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I had an idea that you were out for some definite purpose, and so I just trailed along at your rear in order to be near any excitement that you might turn up." "And I suppose you're going to follow us this time, too," smiled Tom Reade. "Prenter," suggested the president of the company, "what do you say if you and I prowl in some other direction?
All promised eagerly that they would do all in their power to earn the hundred dollars. "That's what I call good business!" cried Mr. Prenter approvingly, as soon as the foreman and the men had gone. "Does the hundred dollars come out of the company treasury, Reade, or from your own pocket?" inquired President Bascomb. "Really I hadn't thought of the matter," answered Tom.
Each light showed where a workman patrolled under the orders of Foreman Corbett. The latter was aboard the motor boat, "Morton," which ran up and down near the wall, throwing the searchlight over the scene. "Reade," remarked Mr. Prenter, "I don't see that the enemy have any chance to-night to run in and work harm to our property."
Prenter addressed a dispatch to the head of a detective agency in Mobile. "We'll get the 'bus driver to take this over to town," said Mr. Prenter, as he signed the dispatch. "You had better send your dispatch by Nicolas, who is so faithful that he can't be pumped, and he never talks about things that he shouldn't." The Mexican was accordingly sent away in the stage.
Then, as the foreman passed along, Reade went back to his friends. "You seem staggered about something," remarked Mr. Prenter, eyeing him keenly. "Possibly I am," admitted Tom. "Evarts is out on bail." "Now, what fool or rogue could have signed that fellow's bail bond?" demanded Mr. Prenter in exasperation. "Careful, sir!" warned Tom smilingly.
We'll have every bit of the wall watched by men with lanterns." "What you ought to do," suggested Treasurer Prenter, "is to light the breakwater up with electric lights. You have steam power enough here, and with a dynamo you could supply current to the lights." "There's the expense to be considered," mildly observed President Bascomb.
Treasurer Prenter, who had been looking on with keen interest, seized the other arm. "You let go of me, or you'll run up against the law for assault!" warned the stranger. His captors, however, held him, while Tom rapidly ran his hands over the stranger's clothing.
The rest of us on the board are men -or think we are -and we voted, informally, not to allow one misstep of yours to outweigh years of the most upright living since." "Knowing it all, you elected me to be president of the company!" gasped Mr. Bascomb, as though he could not believe his ears or his senses. "Now, let us hear no more about it," urged Mr. Prenter, cordially.
"You seem to forget," Tom reminded him, "that the last big excitement took place in the daytime, during your shift. Dick and I may have a lazy night, and you may have the air full of wreckage to-morrow in broad daylight." They chatted a little while with Mr. Prenter, outside, and then Dick rose at Tom's signal. "We must be starting," said Reade.
Prenter was not there, and Harry Hazelton had turned in. Nicolas was lying on a blanket on the porch. "You'll have to keep awake until I get back, anyway, Nicolas, and keep your eyes open," Tom informed the Mexican. "Sambo is at large again, and I'm afraid he may turn up here." "I shall know how to take care of him, Senor," grinned the Mexican holding up his right forefinger.
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