Henry Burns, holding one hand in his coat pocket, and looking as grave as though his communication was to be one of the greatest importance, turned to his companions, and said:
“I thought, because you were all such warm friends of Squire Brackett, you might like to know whether he was after that secret drawer in the Viking, and whether he found the lobster-claw.”
The outburst of elation and surprise that followed assured Henry Burns he was not mistaken.
“Well, I’ve found out,” said Henry Burns. “You see, when we got the yacht back we saw the drawer on the floor, and the claw, too. That was Carleton’s work, of course. I didn’t think about the squire’s having the drawer out, till later. We were all so upset, you know.”
“Jack,” he continued, “do you remember our eating that lobster—the one that owned the claw we put into the drawer?”
“Why, yes, of course,” replied Harvey.
“And do you remember saying that you’d have eaten both claws if the one you left hadn’t been so big?”
“Why, yes, I remember that, too,” replied the puzzled Harvey.
“Well, now, which claw was it that you didn’t eat, and that we put into the drawer?” asked Henry Burns.
“The right one,” answered Harvey. “I remember breaking off the left one to eat because it was smaller.”