"Why, we don't want any of those devil-fish coming snooping around in the night, do we?" asked the old sailor, "and they might, if we slept so near the water."
"I should say not," exclaimed Harry, with a shudder at the bare idea.
"Say Frank," exclaimed the younger lad, an hour later, when they were snuggled under blankets—for there is a heavy dew and night chill on the Sargasso—on the deck of the Buena Ventura, "what would you do if the door of the cabin yonder should suddenly open and an old don all in armor should come stalking out and say:
"'Get hence, get hence, young marauders, and leave my treasure untroubled!'"
"I'd offer him a ride in the Golden Eagle to clear the cobwebs out of his brain," said Frank sleepily.
The treasure hunters were astir early the next day and immediately after breakfast—a hearty meal cooked on the Golden Eagle's stove,—had been despatched they were ready for work.
It had been determined to go at the task systematically, so Frank in a notebook, checked off the articles as chest after chest of valuable gold and plate was dragged from the galleon's cabin. He soon had his book full and was compelled to borrow a small pocket diary from his brother.
"I say, Frank!" exclaimed Harry, as he and Ben drew from the moldering chests piece after piece of dull golden ornaments, some of them studded with jewels that blazed as they caught the sun. "What should you say this stuff was worth, as far as we have gone?"
"Every bit of $50,000 I should imagine," replied the elder boy, "although I'm not much of a judge in such matters."
"Hurray, Ben! that will make us all rich," shouted Harry.