"But are they all there?" demanded Dashington. "The bag hasn't shrunk any since I first set my gig lamps onto it, still a few of the stones might have been taken out. What do you think?"
Matt, Carl and Dick had all seen the diamonds just as they had come from the idol's head, and they were all firmly of the belief that the stones in the bag bulked as large as ever.
"This," said Matt, after he had retied the bag and put it away in the breast of his coat, "makes it necessary for us to clear out of here as soon as possible. The question is, how are we to do it?"
"The nearest burg is Chef Menteur," answered Dashington. "We could go that far on our kicks and catch a train into N. O."
"Und leaf dot Jurgens feller pehindt?" protested Carl.
"He'd be something of a load to carry," said Dick.
"One of us could go to the nearest plantation and get a wagon," suggested Dashington.
"Und vile dot feller vas gone, Whistler und Pangs mighdt show oop und blay hop mit der resdt oof us."
"There are four of us," said Matt, "and I think, if we had a long pole, we could hang Jurgens to it and carry him. He has been the ringleader in every plot that was directed against Townsend and the iron chest. It's right that he should pay the penalty of his misdeeds, even if Whistler and Bangs should never be caught. We let him go once, you remember, Dick, when he was in our hands, and now, just because of it, we lost the Hawk, and came within one of losing the diamonds."
"That's a good spiel Motor Matt is giving us," declared Dashington. "I'll go and look for a long pole, and while I'm about it, you fellows tie Jurgens' hands in front of him."