“Why,” King said, coming up to the little group, “I was sure I saw a smaller lad here with you. Where is he now? Did you let him get away?”
“He went right up into the blue sky!” insisted Alex.
“And the Mexicans went with him?” asked King, with a smile.
“They’ll not catch him,” Case answered, “if he keeps on running.”
“It looks more like they would catch the Rambler!” shouted Alex.
CHAPTER VI.—TEDDY BEAR MAKES A HIT.
All turned toward the river as Alex shouted out the warning. The level of the hiding-place chosen by the Mexicans was above that of the levee, and so the Rambler could be distinctly seen by the boys. She lay in the river without motion, save now and then a jerky pull at the anchor-chain, but just below her a rowboat was moving swiftly up stream.
The intention of the rowers, of whom there were three, to board the motor boat could not be denied. If they succeeded, and knew how to run the motors, the craft would be at their mercy.
Clay, Case and King started toward the river on a brisk run, but Alex loitered behind for a reason of his own. He knew that the three could do all that more could accomplish in the way of rescuing the boat, and he had a little mission of his own to carry out before leaving the place.
He wanted to secure the buried money and hide it safely away on the Rambler! Clay and Case believed that the belt had contained the cash when passed over to him. He wanted them to think, when the truth became known, that the sand filling had been supplied by Don without his knowledge, and with a view to deceive.