The Motor Boat Club at Nantucket: or, The Mystery of the Dunstan Heir

“Well,” admitted Jed, candidly, “I’ve nonotion for being pounced on or shot from ambush.”

“That would have happened already, if itwas going to,” Tom rejoined with a smile.“Stop the engine, and then we’ll make fastand all come on board.”

That Jed accomplished with one hand, whileJoe did the same with the “Meteor’s” engine.Then Prentiss reached over with the boat-hook, gradually hauling the smaller craft up to the“Meteor.”

Leaving Joe behind on deck, the young skipperfollowed into the launch. A quick searchmade it plain that there was no human being ineither the forward or after cubby.

“The wheel was spiked,” discovered Tom.“You see, the boat was started on her courseand then her spiked wheel held her rather closeto it. Whoever was aboard, after having fixedwheel and engine, got off. This was done tofool us, and we’ve had a fine old chase.”

Lawyer Crane, on the deck of the “Meteor,”opened his mouth. He was about to offer anopinion, but thought better of it and closedhis lips.

“Mr. Crane,” asked Tom, after a few moments,“what are our rights? We can takethis abandoned boat in tow, can’t we, and takeher over to Mr. Dunstan’s pier?”

“Clearly,” assented the lawyer, slowly.“And there’s a right to salvage if theowner of this derelict appears and claimsthe boat.”

Tom clambered back aboard the “Meteor,”and, going aft, threw a line to Jed, whomade fast around a butt at the bow of thelaunch. Then Jed came back.

“Now, Mr. Crane,” smiled Captain Tom, “weare again at your orders. Unless you think ofsomething better, we can keep on to Nantucket.”

“Decidedly,” replied the lawyer. “We mustacquaint Mr. Dunstan with this whole prepos – unaccountablestory.”

As soon as the “Meteor” was well underway, on her homeward course, Halstead calleddown:

“Joe, I’ve stood this drenched clothing aslong as I think is good for me in this sea wind.Take the wheel, please, and I’ll go below andget a rub and some dry clothing.”

“I’m going down with you,” broke in Jed.“There’s hot water, and you ought to have somecoffee.”

Jed even helped vigorously in the rub-down.Tom’s teeth were chattering at the outset, butthe friction warmed his blood. He put on dryclothing, of which he had enough aboard. Andnow Jed came out of the galley with a cup ofsteaming coffee.

“Say, Jed, what made you look so skittishwhen you boarded that other boat?” asked theyoung skipper, smiling. “Were you reallyafraid?”

“Afraid?” repeated Jed, looking sheepish.“Well, Tom, I’ll tell you how it is. Whenthere’s no danger near, and I’m thinking overbrave deeds, I’m a regular hero, and no mistake.But when I get right down where I thinksome one may be a going to open on me withboth barrels of a shotgun, then I get – well, Iwon’t say afraid, but tormentingly nervous!”

Halstead laughed heartily.

“I guess that’s the way with the whole humanrace, Jed. The man who lugs off the reputationfor being brave is the man who won’t run, because he is ashamed to let anyone see howmortally afraid he is.”

“But what do you make of Ted Dunstan’squeer talk?” asked Jed Prentiss. “Do you believehis father really did give him orders togo off with that crowd?”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Halstead answered.“Mr. Dunstan is our employer.”

“But young Ted always has been a mightytruthful boy,” pursued Jed, wonderingly. “Oh,it’s all mighty queer, whatever’s the truth.”

“I guess we’d better let it go at that laststatement,” proposed Tom; “at least, untilwe’ve heard what Mr. Dunstan has to say.”

With three or four caps of coffee down, Halsteadfelt so much warmer that he returnedto deck to take the wheel. The “Meteor” wasnecessarily going much more slowly than usual, with her tow astern. The trip was bound tobe such a long one that Jed started things inthe galley, then went back through the passagewayto the cabin, where he set the folding tablewith a white cloth. When Lawyer Craneseated himself at supper he was astonished tofind how excellent a meal could be preparedin short time aboard this craft.

