CHAPTER XII
THE OWNER OF THE WATCH FOUND
On the second day following, a number of the Hilltop boys went down to the other camp to take part in the athletic games appointed for that day, and to witness the sports, the greater part of them being present.
The doctor had selected Jack Sheldon to take part in the motor-boat races, Percival as a runner and also a boatman, Harry, Arthur, and young Smith in the second-class motor-boats, Herring and one or two others as swimmers, and Billy Manners and Seymour to take part in the tub race, besides a few others in other contests.
Dick Percival was not altogether pleased that Herring should have been chosen to represent the school in anything, but as the bully was really a fine swimmer, as well as runner and jumper, he swallowed his chagrin, and said nothing.
"They may like Pete's swimming," he said to himself, "but if they get an idea that the rest of the Hilltoppers are like him it will be pretty rough on the rest of us."
Jack, Dick, and a number of the boys went down in their boats, while
Herring, Merritt, Holt, and quite a number more took the train.
The boys were well received and Jack, Dick, Herring and the rest who were to take part in the sports went to the dressing rooms back of the club house used by the other boys.
There were many residents of the neighborhood present, and a goodly showing from Riverton as well, the seats along the river and in the club house balconies being very well filled.
The sports opened with a footrace between three or four of the strangers, and the same number of the Hilltop boys, these being Percival, Harry and two others, being the first heat.
Percival and Harry and two of the others won the heat, and would run in the final later in the afternoon.
Then Jack Sheldon and another of the Hilltoppers represented the Academy against two of their opponents, Jack and the boy who had brought the message winning for the final.
"I don't think there is any doubt as to who will win it, Sheldon," said the Rocky Hill boy, "but I am going to try all the same. It is some fun to race with a boy like you. You are as straight as a house, and you make a fellow hustle, which is good for any one."
Then there was a tub race in which Billy Manners, young Smith, and two or three others, attired in bathing tights, as fitted the occasion, competed with as many of the Rocky Hill boys.
Each boy's craft was a big washtub, which he was required to propel a certain distance without sinking it, the one who went the farthest being adjudged the winner.
Billy had a bright red bathing suit and as he was rather fat and chubby, with a fair complexion and reddish hair, he was bound to attract a good deal of attention, which he increased by his remarks.
"Grand race of ocean liners for a purse of ten thousand dollars!" he shouted, as he entered his tub and started on the course.
Young Smith presently collided with him, and upset his own tub, and was obliged to swim for the bank, but Billy managed to avert disaster, and went on in great style.
"A life on the ocean wave is nothing to this!" he shouted, whereupon there was more laughter; still Billy went on, beginning to take in water, but keeping afloat, and avoiding collisions with the others.
Two or three had already been obliged to swim ashore besides Jesse
W., some being Hilltop boys and some from the other camp.
Billy finally had to swim for it, his tub going under just as he got to the goal well ahead of every one else, and he was adjudged the winner amid considerable applause.
"Honest merit will assert itself whether it is in a tub or an ocean liner," he remarked, as he accepted the trophy, a miniature washtub decorated with ribbons, whereupon there was another laugh, and Billy retired to dress himself.
There were other contests between the Hilltop boys alone, and the Rocky Hills alone, as well as between teams made up of both camps, the winners being about evenly divided and the best of good feeling prevailing.
In the final motor-boat race Jack Sheldon won by several lengths, his opponent saying with a smile:
"Well, I did push you a bit, Sheldon, but you left me a long way behind for all that. I was scarcely second, you might say."
Herring had won a swimming match, but was beaten in running, Percival coming a long way ahead in the footrace, to the great delight of the boys from the Hilltop camp.
Jack had noticed Margaret and Mr. and Mrs. Van der Donk on the club house balcony, and heard with considerable pleasure her cheers of delight, and saw her wave the Hilltop colors frantically when he won the race with his boat, and could not help feeling a certain amount of pride.
Later when he and Percival and a number of the boys went up on the balcony to receive their prizes and accept the congratulations of their friends, Margaret, who was seated with some distinguished-looking strangers, said to the boy after congratulating him on his victory:
"Have you learned any more about the watch, Mr. Sheldon?"
