“I know all about that, Flinders,” came back the reply, “but just you tell your friends there not to come any further this way, or they’ll land in trouble. I guess this rock would make quite a dent in the anatomy of anybody it happened to fall on.”
He shoved the rock suggestively, and it gave an ominous quiver. A hasty consultation followed among the men. It was impossible to dislodge the doughty captain by shooting at him, for he was shielded behind the rock. On the other hand, if they did not reach the cliff summit by that way the gang of rascals would have to make a long detour, and that, for reasons of their own, they were not anxious to do.
But it was the course they had finally to adopt, and Captain Andrews, with a grim smile, heard their retreating footsteps. It was not till they had gone that he realized that, in all probability, the model and the papers had gone with them. He was pondering this aspect of the case when Tom returned. He brought with him the village constable of Rumson, the town he had reached, and half a dozen deputies.
“Whar be them roustabouts?” demanded the constable, as he came up.
“I guess they’ve headed to the south,” said Captain Andrews; “I drove ’em off this trail by threatening to get careless with this rock.”
“Good for you! If they’ve gone south they’ll be bound to come up that path by Rumson Point,” declared the constable; “come on, boys, thar’s a re-ward for ketching them fellers.”
Thus stimulated, the posse set off at top speed for the Point, while Captain Andrews and Tom decided to return to the Sea Gull and find out how Jack was faring. They arranged to meet the constable and his men later on in the village, and learn how they had succeeded.
They found the dinghy as they had left it, and rowed off to the Sea Gull without loss of time. As they neared the grounded boat Jack’s head appeared out of the cockpit, and he waved his hand excitedly.
“He’s got some sort of news,” declared Tom; “wonder what it can be?”
They were soon to find out. As they boarded the Sea Gull, Jack, with dancing eyes, produced the long-missing model. Then, as if to cap the climax, he held up a sheaf of papers.