"Chucked it
right into the water, sir. I picked it up."
"What else did he do?" asked Cora.
"He behaved somethin' queer, Missie. Runnin' up and down, not on
four legs--meanin' his hands, Missie--and now on two. Fair nutty I'd
call him."
"Poor fellow," murmured Bess.
"And is that all that happened?" demanded Walter.
"Well, about all, sir. I picked up the cap, and we rowed away. We
thought we'd better go dry, sir, in the manner of speakin', instead
of facin' that chap. He was fair crazy, sir."
"Did he look like a sailor?" Jack wanted to know.
"Well, no, boss, you couldn't rightly say so, boss. He took on
somethin' terrible when we sheered off an' left 'im."
"And that's all?" inquired Belle, in a low voice.
"Yes--er--little lady," answered Slim Jim, finding a new title for
fair Belle. "That's all, little lady, 'cept that I kept th' cap, not
thinkin' much about it, until I heard you gentlemen inquirin' for
news of the Ramona. I heard some one spell out that there name in
these letters for me," and he indicated the name on the cap. "Then I
spoke to you, boss."
"Yes, and I'm glad you did," said Jack.
"'Why?" began Cora. "Do you think--"
"I think it's barely possible that one of the sailors from the Ramona
is marooned on that lonely island," interrupted Jack. "He may be the
only one, or there may be more. We'll have to find out.
Pages:
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158