“Did you hear the cheers outside?” asked one of Warren’s companions, entering at this moment. “Mr. Dunstan just made the requested speech. There was a dead hush when he declared to the crowd that he had no idea of attempting to prosecute the men who had lured his boy away. The crowd was plainly disappointed.”
“It will be a good thing for us, if that news reaches the Sanderson-Alvarez crowd,” mused Mr. Lawrence.
“I haven’t a doubt that the pleasing news will reach ’em,” smiled Tom Halstead. “If they had a man in the crowd to force that note into my hand, the same man must still be there and will take back any news that he can.”
“Then we’ll stop talking of this matter until we’ve fortified ourselves with something to eat,” proposed Mr. Lawrence. “Are you young men of the ‘Meteor’ hungry?”
“Hungry?” echoed Halstead, feelingly.
“No, I’m not really hungry,” stated Joe. “At the same time if a nice little lamb, roasted whole, tried to walk by me just now, it would show great want of judgment on the lamb’s part.”
“Then we’ll go to supper,” declared the inspector rising. “But you young men would do well to keep away from us in the dining room, in case there should be any watchers about for the Alvarez party. We can meet up here again after the meal is over.”
When the boys, Warren’s party and the three United States officers came together again Mr. Lawrence proposed that Warren take Joe in the auto over to the Dunstan place. Joe and Jed could bring the “Meteor” around to a wharf in Nantucket harbor, and all could embark.
“The trip could be made by land, in autos, of course,” Inspector Lawrence explained to Halstead. “But there’s a possibility that we may need to pursue a filibustering steam craft.”
Later on the hotel party sauntered down, in three or four groups, to the wharf in question. By the time they arrived at the water front they made out the “Meteor” just gliding into the harbor, Jed Prentiss at the wheel and Joe in the engine room. The entire party quickly embarked, Tom now taking the wheel. Darkness was just coming down as the “Meteor” with no lights showing by Mr. Lawrence’s order, stole around Great Point. Now, Halstead let out a few more notches of speed, the boat going swiftly down the east coast of the island.