The Motor Boat Club at Nantucket; or, The Mystery of the Dunstan Heir by H. Irving Hancock
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THE MOTOR BOAT CLUB AT NANTUCKET
OR
The Mystery of the Dunstan Heir
By
H. IRVING HANCOCK
Author of The Motor Boat Club of the Kennebec, The Motor Boat Club Off Long Island, Etc.
Illustrated
Philadelphia Henry Altemus Company
Copyright, 1909, by Howard E. Altemus
"Help! I Drown!" Came in a Muffled Voice.]
Contents
CHAPTER I--THE PAIR IN THE SEAT AHEAD CHAPTER II--BOUNCER WAKES UP CHAPTER III--THE LUCKIEST BOY IN THE WORLD CHAPTER IV--SIGHTING THE "PIRATE" CHAPTER V--A JOKE ON THE ENEMY CHAPTER VI--TOM HAS A BAD QUARTER OF AN HOUR CHAPTER VII--"THE QUICKEST WAY OF WALKING THE PLANK" CHAPTER VIII--TOM DISCOVERS THE HEIR CHAPTER IX--TED HURLS A THUNDERBOLT CHAPTER X--OVERHAULING THE MYSTERY CHAPTER XI--WHERE THE WATER TRAIL ENDED CHAPTER XII--JOB HAS HIS COURAGE TESTED CHAPTER XIII--A CAPTURE IN RECORD TIME CHAPTER XIV--HEADED FOR THE SUNKEN REEF CHAPTER XV--IN THE TEETH OF DEATH CHAPTER XVI--FOLLOWING UP THE CLUE CHAPTER XVII--JOE PLAYS JUSTICE A SCURVY TRICK CHAPTER XVIII--THE MESSAGE UNDER THE ROCK CHAPTER XIX--THE SIGHT BEHIND THE ATTIC LIGHT CHAPTER XX--BLIND MAN'S BUFF IN FEARFUL EARNEST CHAPTER XXI--THE LAST DASH TO WIN CHAPTER XXII--JED RUNS A NAVAL BOMBARDMENT CHAPTER XXIII--SPYING ON THE FILIBUSTERS CHAPTER XXIV--CONCLUSION
CHAPTER I--THE PAIR IN THE SEAT AHEAD
"Is the 'Meteor' a fast boat?"
"Very fast, indeed."
"But can she beat anything along this coast? That's what I want toknow."
"Judge for yourself. On her trial trip she made within a small fractionof twenty-eight miles an hour."
"Whew! That's tremendous speed, even for a fast and costly boat such asthe rich build to-day. But how long has she been in the water?"
"Since last March."
"She may have fouled a good deal since then, or her machinery may be agood deal below the mark by this time."
"Humph! For that matter, something could be made to happen to the boat,I suppose."
Of the two men carrying on this conversation in a day-coach seat on arailway train, one was five-foot-seven, florid and somewhat stout, witha bull neck and keen, twinkling eyes. His whole appearance hinted thathe had spent most of his forty years of life on the open sea. The otherman, who was short, slim and swarthy, with narrow, piercing black eyes,might have been a few years older. His every motion betokened greatactivity. One might have guessed him to be a Spaniard. His generalattire, though it was somewhat careless, would place him in thebusiness-man class.
At the first mention of the name "Meteor" two American boys, seatedimmediately behind the men, started slightly and immediately were allattention. Each boy was about sixteen years of age. Tom Halstead wasfair, brown-haired and blue-eyed with a naturally merry look. Joe Dawsonwas darker, somewhat more reserved in manner and was Tom's fast chum andgreat admirer.
Yes; readers of the preceding volume in this series will recognize Tomand Joe at once as the young Americans who became the original membersof the Motor Boat Club of the Kennebec. It was they who put BrokerPrescott's fast motor boat, the "Sunbeam," once more in commission; theywho went through some most lively adventures along the coast near themouth of the Kennebec and who rendered tremendously important servicesto Revenue Officer Evans, a cousin of the broker, in penetrating thesecret of Smugglers' Island.
