This brought an actual smile from Cranston.
“If Ronjan could post a bond,” he stated, “he wouldn’t need to borrow the money.”
“I said a suitable bond,” defined Farnsworth. “By that I mean that Ronjan should give over ownership in his articulated under-water tube provided he fails to deliver.”
“But failure would prove the tube worthless.”
“Not to my mind, Cranston. I believe the device is thoroughly practical. It may not be suited to present conditions and that is the chance that I am taking. I want Ronjan to share the hazard.”
Cranston understood. Full ownership of the diving tunnel would mean that Farnsworth and any associates could use it for other projects if this one failed. However, Farnsworth still had confidence in the present enterprise.
“We’ve double-checked the story of that treasure off Skipper’s Rock,” declared Farnsworth. “It belonged to Master Glanvil, who owned the brig Good Wind, which was chartered under a letter-of-marque. Unfortunately Master Glanvil turned pirate himself, while he was supposed to be preying on corsairs, much like Captain Kidd did.
“It was on account of what happened to Kidd that Glanvil wouldn’t come into port. Meanwhile, the men who had backed him as a privateer, an Association of Adventurers, they called themselves, saw their investment dwindling away if Glanvil skipped.”
Margo was listening now from the terrace rail, forgetful of Central Park and its mysterious charm, in view of this thrilling tale.
“The Association of Adventurers had their rights of course,” continued Farnsworth. “The treasure was declared legally theirs, the question of Glanvil’s status being another matter. However they unloaded their shares cheap and the whole was bought out by a hard-headed old Dutchman named Thales Van Woort.”