THE BOYS REACH A DECISION
It was with good reason that the Rover boys mentioned Slugger Brown’s
name in connection with the discovery they had made. All remembered
clearly how the bully of Colby Hall had had the habit of placing dots
in a triangle, not only while in the classroom but also when discussing
affairs at the gymnasium meetings and while at the military school
encampments.
“It’s undoubtedly the work of Slugger,” said Jack. “I’ve seen him put
down those dots in triangles hundreds of times.”
“It’s more than likely this old auto belonged to Mr. Brown,” came from
Fred.
“Maybe he was with the men who had the security boxes,” ventured Randy.
“One thing I feel pretty sure of――this hold-up was engineered by our
old enemies.”
“It certainly begins to took that way to me,” answered Jack. “First we
spot Slugger Brown and Nappy Martell watching us. Then we discover Mr.
Martell in the automobile that knocked Andy down, and here we find
this auto, that was used by the men who had the two security boxes,
marked with what you might call Slugger’s absent-minded hieroglyphics.
I begin to think if we can lay our hands on that bunch we’ll be pretty
close to getting the stolen stuff back.”
The other boys agreed in this, and it looked to them as if the whole
affair solved itself into the single question of locating the rascals
who formerly had made so much trouble for themselves and for their
parents.
The lads lost no time in returning to New York. There they reported
what they had learned and this revelation was listened to with much
satisfaction by their fathers.
“These things are beginning to fit in,” said Tom Rover. “I certainly
hope those detectives are able to round up the Browns and the Martells.”
But this was by no means easy. An investigation proved that both
families had moved away from where they had formerly lived, and a
thorough search by not only the Rovers but also half a dozen detectives
failed to give a hint as to their whereabouts.
“It begins to look to me as if the bunch had left this country,” said
Tom Rover.
“Have the police heard any more regarding Ditini and Ronombo?” asked
Randy.
“If they have, they haven’t reported it. They still are of the opinion,
however, that those two noted bandits had something to do with the
crime.”
“It might be so, Uncle Tom,” came from Jack. “I don’t believe the
Browns or the Martells would have nerve enough to do the actual hold-up
work themselves. They may have been in cahoots with these bandits.”
“Perhaps.” Tom Rover heaved a sigh. “I don’t care so much who did the
trick. What I’m interested in is in getting our securities back.”
That day Jack received a short letter from Ruth. In it the girl stated
that she was very sorry that the hold-up had occurred and that she
sympathized deeply with the Rovers in their loss. She added that her
mother was still sick from the shock and that her father was much
depressed, not only on account of the hold-up but because he was having
considerable trouble with the contractors who were building the new
country home. She added that she made no plans for the rest of the
summer and did not intend to make any.
It was a rather matter-of-fact letter, neither particularly cool nor
particularly warm, and Jack hardly knew how to take it.
“I guess she thinks she has got to side with her mother and her father
in this,” he mused. “Well, I can’t exactly blame her; it must have been
a great blow to all of them.”
In the meantime Captain Corning was growing impatient to start his hunt
for the missing steam yacht. He said that some other people had gotten
hold of the story of Miguel Torra and the sunken _Margarita_, and he
was afraid that they would organize another expedition and get ahead of
him.
“I’ve had two or three parties come to me and hint that they would help
me out financially if I’d divide with them,” said the captain to Sam
Rover and the boys. “But I want to give you the first chance because
you’ve been very nice about this and I sympathize with you in the
trouble you’ve had.”
This brought on another long talk in which Dick Rover and Tom also
joined.
“I don’t see but what you boys might go on this search for the
_Margarita_,” said Sam Rover. “I can’t go because I must stay here in
New York. Your Uncle Dick has got to go down to Texas and see about an
oil deal we’ve been putting through, and your Uncle Tom has got to go
out to the Rolling Thunder mine because he’s received a hint that that
Peter Garrish has been making trouble again.”
“Well, if you’re sure we can’t do anything here――――” began Jack.
“I don’t see what you can do,” put in Dick Rover. “The Browns and the
Martells have completely disappeared and it isn’t likely that you could
find them any quicker than the detectives who are on their trail. The
police authorities are hunting for Ditini and Ronombo, and what more
can be done I don’t know. You might as well go on this hunt for the
steam yacht, and we can do our best to keep in communication with you,
in case anything turns up and you’re needed.”
More talk followed, and before the meeting broke up it was agreed
that the four boys should accompany Captain Corning on the hunt for
the missing _Margarita_ and that they were to furnish the additional
eighteen thousand dollars which the captain needed to finance the
expedition. In return for this, it was agreed that if anything of value
was recovered, after all necessary expenses were paid the balance was
to be divided into three parts, one part going to Captain Corning and
two parts to the Rover boys; these to be divided equally between the
youths.
