“Oh, well, I want to know that too!” came promptly from Andy.
“Now that we’ve warned Captain Corning I guess we can trust him to have those fellows watched,” said Jack. “He’s as suspicious of them as we are and just as anxious to save that treasure, provided it’s located.”
It did not take the taxicab long to reach the offices of Ditson and Roebuck, the brokers known to the Rovers. When they entered the place a round-faced, good-natured clerk came up and shook hands cordially with them.
“I remembered you the minute I saw you, Mr. Rover,” he said to Jack. “Don’t you remember I was in your office in New York one day—the same day you had had trouble with the son of another broker named Martell?”
“Oh, yes! I remember you now, Mr. Ditson!” cried Jack. He knew that the young man was the son of the head of the firm.
“We’re after letters and messages,” put in Fred, a bit impatiently. “We trust you’ve got good news for us.”
“I don’t know how good it is,” was the reply, as Harry Ditson walked back of one of the counters and brought forth a number of letters and several telegrams. “I certainly hope they’ve been able to get track of the stuff that was stolen from your firm. My! that was rather a serious affair, wasn’t it?”
“We’ll tell the world it was!” responded Randy, as he took a letter addressed to himself and tore it open eagerly.
Jack had two telegrams, as well as a letter. One telegram was from Ruth in which the girl stated briefly that she was very sorry she had not received his communication in time to answer it before the Firefly sailed and that she hoped the treasure quest would be successful. Jack read this telegram twice, and it is perhaps needless to say he was much gratified.
The other telegram was one from his father, evidently sent two days after the steam yacht had sailed. Dick Rover merely stated that all were well and that there was no news of importance and that he was making a hasty run to the oil fields while Tom Rover was going out West to the Rolling Thunder mine.