All eyes were turned forthwith on the diver. But the crafty Weddigen was equal to the occasion.
"I was trying to tell this big boob I could explain everything," he countered with an air of superiority. "You see, it was this way, Captain. When I came upon that treasure chest down there I had to bang it about a bit to get it ready for the lift. You can see for yourself if you inspect it closely that the hinges were rusted. In prodding about I loosened up the lid. I thought I'd just take a peep to see if I really had the goods. There they were, all right. Some of them were lying loose, so I just scooped them up and slipped them into this vent in my suit. I didn't want to take any chances on losing them."
As he talked he stooped over and holding a cupped hand over the pocket forced out a handful of the finest of diamonds, ranging in size from one- to three- and five-carat stones.
"There you are; I never had the slightest intention of keeping them," blustered Weddigen. "This fresh guy Seymour thinks he gets me in wrong, and I'll attend to him later. I was waiting until I got rested up a bit before coming to you with them."
Upon Larry he cast a murderous scowl of hatred as Captain Austin hurried the diamonds below, apparently satisfied with Weddigen's story.
But Larry, hearing the true story later from the lips of Jay Thacker, knew Weddigen's quick-witted defense was but skilled camouflage to cover his attempted theft of the pocketed diamonds. With the two Brighton youths, he formed a pact to keep a watchful eye on the surly diver in the future.
CHAPTER VIII Uncle Sam Calls
SOME fellows are pursued by luck no matter where they turn in life. Others of evil design seem to be able to get away with anything they attempt solely on their nerve. Carl Weddigen was one of this class. Not one chap in a thousand, caught as he had been with stolen diamonds, would have breasted it out and escaped so cleverly by use of his nimble wits. Criminologists' records show that the average thief trapped as Weddigen was either surrenders abjectly or makes a break for it in an effort to escape. The crafty minority stand their ground and worm their way out by subterfuge.