had confronted Tom through the glass window of the jewelry
store. Mr. Jenks was a peculiar man. Tom discovered this on Earthquake
Island. Mr. Jenks carried with him some stones which he said were
diamonds. He asserted that he had made them, but Tom did not know
whether or not to believe this.

When it seemed that the castaways would not be saved Mr. Jenks
offered Tom a large sum in these same diamonds for some plan
whereby he might escape the earthquakes. Mr. Jenks said there was
a certain secret in connection with the manufactured diamonds
that he had to solve--that he had been defrauded of his rights--and
that a certain Phantom Mountain figured in it. But Tom, at that time,
paid little attention to Mr. Jenks' talk. The time was to come,
however, when he would attach much importance to it.

When this story opens, Tom was more interested in Mr. Barcoe
Jenks than in any one else, and was wondering what he wanted to
see him about. The young inventor could not quite understand how
Mr. Track, the jeweler, could come back with a lad he suspected
of being a thief, when the person who had acted so suspiciously,
and who had knocked on the glass, was the queer man, Mr. Jenks.

"Yes, Tom I caught him," the jeweler went on. "I chased after
him, and nabbed him. It was hard work, too, for I'm not a good
runner. Now, you little rascal, tell me why you tried to rob my
store?" and the diamond merchant shook the lad roughly.

"I--I didn't try to rob your store," was the timid answer.

"Well, perhaps you didn't, exactly, but your confederates did.