CHAPTER VII
MORE MYSTERY ABOUT THE WATCH
Shortly before noon a showily dressed woman came to the camp and asked to see the doctor, saying excitedly:
"I understand that one of your boys found a watch, Dr. Wise. May
I see it? I lost mine the other day and—-"
"This one was found last night, Ma'am," said the doctor shortly.
"Why, yes, I suppose so, but I could have lost it before then, of course. What sort of watch was it? May I see it?"
"Where did you lose it, Ma'am?"
"Why, I am not certain about that. You see I go about a good deal, and it may have been in one place or maybe in another. I could not tell just where I lost it or I would not have lost it."
"It was lost somewhere in town, I suppose?"
"Why, yes, I suppose it was."
"This watch was not found in town, Ma'am."
"Oh, well, I do go out of town occasionally," said the woman quickly. "Why, yes, now I remember, I was down this way yesterday afternoon, looking at the camp and enjoying the view. I would know the watch in a moment. May I see it, Doctor?"
"It was a gentleman's watch, was it? Probably a keepsake? Your husband's or son's, perhaps, and you don't like to——-"
"Yes, it was my father's, and I value it very highly. Let me see it——-"
"This is not the watch you lost, Ma'am, this is a lady's watch," said Dr. Wise tersely, being convinced that the woman was an imposter, and that she had not lost a watch of any sort.
"You might at least let me see it," said the woman persuasively. "Some of my friends may have lost a watch, and I could take it back to them. I know them all."
"If your friends have lost their watches, Ma'am, let them come after them," said the doctor shortly. "Good morning, Ma'am."
"H'm! I don't think you have any manners to boast of!" snapped the woman as she went away.
She had not been gone more than ten minutes before another woman came to the camp, and asked to see the boy who had found a watch the night before.
She was sent to the doctor and said to him, evidently disappointed at not seeing the boy himself:
"Ah, good morning, I understand that one of your young gentlemen found a lady's watch last night. Ah, I have lost mine, and would like to look at it to see if——-"
"How did you know it was a lady's watch?" asked the doctor. "The advertisement merely mentioned a watch. What sort of watch was yours, domestic or foreign, stemwinder or keyed, open face or hunting case, gold, silver, or nickel case? If the watch is as you describe it, it is yours. Otherwise I shall have to hold it."
"Really now, I could not describe it so accurately as all that. Ah, do you mind showing it to me? I am very what you may call hazy on descriptions. I could not really say if it was large or small, those terms being relative, you know. Yes, it is in a gold case and is a stemwinder, that much I remember. It is an American, of course, but whether Elgin, Waltham, Howard, Thomas or—-or any other make I really could not tell you."
"You are sure it is American make?"
"Oh, yes, positively, and in a gold case, and about half this size," closing her thumb and first finger to form a circle.
"Well, I am very sorry, Ma'am, but this is not an American watch. I trust that you will find yours, but this is not it. I wish you good morning, Ma'am," and Bucephalus showed the lady out evidently greatly disappointed.
Half an hour later a self-satisfied looking man came into the camp and asked to see the boy who had found a watch, and had advertised the same in the Riverton paper.
Billy Manners happened to see him first, and, seeing Jack at a little distance with Percival, called out:
"Hello, Jack, come here, somebody wants you!"
Jack came up with Percival in a few moments, and the self-satisfied man, eyeing him fiercely, said:
"You are the boy who found a watch, I believe. Describe it to me."
"Excuse me," laughed Jack, "I have not lost a watch. I have found one. If you have lost one describe it, and we will see if it is the same as the one I have found."
"I have not lost a watch," snapped the other. "I am in the detective service, and if I have the description of the article I can enquire who has lost one like it, don't you understand?"
"And you wish to be a sort of middle man between me and the owner?" and Jack laughed again. "I advertised for the owner of the watch, not for an agent who would help me find the owner. I cannot see that we need spend any more time on the affair."
"How do I know that you have not stolen the——-"
It was very fortunate for the man that Jack was nearer to him than
Percival, who suddenly aimed a swinging blow at him.
Jack threw up Dick's arm, and said quickly:
"Dick! What are you about?"
"It is lucky for you, sir," said Dick hotly, "that my friend stopped me. Is it a part of your business to insult people without provocation?"
"Sir," said the other, "I come in contact with very many persons of a suspicious character and——-"
"Yes, I should suppose you might," said Dick significantly. "We do not, and it is not at all necessary that you should consider this boy one of that sort. Let him talk to the doctor, Jack."
The boys were walking away when the man interrupted them hastily with:
"I am in search of a watch which has been stolen. It is a lady's watch, heavy gold case, about an inch and a quarter diameter, hunting case, set with five or six small diamonds, made in Switzerland, Jurgensen movement, worth from three hundred to five hundred dollars. There are no initials nor monograms, but the number is—-"
"That describes the watch the doctor has," said Jack. "We will see what the number is, and if it is the same as what you mention there is no doubt that this is the watch. We will go and see him."
"Where did you find this watch?" asked the other, as he hurried after the two boys.
"Excuse me, but that has nothing to do with it," said Jack. "I found a watch, and your description tallies with it all but the number, which I do not know. That we will ascertain."
The boys led the way to the cottage, which the doctor occupied, and went to his study where they found him.
"Write the number of the watch you are in search of on a piece
of paper, and let the doctor see the number of the watch," said
Jack to the detective, after telling the doctor why they had come.
Then we will see if this is the one or not.
The man wrote a number on a card, and handed it to the doctor, who took the watch from a pigeon hole in his desk and opened it.
"The number is identical," he said, and handed the watch and the card with the number on it to Jack that he might compare them.
"Yes, so they are," the boy said, showing them to Dick. "This is certainly the watch you are in search of."
"May I ask you where and how you found it?" asked the detective, still with the accusing air that both Dick and Jack himself resented.
"I found it in my pocket after coming from the fire at Mr. Van der Donk's house last night or this morning," he replied.
"In your pocket? Was not that a singular place to find it? How did it get in your pocket?"
"You know as much about that as I do," said the boy quietly.
"Are you sure you did not put it there yourself?" asked the man in an insinuating manner, which Jack resented.
"Dr. Wise," he said, flushing, "will you tell this person what
I told you when I gave you the watch this morning? I am afraid
I cannot keep my temper if I talk with him any longer."
"And I know I shall not!" sputtered Percival.
"The young gentleman did gallant work at the fire last night, and came home very much fatigued," said the doctor. "While undressing with his companion who is here, this watch dropped from his trousers pocket. Percival will doubtless tell you the same. This is what he told me when he handed me the watch this morning. If you suspect him you do him an act of the rankest injustice."
"This watch has been stolen," said the other. "The thief was traced to Riverton. He went to the fire last night with a number of suspicious characters who generally congregate at such places in the hope of gain. The watch was doubtless passed from one person to another, for it was not in the possession of the suspected man who denies all knowledge of it. Now I want to know how this boy got hold of it."
"He does not know any more than you do, and I have told you just what he told me, and which I believe."
"It sounds very queer," said the detective. "I shall have to hold him for the Grand—-"
"I beg your pardon, you will do nothing of the sort, in fact, you cannot," said the doctor.
"Just let the Hilltoppers hear him, and see what they will have to say about it!" sputtered Percival under his breath.