“I’ll speed her now,” promised the man at the steering wheel. “It’s make or break.”
It was barely one minute before four when the touring car raced in sight of the court building. In Nantucket the news had spread like wildfire and now a crowd of hundreds of residents and summer guests had collected before the court building. But at the gate of the grounds, each with a watch in his hand, stood Horace Dunstan and Lawyer Crane.
“Here they come, Crane, thank heaven!” breathed Mr. Dunstan, tears of joy springing up in his eyes. “Now rush, man—_rush!_”
Inside the court room Judge Swan sat on the bench. Down below stood a solitary clerk. Two court officers lounged listlessly. Judge Swan, having no case before him, was sorting some papers. He looked up to say:
“Mr. Clark, if there’s no further business to come before the court to-day, you may declare it adjour——”
Lawyer Crane fairly ran into the court room breathless, waving a paper above his head as though to attract attention.
At that same instant a great, rousing, hoarse cheer began to well up outside.
“I will ask the court to remain on the bench one or two minutes more,” called the lawyer imploringly. “My clients, Mr. Horace Dunstan and his son will appear before you instantly.”
Then father and son entered. The two court officers had already stirred themselves into life to hold back the crowd of hundreds that attempted to rush in also. Judge Swan nodded to the clerk, and the lawyer, finding that his appeal was heard and granted, lost his excitement, becoming once more the cool, methodical man of affairs.
Tom and Joe, and the officers waited in the corridor in case they should be asked to make oath to their adventures. But the court not having been in session the day before, thanks to Joe’s accident, all that was necessary was for the judge to question the two Dunstans, to affix his signature to certain papers and to order the will of Aaron Dunstan entered for probate.
It was all over in ten minutes and court was promptly adjourned, and Master Ted’s great inheritance was secured to him if he lived up to all of the requirements of that remarkable document.
As the two Dunstans came out again the crowd surged about them in a craze of hoarse excitement. Tom and Joe were caught up by men and carried on their shoulders. It was a wild turmoil of laughter, cheering and shouting.