Several drags were put overboard and they worked until nightfall in that vicinity trying to bring up something else of value.
But their efforts proved useless. Nothing was brought up but some seaweed and other marine plants, which the diver stated were quite numerous in that vicinity.
“Didn’t even find another demijohn!” exclaimed Andy ruefully. “Tough luck!”
“What did you expect, Andy?” demanded Fred. “Did you think we were going to hit the Margarita first clap?”
The next day the search was renewed with vigor, and Barker made two trips under the waters of the Gulf. He took with him the most powerful searchlight of which the Firefly boasted.
“Nothing doing here,” he announced. “There isn’t a bit of wreckage in sight.”
It must be confessed that the boys, as well as the captain, were rather disheartened by the diver’s announcement and it was with heavy hearts that the search was continued the next day and the morning following. Then the mate announced that another storm was coming.
The blow reached them less than an hour later and the Rover boys noticed that Captain Corning was more than ordinarily interested as the storm increased in violence.
“It’s just the kind of a storm that Henry Swall told me they had when the Margarita was wrecked and abandoned,” said the master of the Firefly to the others. “I’m going to let the boat drift for a while and see where the storm takes us. That may give us some idea of what actually did happen to the Margarita.”