“So I gathered.” The engineer eyed Jack shrewdly. “But your opinion carries weight with him. I saw that right away. Now if you and the other boys were to talk to him, you could make him see how foolish it is to remain here. I’ll make it worth your while.”
“How do you mean?”
Rhodes drew a small emerald from his pocket. In the sunlight it shown with a deep fire.
“Notice the color,” he directed. “A perfect gem. You like it?”
“Who wouldn’t?”
“Feel it—roll it in your hand,” Rhodes urged, closing Jack’s fingers over the gem. “Now all you need to do is convince Mr. Livingston to leave here by tomorrow morning. Do that and this emerald is yours!”
Chapter 15
MAP OF A MINE
Annoyed by the attempted bribe, Jack returned the emerald to the mining engineer.
“No, thanks,” he said. “Sorry, you can’t buy me. Seems you’re mighty eager to get us away from here.”
“No such thing.” Rhodes replaced the gem in a pouch which Jack noticed contained even larger emeralds. “Visitors interfere with the work. I was willing to make it worth your while to leave—that’s all.”