Now these same two members of the Motor Boat Club were traveling onbusiness that they believed to be wholly commonplace. They were headedfor the island of Nantucket, south of Cape Cod. The experiences ahead ofthem, they imagined, were to be of the most ordinary kind. They had noglimpse, as yet, of the new excitements that Fate had in store for them.They had no hint of the startling adventures into which they were soonto be plunged.
But that mention of the name "Meteor" had aroused their instantattention. That was the name of the motor boat that they were to joinand take charge of at Wood's Hole. The craft was the property of Mr.Horace Dunstan, one of the wealthy residents of the island of Nantucket.
An ordinary boy might not have heard the low-toned conversation of thepair in the seat ahead. But Tom and Joe, attuned to the life of the seaand with ears trained to note the slightest irregularity of the sound ofmachinery, possessed acute hearing indeed.
At the first words of that conversation between the unknown pair Tomgave Joe a slight nudge in the side. Dawson's eyes promptly closed, hislips parting, his head sinking slightly forward. He appeared to be soundasleep. Halstead seemed to be wholly interested in the newspaper atwhich he was glancing. Not even when the possibility of foul play to the"Meteor" was mentioned did either youngster betray any further sign.Indeed, the men in the seat ahead were evidently confident that the boyscould not hear their low-pitched talk. None of the other seats near bywas occupied.
The accommodation train from Boston, rolling slowly along late in thisJuly afternoon, had just left Falmouth for its run of a few miles toWood's Hole, the last stop, as this would be the end of the mainlandroute. Across the meadows the hot breath of July came through the opencar windows. The brightness of the sunshine inclined one to close hiseyes, so that Joe Dawson's slumber seemed the most natural thing in theworld. Indeed, Tom Halstead's eyes were narrowing; he seemed the nextcandidate for a doze. Yet, depend upon it, neither boy had been moreawake in his life. The slightest hint of possible mischief to the boatthat was soon to be intrusted to their care was enough to set theirnerves a-tingle.
"That was a queer rumpus on Boston Common the other day," began theflorid-faced man. The subject had been changed. No further mention wasmade of the "Meteor." Tom Halstead felt tremendously disappointed. Hehad hoped to hear more that would be of interest to himself. But thepair in the seat ahead did not again refer to the "Meteor." So Tom,after stealthily making a few pin pricks in his newspaper, settled fardown in his seat, holding the paper before his face as though reading.In reality he was studying what he could see of the faces of the men whohad so suddenly aroused his interest. With the paper close enough to hisface the pin holes were almost as good as windows.
Over those last few miles droned the train. Tom felt cheated in nothearing more, but to all appearances the strangers had forgotten theexistence of the "Meteor." When the train was yet a mile out from Wood'sHole the two men arose, going to the forward end of the car. The trainslackened in speed, the two men dropping off on the further side of thecar from where the boys sat. By the time that Halstead deemed it prudentto slip across to a window opposite, the two men were out of sight.
"Now what on earth can be the reason for those two fellows desiring anyinjury to a gentleman's private yacht?" muttered Tom, rejoining hischum.
"At all events, it's handy to be well warned in advance," returned Joewith a quiet grin.
"Yes, if we run across that pair within twenty cable lengths of the boatwe'll know 'em and be on our watch," answered Halstead with a meaningflash in his eyes.
They had little more time for puzzling their heads, for the train wasnow rolling in at the little station at Wood's Hole. There were lessthan a dozen people to disembark. Out of such a small crowd anyonelooking for two young motor boat experts would have little difficulty inselecting the two boys
"Captain Tom Halstead?" he inquired, looking from one boy to the other.
"That's my name, sir," Tom answered. "You are Mr. Horace Dunstan?"
"Yes. And heartily glad that you did not disappoint me."
"There was no good reason why we should, sir," Halstead rejoined, thenpresented his chum. Mr. Dunstan shook hands with both very cordially,although he was not able to conceal entirely his astonishment at theiryouthfulness.
