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.”