"That's right," nodded Daley; "those fellows wouldn't come in with us, and Nesik put them in irons. Go on."
"We also found some labeled boxes in the hold."
"The treasure!" cried Daley excitedly. "Alas, yes, it was all divided and made into portions, so much for the Hankers, so much for Nesik, so much for the crew. Why, we saw the Hankers divide it with our own eyes, didn't we, mates?"
"That we did," declared his two companions in unison.
"So Mr. Drake told us," resumed Dave. "Well, we liberated our friends, got the Swallow in trim, and steamed away from the Windjammers' Island about three weeks ago."
"With all that gold!" cried Daley, with disappointed but covetous eyes. "Oh, my mates, think of it!"
"No," interrupted Dave, "we thought the gold was there. The second home port we reached we opened the boxes to see."
"It must have been a sight," said Daley gloatingly.
"It was," nodded Dave, with a queer little smile--"sand, lead, old junk, every box full of them, and not a gold coin there."
Daley sprang up in the boat with a wild cry. His companions partook of his excitement.