It was speedily seen that the quest was destined to be like looking for a needle in a haystack.
It was a reasonable supposition that the ship’s crew had removed the gold, and had started for the shore with it when overtaken by the flood. To find it now, or their bones, would require a long and patient search.
An hour had already slipped by. Dooley and his men could not be far away.
Within a radius of several hundred yards a thorough search was made.
Then distant shouts announced the arrival of Dooley. The aerial voyagers retired aboard the air-ship.
Then they tried in vain to consider the best and most logical move.
“Confound these chaps!” said Frank, angrily; “they are delaying us badly and making it as difficult for themselves to recover the gold as for us!”
“They ought to be given a lesson,” said Nicodemus.
“Ah, but I would have to redden my hands with their blood!” said Frank, “which I do not wish to do.”
“That is true. But how are we going to dispose of them?”