“Yes, his whole family are down there.”
“Then I could telegraph to him and he could give me the name of the hotel, and of the schooner.”
“Dave, what do you make out of this?” demanded the senator’s son.
“I make out of it that Merwell and Jasniff are guilty!” burst out Dave. “They went from here to Florida, and now they have either gone to sea, or are going, as soon as that schooner sails. Do you notice what Luke says about their being scared almost to death when they saw him? They evidently thought some of us, or the officers of the law, were with him.”
“And the little valises!” burst out the shipowner’s son. “Perhaps they contain the jewels!”
“Would they be foolish enough to carry them around like that?” questioned Roger. “Wouldn’t they hide them?”
“They may be looking for some good hiding-place, or some place where they can sell them,” answered Dave. “Remember, Jasniff and Merwell are green at this business—they wouldn’t go at it like professionals. If they were professionals, they wouldn’t have acted so scared.”
“That is true. What will you do, tell Mr. Wadsworth of this?”
“I think I’ll tell my father and my Uncle Dunston first. Mr. Wadsworth doesn’t place much credit in the story of Merwell and Jasniff’s guilt. He thinks the detectives are on the right track.”
“Well, possibly they are,” admitted Phil. “But I must say, this looks mighty suspicious to me.”