CHAPTER XXX
HOMEWARD BOUND—CONCLUSION
"Jasniff, I want to see you!" shouted Dave.
"What do you want of me, Dave Porter?" returned the big youth, as boldly as he could.
"You know well enough."
"Humph! You think you've got me, don't you?" sneered Nick Jasniff, and then he left the rail of the vessel and disappeared down a companionway.
By this time the officers of the law were boarding the Aurora, accompanied by Giles Borden and Captain Sanders.
"Where are those bloody rascals who robbed me?" exclaimed the Englishman, excitedly. "Just let me get my hands on them!"
"I don't understand this!" returned the captain of the schooner, in surprise. "You'll have to explain."
"You have three Englishmen aboard here—fellows you took to Cave Island when I was with them."
"Say, you're that fourth man!" gasped Captain Hunker. "But that other chap,—the fellow with smoked glasses, who had his face tied up" He did not know how to go on.
"He impersonated me, the villain! But I am after the others, for they robbed me of over a thousand pounds, don't you know!"
"Where are your passengers?" demanded the officer in charge of those from the patrol boat, sternly.
"If they are not on deck they must be below,—they had no chance to leave the ship," answered Captain Hunker. "This gets me!" he went on, weakly. "I thought they acted rather strange, but I supposed they were nothing but a crowd of weak-minded critters hunting for pirates' gold."
At that moment Geswick, Pardell, and Rumney came on deck, having heard the tramping of feet overhead and wondering what it meant. Almost before he could speak, Giles Borden had Geswick by the throat and was shaking him violently.
"Will rob me, and leave me a prisoner in that cave!" he roared. "I'll teach you a lesson! Give me my money, you bloody scoundrel!" And then he banged Andrew Geswick's head against a mast.
"Ho, let up!" yelled the criminal. "Let up, I say!" And he tried to squirm away. But it was useless, and in a minute more one of the officers of the law handcuffed him, and Pardell and Rumney were also secured.
"Now I want my money!" stormed Giles Borden. "Every shilling of it!"
"I haven't any of it," replied Rumney. "Geswick and Pardell have it all." Rumney had had a quarrel with his fellows, just as Merwell had quarreled with Jasniff.
"Just you wait, Rumney; we'll fix you for going back on us," growled Andrew Geswick. But this threat did him little good. In the end he and Pardell had to hand over every penny taken from Giles Borden, and then they were marched off to jail, to await a hearing before the authorities.
In the meantime Dave had run across the deck and followed Jasniff down the companionway. He was afraid that the evil-minded youth might hide the stolen jewels or throw them overboard.
When he got below he looked around, but could see nothing of the other boy. He ran along a passageway, peering into one stateroom after another, and also into the cabin and the pantry. Then he heard something like a cover drop near by and hurried in that direction.
Jasniff was in a corner stateroom on his hands and knees. Beside him was a flat steamer trunk, which was closed. It was the lid of this trunk that Dave had heard drop.
"Jasniff, come out of that!" ordered Dave, sternly. "Come right out and hand over those jewels."
"Say, Dave Porter, you think you are smart, don't you?" sneered the big youth, as he got up on his feet.
"Never mind what I think. I want those jewels, every one of them, and I am going to have them."
"I haven't any jewels."
"I know better."
"All right then, you can search me if you want to—and search my baggage, too," went on Jasniff, and held out his arms as if willing to have the investigation begin on the spot.
"If you haven't the jewels on your person, you have hidden them," went on Dave. "Bring them out, right away."
"Not much, Porter, I am not that kind of a fool." Jasniff lowered his voice to a whisper. "To outsiders I won't acknowledge I have the jewels, but if you'll fix it so I go clear, I'll see to it that old Wadsworth gets the gems back."
"I'll fix nothing, Jasniff, and you'll hand over every jewel, and do it right now!" cried Dave, and now he was so angry that he leaped on the criminal and threw him backward over the trunk.
But if Dave was strong, so was Jasniff, and, as of old, the rascal thought nothing of playing a foul trick. Around and around the stateroom went both boys, with first Dave on top and then his opponent. Then suddenly Jasniff pulled himself away and caught up a water pitcher that was on a stand.
"I'll fix you!" he roared, in the same tone of voice he had employed when he had once attacked Dave in the Oak Hall gymnasium, and he brought the heavy pitcher down straight for Dave's head.
Had the blow landed as intended, our hero would have been knocked senseless and perhaps seriously hurt. But quick as the bully was, Dave was quicker, and leaped to one side. Then he let out with his fist, landing on Jasniff's jaw,—a blow that sent the fellow crashing over into a corner. As Jasniff came up, Dave hit him again, and this time he went down all but knocked out.
