Page:The Eight-Oared Victors.djvu/327

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THE EIGHT-OARED VICTORS
311

"And he's right," added Tom. "I recovered that. But who took the things?"

"Blasdell. The island caretaker took them out of my box when the boat landed on the island, and disposed of them. Then he hid the pawntickets in the shack, taking away the brooch he had previously hidden there.

"Blasdell has been arrested too. He has made a full confession. He and the pawnbroker have been in with a bad set, and were planning other crimes. But I will soon have nearly everything back. I thought you might be glad to know, so I came here as soon as I heard. I had to wait until after the race, though."

"We are glad to hear the news," spoke Frank. "So Mendez is not in it after all."

"No, the confessions of the others completely clear him. I must go tell the Boxer Hall boys the good news."

"And it is almost as good news to us as to them," said Tom, as he went in to finish dressing. The regatta was over. Randall, in spite of heavy odds and in spite of losing all but one race, was proclaimed champion of the Tonoka Lake League.

"But we'll do you next year!" prophesied Pinky Davenport. "I think the loss of our cups was a hoodoo to us."

"Maybe," admitted Tom. "But next year is—