Jule took off the oilskin coat, leggings, and hat quite deliberately and turned his attention to the electric stove where the coffee-pot was still sitting.
The boys stood watching him with eager eyes. Would he say anything about the money? Had he taken it with him? Had he placed it in a more secure hiding-place? The questions were in their faces, although not spoken, and Jule saw that something unusual was going on.
“Where did you get the oilskins?” asked Alex, glad of any excuse to break the pregnant silence.
Jule lifted his red eyebrows with a comical grimace and walked toward the coffee-pot. He was small and thin, and his freckled face was pathetically wasted as to flesh, but his blue eyes were bright and merry. As he moved toward the electric stove—the one place the boys wished him to keep away from just then—a racking cough convulsed the emaciated frame for a moment.
“Wait!” Alex exclaimed, as Jule recovered from the spasm of coughing and reached for the coffee-pot. “Wait! I’ll get you the coffee!”
“I’ve already connected with it,” answered the boy, taking the pot by the handle and shaking it.
The three stood by, waiting. After all, they thought, it did not matter so much if he did know about the diamonds. He would have to know sometime. The only reason why they objected to the gems coming into the case immediately was that the boy would become excited and forget to tell whatever he knew about the money.
“I’m going to ask him, plump out!” whispered Case to Clay, as Jule lifted the pot and balanced it in his hand, as if to see what the chances were for a full cup.
Clay restrained the impulsive boy by a motion of his hand. Jule did not seem pleased with the investigation of the coffee-pot. There was a bumping sound inside instead of the swish of the stimulating liquid he sought. He lifted the lid and looked in.
They saw him take out the brown leather bag and hold it up between his eyes and the light. Then he shook it, bringing forth from the bag the musical tinkle of the gems. After a second’s hesitation, he started to open the bag, but Alex snatched it away from him.