“What are we going to do with him?” asked Case, and Frank shook his head gravely. “Looks like he has the law with him!”
Then the cabin door opened and Alex came running out with a handful of banknotes waving aloft, his feet fairly dancing along the deck, his lips set for one long whoop, which, being finished, gave the boys a chance to ask questions.
“Where did you get it?”
“Is there a bank in there?”
“How much is there in the roll?”
This last from Jule, who beckoned to Alex to call Captain Joe off guard duty. The dog left reluctantly and joined Clay in the cabin, for the boy who was in a degree responsible for the situation insisted on remaining out of sight until he had “had it out with himself,” as he expressed it.
“Now,” Case snapped out, catching Alex by the shoulder and facing him around. “You keep still long enough to tell us if you’ve found a mine of banknotes in the cabin just when we were in great need. Get on with the story!”
Alex was too excited to talk for a time. He just danced up and down and shook the fluttering ends of the banknotes in the faces of his chums whenever he came in contact with him. In the meantime the Spaniard had arisen to his feet, and now, the Rambler having stopped, stood beckoning to the men in the row-boat to come on.
“Where’s your bill?” asked Case, approaching the gesticulating merchant. “We’re going to cash up. Here, Alex, bring me that money!”
Alex calmly drew a $50 banknote between each of the fingers of his right hand and waved it in the hot air, like a fan.