It was nearing dark when Captain Halsteadguided the “Meteor” in toward the Dunstanpier.

While the boat was being made fast by Joeand Jed, Mr. Crane stepped hurriedly ashore.

“Come along, Captain Halstead,” said theman of law. “Mr. Dunstan must hear yourremarkable story without a moment’s delay.”

CHAPTER XI – WHERE THE WATER TRAIL ENDED

Horace Dunstan, pausing in his excitedwalk in his library, stopped andstared in amazement when Tom cameto one point of his strange recital.

“Ted said I gave him instructions to go withthat crowd?” he demanded.

“He made that point extremely plain to me, sir,” Halstead insisted.

“But I – I never gave him any such instructions,”cried Mr. Dunstan, rumpling his hair.

“It seemed unbelievable, sir. And yet yourson struck me as a truthful boy.”

“He is; he always was,” retorted the father.“Ted hated a lie or a liar, and yet this statementis wholly outside of the truth. I assureyou – ”

“If you’ll permit me, sir,” broke in the lawyer, who had been listening silently up to thispoint, “I’ll indicate one or two points at whichyoung Halstead’s most remarkable – ”

“Crane,” broke in the master of the house, with unlooked-for sternness, “if you’re aboutto throw any doubt around Tom Halstead’sstory, I may as well tell you plainly that you’regoing a little too far. Halstead has been mostthoroughly vouched for to me. If you haveany notion in your mind that he has been yarningto us, I beg you to let the idea remain inyour mind. I don’t want to hear it.”

“Hm!” said the lawyer, and subsided.

“Captain Halstead,” went on Ted’s father,“my son’s statement is so extraordinary that Idon’t pretend to fathom it. But I give youmy word, as a man of honor, that I am as muchat sea in this matter as anyone could be. ButI must get in touch with Wood’s Hole at once.”

There was a telephone instrument in theroom that speedily put the distracted father incommunication with one of his detectives overon the mainland. A long talk followed, theupshot of it being that the detective in chargeof the search asked that the “Meteor” be sentover to Wood’s Hole at once, that she mightbe ready for any sea-going following-up of cluesthat might be necessary.

“For, of course, we’ve got to find that cabinsloop,” finished Detective Musgrave. “If thesloop isn’t at sea, then the chase undoubtedlymust be followed on the mainland. If we havethe ‘Meteor’ here we can do quickly anythingthat may appear necessary.”

So Tom received his instant sailing orders.As he hurried from the house, down throughthe grounds, the young skipper felt relieved atone point. With his belief in Ted’s honesty hehad been inclined to suspect that Horace Dunstan, for some unknown reasons of his own, such, for instance, as a distaste for having hisson go into the Army, might have brought abouta pretended disappearance.

“But now I know,” muttered Tom, “thatMr. Dunstan is just as honest in his declarationsas Ted appeared to be in saying the opposite.If Horace Dunstan has been lying to mejust now, I’d have very little further faith inhuman honesty.”

The “Meteor” was speedily on her way.First Joe, and then Tom, was served in the littlegalley, Jed getting in his mouthfuls as besthe could before the motor boat was tied up atWood’s Hole.

Before Tom had time to land a keen-eyed, smooth-faced man of thirty-five, broad-shoulderedand a little above medium height, steppedforward out of the darkness and over the rail.

“Do you know me, Captain Halstead?” heasked, in a low voice.

“Yes, I think so,” Tom answered. “You’reMr. Musgrave, one of the detectives sent downfrom New York at Mr. Dunstan’s request.”

“I am in charge of the case at this point,”said Musgrave. “Lead me below.”

Tom conducted his caller down into the engine-room, thence through the passageway intothe cabin.

“Now, tell me all you can of this affair, andtalk as quickly as you can,” directed the detective.

Tom told his brief but potent narrative withoutpausing for breath.