CHAPTER XVI
JUST TOO LATE
Such was their surprise over this announcement on the part of Mr.Clayton, that neither Mr. Weatherby nor Nat knew, for a moment, whatto say.
"Are you sure Bumstead had Mr. Morton's share?" asked the pilot.
"Of course. He took charge of everything that was found in poor Jim'spockets. There was a little money, and some other papers. One, Irecall, was a promissory note for about four hundred dollars, formoney Jim had loaned to Bumstead. I remember there was some questionabout letting him take that, but he said he would pay the money due onit to Jim's heirs, and we let him have the whole business."
"What sort of a looking man was this Bumstead?" asked Mr. Weatherby,while he and Nat waited anxiously for the answer.
Mr. Clayton accurately described the mate of the _Jessie Drew_.
"It's the same man," murmured the pilot. "There can be no mistakeabout that."
"Why, do you know him?" asked Mr. Clayton.
"I have every reason to believe that he is mate of the freight steamerNat and I have just left," was the reply.
"Then let's get right after him, and make him give up that money!"exclaimed Mr. Clayton. "He's got it. Probably he turned the lumbershares into money as soon as he got ashore, for he could easily dothat."
"Then with the money due on the note he has about two thousand dollarsbelonging to----"
"Belonging to Nat!" interrupted Mr. Clayton, "and I'll see that theboy gets it. Come on, don't lose any time. Bumstead may skip out. Ididn't like the man when I was in the same crew with him, but I neversupposed he was a thief."
"This explains why he did not want Nat to come aboard to work," saidthe pilot. "He was afraid Mr. Morton's son would discover something."
"And I _did_, too," put in Nat. "I saw him have my father's wallet."
"That's so; I forgot about that for the moment," cried Mr. Weatherby."Do you recall that pocketbook, with Mr. Morton's name on it in goldletters?" he asked, turning to Mr. Clayton.
"Indeed, I do. Jim thought a lot of that. Has Bumstead got it?"
"We have every reason to think he has."
"He's a thorough villain," commented Mr. Clayton. "Now don't let'sdelay any longer, or he may skip out. Let's get a policeman, or adetective, and have him locked up. I'll be a witness against him."
"I guess that's our best plan," assented the pilot. "Well, Nat, you'rebetter off than you thought you were. Two thousand dollars is a neatsum for a lad like you."
"I haven't got it yet."
"No, but we'll see that you do get it," replied Mr. Weatherby'sfriend. "We'll have the law on that rascally mate. No wonder he wantedhis nephew to have your place."
"Shall we go down where the _Jessie Drew_ is tied up, and see if themate is aboard before we get an officer, or stop at the police stationfirst?" asked Mr. Weatherby, as he, Nat and Mr. Clayton left thehotel.
"Let's get a policeman, or a detective, first," was Mr. Clayton'sanswer. "We can't take any chances with a man like Bumstead. To thinkof him having that money more than two years, since poor Jim wasdrowned, and Nat suffering for what was really his own!"
"Oh, I didn't suffer so much," was our hero's answer. "I managed toget along, and Mr. and Mrs. Miller were very good to me. Then I had agood friend in Mr. Weatherby."
"No better than I had in you," replied the pilot, who had told hisfriend of the plucky rescue.
A stop at the police station, and a recital of part of the story tothe sergeant in charge, readily procured the services of a detective.In order to excite no suspicions, it was arranged that the officer andMr. Clayton should go on ahead to the dock where the freight steamerwas tied up. They could go aboard, and if Mr. Bumstead saw them hewould not become alarmed and escape, whereas, if he saw the pilot andNat returning he might take the alarm.
Accordingly, when they were part way to the dock, Nat and Mr.Weatherby walked down a side street, while the others went on.
"I wonder if he'll put up a fight?" mused Nat, as they paced slowly upand down, waiting.
"Very likely. He is a desperate man, and I haven't the slightest doubtbut what he pushed that bale on you in the hold."
"I think so myself," agreed Nat.
It seemed quite a long time that Mr. Clayton and the detective weregone, and Nat grew impatient.
"Something must have happened," he said.
"I hope so," answered the pilot. "I hope they got him, and that he hadyour money with him."
They resumed their pacing up and down. About ten minutes later theysaw Mr. Clayton and the officer coming toward them, unaccompanied.
"They didn't get him!" exclaimed Nat.
"Maybe he gave up the money."
"I hope he did. I shouldn't like to go to court over it."
"Well?" asked the pilot, as the two came nearer.
"We were just too late," answered Mr. Clayton dejectedly.
"Too late?"
"Yes, the vessel has sailed for Buffalo. We have been trying to findanother ship bound for the same port, that might get in ahead of thefreighter, but we couldn't. I guess Bumstead has escaped us for atime, but you can follow him. His ship will tie up in Buffalo for aweek."
"But Nat and I have to go aboard the passenger steamer in a few days,"said Mr. Weatherby. "We'll have to stay on Lake Huron for a month ormore, cruising about. I can't go to Buffalo, and I don't believe itwould be safe for Nat to go alone."
"I wish I could," said Mr. Clayton, "but I've got to ship for a tripto Duluth and other ports to-morrow. Even if I didn't have to go, Iwould have no right to make a complaint against the mate. It wouldhave to be done by Nat, as it's his money."
"That's right," said the detective. "The person whose property isstolen has to make the complaint. But we might wire the Buffalo policeto hold the man until one of you can get there. The only trouble isyou'd have to swear out a warrant here, and as I understand it, thereis only a suspicion against Bumstead."
"We are practically sure he has Nat's money," replied the pilot,"still, there may be some difficulty in causing his arrest, when he isso far away. If we could only send some one to Buffalo, who understoodthe case, and would know what to do, we could manage. It is out of thequestion for me to go, and I don't believe Nat could manage matters.The mate would probably get some criminal lawyer, and effect arelease, even if he was arrested. It's quite a puzzle."
"I don't see what we can do," added the detective. "If we had beenhalf an hour sooner we could have nabbed him."
Nat, who had hopes of recovering the money that was rightfully his,began to feel discouraged. It looked as if the rascally mate had thebest of them.
As the four stood in the street, undecided what to do, a voice hailedNat, calling out:
"Well, well! If there isn't the lad who saved my boat for me! I'mglad to see you again. How are you?"
Nat looked up, to see advancing toward him two men. The younger wasJohn Scanlon, whose craft the boy had saved from being stove in at thedock in Chicago, some weeks before.