"I--er--really expected to find you a little older," Mr. Dunstanadmitted with an easy laugh. "However, it's all right. My friend,Prescott, told me he had found, among the seacoast boys of Maine, someof the best material for motor boat handlers in the world. I asked himto send me the best pair he knew, so, of course, it's all right, forPrescott never goes back on a friend."
"We've handled Mr. Prescott's boat in some rather tight places," saidTom quietly.
"You have your suit cases, I see. There's no need to carry them down tothe water front. Come over here and hand them to the driver."
Mr. Dunstan led the way to the solitary hack at the station, thoughneither sturdy boy would have thought anything of walking and carryinghis baggage.
"Now we'll drive down at once and you'll see the 'Meteor'" proposedtheir host. "Perhaps you will be able to tell, very soon, what ails thecraft. I have had one or two local machinists look her over and theowner of one small motor boat who thought he knew all about such craft.Yet the engine doesn't work well enough for me to be satisfied to try touse the boat."
In a few minutes the three alighted near a pier that jutted some hundredfeet out over the water. At the further end lay as jaunty a fifty-footcraft as either boy had ever laid eyes on.
"So that's the 'Meteor'? Oh, she's a dandy!" cried Tom in a burst ofenthusiasm.
"Say, look at the beauty of her lines! What speed she ought to be goodfor, with a strong, well-behaving engine!" came from quiet Joe.
Horace Dunstan smiled with pardonable pride as he led the way down thepier. As far as first impressions went the boat was worthy of extendedpraise. Though only five feet longer than the "Sunbeam," she had thelook of being a much larger craft. There was more forecastle. The spaceof the bridge deck seemed better arranged. There was an awning over thebridge deck and another over the cockpit aft. The cabin looked roomier.From davits at the starboard side swung a natty-looking small boat.
"Gr-r-r-r!" came a warning sound from the closed forecastle as the triostepped aboard.
"In the absence of crew I've kept my bull pup down in the engine room,"explained Mr. Dunstan.
"A mighty good idea," muttered Tom with a swift recollection of thefragments of conversation he and Joe had overheard on the train.
"Stand back a moment, until I let him out and present you to him,"requested the owner. "Don't be afraid of him. Bouncer is a veryintelligent dog. Hell understand an introduction as quickly as a humanbeing would."
One of the forecastle windows was open, to give air to the dog, thoughit was not large enough to let him out.
"It's all right, Bouncer," called Mr. Dunstan reassuringly, as he fitteda key at the forecastle door. "Now come out like a four-footed gentlemanand meet some friends of ours."
Bouncer came nimbly out, a low-built, thickset bulldog of the finestfighting type. He had a square-set pair of jaws that looked capable oftaking a tremendous grip. His look, however, under the prompt petting ofhis owner, was kindly and curious.
"These young gentlemen are all right, Bouncer," spoke Mr. Dunstan. "Goover and get acquainted with them. Let them pet you."
Bouncer contented himself with a brief sniffing at each boy in turn.Then he submitted to caresses, wagging his short stump of a tail.
"He understands. You'll never need to be afraid of this dog, unless youdo some such extreme thing as to attack me or a member of my family,"Mr. Dunstan assured them. "Now come down into the engine room."
"Say, this is something like!" uttered Joe enthusiastically, as hestepped below and stood looking about him. Here there was an abundanceof room, for much of the engine was housed back under the bridge deck.The engineer had plenty of space in which to move about. Forward of theengine room, shut off by a curtain, was the galley. Here were stove,sink, ice box, dishrack and room for a goodly supply of foods.
Through a passageway Mr. Dunstan led them under the bridge deck.Curtained off from the passage was a wide berth.
"We generally call this the captain's berth," explained the owner.
"I guess my berth will be on one of the engine room lockers with Joe,"smiled Halstead.
The cabin proved to be spacious and handsome. The four locker seatscould be fitted into berths when cruising. The cockpit aft was large andcontained, besides side seats, half a dozen comfortable armchairs.
