CHAPTER X--WHAT HAPPENED AT THE JEWELRY WORKS
"The jewelry works?" repeated Roger.
"Yes. What did it sound like to you?"
"Why, like a blast of some kind. Maybe it was at the railroad."
"They don't work on the railroad at night--especially in this coldweather, Roger. No, it was something else."
Both boys halted on the piazza and listened. But not another sound outof the ordinary reached their ears.
"Might as well go in--it's getting pretty cold," said the senator's son.
Dave unlocked the door and they entered the mansion. A dim light wasburning in the hallway. While they were taking off their caps and coatsDave's father appeared at the head of the stairs.
"Got back safely, did you?" he questioned.
"Yes, dad; and everything in the city was all right," answered the son."I'll bring the package up to you."
"Never mind--I'll come down and put it in the safe," answered Mr. Porter."By the way," he went on, "what was that strange noise I just heard?"
"That is what we were wondering," said Roger. "It sounded like a blastof dynamite to me."
"Maybe something blew up at the powder works at Fenwood," suggestedDave. The works in question were fifteen miles away.
"If it did, we'll hear about it in the morning," returned Mr. Porter, ashe took the package Dave gave him and disappeared into the library,turning on the electric light as he did so.
The boys went upstairs and started to undress. Phil had been asleep, butroused up at their entrance. The boys occupied a large chamber, with twodouble beds in it, for they loved to be together, as at school.
"Listen to that!" cried Dave, as he was unlacing a shoe.
"It's the telephone downstairs!" cried Phil. "My, but it's ringing tobeat the band!" he added, as the bell continued to sound its call.
The boys heard Mr. Porter leave the library and go to the telephone,which was on a table in an alcove. He took down the receiver.
"Yes! yes!" the boys heard him say. Then followed a pause. "You don'tmean it! When, just now? Was that the noise we heard? Where did they goto? Wait, I'll call Mr. Wadsworth. What's that? Hurry!" Then followedanother pause. "Cut off!" they heard Mr. Porter mutter.
"Something is wrong!" murmured Dave.
Mr. Porter came bounding up the stairs two steps at a time. Dave and theother boys met him in the hallway.
"What is it, Dad?" asked the son.
"Robbers--at the jewelry works!" panted David Porter. "I must notify Mr.Wadsworth!" And he ran to a near-by door and pounded on it.
"What is it?" came sleepily from the rich manufacturer. He had heardnothing of the telephone call, being down deep in the covers because ofthe cold.
"Mr. Wadsworth, get up, get up instantly!" cried Mr. Porter. "You arewanted at the jewelry works. I just got something of a message from yourwatchman. Some robbers have blown open your safes and they attacked theman, but he got away long enough to telephone. But then they attackedhim again, while he was talking to me! We'll have to get down there atonce!"
"Roger, did you hear that?" gasped Dave. "That's the noise we heard!"
"Yes, and they attacked the watchman," responded the senator's son.
"I'm going back there," went on Dave. "The others will have to stop anddress. Maybe we can catch those rascals."
"Yes, and save the watchman, Dave!"
By this time Mr. Wadsworth had appeared, in a bath-robe, and DunstonPorter also showed himself. Dave slipped on his shoe again and fairlythrew himself into his coat, and Roger also rearranged his toilet.
"Wait--I'll go with you!" cried Phil.
"Can't wait, Phil--every second is precious!" answered our hero. "You canfollow with the men."
"Take the gun, or a pistol--you may need it," urged the shipowner's son,as he started to dress.
In a corner stood Dave's double-barreled shotgun, loaded. He took it up.Roger looked around the room, saw a baseball bat in another corner, andtook that. Then the boys ran out into the hallway, where the electriclights were now turned on full. The whole house was in a hubbub.
"We are dressed and we'll go right down to the works," said Dave. "Iheard what father said, Mr. Wadsworth. We'll help Tony Wells, if wecan." And before anybody could stop him, he was out of the house, withRoger at his heels.
"Be careful, Dave!" shouted his uncle after him. "Those robbers may bedesperate characters."
"All right, Uncle Dunston, I'll watch out."
"If you chance to see a policeman, take him along. I'll come as soon asI can get some clothing on."
Tired though they were, the two boys ran all the distance to the jewelryworks. When they got there they found everything as dark and as silentas before. They had met nobody.
"How are you going to get in?" asked Roger, as they came to a haltbefore the main door.
Dave tried the door, to find it locked. "Let us walk around. The thievesmay be in hiding somewhere," he suggested.
They made the circuit of the works, once falling into a hole filled withsnow. Nothing unusual met their eyes, and each gazed questioningly atthe other.
