Don had found what he was looking for, and he examined it with unusual care, to make sure that there was no flaw in it. The portholes on the sloop were of an odd size and he had had to use unusual care in selecting one to fit it. After looking this particular one over he decided that it would do.
“This one is all right,” he told the proprietor. “I’ll take it.”
The owner went to wrap it up and Don turned his attention to other objects. He noticed that Jim was standing apart examining a ship’s clock, but thought nothing further about it at the time. But he would have been more curious had he known what was attracting his brother’s attention.
Jim had been picking up various articles during the time in which Don was looking over the porthole frame, and his attention had been especially drawn to the few ships’ clocks that the chandler had on display. One of them attracted him more than the others and he picked it up and looked closely at it. He turned it over in his hand, a puzzled look on his face.
“Jeepers, that looks like my clock, the one that was stolen,” he muttered.
Out of the corner of his eye he noted that the dealer was wrapping up Don’s purchase and he acted upon a thought which came to him. It was more of a memory than a thought, for he had just remembered that he had scratched his initials on one of the flanges on the back of his clock. Quickly he turned the clock over, tilted it up, and on the ornamental overhang of the clock he saw faintly the markings “J. M. M.” Without a doubt it was his own clock.
Without saying anything he put the clock back and they all went out of the shop. It was not until they had left the neighborhood that he asked Mr. Ferris to draw up to the curb while he told his story. It created quite a sensation.
“Then that’s the headquarters of the marine bandits,” declared Don, with conviction.
“Well, you can’t be sure of that,” said Mr. Ferris. “It is possible that the man might have simply bought stolen goods. But we’ll report this to the police at once. It is well worth knowing, and we may be on the right track, or have a very valuable clue.”
Without loss of time they went to the nearest police station and reported the matter to the local chief. He was much interested.