The Motor Boat Club at Nantucket Part 32

"I'll speed her now," promised the man at the steering wheel. "It's make or break."

It was barely one minute before four when the touring car raced in sight of the court building. In Nantucket the news had spread like wildfire and now a crowd of hundreds of residents and summer guests had collected before the court building. But at the gate of the grounds, each with a watch in his hand, stood Horace Dunstan and Lawyer Crane.

"Here they come, Crane, thank heaven!" breathed Mr. Dunstan, tears of joy springing up in his eyes. "Now rush, man-_rus.h.!.+_"

Inside the court room Judge Swan sat on the bench. Down below stood a solitary clerk. Two court officers lounged listlessly. Judge Swan, having no case before him, was sorting some papers. He looked up to say:

"Mr. Clark, if there's no further business to come before the court to-day, you may declare it adjour--"

"_One moment, your honor!_"

Lawyer Crane fairly ran into the court room breathless, waving a paper above his head as though to attract attention.

At that same instant a great, rousing, hoa.r.s.e cheer began to well up outside.

"I will ask the court to remain on the bench one or two minutes more,"

called the lawyer imploringly. "My clients, Mr. Horace Dunstan and his son will appear before you instantly."

Then father and son entered. The two court officers had already stirred themselves into life to hold back the crowd of hundreds that attempted to rush in also. Judge Swan nodded to the clerk, and the lawyer, finding that his appeal was heard and granted, lost his excitement, becoming once more the cool, methodical man of affairs.

Tom and Joe, and the officers waited in the corridor in case they should be asked to make oath to their adventures. But the court not having been in session the day before, thanks to Joe's accident, all that was necessary was for the judge to question the two Dunstans, to affix his signature to certain papers and to order the will of Aaron Dunstan entered for probate.

It was all over in ten minutes and court was promptly adjourned, and Master Ted's great inheritance was secured to him if he lived up to all of the requirements of that remarkable doc.u.ment.

As the two Dunstans came out again the crowd surged about them in a craze of hoa.r.s.e excitement. Tom and Joe were caught up by men and carried on their shoulders. It was a wild turmoil of laughter, cheering and shouting.

Laughing good-naturedly both boys presently escaped from those who were carrying them. Tom tried to push his way back to the Dunstans. The crowd tried to make way for him, but it could not all be done in an instant.

While one of the young captain's hands was behind him he felt a piece of paper thrust against the palm.

As soon as he could, in that great crush, Halstead brought his hand before him. On it, in scrawling letters, had been penned these words:

"It is all over-except your reward."

Reward? Tom Halstead understood that message in an instant. It was a plain threat from the balked Alvarez crew.

CHAPTER XXII-JED RUNS A NAVAL BOMBARDMENT

"Get into my machine, all hands," urged Deputy Sheriff Warren. "It's the only way ever to get out of this crush."

Those who could not sit in the auto had to stand, wedged in, as Warren, clearing a way as fast as he could, got the various members of the party to the car. Then, with a toot of the horn, the machine started.

"I want to get you all over to the hotel to see what is to be done in the way of prosecution," the deputy explained to Mr. Dunstan. "Your lawyer can help us, too, if he will."

Horace Dunstan had as yet had time to have but a very few words with his now astonished son. As soon, however, as the party got in a room by themselves Master Ted stepped quickly over to Halstead, holding out his hand.

"I put up as good a fight against you as I could, captain," he said, "but now I want to apologize and thank you."

"I knew that time would come," Halstead laughed, as he took the younger boy's hand.

"Now we want to understand a few things," broke in Lawyer Crane. "Master Theodore, you have told us that you went away with strangers in obedience to what you considered written instructions from your father.

Who handed you that note?"

"Gambon, dad's gardener."

"What did the note say?"

"The note said my inheritance was in great danger, and the two boys dad had hired to run the 'Meteor' were in the plot against me. I was told to go to the men to whom Gambon would take me and to follow their instructions in everything for a few days."

"And you believed all that?" demanded the lawyer.

"Yes. Why not?" challenged Master Ted. "I thought the note was in dad's own writing and he had always told me the truth about everything."

"Did those men treat you roughly?" inquired the lawyer.

"Never a bit of it," replied young Dunstan. "I thought I was having the best time of my life. It was such fun to be in the woods, hiding from the plotters, as they told me, and then scooting about from place to place to get rid of our enemies, as I also thought. And we had a lot of fine fis.h.i.+ng. Oh, it was all a great good time-until Tom Halstead pounced upon me and bore me away."

"Where is that scoundrel, Gambon, now?" asked Lawyer Crane, looking around at the others.

"He ought to be out at the Sanderson farm or near there," replied Joe.

"I trailed him there and it was just after Gambon had slipped up to the farmhouse that I ran against Tom in the dark."

"We want that fellow, Gambon," shouted Mr. Dunstan angrily. "I'll pay a good reward to have him caught and jailed."

"Remember, we have only your son's evidence that Gambon handed him the note," replied Mr. Crane. "There is no other witness on the point, and--"

Rap, rap, rap! sounded a brisk summons on the door. Warren admitted three men, one of whom he seemed to know.

"These gentlemen are United States officers," the deputy stated, coming back with the visitors, after a few words exchanged in a low tone. "Mr.

Dunstan, this is Mr. Lawrence. The Government turned over to him the letter you sent about Alvarez and that fellow's filibustering work."

"I thought the Government intended to pay no attention to my letter,"

said Mr. Dunstan.

"At first our department couldn't take up the matter," replied Mr.

Lawrence. "All our men were busy. But Mr. Joyce," turning to indicate one of his companions, "has been here on the island since yesterday morning. His news, however, leads us to believe that the filibusters will not attempt to get away from here with their unlawful cargo for a few days yet."

"Then perhaps Mr. Joyce does not know," put in Tom, "that Alvarez and Sanderson have been moving that cargo from the farm buildings down to a new shed near the pier."

The United States officers looked at each other queerly at this information.

"I think," pursued young Captain Halstead, "that the Alvarez crew mean to get their goods away to-night or to-morrow night."

"This matter will have to have quick looking into," said Mr. Lawrence, hastily. "But one thing we came here to learn is whether you intend to prosecute any of that crowd under the state law?"

"If you can get the Alvarez crowd under the federal law," said Lawyer Crane, quickly, "I think you will be able to push the prisoners harder.