“If you fellows put up your money, I’d do the same,” said Jack. “But as things are now, I really think we ought to hold off for a few days before we decide on this.” He turned to his father. “Don’t you think so?”
“Perhaps it might be as well, Jack. You boys may be able to be of assistance here, although I can’t just now see in what way you can help us. The police are doing everything they can and we now have three private detectives on the case. The detectives have a better chance of doing something than any of us have, if the criminals are our old enemies, for all our enemies know us and of course would get out of sight and become suspicious as soon as they saw us.”
“And if the bandits were all outsiders, as they may be, then we wouldn’t have much of a chance of tracing them,” added Randy.
“But about our money?” went on Fred. “Are you quite sure, Dad, that you don’t want it in your business?”
“Eighteen thousand dollars wouldn’t help us very much, Fred,” was Sam Rover’s reply. “And if you boys really want to go on this hunt for the Margarita, as far as I’m concerned I’ll say do it and use the money for that purpose.” As he spoke he looked at his two brothers and Dick and Tom nodded in approval.
After this Captain Corning went into more particulars of what was in his mind to do, mentioning a vessel he could charter for the purpose, and telling of the professional diver and others he might engage for the trip.
“Gee, we ought to have old Ira Small along!” cried Andy.
“I don’t think he’ll go,” answered Fred. “I thought of him before. But he’s now in an old sailor’s home and not feeling extra well; so I think you’ll have to count him out.”
“I’ll tell you what let’s do,” said Jack finally, after talking the matter over with his father. “We’ll leave this whole matter rest for two or three days and then give Captain Corning a definite answer;” and so it was decided.