"Now suppose we go back to the engine," desired Mr. Dunstan, turningabout. "I'm anxious, indeed, to know whether you can locate the troublethat has tied this craft up here."
Returning to the engine room, the boys opened their suit cases, takingout overalls and jumpers. Clad in these they were soon armed withwrenches and other tools, exploring the mysteries of that engine.
"This machine hasn't had very good care," spoke Joe after a while."She's fouled with dirt and thick oil at a good many points."
"Has the motor been overheated?" asked the owner.
"I don't believe so, sir; at least, not to any serious extent," Joestated as his opinion.
"Any repairs to parts going to be necessary?"
"A few, but simple ones, I guess. We ought to be able to make 'em fromthe materials at hand."
"You--er--couldn't run out to-night, I suppose?"
"We shall be very fortunate, sir," Joe answered, "if we can take thisboat out to-morrow forenoon."
"We'll stay aboard to-night and work as late as we can," Tom explained."Joe can't really tell, until we get started, just how much will have tobe done. But the motor is not hurt past ordinary repair."
"I was going to ask you over to the hotel for dinner to-night," hintedthe owner.
"There seems to be plenty of everything to eat in the galley," Tomanswered seriously. "So, if you don't mind, sir, we'll stay right by ourwork and help ourselves to food as we can."
"Make yourselves at home, then. Do you mean to sleep aboard to-night?"inquired Mr. Dunstan, as he started up the steps to the bridge deck.
"I think we'd better, for more reasons than one, perhaps," Halstead madeanswer as he, too, stepped to the bridge deck. "Mr. Dunstan," he went onin a lower voice, "do you know of anyone who could have a good reasonfor wanting to injure your boat?"
"Why, no," replied the owner, though nevertheless he gave a slightstart. "Why?"
Tom described the men and the conversation aboard the train. Mr. Dunstanlistened with interest, though he shook his head when the two men weredescribed.
"There might be a shadow of reason for their talk in one direction," headmitted, slowly and reluctantly. "But, pshaw, no; I'm dreaming. No,there can't be any reason for wanting to ruin my boat. Very likely youdidn't hear quite right."
"At any rate," Halstead went on, "Joe and I will be aboard to-night, andprobably every night as long as we're in your employ."
"You seem to take this thing seriously, Halstead."
"I don't believe, sir, in throwing away what seems like a very valuablehint. It won't do any harm for us to be watchful, anyway. By the way,sir, do you mind letting the dog stay aboard, too?"
"Certainly you may have him," nodded the owner. "He won't interfere withyou and he'll sleep with one eye and both ears open. Well, makeyourselves at home here, boys. Do whatever you please in the galley andfeed and water Bouncer. I'll be at the hotel this evening in case youshould want me for anything."
After impressing upon Bouncer that he was still to remain aboard, Mr.Duns
"What do you make of our new employer?" asked Joe after a while.
"He seems like an ordinary, easy-going man," Tom replied. "I don'tbelieve he ever startled anyone by doing anything very original, buthe's a gentleman, and we're going to find him considerate and just.That's all we can ask in any man."
After that there wasn't much talk, except the few words now and thenthat related to taking the motor to pieces, and repairing and replacingits parts. At the close of day they helped themselves to a bountifulmeal and made a fast friend of Bouncer by catering to his healthyappetite. Then, by the light of lanterns, they went to work again. Itwas after eleven o'clock when they found themselves too drowsy to dofurther justice to their work.
"Let's go up on deck and get some air. After that we'll turn in,"proposed Halstead.
"I wonder if we're going to have visitors or any trouble?" mused Joe."Somehow I can't empty my head of that talk in the car this afternoon."
"If we _do_ have any trouble," laughed Tom nodding down at the dogdozing on the deck at their feet, "I've a private notion that we'regoing to be able to pass some back--to someone."
Twenty minutes later the motor boat chums had made up berths on theengine-room lockers and had undressed and gone to bed. Both were soonsound asleep. They relied on Bouncer, who lay on the deck just outsidethe open hatchway, to let them know if anything threatening happened.