, that the
captain already has a pretty good idea as to who took your valuables, if
they have been stolen, and not lost overboard in the confusion,"
remarked Frank, calmly.
The traveling jeweler whirled upon the officer.
"How is this, Captain?" he demanded, anxiously.
"We were just wondering how the fire started," the other explained, "and
I declared it could not have come from any carelessness of my crew, and
that there was no chance of an accident. In a word, sir, I vowed the
fire must be of incendiary origin. Frank, here, and his friends were
asking what reason any one would have for setting this boat on fire,
when you rushed up stating your loss."
"I begin to grasp your meaning. It implies that in order to cover up
their robbery the thieves started this fire, thinking that if the boat
burned no one might be the wiser. That looks very plausible. Did I
understand this boy to say you had an idea concerning the identity of
the criminal?" Mr. Pemberton asked eagerly.
"Yes, I believe I have," said Captain Amos, sturdily.
"Then I demand that you place him under arrest immediately, before he
can escape with my property. Is there more than one concerned, do you
think? Ah! I have an idea I know whom you mean--the two tramps who came
aboard at Newtonport?"
"Exactly. They are the ones I suspect. It would be easy to start such a
blaze undetected, for no one would be dreaming of such rascality,"
replied the officer.
"And taking advantage of the sudden confusion," went on the passenger,
"when men and women were shouting, and rushing frantically about, they
must have searched my luggage purposely, knowing that I was carrying a
valuable packet in my bag."
"That would appear to cover the case, sir. In the light of this
explanation do you still insist upon every one being searched?" demanded
Captain Amos.
Mr. Pemberton also looked toward Frank, although, perhaps,
unconsciously. The latter smiled and hastened to remark:
"I really believe that what the captain says may be the true explanation
of both the fire and the robbery, Mr. Pemberton. And in that case the
arrest of the tramps will bring your valuables to light."
"Provided they have not gone overboard by accident," the captain could
not resist saying, with pointed emphasis.
The passenger shook his head doggedly, and said:
"There is not the slightest chance of that, sir. I vow I was not once
near the spot where my luggage was piled up from the first cry of fire
until just now, when I went to see that my things were safe. Surely I
would know it if I had gone there."
"Besides, Captain, unless I'm mistaken this gentleman was the only one
among the passengers who seemed to have his senses; I am sure I saw him
helping to pass the buckets of water along," remarked Frank.
"Right you are, son," said the gentleman, with a faint smile; "for that
is a fact. I forgot that I even had any luggage aboard, and the cries of
those poor frightened women got on my nerves so that I was bound to do
all I could to assist in saving the boat. Now, Captain Amos, I am
disposed to go as easy with you as possible, but something must be done
before you order the boat into Centerville!"
"I'm willing to do anything that seems right, only tell me what you
wish," replied the officer, promptly.
"If those ugly-looking customers are guilty, they must be apprehended
before they have a chance to secrete the goods," vouchsafed Mr.
Pemberton.
"I agree with you. The only question is, ought we try and do it here, or
wait until we reach the wharf, where we will find the constable waiting,
as he always is when the _Eastern Star_ arrives?"
"It might be safer to wait," admitted the passenger, "but in that event
the rogues will be given a chance to hide the packet, perhaps, about the
boat, trusting to getting it another time. Then, as we would have no
evidence that they were guilty, we could not hold them."
"What do you say, Frank?" asked the captain, turning to the leader of
the chums, and by that action admitting that he entertained great
respect for the opinion of the boy who had done so much to save the
steamboat.
"I think the gentleman is right," came the quick response.
"That we ought to search the tramps now," queried the captain,
anxiously; for he felt certain that this move would bring on a fight,
which might add still further to the excitement of the already terrified
women aboard.
"Undoubtedly. Just as he says, they might think it good policy to
conceal their plunder somewhere about the boat, hoping to get it later
on, after the excitement had died out. And if you want any help in doing
that same thing, Captain, count on myself and two chums."
The answer came so readily from the lips of the canoeist that Captain
Amos was almost overcome. He thrust out his hand impulsively,
exclaiming:
"Say, that's awful kind of you, Frank. We may need your assistance, for,
to tell the truth, those hoboes looked mighty tough, and I reckon
they'll put up some sort of a fight before giving in. I only hope they
don't happen to have any sort of guns about them. Wait till I call up
Simmons the engineer, Codding the pilot, and Adolphus the coon deckhand.
If Mr. Pemberton gives us a hand we will have eight to cow the rascals."
"We will need the whole bunch if they are half as tough as you say,
Captain," declared Jerry, anxious to be heard.
The captain beckoned, and a negro boy came running up.
"Go and tell the pilot and engineer to come here at once, and you
accompany them," he said.
"Yas, sah!" replied the willing worker, shooting away with a look of
curiosity toward the others, as if wondering what new trouble had
arisen.
"That boy was working all the time, I believe," said Mr. Pemberton,
thoughtfully.
"Who, Adolphus?" asked the captain; "every minute at my side; and I'd
trust him with every penny I owned. But here he comes, and both men are
with him. Now we can get ready to look for those ragged tramps, and
corner them."
"H'm! when did you see them last?" asked Frank, starting suddenly, as if
he had made an unpleasant discovery.
"Certainly not since the cry of fire first broke out. But what makes you
ask such a question, Frank?" demanded the captain, showing new alarm.
"Well, I have an idea that it may be some little time before you get a
chance to round those scamps up, and proceed with your search. They are
the busy boys all right, and while we've been talking matters over here
the hobo couple have been _doing_ things. Look there, Captain, half way
to the other shore, and tell me what you see!" and Frank pointed as he
spoke.
Immediately a chorus of exclamations arose.
"As sure as you live, there they go like hot cakes!" cried Bluff.
"Talk to me about nerve, if they haven't 'cribbed' Frank and Will's
double canoe!" came from Jerry's lips, as he stared at the retreating
object.
"And just notice, fellows, that both of them paddle as if they knew all
about canoes. Those hoboes have done some camping in their day, as sure
as you live!" observed Frank, always on the lookout for these telling
points.
"Say, do we stand here and let them get clean away without lifting a
hand?" exclaimed Bluff, piteously.
"Hardly. Into your canoes, boys, and after the thieves at full speed!"
cried Frank.