CHAPTER XXIII
TWO MISSING MEN
"Well, what do you know about that?"
"So that's where you sneaked off to when we went after the shell?"
"And that's why you didn't bake the cake?"
Tom's three chums gave expression to these sentiments as they lookedover the bunch of pawn tickets he had brought away with him from theMexican's shack. A hasty glance through them had shown Tom that none wasfor a brooch, and realizing that he could still keep Ruth's secret, hehad decided to tell his friends the whole story. Which he did, keepingback only as much as was necessary not to let them know of Ruth's loss.
He related how he had overheard a "certain" conversation between Boswelland the Mexican, hurrying over that part of the story so they might notask what the talk was about. Then he told of his own and Blasdell'svisits to the shack.
"Say, this beats anything I ever heard of!" declared Frank.
"That's right, but what did the old beggar hide--if anything?" asked Sid.
"The pawn tickets, of course," declared Phil.
"I'm not sure of that, of course," spoke Tom.
"I didn't see him, for I couldn't look out far enough from under thecot. But he was certainly on that side of the room. And he didn't hidethe cups and jewelry, for they're in pawn, as these tickets show. So itmust have been the tickets."
"Then if he had the tickets he took the stuff!" declared Sid.
"Not necessarily," objected Frank. "The Mexican and this Blasdell may bein partnership in crime. Either or both may have taken the jewelry, andBlasdell may have pawned it. Anyhow, I think this lets Boswell out, andI'm glad of it."
"So am I!" exclaimed Tom, and yet he wondered what the rich studentand the Mexican could have in common, and he wondered about theold-fashioned brooch he had seen flashing in the sun, when the twotalked in the boat. Also he wondered what Boswell wanted of another likeit. In fact Tom was doing considerable wondering, and it was a puzzle inthe solution of which he could not ask his chums' aid.
"So that's why you wanted us to go get the shell, and leave you here; isit?" asked Phil.
"Yes, I wanted time to investigate, and I didn't want you fellows togive me the ha ha! if nothing came of it."
"But lots did come of it!" declared Frank. "We can clear ourselves ofthe faint suspicion that I believe Boxer Hall thinks hangs over us,and we can get them back their trophy cups, and the other people theirjewelry."
"Yes, I suppose the pawnbroker can be made to give up stolen stuff,"said Tom. He was puzzling his brains to think of some reason why Ruth'sbrooch was not pawned with the other things. Recalling the list ofmissing articles, given out when the jeweler offered the reward, it wasseen that all were represented by the pawn tickets, save Ruth's trinket.
"They're made out in the name 'A. Smith,'" said Phil, as he scrutinizedthe bits of paper. "Might be a blacksmith for all you can tell--probablya fake name. And the pawnbroker's place is in Munroe," he went on,naming a town about twenty-five miles away.
"Well," spoke Tom, "I suppose the thing to do is to go there, see thepolice, get the stuff, and return it to the jeweler. Then he can do ashe likes with it."
"Incidentally we'll collect the reward," declared Sid.
"We'll donate it to the new racing association," suggested Frank."Wouldn't it be a joke, if we did take that part of the reward offeredby Boxer Hall, and use it to help beat them in the race!"
"Sort of adding insult to injury," suggested Tom. "But I'm thinking weought to let the Boxer Hall lads know about these tickets, and thatthere's a prospect of them getting back their trophies."
There were two opinions about this. Tom and Sid were one side, whileFrank and Phil held it would be better to first get the stuff and thenlet Boxer Hall know.
"'There's many a slip 'twixt the cup and the lip,' you know, Tom," saidthe Big Californian. "Not meaning a pun, either. But there may be somecomplications and it may take some time to get the stuff away from thepawnbroker. A delay would only fret all those who have lost things, andwould be unpleasant for us. Get the stuff first, I say, and then hand itaround."
And in the end this idea prevailed.
"Well, I can see where we get in precious little practice to-day,"remarked Tom. "I think we'd all better go to Haddonfield and give thesetickets to Mr. Farson. Let him get the police busy."
"All right, we're with you," said Phil. "But we need the practice, forit won't be long now before we're back at college."
"What about arresting Blasdell and the Mexican?" asked Sid.
