“Look,” said the captain, passing them over. The boys and the professor, who had translated the captain’s remarks as he had made them, looked over the articles. They found that about half the sum in each belt had been spent.
“Well, half a loaf is better than no bread,” remarked Jerry. “We ought to be thankful we’re alive, to say nothing of getting part of our cash back.”
“You all seem to have plenty of money; you are not like the poor Mexicans,” said the captain, with a sigh, looking at the professor, meaningly.
“That reminds me: I promised to reward you and your men if we were successful,” spoke the naturalist.
He distributed a good-sized sum among the soldiers, who seemed very pleased to get it. Their salaries under the government were small, and not always paid regularly, so that any addition was welcome.
“What’s that?” asked the captain, suddenly, as he shoved his share of the distribution in his pocket.
“It’s Noddy and Pender in their auto,” said Jerry. “They are going to escape.”
“Shall we fire at them?” asked the captain, eagerly.
“What’s the use?” asked Jerry. “Let them go. We would only have more bother if we tried to get them punished by law for their crimes. We have Bob back, we discovered the underground city, and what more do we want?”