And he did find out, and the finding out changed the whole course of Captain Garrish’s conduct toward the Rockledge chums.
CHAPTER XIII
SUSPICION
Bobby had wandered up into the bow one day and had seated himself on the deck, with his back resting against a huge coil of rope. The motion of the vessel had almost lulled him to sleep when he was abruptly brought back to consciousness by voices near him. They belonged to Captain Garrish and to Takyak, who were deep in a heated debate.
“You’ve got to give me the map, I tell you!” exclaimed the former, in an angry voice. “At least, you’ve got to let me look at it and give me a chance to get my bearings. I’ve steered the course you gave me long enough in the dark, and now I want proof that I’m not on a wild-goose chase.”
The Eskimo spoke a broken kind of English that it was almost impossible for any one not acquainted with him to understand. But Bobby caught the drift of his garbled talk well enough. He admitted that he had a chart of some kind, and Bobby made out the words “gold” and “wreck.” But it seemed that the old fellow did not have any too much confidence in Captain Garrish, and refused to let him see the map until they were among his own people. He clung stubbornly to this idea, and all the captain could say seemed to have no effect on him. At length Captain Garrish seemed to give up the argument for the time being.
“Well, I suppose there’s no use talking to you any more!” he exclaimed viciously. “It seems impossible to change that mule’s head of yours, so I suppose I’ll have to await your convenience. But if you’ve been deceiving me about this treasure ship, look out for yourself when I find it out, that’s all.”
Takyak protested vehemently that he was telling the truth, and at length seemed to convince the captain.
“Well, well, have it your own way,” Captain Garrish exclaimed impatiently. “I’m going to have a look at that new anchor while I’m here,” and he brushed past the Eskimo and the next moment had discovered Bobby.
His face darkened with sudden suspicion and anger, and Bobby leaped to his feet, believing that the captain was about to attack him.