“Which—the wreck business?”
“Yep. You’re not keen upon puttin’ money into it and havin’ a share?”
“Oh, no. If you wanted me to, I’d be glad enough; but if you’d rather I stood out, I’ll do so. I’m not keen about money, anyway; only I’d like to see the fun.”
“You’ll see fun enough,” said Satan. “I’m goin’ to drag Cark in. First of all, if I don’t, he’ll keep hangin’ round here and sniff the cache; second, he’ll work the job for us with his crew.”
“He’ll gobble every cent,” said Jude.
“Which way?” asked Satan. “We’ll give him half shares, and well split on him if he doesn’t play fair. If we found stuff there, and once it was known, d’you think we’d be let keep it? We’ve got to get help, and isn’t he as good as another? If there’s no stuff there, he’ll have all his work for nothing.”
“The thing I can’t make out,” said Ratcliffe, “is the way he started out from Havana to find you. How did he ever expect to come across you?”
“Well, it’s this way,” said Satan. “Bein’ in with Pap, he knew the lines we worked on; f’rinstance, he knew we worked this place for abalones. If he hadn’t sighted us here; he’d have tried Little Pine Island, which is lonesomer than this place. You see he’s got it in his noddle, as far as I can make out, that Pap lifted the stuff and cached it, and Pine Island or here would have been the likeliest places. He reckoned when we put out of Havana this time we were out to lift it for good. Well, he’ll do the liftin’ if it’s to be done. Come on, I’m going over to see him right off. Jude, you stick here and clean up them abalones.”
He got into the dinghy, followed by Ratcliffe, and they pushed off.
As they drew closer the Juan Bango showed up more distinctly for what she was.