XXI--THE BOYS AND JOHN TUCKERMAN
Tuckerman pulled himself up on to the rock where Tom and David and Benwere sitting in the sun. The quiet of early morning was on the water; afew terns were fishing for their breakfast; there was the distantchug-chug of a lobsterman's motor-boat somewhere to the south; butotherwise the campers had the shore and the bay to themselves. Tuckermansat down, sticking his long legs out in front of him. "I may not be aduck," he said, "but I'm certainly getting web-feet. I feel almost asmuch at home in the water as on dry land."
"You're a good swimmer," said Tom. "In fact, you're an all-around sport.I don't believe any of the Cotterells knew a quarter as much about thewater as you do."
"I can't picture Sir Peter sunning himself on this rock after a morningswim," said David.
"Customs change with the times." Tuckerman slapped his wet knees. "But Ican tell you I'm glad I came on East this summer and learned to be areal man."
"So am I," said Ben. "No, I didn't mean it that way. Of course you werea real man before. What I mean is that the camp on your island has beena great success. It's taught me a lot."
"Benjie, are you really going to be a professional detective?" Davidinquired. "Seems to me I heard someone say that you were thinking ofit."
"One mistake I made at first," Ben remarked solemnly, "was in thinkingthat the men who put that chest in the rocks and those that Tom sawleaving the island in the sailboat were the same people. I thought therewas only one set of men prowling around here, when there were reallytwo."
Tuckerman smiled. "I don't wonder you got them mixed. Well, I'm gladJoseph Hastings' guests got their jewels back from those thieves."
"You see," Ben continued, following his own line of thought, "thethieves came out here on the night when Tom saw them in a sailboat, andnot in the fishing-smack. And I think it must have been that samesailboat we saw close to the island the night when we returned from CampAmoussock in the _Argo_." He pried loose a sliver of rock and threw itinto the water. "Naturally, I didn't connect that sailboat with thefishing-smack."
"You're forgiven," said Tom. "Don't let that weigh on your conscience."
"I'm not sure," suggested David, "but that we ought to call Benjie theProfessor and call Mr. Tuckerman, John. Benjie's getting to be a realprofessor. Just listen to the way he talks."
"Ever since he found the treasure----" began Tom.
"Oh, let up on a fellow, can't you?" Ben interrupted. "I haven'tmentioned the treasure to-day."
David gave a chuckle. "You haven't been out of bed an hour yet. And thatputs me in mind of something important. Breakfast is waiting on thebeach."
Four splashes of water as the campers dove from the rock. Tuckermancould manage a very passable dive now. A swim across to the beach, arub-down, a quick donning of clothes, and then preparations forbreakfast. "I've never known coffee to taste so good as it does onCotterell's Island," said Tuckerman, draining his cup.
Tom looked up at the man with the horn-rimmed spectacles. "Have you everknown anything to taste so good as it does on Cotterell's Island?" heasked with a twinkle in his eye.
"No, now I come to think of it, I don't believe I ever have. It's awonderful place."
"Wonderful cooking, you mean," put in David.
"Wonderful fish," said Ben.
"Just listen to them," expostulated Tom. "Each taking the credit tohimself. When the fact of the matter is that it's all due to me. You'dnever have come out here, Professor, would you, if I hadn't agreed tocome along?"
"Picture me alone here!" said Tuckerman. "No, I didn't believe I should.Alone on a deserted island. It sounds all right in stories; but forpractical purposes give me three companions. Boys, when I go back to mymiddle-western city I'll think a great deal about this summer on thecoast."
"It is pretty good here," David admitted, looking across the water towhere a white sail was peeping around a point of land. "And in winterthere's fine skating."
"And wonderful coasting," said Ben. "There's a hill back of Barmouthwhere you can coast for a mile."
"And skiing," Tom added. "You ought to be good at that, Professor,you've got such long legs."
Tuckerman put his hands to his ears. "Hold on, hold on!" he exclaimed."You overwhelm me. Do you want to make me desert my home and business,and do nothing but play?"
The three boys laughed. "We don't play all the time by any means," saidBen.
"Not a bit of it," said David. "Sometimes we wash the dishes." Andtaking Ben by the collar of his flannel shirt he lifted him to his feet."Benjie'll show you how we do it."
When they had cleaned the dishes they walked over to Cotterell Hall.Tuckerman opened the front door, which was unlocked. "While I was sovery particular about the key," he chuckled, "both Joseph Hastings andthe crew of the fishing-smack were coming in whenever they wanted. Theymade their own keys to fit the locks. Well, I ought to have been morehospitable."
