“Yes. I ran into a fellow who came from New Orleans,” answered the captain. “A very fine chap named Barker. He says he’ll be glad to go with me and do what he can, and at a reasonable price. He looks like a square man.”
“Then let’s continue the hunt!” came from Andy and Randy. And so it was decided.
CHAPTER XXIX
THE EXPLOSION
Twenty-four hours later found the Rover boys once more on board the Firefly. Extra water and provisions had been procured and Captain Corning was accompanied by Fred Barker, the new diver, a middle-aged and rather silent man but one who was said to understand his business thoroughly.
Before leaving Progreso the boys had received another message from home congratulating them on what had been accomplished by them. Sam Rover sent word that he would at once communicate with the Mexican authorities and send two first-class men down to Yucatan to see what could be done toward locating such of the securities as were still missing.
“They’ll probably get Ditini and Ronombo to talk when they put the screws on those rascals,” said Jack, after this message came in. “Maybe the bandits placed the other stuff in hiding, thinking to let it remain there until this whole affair blew over.”
So far the boys had talked of little else but the capture of the bandits and what this might lead to. But now, when they once more trod the deck of the Firefly, their thoughts again reverted to the hunt for the lost Margarita.
“We’ll steam at once for the spot where that demijohn was found and where Olesen and Amend threw overboard the floating yellow flags,” said Captain Corning.
It took the best part of the day to reach the vicinity the master of the Firefly had in mind. Then over an hour was lost before one of the tiny flags was located. It was pulled on board with care and they found the flag set in a piece of flat cork under which was a long fishline, at the end of which a small weight was attached, this intended to anchor it at the bottom of the Gulf.