fast as his short legs could move, dragging his captive by the arm, they all looked up in astonishment.
“Hullo!” cried the newcomer, “what’s the matter here, Marvine?”
“The young fellow claims old Simon lent him the outfit. Did you ever hear—”
“Maybe he did,” interrupted the other man indifferently, his blue eyes roaming from one face to another. “Saw all these folks here yesterday with the old man and his daughter.”
“Did, eh? Well, maybe it’s as he says then,” letting go of Jack’s arm as he spoke. “How’d you happen to be stopping here?”
“The kid dragged me off the road saying someone was going to carry away his brother.”
“Well,” said the man called Marvine, turning to Jack and Desiré, “sorry to have bothered you. No harm meant. Was only looking out for Simon’s things.”
“Quite all right,” replied Jack. “I suppose you do have to be careful.”
The two strangers strode out to the road again without further farewell, and were soon lost to sight. Desiré sank down on the sand as if she could not stand another minute.
“I’m most awfully sorry you were so frightened, dear,” said Jack, sitting down beside her and taking her hand in his, while René piled on top of his brother, crying exultantly, “I saved you, Jack; didn’t I?”
Desiré soon recovered her composure and got up to continue her work; but although he did not comment on the fact, Jack saw that her hands were still a bit shaky. Presently he suggested—“Hadn’t you better go in and start supper, Dissy? René can help me finish here.”
“Sure,” agreed the small boy importantly. “I can help Jack.”
Desiré went in, and the two boys sank the pots and set the markers, Jack of course doing most of the work, but René fully convinced that his brother could never have managed without his aid.
“There are some other pots right next to where Simon told me to put ours,” observed Jack, as they were finishing supper.
René was so sleepy that he had left the table and curled himself up in an old rocker to take a nap.
“Oh, I do hope that they don’t belong to either of those awful men who were here this afternoon,” said Desiré with a shudder.
“They’re rough, of course, but they weren’t really so bad, Desiré. They have to protect their interests, and of course were looking after Simon’s. I hardly think, though, that either of them is our next-door neighbor. The hut beyond here looks deserted, but the pots and markers are there all right.”
Desiré took the tiny bedroom, and the boys had a couple of cots in the other room. Everybody was tired out with the unaccustomed work and excitement, and slept heavily until far later than usual. Jack, who was the first to waken, looked across at the other cot to see if René was still asleep, and was astonished to see that the cot was empty.
“Now where is that rascal?” he thought, crossing the room to the outside door, which was ajar.
He glanced out and saw his brother calmly playing in the sand a short distance from the hut.
“Don’t go any farther away, Renny,” he called softly, hoping not to disturb Desiré.
“No,” replied the child, vigorously slapping the sand into shape.
“What’s the matter?” called Desiré, who had wakened instantly at the sound of his voice.
“Nothing at all. Renny got up ahead of us and went out to play in the sand. He’s quite all right.”
“But what time is it?”
“You’d never guess. It’s eight o’clock.”
“Why, Jack, how dreadful!”
“Not at all; it’s quite all right. There’s nothing to hurry us here. Take your time. I’ll set the coffee on.”
“We’re certainly fashionable folk this morning,” laughed Desiré when, half an hour later, the three sat down to breakfast. “Renny, your feet are all wet,” as the child’s foot touched her under the table. “Let me see.”
“No!”
“René,” ordered Jack, “turn and stick your feet out.”
Slowly, most reluctantly, the boy obeyed; and Desiré exclaimed with dismay. He was wet to the waist. Their backs had been turned when he came in, and he had slid into his place at the table with all possible haste.
“How did you get like that?” asked Jack, but René only hung his head.
“Answer me, Renny.”
“Went in the water.”
“But haven’t I told you never to go into the water alone?”
The child nodded.
“You’ll have to go back to bed,” decreed his brother sternly, getting up from the table. “Sit still,” he directed Desiré. “I’ll attend to him.”
“Hadn’t you better put him in my room?” she asked.
“If you don’t mind,” replied Jack, leading the reluctant youngster from the room.
After a short interval he returned to resume his interrupted breakfast, saying as he sat down, “After we finish I’ll take him something. It will do him no harm to wait a while. He’s certainly always getting into difficulties.”
“But it’s quite a while now since he has done anything really bad,” objected Desiré; “and he loves the water so, it must be quite a temptation.”
“I know, but his going in like this by himself might result in serious consequences; and I intend to keep him in bed most of the day. But you don’t need to stay in the house all the time. He’s perfectly safe here alone, and I’m sure he won’t get up without permission. I laid heavy penalties on such a procedure.”
At this point there was a sharp knock at the door, and when Jack opened it, a short, grey-bearded man stood before them. Not liking the look in the stranger’s eyes, Desiré crossed the room and stood beside her brother. Were all the people they were to meet on this venture undesirable? How she wished they had never heard of the lobster business!
CHAPTER XXVI
HANDS OFF!
“Good morning,” said Jack pleasantly, but looking questioningly at their caller.
“I’ve a serious charge to make,” answered the newcomer, without returning the greeting. “You’ve been trying to steal my lobsters. You know the penalty for that trick!”
“I most certainly have not done any such thing,” said Jack decidedly, while Desiré twisted her hands in dismay.
“No use denying it; I can prove it. Mine