A week had passed since the famous party, and in that week the police ofBarmouth had found the jewels that were stolen from the Gables, and alsoduplicate keys to the front and back doors of Cotterell Hall, hidden inthe cabin of the fishing-smack. On the strength of that, and of thetestimony of Tom and David and Lanky Larry as to what they had seen onthe afternoon when they were at the cove, Sam and the other men had beenheld in jail for the next term of court.
"There's one thing," said Ben, as the four went into the big room on theleft of the hall, "that still puzzles me a bit. Why did ChristopherCotterell write those lines in his notebook? 'Find the mahogany-hued manwith the long, skinny legs and look in his breast pocket. That's asaying my father handed down. What can it mean?'" Ben looked at theothers. "What do you suppose the mahogany man did have in his pocket?"
"I'm sure I don't know," said Tuckerman. "He certainly didn't have SirPeter's silver plate. That may be one of those legends, Ben, that getchanged from their original meaning as they are handed down from one toanother."
"I suppose that may be it," agreed Ben, though he did not lookaltogether satisfied.
"Every colonial house," Tuckerman continued, "ought to have some legendto make it interesting. The mahogany man can be the legend of CotterellHall."
Tuckerman looked at the portrait of his ancestor. "We've found what youmeant by the place of the three pines and the two rocks where the sungoes down," he said; "but we haven't found what it was that the mahoganyman had in his breast pocket. So you've still provided a conundrum forBen to puzzle over. Sir Peter, I don't believe you'd have any objectionto our having found the plate. I think that to-day you'd be as good anAmerican as any of the rest of us."
"Of course he would," said Tom, "I can understand how he'd have objectedto his neighbors telling him to hand over his silver to them. I'd haveobjected myself."
Tuckerman turned to the three boys. "You approve of Sir Peter, don'tyou?" he asked. "Even if he was a Tory?"
"I do," said Ben promptly.
"I do," said Tom.
"I think he was a corker, Professor," said David. "I wish he'd been inmy family."
"And that's the opinion of three boys of good old Barmouth families,"said Tuckerman with a pleased smile. "Well, boys, you're to feel free tocamp on Sir Peter's island and use his house any time you want."
"Now," said Tom, "the next thing is to get the Professor to sail usaround to the north shore, so we can get Mr. Hastings' chest and bringit back to the house. We don't want to leave any tempting bait for otherprowlers to find."
They went aboard the _Argo_, and Tuckerman took the helm. He was now aproficient skipper, and he gloried in it, as he gloried in all the newaccomplishments he had acquired in the past month.
The chest was brought to Cotterell Hall, and again the _Argo_ set sail.This time the three boys fished, while Tuckerman handled the boat.Flounders were biting in plenty, and soon they had enough for dinner.Ben pulled in his line. "We'd better leave some for another day," hesuggested.
"The wind's just right for a southerly run," said Tom.
> "Aye, aye, Captain," said Tuckerman, and brought the bow about.
South they sailed, past the flag at Camp Amoussock, past the cove withthe shacks on each side, past Joseph Hastings' private dock, almost downto Gosport before Tuckerman came about.
North to the island and dinner. And as they sat on the bank afterwardsand Tuckerman smoked his pipe, he said, "Well, to-morrow I must startback to the city. But I tell you, I've learned more since I've campedout in Barmouth Harbor than I ever learned in college."
"If you stayed here much longer," said David, "you'd be almost aslearned as Benjie."
"I don't know about that," Tuckerman answered. "I'm not as keen-wittedas he is. I'm more lazy, like you, Dave."
David grinned. "Well, it takes something really important to make memove around. I wouldn't go trailing a snuff-box all over the country."
"It takes Lanky Larry's pitching," said Tom. "Dave has to get mad beforehe does his best work."
"I wasn't mad. I was cool as a cucumber," David responded. "I have anice friendly nature."
"If it hadn't been for my following the snuffbox," Ben spoke up, "JosephHastings wouldn't have come out here and given his party; and if hehadn't given his party and told us to get our costumes up in the attic,I wouldn't have noticed that wallpaper; and if I hadn't noticed thewallpaper we'd never have found the treasure. Q. E. D."
"There!" exclaimed David, "Ben's off again! No, Professor, I was wrong;you couldn't possibly be as learned as he is; nobody could."
"I've half a mind to duck you for that," said Ben.
"Come on!" retorted David, pretending to roll up his sleeves.
"Only it's too soon after dinner," answered the dark-haired boy. "I'lloverlook it this once; but don't you do it again."
Peter Cotterell's Treasure Page 21