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

For an hour Joe remained in the motor room, neither Tom nor Jed bothering him with theirpresence. Then Tom went aft to see if theirguest was comfortable. Judge Swan looked upwith a pleasant smile.

“If I didn’t have that session of court onhand, captain, I wouldn’t mind if this breaklasted all day.”

“It wouldn’t be bad,” the young skipper assented.“We have a good larder and a fineyoung cook aboard.”

“How serious is the break?” inquired hishonor.

“Why, Dawson reports that he hopes verysoon to be under way again.”

“I hope he won’t hurry enough to interferewith thorough repair,” pursued JudgeSwan.

When Tom went forward again it occurredto him to take a look down into the engineroom. The sight that met his gaze was a surprisingone. Joe was lying on his back on oneof the lockers, the first time he had ever beenasleep at his post!

The time dragged on slowly. His honor, beingwholly comfortable and well occupied wherehe was, didn’t come forward to ask any questions.

“There’s the forenoon boat coming,” whisperedJed, at last.

“Confound it,” muttered Tom. “I wish Ihad thought to keep better out of her track.”

The passenger steamer soon signaled. Tomanswered on the auto whistle.

Then the passenger steamer ran in closer tothe motor boat. The captain of the steamer, standing before the pilot house, megaphone inhand, called over the waters:

“Are you in distress?”

“Only a temporary break in the engine,”Tom answered, through his megaphone.

“Do you need any assistance?”

“No, thank you,” Halstead responded.

“Do you wish to transfer any passengers?”

Judge Swan came forward to the young skipper.At the same time Tom saw Mr. Dunstanand Mr. Crane at the rail, among the boat’spassengers.

“How soon before you’ll be under way, CaptainHalstead?” asked his honor.

Now, Joe being fast asleep, Halstead had toanswer for his friend.

“Judge, we ought to be under way soon.”

“Then tell the captain of the steamer you’veno passengers to transfer,” directed his honor, next starting aft once more.

“No passengers to transfer, captain, thankyou,” Tom answered.

“All right, ‘Meteor.’ Wish you good luck!”A moment later, after both craft had whistled, the passenger steamer continued on her way.

Now, it was too bad, of course, but noon cameand found the “Meteor” still unable to proceed.Soon after that Jed appeared, setting up a tablein the cockpit. A cloth was laid, and apleasing luncheon spread before the delayedjudge. Joe came to at the first mention of food, and the three members of the crew ate forward.

“It’s a mean thing to have such a break outon the open,” Joe complained, as he finished eating.“However, I’ll do the best I can for you.”

The afternoon began to slip by. It was considerablyafter three o’clock when Joe thrust hishead up through the hatchway to say:

“Captain, if you’ll be satisfied to go at slowspeed, I think we can make a start now.”

“Then start her, and keep to whatever speedyour judgment decides upon,” Tom replied.Making his way aft he informed Judge Swan.

“I am delighted to hear it, of course,” repliedthat gentleman. “I must, however, give youcredit for commanding a boat aboard which avery pleasant day of idleness can be enjoyed.”

The “Meteor” was soon going at a speed thatseemed lame and halting for her. She made theharbor at Nantucket, however, at 4.20, andlanded her distinguished passenger. JudgeSwan shook hands with all three boys, thankingthem for his pleasant day.

Knowing that Mr. Dunstan was not at Wood’sHole, Tom decided to make the run straight tothe home pier. Leaving Jed at the wheel, afterthey were out of the harbor, the young skipperwent below.

“Joe,” he asked soon, “what was wrong withthe engine?”

“The vaporizer,” Joe replied briefly.

“What ailed it?”

“Why, you see,” Dawson replied calmly,“after the speed stopped I disconnected thevaporizer and put it in one of the lockers. Then, somehow, I forgot all about that vaporizer forsome hours. When I thought of it I got it outof the locker, wiped it off on some waste, connectedit again – and then the engine began tobehave fairly well.”

Tom’s lips puckered. Whistling, he turnedhis face away from his chum, looking outthrough one of the portholes.

“What’s the matter?” inquired Dawson, lookingup in some surprise.

“Joe,” retorted the young skipper, “don’tyou think that was rather a scurvy trick to playon justice?”

“Trick?” repeated Joe in an injured voice.“Well, if you call that a ‘trick,’ my captain, thenall I have to say is that Judge Swan didn’t seemto be very much upset about it.”

“There having been no legal session ofprobate court to-day,” Tom went on, “that givesour friends one day of grace in which to findTed Dunstan.”

“I wish it were a year more, instead of aday,” sighed Dawson.

“I wonder,” muttered Tom, as though talkingto himself. “I wonder whether Judge Swanhinted himself aboard the ‘Meteor’ just so Joecould play that scurvy, unmannerly trick againstthe blind goddess of justice? I wonder!”

CHAPTER XVIII – THE MESSAGE UNDER THE ROCK

“And so you’ve gained until another day, anyway, sir,” Tom wound up his accountof the “accident” to the “Meteor’s”motor.

“I fear it will do us but little good,” sighedHorace Dunstan. “I feel that possibility in theway of search has been exhausted. It looks asthough we were doomed to defeat.”

“I don’t like to think, Mr. Dunstan, that anysuch thing as defeat is possible as long as there’smore time left us,” was Halstead’s answer.

“I trust, my young friend, that your faith willbe justified.”

“Any instructions for to-night, sir?”

“No; nothing remains to be done and youyoung men deserve your rest at last.”