"Who brought these stones in?" asked one of the men, evidently the proprietor, from the deference paid him by the clerk. The latter motioned to Tom.
"Will you kindly step inside here?" requested the elderly man. When the door was closed, Tom found himself in a room which was mostly taken up with a bench for the display of precious stones, a few chairs, and some lights arranged peculiarly; while various scales and instruments stood on a table.
"You wished an opinion on--on these?" queried the proprietor of the place. Tom noticed at once that the word "diamonds" was not used.
"I wanted to find out if they were of any value," he said. "Are they diamonds?"
"Would you mind stating where you got them?" asked the other of the two men.
"Is that necessary?" inquired the lad. "I came by them in a legitimate manner, if that"s what you mean, and I can satisfy you on that point.
I am willing to pay for any information you may give me as to their value."
"Oh, it isn"t that," the proprietor hastened to a.s.sure him. "But these are diamonds of such a peculiar kind, so perfect and without a flaw, that I wondered from what part of the world they came."
"Then they are diamonds?" asked Tom, eagerly.
"The finest I have ever tested!" declared the other man, evidently Mr.
Porter, the gem expert. "They are a joy to look at, Mr. Roberts," he went on, turning to the proprietor. "If it is possible to get a supply of them you would be justified in asking half as much again as we charge for African or Indian diamonds. The Kimberly products are not to be compared to these," and he looked at the two stones in his hand--the one cut, and sparkling brilliantly, the other in a rough state.
"Do you care to state where these diamonds came from?" asked Mr.
Roberts, looking critically at Tom.
"I had rather not," answered the lad. "It is enough for me to know that they are diamonds. How much is your charge?"
"Nothing," was the unexpected answer. "We are very glad to have had the opportunity of seeing such stones. Is there any chance of getting any more?"
"Perhaps," answered Tom, as he accepted the gems which the expert held out to him.
"Then might we speak for a supply?" went on Mr. Roberts, eagerly. "We will pay you the full market price."
"What is the value of these stones?" asked Tom.
Mr. Roberts looked at his gem expert.
"It is difficult to say," was the answer of the man who had handed Tom the gems. "They are so far superior to the usual run of diamonds, that I feel justified in saying that the cut one would bring fifteen hundred dollars, anywhere. In fact, I would offer that for it. The other is larger, though what it would lose in cutting would be hard to say. I should say it was worth two thousand dollars as it is now."
"Thirty-five hundred dollars for these two stones!" exclaimed Tom.
"They are worth every cent of it," declared Mr. Roberts. "Do you want to sell?"
Tom shook his head. He could scarcely believe the good news. Mr. Jenks had told the truth. Now the young inventor could go with him to seek the diamond makers.
"Can you get any more of these?" went on Mr. Roberts.
"I think so--that is I don"t know--I am going to try," answered the lad.
"Then if you succeed I wish you would sell us some," fairly begged the proprietor of the store.
"I will," promised Tom, but he little knew what lay before him, or perhaps he would not have made that promise. He thanked the diamond merchant for his kindness, and arranged to have the cut stone set in a pin for Miss Nestor. The uncut gem Tom took away with him.
Thinking of many things, and wondering how best to start in his airship Red Cloud for the mysterious Phantom Mountain, Tom hurried back to where he had left the monoplane, wheeled it out, and was soon soaring through the air toward Shopton.
"I think I"ll go with Mr. Jenks," he decided, as he prepared for a landing in the open s.p.a.ce near his aeroplane shed. "It will be a risky trip, perhaps, but I"ve taken risks before. When Mr. Jenks comes to-night I"ll tell him I"ll help him to get his rights, and discover the secret of the diamond makers."
As Tom was wheeling the b.u.t.terfly into the shed, Eradicate came out to help him.
"Dere"s a gen"man here to see yo", Ma.s.sa Tom," said the colored man.
"Who is it?"
"I dunno. He keep askin" ef yo" de lad what done bust up Earthquake Island, an" send lightnin" flashes up to de sky, an" all sech questions laik dat."
"It isn"t Mr. Damon; is it, Rad? He hasn"t been around in some time."
"No, Ma.s.sa Tom, it ain"t him. I knows dat blessin" man good an" proper.
I jest wish he"d bless mah mule Boomerang some day, an" take some oh de temper out ob him. No, sah, it ain"t Ma.s.sa Damon. De gen"man"s in de airship shed waitin" fo" you."
"In the airship shed! No strangers are allowed in there, Rad."
"I knows it, Ma.s.sa Tom, but he done persisted his se"f inter it, an"
he wouldn"t come out when I told him; an" your pa an" Mr. Jackson ain"t home."
"I"ll see about this," exclaimed Tom, striding to the large shed, where the Red Cloud was kept. As he entered it he saw a man looking over the wonderful craft.
"Did you want to see me?" asked Tom, sharply, for he did not like strangers prowling around.
"I did, and I apologize for entering here, but I am interested in airships, and I thought you might want to hire a pilot. I am in need of employment, and I have had considerable to do with balloons and aeroplanes, but never with an airship like this, which combines the two features. Do you wish to hire any one."
"No, I don"t!" replied Tom, sharply, for he did not like the looks of the man.
"I was told that you did," was the rather surprising answer.
"Who told you?"
The man looked all around the shed, before replying, as if fearful of being overheard. Then, stepping close to Tom, he whispered:
"Mr. Jenks told me!"
"Mr. Jenks?" Tom could not conceal his astonishment.
"Yes. Mr. Barcoe Jenks. But I did not come here to merely ask you for employment. I would like to hire out to you, but the real object of my visit was to say this to you."
The man approached still closer to Tom, and, in a lower voice, and one that could scarcely be heard, he fairly hissed:
"Don"t go with Barcoe Jenks to seek the diamond makers!"
Then, before Tom could put out a hand to detain him, had the lad so wished, the man turned suddenly, and fairly ran from the shed.