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

“Yes,” assented Horace Dunstan.

“Now I know, and we all know,” Halsteadwent on, “that Ted Dunstan has been illegallyspirited away and that it is simply impossiblefor his father to produce him in court. It is noguess-work, for I have seen Ted Dunstan, alive, and with Mr. Dunstan’s enemies. If you wereto make the claim, Mr. Crane, and use me as awitness, would that help matters any in inducingthe court to adjourn the matter? Could thecourt then legally postpone the bringing of theDunstan heir into view?”

“I’m afraid not,” replied the great lawyerthoughtfully. “In the first place, the courtwould have only Mr. Dunstan’s word for it thathe is really anxious to produce his son in court.There would be no evidence that could corroborateMr. Dunstan’s statement. As to your testimony,Captain Halstead, if it were admitted atall, it would work us the greatest harm, for youwould be obliged to say, under oath, that Tedtold you he was with those other people by hisown choice as well as at his father’s command.”

Mr. Musgrave nodded. Horace Dunstanbowed his stricken head lower.

“I understand the force of what you say, Mr.Crane,” Tom nodded.

“Hush! Here comes Judge Swan now,”whispered the lawyer. “What can he be doinghere?”

A portly, white-haired man, yet with a fresh, young-looking face, had just stepped onto thepier and came toward them. He was judge ofthe probate court over at Nantucket.

“Good morning, gentlemen,” he greetedpleasantly. Then, by a nod, he drew LawyerCrane toward him, though the judge spokeloudly enough for the rest to hear.

“Are you going to have a case to bring beforeme to-day, Mr. Crane?”

“Provided we can find young Theodore Dunstanin time, your honor,” answered the lawyer.“Our search has been unceasing.”

“I wish you the utmost measure of good fortune, then,” replied Judge Swan. “Under theterms of the will, as I understand them, this isthe last day of grace that you have. But remember, court will be open up to the minute of fourthis afternoon.”

Mr. Crane thanked his honor. Every hearerpresent, however, realized that Judge Swan hadanswered, as far as his dignity and officialposition permitted, how any appeal for postponementmust be answered from the bench. Themotion would be denied.

The justice turned to stroll apart from therest, but the lawyer kept at his side.

“Judge,” he asked in an undertone, “sinceyou know the whole of our painful predicament, can you offer me any suggestion?”

“The most I can say, because it is the mostI am able to say,” murmured the judge, “isthat I sincerely trust that Mr. Dunstan andyourself will be able to produce young Theodorein court before four o’clock this afternoon.”

They soon turned, strolling back to the group.

“I feel a good deal annoyed,” said JudgeSwan, presently. “I was in Boston yesterday.My friend, Mr. Percival, was to start over toNantucket with me at six this morning, in orderthat I might open court at nine o’clock. Mr.Percival wired me yesterday that his launch hadbroken down, but the telegram must havereached Boston after I had gone to the train.So I must go over on the forenoon passengersteamer, I fear.”

“If we were going back sooner,” explainedMr. Crane, “my client would be most happy togive you a seat on his boat. But we feel that,if young Theodore Dunstan is found, it will beon the mainland. So we are waiting until thelast moment.”

“Yet, if heaven favors us,” broke in HoraceDunstan, “we could take my son over on theregular forenoon passenger boat, and be incourt this afternoon. The ‘Meteor’ could beback here soon after the passenger boat leaves.So, Judge, may I offer you the use of the ‘Meteor?’”

“Do you mean that?” asked Judge Swan, looking at the owner in delight.

“Most assuredly,” replied Mr. Dunstan. “Ishall be glad, judge, if you will make use of myboat.”

“Then I shall accept with great pleasure,”replied his honor. “I know how swift yourboat is.”

“Then, captain,” said Mr. Dunstan, turningto Halstead, “you understand your instructions, which are to get Judge Swan in Nantucket beforenine o’clock this morning.”

“It’s the only boat in these waters that coulddo it,” Tom replied, with pardonable pride, ashe sprang aboard.

“Come back, captain, as soon as you landhis honor,” was Mr. Dunstan’s parting word.“If you pass the passenger steamer, watch forme at her rail. I may signal you.”

Before she had left the pier three hundredyards behind, the nimble motor boat was goingat better than twenty miles an hour. Graduallythe speed was increased. Judge Swan stoodon the bridge deck beside Tom.

“It is really exciting to travel on a boat likethis,” commented his honor, presently. “Youmust enjoy it, captain.”

“I do sir, when the engine works all right, which it does usually,” Halstead answered.

The sea as smooth as ever, and no hinderingbreeze blowing, the craft behaved splendidly, making within a notch of her best speed. Intime they left Martha’s Vineyard behind, andheaded out toward the big, green island of Nantucket.

“The engine isn’t likely to break down thismorning, is she?” asked the judge, who hadjust returned from a smoke aft.

“I don’t think so, sir. It would make a sadmix-up in your court work if we got stuck outhere on the open sea, wouldn’t it, sir?”

“I imagine it would annoy my clerk a gooddeal,” replied Judge Swan, reflectively. “Hewould have to sit in court all day withoutme, and then, when four o’clock came, hewould, in my absence, be obliged to declarecourt adjourned until nine o’clock to-morrowmorning.”

“And in that case there wouldn’t be anylegal session of the court to-day, would there, sir?”

“There couldn’t be a legal session in my absence.However, we’ll trust that your enginewon’t meet with any mishap,” replied JudgeSwan, smiling and turning away.

Tom Halstead’s hands began to tremble ashe guided the wheel. There was a queer lookin his eyes; his head was whirling a bit.

Had Judge Swan purposely given him ahint? It was a staggering thought. Halstead, when in doubt, was likely to think and actquickly.

“Come and relieve me at the wheel for a fewmoments, Jed,” he called. Then, in a twinkling, the young skipper was down in the engineroom.

“Joe,” he whispered, breathlessly, to hischum, “the judge just informed me that,if anything went wrong with the engine, andwe couldn’t make Nantucket before fouro’clock, there would be no legal session ofprobate court.”

“Did he mean that for a hint?” queried Joe, his look becoming keen.

“I’ll leave that for you to figure out, chum.”

“Where are we, now?” was Dawson’s nextquestion.

Halstead informed him.

“Say,” muttered Joe, “I wish you’d go upon deck and stay there a while. I want to attendto my work for a while.”

Tom went back up on deck, lounging nearJed, at the wheel. It wasn’t long before thespeed slackened. Then, the boat slowed downto mere headway. Even this soon ceased.

“I’ll try not to hinder you long,” called upJoe, showing his face in the hatchway. “Ithink I can soon get the engine fixed.”

“Use all the speed you can, Joe, but do itwell, whatever has to be done,” Tom answered.Then he made his way aft to report to JudgeSwan that the engineer had said he hoped themotor would soon be in order again.

“Are there any books aboard?” his honorwanted to know.

“There’s a book-shelf in the cabin, sir.”

Judge Swan disappeared into the cabin. Thenext time Halstead looked aft he saw the judgesnug in one of the armchairs, reading.

The place was ideal for such a breakdown.The “Meteor” lay almost motionless upon thesmooth sea, miles from land, with no troublesomereefs near. Under the awnings it wasdelightfully cool.