Captain Corning was a first-class seaman, but frankly admitted that he
did not like to keep any books or do any direct financing, so it was
agreed that Fred should become the secretary for the expedition and
Jack should act as treasurer.
“That leaves Randy and me free to become real sailors!” cried Andy
gayly. “Captain Corning, we’ll be at your service,” and he touched his
forehead in true salt-water fashion.
“All right, lads, I may take you up on that,” answered the captain,
smiling. “I’ll ship a full crew, but there’s no telling what work
there’ll be to do when we locate the _Margarita_ and try to get at it.”
He liked the boys as much as they liked him, and that was one reason
why he had been so anxious to get them to go on the search for the
sunken steam yacht.
“We’ll draw our money from the bank to-morrow,” said Jack after
consulting his cousins. “Then we’ll take that amount and what you’re to
pay in, Captain Corning, and place it in a special account to be drawn
on whenever needed. I’ll make out the checks and we can fix it so you
can countersign them if you wish.”
“I know an honest young man when I see him, Mr. Rover,” answered
Captain Corning quickly. “I don’t think the checks will need any
countersigning.”
The next week proved a busy one, not only for the captain but also
for the boys. The captain had a list of vessels available for charter
and allowed the boys to go with him to look over the various craft,
which were located in New York Harbor and along the Long Island coast.
They at last settled on an oil-burning yacht named the _Firefly_, the
property of a rich cotton merchant who was now on a tour around the
world.
“She’s certainly a dandy looking craft,” remarked Jack, as he and his
brothers walked around the boat, a yacht nearly two hundred feet in
length and rather broad of beam. “She looks as if she could stand real
service, too.”
“I’m glad she doesn’t look too fancy,” answered Fred. “There may be
a lot of rough work to do if we ever do locate the _Margarita_. This
isn’t just an outing for fun, you know.”
There were several sailors already attached to the _Firefly_, and
these men readily agreed to sign up with Captain Corning for the trip.
Then the captain obtained several men who had sailed with him before,
including a mate named Nat Brooks, a man well acquainted with the
Atlantic seacoast and the West Indies. It was known that the expedition
was on a treasure hunt, but no details were mentioned.
Some newspaper reporters heard of the affair and at once imagined that
the Rovers were going after those who had held up the offices in Wall
Street, and Jack and his cousins allowed them to think this and smiled
to themselves when they read an account in the various journals that
evening.
Captain Corning had thought to get two divers with whom he was
acquainted to go with him on the hunt, but at the last minute found
neither of these men available. This was a keen disappointment, and he
did not know what to do next. Then his mate came to him and said that
one of the sailors, a Norwegian who had sailed on the _Firefly_ before
and now signed up for the trip, knew of another Norwegian who was an
expert deep-sea diver and who had just finished a contract with one of
the lighthouse corporations.
“Peterson says this diver, whose name is Leif Olesen, is a very
reliable man,” said Brooks. “He’s worked both for the Atlantic
Lighthouse Corporation and for the Hazlett-Dockery Company, laying both
lighthouse and bridge foundations. If he’s done all that, perhaps he’s
just the fellow we want.”
“I’ll look him up and have a talk with him,” answered the captain.
As a result of this, Leif Olesen was engaged, along with his helper,
another Norwegian named Nick Amend. Both were tall, fair-haired and
blue-eyed, and both seemed to understand their business thoroughly. The
captain told Olesen just what he had in mind to do, and the deep-sea
diver gave him a list of what ought to be taken along and of what sort
of equipment he himself would need.
After this began the task of provisioning the _Firefly_ and having the
tanks filled with oil, and while this was going on the boys spent part
of their time at their homes getting ready for the trip.
“We won’t want much heavy clothing, that’s sure,” said Randy. “I’ll bet
it’s as hot as pepper down there this time of year. We ought to start
this hunt during the winter months.”
“Yes, and let somebody else get ahead of us, eh?” put in Fred quickly.
“Nothing doing! The sooner we locate the _Margarita_ the better I’ll be
pleased.”
“I’ll bet Fred has his profits counted up already,” gibed Randy.
“Remember, Fred, after all expenses are paid you’re to have one-quarter
of two thirds of three-thirds,” and he grinned gayly.
“You don’t have to poke fun at me, Randy Rover!” cried his cousin.
“You’re just as anxious as I am to find this treasure!”
“Sure he is――we all are!” put in Jack. “You don’t suppose we put up
eighteen thousand dollars just for the fun of it?”
“And if we don’t locate the _Margarita_, then it’s good-bye to the
eighteen thousand,” came from Fred.
“Don’t mention that we may lose that eighteen thousand!” cried Andy.
“Not on top of all our folks have lost! That would be too mean for
anything!”
“Well, this treasure hunt is a gamble, Andy; you know that as well as I
do. We may be successful and we may lose every dollar we put into it.”