“Yes, lad, I did. I brought it along thinking we might have to blow the wreck up if the divers had trouble in getting into it.”
“Well, why not blow this wreck up? Then we’ll be sure that we haven’t missed anything,” went on the oldest Rover boy.
All agreed to this, and lost no time in getting back to the Firefly. Then the dynamite was transferred to the launch, along with the batteries and wires necessary for exploding the same.
Running with care, they presently returned to the Margarita and then, with the aid of the diver, who had handled dynamite charges before, the sticks of explosive were placed in various parts of the wreck and the batteries and wires were placed in position.
“Now then, we’ll get behind the largest of these trees,” cautioned the captain, “for there’s no telling what that dynamite will do.”
The launch was run to a safe spot and all took positions where they thought they would be well protected from the blast. A minute later Captain Corning pressed the button to set off the explosion.
There was a rumble and a roar and for the next fifteen seconds the air was filled with sticks of wood flying in all directions. [The wreck was blown completely apart] and even the rocks and trees in that immediate vicinity were split and crushed.
“Gee, talk about the Fourth of July!” cried Andy. “That was the biggest noise I ever heard!”
“If there are any folks living around here they’ll think it’s an earthquake or something like that,” added his twin.
Waiting to make certain that there would not be a second explosion, they moved forward with caution and soon stood close to the spot where the Margarita had lain. Split timbers and bits of woodwork lay in all directions and many of the pieces floated on the surface of the cove.