Guilt of the Brass Thieves Part 17

"Why, we aren't fighting," Sally denied with a grin.

"Heck, no!" Jack agreed. He started away, then turned and came back. "By the way, Sally. How about the trophy?"

Sally did not understand what he meant.

"I won the race, so doesn't the bra.s.s lantern belong to me?" Jack pursued the subject.

"Well, it will if you win the final next week."

"That's in the bag."

"Like fun it is!" Sally said indignantly. "Jack, I hate to crush those delicate feelings of yours, but you're due for the worst defeat of your life!"

The argument might have started anew, but Jack reverted to the matter of the lantern trophy.

"I'm the winner now, and it should be turned over to me," he insisted.

Sally became annoyed. "That's not according to the rules of the compet.i.tion," she returned. "The regulations governing the race say that the _final_ winner is ent.i.tled to keep the trophy. I was last year's winner. The one this season hasn't yet been determined."

"It's not safe to keep the lantern aboard the _River Queen_."

"Don't be silly! There couldn't be a safer place! Pop and I chained the trophy to a beam. It can't be removed without cutting the chain."

"Someone could take the trophy by unlocking the padlock."

"Oh, no, they couldn't," Sally grinned provokingly. "You see, I've already lost the key. The only way that lantern can be removed is by cutting the chain."

Jack was enraged. "You've lost the key?" he demanded. "If that isn't the last straw!"

Hanson Brown, chairman of the racing committee, chanced to be pa.s.sing, and Jack impulsively hailed him. To the chagrin of the girls, he asked for a ruling on the matter of the trophy's possession.

"Why, I don't recall that such a question ever came up before," the official replied. "My judgment is that Miss Barker has a right to retain the trophy until the final race."

"Ha!" chuckled Sally, enjoying Jack's discomfiture. "How do you like that?"

Jack turned to leave. But he could not refrain from one parting shot.

"All right," he said, "you get to keep the trophy, but mind--if anything should happen to it--you alone will be responsible!"

CHAPTER 12 _NIGHT PROWLER_

When Penny, her father, and the Gandiss family returned late that afternoon to Shadow Island, a strange motorboat was tied up at the dock.

On the veranda a man sat waiting. Although his face appeared familiar, Penny did not recognize him.

Her father, however, spoke his name instantly. "Heiney Growski! Anything to report?"

Penny remembered then that he was the detective who had been placed in charge of the junk shop near the Gandiss factory.

The man arose, laying aside a newspaper he had been reading to pa.s.s the time. "I've learned a little," he replied to Mr. Parker's question.

"Shall we talk here?"

"Go ahead," encouraged Mr. Gandiss carelessly. "This is my son, Jack, and our guest, Penny Parker. They know of the situation at the factory, and can be trusted not to talk."

Though seemingly reluctant to make a report in the presence of the two youngsters, the detective nevertheless obeyed instructions.

"Since opening up the shop, I've been approached twice by a man from the factory," he began.

"That sweeper, called Joe?" interposed Mr. Parker.

"Yes, the first time he merely came into the place, looked around a bit, and finally asked me what I paid for bra.s.s."

"You didn't appear too interested?" Mr. Parker inquired.

"No, I gave him a price just a little above the market."

"How did it strike him?"

"He didn't have much to say, but I could tell he was interested."

"Did he offer you any bra.s.s?"

"No, he hinted he might be able to get me a considerable quant.i.ty of it later on."

"Feeling you out."

"Yes, I figure he'll be back. That's why I came here for instructions. If he shows up with the bra.s.s, shall I have him arrested?"

Mr. Parker waited for the factory owner to answer the question.

"Make a record of every transaction," Mr. Gandiss said. "Encourage the man to talk, and he may reveal the names of others mixed up in the thefts. But make no arrests until we have more information."

"Very good, sir," the detective returned. "Unless the man is very crafty, I believe we may be able to trap him within a few weeks."

After Heiney had gone, Jack and Penny went down to the dock together to retie the _Spindrift_. The wind had s.h.i.+fted, and with the water level rising, the boat was b.u.mping against its mooring post.

"By the way, Jack," said Penny as she unfastened one of the ropes to make it shorter, "I forgot to congratulate you upon winning the race this afternoon."

"Skip it," he replied grimly.

Penny glanced at him, wondering if her ears had deceived her.

"Why, I thought you were crazy-wild to win," she commented.

"Not that way." Jack kept his face averted as he tied a neat clove hitch.

"I guess I made myself look like a heel, didn't I?"