Finding the Lost Treasure

  CHAPTER XXVI HANDS OFF!

  "Good morning," said Jack pleasantly, but looking questioningly at theircaller.

  "I've a serious charge to make," answered the newcomer, without returningthe greeting. "You've been trying to steal my lobsters. You know thepenalty for that trick!"

  "I most certainly have not done any such thing," said Jack decidedly,while Desire twisted her hands in dismay.

  "No use denying it; I can prove it. Mine are right next to yours, andsome of my markers have been pulled up and yours put in. Come out and seefor yourself."

  Jack and Desire followed the man quickly across the sand to the water.

  "See? Here are five of my markers hidden under this old crate on yourproperty, and five of your markers replacing those near-shore pots ofmine. Facts don't lie if folks do."

  "My brother never lies!" cried Desire angrily. Jack had never heard herspeak like that.

  "Easy, Dissy," he said softly.

  "I certainly admit that it looks bad," he said to the man; "but since Iknow the rules governing these things, I should hardly have been foolenough to do such a thing even if I had been so lacking in principle;and--"

  "Jack!" interrupted Desire. "Rene! Could a small boy have done this?" sheasked, facing their neighbor eagerly.

  "Might; early in the morning, before the tide came in so far."

  "Jack, go and get him and we'll see if he knows anything about it."

  While Jack was gone, Desire explained to the man their presence in oldSimon's hut, and her reasons for suspecting that her younger brother hadbeen responsible for the morning's difficulties. Soon Jack returned, andled Rene directly to the man, who regarded him gravely.

  "Tell this man, Rene," directed his brother, "just exactly what you didwhen you were out here alone on the beach early this morning."

  "Pulled up dirty old markers and hid 'em, and pushed down nice ones wepainted."

  Rene was obviously rather proud of his achievement, and quite puzzled asto the serious manner of his elders.

  "Why did you do that?" asked the man, the suggestion of a twinkleappearing in his blue eyes.

  "Wanted Jack's lobster bed to look nice."

  "But those weren't his; they were mine."

  "_Everything's_ Jack's!"

  Their neighbor smiled, and held out his hand to Jack.

  "My mistake," he said. "I didn't know what a grasping partner you had."

  "He means well, but makes trouble sometimes. Take him back to bed; willyou, Dissy?"

  While Desire put the little boy in bed again, and tried to impress uponhim the seriousness of his mistake, Jack and his neighbor worked amiablyside by side.

  The days passed quickly, one very much like all the others which hadpreceded it; and at last they found themselves on the train, bound forhome, with a fair sum of money in return for several weeks of hard work.