HANDS OFF!
“Good morning,” said Jack pleasantly, but looking questioningly at their
caller.
“I’ve a serious charge to make,” answered the newcomer, without returning
the greeting. “You’ve been trying to steal my lobsters. You know the
penalty for that trick!”
“I most certainly have not done any such thing,” said Jack decidedly,
while Desiré twisted her hands in dismay.
“No use denying it; I can prove it. Mine are right next to yours, and
some of my markers have been pulled up and yours put in. Come out and see
for yourself.”
Jack and Desiré followed the man quickly across the sand to the water.
“See? Here are five of my markers hidden under this old crate on your
property, and five of your markers replacing those near-shore pots of
mine. Facts don’t lie if folks do.”
“My brother never lies!” cried Desiré angrily. Jack had never heard her
speak like that.
“Easy, Dissy,” he said softly.
“I certainly admit that it looks bad,” he said to the man; “but since I
know the rules governing these things, I should hardly have been fool
enough to do such a thing even if I had been so lacking in principle;
and—”
“Jack!” interrupted Desiré. “René! Could a small boy have done this?” she
asked, facing their neighbor eagerly.
“Might; early in the morning, before the tide came in so far.”
“Jack, go and get him and we’ll see if he knows anything about it.”
While Jack was gone, Desiré explained to the man their presence in old
Simon’s hut, and her reasons for suspecting that her younger brother had
been responsible for the morning’s difficulties. Soon Jack returned, and
led René directly to the man, who regarded him gravely.
“Tell this man, René,” directed his brother, “just exactly what you did
when you were out here alone on the beach early this morning.”
“Pulled up dirty old markers and hid ’em, and pushed down nice ones we
painted.”
René was obviously rather proud of his achievement, and quite puzzled as
to the serious manner of his elders.
“Why did you do that?” asked the man, the suggestion of a twinkle
appearing in his blue eyes.
“Wanted Jack’s lobster bed to look nice.”
“But those weren’t his; they were mine.”
“_Everything’s_ Jack’s!”
Their neighbor smiled, and held out his hand to Jack.
“My mistake,” he said. “I didn’t know what a grasping partner you had.”
“He means well, but makes trouble sometimes. Take him back to bed; will
you, Dissy?”
While Desiré put the little boy in bed again, and tried to impress upon
him the seriousness of his mistake, Jack and his neighbor worked amiably
side by side.
The days passed quickly, one very much like all the others which had
preceded it; and at last they found themselves on the train, bound for
home, with a fair sum of money in return for several weeks of hard work.