"Let the jeweler attend to that," suggested Frank.
Without telling the girls of their discovery, the boys went to town intheir launch, which, for a wonder, did not break down. Frank declared itwas because he had put in a new set of batteries.
That Mr. Farson was astonished, is putting it mildly. He could not thankthe boys enough. Privately, to Tom, who managed to get him a word insecret, the jeweler said he could not account for Ruth's pin not beingrepresented by a ticket.
"But I'll look all through that pawnbroker's stock for it," he said.
Mr. Farson decided that they would first go to Munroe and get the cupsand jewelry, and later see about causing the arrest of the guiltyperson, or persons.
"The pawnbroker would have to identify the thief, anyhow," he explained."Now you boys go back to the island and stay there. I'll hire an autoand go to Munroe. As soon as I get back I'll run over and let you knowhow I make out. Oh, this is good news for me!"
"What became of Blasdell after he jumped out of the shack, Tom?" askedPhil.
"How could I tell? I was under the cot."
"That's so. And he doesn't seem to be around these diggings any more.He just showed up with these pawn tickets, and then lit out again. Andto think he was the fellow who had the stuff all the while!"
"He or Mendez," said Tom. "I'm not sure which. It's queer that Blasdellshould come all the way back to hide the tickets in the shack. I heardhim speak of getting something that belonged to him, but I don't knowwhat it was."
They argued the matter, but could come to no agreement. Going back totheir island camp, they found time for a little practice in the shell,Mr. Pierson coaching them. Then they waited impatiently for the returnof the jeweler.
"I wonder what Mendez will think when he gets back and finds his placehas been ransacked?" suggested Sid.
"He won't know it," declared Tom. "I was mighty careful, and Blasdellwasn't inside more than a few minutes. Let's take a stroll around there,and size it up."
"No, keep away," decided Frank. "It might make trouble. Let's wait untilMr. Farson comes."
It was nearly dusk when they saw a small launch approaching the island,and they recognized the jeweler as one of the occupants.
"He doesn't seem very joyous," remarked Tom. "He isn't waving his hat,or anything like that."
Somehow his words brought a feeling of doubt to his chums, yet theycould not tell why. Nearer came the launch. It drew up to the littledock the boys had made.
"Well?" queried Tom, nervously. "How did you make out?"
"Not at all," was the surprising reply.
"What! Didn't you get the things?" demanded Phil.
"No. The pawnbroker closed out his place of business last week, and thestore is vacant."
For a moment no one spoke. Then Frank said:
"But look here. You know a pawnbroker has to be licensed. He can't goout of business that way. He may move, but he has to let people knowabout it. And he can't dispose of their things inside of a year, either.That man had no right to do that."
"I don't know about his rights," said the jeweler, "but the fact remainsthat he has skipped out. He may have taken the cups and jewelry with himfor all I know. The police say he was a sort of 'fence' through whichstolen property was often disposed of. He's been arrested several times,but nothing could be proved against him."
"What did you do?" asked Sid.
"The police in Munroe promised to try and trace him. I'm going to
havecirculars printed, too, and sent to other cities, asking for news ofthis pawnbroker."
"Say, this is tough, to almost get the stuff and then lose it!" remarkedPhil. "It's a good thing we didn't tell the Boxer Hall lads."
"That's what," declared Tom.
"Fellows, I've got an idea!" exclaimed Sid.
"Chain it so it doesn't get away," advised Frank.
"I say let's go to that Mexican's shack, and see if we can get anythingout of him," went on Sid. "We got on the trail there, and he must bemixed up in it some way. Come on, Mr. Farson, you've got a right toquestion him."
"I believe I will!" decided the jeweler, and he followed the lads towardthe shack, through the lengthening shadows.
"I guess he isn't home," remarked Tom, as they saw no light in the place.
"Knock and see," suggested Phil.
A tap on the door brought no response. Tom peered a bit closer.
"The place isn't closed," he exclaimed. He pushed open the door. Someonestruck a match. Then came an exclamation of surprise from all.
For there was evidence that Mendez had hastily fled. The room was inconfusion, things being scattered about, and a look into the storeshowed that everything he had had for sale had been removed. Mendez wasmissing, as was the pawnbroker and the jewelry.