As time passed, and no reward came to their labors, even the confident Ballyhoo began to despair of meeting with success.
“I guess the Pacific is our hoodoo, fellows,” he was telling them on one occasion, as they sat on the edge of the lower bunk, or it might be a stool, for chairs were at a premium in those close quarters. “After all we’d better be cutting stick, and going back to the Caribbean Sea, where we did meet with our usual good luck.”
“Here’s the skipper coming to tell us something,” remarked Jack, “and from the look on his face I guess it’s good news in the bargain.”
“Three to one he’s decided to clear out of this mess, and get through the canal again to where we know our ground,” ventured Ballyhoo confidently.
However, Ballyhoo was wrong for once. Captain Shooks had information of an altogether different nature to communicate.
“We’ve stopped moving,” he started to say, “and in a cleared spot just ahead, where our illuminator makes every little object stand out like daylight, we’ve discovered something that tells us a vessel must have gone to pieces about here. The fragments look like an old-time anchor, for one thing, and some other metal parts.”
“Then you think, do you,” asked Oscar, sensing the meaning conveyed in these words of the skipper, “we’re about on the spot where that pirate sank; and that she’s been washed around in these currents until nothing’s left of her hulk?”
“That’s just what I’m afraid of, lad,” admitted the other; “and that we’ll have come down here on a fool’s errand. However, now that we’re on the spot we must try as hard as we can to learn the truth.”
Soon they had arisen again to the surface, and placed a buoy to mark the spot, so they could come again; for just then there was too much sea running to think of making use of a float.
After waiting there for two days the skipper could not stand any further delay; so it was arranged that one of the expert divers go down from the forward deck of the submersible, which, being low down near the water, might be made to answer the purpose temporarily. If he struck anything that promised good results they would linger still longer, waiting for the weather to change.