“Oh, I love adventure! And somehow I have confidence that you’ll make good.”
“Thank you! It’s evident that the opposition can do nothing at the wreck when we’re on the spot, and the ice will keep the field for us while we’re down here; but we must get back before they can send a steamer in the spring. In the meanwhile, we have the bags of gold to dispose of.”
“That’s a difficulty,” said Jaques. “They certainly ought to be handed to the underwriters.”
“Just so; but as soon as we part with them we give our secret away. We must stick to them and say nothing until we finish the job.”
“Wouldn’t it be dangerous? You have cut one bag and broken into the box. If the fellows who are working against you found that out, they’d claim you had stolen the gold. Then you’d be in a tight place.”
“The experience wouldn’t be unusual,” Bethune answered with a laugh. “We must take our chances, and we’ll put the stuff in your safe. What most encourages me to go on is that there were several different consignments of gold sent by the steamer and insured, and I can’t take it for granted that all the shippers were in the conspiracy. There’s no reason to suspect the contents of the remaining cases.”
“You hadn’t made out the marks when I last asked you about them,” Jimmy broke in.
“No; they’re hardly distinguishable; but I now think I have a clue. I’m inclined to believe the case was shipped by a man named Osborne. His name’s in the vessel’s manifest, and he has been associated with her owner for a long time. I found that out when I was considering the salvage scheme.”
Jimmy started.
“His Christian name?”