His father laughed. “If there’s any treasure there it’s what the men we are after have brought there,” he declared. “And if any was there before they’ve probably found it. No, Son, every island and cay in the West Indies has treasure on it, if we believe the natives.”
“Well, some of ’em really do have and some of it’s been found,” said Rawlins. “First time I was down here I was diving for a crowd who were searching for treasure.”
“Did they get it?” asked Frank.
“I’ll say they did!” replied the diver. “Got it out of an old wreck—old galleon they said it was. I don’t know how much, but big piles of old gold and silver coins all stuck together with coral and old bronze bells and cannon. I’ve often wondered if they got it all. A storm came up so we couldn’t work and we had to clear out. They said they were coming back, but I don’t think they ever did, and I’ve been meaning to have another look myself, but never got around to it. It’s not far from here either. Over close to the Santo Domingo coast.”
“Jehoshaphat!” exclaimed Frank. “Let’s go over and try for it now!”
“This isn’t a treasure hunt, Frank,” Mr. Pauling reminded him. “We’ve far more important matters on hand. Uncle Sam isn’t paying us to hunt old galleons.”
“Oh, hang it!” ejaculated Tom in disappointed tones. “That’s what I call rotten. Here we are with a submarine and a diver and suits and all and right near a sunken galleon with millions and millions of dollars on it for all we know, and we can’t even hunt for it. It makes me sick.”
Mr. Pauling laughed. “You’ll never do for the Service if you’re so easily sidetracked,” he declared. “Of course I understand how fascinating such a story is to you boys, but business is business, treasure or no treasure.”
“We’ll have to go up and take a squint now,” declared Rawlins a moment later. “We don’t want to bump into the rocks.”
With the engines stopped the submarine was slowly raised until her periscope broke through the surface and Rawlins announced that the Cay was within half a mile.