“Wa-what did you say?” stammered Randy.
His twin repeated his words and pointed out where Leif Olesen was in earnest conversation with two Norwegian sailors, one named Larsen and the other Smader.
“You think they’re up to some trick?” whispered Randy.
“I certainly do! Let’s catch as much of their talk as we can.”
Such a suggestion was easily made but by no means easy to carry out, for the wind made much noise as it whistled through the rigging of the yacht and the rolling and pitching of the vessel made it necessary for the twins to hold fast to whatever was near them to keep from pitching headlong and taking the deck chairs with them.
Fortunately the backs of the three men were towards the lads, so they were not discovered. The men continued to talk earnestly, only raising their voices when the noises around them compelled them to do so.
As said before, most of the conversation was in Norwegian. Yet all of the men had been in the United States a number of years and they occasionally said a few words in English, and to these the youths listened with close attention.
“They’re talking about the treasure, all right enough,” whispered Randy. “But, for the matter of that, I suppose everybody on the yacht has mentioned that subject many times since we started on the expedition. I suppose they’re all expecting extra wages if we find anything of real value.”
“Just before I woke you, Randy, Olesen said something to the other men about ‘We want our share, don’t we?’ That’s why I woke you up. I tell you that man has got something up his sleeve.”