"I have not found an owner yet," Jack replied, "and I don't know what to do with it. It is altogether too costly an article for me to wear, besides being a lady's watch, and my mother would feel that it was too much of a task to live up to it. However, I may find the owner yet."
One of the ladies with Margaret seemed greatly interested, and she now turned to Jack, and asked:
"What is the watch that you speak of? One that you found?"
"Yes, ma'am," said Jack, "and in a very strange manner. It was the night of the fire at Miss Van der Donk's. When I got back to the camp I found it in my pocket without knowing how it came there. It does not belong to Miss Margaret nor to any of the family, and they are as puzzled to know how I found it as I am myself. It was stolen I now know, but I do not know to whom it belongs."
"You know it was stolen?"
"Yes, I overheard a man tell the nurse at Miss Van der Donk's that he had stolen it. He gave it to her, in fact, and she lost it or threw it away, perhaps, fearing that it would make trouble."
"Why, you never told me that!" exclaimed Margaret in great astonishment.
"When did you learn all this?"
"The day after the fire. Dick and I went to your house the night after to see if we could get anything out of the nurse, Gabrielle, but she had gone during that day. I did not have a chance to tell you, and then your father came in and——-"
"Talked genealogy till you fell asleep," laughed Margaret. "But,
Mrs. Hamilton, why are you so interested in this matter?"
"I'll tell you in a moment. You say it was a lady's watch?" to Jack.
"Yes, and a very handsome one. It is a Jurgensen with a gold case set with diamonds. I understand these watches are very valuable."
"Do you know the number?"
"Yes, Madame, do you?" Jack returned. "Pardon me, but I have grown cautious. Several persons have claimed the watch who had no title to it whatever, and I have become cautions. Have you lost a watch of this sort?"
"Yes, and I know its number by heart. Is it this?" and the lady gave the exact number of the watch, which Jack himself remembered.
"Yes, that is right," he said.
"I will tell you something else about it, which, perhaps, you do not know, my boy," the lady continued. "The upper part of the case, the one with the diamonds on it, is double, and the top of it will unscrew, showing a small space beneath. In this is a photograph of a little girl, one I lost, and a small gold coin. When you return take off the top of the jeweled side of the case, and if you find it as I say then you will know that the watch is mine."
"I did not deny this, Madame," said Jack, coloring a little, "but you can readily understand that I would be cautious after so many persons have tried to get the watch away from me. By the way, did you employ a detective, a rather self-important person, to find it for you?"
"Higgins!" laughed the lady. "Yes, I did, and he told me that he had discovered the person who had it."
"This was since the fire?"
"No, the day before."
"And you have not seen him since?"
"No, nor heard from him."
Jack laughed, and told how the detective had tried to get the watch from him, and how and why Dr. Wise had refused to give it up.
"Higgins always struck me as being a bit too zealous," said the lady. "I do not wonder that the doctor refused to deliver it after the man's poor account of you. You seem to be a great favorite both with the doctor and with the Hilltop boys."
"And deservedly so," echoed Percival. "We won't hear a word against
Jack, and it has not spoiled him either."
"And you know about the watch, too?"
"Yes, being in the tent when it dropped out of Jack's pocket. I hoped he might keep it, but now——-"
"But now you think that I have a right to it?"
"To be sure, and I only meant that Jack should keep it in case he could find no owner for it:"
It was now time for the boys to return to the camp, and they took their leave, Jack promising to examine the watch when he got back, and to report if it was as the lady had said.
After supper Jack and Percival went to the doctor's, and Jack told what the lady had said, and asked to see the watch.
The top of the upper part of the case could be removed, just as she had said, and Jack found the photograph and the little coin under it.
"Well, that is all right," he said to Dick. "I am satisfied that the owner has now been found, for that thing has bothered me a good deal. I wonder what Higgins has been doing all this time, however, not to report his failure to get the watch?"
"A sudden rush of sense to the head may have affected him," laughed Dick, "and he was ashamed to say anything about it. If he had told that he had discovered the watch, and that you had it he would have been obliged to tell why it had not been given to him, and that would have been altogether too much for his vanity."
"I suppose so," said Jack with a smile.