CHAPTER XIV
A BATH HOUSE MYSTERY
For a few seconds it would have been hard to tell who was the moresurprised, Noddy or the three boys. They stood confronting each other,while the crowd surged this way and that. Then Noddy spoke again:
"I want to know what you fellows mean, coming here trying to take mywhale?" he asked.
"Your whale, Noddy Nixon?" inquired Jerry.
"Yes, my whale. Didn't I discover it ashore early this morning? I put apaper with my name on it. I claim it under the law."
Salt Water Sam thrust himself forward. His one eye gleamed with anangry light.
"Who's this young whipper-snapper that claims my whale?" he asked. "Letme get at him!"
"Don't you touch me!" cried Noddy, as the sailor confronted him. "I'llhave you arrested if you put your hands on me; that's what I will!"
"I'll not touch you unless there's an occasion for it. How did you getthis whale?"
"I was walking along the beach, and I saw it come in. I ran out and putmy card on it. I got my feet wet, too, and I'm going to get paid forall my trouble. Now all you people get away. I'm going to have a tentput up, and charge admission."
The crowd gathered closer about the boys, the sailor, Noddy and thewhale. The big creature lay in a little hollow scooped in the sand bythe action of the waves. It had been stranded at high tide.
"If I thought you knew better I'd spank you, sonny," spoke Sam, inquiet but determined tones. "I guess you'd better run along home toyour mother now."
This made Noddy furious. He drew back his hand as though to strike thesailor. The latter, however, only laughed. He thrust the angry youth toone side, and, striding to the whale, placed his hand on the harpoonhandle and exclaimed:
"Friends, this is the whale I and the three boys here killed yesterday.We made fast to him, and he towed us quite a ways out, before we hadto cut loose. My harpoon killed the whale and it's mine. There's myinitials on the handle, and there's the notches to show how many othercreatures my iron has gone into."
"What's all the trouble?" asked a tall, bronzed man, pushing his wayinto the crowd.
"Hello, Captain Trembly!" cried Sam, recognizing the master of anear-by life saving station. "Here's a whale of mine that's comeashore, and this young man lays claim to it because he saw it first."
"Nonsense!" spoke the captain. "It's your property, of course, Sam.Only I wouldn't advise you to let it stay here very long. This isn'tgood keeping weather for dead whales."
"Couple of days will do me," the sailor said with a laugh. "There, now,sonny," turning to Noddy. "Maybe you'll believe the captain."
Seeing that the game had gone against him, Noddy made his way out ofthe crowd without speaking. But the looks he cast at the sailor and thethree chums were anything but kind.
"Wonder how he got here?" asked Jerry.
"Seems as if he followed us," spoke Ned.
They learned afterward that Noddy's father had, at his son's urging,taken a cottage at Glen Cove, the next summer resort on the coast belowHarmon Beach.
"Now, friends," went on Sam to the crowd, "you're welcome to look atthis whale as long as you like, until I get a tent over it. Then it'llbe ten cents to see it. Part of the money I'm going to give to thehospital here."
Sam's spirit, so different from Noddy's mean and selfish one, met withquick response on the part of the assemblage.
"We'll all come and see it when you've got it under a tent," one mancalled out, and there was a chorus of assents.
Sam got some sailor friends to help him, and with a couple of horses,hauled the whale higher up on the beach. Then he put a tent over thebig creature and did a thriving business, exhibiting the monster.The three chums assisted him, and acted as lecturers to the curious,telling over and over again their part in the capture and harpooning.
As for the sailor, he was in his glory. He related the incidents of thechase with great minuteness, not omitting the one about the steamer. Heeven sold small slivers from the handle of his harpoon.
"Sure I can easy make another handle," he confided to the boys, "butit's not every day I can sell a bit of wood for twenty-five cents. Imust make money while the whale lasts."
It only lasted three days, however, and the final one the patronagevisibly fell off. Even the boys did not seem very keen about going tothe tent.
"If it was ambergris in that whale, it would be all right," Jerryremarked, as he held a perfumed handkerchief to his nose. "But it isn'tand that's the fault of it."
The others agreed with him, and that night a gang of men dug a big holein the beach and tumbled the whale into it. But Sam made a goodly sum,which he wanted to share with the boys. They would take none of hismoney, however, so the sailor made a liberal donation to charity.
"Seen anything more of Noddy?" asked Jerry of his chums one morning,when they were out in their boat, cruising about the harbor.
"No, and I don't want to," replied Bob. "Noddy wouldn't be so bad, ifwe could know when he's coming so as to avoid him, but combined withBill Berry the two are the limit."
"That reminds me of something," put in Ned. "I heard Bill Berry had ajob down here somewhere."
"How'd you hear it?" Jerry asked.
"Got a letter from Andy Rush. He said he was talking with old PeteBumps, and Pete told him Bill had a job at some lighthouse alongthe coast. Andy said he thought it was in this neighborhood, and hewent on to say that Pete wanted us to try and get him a job also.Andy suggested perhaps Pete thought the work was as easy as the namesuggested. Andy says he may come down for a week or so a little later."
"Queer Andy, with his rapid-fire talk," remarked Ned. "I'd like to seehim. Wonder if it's true about Bill? He might be at the lighthouse wesaw the other night."
"We'll have to find out," spoke Jerry. "Now let's talk about somethingpleasant. What do you say to running ashore and having a bath? There'sa nice place just ahead."
The boys voted it would be a good plan, and the boat was steeredfor the beach, where there were a number of bathing pavilions. The_Dartaway_ was made fast to a dock and soon the boys were putting onsuits which they hired.
They remained in the water about an hour, enjoying the gentle surf, andfloating lazily beyond the line of breakers.
"This is something like life," remarked Bob, as he let the waves carryhim toward shore.
"Surprised you're satisfied without a sandwich while you're floating,"came from Jerry.
With a rapid motion of his hand, Bob splashed a small wave into Jerry'sface, causing him to cough and splutter.
"That's enough!" cried the joker. "I'll quit."
"Speaking of sandwiches reminds me it's nearly dinner time," remarkedNed. "I'm going ashore."
The others followed his example, and were soon in the booths, dressing.Jerry had nearly completed his toilet, when he heard quite a commotionin the compartment next to him. He knew it could not be caused by Nedor Bob, as they were farther down the line. Some one was pounding onthe thin wooden walls and shouting:
"Help! Help! I've been robbed!"
"What is it?" cried Jerry.
"Some one has taken my diamond ring!" was the reply, and, as Jerrypeered from the door of his room, he saw a man, partly dressed, rushfrom the one next him, crying at the top of his voice:
"I've been robbed! I've been robbed!"