CHAPTER IV--SIGHTING THE "PIRATE"
"How much speed do you want for this trip?" asked Joe, poking his headup through the hatchway as soon as the "Meteor" was running smoothlynorthward.
"On a hunt like this I think Mr. Dunstan will want us to burn gasoline,"Tom answered. "Give her about all the speed she can make."
"That means twenty-five miles--or more?" insisted Dawson.
"Twenty-five will be close enough to going fast," Tom replied.
Almost immediately the fast motor boat began to leap through the water.Though the boat minded her helm sensitively, Halstead rested both handsupon the wheel, watching intently ahead.
"Hey! What you trying to do? Swamp us, with your wake?" demanded anirate fisherman in a dory, as they raced past him.
But they had gone only close enough to enable big Michael, standing onthe deck house, to peer at the inside of the dory.
Several other small craft without cabins they ran close to in the samemanner, making sure that no stolen boy was on any of them.
Up near Great Point they encountered a cabin sloop. Michael, however,recognized a clergyman friend as one of this party, so Halstead passedthem with only a friendly toot from the auto whistle.
Then down around the east coast of Nantucket they sped, further out tosea now, since inshore no craft were observed. They kept on until thesouth coast, too, had been passed, but there was no sign to gladdentheir eyes nor arouse their suspicions. Next along the south shore ofthe island the "Meteor" raced, and on out to Muskeget Island. From thispoint they had only to round the latter island and steer straight backfor the inlet where Mr. Dunstan's pier lay.
"Sure, I don't like to go back stumped like this," growled Michael.
"No more do I," rejoined Tom. "Say, we've got daylight enough; I'm goingto retrace our whole course and keep in closer to shore."
Joe, who for some time had been on deck, nodded his approval. Cutting awide sweep, Tom headed back, going now within a quarter of a mile of theshore.
"It begins to look," hinted Joe, "as though whoever is leading the youngDunstan heir astray hasn't taken him off the island of Nantucket atall."
"There are plenty of hiding places on Nantucket, aren't there?" inquiredTom, turning to the big coachman.
"Plenty," nodded Michael, "if the rapscallions knew their way about theold island. But, by the same token, the rascals would be in plenty ofdanger of being found by the constables."
"Of course Mr. Dunstan is having the local officers search," ponderedTom aloud. "He said he would. He can telegraph the mainland from theisland, too, can't he, Michael?"
"Sure," nodded the coachman.
"Then Mr. Dunstan must have waked up some pretty big searching partiesby this time, both on the island and on the mainland," Halsteadconcluded. "But see here, Michael, why wouldn't it be a good plan to putyou ashore? You can telephone Mr. Dunstan and see if there's any news."
"And if there ain't any," suggested the Irishman, "I might as well begoing home across the island on foot, and keeping me eyes open. I canask questions as I go along, and maybe be the first of all to find outany rale news."
"That'll be the best plan of any," approved Halstead. "It begins to lookmore sure, every minute, that we're not going to need your fine lot ofmuscle."
At the lower end of the east coast of the island Tom remembered havingseen a pier that would serve them for landing the Irishman. They madefor that pier accordingly and Michael leaped ashore.
"I'll telephone and then come back within sight," the coachman calledback to them, as he started. "If 'tis good news I'm hearing, I'll throwup me hat two or three times. If 'tis no news, I'll wave a hand."
The "Meteor" then fell off, but kept to her bearings while ten minutespassed. Then Michael appeared in sight from the shore. He waved one handand signed to the boys to keep on their course.
"Too bad!" sighed Tom. "But it makes it more certain than ever now,doesn't it, Joe, that some real disaster has happened to young TedDunstan? It's past the lad's dinner time now. No healthy boy goeswithout either luncheon or dinner, unless there's a big reason for it."
"Unless Ted has merely gone to some friend's home and has forgotten tonotify his parents," suggested Dawson.
"But Ted doesn't strike me as the boy who's likely to do that. He's afine little fellow, and I don't believe he'd be guilty of being soinconsiderate as to leave home for hours without telling some one."
They had the "Meteor" under full headway now. Tom, with one hand on thewheel, kept a keen lookout. They had run along some miles when Halsteadgave a sudden gasp, made a dive for the rack beside the wheel that heldthe binoculars and called sharply:
"Take the wheel, Joe!"
With that Tom Halstead bounded down into the engine room. Over at one ofthe open portholes he raised the marine glasses to his eyes.
"What's the matter?" called down Joe, filled with the liveliestcuriosity.
"Matter enough!" came his chum's excited rejoinder. "Don't look when Itell you. Keep your eyes on your course ahead. But you saw that littlepier over at port?"
"Yes."
"Maybe you noticed a man sitting there?"
"I did," Joe admitted.
"When I first saw him," Tom went on, showing his animated face at thehatchway, "I didn't think much about him. But the second time I looked Ithought I saw something that brought back recollections. That was why Icame down here for a near-sighted peep through the glasses. The fellowcouldn't see me down here and so ought not to suspect that we havenoticed him particularly."
"But who is he?" cried Joe eagerly.
"Oh, he's the right man, all right," Tom retorted perhaps vaguely. "He'sgot on either the same pair or another pair just like 'em."
"Pair? Of what?" demanded Joe.
"Trousers, of course, you dull old simpleton!" whipped out Halstead."Joe, it's the same old pattern of brown, striped----"
"The Span----"
"The pirate, I call him," growled Halstead, stepping up on deck andreplacing the binoculars in their rack without another look ashore. Theywere rapidly leaving astern the solitary one seated against the pierrail.
"Do you think----" began Joe, but Tom gave him no chance to finish.
"I don't think anything," broke in Halstead, alive with energy. "I amgoing to know--that's what."
Tom took the wheel himself, swinging the craft around a point of landjust ahead.
"Look back, Joe. This shuts us out from the sight of that stripedpirate, doesn't it?"
"Yes," nodded Dawson.
Tom shut off the speed, adding:
"Stand ready, Joe, to use speed or wheel, and keep her about so-so. I'mgoing to lower the dingey into the water and row ashore. I'll rig a lineto her stern, so you can haul her back. Don't bother to get the smallboat up at the davits. Just make her fast astern. And then----"
"Wait here for you," guessed Joe.
"No, as soon as you get the dingey made fast, put on headway and run theboat back to Mr. Dunstan's pier. Report to him, telling him just whatI'm doing and assure him I won't be afraid to telephone if I learnanything worth while. I'll get over to his place as soon as I can, laterin the evening."
Tom got the small boat into the water, left one end of a small rope inJoe's hands and rowed somewhat more than a hundred feet to the beach.From there he waved his hand. Joe began to haul in on the line. Withinthirty feet of the beach the woods began; Halstead was quickly lost tohis chum's sight.
Full darkness came on while Tom was still in the woods headingcautiously south. As he hastened along, making little or no noise,Halstead wondered what he would do with the man in case he discoveredhim to be really one of the pair who had sat in the seat ahead on thetrain.
"I suppose I'd better wait and make up my mind after I'm sure it _is_the same fellow," Tom concluded.
The young skipper did not, at any time on this swift walk, move far fromthe shore line. At last he came to the edge of the woods, a very shortdistance from the pier he was seeking. There was stil
l a man there,seated on the rail of the pier. There were some bushes, too, to aid inshielding the boy's forward progress if he used care. Tom went down,almost flat, then crept forward, moving swiftly, silently, betweenbushes.
At last he was near enough to be sure of his man, trousers and all. Itwas the same man Halstead had seen on the train. The "pirate" was atthis moment engaged in rolling a cigarette.