"Dave!" called a voice from the doorway at that moment, and Captain Sanders appeared. "Having a tussle, eh? Want any help?"
"May be," panted our hero. "He attacked me with the water-pitcher!" And he pointed to the fragments of chinaware that lay on the floor.
"Do-don't h-hit me again!" spluttered Nick Jasniff.
"Will you hand over the jewels and behave yourself?"
"I—I haven't got the jewels," and now Jasniff arose unsteadily to his feet.
"Perhaps he's hidden them," suggested the captain of the Golden Eagle. "It would be like him to do it."
"I'll search him first and then look around the room. Where are those officers?"
"They have their hands full just now with those Englishmen. But I'll call them if you wish it."
"No, just see that he doesn't get away," answered Dave.
A rapid search of Jasniff's clothing told our hero that the rascal did not have the gems on his person. Then Dave looked into the steamer trunk.
"Are they there?" inquired Captain Sanders.
"No."
"You'll never get them from me," growled Jasniff, and gave Dave a look that was full of the keenest hatred. "I'll go to prison for life before I'll give them up, now!"
"Watch him carefully," said Dave to the captain, and got down on his hands and knees in front of the berth in the room.
"Nothing under there!" cried Jasniff, but his voice had a trace of anxiety in it.
Dave felt around, but found nothing unusual. Then he lit a match and continued his search. Soon he saw where a board of the side wall had been pried loose and then shoved back into place. He pulled on the board and it came out, revealing a small compartment between two upright posts. In the compartment was something wrapped in a bandanna handkerchief. He pulled it out and crawled from under the berth.
"I think I've found it," he said, in a voice he tried in vain to steady. Then he untied the handkerchief and brought to light a money belt, exactly like that taken from Link Merwell. He placed it on the steamer trunk and opened it with care. The sight that met his gaze was a dazzling one. The money-belt contained all that Jasniff had carried of the Carwith jewels.
"My, but that's a sight!" murmured Captain Sanders.
"Going to return them, I suppose," sneered Nick Jasniff. "You're a big fool to do it! I'd keep them, and have a good time on the proceeds."
"I am not built that way," answered Dave, shortly. "I'll put this around my waist, with the other," he added, and lost no time in adjusting the second money-belt. It wasn't particularly comfortable to wear those two belts, yet Dave felt a tremendous satisfaction in so doing.
Jasniff was made to march on deck, and there he was handcuffed like the other prisoners. He no longer pretended to have a toothache, but he did have a jaw-ache, from Dave's blow.
The most surprised man was Captain Hunker, and he readily told his story of how the Englishmen had hired him to take them to Cave Island and then call for them later. When Jasniff had appeared, with the smoked glasses and the bandage on his face, he had pitied the fellow but had not paid much attention to him. When Dave had fired his gun from the shore, Geswick had explained that other fortune hunters were on the island but that they wanted nothing to do with the crowd, so the master of the Aurora had gone off without investigating.
Inside of an hour all of the interested parties had gone ashore, and the three rascally Englishmen and Nick Jasniff were marched off by the officers of the law. Roger and Phil appeared and wanted to know the particulars of the capture.
"And what are you going to do next, Dave?" asked the senator's son.
"Get back to Crumville with the jewels, just as soon as I can get away. But I've got to arrange it with the police first."
"Aren't you going to send word ahead?" asked Phil.
"Of course. I'll send a cablegram to-day."
"Won't they be surprised and glad to get it!" murmured Roger.
"And maybe I'm not glad to be able to take the jewels back with me!" answered Dave, his eyes glistening.
An officer had been sent to take charge of Link Merwell, who had been left on board the Golden Eagle. An hour later came word that Merwell could not be found. He had left the vessel in some mysterious manner, dressing himself in one of Dave's best suits before going. A little later Dave learned that Merwell had left San Juan for the interior of Porto Rico. The officers of the law said they would look for him.
The cablegram to Mr. Wadsworth was sent, and soon a reply came back. Then came nearly a week of waiting for a steamer that would take the boys to New York. In the meantime matters were arranged with the authorities so that they could get away, and take the jewels with them. A detective accompanied them, to make certain that the jewels would be properly delivered, for the whole case was now in the hands of the law. Giles Borden remained in San Juan, to press his charge against his fellow countrymen. Captain Sanders remained in the harbor, to await orders from Phil's father.
"Sorry to part with you boys," said the captain, as he shook hands. "Hope you'll sail with me again some day."