"It can't be a joke, can it?" suggested Roger. "Nat Poole might----"
"No, I'm sure it was no joke," broke in our hero. "Wait, I'll try thatlittle side-door. I think that is the one the watchman generally uses."
He ran to the door in question and pushed upon it. It gave way, and withcaution he entered the building. All was so dark he could see absolutelynothing.
"I guess we'll have to make a light," he said, as his chum followed him."Wait till I see if I have some matches."
"Here are some," answered Roger. "Wait, I'll strike a light. You keephold of that gun--and be ready to use it, if you have to!"
The senator's son struck one of the matches and held it aloft. By itsfaint rays the boys were able to see some distance into the workshopinto which the doorway opened. Only machines and work-benches met theirgaze. On a nail hung a lantern.
"We'll light this," said Dave, taking the lantern down. "You can carryit, and I'll keep the gun handy."
With lantern and gun held out before them, and with their hearts beatingwildly, the two youths walked cautiously through the workshop. They hadto pass through two rooms before they reached the entrance to theoffices. The light cast curious shadows on the walls and the machinery,and more than once the lads fancied they saw something moving. But eachalarm proved false.
"Why not call the watchman?" suggested Roger, just before entering theoffices.
They raised their voices and then raised them again. But no answer cameback.
"Would he telephone from the office?" asked the senator's son.
"I suppose so--although there is another 'phone in the shipping-room."
The boys had now entered one of the new offices. Just beyond was the oldoffice, with the two old safes, standing side by side.
"Look!" cried Roger, in dismay.
There was no need to utter the cry, for Dave was himself staring at thescene before him. The old office was in dire confusion, chairs and desksbeing cast in various directions. All of the windows were broken out andthrough these the chill night air was entering.
But what interested the boys most of all was the appearance of the twoold safes. The door to each had been blown asunder and lay in a twistedmass on the floor. On top of the doors lay a number of boxes and drawersthat belonged in the safes. Mingling with the wreckage were pieces ofgold and silver plate, and also gold and silver knives, forks, andspoons.
"Here is where that explosion came from," said Dave. "What a pity itdidn't happen when we were in front of the works! We might have caughtthe rascals red-handed!"
"Listen! I hear somebody now!" exclaimed Roger. "Maybe they are comingback."
"No, that is my father who is calling!" replied our hero. "I'll let himin."
He ran to the office door, and finding a key in the lock, opened it.Roger swung the lantern, and soon Dave's father and his uncle came up,followed by Mr. Wadsworth, wh
o, being somewhat portly, could not run sofast, and had to be assisted by Phil.
"What have they done?" gasped the manufacturer. "Tell me quickly! Didthey blow open the safes?" He was so agitated that he could scarcelyspeak.
The boys did not reply, for there was no need. Mr. Wadsworth gave onelook and then sank down on a desk, too overcome to make another move.
"Did you see anything of the robbers, Dave?" asked his father.
"Not a thing."
"And where is the watchman?"
"I don't know."
"Strange, he must be somewhere around. He told me of the robbery andthen he said that they were coming after him. Then the message wassuddenly cut off."
"It looks like foul play to me," said Dunston Porter, seriously. "We hadbetter light up and investigate thoroughly."
He walked to a switchboard on the wall and began to experiment.Presently the electric lights in the offices flashed up and then some ofthose in the workshops were turned on.
By this time Oliver Wadsworth was in front of one of the shatteredsafes. An inner door, somewhat bent, was swung shut. With tremblingfingers the manufacturer pulled the door open and felt into thecompartment beyond.
"Gone! gone!" the others heard him mutter hoarsely. "Gone!"
"What is it?" asked Mr. Porter.
"The casket--the Carwith casket is gone!" And Mr. Wadsworth looked readyto faint as he spoke.
"Were the jewels in it?" questioned Mr. Porter.
"Yes! yes!"
"All of them?" queried Dave.
"Yes, every one. I placed them in the casket myself before we locked upfor the day."
"Maybe the casket is on the floor, under the doors," suggested Dave; buthe had little hope of such being the case.
All started a search, lasting for several minutes. But it was useless,the casket with its precious jewelry had disappeared. Oliver Wadsworthtottered to a chair that Phil placed for him and sank heavily upon it.
"THE CASKET--THE CARWITH CASKET IS GONE!"--Page 96.]
"Gone!" he muttered, in a strained voice. "Gone! And if I cannot recoverit, I shall be ruined!"
Dave Porter on Cave Island; Or, A Schoolboy's Mysterious Mission Page 11