Joe Nara stroked his chin in worried fashion.
“If somebody showed me the rest of the map,” he commented, “I might have to believe them if they said they knew Lew Kirby, too.”
“I thought of that,” returned Mr. Brewster calmly, “and I would be glad if such a person should appear. It would be a case of a thief trapping himself.”
Joe Nara nodded as though he agreed; but he immediately dropped the subject of the map and the mine as well.
During the next few days, the Xanadu thrummed upriver, keeping to broad channels instead of short-cuts between islands. This simplified the handling of the cruiser during brief but heavy rainstorms. Biff noted that after each rain the air soon became as humid as before. It was hot at night as well as in the daytime, and while one member of the group piloted the cruiser under the bright tropical moon, the others slept in the ample cockpit; never in the tiny forward cabin.
One evening when Nara was at the wheel, Biff and his father were seated near the stern, far enough away for Biff to ask:
“Do you think Joe Nara doubts your story, Dad?”
“About the map being stolen?” returned Mr. Brewster. “He might be wondering about it. After all, I could have torn the corner from a map that belonged to someone else.”
“But you gave him Kirby’s hand grip and when you mentioned ‘El Dorado’ it was like a password.”
“I could have learned those from some other person. Nara has to be cautious, with a gold mine at stake. I think he trusts me but wants to sound me out. Watch him, and you’ll see he is suspicious of everything.”