"An' sail with me, too," put in old Billy Dill, who was present, and as much interested as anybody.
"But not on such a mission as this has been," returned Dave.
"Nor to such a place as Cave Island," added Roger.
"For caves and pitfalls that island certainly was the limit," was Phil's comment.
The voyage to New York proved to be uneventful, and all of the lads were glad when it was over. Arriving in the metropolis, they lost no time in getting a train for Crumville, the detective going with them, and Dave carrying the precious jewels.
And then what a home-coming followed! All the Wadsworths and the Porters were at the depot to meet them, and everybody was brimming over with good feeling. Mrs. Wadsworth fairly hugged Dave, and Laura kissed him over and over again, and even Jessie could not resist the temptation to rush into his arms.
"Oh, Dave, to think you really got the jewels!" said Jessie. "Oh, I'm so glad! What a hero you are!" And she gave him a look that touched him to the bottom of the heart.
And then came Mr. Wadsworth, his voice shaking with emotion, and then Dave's father, and Uncle Dunston.
"One lad out of a million!" murmured the manufacturer. "Mr. Porter, you can well be proud of Dave!"
"And I am proud of him," replied the parent, heartily.
"We are all proud," added Dunston Porter.
In the excitement it must not be supposed that Phil and Roger were forgotten. While Dave related his story to the men, and delivered the jewels to Mr. Wadsworth, his chums had to tell about all that had occurred, to Mrs. Wadsworth and the girls. And the questions that were asked and answered would fill a chapter and more.
"And what will they do to Jasniff?" asked Laura.
"Undoubtedly put him in prison for a number of years," answered the senator's son. "And he deserves it."
"What a misspent life!" sighed Mrs. Wadsworth.
"And what about Link Merwell?" asked Jessie.
"I don't know what they'll do to him. Perhaps they won't catch him," said Phil.
"If they don't, I hope he turns over a new leaf and makes a real man of himself," said Laura.
Dave had gone to the jewelry works with the men, and soon Phil and Roger followed. Here the jewels were examined with care, being checked off on a list,—the duplicate of a receipt Oliver Wadsworth had given to the owner of the gems.
"Four stones are missing," announced the manufacturer. "And they are worth less than a thousand dollars. Dave, you certainly did well."
"We can get back at least two of those stones," answered Dave. "The pawnbrokers will have to give them up."
"Then the loss will be less than five hundred dollars—a mere trifle alongside of what it might have been. Dave, I'll not offer you a reward, for I know you won't take it. But I thank you, my boy, I thank you most heartily!" And Mr. Wadsworth caught Dave by both hands, while tears of emotion stood in his eyes.
"It saved us all from a tight place, if not ruin," added Dunston Porter.
"How is that old watchman?" asked our hero, to change the subject.
"You mean the man who was hurt?" asked his father. "He is about as well as ever."
"And have you heard from Hooker Montgomery?"
"Not a word, and we sha'n't need to, now."
"Any word from Oak Hall?" asked Roger.
"Yes, the place opened again last week."
"Then I suppose we'll have to get back once more," said Phil. "Well, we've had a long enough vacation,—if you can call it such," he added, with a grin.
"And such adventures!" murmured Roger. "We'll never see such strenuous times again, eh, Dave?"
"There is no telling, we may," answered Dave. There were still many adventures ahead, and what they were will be related in the next volume of this series, to be entitled, "Dave Porter and the Runaways; or, Last Days at Oak Hall," in which we shall meet our hero and his chums and enemies once more.
"If we are to go back to Oak Hall so soon, let us have all the fun we can," said Dave, after the matter of the jewels had been settled; and the next day he and his chums and the girls went out for a grand sleighride, for it was still winter at home, even though it had been like summer on Cave Island.
"Dave, are you glad to be back?" asked Jessie, while they were gliding over the snow.
"Yes, I am," he answered. "And doubly glad to be here, at your side," he added, in a lower voice.
"Oh, Dave, I was so afraid while you were away!"
"Of what?"
"That those bad boys would harm you! Oh, please be careful in the future, for my sake."
"All right, Jessie, I'll be careful," he answered, and then, under the big robe, he gave her little hand a tight squeeze, and I don't know but that Jessie gave him a squeeze in return. To her Dave was the finest boy in all the world.
"Let's have a song!" cried out Phil, from the seat in front.
"Right you are!" returned Dave. "What shall it be?"
"Oh, anything!" came from the girls in concert; and then they started to sing one familiar song after another; and while they are singing let us say good-by and take our leave.
THE END