“Of course he would, if he got the opportunity. If he could take that boy to a certain man whose name I could mention he would make more money by it than he ever saw. He is working against me.”
“Wal, he didn’t pick him up. I was on deck fur ten minutes arter Julian went overboard, an’ I didn’t see him at all. Mebbe he’s about somewhars.”
“No, he isn’t. He’s gone; and so is the yawl belonging to the flatboat.”
Jack started, and folding his arms gazed thoughtfully over the side into the water. Although he had not noticed the circumstance at the time, he now remembered that on the preceding day Sanders had kept as close as possible to him and Mr. Mortimer, and that he had more than once paused in his walk as if he were listening to their conversation.
Might he not by some means have become acquainted with his plans, and set himself to work to defeat them? And if Julian was so valuable to him, might he not have followed Jake and Tom in the yawl with the intention of securing their prisoner? The thought was enough to put Jack on nettles.
“Whar’s them two hundred?” he asked, suddenly.
Mr. Mortimer, putting his hand into his pocket, produced a roll of bills, which he slyly handed to his confederate, and Jack continued:
“I can’t be of no more use here, an’ you might as well tell the cap’n to set me ashore.”
“I will. I want to go myself. I am uneasy about that man Sanders. Here comes the captain now.”
“I shall have to land to do it,” said the skipper, after listening to the request of his passenger, “for I have no boat to send you off in. That strange-looking man in black has deserted us and stolen it. It was worth $60, too.”