"Louis' mother in Portland?" Jack cried, rapidly growing bewildered.
"Of course; father went in to see her after he made up his mind you'd gone away; but she wasn't there, so he said it would pay him better to 'tend to the farm instead of runnin' 'round after you fellers."
Jack's eyes were opened wide with astonishment, and Tom began to think the hunchback had taken leave of his senses.
"What's the matter with you?" he asked sharply, and Jack replied slowly,—
"I can't make out how Mrs. Littlefield happened to be in Portland when the last I saw of her was on the 'Atlanta.' Why, the ship was goin' to Bremen!"
"She come inside the breakwater after you went adrift. It's all in the papers father's got."
"Why didn't you tell me about it?" Jack asked reproachfully.
"How could I when we didn't know where you was? Me an' father hunted all 'round, but couldn't find hide nor hair of either you or the baby."
"Was your father tryin' to send us back to Mrs. Littlefield?"
"Sure, 'cause he wanted to earn the reward."